486 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 17. 1905. 
the original. Owing to the breadth of the 
segments no room is left for the flower 
stalk, and this often causes at least one of 
the segments to be held out horizontally, as 
happens in almost any batch of Cyclamen. 
The object lesson is evidently intended to 
show that this particular plant had acquired 
innumerable characters, and a tendency to 
vary in different directions from numerous 
ancestry. It also serves as one other object 
lesson of the number of differences that 
have been brought together in one seed 
pod without advantage through the poten¬ 
tiality of many other species. We believe that 
if any one of these highly-bred flowers were 
self-fertilised there would still be a certain 
amount of variation amongst the seedlings 
when they came into bloom. 
—o— 
The Botanist’s Album. 
The above is the title of a book intended 
for pressed and dried flowers, which has 
been devised by Mary Maydwell, Woburn, 
Beds. The size of this album is 11J in. by 
12| in., and it contains fifty leaves of plant 
schedules, printed on transparent paper. 
Each page of this paper is ruled with the 
names of different parts of the plant in¬ 
serted on the left-hand side, and to the 
right of this are blank spaces for the re¬ 
marks of the collector, the spaces being left 
for the details of the different type of root 
or stem of the plant collected. The leaves 
are dealt with in the same way, and spaces 
left for a description and their position on 
the plant, the nature of the sheath, petiole, 
stipules, arrangement, and kind. The inflo¬ 
rescence is also fully dealt with, the different 
organs being named, with spaces left for 
description of each. On the lower right-hand 
corner is a place for the class, division, 
natural order, and other particulars, includ¬ 
ing the name, where gathered, the month, 
and by whom collected. Between these 
sheets of transparent paper are fifty sheets 
of stiff cartridge paper, on which the dried 
specimens may be pasted or fixed by what¬ 
ever means the collector chooses. The album 
is intended to contain in a brief and com¬ 
prehensive manner the characteristics of 
each plant collected, and the exercise in 
doing this should be of advantage even to 
advanced pupils in schools and those work¬ 
ing up for the South Kensington examina¬ 
tions. It is also intended as a vade mecum 
for alpine tourists who have some know¬ 
ledge of botany, and can use the 
schedule for recording an account of the soil 
in which the plant was found, altitude, and 
other particulars. This, of course, should 
be done each day as the specimens are col¬ 
lected, so that the correct information may te 
tabulated concerning each plant. The album 
is one of the best of its kind we have seen, 
and goes further than usual in provision 
for tabulating or recording all necessary 
information in limited space. Lecturers on 
botany have also expressed approval of the 
idea. The album may be obtained of Messrs. 
W. & A. K. Johnston, Limited, 7, Pater¬ 
noster Square, London, E.C.. at the price 
o! 5s. 
Fruit Garden. 
Gooseberries. — These fruits are of a suit¬ 
able size for bottling, and prove most service - 
able during winter and early spring for tarts 
or puddings, the process being very simple. 
Trim each end o.f the fruit with a pair of 
scissors, thoroughly wash the bottles and fill 
with syrup and fruit, or water and fruit. 
Perhaps the former is best, using half a pound 
of the best cane sugar to a quart of boiling 
water, heating the whole until dissolved, then, 
when cold, put into the bottles with the fruit, 
tie securely down and heat to a temperature 
of about 140 degrees Fahr., allowing them to 
remain for two hours or so ; when cold store 
the bottles in a cool but dry room. 
Figs in the open garden are carrying heavy 
crops in the west, and will be all the better 
for a thorough soaking at the root, especially 
so on light soils. Disbudding must be freely 
done, retaining only such shoots as are neces¬ 
sary for another year’s supply, as any crowd¬ 
ing of shoots means ill-ripened wood, which so 
quickly gets killed by a spell of frost. These 
remarks refer principally to trees trained 
against walls or fences; standard or bush 
trees that crop well each year need but little 
attention, although timely removal of surplus 
growth dispenses with the knife in the spring 
to a great extent. Pinch lateral growth that 
has filled its allotted space at the fifth or 
sixth leaf. All others retained should be laid 
in at their full length, and no stopping 
practised. Under present conditions the wood 
will be firm, and should augur well for 
another year. 
Current Work.— Should the drought con¬ 
tinue keep the surface soil frequently stirred 
among fruit quarters and apply water at the 
roots of trees growing in hot positions against 
walls or on shallow soils and mulch after¬ 
wards if not previously done ; it is during 
such spells of dry weather that the benefits of 
mulching become apparent. Hose or well 
syringe wall trees several times each week— 
the best check to red spider and thrips, soap¬ 
suds being capital for the purpose, should 
either insect be in evidence. 
Grapes in unheated greenhouses will re¬ 
quire attention in regulating the growth, 
tying down such as is required to cover the 
trellis, and pinching at the first joint all 
sub-laterals as they appear. Push forward 
the thinning of the berries before they get 
wedged, each variety being studied, as some 
have much larger berries than others, and 
it is wisest to allow ample space for their 
development, because Where plants are grown 
underneath throughout the season, or towards 
autumn should wet drill weather set in, the 
berries are much more liable to decay. Keep 
an eye to red spider or thrip, the tropical 
weather being all in favour of both ; sponging 
any affected leaves with warm water, soapy 
water, shading the roof with mats during 
bright weather while thb job is being done, 
and keeping the interior of the house fairly 
moist should prevent the spread of this horrid 
pest. Vines having their roots in outside 
borders should 'be tested, and a thorough 
watering given should they stand in need of 
it, afterwards covering the border with strawy 
litter with a view of retaining the moisture in 
the ground as long as possible. 
Figs.—As soon as the first crop is cleared 
ply the syringe forcibly to the foliage to rid 
it of dirt, etc., soueezing up a little soft soap 
in the water if red spider is prevalent, and it 
it is only a few leaves attacked sponge as in 
the case of Vines. See that pot trees »et 
abundant supplies of root moisture in the way 
of manure water, and border trees must not 
be neglected, whether swelling their first or 
second crop of fruit, closing the structures 
from 3 to 4 p.m. on bright days, with a 
drenching from the garden engine or syringe. 
Remove superfluous growth each week instead 
of leaving it for a wet day, thus robbing the 
crop of much nutriment that should go to im¬ 
proving the size of the fruit. Crops ripened 
during the month of May with an unusual 
amount of sunshine have been most luscious 
and highly-coloured where the sun reached 
them. Withdraw overhead syringing as the 
fruit approaches ripeness, as it causes them to 
crack, but maintain moisture by frequent 
dampings underneath. James Mayne. 
Bicton Cardens, Devonshire. 
Hardy Herbaceous Plants. 
Aquilegias. — Few flowers have been im¬ 
proved upon more than these during the last 
few years, and for producing a continuous dis¬ 
play through the early summer months or for 
cutting purposes there is hardly anything to 
surpass them. They are easily raised from 
seed, which should be sown early in spring, 
in a gentle heat, and when the seedlings are 
large enough to handle they should be pricked 
out into boxes or frames about 3in. apart all 
ways. Ihe best results are produced by 
planting them out in a bed by themselves, and 
the soil should be well worked beforehand, 
and also see that it is well drained, as Aquile¬ 
gias resent dampness at the root during 
winter. The seedlings will be ready for 
planting out any time during the present 
month. Rake the surface down finely, and 
allow a distance of one foot apart all ways, 
choosing a damp day if possible. It is advis¬ 
able where these fine plants are grown to 
raise a few plants annually to replace any 
which should happen to die off, as the better 
varieties sometimes do in winter, especially 
on very heavy soil. 
Border Carnations. —These will now be 
sending up their flower spikes, and will need 
supporting without delay, and for this pur¬ 
pose light sticks are the most suitable. One 
should be placed to each plant, and the 
growths secured with matting. This should 
not be twisted round the stake, but simply 
tied loosely so that the stems can develop 
without becoming buckled. From many 
parts of the country one hears that Carna¬ 
tions are not very satisfactory this year, and 
wireworm is frequently the cause of their 
dying off. Where this is the case pieces of 
Carrot should be placed in the ground, which 
this pest is very partial to, and by examining 
frequently one can eradicate them to a very 
great extent. • Good soakings of weak soot 
water in dry weather will also be of much 
assistance ; also keep the surface soil well 
stirred, and if green fly makes its appearance 
rive a stood syringing with an insecticide. 
’ A. E. T. 
