May 6, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
369 
tion, the whole of the warm divisions of the Orchid houses may 
be damped three or four times a day. The last damping should 
be done sufficiently early to permit excessive moisture to 
become distilled before the cooler evening temperature is 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Rhodanthes. —When well grown these bright-flowering ever¬ 
lastings are objects of great beauty for the greenhouse or con¬ 
servatory, and by sowing seed at intervals of a few weeks from 
March onwards an unbroken display may readily be main¬ 
tained. 
The llhodanthes are not of so robust constitution as the 
majority of this class of plant, yet their culture in pots is of 
the simplest. The seed should be sown thinly in 48-sized pots, 
tilled with rich soil. Equal parts loam, decomposed manure 
and leaf-soil, with plenty of sharp sand added will answer well. 
The young plants resent any disturbance of the roots ; there¬ 
fore sow the seed iu the pots in which they are to flower. Place 
on a shelf in a genial warmth to germinate, and when nicely 
up thin out the weakest, leaving live of the strongest plants. 
When these attain 2 in. in height remove to a light position in 
the greenhouse or warm frame and keep steadily growing. 
Avoid over-watering the plants at all times, but more especially 
for the first few weeks. As the pots become tilled with roots, 
apply occasional waterings of weak liquid manure, and before 
the young plants become too tall, place four neat stakes to each 
pot, and pass two bands of raffia round them for support. 
If the flowers are wanted for furnishing vases in rooms during 
winter, cut them to the ground when fully expanded, and dry 
them ; hang up in small bunches with their heads downwards 
in an airy shed to finish drying. 
Chinese Primulas. -The first principal sowing of these may 
now be made for producing plants to flower early next winter ; 
a later sowing may be made a month hence. Prepare clean, 
shallow pans by well draining, and fill to' within 1 in. of the 
rim with finely sifted light soil composed of three-parts leaf- 
soil and one of loam and sand. Press fairly firm, and make 
an even surface, afterwards affording a good watering through 
a fine-rosed can. Sow the seed thinly and cover lightly with 
very fine soil. To prevent evaporation place over the pan a 
sheet of glass; this may remain on until germination takes 
place. A warm pit is a suitable structure in which to raise the 
seedlings, and when the first rough leaf appears, remove them 
to a cold frame. Very little water will be required until the 
young plants are potted off and growing freely. When large 
enough, pot off singly into 3-in. pots, using similar soil to that 
advised for seeds, with the exception of its being used in a 
lumpy state. 
Double Varieties. —Although some varieties of these come 
true from seed, I am in favour of propagating them from cut¬ 
tings, especially that old favourite the double white, than 
which no more useful plant is grown for winter and spring 
flowering. Remove the remaining flowers and decaying leaves, 
then bank up to the collar of the plant some light sandy soil. 
New roots will soon push into this if the plants are placed in a 
genial warmth of about 60 deg. ; they may then be cut up 
with a knife and each strong crown will form a plant. Pot 
these into 3-in. pots, using precisely the same kind of soil as 
advised for the single varieties. When potted off, keep them 
in a temperature of about 55 deg., and afford them all the 
light possible to ensure sturdiness. 
Carnations. — If cuttings of the tree varieties were' inserted 
and treated as advised in a previous calendar, they will now be 
growing away freely in small pots. Essential points to con¬ 
sider are to repot, as the roots reach the sides of the pots : to 
allow them to become at all potbound is to court disappoint¬ 
ment ; and to encourage by all possible means stocky plants 
with an abundance of short-jointed shoots. To ensure this, 
they must be accorded a temperature of about 50 to 55 deg., 
with a free circulation of dry air about them throughout, 
Close watchfulness for aphis and other insects must be 
exercised at all times, and before these gain a bold, fumigate. 
Malmaisons will soon be opening their first blossoms, and the 
plants should now be kept somewhat dry at tlie roots. Main¬ 
tain a free circulation of warm, dry air about them whenever 
the external conditions allow. 
Cinerarias. — For early winter flowering, seed should now be 
sown, whilst three weeks hence will be soon enough where the 
plants are wanted to flower in mid-winter and early spring. 
The now popular C. stellata and its congeners should be in¬ 
cluded in all collections of greenhouse plants, their tall habit of 
growth and free-flowering qualities marking them as indis¬ 
pensable adjuncts to the conservatory. Adopt the same 
methods with these as advised for Primulas. K. M. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
In this department the work will not be veiy pressing at 
the present time, but the transplanting of evergreen trees 
and shrubs should be completed without delay, as the weather 
we are now experiencing will greatly help them to commence 
fresh growth, and the state of the soil will facilitate root 
etion. These will require but little water at the root, arti¬ 
ficially given, but on warm sunny days a good syringing will 
prove of much assistance. The same remarks apply to the 
deciduous section, and if any of these are not growing away 
freely, a light pruning will, in many cases, induce them to do 
so, especially with such as the Crataegus or Thorns, which are 
often very slow in forming new growth after being removed. 
It is also’ a good plan to apply a mulching of soil or spent 
manure over the surface soil, which will keep the roots in 
a moist condition. 
If the shrubbery has been lightly forked over, as before 
advised, it will now be in a suitable state for raking over, 
which gives a neat and tidy appearance, and renders it in good 
condition for planting any summer flowering subjects. Where 
sufficient space occurs between the shrubs to allow this it is 
an excellent plan, but plants should be selected which will not 
make a large growth, and those of dwarf habit generally prove 
the most serviceable. 
Climbing Loniceras —There are many purposes for which 
these can be used in the shrubberies and pleasure grounds, 
and produce very pleasing effects, but it is seldom that one 
sees the commoner varieties used in the wild garden, and yet 
such as the Early and Late Dutch are among the most suitable 
of plants for such a position. In the majority of places it 
generally happens that some old stumps of trees or large logs 
of wood have to be disposed of, and these are just the mate¬ 
rial for building up a mound over which the Honeysuckle can 
grow. We have several years grown these plants in this 
way and few subjects give a better display when in flower, 
especially in the wild garden or wilderness, where plenty of 
space is’ at command. Our method of culture is to throw 
the logs into an irregular heap, and then plant the Loniceras 
between them. These need but little attention, and soon 
clothe the wood, especially if the soil is prepared beforehand. 
The growths will need tacking down when planted, but little 
of this need be done after they have become established, and 
practicallv cover the wood. For this purpose, the varieties of 
Periclymenutn I have mentioned above are the best for the 
purpose, as they produce abundance of flower, are deliciously 
scented, rampant growers, and require a minimum amount 
of attention. These can also be used for clothing pillars in 
the shrubberies, and answer well to such treatment. 
As a wall plant for clothing trellises or arbours, the 
evergreen variety L. japonica is very pleasing, with sweetly 
scented flowers and dark green foliage. This is a fairly quick 
grower, but, if possible, should be given a sheltered spot. 
There is also a variegated form of this named L. japonica 
aureo-reticulata, in which the leaves are veined and blotched 
with gold, and are very variable in shape. L. sempervirens, 
which comes from North America, has evergreen foliage, and 
