582 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 12 , 1908 
GROWING 
Vegetable Marrows 
c 
ON HILLOCKS, etc. 
Those having gardens of limited size 
often are reluctant in growing things that 
rake much space on that account. I 
have seen many small gardens producing 
more material when thought and attention 
has been given than others double the 
size otherwise. 
To illustrate this, the growing of 
Marrows in some gardens has been in posi¬ 
tions where others would not have thought 
of it. Last summer, in a small garden at 
New Southgate, London, on visiting an 
old friend, I found he had his Marrows 
planted on a large hillock composed of 
his garden refuse and a little manure, 
making a hole to receive this and placing 
the soil over it to plant them in. This 
was at the foot of a wall that was covered 
with Currants, &c, These Marrows were 
trained at wide spaces up the wall, 
and made to cover the top of the wall. 
From these he obtained a splendid lot of 
fruit. 
Some years ago at Budleigh Salterton, 
in Devon, 1 saw Marrows made to cover a 
wood stack composed of faggots, these 
being so placed that the wood was very 
unsightly. The Marrows, with a few 
Scarlet Runners at one end, converted 
this into quite an ornament. The 
Marrows being planted in beds at the foot, 
the shoots were trained up the sides, and 
when on the top they supported them¬ 
selves. The Runners at one end twined 
themselves to some bean sticks placed 
against the wood stack. 
For many years I have grown enough 
Marrows to keep a large house going by 
having them over the roof of sheds at the 
back of the range of glass houses and 
facing north. The roof being slate, on 
this we placed some branching stakes 
for them to support themselves, the water 
running under them. This being in our 
frame garden, the bed they grew on was 
the rotten leaves, etc., with a little soil 
to start them in. The bed being large, 
they never needed water. 
In another garden I used to grow a 
portion by putting a barrow-load of soil 
in paths of Asparagus beds, allowing them 
to grow as they liked. Often late in the 
autumn we could cut nice fresh fruit from 
amongst the Asparagus growths that had 
protected them. 
Cottagers in the west frequently plant 
a few amongst Potatos by giving a little 
manure to start them in ; often they ob¬ 
tain fine crops in this way. 
For years I have regarded it as not of 
much importance where the roots are pro¬ 
viding they have material to start them 
in, and if the shoots can be given light 
and air. 
In many gardens these may be given a 
start by removing soil a foot or more 
deep ; in this place any garden refuse— 
grass from the mowing machine, or any 
green material, with or without manure — 
placing the soil on this, sowing seed on 
this early in May, or planting plants 
raised in pots at the close of May or early 
in June. In this way they get a good 
start, giving abundance of good fruit. 
Large quantities of rich manure are not 
to be recommended, as this produces too 
much leafage. This is seen in the way 
the market gardeners grow them. 
Con 
-f+4- 
The Dahlia was christened after Dr. 
Dahl, a Swedish botanist, and should 
accordingly, some authorities maintain, 
be pronounced as if written darlia. 
Mr. Robert Sydenham and the R.H.S. 
Mr. Robert Sydenham, of New Tenby 
Street, Birmingham, has offered, and the 
Council of the Royal Horticultural 
Society have accepted a number of prizes 
for bulbs grown in moss fibre or similar 
material (not earth) and without drain¬ 
age, to be competed for on March gth, 
1909. For six single Hyacinths, in separ¬ 
ate vases not to exceed 6 in. in diameter, 
there will be prizes of 25s., 21s., 10s., 
and 7s. 6d. For six vases of Tulips, in 
vases not to exceed seven inches, with no 
restriction as to the number of bulbs in 
a vase, the prizes will be the same, as 
also in the competition for six vases of 
Narcissi. Particulars of the varieties to 
be grown can be obtained from the Secre¬ 
tary of the R.H.S. 
- Q. W. - 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS— Competitors must 
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,! 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 
150 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
A prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ H; Thomas Kemp,” for the 
article on “ A Novel Garden,” page 571. 
In .the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “Fitz,” for the article on 
“Alocasias”; and another to “B” for the 
article on “ What to do With Refuse,” page 570. 
HINTS ON 
Pinching 
AND 
Disbuddin; 
Many beginners in the noble occt; 
tion of gardening are unaware 3 
plants, like other things, have to 
trained up from their infancy if we n; 
get the results from them which we : 
sire; and “foresight is the greatest te;: 
er. ” An example is the Coleus, whs 
flower buds must be pinched out, if we: 
to get those beautiful variegated cob t 
in the leaves. 
If the plant is'allowed to flower nee 
all the magnificent veinings are L 
Pinching out the leading shoots make 
bushy plant. With Carnations, we n: 
nip off the weakest and doubtful be 
with Roses we pinch out the weak bi: 
then all the energy is concentrated : 
the strong ones, thereby giving us f 
and larger flowers, with far more 1 
liant colours and texture. By disbudd 
we also can defer the flowering period 
we can get nearly all our flowers out 
once, instead of at irregular interv 
To allow a plant to grow to an enorm 
length, and then cut it hard back, 1 
great loss of valuable plant life, an- 
little forethought saves this. 
Pinching out flowers from many pla 
in summer, when bloom is plentiful, 
done to defer the flowers for winter, wl 
bloom is scarce. Winter flowering Ger 
iums are treated this way, the cutti 
are struck in spring, and during sumr 
they are stood on an ash-covered bott 
outdoors, in the full glare of the sun, 1 
the natural tendency is to flower, but 
the buds must be nipped out with 
thumb and index finger. 
Primulas may be disbudded dur 
summer, till October, to provide us w 
bloom during winter. Cyclamens, aj 
many Begonias, and many other pla 
can be made to, postpone their flower: 
period till the cold dull days appear. 
To assist in the prevention of floweri) 
stimulants should be given, which cau 
the plants to make new growth, thus ; 
sorbing the energy which would otherw 
be spent in the production of flowers. 1 
plants cannot be treated in this matin 
For instance, Orchids, Amaryllis, a 
many others of the same class, if they; 
disbudded, it is a distinct loss—the pi; 
will not exert itself to replenish our tr> 
sure. 
The prevention of flowering is alsodc 
to increase the vigour of a weakly pla 
as flowering is very exhaustive to pi; 
life, and many valuable plants are 1 
by not deferring the flowering period ur 
the plant is healthy and'strong, and the 
fore able to give us better flowers. 
Joseph Floyd, Westhoughton. 
London Trees. 
The Plane tree most extensive 
planted in London is Platanus acerifol 
the London Plane par excellence^ 
some considered a variety of P. orie: 
alis, the true Oriental Plane, but, in t 
Kew catalogue, classed - as a distir 
species. The Acacia is another tree tf 
will thrive in London, and some ha 
been planted in Aldwych and Kingsw; 
