THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 4, 1908. 
442 
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 -pafer only. 
Two Prizes of ?s. bd. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the 
best. 
Coleuses. 
Of all the plants that bear ornamental 
foliage none are better than the Coleuses 
for the embellishment of our houses and 
conservatories. Their propagation is 
simple, and is either by seed or cuttings. If 
raised from seed this should be sown in 
a well-drained pan and placed in a 
greenhouse. In a few weeks the plants 
will be ready to prick out, when they may 
be either potted singly in small pots or 
placed in boxes, and eventually potted 
on into 6in. pots for flowering, using a 
compost of two parts loam, one part leaf- 
soil, half of peat, with a little sand. Cut¬ 
tings are obtained from an old plant, 
and inserted in the propagating pit, ana 
gradually potted as previously advocated. 
When they have made about five inches of 
growth, take out their tops and then pinch 
again as necessary. Firm potting is es¬ 
sential. By adopting this method 
Coleuses can be grown to prefection. 
H. Stevens. 
Woodbridge. 
Another Little Wrinkle. 
How very annoying it is to have trouble 
with ants throwing up castings on the 
lawn or such places where it is impossible 
to use such remedies as hot water, 
paraffin, etc., so that perhaps a remedy 
that has proved quite a success with me 
will also benefit some reader of the 
Gardening World. My lawn this 
spring, and some parts of the garden, 
seemed to be overrun with these pests, and 
trying various things, wood ashes came to 
my rescue. Simply sprinkle the ashes on 
parts affected and repeat if any still show 
in a day or so. Just for a time the patches 
may show on the lawn, but a shower 
generally removes this. 
Frederick Dunk. 
Berkhamsted. 
Richardia africana. 
As the beautiful Arum Lily passes out 
of flower, it should be removed outside in 
a sheltered position, and water gradually 
withheld as the corms ripen, after which 
no more should be given. Care should 
be taken in ripening them for the success 
of next year depends greatly upon this. 
After the corms are well ripened, the 
pots should be laid on their sides, letting 
them have the full sun. Some gardeners 
prefer to dig a trench and plant them out— 
but it is not necessary unless the pots 
are wanted. By keeping them in their 
pots you have the advantage of not hav¬ 
ing to lift them "when starting them again 
in autumn, and it is not necessary to re¬ 
pot them every year. When not potting 
them the top soil should be taken away 
and replaced with some good loam mixed 
with some well decayed manure and leaf- 
soil with plenty of sand. 
J. M. Stevens. 
Guildford. 
Cupid Sweet Peas. 
When these beautiful little plants were 
first introduced some years ago many 
growers tried them, and through want of 
knowledge of their treatment tailed with 
them, and consequently they got a bad 
name. Now, to be successful with them 
they must be treated in quite the reverse 
way to their taller sisters, for whereas the 
taller ones thrive under liberal treatment 
in a good deep soil, the little Cupids 
thrive amazingly on any dry bank or 
rockery in poor soil, and exposed to full 
sunshine. The safest plan is to raise the 
seeds quite early in March by planting 
them singly in small pots, which must be 
well drained. They must not be over¬ 
watered, as this, is often tne cause of 
failure. The best time to plant outside 
is towards the end of April. Nearly all 
colours seen in the tall ones may be had 
in Cupids. 
Canterbury. E. Miles. 
Work Amongst Strawberries. 
Outdoor Strawberry plants are now in 
full bloom, and soon the fruit will set 
and rapidly swell to ripening size, A 
mulch of strawy manure should be laid 
in between the plants if it has not been 
already done, as it should have been in 
March, but better late than never. Work 
the straw well in under the blossoms by 
gently lifting them up with the hand. 
Fresh tan is sometimes used for this pur¬ 
pose, but, of course, has no manurial pro¬ 
perties. If very large Strawbenies are 
required the fruit must be thinned. First 
remove the smallest fruit, and finally 
leave three or four of the largest. A most 
important point is to make the bed firm 
and to keep it so. Never dig between the 
plants, even though the soil looks hard and 
caked; do not even use the hoe at this 
season of the year, as the roots are active 
and only just below the surface. 
A. V. Stewart. 
Worthing. 
Slugs. 
Slugs, or leather jackets as they are 
sometimes called, are very destructive to 
young plants at bedding-out time. Should 
the amateur, when inspecting his stock, 
see a plant that is eaten off at the bot¬ 
tom, his best plan is to take the plant up 
with a good handful of soil, and almost 
certainly the little pest will be found con¬ 
cealed in the soil, when it should be 
destroyed. It is a very good and certain 
method of dealing with slugs. Another 
simple and-effective method is to dust the 
ground with powdered unslaked lime, 
night being the best time for the opera¬ 
tion. The smallest particle of lime will 
destroy them. After a short time the 
lime will have lost its virtue, and must be 
renewed. 
Westhoughton. JOSEPH FLOYD. 
Tropaeolum lobbianum. 
Tropaeolum lobbianum is not so we 
known as its merits deserve. It is qui 
easily raised from seeds, and quick 
grows into a useful plant, climbing an 
where and everywhere, and yet can 1 
easily kept within bounds, \\ hen grov 
in the cool greenhouse, show house, ar 
corridor, hanging from the rafters it 
seen at its best, where the dazzling scarl 
flowers cannot help attracting attentio 
Plants raised now and well grown befo 
the winter months will be a mass of flow 
from early spring onwards. At that se! 
son it will add a change to the forcir, 
stuff as a flower for table decoration, ai 
is most effective in the candle light. 
.Debutant. 
Worksop. 
-- 
Rhodanthe Manglesii. 
It was only after I had been in I.a: 
cashire a few years that I found the RL 
danthe to be a half-hardy annual, 
had seen it grown in pots in- private ar 
public gardens, and have grown it so m 
self, but have no recollection of seeir 
it growing outside, not even in the neig! 
bourhood of London, up to 28 years ag< 
but it may be so now. The first time 
saw it growing in the open border whef 
quantities of it had been sown was in 
market garden three miles south of Pre 
ton. The position was a sheltered on 
and the soil light. W. P. R. 
-4-M-- 
A Fine Yellow Clematis. 
The only yellow flowered Clemat 
worthy of the description is C. oriental 
tangutica, a comparatively new pi a® 
from China. The colour is most striking 
and the form of the flowers is no less di 
tinct and remarkable. Each flower 
produced singly on stems 4 to 7 ins. i 
length. The shape is that of a Tulip, an 
each bloom depends gracefully' from th 
tip of its slender stem. Clear golde 
yellow, shaded .or blended with greenis 
yellow, is as near a description of th 
colour as words can give. It is a mo: 
unusual shade of yellow, and is very a 
tractive. The habit of the plant is that c 
a sub-shrubby climber. It grows aboi 
6 ft. high or more if carefully trainee 
but it is perhaps more correctly describe, 
as a plant of rambling habit. At any rate 
the most pleasing effects are obtained b 
allowing the growths to clamber at wi 
over a dead (or living) bush, or a few Pe 
sticks. There seems to be a chance c| 
raising a series of remarkable hybrids b 
crossing this unique plant with the specie 
C. coccinea., etc. Plants may now be ol 
tained cheaply?, and seeds also are avai 
able. Propagation may' be effected b 
grafting and by layering. 
Erica. 
-- 
Zephyranthes aurea. 
This is the Golden Flower of the We:! 
Wind rarely seen in cultivation. Thj 
solitary flower is almost as large as th. 
of Vallota purpurea, but of a rich goldeij 
yellow. The flower stalk is 12 in. higl 
The plant is a native of Peru. Award <' 
Merit by? the R.H.S. on June qth to S 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (gardener M 
Bain), Burford, Dorking. 
