6 4 2 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 3, 1908. 
Herbs. 
There are not many gardens but con¬ 
tain a space set apart tor a few herbs, 
as they are especially useful when dried 
and laid up for winter use. Chamomile 
is one that is easily grown, but it has 
a great attraction for slugs, and these 
should be dealt with according to ad¬ 
vice which appears in “G.W.” from 
lime to time. 
When the crop has been cut down, 
the roots should be divided, and the 
healthiest divisions planted out into a 
new bed, which has been previously 
well manured, and as a protection in 
winter should be mulched with littery 
manure. This saves the new growths 
from being destroyed by frosts. Wood- 
betony is another valuable herb, also 
Nip Bone as it is commonly named, 
and both are of the easiest culture. 
A fairly good soil is essential to suc¬ 
cess. The propagation is done by 
division of the roots, which should be 
protected during winter the same as 
Chamomile. 
A bed of Mint is also of great ser¬ 
vice and profit; it is a free grower, and 
soon multiplies; if the rhizomes are 
severed, and each little bush planted 
about eight inches apart, it is astonish¬ 
ing what a beautiful large .crop is to 
be obtained the following season. 
Wormwood, Marsh Mallow, Golden 
Rod, and many others of like nature 
arc invaluable to cultivate and store for 
winter use and sale. 
Most herbs, dwarf or tall, can be 
raised from seed sown in the open in 
spring, and should be pricked out when 
large enough to handle, and should be 
afterwards transplanted, to form sturdy, 
strong and bushy plants. The most 
useful of the dwarf herbs are Borage, 
Marjoranl, Fennel,. Rosemary, Rue, 
Sage, Savory. Thyme, Sorrel, and 
Pennyroyal. All these can be grown 
under ordinary conditions, with the 
usual attention as to manuring and 
watering. Another tall herb is Tansy, 
which is to be found in nearly all the 
old gardens. Many other indispensable 
herbs are to be found in the following: 
- Angelica, Balm (leaves often used in 
making claret cup or balm wine; also 
used in the manufacture of scents and 
liquors'), Basil (sweet, green, used as a 
seasoning!, Clary (used for soups, sea¬ 
sonings, etc.), Horehound-Jused for sea¬ 
soning and a medicinal herb). Hyssop 
and Lavender are aromatic herbs, 
tarragon is excellent among salads, 
Woodruff is a deliciously-scented herb, 
the leaves when dry being used for 
flavouring wines, etc. Many, other 
valuable herbs and salads might be 
mentioned if space would permit. 
Joseph .Floyd. 
Westhoughton. 
Cactus Dahlia Marathon. 
The blooms of this variety are very 
large, with long, incurved florets of a 
deep rose fading to pink at the tips. The 
centre of the bloom is yellow. Award of 
Merit by the R.H.S. on September 1st, 
when shown by Messrs. J. Stre^wick and 
Son, SiJverhil] Park, St Leonards, 
A New Plant for Sub- 
Tropical Gardening. 
For some time past they have been 
growing a very uncommon plant in the 
gardens of the Museum, Paris, in the way 
of sub-tropical gardening. This is a tree 
which is stated to have been introduced 
as long ago as 1768. If so, it has been en¬ 
tirely forgotten until recently, when it 
was re-introduced from the province of 
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. An illustra¬ 
tion, with a description of the use of the 
tree, is given in “ La Tribune Horticole” 
for August 22nd. 
In its native country, South America, 
it forms a tree sometimes surpassing 
Soft, in height. It can be raised from seed, 
but a tree at Paris taller than a man is 
kept through the winter in a dry con¬ 
dition. When the bedding plants are 
lifted this tree has all its branches cut off, 
leaving nothing but the bare trunk. The 
roots are also cut away. The tree can 
then be kept in a house or cellar from 
which frost is just excluded. 
In the month of May the tree has the 
appearance of being dead when it is 
planted out. In about eight to fifteen 
days, according to the temperature, buds 
develop from the surface of the trunk and 
a short time after develop into leafy 
branches. The illustration above cited 
shows a large specimen planted in the 
centre of a round bed. Immediately 
around this are various sub-tropical look¬ 
ing plants, including Pennisetum lati- 
folium, Castor Oil Plants, Cannas and 
Musas. These have a broad edging of 
Salvia splendens with an outer edging of 
the "dark purple leaved Perilla nankin- 
ensis next the grass. 
This strange looking tree is known as 
Phytolacca arborea of gardens, but the 
correct name is P. dioica. A number of 
other species are grown in this country, 
chiefly in botanical gardens, but they are 
only herbs about 2 ft. to 5 ft. in height 
.bearing racemes of dark purple berries 
rich in highly coloured juice,, for which 
reason P. decandra is known as the Red 
Ink Plant. No doubt this strange plant 
could be grown in this country for sub¬ 
tropical gardening by preserving it in 
winter in the same way as we should a 
Dahlia. 
-- 
To Popularise the Lime. 
The Permanent Exhibition Committee 
of Dominica have entered upon a 
vigorous campaign for the purpose of 
popularising the Lime in this country. 
The particular variety from Dominica, 
which is a native of the warm outer 
valleys of the' Himalayas, bears a 
striking resemblance to the Lemon, which 
is also a native of India. For many years 
the fruit has been very popular in the 
United States, but it is only within com¬ 
paratively recent years that it has been 
seen in this country. A regular con¬ 
signment is now being made by each 
fortnightly mail from the West Indies, 
and these are being distributed, undet 
the auspices- of the West India Com¬ 
mittee, in various parts of the metro¬ 
polis, in the hope that in the course of 
time the trade may become as flourish¬ 
ing as, that which is carried on in 
Bananas with the same part of the 
British Colonial possessions. 
“The New Market 
Gardening.” 
♦ 
s' 
This is another book on the Trend: 
system of gardening, dealing largely witl 
the art of forcing or accelerating the 
growth of early vegetables by means 0: 
hotbeds and bell-glasses. Illustration: 
are given showing how thickly the grounc 
may be covered with cloches, frames, etc 
The system of covering with mats is alsc 
shown. To an ordinary gardener th< 
ground would seem to be too densel; 
covered by frames, seeing that it necessi 
tates the carrying of everything alonj 
the narrow passage ways between two row 
of lights, and this even includes manure 
The author shows in his introductio: 
that this method of gardening is not alto 
gether a new discovery, seeing that 1 
was practised by Abercrombie, a Scot; 
man, in the neighbourhood of Hackne; 
Fields about the middle of the eighVent 
century. Some of Abercrombie? book 
may be had second-hand at the presen 
day, showing that the system of rearm; 
vegetables- by frames and bell-glasses wa 
practised so long ago in this county 
Abercrombie not only raised vegetabl 
crops by means of fermenting manure 
but when heat was subsiding too much i 
cold weather, he had it renewed by plac 
ing fresh manure in the pathways be twee 
the frames. The author discusses th 
more advanced or perfected system in dt 
tail as pursued by the French. The boo. 
runs to 58 pp., and is published by th 
Cable Printing and Publishing Co., Ltd 
Hatton House, Great Queen Street, Lor 
don, W.C., at 6d. 
Sirawteny Plants. 
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