May 
1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
303 
Mysteries* 
; often .wonder why it is 
I'fiat what the proper diet is 
iar weeds of all varieties 
Should suit my crops so ill; 
•or, while the thistles grow away 
No matter how I hoe away 
.'o save themselves they know a way), 
My peas are standing still. 
t’s positively sickening, 
Vhen grass on lawns needs thickening, 
That all attempts at quickening 
Its growth completely fail; 
Vhile, in the near vicinity, 
Tis hedged by some divinity, 
Vnd shows a weird affinity 
For carrots, beet, and kale. 
wonder why the blight attacks 
.ly roses, till it’s quite a tax 
I'o foil it by my night attacks 
With syringe and With suds. 
The briar ’scapes adversities—■ 
V topsy-turvy mercy ’tis—- 
Vnd knows not what a curse it is 
To give the fly its buds. 
)h, I will gladly sing my best, 
If rich, round phrases string my best, 
Vnd of my verses bring my best. 
For him who first succeeds 
n earning all my gratitude 
Vnd ever-new beatitude 
3 y turning round the attitude 
Of insect pests to weeds. 
V. C. 
’ e “ Ideal ” Spade. 
ta our account of this new spade on 
] 259 we inadvertently stated that the 
: :ket was of iron. This is not the case, 
; the whole spade, both blade and socket, 
1 isists of the best steel. 
e N.R.S. Hose Annual for 1908. 
The National Rose Society is still 
: urishing, and this year sends out its 
- se Annual as usual, but it is much 
ger than formerly and contains a deal 
• useful information. It also contains 
1 1 page portraits of Mr. Charles E. Shea 
■ 3 the late Dean Hole, both past presi- 
‘ its of the Society, and of E. B. Lind- 
M, Esq., who is, we should say, one of 
| 1 most successful amateur exhibitors of 
• ses, seeing that he has gained the 
1 tateur Champion Challenge Trophy 
5 teen times during the last eighteen 
Mrs. The annual contains a list of 
1 se exhibitions for 1908, also chapter 
< “Rose Analysis for 1907,” “Specia 
Adit of the Newer H.P., H.T. and T 
: ses,” “ Autumn Flowering Climbin' 
1 ses,” “Rose Mildew,” “Fashions ii 
, es,” “ Suggestions for Rose Gardens, 1 
ose Growing in the Neighbourhood o 
rge Towns,” “The Rose of the Bible, 1 
arly Pruning,” “Decorative Exhibits, 
oses m Wild Woodland,” “How to Sue 
d with Standard Roses,” “Rose Grow 
m Australia,” etc. “The Descriptioi 
Some of the Newer Roses ” will als< 
, '‘ e a valuable record for those wh< 
h to keep. in touch with the variou 
es and their new additions. The pre 
t president, Mr. E. B. Lindsell, give 
hapter on “Roses: Their Historv, De 
opment and Cultivation.” Copies o 
annual are obtainable from the Hon 
a-etary Mr. Edward Mawley, Rose 
lk .\ Berkhamsted, Herts., for is. pn= 
THE OLD DOUBLE 
Wf^ite Chinese Primula. 
(Primula sinensis alba plena). 
In another column some information 
will be found concerning the method of 
propagating the old Double W hite Chi¬ 
nese Primrose. The operation is per- 
.formed^at different times of the year by dif¬ 
ferent people, according to their custom 
and requirements, but the plant is pliable 
and may be grown in a variety of ways, 
and likewise grown for flowering by being 
propagated at different times. The main 
object is to get plants of some size before 
they come into bloom and upon that will 
depend the actual time when they may be 
propagated. Some growers commence to 
layer their plants at the end of February 
and, of course, they are ready for pull¬ 
ing to pieces and potting off towards the 
end of April. 
The young plants when severed from 
the parent may be potted up in a com¬ 
post of loam, leaf-mould and sand.' Some 
like to use a larger quantity of leaf mould 
than loam, but this is- a matter of detail. 
Each layer, let us call it, is put in a 60 
size pot and grown on as if it were a 
seedling of some size. ■ Pot firmly and 
water down the soil with a rosed watering 
pot. At this stage if a house can be given 
the plants with a temperature of 55 degs. 
to 60 degs. it will give them a good chance 
to start away into the new soil. A hotbed 
that is getting past its best would also 
serve if a house is not available. If the 
pots are plunged in soil or cocoanut fibre 
it will encourage a rapid root growth, 
which is the main item at this season of 
the year. 
Later on, when the weather becomes 
fine, the plants may be transferred to a 
cold frame facing the south and kept close 
and warm as if in a greenhouse, giving 
ventilation, of course, during the warmer 
Primula sinensis alba plena. 
