December 9, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
mini seems to require nothing special be- 
yond the peat earth given to other Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, so that intending planters should 
prepare a bed or site for it by removing the 
natural soil and introducing peat to the 
extent of half, if more cannot be procured. 
At the same time leaf mould can be made to 
replace peat if very freely used amongst the 
compost prepared. A large percentage of 
sand would also be an advantage, particu¬ 
larly if the natural staple is at all of a heavy 
or clayey nature. This use of peat or leaf 
mould is of more advantage in summer than 
in winter, because it serves to retain the soil 
moisture during the droughty period of the 
year. • 
Rhododendron Sappho. 
Sappho represents a very fine foim of what 
is known as hardy hybrid Rhododendrons. 
The term is applied chiefly to those hybrids 
raised between R. ponticum and R. cataw- 
biense, a species, from the high mountains 
of Virginia and Georgia. Many other hybrids 
have been effected, but those raised from 
the two species just named have given 
us a race of beautiful Rhododendrons that 
are hardy in practically any part of Britain 
if planted in situations where they will be 
sheltered from direct exposure to the prevail¬ 
ing winds. The original ponticum had rela¬ 
tively small lilac or pale purple flowers, but 
It. catawbiense introduced a new feature in 
the spots on the upper petals so characteristic 
in several of the garden varieties'. 
The flowers of Sappho are white, spotted 
with maroon, and, while we may say that this 
is one of the choicest of the hybrids between 
those two .species, it is by no. means the only 
one in which the spotting makes the flowers 
conspicuous. In several of them the spotting 
is carried over a much greater extent of the 
two upper .petals, while in one or two cases 
the spots have become amalgamated and in¬ 
tensified so that they appear as a large black 
blotch on the upper side of the flowers. 
These hardy Rhododendrons, if properly 
grown, that is, in the most suitable soil, can 
be transplanted almost at any period of the 
year as the very fine fibrous roots, planted 
in peat and lifted with a large ball of soil, 
carried many miles by train, and then planted, 
have been so successful in May that the plants 
bloomed a. few weeks afterwards as if nothing 
had happened. This being the opposite end 
of the year, they are equally amenable to 
transplanting if care is taken to lift them with 
I a ball of soil. 
Peat, it need hardly be said, is the most 
suitable ingredient of the compost, but, what- 
, ever is used, lime in any form should not be 
: incorporated with it. The scientific explana¬ 
tion of this is that the roots act in combina¬ 
tion with certain low organisms, to the mutual 
benefit of both. This form of co-partnership 
is known as symbiosis. Lime applied to the 
soil destroys these organisms, so that Rhodo¬ 
dendrons and other plants belonging to the 
same family are then unable to exist without 
the other member of the partnership. 
Aster amelloides. 
The above name is given to a species of 
Michaelmas Daisy, on account of its resem¬ 
blance to the species which flowers in August 
and September, namely, A. Amelins. The 
resemblance is considerable in more respects 
than one, but they are sufficiently distinct 
not to be mistaken by even a casual observer, 
the flowers of the plant under notice are of 
a deep blue, and certainly one of the deepest 
shades of that colour to be met with amongst 
the perennial Asters. They are slightly 
smaller than those of Amelins, but produced 
in even greater numbers. The stems of the 
plant are 2gft. high, and become branched 
chiefly above the middle. 
The rich colour of the flowers and the dwarf 
habit of the plant make this worthy of culti¬ 
vation in every garden where hartly flowers 
are required to be in bloom in the open 
borders during autumn. It is also more suit¬ 
able for small gardens than many of the 
Michaelmas Daisies which find their way 
there. The plant is also Jess likely to form 
a thicket than many of the Asters to be met 
with in villa gardens. Indeed, the chief diffi¬ 
culty with the tall growing Asters is that 
they spread too rapidly, while the owners of 
such gardens always hesitate to use either 
the knife or the spade in reducing the bulk 
of the plants for the benefit of the portions 
left. By some botanists it is considered to be 
a form of A. Amellus, but the differences are 
toe. great for combining these two very dis¬ 
tinct forms. 
Aster Novi-Belgii grandiflorus. 
The above is a very good variety of the New 
York Michaelmas. Daisy. The plant grows, 
about 5ft. under ordinary cultivation, and pro¬ 
duces a great wealth of dark purple-blue 
flowers. The foliage is also of a rich dark 
glaucous hue. 
No other Aster, perhaps, has given a greater 
number of varieties than A. Novi-Belgii, the 
parent of the variety which we figure. No 
doubt many of these forms are to be found 
in a wild state, and a plant which is variable 
in a state of nature proves even more so when 
in gardens. It is also! the species which is 
most often to be found in villa gardens. Prob¬ 
ably this can be accounted for by the very 
large number of suckers which a plant will 
threw out from the ground every year. In¬ 
deed, a very small plant one year may be quite 
a large one the next if allowed to grow. 
While this is of importance to those who 
cannot pride themselves on being skilled cul¬ 
tivators, it also lias the disadvantage that the 
numerous suckers very soon occupy the whole 
of the ground within a considerable radius of 
the original centre unless the cultivator lifts 
or reduces his plants once in every two years 
at least. Besides extending in all directions, 
these suckers also come up in the centre of 
the old plant, and, as we have already indi¬ 
cated, every leaf and shoot being allowed to 
grew, there is a dense thicket by the end of 
the season, and the plants cannot flower suffi¬ 
ciently profusely to make them as ornamental 
as they really ought to be. 
It is this crowding, indeed, which is at the 
bottom of the idea that Asters or Michaelmas 
Daisies are weedy-looking ppants ; whereas 
tlie fault really lies with the cultivator, who 
ought to reduce the size of the plants every 
autumn or winter, and, furthermore, thin out 
the shoots that are developed to a consider¬ 
able extent. Half a dozen stems would pro¬ 
duce as many flowers as* a dozen crowded ones, 
so that there is no excuse for not having a 
display of flowers from these hardy subjects 
in September and October, when a little atten¬ 
tive gardening in winter or early spring would 
make it a certainty. 
The Apple.— Botanists do not consider the 
modern Apple as altogether a true fruit, but 
as being mostly composed of the swollen end 
of the flower stalk, which has been improved 
by seeding and selection by many generations 
of gardeners, till we have the invaluable food 
product of the present day as a monument of 
patience and perseverance. 
941 
Supplementary Replies 
BY OUR READERS 
To Aoswers in the “ G. W.” Enquire Within. 
Spanish Irises 
Spanish Irises are by no means difficult 
to cultivate. I'hey do best when planted in 
beds by themselves in the kitchen garden, 
where they can remain undisturbed ; far 
better results are then obtained than by lift¬ 
ing annually. Riant them in lines 6in. apart 
and 3in. apart in the lines, not less than bin. 
deep. Some of the best varieties are Blue 
Beauty, Carmen, Golden King, Lemon Queen, 
Louisa, l’rincess Ida, Snow Queen, The .Moor, 
Chrysolora, and Thunderbolt. 
L. S. Small. 
Should Laclienalias be Plunged. 
Although Laclienalia bulbs emit a great 
number of roots, quite sufficient to heave the 
bulbs out of the soil when growth commences, 
this can be prevented by proper potting, and 
without the use of ashes or peat as a covering 
to keep the bulbs in their place. A very 
common error in potting bulbs in general is 
the making of the soil too firm in the bottom 
of the pots previous to placing in the bulbs. 
The soil should be placed in as lightly as 
possible, and the bulbs simply pressed into* 
it. This pressure is quite enough for the 
bottom, but the top soil should be pressed 
quite firm and smooth ; this method gives the 
roots a minimum of resistance in their down¬ 
ward course, and the firmness of the top soil 
gives all necessary pressure for keeping the 
bulb in position. Hebbeet Moebis. 
Turkey Court, Maidstone. 
Box Edgings. 
Box edging is apt to get gappy after it has 
been planted a number of years, and often so 
the first year of planting by jueces not taking 
root. If through age it should be replanted, 
September and October are very suitable 
months for the work. If the gaps are by its 
being recently planted, they should be made 
good from stock plants. Where it is by being 
trodden on, or by animals, the best, remedy 
would be to place “ benders ” of stout wire at 
the particular spots, which should prove 
effectual. G. Wallee. 
In my opinion, the best treatment, for old, 
broken, ami gappy Box-edgings is to take up 
all| l replant. Hatching with another variety 
of Box seldoms turns out satisfactory, for un¬ 
less Box edgings are neat, trim, and uniform 
they certainly lose their chief charm and 
character as an edging. Very old and 
“ lank L ” edgings w jp generally admit of being 
split up and replanted with good success. 
I prefer doing this towards the end of March 
or in April, the showery weather greatly assist¬ 
ing the roots and top growth, consequently 
the early establishment of a trim little 
edging. The top growth can generally be 
clipped in May, thus further inducing a husliy 
foundation to the edging. It is often re¬ 
marked that Box is quite hardy ; this is so. as 
far as well-ripened growth is concerned but 
the young, tender shoots of the Box. made 
early in spring, feel late frost as quickly and 
keenly as anything. For this reason, I 
prefer clipping in April, that the young shoots 
maj not have " started ” before spring frosts 
are over. If clipped in autumn, the" shoots 
produced in the following spring often get 
