THE HARDENING WORLD. 
April i. 1905. 
2 It, 
in thickness above the stone than to make increment to the 
Lem beneath the stone after it had completely-filled the open- 
ling in the stone with its trunk 
Flowers from Scilly.— One day during the middle of last 
month as many as 33J, tons of flowers were sent off from the 
■Scillv Isles in one day, and three days later another consign¬ 
ment of 32 tons was sent off. Owing to the severe weather m 
the South of France destroying the flowers of the Mediterranean 
(region, the Scilly islanders have been enjoying a rich harvest 
for their flowers. 
* * * 
Accident from Spraying Fruit.— The spraying of fruit trees 
with poisonous insecticides is carried on very extensively m 
many parts of America, Canada, and Australia. Notwithstand¬ 
ing the fact that Apples so treated, to the extent of hundreds 
of thousands of barrels, hare been distributed over the world, 
|we hear little of any harm accruing from tins practice. I here 
is one case, however, where report says that a man eating 
Apples that had not been washed lost his life as the result ol 
spraying. This account comes from California. 
Cats in the Garden.— The domestic cat is well known as a 
sociable and happy creature, but it has neither principle nor 
remorse where its business brings it in contact with gardens 
and their keepers. They are just as likely to make their play¬ 
ground in the choicest flower-bed as on the recognised pathway. 
Various plans have been adopted for keeping cats out of sub¬ 
urban gardens, but the most certain method, even with a wire 
fence, is to place the netting horizontally across the top ot 
the wall, fixing it in the middle but leaving both sides to sway 
loosely. This is a very uncertain foothold, and the cat has 
as much difficulty in getting in as getting out. 
* * * 
Burdocks in Pasture. —Many weeds are very difficult of ex¬ 
termination when once they have become widely disseminated 
in pasture grass. Amongst these might be named the Burdock 
and the Oxeye Daisy. The latter flourishes almost at will 
when the grass is allowed to become hay, and, if allowed to re¬ 
main late, until the seeds of the Chrysanthemum are ripened. 
When such pastures are grazed, sheep are one of the readiest 
and most effective exterminators, of these two weeds Nether 
sheep nor cattle, however, will eat the Scotch Thistle (Cmcus 
lanceolatus), and we presume the leal-liearted Scotchman would 
not prove an exterminator either. 
* * * 
Lowtiier Gardens, Latham .— 1 The municipal authorities who 
have the keeping of the above much-frequented park seem de- 
termined to keep the place in better order than former y. - 1 
of the walks have been regravelled or are under repair, while 
the grass edgings have also been trimmed. The trees and 
shrubs have been allowed to grow at their freedom, until many 
of the clumps and shrubberies were a thick and crowded mass 
of vegetation. These have been largely improved by the re¬ 
moval of the worst and by a judicious pruning of the rest 
thus letting air and light play about the hitherto neglected 
trees and shrubs. 
•* * * 
Wholesome Effect of Flowers.— A popular idea has got 
abroad that plants and flowers are very obnoxious occupants 
of dwelling-rooms, especially at night. Usually veiy ew p an s 
are kept in dwelling-rooms, so that the total effect they would 
have upon the atmosphere could not be great unless the room is 
very small and close. “The Family Doctor” tries to dispel 
the'notion, however, about the ill-effect of plants and power* 
in dwelling-rooms. The writer says that doctois aie beginning 
to recognise that plants may even aid in the cure of disease, 
and says that in New York a flower ward is used tor the treat¬ 
ment of suitable cases. It is further stated that n one is con¬ 
fined to the bedroom with a bad cold, or influenza or bronchitis, 
one cannot do better than surround oneself with plants having 
plenty of green leaves. The advice is given to dispense with 
strong-smelling flowers. We think, however, it largely depends 
upon°the nature of the scent given off. The scent of some 
plants is quite bracing, while others, like the Gardenia and 
Steplianotis, give off a heavy and sickening odour We have 
even felt the inconvenience of two night-scented Tobacco plants 
in full bloom in a room during the evening. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. That* 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be pvt 
as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only; a 
separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefil 
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. 
Mmt Eying Off. 
Last September I put in some boxes of cuttings of Mint, and 
had a fine strike. Soon after putting the boxes into heat the 
young plants gradually died away after making a start to grow. 
Could you give any reason for this behaviour? (William lioss.) 
Mint requires very careful handling in the young or cutting 
stage when employed for forcing. Only a very gentle heat can 
he employed, otherwise the young plants soon get exhausted, 
because they liave no strength ox rootstock. The cuttings root 
readily enough, but, owing to their small size, they have very 
little reserve material to build up a good foundation for stand¬ 
ing the winter, consequently when placed in beat they exhaust 
their resources in making young growth and then die away. 
For forcing purposes the cuttings would have to be put in early 
in summer. You can, however, get Mint by lifting a quantity 
of the underground stems or rhizomes, which are freely pro¬ 
duced in loose soil and naturally contain a considerable amount 
of reserve matter. To make sure of plenty of rhizomes young 
plantations should be made at frequent intervals, so that the 
roots may always be in soft ground, which encourages them to 
ramble freely. 
Grafting Clematis Jackmanni. 
We have a fine plant of Clematis Jackmanni by the side of 
a rustic summerhouse, and would like to increase it. I under¬ 
stand it is propagated by grafting. What stock is best for it ? 
(X. Y. Z.) 
Several species of Clematis are employed for grafting of garden 
varieties in tlie spring. Two of the more common are C. Viti- 
cella and C. Yitalba. All you require to do is to get pieces of 
the root as thick as the stock which you intend to put on them. 
A slanting cut can be made on the portion of root employed 
and a similar cut on the graft to be put upon it. The graft 
should consist of one pair of leaves with dormant buds in their 
axils, and only sufficient stem should be left to this to give 
you a fair opportunity of making a good-spliced graft. After it 
is firmly bound with matting the grafted plants should be 
potted up in pots about 2^ in. in depth or thereby. The 
spliced portion should be buried in the soil, and that will keep 
it moist until a union takes place. The pots may then be placed 
in a propagating case or one improvised for the purpose in a 
warm house. 
Scale on Currant Bushes. 
Can you say whether the scales on the Cun-ant twig are the 
same as Peach scale ? If they do harm, please say what is the 
best way to eradicate them. (F. D.) 
All pminings should be burnt immediately they are cut off 
the bushes, and not allowed to lie about. This should really 
have been done about the beginning of February to be most 
effective. This will greatly reduce the area upon which you will 
have to operate further to reduce the pest. A good plan is to 
syringe the stems thoroughly on all sides, making sure that 
the portions under the joints are thoroughly wetted, as the 
pest usually hides in such positions. The syringing may be 
done with kerosene and soft soap, about half and half, dis¬ 
solved and mixed together twenty-four hours before use. It 
should be well stirred. Soft soap and sulphur is also a good 
wash, but if you are thoroughly acquainted with the making of 
paraffin emulsion that would probably lie as good as anything. 
You should make sure that all the oil is fixed by thoroughly 
churning the emulsion while it is being prepared. After it is 
prepared you should dilute the emulsion with nine parts of cold 
water, rain water if possible. That could be done immediately, 
and again in the course of ten days or so, before the foliage 
crets too far advanced. These scales do not, as a rule, spread 
very rapidly, but they are harmful enough where they do. We 
do not suppose the Peach scale would get on Currants, as the 
Currant scale (Lecanium Ribis) is the one that infests these 
bushes as well as Gooseberries. 
