432 
TUB QARDBNfNQ WORLD, 
June 27, 1908. 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
column short letters, discussing any 
gardening subject. 
Letters should not exceed 150 words 
each in length, and must be written 
on one side of the paper only. 
Two Prizes of 2s. 6d. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the 
best. 
Protection from Insects. 
When a f! ,wer has been manipulated 
some growers enclose it in a muslin cover¬ 
ing to exclude insects, but this is hardly 
necessary. Mr. Unwin, of Histon, who 
has had much experience in crossing 
Sweet Peas, uses no protection, and has 
not had his results affected thereby. 
This Season’s Novelties. 
It is not too early to see that some of 
the season’s novelties are great successes; 
disappointments there are, but there 
never has been a season which has seen 
the distribution of so many really sterling 
novelties. Of these, however, - more will 
be said later. 
No Sweet Pea enthusiast should miss 
the National Society’s show on July 24th. 
This date is late for southern growers, 
and the gentlemen from over the border 
will probably capture the principal prizes, 
but this will not mean a lack of quantity 
or quality of flowers. Those who can visit 
Holland House show should see grand dis¬ 
plays by some of our southern growers. 
The Temple Show did not contain quite 
so many Sweet Peas as last year, but Mr. 
Breadmore’s exhibit was wonderfully fine, 
his Helen Lewis being remarkable not 
only for size but also for colour. 
G. F. Drayson. 
-f+4- 
Odontioda Charlesworthii. 
The parentage of this splendid hybrid 
was Cochlioda noetzliana x 0 . harry- 
anum. The sepals and petals are of a 
dark crimson-scarlet. The lip is orange 
on the upper half with a golden fringed 
crest. It most resembles the first-named 
parent, and O. harryanum has only made 
it somewhat larger. First Class Certi¬ 
ficate by the R.H.S. at the Temple Show 
to Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., Heaton, 
Bradford. 
R.H.S.—Forced Bulb Show. 
In connection with the special prizes 
for Hyacinths and Tulips to be competed 
for on Tuesday, March 9th, 1909, at the 
Royal Horticultural Society, the Council 
would be glad if this date could be made 
a general one for the exhibit of collections 
of forced spring bulbs, specially with a 
view to showing which varieties (of Daffo¬ 
dils for instance) are best suited for 
forcing. The Council invite the exhibi¬ 
tion of small collections from amateurs 
as well as from the trade. 
Grand Yorkshire Gala. 
To commemorate the “Jubilee” year .of 
this important and popular North Coun- 
trv event, the Executive published a 
handsome official souvenir, a copy of 
which the secretary, Mr. Fred Arey, has 
forwarded to us. This is beautifully 
printed and charmingly illustrated, and 
contains an interesting account of the 
origin and progress of the Gala, written 
bv the editor of the “Yorkshire Herald.” 
From this we gather that since its insti¬ 
tution in 1858, 1,844,817 persons have paid 
for admission to the grounds where the 
Gala is held, this of course not including 
the figures for this year’s Gala, held, as 
already announced, on the 17th, 18th and 
19th of this month. In the same period 
nearly ,£26,000 have been disbursed in 
prizes in the floral department, and £(2,682 
5s. have been given in furtherance of 
local charitable objects. This is a splen¬ 
did achievement, and we trust the insti¬ 
tution will long continue to flourish. 
Two Beautiful Pyruses. 
Pyrus baccata pendula is a weeping 
variety of the well-known “ berried 
Pyrus,” and, as may be supposed, is a 
more graceful plant than the type which 
it otherwise resembles. A standard of 
this plant forms a handsome feature either 
in the shrubbery or wild garden. 
P. floribunda is a fitting companion to 
the foregoing, its flowers being of a rich 
rosy red colour; they are both objects of 
great beauty during May, and again in 
autumn, when their red and yellow fruit 
ripens. The latter has very small spheri¬ 
cal fruit, borne on long stems. C. C. 
Schizanthus. 
This is one of the prettiest annuals we 
have. For a bright display in the con¬ 
servatory or greenhouse during the sum¬ 
mer months nothing looks better than 
a well-grown batch of Schizanthus. Sow 
the seed in a pan about he middle of 
February in a gentle heat. After sow¬ 
ing, see that the pan is well watered and 
covered with a piece of glass. Remove 
the glass when the seed germinates. 
When large enough to handle, prick off 
into 3 in. pots. Their next shift will be 
into 6 in. pots. A compost of two parts 
loam, one leaf mould, and one sand will 
suit them very well. The plants will re¬ 
quire to be staked and tied up by de¬ 
grees. When once the pots get filled with 
roots liquid manure from the farmyard 
twice a week, and an occasional sprink¬ 
ling of guano, will be found very bene¬ 
ficial. Wm. Smith. 
Douglas. 
Beauty of Nice Stock. 
Although at times credited with being a 
bad doer, yet this Stock, to my mind, is 
one of the foremost varieties, especially 
for winter and spring flowering in pots. 
It can be sown now for autumn flowering; 
the last week in August for early spring 
flowering; and in January for succession 
of blooms. In August sow in a box, plac¬ 
ing in a cold frame. As soon as the seed¬ 
lings appear expose them to full light, 
and give air judiciously, lest mildew at¬ 
tack and ruin them, this often being the 
cause of failure. Use thoroughly clean 
60 size pots. Fill and make firm, with 
good loamy soil, and prick out three 
plants round the edge. These may now 
be kept much the same as Mignonette, 
and housed about the same time on 
shelves near the glass. In January they 
shuuld be potted into ^2 size pots. Use 
good rich soil at all times. As the 
plants become potbound manure water 
will be very beneficial. I have never had 
less than 70 per cent, double flowers. 
A. Middleton. 
[A splendid spike sent us measured 
18-20 in. long. The flowers were pink, 
perfectly double, and fragrant. -Ed.] 
A Golden Heather. 
Most people know and admire the 
Scotch Heather, of which there are many 
varieties. The plant under notice is dis¬ 
tinct and uncommon, the young growths 
taking on a bright golden tint which 
makes it a very effective plant when in 
flower. In the winter it imparts an appre¬ 
ciable amount of colour to the front of a 
peat border, as the matured growths take 
on a very rich tint, the bottom leaves 
turning a reddish crimson. It should be 
planted in fairly large masses, or used as 
a permanent edging in the same way as 
is often done with Erica carnea. Anyone 
wishing to procure this plant from" the 
nurseryman should ask for Calluna vul¬ 
garis aurea. 
H. Arnold. 
Aubrietia Cutting's. 
Most varieties of this lovely rock-plant 
are now in full bloom, and no doubt many 
people will be wondering which is the best 
way to increase their stock. The best way 
to raise Aubrietias is by cuttings, and in 
order to procure these a few of the plants 
should be clipped over when flowering is 
practically finished; nice young shoots 
will soon appear then, and when these are 
about two inches long remove them with 
a heel attached, and insert in a mixture 
of light loam, leaf soil, and sand, in a cold 
frame. Keep the cuttings shaded in bright 
weather and “ dew ” over with a fine spray 
every morning and night until they com¬ 
mence to root. The frame must also be 
kept closed until that time; afterwards a 
little air should be admitted, and then in¬ 
creased gradually as growth proceeds, in 
order to harden off the plants. 
R. R. 
Table Plants. 
Aralias and Dracaenas are now looking 
very shabby and leggy, perhaps a little 
bunch of starved leaves on the top of a 
broomstick. Well, don’t quite discard 
them even if you have not a greenhouse 
in which to nurse them. Put them in the 
sunniest and warmest window (one that 1 
can be shaded at will) and half cui 
through the stem in a slanting directior 
just under the “mop” head. Bind wei 
moss tightly over the wound and keep ii 
wet, but keep the roots rather dry. Ir 
a few weeks you will see an improvemem 
in the “mop,” and in a month or two r 
tiny rootlet will protrude through the 
moss. Cut it right off (the mop) and poi 
it in good soil, moss anei all, so as not tc 
disturb the young roots; then cut the ole 
stem to within an inch of the pot anc 
soak it well, and it will soon shoot ouii 
in nearly as good a form as previously 
There — hey presto! Two plants insteac 
of one; and no greenhouse to conjun 
with, either ! 
D. V. E. 
Worthing. 
