212 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
column short letters, discussing any 
gardening subject. 
Letters should not exceed 150 words 
each in length, and must be written 
on one side of the paper only. 
Two Prizes of ?s. bd. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the 
best. 
Cauliflowers. 
When well-grown this is one oi the 
best vegetables' for exhibiting. Seed 
should be sown early in February -in a 
gentle heat. When in the first rough leaf 
the plants should be thinly pricked out 
into boxes, keeping them close to the 
glass, and gradually hardening them off 
till they can lie safely planted outside. 
Plenty of manure water must be given 
them, and heavy mulchings of rotten ma¬ 
nure spread round them if large heads are 
wanted. Caterpillars must be watched 
for and destroyed, especially so when the 
Cauliflowers begin to form their heads. 
The leaves must be tied in to prevent 
the rain and sun discolouring them. The 
best kinds are early Autumn Mammoth, 
Magnum bonum, and Autumn Giant. 
Specimens should be of good size, close, 
firm, white, and of good shape. 
J. C. SCAMMELL. 
The Sensitive Plant- 
Most amateurs like to grow something 
uncommon in their gardens to be a 
special feature to show their neighbours. 
The plant mentioned above I would 
strongly recommend anyone to grow, for 
it is always a source of attraction, especi¬ 
ally if one has not seen it before. The 
chief interest lies in its feathery leaves 
which have a curious way of rolling them¬ 
selves up immediately they are touched. 
It is really a perennial, but is usually 
grown as an annual. Seeds can be ob¬ 
tained of most seedsmen who advertise in 
“ G.W.”; these should be sown in spring 
.in a brisk heat, and be potted on in a 
mixture of two parts loam, one part leaf 
mould, and a good dash of coarse sand or 
road grit, but the chief thing is to pot 
them loosely, and give them good 
drainage. 
E. Miles. 
Canterbury. 
Tujsrous Begonias. 
It may be of interest to those so en¬ 
gaged in growing these if I tell them of a 
discovery I made one autumn when lift¬ 
ing the tubers. Several of them had been 
planted upside down, i.e., the rounded 
or rooting portion on top and the hollow 
or stem part underneath. The stems had 
grown around the tuber and then come 
through the soil as usual, but at every 
joint that was covered with soil a new and 
perfect tuber had formed. As this has 
occurred in several seasons when I have 
tried the experiment, I ask myself, have 
we always planted them wrong way,up, 
and is this way the right ? I think the 
answer must be “Yes,” as no doubt the 
tubers thus increased themselves in a 
similar wav to many other plants of a 
like nature; at any rate, it is a very 
handy way to increase one’s stock, as I 
don’t think I have lost one tuber through 
the experiment. 
D. V. E. 
Worthing. 
Celosia. plumosa. 
Celosias, when well grown, form tall, 
pyramidal bushes, with feathery in¬ 
florescence of various shades of orange 
and red. ' Being a tender annual, it re¬ 
quires a moderate amount of warmth dur¬ 
ing its early stages. The seeds should be 
sown in pans of sandy soil, and placed in 
gentle heat. Water sparingly until the 
seedlings are a nice size, then prick off 
into boxes, keeping them near the glass 
in a warm house. When well rooted, pot 
into 3-inch pots; see that the stems are 
not too deeply placed, or they will rot 
off at the bottom of the stem. Give 
occasional overhead syringing in bright 
weather. In due course move into 6-inch 
pots, in which they will bloom beauti¬ 
fully. They should receive generous 
treatment from the time they first ger¬ 
minate, and the potting should be firmly 
done. Liberal waterings may be given of 
liquid manure when the plants become 
established. 
Celosia. 
Hamilton. 
The Importance of Order in the Garden. 
The advantages of a well-selected plan 
of operations, or what may be termed a 
regular method of doing things, is no¬ 
where more apparent than in the manage¬ 
ment of a garden. Without it all is con¬ 
fusion and error, crops are misplaced or 
out of season, flowers few or entirely ab¬ 
sent, weeds alone flourishing, and all of 
either pleasure or profit necessarily and 
totally lost; indeed, it is impossible to 
cultivate, in the proper meaning of the 
word, any kind of vegetation, either in 
small or large proportions, without some 
definite and well-arranged mode of treat¬ 
ment, both as regards the seasons for 
particular operations and the manner of 
performance. Seeds may be sown and 
vegetate with all desired vigour, yet the 
result will be void unless the necessary 
weeding, watering, and transplanting be 
attended to in season. Flowers may be 
grown and fruit produced, still without 
timely attention to the preservation of 
both we lose the enjoyment of either. 
To do what is required in the proper 
way and at the right time, is to preserve 
order ; and to none is this more important 
than to those who have only their occa¬ 
sional leisure hours for gardening. In 
the absence of order, the work rapidly 
accumulates, and often the precious 
limited moments are lost in settling what 
is to be done first, searching for the tools, 
or otherwise preparing to begin. How 
March 28,. 1908. 
often we may hear the exclamation, 
should not fear the rest if the rough* 
of the work was done,” but where a settl 
plan of action is regularly observed the 
is no “ rough work”; a suitable job ; 
always selected for the time at comman 
and finished without hurry before anoth 
is commenced; and as everything has 
place and can be found there, the wo 
proceeds without interruption, yieldi: 
pleasure in its performance and a gratil 
mg result at the end. Order begets ne; 
ness, and those who have learned 
esteem the one will never neglect t • 
other; both are essential to the true e:. 
jovment of a garden, for without a scrup 
lous regard to the finish, only attainat " 
by a visible neatness in every .part, t i 
richest collection will fail to please, wh: 
the humble cottage plot, with no oth : 
claim to notice than this one distinguis 
ing trait, will afford the highest gratifk 1 
tion to the discerning eye of a com 
judgment. A man’s garden may 
looked upon as an index of his min' 
sloth and ignorance go together. T 
intelligent, right-minded, and industrio .1 
man can no more endure an untidy, nt 
ligent appearance than the idle one c. £ 
arouse sufficient energy to clear away t i 
rubbish which encumbers the ground, a: ? 
renders his garden unprofitable. Order 
necessary, that everything may be do 
in due season ; neatness, that all mav , 
done well ; and both, that we may enj 
the work which our hands have complete ‘ 
A. J. He wood. 
Aster chinensis. 
One of the most beautiful and distir 
varieties of Asters is that known as Ast 
chinensis. This delightful plant cont 
butes blossoms for cutting at a time wh 
summer flowers are not so plentifi 
These single Asters are borne on lo 
stems, and lend themselves admirably 1 
decoration. They shade from inter 
purple to palest mauve and pink, wi 
yellow centres. Grown either singly 
in groups, one cannot fail to admire the: 
If treated as follows the grower will 
rewarded with gratifying results. P) 
cure a packet of seed from a relial 
seedsman. The compost should cons 
of two parts loam, one part leaf mou' 
and some silver sand. Sow the se 
thinly in pans or boxes in March a 
place in a gentle heat, keeping mo 
without much watering and shading fre 
hot sun. In about a week or ten dt 
the tiny plant will appear, and tvhen th 
have made about four leaves harden 
and plant in the open ground in th 
permanent quarters at the end of Mi 
Treated rvith ordinary care, these plat 
will give a profusion of blooms duri' 
September and October. 
A. Dalton 
Dublin. 
-- 
Qdontoglossum Clytie. 
The parentage of this hybrid was 
Edwardi x Pescatorei. The strong ha: j 
shows the effect of the seed parent, b 
the flowers are greatly enlarged with* 
g r oup of maroon blotches on each of ■ 
long pointed segments, the ground Wtja 
being lilac. Award of Merit by !' 
R.H.S. when shown by Messrs. Chari 
wo :h and Co., Bradford. 
