76 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
good one. It is used for killing the spores 
of fungi and the eggs of insects deposited 
on the trunks and branches of Apple trees. 
The spraying may be carried out at various 
periods from January to March, but not 
later. You can get it by applying to Messrs. 
Wm. Cooper and Nephews, Berkhamsfed, 
Herts. You can get a booklet entitled “ The 
Spraying of Fruit Trees” from that firm, 
and it will explain all about its use and the 
prices. 
2570. Too Much Aliks Sweet Peas. 
In the article by the National Sweet Pea 
Society some of the varieties of Sweet Peas 
are bracketed together as too much alike. 
Under John Ingman six other varieties are 
named. They say priority is given the first- 
named. Does that mean that this variety 
is the only one out of seven that will get a 
prize? Please answer in next issue of your 
paper. (H. A. B., Kent.) 
If that variety is in its best condition in 
your collection that would be the one to 
show, as it would be more likely to win than 
any of the other varieties of the same or 
similar colour. If, however, John Ingman 
was not up to the mark and some of the 
ethers in better condition, it would be safer 
to employ them. Naturally you would stage 
the very best you have, but the other va¬ 
rieties in your stand would also have to be 
very good, otherwise other stands having 
leading varieties would be likely to beat 
you. It need not follow that the first prize 
would always get to a stand because it had 
that particular or any other particular va¬ 
riety, but it is necessary to always use the 
best, and if you have not the best varieties in 
cultivation that, of course, -would be to your 
loss. 
2571. Slaked Lime and Air-Slaked 
Lime. 
Please say in an early issue of The Gar¬ 
dening World what is the difference between 
slaked lime and air-slaked lime, and let 
me know which is the best for soil infested 
with clubbing in Cauliflower? (A. C. M., 
Middlesex.) 
Slaked lime is a chemical combination of 
calcium and water, that is, lime and water, 
represented by the chemical formula, 
CaOHzO. Air-slaked lime is a combina¬ 
tion of calcium and carbon dioxide forming 
carbonate of lime represented by CaCCQ. At 
this stage it is in the same state as it was 
previous to burning, and as an insecticide 
it is useless because inert. It has returned 
to a state of carbonate of lime and this takes 
place when the lime is merely exposed to the 
atmosphere for some period of time. Freshly- 
burned lime should, therefore, be obtained 
for the purpose you mention. It should then 
be sprinkled with water, covered with an old 
mat or sack, and left till it crumbles down 
to powder. It can then be applied to the 
ground in this caustic condition. A stock 
of newly-burned lime could be kept by you 
if you have an airtight tin box in which to 
place it. This, of course, would not be an 
economical plan if you require very much 
of the lime, and in that case the better plan 
would be to get a fresh supply each time 
you require to use it as an insecticide. 
NAMES OF PLANTS . 
(R. L.) i, F.rica carnea ; 2, Chimonanthus 
fragrans grandiflorus ; 3, Viburnum Tinus. 
(E. Bingham) 1, Ficus elastica; 2, Pelar¬ 
gonium denticulatum ; 3, Gasteria verrucosa; 
4, Libonia flocibunda. 
(Quin) 1, Asplenium bulbiferum ; 2, Pteris 
tremula; 3, Pteris serrulata cristata; 4, 
Blechnuin occidental ; 5, Asplenium Trich- 
omanes; 6, Pteris cretica albo-lineata; 7, 
Adiantum cuneatum. 
There is perhaps no finer spring-flower¬ 
ing bulb than the Hyacinth, if given the 
necessary attention, and it lends itself 
to several different methods of culture. 
For indoor decoration it may be grown 
either in pots or glasses, the former being 
in my opinion the better way, as several 
may then be, grouped together, .making 
a better display than one single bulb 
grown in a glass. Besides which small 
sticks can be inserted into the soil to 
support the heavy blossom, which is far 
neater than the unsightly wire arrange¬ 
ment which is necessary when they are 
grown in water. 
The best soil for Hyacinths" in pots 
should contain one-half of good fibrous 
loam, the remaining half consisting of 
well-rotted manure, broken turf, and sil¬ 
ver sand in equal quantities. Yhe bulbs 
should be planted with the crown level 
with the surface of the soil, and the pots 
placed on slates in some odd corner of 
the garden, and covered to a depth of six 
inches with ashes, which will effectually 
protect them from frost. After six or 
eight weeks of this treatment they should 
be removed to a frame or the greenhouse 
if they are required in bloom as early as 
possible. Give them a thorough soaking 
and keep well supplied with rain water. 
It is imperative that they should be 
placed near the glass and have plenty of 
air to ensure the bloom-spike being 
thrown well above the massive leaves. 
If a succession of blooms is required a 
few should be potted, say once in three 
weeks from late September till mid-De¬ 
cember. 
When grown in glasses, rain or soft- 
water should be used, which should not on 
any account be changed, but charcoal 
placed in the vase will prove most bene¬ 
ficial. Be sure that the water does not 
February 1, 1908. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Smith and Simons, 36-38, West George 
Street, Glasgow.—Garden Seeds. 
Frank Dicks and Co., 68, Deansgate, 
Manchester.—Seed List. 
Vilmorin-Andrieux et C'ie., 4, Qu.ai de la 
Megisserie, Paris.—General Catalogue. 
Alexander Cross and Sons, Ltd., Glas¬ 
gow and London.—Seeds, Fertilisers, In¬ 
secticides. 
R. Wallace and Co., Kilnfield Gardens, 
Colchester.—Bulbs and Plants for Spring 
Planting. 
Henry Eckford, Wem, Shropshire.— Eck- 
ford’s Novelties, 1908. 
quite come into contact with the bulb, a 
tiny space, one-eighth of an inch or even 
less, will ensure them against rotting, and 
it will become necessary to add a little 
water occasionally to replace that which 
disappears owing to the roots’ action and 
evaporation. It is better to place them 
in the dark for a few weeks when starting 
in order to encourage root formation ere 
the top growth commences. 
In outdoor culture a far better effect 
may be obtained by planting Hyacinths 
in beds to form masses of different colours 
rather than to grow them promiscuously, 
regardless of colour, or to dot them, one 
here and one there, along the border, as 
alas one too often sees done in the 
average suburban garden. 
They thrive best in a rich, sandy soil, 
and should be planted about four inches 
deep during the first three weeks of No¬ 
vember, choosing a dry day and given a 
mulching of well-rotted short manure as a 
protection against frosts, which in the 
spring may either be removed or stirred 
in. 
It is a good plan when planting a bed 
of Hyacinths to insert between them some 
seedling Violas or tufted Pansies, as these 
coming into blossom when the former are 
going off, make a continued display, and 
the unsightly dying leaves of the 
Hyacinths may thus be hidden amidst 
their foliage. G. A. FISHER. 
- 444 - 
“ Our Land.” 
Under the above title a monthly maga¬ 
zine or paper devoted to .the interests of 
agriculture has just been started. The 
number for February says that small 
holdings are useless without co-operation, 
and successful farming and the distribu¬ 
tion of good require improved housing, 
and that the garden-village is called for. 
}iir?ts or? t^e Gulture of Hyacinths 
* 
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