200 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 21, 1908. 
The habit of the plant is somewhat simi¬ 
lar to that of a Sweet William, but the 
trusses are more open, smaller, and the 
flowers are larger. The ordinary form 
of the Chinese Pink in modern strains is 
notable for the rich colours amongst the 
flowers. These vary considerably, but 
scarlet, crimson, and carmine, arranged 
in a variety of ways, are very dominant 
and conspicuous. The beauty of the 
markings is sometimes notable, even in 
this variable species. These flowers also 
last well in the cut state in a cool room. 
Although this represents the more com¬ 
mon form of the Chinese Pink selected 
merely for rich colours, there are other 
strains in which the flowers are much 
more striped and either single or double. 
An altogether larger strain'is D. chinen- 
sis HeddeWiggii, in which we get similar 
variation of colours and single or double 
flowers, but always twice or three times 
as large as the common Chinese Pink. 
All require the same treatment. Many 
of them will live through the winter in 
the open ground and commence growing 
again in spring, but, as a rule, the best 
display is obtained from plants raised 
annually from seed. 
-- 
Ru nner . . 
BEANS 
Ornamental Kinds. 
It may be asked if these can be classed 
as ornamental. Yes, there are kinds 
grown for this purpose. During the past 
autumn I saw growing in three widely 
diverse parts of the country a kind hav¬ 
ing habit and pods very closely resem¬ 
bling the climbing French sorts, but hav¬ 
ing pods somewhat broader, having from 
three to five seeds in a pod. The flesh 
appeared to be about the same texture as 
the French. 
The most ornamental kind is known in 
some trade lists as Firefly. This has 
pods of a bright yellow and red mingled 
together on the outside of the pods. 
When passing a cottage garden at 
Langport I saw it the first time, later in 
a cottage garden in Surrey; also this and 
several other kinds of the same class in 
the Seed Trial Grounds at Reading. It 
does seem strange to see bright yellow, 
blue, and parti-coloured pods. I asked 
regarding their value from an edible 
point, which was not favourable. Cer¬ 
tainly they are most beautiful in colour 
and ’eminently fitted for decoration, and 
would make a change for using at harvest 
and other festival occasions, lighting up 
many dark corners, and if mixed with 
evergreens, be helpful. I was told by a 
friend they were of Japanese origin ; some 
sav French. 
J. C. F. 
- ♦♦♦ 
Tobacco Trade Exhibition. 
At the fourth international Tobacco 
Trade Exhibition which opens at the 
Royal Horticultural Hall, We tminster, 
on-March 20th, some novelties shown will 
include cigars manufactured from to¬ 
bacco grown in Regent’s Park by the 
Royal Botanic Society. There will also 
be exhibited some interesting samples of 
tobacco grown in our Colonies. 
Border Carnations. 
Those who have not yet planted their 
Carnations should secure the first dry 
day to have the work accomplished. The 
ground, it is presumed, was prepared 
some months ago, and should not, there¬ 
fore, be disturbed by digging now beyond 
what is necessary to level down the sur¬ 
face and make it ready for planting. 
Some have a fancy for raising seedlings 
from seeds saved of some choice variety, 
or they may make a sowing with the ob¬ 
ject of getting plenty of flowers for cut¬ 
ting independently of their quality. The 
present is a good time to sow seeds in a 
house with a night temperature of 60 degs. 
In this way they will soon germinate, 
and as soon as the cotyledons are about 
fully grown, they should be removed to 
a cooler place. In the course of a-week 
or so after germination they will be fit 
to prick off into boxes about 1^ in. or 
2 in. apart each way. They may be 
grown in a cold frame, giving them 
plenty of ventilation till towards the end 
of May, when they should be hardened off 
and planted out where they are intended 
to bloom. 
Show Carnations and Picotees. 
Every grower who prides himself upon 
having work done in good time will have 
his show Carnations in their flowering 
pots by this time. The operation should 
no longer be delayed if it has not been 
completed. A good compost for the final 
potting would consist of three barrow¬ 
loads of good fibrous loam and one 
barrow-load each of old hotbed manure, 
leaf soil and sand. If the cultivator has 
pounded oyster shells, he can also use 
this at the rate of one barrow-load to the 
above compost Carnations are highly 
benefited by lime, and if oyster shells are 
not available, a similar quantity of lime 
rubble would answer the purpose. Drain 
the pots well and press the soil firmly. 
Pots may vary in size from 7 in. to 9 in. 
in diameter, and as a rule two or three 
plants can be got into each, according to 
their size and natural vigour. 
Tree Carnations. 
The atmospheric conditions are now 
much more favourable to the rooting of 
Carnations than it was in the previous 
two months. Those who took cuttings 
then may still require a third batch for a 
succession, and those who have little con¬ 
venience for early work, could embrace 
the present opportunity. If the pots are 
stood on a hotbed or plunged, if the heat 
is in any way deficient, then it will suffice 
to lay some-panes of glass on the tops 
of the labels to maintain the moisture 
about the cuttings. A hotbed in the open 
covered with a frame and intended for 
raising seedlings, may be utilised for pro¬ 
pagating' Carnations. It will be neces¬ 
sary, however, to ventilate for a time dur¬ 
ing each day to get rid of the superfluous 
moisture and prevent damping. Cuttii 
which were rooted in January will requ 
a second shift about the end of this mou 
if they have come along at all favo • 
ably. 
Malmaison Carnations. 
Unless specially wanted for bio 1 
early, this class should still be kept cl 
and dry. For the main batch, inde, 
the temperature at night need not ; 
more than 40 degs.' to 45 degs. A • • 
atmosphere must still be maintained > 
avoid getting disease amongst them. 
Marguerite Carnations. 
Those who have not the convenierrtf 
hothouses for germinating seeds in Ja- 
ary or February may sow seeds and st;l 
them on a hotbed made for the purp * 
of raising half-hardy annuals and ot;r' 
bedding subjects. A sowing at this ti; 
would come in for late blooming in : 
open during September in the south' 1 
part of the country. Further north 2 
plants would come in useful for autu.i 
and early winter blooming under gl;, 
and prove very serviceable during Oc- 
ber or November. In the warmer dim: 
of the south the seedlings raised jt 
now would come in handy for pot w>; 
in the greenhouse in advance of Chrvs.- 
themums. 
American Carnations. 
Cuttings of this highly decorative cb 
may still be struck for a succession! 
plants. The cuttings should not be - 
lowed to wilt or flag previous to insert; 
them in pots, otherwise they may t;2 
some time to recover, and this delays 2 
process of rooting. The pots may 2 
plunged in cocoanut fibre and treatm: 
given as for tree Carnations. The n 
is now more powerful, and during : 
warmer part of bright days it will 2 
necessary to shade the cuttings by me -- 
of newspapers or some light tiffany. 
J. D. F. W 
R.H.S.- New Members. 
At the general meeting of the Ro 1 
Horticultural Society, held on the d 
March, 113 new Fellows were elect!, 
making a total of 305 elected since e 
beginning of the year. 
Jack Frost in Canada. 
In Almonte, Ontario, Canada, we he 
experienced the power of Jack Fr- 
The thermometer at zero is a comrn 
both day and night. In the Ft 
case 
day's of February, the mercury' fell teb 
degrees below zero, or, in plain figu-. 
70 degrees of frost. Successive nig* 
registered between 60 degrees and 
70 2 - 
grees. We have 3 feet covering of si" 
all over,' and the ice is about in yd 
thick blocks, which in due time will m i e 
your ice drinks. 
A. V. 
