227 ' 
April 4, 1908. 
A Beautiful Greenhouse • . 
Annual 
(Primula sinensis.) 
Itrictly. speaking this plant is not an 
aaual at all, but there can be no doubt 
tit the best results are to be had by rais- 
ir it from seed every year. One of the 
irin causes of failure is too late sowing. 
F>m the middle of March to the middle 
o{April is by far the best time, as this 
aj)ws a fairly long season for the plants 
t< gain some size. Nothing is more 
irerable than a poor weedy plant of 
Pmula with one miss of small washed- 
0 i looking flowers. Sow early, there- 
f<e, and "bring on the plants rather 
sl.vly, so as to have sturdiness and many 
chvns to throw up large trusses of bril- 
lijxt blooms. 
ow in pans of soil composed of two 
pits leaf mould to one of loam, and 
eJugh sand to keep'all open and sweet. 
Oer with less than a quarter of an inch 
o:very fine soil. Set in a temperature 
065 degs. to 70 degs., shade and keep 
irist. When the seedlings are large 
e: ugh to handle, prick them off into 
: ;es of slightly richer soil, and as soon 
a they begin to crowd each other pot up 
in 25 inch pots. Keep shaded and well 
a rnded to with water, and in due course 
tly will be fit for 5 inch pots, and some 
v : he strongest may even get the 6 inch 
si. Use good fibrous loam three parts, 
hr mould two parts, and coarse sand one 
p t. The addition of some charcoal and 
oiemeal is an improvement, ana also a 
s]inkling of Thomson's plant manure. 
P moderatelv firm, and see that the 
a ars of the plants are well under the 
sc. From June to the end of August 
a old frame is the best place for them. 
Rnove all flowers as they appear, and 
atsoon as the pots are filled with roots 
fel with weak liquid manure about twice 
a>eek. Vary this with Ichthemic guano, 
u.-ig a tablespoonful to the gallon of 
ra water. After removing to the green- 
htse continue the feeding, and give 
a 1 ndance of air. It is best to grow a 
rely fine strain, as it is quite as easily 
m raged as a poor weedy one. The 
" ar” varieties are quite as easily grown, 
a- are very' useful for cutting. They 
a also well adapted for room decora- 
tii, and are more graceful and light 
tl a the large flowered kinds. 
C. Blair. 
reston House, 
Linlithgow. 
C< lish Broccoli for South Africa. 
he Cornish Broccoli growlers have sent 
ar xperimental consignment of this vege- 
ta e to Johannesburg, and should it ar¬ 
il in a saleable condition a syndicate 
is repared to take up on an extensive 
sc e the business of exporting Cornish 
Biscoli to South Africa. 
R< 
E: 
or 
g-r 
ta 
es- 
il Prizes for Best Kept Gardens. 
: the annual show of the Sandringham 
ite Cottage Horticultural Association 
uly 22nd, the King and Queen will 
it special prizes for the best kept cot- 
s and best cultivated gardens on the 
:e. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
n&dHi 
§»§ 
mtjM 
U-7.t:“is elegans. 
7,1 aelaren and Sons. 
B LAZIN G STAR 
C 5 
There are several Species of Liatris in 
gardens which enjoy a greater or less 
amount of popularity. The most com¬ 
mon of all is L. spicata, which, when once 
established in gardens is a long-lived 
plant, and becomes a fixture, so to speak, 
in the border. Of the same habit but 
finer in appearance is I,, elegans, but it 
is comparatively seldom met with in gar¬ 
dens. This is to be regretted, seeing that 
it is more effective as a border plant than 
several of them upon which a greater 
amount of stress is laid and to which a 
considerable amount of attention is neces¬ 
sary to keep up a supply of them in the 
garden. 
To all appearance L. elegans should 
be as easily managed as its relative, L. 
spicata. The differences are not veiy great 
being chiefly botanical points, which 
may be important in themselves, though 
from a garden point of view would not 
take the attention of most cultivators. 
The flower spikes are 12 in. to 14 in. long 
and densely covered on all sides with 
bright rosy purple flowers. The plant is 
taller and rather more graceful than its 
relative, while the stems are densely 
covered with long, narrow, dark green 
leaves. The stems stand about 2 ft. high 
and are practically self-supporting, a 
point of no small importance in most gar¬ 
dens. It may be propagated by seeds, but 
those who have a large plant could divide 
it, making a young specimen of each 
crown, or if too small to divide, some of 
the crowns could be cut off and inserted as 
cuttings. It comes from North America 
like the rest of the species of Blazing 
Star. 
-- 
Coloured Suppers. 
Coloured theatre suppers are the latest 
amusement in society. Since harmless 
vegetable colourings have been discovered 
the chef is able to serve a ‘'Daffodil,” 
“Rose,” or “Lilac” supper in shades to 
imitate the flowers. Tablecloths and 
serviettes are made in various colours to 
match. The “Daffodil” supper, for in¬ 
stance, is carried out in shades of yel¬ 
low. The table is spread with a yellow 
cloth and decorated with Daffodils. The 
menu consists of Carrot soup, fish served 
in shells and covered with a cream sauce 
tinted yellow, savoury eggs, cold chicken 
cutlets covered with mayonnaise sauce, 
Pineapple salad, and Oranges for dessert. 
