TUB GARDENING WORLD. 
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 ?s. 6d. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the 
best. 
Layering Carnations. 
The best time to do this is during 
\ugust, as soon as the flowers are over, 
although I have had them .winter safely 
irom September layers, but they never 
make such strong plants as the earlier 
ones. To make a layer strip the leaves 
off the lower part of the shoot, and then 
with a sharp knife cut a tongue about an 
inch and half long on the under side, 
commencing from the base; place a 
small stone in to keep it open, and then 
peg it down in an upright position. The 
incision is then covered to the depth of 
three or four inches with some light soil, 
such as old potting soil after being sifted. 
October is the latest time for planting, so 
that they can get well established before 
the winter. 
A. Dennett. 
Harbledown. 
Care of Herbaceous Borders. 
Herbaceous plants which were put out 
in spring must receive careful attention 
during dr)- weather. In many cases they 
are not very well established yet, thereby 
being more liable to suffer from drought. 
Frequent waterings must be given when¬ 
ever the ground becomes dry. When 
watering, it is important to thoroughly 
soak the plants to make sure of its reach¬ 
ing the roots; merely wetting the surface 
does little or no good. The hoe must be 
kept going to keep down weeds, also to 
keep the surface of the ground open for 
the admittance of air to the roots, which 
is an important factor in the successful 
culture of plants. Staking and tying 
must always be attended to when neces¬ 
sary, and all flower stems should be cut 
away as soon as the flowers are past to 
prevent them from seeding and thereby 
robbing the plants of strength uselessly, 
unless it is desired to save ‘Fe seed. 
R.R. 
Northampton. 
Layering Carnations. 
The best way to increase the stock of 
Carnations is by layering. This opera¬ 
tion should be done about the end of July 
or the beginning of August. By the end 
of September the layers will be sufficiently 
rooted to sever from the parent plant and 
plant in their flowering quarters. Before 
commencing to layer place some prepared 
soil round the plant. A compost which 
does very well consists of equal parts of 
loam, leaf-mould and sand. Select the 
strongest shoots for layering and layer 
as near the point as possible. Use a 
sharp knife for the purpose, but be care¬ 
ful not to cut your slip too far through. 
Always cut close below a joint and about 
i| inches up the stem. Peg down layers 
with a wire of this shape f). 
Wm. Smith. 
Douglas. 
Some New Primulas. 
The other week you illustrated and des¬ 
cribed the handsome Primula pulveru- 
lenta, and 1 may add that it is quite 
hardy. This can be supplemented with 
the brick red P. cockburniana, a colour 
quite new to the genus Primula. From 
the union of these two species a grand 
hybrid has been obtained, viz., P. x 
Unique, raised and exhibited by 'Messrs. 
J. Veitch at the Temple Show in 1907 
where it gained an A.M. It is fairly inter¬ 
mediate in character, and will no doubt 
be grown by all lovers of hardy plants 
when it is in commerce. The trio noted 
all possess mealy, or farinose stems, but 
cockburniana is only biennial and should 
be sown annually. 
Another useful plant is P. veitchiana, 
which belongs to the cortusoides section, 
and vvhen well cultivated it is a very de¬ 
sirable subject, either for the alpine, or 
cool house, and the rock garden. 
Penzance. 
The Californian Mock Orange. 
This none too common and lovely 
flowering shrub is to be seen now at its 
best, and its pale, delicately-tinted green 
foliage is a fitting setting for flowers so 
chaste and striking. Although known as 
hardy, it does not like to be exposed to 
cold cutting winds, and away from the 
congenial climate of South-Western Eng¬ 
land should be given the most sheltered 
position on a wall possible. 
It is a plant requiring little attention, 
and beyond cutting away the old growths 
when the flowering period is over, no more 
pruning is necessary. So long as the soil 
is not too heavy and cold, it will not com¬ 
plain, although it likes a warm open 
loam to be seen at its best. Another 
plant not so generally known for its hardi¬ 
ness as it deserves is the red flowering 
Salvia rutilans, and given the warm posi¬ 
tion of a south wall it will soon become 
established, and even withstand severe 
frosts. 
Debutant. 
Worksop. 
The Culture of Schizanthus. 
The Schizanthus, which was introduced 
to us in 1822 from Chili, is one of the 
most beautiful half-hardy annuals both 
for pots and out door cultivation. For 
pot culture, the seeds should be sown #1 
August for spring flowering, in a compost 
of one part loam, half part each of de¬ 
cayed manure and leaf-mould, and a 
little sand.- The seeds should be sown 
thinly in this compost, and when one inch 
high should be potted off singly into 3 in. 
pots and grown on a shelf in the green¬ 
house until January; then put into 6 in. 
pots and grown in as light a position as 
possible. 
Be very careful with watering in 
winter, and apply weak stimulants whilst 
August 29, 1908. 
flowering. For summer flowering- thf 
seed should be sown in February 0 
March, in a temperature of 55 to 65 degs 
When large enough to handle they mus 
be i>otted into 3 in. pots, and afterward 
into 5 in. pots. By growing this way the 1 
may be had in flower in about eleven 0 
twelve weeks. The seed may also b 
sown out of doors at the end of Apri 
where required to bloom. 
Wm. Jillings. 
Woodhouse. 
-f+4- 
Colour Effect 
In the Garden. 
The arrangement of the many differ 
ently coloured flowers is no easy task 
Many gardens and parks I have stei 
lately, but several of them are all a dul 
mixed muddle, compared with other 
which are very tastefully set out, eac 
colour being a bright and pleasing con 
trast to its neighbour. 
One of the prettiest beds I noticed wa 
composed of scarlet Geraniums in th 
centre, surrounded by blue Violas, wit 
a large clump of golden Calceolarias a 
either side, with which were alternate 
two large clumps of pure white Ten Wee 
Stocks. Next to these was a double roi 
of brightly coloured Petunias, and next 
single row of pure white Violas, with 
border of blue Lobelia, and the beaut 
of it was that each plant had room to e> 
pand. 
This pretty bed was edged with grass 
foot in width, making the whole colon 
effect complete. 
Between this bed and the next was 
screen of beautiful foliage plants, whic 
helped to enhance the general schenu 
and make every bed an independent flora 
display. 
Another garden I noticed laid out on th 
carpet system was a jumble of mixe 
colours, one bed being scarcely distil 
guishable from another. There is ju: 
as much difference in the arrangement < 
flowers as there is in music and discor 
on the piano. 
A few hints on combination are alwa) 
helpful to the amateur. If brilliant pr 
mary colours are to be used with artist: 
effect, the following rules must be ol 
served : Keep scarlet away from anothf 
scarlet of a different tint, and from pin! 
and reds or bronzes ; yellow should be ke] 
away from another yellow which is le: 
strong. For example: yellow Calce 
laria will kill the golden foliage place 
near it. Blue and purple do not con 
bine. With a little care and forethougl 
the amateur can soon tell when colou: 
do not combine. The neglect of sue 
simple hints has done much to bring a 
formal bedding into disrepute, and it 
a great pity, seeing that such lovely ar 
magnificent harmonies and combinatioi 
are possible. 
Joseph Floyd. 
-- 
August gets its name from Augusti: 
Caesar. 
Taste in gardening depends jointly < 
the state of society and climate. 
