5 8 4 
THE 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 -pafer only. 
Two Piizes of ?s. 6d. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the 
best. 
Phlox Drummondii carnea. 
The Drummondii section of the Phlox 
family is well known, and there are 
several named varieties possessing more 
or less distinct merit. 
The above variety, Carnea, is a new 
one sent out by Mr. Eckford, of YVem, 
and it is certainly very beautiful. If 
grown erect it attains a height of from 
15 to 20 inches and is, in colour, a 
charming shade of pink with a white eye 
centre, this again showing a faint trace 
of pink upon it. The delicate hue of its 
tint is most striking when grown in a 
moss and delights all who see it. 
It is usual to peg down this class of 
Phlox, but we allow it to grow up to 
form a background to a border of mixed 
Verbenas, with the most happy results. 
The colours harmonised splendidly, and 
they have been and are now looking 
really beautiful. 
I enclose a few pieces for you to see. 
C.T. 
fully, and I saved them, and got finer 
and better flowers as my reward. 1 
therefore give this hint to my amateur 
friends. In dry weather mulch the sur¬ 
face of the Aster bed, to retain the mois¬ 
ture, and thereby save your plants. 
Joseph Floyd . 
Westhoughton. 
Caterpillars on Geraniums. 
At all times of the year Geraniums 
are more or less attacked by caterpillars, 
which if left alone will play havoc by 
eating holes in the leaves. Bedding 
Geraniums when in the glasshouse are 
sometimesc affected, but these are not so 
valuable, perhaps, as zonals which are 
grown for pot work. From the early 
stage until the plants are in flower a 
sharp look-out should be kept, for to see 
the leaves eaten is an eyesore. There 
are many amateurs who know what is 
attacking their plants, but are at a loss 
September 12, 190! 
to know how to get rid of them, as bt.g 
the same colour as the foliage it is c ti- 
cult to see them. If the affected pi; t> 
and those which are near are shaken o a- 
sionally by knocking the rim of the t, 
the pests easily drop off and may the re 
destroyed. 
J. W. Steven 
Guildford. 
Violas. 
If one has an exceptionally fine st in 
of Violas and intends to keep them ie 
to colour, they should be propagatec w 
cuttings, as seedlings cannot be reed 
upon. Shoots root readily in the op if 
inserted in a light compost ir a 
sheltered, partially-shaded position, nd 
kept moist. Firm planting is esseml, 
and they should be put about six in es 
apart, so that each individual plant ay 
be eventually lifted with a nice 111. 
Some gardeners advocate the use a 
frame for striking the cuttings, but iis 
is hardly essential unless they are n- 
tended to be planted out in Octcir. 
The flowers are valuable for table dec -a- 
tion, and if cut with their own folge 
are very effective. They are highl\es¬ 
teemed for spring effect in theherbac us 
border between such plants as dirf 
Asters, helenium pumilum, and Seim 
spectabile. 
H. STEVE> 
Woodbridge. 
Highgate, N. 
[The specimens sent had flesh-pink 
flowers, varying to rose-pink, with a white 
eye, and were very pretty. — Ed.]. 
Freesia. 
Of all the spring flowering bulbs, there 
•is none more dainty and fragrant than 
the Freesia. The bulbs should now be 
shaken out of the soil, re-potting the 
larger ones. About nine bulbs will fill 
a rive-inch pot; this should be well 
drained, and more than half filled with 
a compost of good rich loam, leaf mould, 
well rotted manure, and sand. 
Place the bulbs with their pointed ends 
upwards on this, and cover them with an 
inch of the compost, and then put the 
pots in a frame, and cover with moss. 
Little water should be given until the 
green points appear, but when once 
started, the moss must be removed, and 
they must never be allowed to become 
drv. The pots should now be placed 
close under the roof of a warm green¬ 
house. Three small stakes can be 
placed around the pot, with thin raffia 
between. Soot water may be given as 
soon as the flower spikes appear. 
Freesia. 
Flamilton. 
Asters Dying Off. 
During this warm summer, many 
amateurs have been complaining of their 
Asters dying off, when coming into flower. 
Recently I have been trying experiments 
to find the cause, and a remedy. I 
found that many of the plants died off 
during dry weather. So I mulched them 
with the bottoms of the liquid manure 
tub, first drenching the soil with clear 
water. Asters are surface rooted, and a 
gust of wind or a dry spell is fatal to 
twenty-five per cent, of them. After this 
mulching the plants came on wonder- 
Malope trifida. \_Maclaren and Sons. 
R Spanish ]V[allow=Wort. 
Malope trifida. 
Where the owners of gardens take de¬ 
light in growing annuals, that is, if they 
have a preference for them, there! are 
certain types which should not be omitted 
where a display is desired al a minimum 
of labour or cost. Two, at least, of the 
Mallow-worts cannot be ignored, and of 
each of them there are several varies, 
more or less improvements upon he 
original for garden purposes. 
The subject of this note is one oft'se 
Mallow-worts, which are of the tv 
easiest cultivation in any garden soil lat 
is well cultivated and ordinary caretien 
