740 
b", to make a Rose Garden, even if it consist 
of but a single bed; for Roses thus planted 
will be of far greater decorative value than 
if scattered here, there, and everywhere in 
different portions of the general garden 
The best time to plant Roses is during' 
November, but as soon as possible the ground 
should be trenched and some stable manure 
dug in. Roses need rich feeding and a desp 
root-run to be grown to perfection. 
F. M. W. 
A Greenhouse Nasturtium. 
(Tropacolum tricolorum .) 
Easy culture, useful pot plant, excellent for 
cutting purposes ; undoubtedly these are some 
of the chief qualifications»which a plant must 
possess to ensure its culture in the average 
private garden of to-day. The plant under 
notice has no honest claim to either of the 
aforementioned good qualities, therefore it is 
very liable to become despised and entirely 
overlooked. Yet, from experience, I have 
found the plant a remarkably fine subject for 
growing into a splendid specimen flowering 
plant, and when well grown it claims and wins 
great admiration. 
To make effective specimens they should be 
grown in 10 -inch pots, or even larger, three or 
four tubers in each pot, and given a mixture of 
equal parts loam, leaf-mould and rougkish peat, 
with a good addition of sharp sand. The leaf- 
mould and peat may be fairly coarse, and the 
potting done rather lightly. The drainage 
should be good, and the tubers placed about 
lj inches under the surface. Potting should be 
done in September, giving the plants a light 
and airy position in the greenhouse or cold 
frame. One good watering should be given 
after potting, withholding more till growth 
starts. As soon as growth has started shaped 
trellises upon which they are to be trained 
must be placed in position in the pots. Balloon, 
umbrella, or pyramid shapes are very suitable 
forms of trellis. 
As the training of the plants is an all im¬ 
portant item in the culture, the plants should 
have a position on a greenhouse stage that wilj 
allow ready access to them at all times, as th e 
growth is Very rapid and frequent attention i 
necessary to prevent intertwining of the shootsS 
These should be kept well to the bottom of th • 
trellis in the first instance, or the growth wile 
not be well balanced in furnishing the trellis' 
Too much growth at the top and not enough, 
at the bottom will be the result of miscalcula¬ 
tion on this point. A half-dozen specimens 
elevated among Cinerarias and Primulas on a 
greenhouse stage, with an edging of Isolepis and 
Lachenalia tricolor, make a “ show ” not likely 
to be easily forgotten. Herbert Morris. 
Turkey Court, Maidstone. 
Giant Tohatos. —California has a good 
claim to be called the garden of the world, 
or, at least, the garden of America. A trans- 
Atlantic journal has recently given photo¬ 
graphs of Tomato plants at Passadena. 30ft. 
long. They are, of course, supported in the 
air. = and have borne great quantities of excel¬ 
lent fruit. 
The Less ox or the Flowebs.— It was no 
weakling who once thought it worth while to 
quote the Italian peasant girl who believed in 
the fable, “ Where the angels tread there are 
flowers,” and it was a hard-headed old doctor 
who, in speaking of the tendency of some 
flowers to bloom in unlikely places, said, 
“ The final work of Nature—the amen !—is a 
flower.”—“ Evening Standard.” 
The Flower Garden. 
Propagating Holyhocks —When it is de¬ 
sired to increase the stock of any particular 
variety which may possess special qualities, 
some other means than seeds must be resorted 
to, as these do not all come true when saved 
from a mixed collection. Cuttings may be 
taken in spring as the young growths push 
from the old stools, but another good plan is 
to propagate from “ eyes ” at the present 
time. For this purpose select shoots of 
medium thickness and fairly firm. Cut these 
into lengths each containing two eyes or 
buds, and insert in small pots or boxes. The 
soil should be fine and sandy, as for most 
cuttings, and the lower eye should be buried 
about half an inch, or just enough to hold 
the piece in position. If inserted in small 
pots then when rooted the plants may be 
shifted into a size larger pot, and will remain 
there till spring. If inserted in boxes pot 
off when rooted into pots just large enough 
to hold the roots comfortably. A thorough 
watering should be given when the eyes are 
inserted afterwards, placing them in a close 
frame or warm greenhouse till rooted ; when 
rooted winter in a cool place just free from, 
frost, and admit air on every favourable 
opportunity. In this way a. stock of any 
desirable variety may be worked up now and 
planted out next April. 
Current work among the flower beds and 
borders will consist of maintaining neatness 
as much as possible, and in taking cuttings 
of all tender and half-hardy plants required 
for another season. It is advisable to pot or 
box a. few old plants of such things as dwarf 
Lobelia, Alyssum maritimum variegatum, 
etc., as such, if cut hack somewhat just now 
and kept on the dry side through the winter, 
will yield abundance of cuttings next spring. 
Beds which are quite over now should be 
cleared out at once, and planted up with 
bulbs, etc., on lines already indicated. 
B. W. J. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Vegetables for Cold Frames in winter.-— 
There is nothing more useful in the kitchen 
garden during the whole year through than 
portable frames, and this applies to either 
large or small gardens. Knowing their value 
I would urge on all employers who esteem an 
unremitting supply of good fresh vegetables 
to be liberal to their gardeners in this re¬ 
spect. Those which have clone duty during 
the summer months in perfecting such crops 
as Cucumbers, Melons. Tomatos, Capsicums, 
and the like, can now he made ready for win¬ 
tering hosts of the more tender vegetables 
frequently so much in demand in most houses. 
The site of disused hot-beds answers the pur¬ 
pose well. The frames should be filled to 
within about ten or twelve inches of the lights 
with moderately light soil, not too rich in 
humus, which should be in a workable con¬ 
dition, neither too dry nor too wet, and made 
firm, when small seedling plants of Lettuce, 
Endive, Cauliflowers, Parsley, Chervil, and 
such like should be planted, allowing 
a sufficient distance for the plants to grow. 
Give a good watering, and he liberal in ad¬ 
mitting air; in fact, the hardier and sturdier 
these are grown the better will be the after re¬ 
sults. It is a capital plan to place a small 
ridge of fine cinder ashes all round the inside’ 
of the frame, which will prevent slugs and 
snails doing much damage. 
-Radishes. —The quality of these will now 
be much better than they have been during, 
the past few months. The growth will be 
much quicker, consequently more tender and 
digestible. Seed may still be sown right to 
the end of the present month in the open, 
after which it should be sown in cold frames. 
French Beans. —During the first week in 
October a good batch of Canadian Wonder or 
Ne Plus Ultra should be sown in seven-inch 
pots, and raised in a gentle heat. Grow on 
near the glass in a temperature of about 55 
deg., syringe thoroughly on fine mornings to 
prevent attacks of red spider. This sowing, 
though it may give a certain amount of 
trouble, will, if properly managed, he most 
useful during December. 
Cauliflowers. —Make another small sowing 
of these in a cold frame, Walcheren, Early 
London, and Magnum Bonum are all excellent 
for the purpose. E. Beckett. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Fruit Garden. 
Outdoors. 
Plums. —These are not a heavy crop with 
us, Monarch, The Czar, and Coe’s Golden 
Drop being the best. The first and last 
never fail to carry full crops, Monarch, as its 
name implies, being very fine, its lateness 
making it a very valuable Plum. We have 
been obliged to gather Coe’s Golden Drop 
before they were fully ripe, the wasps prov¬ 
ing such a nuisance ; these will finish all 
right when placed on a shelf in a vinery or 
even .’greenhouse. Belle cle Septembre is 
another good late sort, but the -crop is a 
scanty one this season. The real Damson is 
not much cultivated around here, though 
they make excellent jam or jelly, as well as 
Damso-n cheese. 
Medlars. —A tree or two are found in most, 
old gardens, and a full crop is noted this 
season. Do not attempt to gather these for 
a month or so, as they hang on a very long, 
time, and -are of no use for jelly until they 
get soft. We gather as soon as we see them 
begin to fall or much frost threatens, and 
place on a dry shelf to finish off. 
Prospective Notes. —Any fruit tree that 
is condemned to make space for young stock 
and is free of fruit may he grubbed out, as 
there is no need to wait until planting time 
is with us. Destroy -all pieces of old roots 
that -can be found, and -convey to another 
part of the garden three or four -good barro-v 
loads of the" old soil and replace with fresl 
fro-m the open garden, mixing a little fresl 
loam if considered necessary. One shouh 
be, guided by local surroundings as to th- 
best or most suitable varieties to plant, espe 
cially Apples, although a brief list will b 
given in'these pages all in good time. Thes 
anc] some varieties of Pears appear to J 
