May 23, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
. . GROWING . . 
gunner Beans 
For Exhibition. 
The following method of growing Run¬ 
ner .Beans, botn for exhibition and home 
use, has proved highly successful with me, 
and may therefore be useful to readers 
of the “G. W.”:— 
The site chosen is always an open one. 
Two lines are laid at a distance of 2 ft. 
from each other, and running from north 
to south. When so grown the Beans have 
equal sunshine on both sides. The space 
between the lines is taken out fully two 
feet deep, the top spit, together with the 
crumbs, being placed on one side, and 
the next spit put on the opposite side, 
che bottom being dug up and allowed to 
remain. This gives a good deep root run 
and ensures perfect drainage, especially 
on heavy soils. The trenches are then 
half filled with any kind of garden refuse 
which will rot quickly, followed by three 
or four inches of well-decayed manure, 
and after a light treading four or five 
inches of soil is placed over the manure 
and left thus until May, when the, fS-eans 
are sown. Some grow a single #f>w in 
each trench, but I prefer two rows, grown 
as follows:—Two lines are laid down in 
the trench, each line being three inches 
from the side, thus giving 18 inches from 
row to row. Plant the Beans three inches 
deep and nine inches apart. A good way 
to ward off the attacks of slugs is to 
sprinkle a mixture of wood ashes, soot, 
and lime over the ground. When the first 
Bean is seen up, continue this after every 
shower until all danger is passed. Stak¬ 
ing is done early by placing a strong rod 
12 to 14 ft. long to each Bean, and to 
secure the rods from rough winds props 
are set in the ground 2 ft. deep and 15 ft. 
apart, battens being tied to the rods in 
pairs with strong string; treated thus 
they stand firm throughout the season. 
The growths are assisted with a tie to 
enable them to take to the sticks more 
readily. 
This crop is rendered more productive, 
the season prolonged, and the blooms 
set more freely, when kept well watered, 
giving manure water occasionally. 
Gather the Beans as fast as they become 
fit. 
Those intended for exhibition need a 
little more attention. In selecting the 
most promising ones, these should be 
situated so as to get plenty of sun and 
light, in order to give them a deep green 
colour all over. Leave only two pods on 
a stem, keeping to this number on a plant. 
Endeavour to keep them straight by draw¬ 
ing the hand lightly down them a few 
times as the growth proceeds. Should 
black fly put in its appearance or red 
spider, means must be taken to rid the 
plants of these pests, otherwise much 
damage will be done to the crops. Sy¬ 
ringe the plant twice a day until they are 
destroyed, with soapy water or an insecti¬ 
cide. 
Varieties are very numerous now, and 
all more or less good. For many years 
past I have saved my own seed selected 
from the very largest and best pods. Now 
and then I buy a pint to grow alongside 
of them for corrfparison. One pint of 
seeds sown as above will plant a double 
row of 108 ft. long. Runner Beans grown 
as described have evoked much admira¬ 
tion for the quality of the production. 
H. ROWLES. 
Sussex. 
-- 
The Despised Nettle. 
How strange it is that few persons ever 
seem to notice the exquisite green tint of 
a Nettle in early springtime, observes a 
writer in the “Planet.” Notwithstanding 
its many drawbacks, the Nettle plant is 
a thing of beauty, despised only because 
it is so common. 
French Gardening. 
The French method of raising early 
salads and vegetables is being largely 
carried out at Evesham, where one piece 
of ground, 45 acres in extent, has 10,000 
cloches and over 1,000 frames. The pro¬ 
duction of this piece of ground, under the 
care of a Frenchman, has been enormous. 
A complete model of a French garden is 
being exhibited in London on the stall of 
the Bredon’s Norton School of Gardening 
at the “What to do with our Girls” Ex¬ 
hibition. 
- G. w. - 
Prize Competitions. 
CEHERAL CONDITIONS.—Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may oompete. Xbse name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,! any article or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to each competition should be oare- 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OFTEN SHILLINGS will be given 
for the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making f !ie award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
folk wing date of issue.\Entries received later 
thj,n Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
t) ie following week. 
Two prizes of 2s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
160 words, on any interesting gardening sub- 
jeot. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in ■the'Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ 0.” for the article on “ Sweet 
Peas that Scorch,” page 326. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “Tac,” for the article on 
“Water Lilies in Tubs”; and another to 
“Joseph Floyd” for the article on “Small 
Bedding Plants,” page 328. 
HEDYCH1UMS. 
Beautiful Stove Plants. 
J 
Hedychiums deserve to be much mo 
grown as a summer flowering stove pla. 
than they are. They are natives of ind 
and the East Indies, and as such may 1 
classed as tropical, and enjoy plenty 
heat and moisture. 
Propagation is easily effected by di\ 
sion of the roots in spring. The plan 
should be turned out of the pots they ha' 
previously occupied and the old soil car 
fully removed, taking great care not 
damage the long, fleshy roots. It 
tuberous-rooted, and each tuber, wi 
some good roots attached, should 
potted up into a size pot just Ian 
enough, or better still, place about thr 
tubers in an eight-inch pot, using a co: 
post of half fibrous loam, a quarter san< 
peat, and a quarter dried cow manure ai 
sand. Pot firmly, and allow the soil 
just cover the tubers. Place the plar 
in a house having a temperature of 
degs. or 70 degs. to start them, and wat 
carefully until growth becomes active. 
When the young shoots are six inch 
or so high, and the pots are filled wi 
new roots, a weekly application of diiut, 
manure water will help them great! 
They should be kept syringed, and giv 
plenty of light, and until the flowers a 
pear a temperature of 80 degs. or S5 de< 
will suit them well. Given liberal tie., 
ment they will grow rapidly, and as so. 
as the flowers show signs of opening c 
plants should be moved to a drier a. 
cooler atmosphere, where they will 1; 
much longer in bloom. Hedychiums a 
admirably adapted for house and const 
vatory decoration, most of them bei: 
very’ sweet scented and handsome in a- 
pearance. 
When they have finished flowering, 
move them to a cool house, and as t‘ 
winter advances give them less watt 
The flower heads should be cut off, t: 
the stems are better left all the winte 
indeed, they need not be cut off until t- 
new growth appears in the spring. Gi' 
enough water during the winter to ke> 
them healthy, allowing the soil to becor 
quite dry before doing so. It is not 
all necessary to repot them every y el 
but every alternate year give a good to- 
dressing and well water in. 
Some of the- species may be used di 
ing a warm summer for sub-tropical bi¬ 
ding out of doors; in fact, I have sei 
them used in this way with great effe 
They enjoy plenty of sun and light. It 
during the summer must be well wateift 
The secret of their successful culturep 
plenty of heat and moisture when grc- 
ing, and during the resting period ket- 
ing them partially dry’ and in a tempe- 
ture of from qo degs. to ^ degs. 
R. Thatcher 
Thorpe Subenham Gdns. , 
Market Harborough. 
- 4+4 - 
Aerides vandarum Kirke's Variety. 
The leaves of this are round like a strV 
and slender. The flowers of this vari'V 
are large, white and flushed with ro ■ 
Award of Merit by the R.H.S. to- M,- 
Bevington (gardener Mr. F. W. Huxle) 
Murlewood, Sevenoaks. 
