4 2 4 
The J^ockefy. 
v 
Some Suggestions. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
wishes to extend his collection should 
watch the pages of this journal, where the 
names of such plants frequently appear. 
W. Glover. 
-f+4- 
June 27, 1908. 
The Cineraria 
For Amateurs. 
There is nothing so interesting as a 
pretty and well-arranged rockery, and 
there is no phase of gardening so fascinat¬ 
ing as the cultivation of alpine or rock 
plants. These plants possess a charm 
quite different from that of other plants, 
their delicate beauty and neat, graceful 
habit being very attractive. 
In constructing a rockery, we must copy 
nature, that is, the rocks should be placed 
so as to appear as natural as possible. 
The kind of rock most suitable for this 
purpose has been mentioned in numerous 
articles that have appeared in the “ G.W.” 
from time to time, but where possible, the 
stone common to the district should be 
used, as this will be less expensive. 
The soil most suitable for the cultiva¬ 
tion of alpine or rock plants is a good 
sandy loam. It seems scarcely necessary 
to mention that good drainage is most es¬ 
sential. The beauty of the rockery, of 
course, depends on the kind of plants put 
into it. I mention this because there are 
many plants that would be worse than 
weeds if planted in a rockery, and would 
only spoil the effect of what in all pro¬ 
bability would otherwise have made a 
most delightful picture. 
A very pretty and novel idea is to plant 
the rockery so that it reflects the glories 
of an autumn sunset, and if we can catch 
those tints and reproduce them in our 
rockeries, we shall have accomplished a 
grand work, for what is there more beauti¬ 
ful in all nature's handiwork than the set¬ 
ting. sun? There are many plants that 
lend themselves well to this scheme, 
such, for instance, as Geum Heldreichi, 
Whose large, fiery orange flowers remind 
one of sunset; G. Heldreichi superba, 
orange; G. coccineum, scarlet; G. mon- 
tanum, golden yellow; G. miniatum, 
orange ; Pulmonaria rubra, salmon pink ; 
Cytisus Butterfly, crimson and gold; 
Helianthemum coccineum; H. Fireball, 
orange; H. Mrs. E. W. Earle, crimson, 
double; Arabis Billardieri rosea, rosy 
pink; Heuchera sanguinea; H. brizoides 
Flambeau; .Dianthus alpinus, rosy pink; 
D. deltoides rosea, rosy pink; D. super¬ 
bus, pink; Lychnis Haageana, scarlet; 
Lychnis alpina, pink; Phyteuma Mic- 
helli, rosy pink; Aubrietia Moerheimii, 
rose; A. Leichtlini, rosy crimson; A. Fire 
King, deep crimson; Potentilla aurea, 
'golden yellow; and P. Tormentilla, 
orange, are all most charming plants 
and easily cultivated. Should a portion 
of the rockery be shaded, such delightful 
plants as the mossy Saxifragas could be 
planted, such as S. muscoides Rhei, S. 
muscoides atropurpurea, S. media, S. 
Guildford seedling, S. ajugifolia, and S. 
oppositifolia. Myosotis alpestris escapa, 
M. alpestris, M. Stabiana, Gentiana 
acaulis, G.verna, Omphaloides verna, O. 
verna alba are all good subjects that will 
thrive and bloom profusely with very little 
sun. 
There are numerous other plants suit¬ 
able for carrying out this sunset colour 
scheme to suit any size of rockery, the 
names of which will readily suggest them¬ 
selves to the initiated. The amateur who 
Yellow Hybrid Paeonies. 
“La Tribune Horticole ” says that M. 
L. Henri, when head gardener at the 
museum, tried the hybridisation of the 
yellow Paeony (Paeonia lutea) with the 
Tree Paeony, and last year the same jour¬ 
nal notes his success with the yellow 
Paeony Mme. Louis Henri. Another of 
his experiments gives a result absolutely 
marvellous. It is the product of the cross¬ 
ing of P. lutea with the Tree Paeony 
Ville de St. Denis. It is flowering splen¬ 
didly and very abundantly, the fkwers 
being very double. They are of a beauti¬ 
ful tint of clear yellow, not quite so dark 
as P. lutea, edged and shaded with car¬ 
mine-purple. This hybrid is quite woody 
and derives its habit of growth from the 
pollen parent, which differs decidedly 
from that of P. lutea. It is entirely a 
new colour in the genus Paeonia, and the 
editor of the above paper believes it has 
a great future. 
- G. W. - 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS— Competitors most 
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 compete. The 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,I 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 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 
160 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
aie too long, an 1 we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ D. G. Mclver ” for |the article on 
“ The Rockery,” page 408. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ D. S.,” for the article on 
“Mignonette Tree”; and another to “H. 
Arnold.” for the article on “ The Case for the 
Oat,” page 417. 
The above named free-flowering greei 
house plant is, as a rule, a favourite c 
every flower lover.. 
Coming into bloom when the flowerin' 
season of the bulbs in the greenhouse 
on the wane, makes it one of the mo. 
serviceable plants grown. It is easil 
raised from seed. By sowing the seed i 
the last week in May, the resultant plan 
will flower about the end of the followin 
March. 
The seed should be sown in boxes, usir 
a light, sandy soil, and stood in a shac 
part of the greenhouse or cold fram 
Quickly germinating, by the middle c 
July the plants will have from two i 
three leaves. Prick these out into box; 
three inches apart each way, in loam, le; 
mould, and gritty sand, one part of eacl 
taking care not to cover the hearts of tl 
plants, which is an injurious practic 
Return the plants again to the cold fram 
and by the middle of September the 
will be ready for a shift. Pot them m 
derately firm into 3 or 4-inch pots, a 
cording to size of individual plant, usir 
a heavier compost this time, namel 
loam, 2 parts; rotted manure, 1 part; ar 
gritty sand, -j^part. By using three par 
of loam instead of two, the above compo 
will do for the final potting. This wi 
be about the middle of December, b 
should the flower-spikes appear pr 
viously, repot at once into 6-inch pots. 
Their culture is of the simplest. R 
member that the Cineraria is a moistur 
loving plant, anything approaching dr 
ness at the root or in the air being deti 
mental to its healthy growth. Seed c; 
be sown in a cold frame and grown a 
the summer in the same position, shadii 
only from the hot mid-day sun, givit 
plenty of air at all stages of their growt 
keeping them in a position free fro 
draughts, supplying them regularly wi 
water, keeping them growing steadij 
without any check from want of potting 
nourishment, and keeping the bed 
ashes on which they are standing contin 
ally damp. As autumn advances with cj 
casional frosts,, shift them into the gree 
house or heated frame; and while a hi; 
temperature is not essential, take ca 
the thermometer does not reach freezir 
point. The Calceolaria withstands a lit! 
frost, the Cineraria none! 
Gross feeders, when the flower spik 
appear, Cinerarias should be watered on 
a week with some approved fertiliser, L 
ing careful that it does not touch t 1 
leaves. This will strengthen the pla 
and the flowers will be increased in qua 
tity and quality. When flowering, a tei 
perature of 40 degs. at night, with a ri 1 
of from 5 degs. to 10 degs. during the dr, 
suits them nicely. 
Fumigate when greenfly appears, a:! 
only when the leaves are free from mo- 
ture and the air of the structure dry.—E 
amine the undersides of the leaves at if 
tervals - for maggots, picking them 0: 
with a pin or crushing them betwmen fi- 
ger and thumb. 
S. H., 
Stirling. 
