192 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
March 4. 1905 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be put 
ds briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only; a 
separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers arc also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
of their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
enve'ope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters; The Editor, "The Gardening World,” 37 and 
38. Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Cutting Back Tree Carnations. 
T write to ask your favour upon a Carnation question. I have 
a few iree Carnations, that were struck by cuttings some time 
last summer before I came here'. They have been growing a long 
way from the glass, and are weak and long. 1 hey are- in 7 in. 
and 8 in. pots, in which by the lady’s strict orders they were 
placed from the cutting pot. As they were so weak and thin 
1 stopped them to form a foundation. They range from 9 in. 
to 18 in. high. Now I am told it was wrong, and that T have 
spoiled them entirely. They were too weak to have done any 
good as they were growing. The lady says they should grow 
2 ft. high, then they would break of their own accord. Will you 
kindly tell me if I was wrong in this case? My opinion is to 
strike them now, and get them rooted in 60-size pots-, then stop 
them after starting in their next shift. I should be glad if you 
would tell me where to get a good book on tree Carnations and 
their culture, also Malmaison and other Carnations growing in 
pots under glass. Please give the best book and the price of 
same. (C. B.) 
We quite understand that the tree Carnations- you mention 
may have been spoiled by unsuitable treatment. We do not 
think, however, that you could now improve them by cutting 
back at this late period of the year. If we had had the care 
of the plants in question we should have allowed them to- grow 
arid flower, simply encouraging them to do their best. After 
plants have been spoiled over so long a period of time or till 
they, are so far advanced it is impossible to put them right. 
Your best plan will be to take cuttings, and after rooting them 
grow the-m on under the best possible treatment, and thereby 
build up plants with a good foundation, from which you can 
expect to get good blooms, and plenty of them. We have no 
doubt that you meant well in cutting them back, but it- is a 
dangerous form of treatment with plants that were already 
spoiled. We should have been contented to leave the blame 
with the previous grower, simply making the best of them, and 
preparing a fresh batch of plants. See an article in another 
column concerning Malmaison Carnations, either in this week’s 
or next week’s issue. A very good and reliable book is the 
“Carnation Manual,” edited and issued by the National Car¬ 
nation and Picotee Society. Tire second edition costs 3s. 6d., 
with extra for postage, and is obtainable from Messrs. Cassell 
and Co., Limited, La Belle Sauvage, Ludgate Hill, London. It 
deals with, tree Carnations and Malmaison Carnations under 
glass, as well as with border Carnations and Picotees for out¬ 
door culture. 
Steel and Iron Filings as a Moss Destroyer on Lawns. 
Can you inform me as to the effect of the above for destroying 
moss on lawns, and what quantity would be required per square - 
yard? (W. R. J.) 
We have no experience concerning the use of steel and iron 
filings as a destroyer of moss, although iron in another form is 
known to destroy moss without injuring the grass, if used in 
a moderate quantity. We should not, therefore, advocate the 
use of steel and iron filings, as they must- lie in the soil and 
continue to affect it for a long time after the application. Ex¬ 
periments have, however, been made with iron sulphate for the 
purpose of destroying moss in the grass. An agriculturist of 
great experience near Peterborough has used iron sulphate for 
pastures infested with moss. He applied this in the form of 
a top dressing, and the grass turned black after the first rain¬ 
fall, but in the course of a fortnight it assumed a bright greet! 
colour, and the moss was destroyed. This fine colour of the 
grass continued through the summer, although it was a dry 
one, whereas other grass land which had not been treated 
assumed a parched appearance. A French professor has also 
been using iron sulphate for the same purpose, but it, seems 
that he used rather a heavy dr*essing, although he does not state 
that any damage was done to the grass. He employed It at the 
rate of 160 lbs. to 240 lbs. per acre, and the moss was completely 
destroyed, while the other vegetation assumed a remarkablv 
vigorous appearance. Some experiments on the same subject 
were also conducted at Rothamstead by the late Sir John B. 
Lawes, F.E.S. This' great- authority found that the iron sul¬ 
phate was best- applied as a top-dressing to the land after the 
crops were above ground, and particularly after a rainy day 
He used g cwt. to the acre, and thought that lg cwt. of iron 
sulphate was rather too much, although it did not kill the plants. 
We presume this was not applied for the purpose of destroying 
moss on grass lawns, but for t-he purpose of supplying 
a manure for various other annual crops. We think, however, 
that it would be a safe plan to adopt his recommendations, and 
not use a heavier top-dressing than lg cwt. of iron sulphate per 
acre until you find how it answers the purpose. At this rate 
you would require about g oz. of the iron sulphate per square 
yard. Such a top-dressing might be given after a rainy day, 
and then wait for the results. The iron sulphate, we may say. 
benefits the grasses as a sort of plant food, and at the same 
time the moss takes it up to an extent that is hurtful to it, 
and by that means the moss gets destroyed. You could, how¬ 
ever, apply too much for the benefit of the grass, so that it is 
well to use a weak dose to begin with. 
Window Foliage Plants for Exhibition. 
You might please answer in your query column what you 
consider to be the two best window foliage plants for exhibi¬ 
tion. Thanking you in anticipation. (.1. Alexander.) 
It- would be difficult to say which are the two best window 
plants for the purpose you mention, but, in our opinion, there 
are no better than Aspidistra lurida variegata and the India- 
rubber plant (Ficus elastica). The first named is remarkably 
hardy, and the second, although not quite so hardy, is equally 
capable of resisting the drying effects of the atmosphere of 
dwelling houses, even -where fires are kept burning more or less | 
every day pr night. The leathery character of the leaves enables 
them to withstand the ill-effects of drought and dust, while thev 
may just be as easily kept clean for a similar reason by occa¬ 
sionally sponging or washing. There are several other window 
plants upon which stress might be placed, including Aralia 
-Sieboldi, A.S. variegata, or some of the Palms, such as Kentia 
fosteriana, Phoenix canariensis, or even Latania borbonica. We 
have never seen these Palms, however, live for any length of time 
in rooms without showing distress by withering at the tips ofj 
the leaves, whereas the two first plants mentioned keep in per-i 
feet health throughout the year. There are careful and skilful 
horticulturists, however, who can manage Ferns in rooms where 
there is not much fire heat nor gas to destroy them. Leathery 
leaved kinds are employed for this purpose, such as- Asplenium 
bnlbiferum, A. b. fabianum, and A. lucidum. Amongst British 
Ferns the Polypodies might be used, and Scolopendrium vulgare 
in some of its many beautiful forms. These Ferns, at least the 
British ones, would do better, however, in a cold frame in a 
shady position, but then, we presume, they could not be classed 
as window-grown plants. Some of the exotic species of Pteris 
also make fairly good growth in windows. We have seen fairly 
well-grown plants of P. serrulata, P. s. cristat-a, P. cretica 
cristata, P. umbrosa, and some others which some people suc¬ 
ceed in managing more or less throughout the year. Two of the 
more common Maidenhairs, such as Adiantum cuneatum and A. 
Capillus-Yeneris, have also been managed for many months at 
a time, but- they are all the better for being renewed in the hot-] 
house after being kept for some time in rooms. 
Potatos for Exhibition. 
In exhibiting Potatos, what do you consider the most im¬ 
portant details- preparatory to raising the crops? After pro¬ 
curing the most suitable tubers, do you advise washing imme-i 
diately or allowing the tubers -to be exposed to the air some time 
previously ? After washing—which’ is sometimes done a day 
or two before being required—can they be kept with perfect 
safety in other than soil or sand which necessitates a second 
washing; and, finally, can anything be rubbed or put on the 
skin to enhance the appearance of the tubers? (K. K.) 
The fiist thing to consider before raising the crop is the 
maturity of the tubers. If not proplgly matured the skin will 
mb off by frequent handling. Some exhibitors wash the tubers 
immediately after they have been lifted and the finest forms 
selected and there is no reason why you should not adopt this 
plan. The tubers may be exposed to the air, but we should not 
advise exposing them -to light, otherwise thev will turn oreen 
or get more or less discoloured. We should consider it the'"best 
plan to wash them immediately after lifting them, that is, while 
the soil upon them and the surface of the Potato are still moist, 
as that- will facilitate the removal of the soil. Some gardeners 
place the tubers m soil or sand after they have been cleaned 
