276 
THE GARDENING WORLD , 
April 1, 1905. 
Propagating Daphne Mezereum. 
What is the best way to propagate Daphne Mezereum so as 
to get up a stock for planting by the drive? We have the red 
and white varieties. (A. T. B.) 
Probably you would be able to root plants by layering some 
of the branches in August in a similar way to Carnations, peg¬ 
ging them down with strong hooked pegs. The usual way. how¬ 
ever, for increasing these plants is by seeds, which ripen in 
abundance. Those of the ordinary form are red when matured. 
The white variety has yellow berries. You can leave the berries 
hanging on the plants until perfectly matured, keeping an 
eye upon them to see that the birds do not devour them. After 
gathering them, remove the pulp by squeezing and washing, and 
sow the seeds immediately. Under this treatment the seedlings 
will mostly make their appearance in the following spring. If 
you dry them, on the contrary, and keep them till spring 
before sowing, they will lie in the ground for another twelve 
months, thus losing a year's time. 
Hardiness of Sisyrinchium grandiflorum. 
We have a very fine pot of Sisyrinchium grandiflorum in the 
greenhouse. It looks like a Cape bulb, but we should like to 
plant it out. if hardy. Any information would be appreciated. 
(G. T.) 
The species is a native of North America, and therefore 
quite hardy in this country. We have seen it thriving and 
flowering beautifully in the open border in a district where 
the temperature was frequently below zero. After it has done 
flowering you can plant it out in any friable soil in the border 
or on the rockery, merely selecting a place where it will not 
be exposed to high winds during March and April when in 
bloom. 
Pear Midge. 
Some of our Pear trees dropped their buds badly last year 
without apparent cause. From what I have since heard and 
read, perhaps the Pear midge was the pest. Can any precau¬ 
tion be taken this year? (Pyres.) 
The methods of combating this pest are not yet very numerous, 
and possibly not very effective on an extensive scale, but you 
can probably do much to check its increase. Before the flower 
buds expand you mi^ht employ a dilute solution of paraffin 
emulsion or tobacco water with which to spray the trees, so as 
to give the flower buds a disagreeable smell, which will act 
in keeping the fly away, and thereby prevent it from laying 
its eggs. After the fruits begin to swell up you can then keep 
them under close observation in order to know whether they 
are swelling irregularly in certain places and becoming dis¬ 
coloured, these being signs that the fly lias laid its eggs in the 
flower buds and the maggots or grubs are busy inside. All 
fruits presenting a suspicious appearance like this should be 
removed and burned immediately. The trees may also be 
shaken at intervals, which will bring down any damaged fruits. 
You can test the fruits, if your suspicions are aroused, by 
cutting some of them open. Some experiments have been made 
with certain artificial manures for the purpose of destroying the 
pupae in the upper crust of the soil during winter. This consists 
in sprinkling the ground with muriate of potash or kainit, 
which has the effect of killing the pupae resting in this soil, 
provided these manures come in contact with them. All of- 
these methods of dealing with them are well worthy of your 
attention, for the pest is very destructive when numerous. 
Soil for Montbretias. 
For some years past we have grown a few varieties of Mon-t- 
bretias in pots, but we think they would do better and give 
far less trouble in the open. Our soil is rather light. Could 
it be improved in any way, or will it answer? (J. S. TI.) 
Light soil answers the purpose admirably so long as it can 
be kept moist. If the situation is a dry one the plants would 
be liable to be hurt or scorched during droughty periods in 
summer. They show their distress by the tips of the leaves 
becoming burned and brown. You should in the first place 
select a position where the soil is likely to remain-cool and 
moist during any ordinary drought you are likely to experience. 
The soil may be improved, however, by mixing with it a laree 
proportion of leaf soil or vegetable refuse from the rubbish 
heap. Peat might also be employed for increasing the moisture¬ 
holding capacity of the soil, but it is far less nutritious than the 
other two ingredients we mention. The soil should be dug or 
trenched to the depth of 18 in. If the situation is somewhat 
shaded by trees at a distance the plants can be kept in better 
condition during hot weather. 
Propagating Erica carnea. 
An edging of Erica carnea here is now very fine, and we slioul 
like to increase it. Would layering be the best way? (E. A. S 
You could get a large quantity of young plants by this mean: 
but if your plants are of fair size at present, and in good cond 
t-ion, you could largely increase them simply by division. V 
do not advise you to break them up into small pieces, bi 
merely to get them into pieces that could be spread out evenl 
and laid along in a line so as to resemble an edging. Presen 
all the roots to them possible, merely filling up the trenc 
with peat or peaty soil, pressing it down firmly. When sprea 
out in this way the long stems, even if rootless, will mai 
plenty of roots during the summer, and can thus be further ii 
creased at any future time. The operation should be performe 
as soon as the flowers are past their best, making sure that tli 
roots are not kept out of ground long enough to get dried up. 
Double Pink Anemone. 
For some time past I have noted cut flowers of a beautifi 
double pink Anemone in the vegetable market here. I am tol 
it comes from France. Can you say if it is grown in thi 
country and if it is hardy? (W. H.) 
In all probability the variety you have seen is Anemon 
coronaria Rose de Nice, which is simply a double variety ( 
the ordinary Poppy Anemone, which has gained popularity an 
is grown in large quantity on the Continent for market. It i 
also grown in this country by the hardy plantsmen, and jo 
would probably have no difficulty in getting it. 
Names of Plants. 
(R. W. S.) 1, Cyclamen Coum album ; 2, Corydalis bulbosa 
3, Corydalis cava; 4, Saxifraga apiculata; 5, Sisyrinehiur, 
grandiflorum album ; 6, Chionodoxa Luciliae.—(H. T.) 1 , Ace 
rubrum ; 2, Cornus Mas ; 3, Ga-ultheria procumbens ; 4, Popu'ni 
balsamifera candicans; 5, Populus tremula.—(T. Sim.) 1 
Polygala Chamaebuxus ; 2, Hyacinthus azureus; 3, Muscai 
botryoides; 4, Hacquetia Epipactis.—(R. M.) 1, Primula vei 
ticillata ; 2, Acacia verticillata; 3, Othonna crassifolia; 4 
Grevillea thelmanniana ; 5, Asparagus myriocladus ; 6, Eric 
melanthera.—(W. D.) 1, not recognised ; send when in flower 
2, Begonia Dreggei ; 3, Boronia heteropliylla ; 4, Aralia papyri 
fera ; 5, Solanum jasminoides.—(H. C.) 1, Asplenium ebeneum 
2, Polypodium Lingua ; 3, Pteris Childsii; 4, Pteris scaberula 
Communications Received 
D. C.— Cal.—R. A. S.—R. H. S.—leather Bell.—J. C. F 
Chard.—Con.—K. and S.—E. and S.—H. D.—A. M Wjfl 
E. A. R.—T. B. W.—M. S.— A. J—E. H. R,— J. S.—R. K- 
F. W.—T. M. T.—A. S. D.— F. R.—E. M. R.—H. W. 
Trade Ca alogues Received 
Barr and Sons, 11, 12, and 13, King Street, Covent Garden.- 
Barr’s Hardy Perennials. 
CONTENTS OF THIS WEEK. 
PAGE 
Apprenticed to horticulture, 
to be, or not to be. 258 
Astilbe Davidii. 263 
AubrietiaDr. Mules . 271 
Beans, Runner . 270 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine 263 
Berberis japonica .. 257 
Bud variation... 271 
Calceolarias, annual. 260 
Carnation Lawson running 
out, is ?. 255 
Comments on current topics 268 
Fern, the Jamaica walking 255 
Flower garden, the .. 257 
Flowers that bloom in the 
spring . 265 
Fruit, hardy . 256 
Herbaceous border, hardy ... 257 
Leaves, the variegation of ... 267 
Lilium Hansoni. 267 
Loganberry, the. 272 
Lychnis Coeli-rosa oculata ... 270 
Narcissus Lowdham Beauty 261 
News of the week. 274 
Orchids, among the . 256 
Parasites and insect pests ... 255 
Pea, Webbs’ new Kaiser. 264 
Potato King of the Kussets... 260 
Potato Sutton’s Centenary... 268 
Potato Sutton’s Ideal . 259 
PAG 
Primula frondosa . 26 
Prunus triloba . 26 
Questions and answers_... 27 
Saliva Horminum violaceum 26 
Society and association 
notes. 27 
Sweet Pea Florence Moly- 
neux. 2t 
Street guide, London . 20 
Sweet Peas, the finest. 2C 
Trollius caucasicus Orange 
Globe . ..27 
Ventilation of plant houses... 2f 
Viscaria oculata . 27 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Astilbe Davidii. 26 
Lilium Hansoni (See Supple¬ 
ment) 
Loganberry, the. 27 
Narcissus Lowdham Beauty 26 
Pea, Webbs’ new Kaiser. 26 
Potato King of the Russets... 26 
Potato Sutton’s Oentenary... 26, 
Potato Sutton’s Ideal . 25 
Sweet Pea Florence Moly- 
neux. 26 
Trollius caucasicus Orange 
•Globe . 27 
Viscaria oculata . 27 
