741 
September 23, 1905. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
ripening earlier than usual, owing no doubt 
to the nice summer we have 'had, and a fre¬ 
quent. look round must be given, or the 
autumnal gales (and these, too, are in 
advance of some seasons) will remove to the 
ground the best of the fruit, more especially 
on trees in the open. 
Indoors. 
Among the Grapes. —Houses containing 
ripe fruit require careful handling during the 
autumn, especially in dull, wet weather. Old 
roofs often admit more rain than is good for 
the bunches, which, if left unnoticed for a 
few days, soon decay and spoil the appear¬ 
ance of the bunch. A pane of glass placed 
on top of the latter will keep the drip off, but 
what is required is to clean off all loose 
material on the light outside and reputtv, 
finally giving three coats of good paint, 
tackling the interior of the house as soon as 
the foliage is off. Less moisture will be 
needed now, and what is given should be 
given early in the day, using a little fire heat 
except on bright days. Where but a few 
bunches are hanging it would be wise to cut 
and bottle them, so that the vines could have 
a thorough rest, and a few thorough syring- 
iugs to cleanse the foliage of filth, using soapy 
water if red spider is present. Wasps must 
still be excluded, or much damage may be 
done, and make sure the roots of all Vines 
planted inside are receiving the necessary 
moisture, or early shrivelling will be the 
order. Encourage late Grapes to finish 
towards the end of the month, and employ 
no more fire heat than to just warm the pipes. 
Peaches will have been cleared by now, 
except one or two late varieties, and in the 
northern parts of the country less syringing 
will suffice, especially in the case of early 
forced trees, but see that no dry borders be 
allowed. Sea Eagle has coloured up grandly 
and the flavour is much appreciated, although 
it is not. a fruit much praised. Dr. Hogg "is 
a variety that does excellently under glass, 
but is seldom met with nowadays. Nectarines 
force better than Peaches ; they do not drop, 
their buds like the latter. Cardinal and 
Early Rivers have come to stay as first early 
fruit, and it is doubtful whether so manv 
people appreciate forced Peaches alone. 
James Mayne. 
fheton Gardens, Devonshire. 
Hardy Herbaceous Border. 
Carnations —Since these were layered, as 
previously advised, the weather has been very 
favourable for the encouragement of root 
action, and they should now be ready for tak¬ 
ing up and potting or transferring to their 
flowering quarters. The layers should he 
severed carefully from the old plant, and if 
one keeps them in pots through the winter 
these should be thoroughly clean and well- 
drained. A suitable mixture for pottino- in 
will consist of loam, decayed leaf soil, and an 
ample addition of sharp sand to keep if quite 
porous. Pot firmly and place in a cold frame, 
or plunge in cinder ashes on a protected 
ballast or other suitable site. Autumn 
planting can be practised on well-drained and 
light soils, but the ground should be well 
prepared beforehand, and when planting place 
a handful of leaf soil and sand round the roots 
of each, which will do much to encourage them 
to root well before winter. A foot or fifteen 
inches will be a suitable distance to plant 
apart each way. 
Foxgloves.-- Those which were sown in the 
summer should be of sufficient size to plant 
out, ;md for the wilder parts of the garden 
and woodland nothing gives a more pleasing 
effect. If the soil is not good it should b© 
taken out and replaced with some good loam 
and leaf soil, and when planting sufficient 
room should be allowed for each to develop 
perfectly. A. E. T. 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Violets. — No good purpose will be served by 
leaving these longer in the open. By lifting 
and transferring the plants to their winter 
quarters at this time they will become re¬ 
established and better fitted for passing 
through the dull winter months. The fra- 
( --- 
OUR WEEKLY PRIZE COM¬ 
PETITIONS. 
General Conditions. — Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Hegular paid 
contributors to The Gardening World, or other 
gardening journals, are debarred from entering, 
but occasional contributors may compete. The 
name and address of the competitor must appear 
on each article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right to re¬ 
produce, in any way, any article or photograph 
sent for competition. The conditions applying to 
each competition should be carefully read. 
PRIZES. 
A Prize of Ten Shillings will be given f ti¬ 
the best paragraph or short article °on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propagation or 
cultivation of flowers, fruits or vegetables, 
eradication of pests, etc. The paragraph or 
article must not exceed a column, but value 
rather than length will be considered in making 
the award. Mark envelopes “ Competition,” and 
post not later than the Monday following date of 
issue. Entries received later than Tuesday 
first post will be left over until the following 
week. B 
Two Prizes of Two Shillings and Six¬ 
pence each will be given for the best supple 
mentary replies to questions asked in “ The (\V. 
Enquire Within ” column. These replies should 
be brief. 
A Prize of Five Shillings will be given for 
the best novel device for saving labour, protecting 
plants, or a garden utensil, which reaches us 
during any week. A rough sketch must accom¬ 
pany the brief description. 
RESULTS OF LAST WEEK’S COM¬ 
PETITIONS. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ Y. Z.” for his article on “An 
Amateur’s Greenhouse,” p. 734. 
A prize for a supplementary reply was awarded 
to ‘Heather Bell” for his article on “A Cold 
Greenhouse,” p. 731 ; and another to “D. V. E.,” 
for an article on “ Earwigs on Dahlias,” p. 732. 
A prize was also aw-arded to “ H. Page ” for a 
device, “To Protect Peas and Beaus against I 
Mice.” 
Y__ ) 
grant \iolets are held in high esteem by all, 
and room should be found for as many plants 
as possible. The best results are obtained 
by planting in frames or brick pits, but some 
may be potted up for the conservatory. In 
my opinion the best all-round varieties are 
Marie Louise, double lavender blue : Comte 
Brazza, double white ; and Princess of Wales, 
single violet. Where quantities arc grown in 
frames these should be prepared beforehand 
by placing therein 10 inches of good soil, 
bringing this up well to the roof glass, so 
that when, the plants are inserted tint foliage 
will be within two or three inches of the glass. 
A good compost of equal parts loam, old pot¬ 
ting soil, and decayed manure, with a sprink¬ 
ling of wood ashes and bone meal, will answer 
well. The plants should receive a copious 
watering the day before lifting, so that plenty 
of soil will adhere to the roots. In planting, 
avoid burying the crowns, and when the work 
is completed give a good watering and keep 
close and shaded for a week, after which admit 
air in abundance, both day and night when 
the weather is favourable — indeed, on mild 
nights the lights should be left off to induce 
sturdy growth and fine flowers. 
Chrysanthemums — The autumn-flowering 
varieties will now be making a fine display in 
the conservatory. Successional plants still 
standing in the open should now be housed, 
with the exception of the very late-flowering 
kinds ; these will come to no harm for a little 
longer, provided they are in a sheltered posi¬ 
tion. If they are housed too early the flower¬ 
ing shoots become drawn and unable to sup¬ 
port the blossoms in an erect position. Plants 
that are being grown for large blooms may be 
housed, taking care that they receive full air 
and light until the flowers commence to open. 
Syringe the plants with an approved mildew 
specific before housing, and likewise cleanse 
the pots. Attend to the removal of suckers 
arid weeds, and if room has been left for 
another top-dressing let it be applied at once, 
adding to the compost a good sprinkling of 
artificial manure. K. M. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Replanting Evergreens.— Where it is pro¬ 
posed to transplant Conifers or other ever¬ 
greens this can now be proceeded with, and 
the showery weather we have experienced of 
late will be most favourable for the operation. 
Where interest is taken in trees and shrubs it 
is most important that they be removed and 
afforded more room when necessary, especiallv 
with all kinds of evergreens, as the majority, 
unlike deciduous ones, do not again furnish 
branches if these through any cause die, as 
the lower ones always do when the various 
subjects become crowded and cannot have the 
full benefit of light and air. Each specimen, 
whatever its character, should be allowed 
sufficient space to extend without injury to 
its neighbour. When it has been decided 
what position a shrub is to occupy a hole large 
enough to contain a good ball of soil and the' 
roots spread round should be taken out. and 
in lifting the shrub retain as much soil and 
damage the roots as little as possible, especi¬ 
ally the small ones. When placing in the 
new site spread the roots out evenly, and cover 
with some of the finest soil, pressing- firmly 
as the hole is filled up. V ith good-sized 
specimens it will be necessary to -stake or 
secure them firmly against rough winds, as 
these are often the cause of irreparable 
damage, 
Piotecting Material —For the protection 
of choice shrubs, the covering of Roses, etc.. 
nothing is better than the common Bracken, 
and it is advisable to obtain a good quantity 
of this as soon as it becomes brown. When 
dry it should be stored in a shed, and is then 
ready for use as required. 
