January 21, 1995. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
03 
too close in tho frames, and have suffered from a superabundance 
of moisture. In winters such as ours, with frost alternating 
with thaw, it is necessary, as soon as the plants have been 
thawed, to give them all the light and ventilation possible in 
order to maintain the foliage in good condition. It is just 
possible that the mats have been kept too long on the frames 
during cold weather, on the supposition that Carnations are 
tender. Much damage is sometimes effected by keeping the 
dark covering over the plants for too long a period of time. 
We can understand that it would be an advantage to keep the 
mats on the frames at night, but during the day they should 
be removed, unless it is freezing hard. It would be inadvisable 
to open the frames while the foliage and the soil are actually 
frozen, but soon after a thaw really sets in abundant ventila¬ 
tion should be given in order to carry off the superfluous moisture 
that will accumulate in the frame as a l-e'sult of an hour’s 
bright sunshine. The more light and ventilation that can be 
given, the sturdier the plants may be kept. We should advise 
you to see whether there is any evidence of the Carnation grub 
in them, as this ’often keeps working down the centre of the 
stem from autumn onwards, and, this being the case, the whole 
of the centre cluster of leaves will die. 
Plum Tree Dead. 
Last autumn a fine standard of Victoria Plum in our col¬ 
lection became grey about midsummer, as if the foliage was 
ripening off, and this continued until autumn. New we find 
the tree is practically dead. We fail to find any ^ause for this, 
but perhaps you can give an explanation. (R. W.) 
Judging from what you say about the foliage, we should 
imagine .hat the tree was attacked by the silver leaf disease. 
Thi» may enter by the roots from the soil, or it may gain ad¬ 
mission by a wound in the stem of the tree. It is an ailment 
now stated to be due to the work of a fungus named Stereum 
purpureum. Once a tree has been attacked by this it seldom, if 
eve.’, recovers. If taken during its early stages, and replanted 
in fresh soil, it might possibly outgrow the disease. We do not 
know, however, that anyone has made this experiment. We 
should advise you to root up the ti’ee and burn it. If you 
intend planting another in its place, it might be an Apple or 
a Pear instead of a Plum or other stone fruit. In any case, it 
would be well to take out the soil to some considerable depth, 
removing it elsewhere, and bringing fresh soil before planting 
another tree. Lime and lime rubble might also he freely used 
in mixture with the imported soil. This would to some extent 
help to keep the fungus in check 
Cutting Back Laurels. 
What is the best time for cutting back Laurels? We have a 
large bed of them, but they have got too bulky, and are falling 
over on the grass. (W. D.) 
We presume you refer to the common or Cherry Laurel, which 
stands cutting back very well. The best time is after all severe 
frost is over, and just before the plants commence to swell up 
their buds again. About the beginning of March would there¬ 
fore be a suitable time for the operation, as growth would not 
have commenced at that time, and there would have been no 
expenditure of material on the part of the plants. 
Flowering Climbers for a Stove. 
We intend growing some climbers in large pots to train on the 
rafters in the stove. The names of half a dozen suitable ones 
would be sufficient. (A. P. G.) 
Flowering climbers we presume would be most suitable for 
your purpose and what you inter !. There are many from which 
to select, some of which are not well known, but we select six of 
those vhich are frequently grown for the purpose, and give 
satisfaction. Passiflora racemosa, better known in gardens as 
P. princeps, gives a great quantity cf flowers over a long period 
of time, and, being scarlet, they are very handsome. The 
flowers of Ipomoea Horsfalliae are deep rose-purple; those of 
Jcssninum Sambac are white and sweet-scented ; of Tliunbergia 
laurifolia light blue ; of Clerodendron Thomsonae, better known 
as C. Balfouri, red, with white calyx ; of Begonia President. 
Carnot, rosy-scarlet. 
Seedling Pelargoniums. 
We raised a number of seedlings of Pelargoniums last year, 
but they seem so tall and leggy as to be useless for pot culture. 
If like this the first year, are they likely to be of any use if 
kept? (J. Reab.) 
If the seedlings which you raised are Zonal Pelargoniums, it 
may be pointed out that they naturally attain a large size or 
considerable height if allowed to develop their natural propor¬ 
tions. This being the case, it follows that seedlings, like those 
of other strong-growing plants, must attain a good height 
before they will flower. Zonal Pelargoniums that ar© grown 
for pot work are kcqit dwarf by the system of raising fresh plants 
from cuttings and by occasionally pinching and cutting back 
in order to keep them dwarf. Seedlings of which you speak 
may be of unusually strong growth, but, if you take cuttings and 
treat them like older varieties, they can bo kept dwarf and bushy 
in the same way. The usual plan is to allow them to grow 
until they bloom and show what their value is for decorative 
puiqtoses. If they are worthless, they are thrown away. It 
does not follow, however, that the best blooms come from these 
seedling strong-growing plants, but the first flowers will be 
sufficient to give you an idea whether they are worthy of 
further attention. If they are distinct and promising, you 
should take cuttings of them as soon as you like, and give them 
a further trial under tlie ordinary treatment given to this 
class of plants by good cultivators. 
Manure for Lawns. 
A piece of lawn in front of the house would be greatly im¬ 
proved by a stimulant. Top dressing of soil or manure would 
be-objectionable. Please sav what substitute might be used. 
(G. F.) 
It is probable that the lawn in front of the house has been 
impoverished by long-continued mowing and the carrying away 
of the grass. We understand that it would be objectionable 
to have the grass covered with top dressing for any length of 
time in the near vicinity of the house, although we think this 
would be of great advantage to it if you could fix upon a time 
when the inmates were away from home for a period, so that 
the top-dressing could be worked into the soil by exposure to 
frost and rain and by the use of wooden rakes and scuffling 
with the broom, so as to thoroughly incorporate the top dressing 
with the roots of the grass. In such a case we should recom¬ 
mend it to be done some time about the middle of Mai’cli, when 
the grass has commenced growing or would certainly do so in 
a sport time. Such a top dressing might consist of various 
materials, including old potting bench soil, sifted before use, 
mixed with any other stimulating material which you may con¬ 
veniently get. For instance, a small quantity of the droppings 
of deer, sheep, or fowls, if dry, could be broken up fine and 
passed through a sieve so as to ensure a thin and even distri¬ 
bution. In the meantime, however, you can apply a dressing 
of bone meal or muriate of potash at the rate of three pounds 
to a square rod. At the same time about four or five pounds 
of basic slag in the form of powder might be spread over this 
extent of the grass. The basic slag might, indeed, take the 
place of the bone meal. A dressing of soot can also with safety 
be given. Wood ashes, being naturally fine, would not be un¬ 
sightly if sifted through a quarter-inch sieve before use, spread 
over the grass equally, and then scuffled with a broom to 
work it in amongst the roots of the grass. Later on, say about 
the beginning of April, you can give a slight sprinkling of 
nitrate of soda, which will supplement the soot in supplying 
nitrogen. These ingredients should give the results which you 
expect. 
Names of Plants. 
(F. R.) 1, Primula floribunda; 2, Daedalacanthus nervosus ; 
3, Callicarpa purpurea; 4, Ardisia crenata; 5, Solanum Capsi- 
castrum.—(T. B. J.) 1, Helleborus caucasicus; 2, Helleborus 
viridis; 3, Daphne Mezereum ; 4, Cotoneaster Simonsii; 
5, Ilex Aquifolium ferox ; 6, Hedera Helix palmata.—(W. D.) 
1, Cypripedium cliamberlainianum ; 2, Epipendrum cochlea- 
tum ; 3, Peperomia metallica ; 4, Ruellia Portellae; 5. Cala- 
tliea zebrina.—(F. C.) 1, Pteris palmata; 2, Pteris longifolia; 
3, Asplenium bulbiferum fabianum ; 4, Onychium japonicum ; 
5. Asplenium ebeneum ; 6, Bleolinum occidentale.—(A. M. D.) 
1, Sparmannia africana ; 2, Acacia platyptera; 3, Senecio 
Kaempferi aureo-maculatus ; 4, Gasteria verrucosa. 
Fruit to Name. 
(Herbert Morris.)—Apple Welford Park Nonsuch. 
Communications Received. 
H. J. Chapman.—A. E. Thatcher.—H. H.— S. L. Bastin.— 
R. S.— E. M. D.—P. T.—A. E. S.—I. L.—F. W.—T. B. R,— 
E. A. S.— F. M.— A. T. P.—B. R.— F. W.—A. B.—T. A. G.— 
E. W.—F. W. R. P. T.— A. L. 
Trade Catalogues Received. 
Frank Dicks and Co., 68, Deansgate, Manchester.—-Seed List. 
James Dickson and Sons, 46, Hanover Street, Edinburgh.— 
Garden Seeds, Sundries, etc. 
The Lubrose Paint Company, Moorgate Station Chambers, 
London, E.C.—Imperishable Lubrose Paints. 
