188 
the sooner we gardeners can commit to 
the care of mother earth the little seeds 
which are to fructify and bring summer 
to us, and adorn and beautify and make 
fragrant the world in which we live. 
In February days, ’twixt snow and sun, 
Earth halts and hovers, set in dubious 
ways. 
Yet even in February, as Blackmore 
says, “ the foot of spring is on the earth,” 
and there are not wanting evidences of 
the passing of winter. But in March, in 
spite of its rough and cutting ways, the 
signs of reviving life of the golden pro¬ 
mise of the months to come, grow more 
pronounced. The pathway begins to 
sparkle with flower gems, buds are swell¬ 
ing, the feathered choirs are practising. 
We live in an atmosphere of happy anti¬ 
cipation. Hope is the predominant note 
in the world,-and all animate things feel 
the pulses of their being quicker in re¬ 
sponse to the return of the sun and the 
glad awakening of Nature. 
We are on the eve of that pageant of 
miracle, spring, and quite soon shall be 
able to sing in the tuneful lines of Fiona 
Macleod: 
The Bells of Youth are ringing in the 
gateways of the South, 
The bannerets of green are now un¬ 
furled ; 
Spring has risen with a laugh, a wild- 
rose in her mouth, 
And is singing, singing, singing thro’ 
the world. 
-- 
\Vargrave and District Gardeners’ Associa¬ 
tion. 
At the last meeting of this association, 
Mr. W. H. Scott, of the Hermitage Gar¬ 
dens, Twyford, Berks., read an interest¬ 
ing paper entitled “Do Plants Sleep?” 
He referred to the various movements 
noticed in certain plants at different times 
of the day according to the varying state 
of the weather, temperature and light. 
He advised all gardeners to notice the 
habits and peculiarities of plants under 
their care, and perhaps some day the 
question may be solved. A good discus- 
.sion followed, and many other points were 
dwelt upon. There were several good ex¬ 
hibits, viz.. Hyacinths in pots, Lachena- 
lias, and Coelogyne cristata, the former 
by Mr. Blencowe and the latter by Mr. 
Pope, being awarded a cultural certi¬ 
ficate. 
Cigars from London-grown Tobacco. 
For some years past it has been pos¬ 
sible to get Tobacco made from leaves 
grown in this country. The authorities 
at the Botanic Gardens, Regent’s Park, 
have evidently wished to go one better 
than this by procuring seeds from various 
countries where Tobacco is grown and 
growing a crop from such seeds actually 
in Regent’s Park. The aroma and taste 
does not-appeal to everyone, but possibly 
patriotism and London pride will induce 
many at least to smoke one cigar. They 
are to be labelled Flor de London, as it 
has not only been grown in London, but 
also manufactured, including the wrap¬ 
per, bunch and filler. Some of the 
cigars .were shown at the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Hall on the 5th and 6th inst., on 
the occasion of the Colonial Exhibition. 
—“Tobacco.” 
THE GARDENING WORLD. March 14, 1908. 
Address : The Editor, The Gardening 
World, 37 and 38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
The Editor invites enquiries, which may 
cover any branch of gardening. Questions 
should be as brief as -possible and written on 
one side of the paper only; a separate sheet 
of paper should be used for each question. 
Replies cannot be sent by post. 
Garden Plans. —Gardeners who would make 
the best use of this column are invited to 
prepare and forward to us a rough outline 
drawing or plan of their gardens, indicating 
the position of beds and lawns, the charac¬ 
ter and height of the fence or wall; posi¬ 
tion of vegetable garden, orchard, etc. The 
north side of the garden and any over¬ 
shadowing buildings should be denoted. It 
should also be stated whether the garden is 
flat or on a declivity, and all large trees 
should be marked. Particulars of the na¬ 
ture of the soil will also help us to give 
satisfactory replies. When such plans are 
received they will be carefully filed, with 
the name and address of the sender, ana 
will be consulted by the Editor whenever an 
enquiry is sent. 
STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 
2674. Plants to Fill a Greenhouse. 
I have just completed the construction of 
a greenhouse (roft. by 20ft.). Can you in¬ 
form me of an address where I might be 
able to get a stock of plants really cheap ? 
I am thinking that perhaps you may know 
of, or have enquiries from, those who are 
giving up their greenhouses and wish to get < 
rid of their things. (C. Brian Smith, 
Radnor.) 
In last week’s Gardening World, p. iv., 
you will find very cheap offers of greenhouse 
plants. We have heard of no one wishing 
to dispose of their greenhouse plants, but 
from our own point of view we should pre¬ 
fer getting young plants direct from the 
growers, as they would be more easy to grow 
into proper shape by commencing with 
vigorous young stuff. We do not suppose 
that you will get plants of very large size 
at such low prices, but they have the advan¬ 
tage of being young and fresh, whereas if 
you get old plrnts from greenhouses where 
people have got tired of them it probably 
means that the plants are overgrown as to 
■size or they have been greatly neglected. 
We have seen collections of Orchids where 
the owner had got tired of them, and we 
were not surprised when we saw the poor 
quality of the plants. 
2675. Plants in a Late Vinery. 
Can you tell me what plants are suitable 
to grow in a late Vinery? W 7 ould Begonias, 
Fuchsias, or Orchids do, and can you re¬ 
commend anything else? I am presuming 
that Ferns will be suitable. I just keep the 
frost out in winter. (B. Y., Sheffield.) 
Several of the Begonias would give satis¬ 
faction under those conditions, including B. 
metallica and some of the numerous varie¬ 
ties of B. Rex. We should not recommend 
Fuchsias, unless you take them out imme¬ 
diately after they are started and put them 
in a greenhouse where they will have the 
advantage of plenty of light and ventilation. 
It seems to us that they could only be kept 
during winter when the leaves are off the 
Vines and until they have just started into 
Sfrowth in spring. Several Orchids could 
be grown there, but particularly those which 
do not require a high temperature. We 
should name Cypripedium insigne and its 
varieties, C. leeanum, C. spicerianum, C. ve- 
nustum, and others of that class. A very 
large number of Ferns can be grown under 
those conditions, including Pteris Wimsettii, 
P. serrulata, P. cretica, P. tremula, Las- 
traea aristata, Asplenium bulbiferum, A.b. 
minus, A.b. fabianum, Blechnumoccidentale, 
Lomaria gibba, Adiantum cuneatum, A.c. 
gracillimum, A. formosum, A. hlspidulum, 
and varieties of A. Capillus-Ve'neris. A num¬ 
ber of the fine foliage plants would succeed 
in a late Vinery, including Aralia elegan 
tissima, A. Sieboldii, Aspidistra luridi 
variegata, Ficus elastica, F. repens, F.r 
minima, Asparagus Sprengeri, and A. phi 
mosus. There are several flowering plant; 
that might be grown there at certain time: 
of the year, but would do better if taken oui 
and placed in a cooler and better ventilated 
structure when the Vines are coming intc 
leaf. Amongst these we should name Fuch¬ 
sias, Heliotropes, Hydrangea paniculata. 
H. hortensis, Cytisus fragrans (Genistai. 
Daphne odora (indica), Plumbago capensis. 
and other plants of that class. The Cypri- 
pediums, Ferns, and Begonias could, ol 
course, be kept all the year round. When 
the Vines are in full fruit, however, it is 
not desirable to have plants beneath them, 
especially when the Vines are carrying ripe 
fruit, because the berries will be liable tc 
damp owing to the moisture of the house. 
W 7 ith careful management, however, vot 
could overcome this difficulty even. 
ROOM PLANTS. 
2676. Hyacinths with Long Leaves. 
I shall be much obliged if you will give 
me a little enlightenment as to the follow¬ 
ing :—I am growing a few Hyacinths in 
doors, some in pots and some in glasses.' In 
one or two cases the leaves seem to grow s< 
much faster than the flowers that the lattei 
seem entirely suppressed. I am of opinior 
that perhaps I gave the ones in pots to< 
little water at first. Would this cause the 
trouble? It is certainly a fact that the bulb: 
in glasses present a more even appearance 
and the bloom is asserting itself to bettei 
advantage. (G. F. Barton, Essex.) 
We scarcely think that the shortness ol 
the flower stems was due to the soil bein£ 
kept on the dry side. After the pots an 
full of roots these hardy bulbs should, ol 
course, have plenty of moisture by just keep 
ing the soil moist. You do not tell us th« 
conditions under which you kept the pot; 
after the bulbs were potted in autumn. B 
you pot them up in September, the pot; 
could be stood out of doors a couple ol 
months at least, plunged in cocoanut fibre 
If you could give them space in a cole 
frame, however, it would answer the purpose 
