244 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
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Readers are invited to contribute to this 
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gardening subject. 
Letters should not exceed 150 words 
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on one side of the f>aj>er only. 
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which the Editor considers to be the 
best- 
Spiraeas After Flowering:. 
The general practice, I am aware, 
after Spiraea fioribunda and Spiraea 
astilboides have finished flowering, is to 
cast them on to the fire as of no further 
use. Instead of doing that, allow me to 
advise your readers to simply-remove the 
dead blooms. Then from the conserva¬ 
tory return them to the ordinary green¬ 
house, standing them in saucers kept al¬ 
ternately rilled with liquid manure, which 
will induce them to build up strong 
crowns, so essential to future flowering. 
Keep up this generous treatment till they 
show signs of going to rest. Then lift 
them from their saucers and gradually 
withhold water. When all the foliage 
has died off re-pot them into a size 
larger pot than they occupied before, and 
monstrous plants will be the result. 
L. S. Small. 
Saxifraga sarmentosa. 
This beautiful plant is not so frequently 
met with as it well deserves to be, and 
probably this is on account of its being, 
so often spoken of in connection with 
indoor plants. The fact that it is quite 
hardy seems to be entirely overlooked; 
indeed, I do not know of anything prettier 
or more useful than this lovely species for 
planting in a sunny, well-drained, rockery. 
The foliage of this species much re¬ 
sembles that of Heuchera glabra, but it 
has one distinctive feature, it is covered 
with a short white tomentum, which 
gives the plant a most elegant appear¬ 
ance. The flowers are pure white and 
very useful for cutting, as they are borne 
in racemes about <5 in. high. It is easily 
grown, and does well when planted in a 
mixture of loam and road grit. Good 
drainage is the most essential point to be 
considered. 
W. Glover. 
Langport, Somerset. 
A Useful Hint. 
For the benefit of those who do not 
possess any glass structure, the following 
method of raising Mustard, Cress and 
Radishes early may be helpful. 
Get some shallow 7 boxes and three-parts 
fill them with fine soil. The seed can be 
sown very thickly, but not covered with 
soil. Cover over each box with a piece 
of loose glass (which it is always easy to 
buy), and stand these in a large box under 
the south wall, covering the latter over 
with a piece of oilcloth at night time and 
wet days, to prevent saturation of the soil. 
To raise Radishes, procure a deeper box 
—say, i2 inches—three-parts fill this with 
fresh straw-manure and the remainder 
■with soil. Sow the seed and treat as ad¬ 
vised above. 
The gentle heat from the manure facili¬ 
tates germination. 
C. T. 
Mignonette Sowing. 
I have heard many gardenets complain 
that they cannot grow Mignonette satis¬ 
factorily. The secret of raising it suc¬ 
cessfully is easily attained. Sow the seed 
thinly in rich, sweet ground, in which 
should be incorporated some old mqrtar, 
but above' all things the ground should 
be trodden firmly before sowing. Give 
plenty of room to each seedling, and keep 
th’e roots moist in dry weather. If these 
instructions be followed, many a fragrant 
bundle of Mignonette will be culled dur¬ 
ing the ensuing summer. 
Barnes. D. Sparkes. 
Horseradish and Toothache. 
This subject will, I hope, be the means 
of relieving many sufferers of this aclying 
pain, and to my mind there are many who 
perhaps have not yet found out the value 
of Horseradish. I have tried the method 
many times myself, and it has stopped the 
pain where nothing else has done any 
good. Dig up a piece of Horseradish, 
wash it clean and split it in half; then 
scrape enough required and press well 
into the cavity of the tooth. Of course, it 
is awfully hot; but stick to it, and I feel 
certain there can be no other cure like 
it. I have at different times advised some 
of my friends to try the method, and I 
have been told that the results are quite 
satisfactory. 
J. Nibbs. 
A Cheap Insecticide. 
Simple, old-fashioned things are some¬ 
times the best, and stand the test of 
modern times with all the newest and 
latest that man and machine can produce. 
I ike the 101 cures set forth for all human 
ailments, the plant world is surrounded 
with a similar number. Of their merits 
we shall say naught. A cheap and effec¬ 
tive plant cleanser and insect destroyer 
is a solution of 2 oz. of soft soap dissolved 
in 3 gallons of hot water, then a thumb- 
potfui of paraffin added. Irritate the 
whole concern with a syringe and apply 
to rid plants of green fly, thrip and red 
spider, either in the plant house or Rose 
bushes, etc., outside. As a preventive to 
vermin, syringe foliage plants, such as 
Palms and Aspidistras, also fruit trees, 
once a fortnight. Use it in a lukewarm 
state, and it is best to follow with clean 
water. This removes the soapy substance 
on fine foliage plants. 
A. V. M. 
Table Decoration in Early Spring-. 
For table decoration at this time of 
year, I have found nothing prettier than 
the brilliant purple Christmas Roses. I 
grew my -own clumps in the first instance 
from a packet of Sutton’s Hellebore seed, 
and I have been cutting the bloom now for 
several weeks. 
April 11, 1908. 
With the Hellebores I mix Snowdrops, 
which grow here in masses; and for greeni 
nothing is lovelier than sprays of Oxalis, 1 
which last nearly a month in water. 
The staging under my greenhouse is 
covered with, this pretty plant, and the, 
undersides of its leaves being a metallic- 
purple, the colour goes most excellenth 
with the Christmas Roses. 
I am told that this colour is Nature’; 
suntrap, by which this plant catches anc: 
retains sunshine in cold weather. 
T. CORRIE. 
Hants. 
-- 
Apple Pictures. 
It is a simple matter to print photo 
graphs upon the ordinary red Apple, th- 
Tomato, and smooth-skinned Pumpkin, i 
one goes about it in the right way. Ii 
addition to the process being most simple 
there is no expense incurred, not even fo 
so cheap a chemical -as hypo, as n< 
chemical or water is required, while th 
resultant prints can only be said to be a 
permanent as the support on which th 
image is formed. The skin of an Apple 
Tomato, or Pumpkin, particularly at 
certain stage of its ripening, bears astron 
resemblance to our photographic plate 
and printing paper, for the reason that 
is sensitive to light. 1 am tempted t 
say that the results are superior to an 
that could be obtained on photographi 
papers. A week was allowed for prin 
ing. The fine, deep red of the pictur 
upon, the delicate green of the groun 
must be seen to be fully appreciated. 
—■“ St. Nicholas’ for April. 
Black Scab or Warty Disease of Potatos. 
During the last few years a ver 
troublesome disease of Potatos has mac 
its appearance in this country. It v; 
introduced into England from the Coi 
tinent in 1895, and has now been found 1 
nine counties in England and Scotlam 
and fears are entertained that it will I 
introduced to Ireland, unless drastic pr 
ventive measures are taken. A descrr 
tion of the disease and other particula 
has b'een printed in the form of a pampi 
let by Mr. E. S. Salmon, F.L.S., Ho 
F.R.H.S., of the South Eastern Agricu 
tural College, Wye. It is a parasitic, 
fungus, known as Chrysophlyctis end 
biotica, which attacks the tubers of tl 
young and growing Potatos, causing the 
to produce wrinkled and warty excre 
cences. These ard sometimes so nume 
ous as to be larger than the tuber prop 
to which they are attached. Such or 
growths, of course, render the Potat 
completely useless for any purpose wh: 
ever, as we fear it would be bad practi 
to use them for feeding pigs even, 
the disease continues to spread, it mii 
become quite as serious, if not more ; 
as the American Gooseberry milde 
Mr. Salmon thinks that the diseal 
should be dealt with as the Colorai 
beetle was checked. He considers al 
that Potato growers should unite in c 
manding some compensation from t 
treasury funds for crops that may be d 
stroved for the public good, but urg ; 
farmers, market and private gardeners ' 
awaken the Board of Agriculture to t 
interest for suppressing this new Pot<i> 
disease before it is too late. Some ilh- 
trations show the appearance of PotaB 
attacked by this fungus. 
