THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 25, 1908. 
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48 
ones, these being raised from seed in May 
or June, or if a choice strain, sometimes 
from cuttings, taken in spring, they are 
then run on in pots all the summer, kept 
in a cold frame, and potted on when re¬ 
quiring it, being allowed to flower usually 
in 32's. The single varieties are equally 
to be recommended, and are largely used. 
When plants are not specially grown for 
this purpose, a quantity of the best may 
be selected from those intended for bed¬ 
ding-out. These should be lifted in Octo¬ 
ber with a good ball of soil, and trans¬ 
ferred to pots 48’s or 32 ! s, as desired. 
Give ample drainage, using a compost of 
three parts loam, 1 part leaf mould, and a 
little sand, also a sprinkling of charcoal. 
Pot fairly firm, water, and stand in a 
cold frame, shade for a few days until 
they get over the check. They can then 
be brought on in a cool house or intro¬ 
duced gradually into heat according to 
the time they are required to flower. 
Occasional waterings with soot water or 
other artificials will greatly benefit, and 
promote healthy growth. Avoid as far as 
possible all coddling, or the plants will 
become drawn, the reverse of which is de¬ 
sired. Pinching in order to become 
bushy is quite unnecessary, for where the 
plants have been grown properly in the 
first place they will become so naturally. 
Only where a check of some kind has 
been administered do we find them tall 
and straggly. Good plants should mea¬ 
sure anything from 12 inches upwards in 
diameter, from which one can then easily 
expect a wealth of bloom. 
M. L. D. 
-+++- 
The Cockspur Thorn. 
Admirable 
For the Lawn. 
The long, straight spines of this tree 
have given rise to the above name, the 
correct scientific name being Crataegus 
Crus-galli. It is of North American 
origin, and is widely distributed from 
Canada southwards, being usually met 
with as a small tree, or less frequently 
a large bush. Under cultivation it 
assumes the proportions of a flat-headed 
tree, 15 to 20 feet high, with obovate 
leaves, very long and sharp spines, white 
flowers, and bright red fruits. It is not 
the type, though, that is the most suitable 
plant for decorative gardening, but two 
well-marked varieties known respectively 
as C. C. prunifolia and splendens. These 
form taller trees than the type with pro¬ 
portionately larger heads. They blossom 
very freely and bear immense crops of 
bright red fruit annually, which is re¬ 
tained until well on into winter. Pre¬ 
vious to the fall of the leaves they have 
a period of several weeks of exceptional 
beauty, for the foliage assumes very 
lovely tints, golden, scarlet, and bronze 
being the prevailing colours. As a lawn 
specimen, either of these varieties is ad¬ 
mirably adapted, whilst the same may be 
said of them for planting in clumps 
in parks or plantations. 
D. 
Lifting Bulbs in Flower. 
Those lovers of flowers for room decora¬ 
tion who are not in possession of a few 
bulbs in pots or vases may be interested 
to know that should their garden contain 
such cheerful flowers as Crocuses and 
Tulips they may rest contented for awhile, 
as these bulbs can be safely lifted when 
in flower without! soil, and placed in 
baskets, vases, and other receptacles about 
the room. These receptacles need only 
contain moss and charcoal or cocoa-nut 
fibre, which may be kept moist at all 
times. Hyacinths may also be lifted in 
bud with good results, if the roots are 
not injured, and the flowers obtained this 
way will prove as bright and robust as 
those grown on undisturbed. 
Hubert Yates. 
Southall. 
Calceolaria chelidontoides. 
We will soon be considering what flower 
seeds will be required to embellish the 
garden. Many of us are unaware of the 
existence of this fine plant, Calceolaria 
chelidonioides, which is a hardy annual of 
worth. I have turned over a good many 
catalogues, but it is not to be found. You 
will see it, however, in that handy cata¬ 
logue issued by Bee’s, Limited, who ad¬ 
vertise in the “G. W.” The seed should 
be sown in the border or rock garden in 
April and May in patches 'where it is to 
bloom. It throws up a good head of 
bloom, clear yellow, about a foot high. 
In spite of the much criticised season of 
1907, this annual gem, so rarely observed, 
was Irlooming excellently at Dalzell Gar¬ 
dens, Lanarkshire. 
A. V. Main. 
Begonias and Gloxinias from Leaf 
Cuttings. 
Take a large, healthy, well-developed 
leaf, and with a sharp knife cut through 
the main veins. Then place a large crock 
over the drainage hole of a shallow pan 
and fill to the top with fine silver sand; 
make the surface level, water well, and 
place the leaf on the surface of the sand, 
pressing it down gently with the palm of 
the hand so that the severed veins sink 
into the sand. Place the pan in a pro¬ 
pagating case in a temperature of 60 de¬ 
grees, keeping the sand always moist. In 
a short time tiny plantlets will make their 
appearance, which, when large enough, 
can be cut off with a small piece of the 
parent leaf adhering and potted into 
thumb pots, keeping the piece of surplus 
leaf level with the soil, which at the next 
shift may be removed. 
Thos. Francis. 
Chrysanthemums. 
The best time for the propagation of 
Chrysanthemums for large specimens and 
exhibition blooms is from -December to 
early in January. My experience is that 
there is no hard and fast line to follow, 
as it often happens that cuttings of some 
varieties cannot be had when desired, the 
plants being stubborn in producing them. 
1 find one very good way to strike the cut¬ 
tings is to take a small 60 pot, put three ; 
cuttings in each pot, and place them in 
the greenhouse or frame in a temperature .. 
of, say about 40 to 45 degrees. An idea 
largely prevails among the inexperienced 
that bottom heat is required for striking 
the cuttings, but this is quite a mistake, | 
as the application of heat at this stage of 
their growth tends to weaken the after¬ 
growth of the plant. They should be 
grown as sturdily as possible, never ex¬ 
citing them so as to unduly draw them up, j 
particularly in the early stages ; this is an 
important point to bear in mind. As a 
great deal depends upon the quality of the 
growths to begin with, weakly-grown cut¬ 
tings are not much good. 
W. Court. 
Tunbridge Wells. 
Succulent Plants. 
This section of plants (as distinct from 
the true Cacti) comprise about 15 genera 
and 1,180 varieties. There is in this ! 
group a great variety of form and outline, 
as, whilst some are grown for their fine 
and peculiar flowers, others are specially 
noticeable on account of their strange 
structure and the curious colouring of 
leaves and stems. They really require very 
little attention, but to succeed, they must 
be treated well, i.e., liberally, good rich 
soil, and your trouble will be rewarded. i 
A few of the best flowering species are as | 
follows : — Aloe picta, Stapelia anguinea, f 
and the Mesembryanthemums. Those £ 
grown for peculiarity in stem and leaf 
formation, colouring, etc., are:—Agave 
celsiana, Apicra pentagona, Echeveria 
metallica, etc. This interesting class are ' 
very easy to cultivate, and may be in¬ 
creased either by seed, cuttings, division 
of plants, or leaf propagation. The 
Succulents are a class of plants greatly ' 
neglected by the majority of people, and 
would repay well, careful study, on ac- 
count of their many interesting peculiari¬ 
ties. 
Hortulanus. 
Walsall. 
-- 
“ A BEAUTIFUL woman without brains is 
like a flower without perfume,” says 
Arthur Applin. She has no “scents.” 
Bromley Cross. 
