39 2 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
LONG STEMMED 
Annuals 
FOR CUTTING. 
All annuals are more or less suitable 
for cutting purposes. There are, how¬ 
ever many kinds more useful for this pur¬ 
pose than others, and it is with reference 
to these that the following notes are 
offered. 
I will in the first place mention Asters. 
All the tall flowering varieties are suit¬ 
able, a good type being Comet from 
imongst the doubles, and Sinensis single; 
■:he latter is rather late in flowering but 
very attractive when cut. The height of 
these is from 18 to 20 inches. Arctotis 
grandis is a very useful plant, growing 
from 2 to 3 ft. high, with very pretty 
Marguerite-like flowers, lasting well in 
water. 
Marguerite Carnations are also very 
fine for cutting, and they will bloom well 
in August if sown early in March. 
Centaureas (Cornflowers) are too well 
known to need description; they are very 
useful for cutting, and autumn sowings 
produce the best results. 
Annual Chrysanthemums, both single 
and double, are invaluable for cutting ; 
.the double varieties are also much used 
.for pot culture. 
Calliopsis in variety are remarkably 
beautiful things, and splendid for cutting, 
growing from about 18 ins. to 2 ft. high. 
Helichrysums (Everlasting Flowers) 
are used principally for winter bouquets, 
and should be cut in a half opened state 
and dried slowly. 
Larkspurs are amongst the best of our 
annuals, the branching kinds being ex¬ 
tremely useful for cutting and lasting 
well in water. These will grow in good 
soil from 2 \ ft. to 4 ft. high. 
Nigellas (Love-in-a-Mist) are also par¬ 
ticularly good for cutting. Miss Jekyll, 
a new variety, carrying flowers on stems 
18 ins. and more in length. 
Salpiglossis are one of the most beauti¬ 
ful of our half hardy annuals, and should 
be grown by everyone possessing a 
garden; these, too, last well in water. 
Miniature Sunflowers, such as Stella, 
Orion, etc., are extremely free flowering, 
and especially useful for cutting, hardly 
anything surpassing them in this respect. 
They vary in height from 3 to 5 ft. 
Sweet Sultans are annuals of great ser¬ 
vice where cut flowers are in demand, 
being sweetly scented and lasting well in 
water. 
Sweet Peas are such universal favourites 
with everyone that any allusion to them 
in this respect seems quite unnecessary, 
unless it be to remind one that tire more 
they are cut the longer they will bloom. 
The above-mentioned are only a few 
of the many fine annual flowers suitable 
for cutting purposes, but I venture to say 
they are some of the very best, and as 
such sure to afford pleasure to all who 
cultivate them. F. A. 
-- 
Use Soft Water. 
Rain water is the best for flowers, but 
as this is not always available, amateur 
gardeners should remember that hard 
- water is softened by the action of sun 
and air. 
Cypripedium ventricosum. 
The above is one of the hardy species of 
Cypripedium with a habit similar to that 
of C. macrantham. The sepals and petals 
are of a rich rose-purple. The lip is of 
great size, inflated and an intense rose- 
purple with a white edge round the mouth 
of the pouch. First Class Certificate by 
the R.H.S. at the Temple Show, when ex¬ 
hibited by Messrs. W. Cut bush and Son 
Highgate, London. 
Waldsteinia fragarioides. 
This is one of the brightest of all our 
little creeping plants of spring and sum¬ 
mer, and from April onwards, for months 
at a time, it will give a long succession 
of its bright little flowers. It is very well 
known by sight to many who do not know 
its name, and set it down as a Potentilla 
instead of a Waldsteinia. It is a much 
better plant than its congener, the Geum- 
like Waldsteinia (W. geoides), its flowers 
being larger, brighter in colour, and the 
leaves, which, are of a glossy green, much 
more ornamental. If it has a fault — and 
whether it is a fault or not depends en¬ 
tirely upon where it is planted, and what 
object it is to serve—it lies in its free¬ 
dom of growth. 
- G. w. - 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS—Competitors most 
write on one aide 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 compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
deoision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,t any article or photo¬ 
graph Bent 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 the award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
following date of issue.. Entries received later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
the following week. 
Two prizes of 2s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
150 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. 
- tfrMi »»• 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
aie too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition waB 
awarded to “E. Vyner” for the article on 
“ A Pretty Summerhouse,” page 376. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “D. S.,” for the article on 
“Fruit for Preserving”; and another to 
“0. T.” for the article on “An Effective 
Bed,” page 378. 
June 13, 1908. 
Sarracenias 
(Side Saddle Flowers). 
These Sarracenias, or Side-saddle 
Flowers, as they are commonly called, 
are natives of North America. They are 
not nearly so extensively grown as their 
merits deserve, being ot exceptional in¬ 
terest both in the structure and the func¬ 
tions of their trumpet-like leaves, as well 
as the large size and singular form of 
their flowers. Fortunately, they are by 
no means difficult to cultivate. Anyone 
possessing a warm greenhouse or stove 
where a humid atmosphere can be main¬ 
tained during their growing season, which 
is from March to June, can grow them to 
perfection. In the warmest parts of Eng¬ 
land some of these plants can be seen 
growing in a moist, sheltered position out 
of doors, but to grow them well the assist¬ 
ance of glass is essential. 
Sarracenias are essentially marsh-loving 
plants, and it is therefore- necessary to 
pot them in an open, porous compost, so 
as to allow the water, which must be given 
copiously, to pass away freely. Although 
I have advocated a warm, humid atmo¬ 
sphere while they are making their growth 
during spring and summer, let me make 
it clearly understood that an ordinary 
greenhouse temperature is all that they 
require during the resting period, or until 
they show signs of renewed activity, which 
is generally in March or the early part of 
April. Then is the proper time to over 
haul them for re-potting, which must be 
done thoroughly by shaking all the old 
compost away from the roots. Then with 
a sharp knife remove all decaying and 
useless growth, or rhizomes, as they are 
called, re-potting them in well drained 
pots or pans. A suitable mixture con¬ 
sists of equal parts of fibrous peat and 
sphagnum moss, with an addition of char¬ 
coal and silver sand. Pot firmly, and if 
a large specimen is required, several 
plants can be placed close together in the 
same pot or pan with advantage. They 
should then be placed in a warm position 
in a greenhouse or stove. 
The flowers of the Sarracenias precede 
the new leaves, and I have seen the plants 
weakened by over-floriferousness. In 
such cases it becomes necessary to limit 
each rhizome to one flower. After the 
flowers have matured remove the plants to 
a cool greenhouse, but continue the 
copious watering- once a day, which will 
not be too much at this season, and must 
be continued till the autumn, when it 
should be gradually withheld. They 
must never, however, at any time be al¬ 
lowed to become dust dry. 
The secret of success with these beauti¬ 
ful and interesting plants consists in giv¬ 
ing them a warm, humid atmosphere, 
with an abundance of water at the roots 
during the growing period, and as much 
sunshine and light as possible. 
L. S. Small. 
- 
Cattleya Mossiae Le President. 
The flowers of this variety are of large 
and handsome proportions with dark rose: 
sepals and petals.. The lip is of great 
size and heavily marbled with dark crim 
son-purple. Award of Merit by the 
R.H.S. to Messrs. Hugh Low and Co.. 
Bush Hill Park, Middlesex, at the Temple 
show. 
