The Gardening World, February 27, igoy. 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“ Good things take time .”— Dutch Pro¬ 
verb. 
CONTENTS. 
\mateur's Letter to Amateurs, An ... 127 
Chrysanthemums, Culture of Early- 
flowering ... 136 
Chrysanthemums, Propagation of 
Early-flowering . 131 
Competition Awards . 12S 
Competition, Prize Letter . 130 
Enquire Within . 138 
Flower Garden, The (illus.) . 132 
Fresh Cut Flowers . 144 
Fruit Garden, The (illus.) . 132 
Greenhouse, The Amateur's . 133 
Kitchen Garden, The (illus.) . 132 
Lilies, Garden . 128 
Lily, The Scarborough (illus.) . 135 
Orchids for Amateurs . 133 
Photography for Garden Lovers 
(illus.) ..... 129 
Roses in Pots ... 128 
Loses, Pruning . 134 
Roses, Stocks on which to Bud . 137 
Sweet Peas: Work for February ... 136 
Tulip, The Spotted (illus.) . 131 
Fiolets in Frames . 135 
Windflower, The Sulphur-coloured 
(illus.) .. 134 
Work of the Week . 132 
“Fragrance,” it has been well said, 
“is the song of the flowers.” 
1 dreamt a scent of Daffodils, 
When frosty shone the village tiles; 
Of flowery perfume from the hills, 
When ice had bound the mere for 
miles ; 
Of Kingcups yellowing all the rills, 
When snowdrift silted up the stiles. 
5k Suowkop. 
The Snowdrop is the herald of the flowers 
Sent with its small white flag of truce to 
plead 
For its beleagured brethren—suppliantly 
It prays stern winter to withdraw his troop 
Of Vvinds and blustering storms ; and hav¬ 
ing won 
|A smile of promise from its pitying face, 
Returns to tell the issue of its errand 
To the expectant host. 
Westwood. 
CLXXXIV. 
Some Tall Annuals. 
Whether it be in a border wholly 
planted with annuals or in a border 
largely composed of perennial plants and 
annuals used to fill the vacant spaces, we 
must pay due attention to those varieties 
that grow to a considerable height. 
These, for some reason or another are 
often neglected, or, at least, not grown as 
generously as they deserve to be. First 
and foremost among the tall annuals I 
must place the Sunflower. It is difficult, 
I think, to over-estimate the distinct 
character and individuality' these plants 
give to a border, and this at just the period 
of the summer when all plants have made 
their full growth of foliage, and large dis¬ 
tinct flowers such as these are stand out 
then in grand relief. There is consider¬ 
able variety in the height of these, from 
the eight feet or more of Helianthus 
giganteus to the three feet of H. nanus, 
and there are both single and double 
varieties. Many- people prefer to sow' the 
seed w-here the plants are to flower, and 
early in April will prove early enough for 
this, but if we do not order the seeds wdien 
the seed list is sent in the chances are it 
is not afterw-ards ordered and wffien I say- 
early April I mention this date to be quite 
safe, and if the W'eather is open I should 
certainly- sow a portion of the seed earlier. 
Personally, however, I invariably sow' in 
pots under glass, and afterwards trans¬ 
plant. I believe in transplanting, ex¬ 
cept in the case of scantily'-rooted subjects 
like Poppies and some others, but I am 
quite well aware that many people prefer 
to sow annuals where they are to flower, 
and think it the better method. 
Lupins. 
Another good type of annual that grows 
to three feet or more is Lupinus pilosus, 
and in addition to this the Lupinus poly- 
phydlus is well worth treating as an an¬ 
nual, although as a perennial it flowers 
freely' the first year if seed be sown in 
good time. 'The blue, the w'hite, or the 
blue and white are in the annual varie¬ 
ties I think to be preferred to the rose- 
coloured varieties A really good strain may- 
yield satisfactory results, but in anything 
short of the best the colouring is not clear 
and clean enough to have sufficient de¬ 
corative value, whereas the white, or the 
blue, or bicolor, are beautiful in colour¬ 
ing. 
Poppies. 
Very artistic effects are given by the 
tall Opium, or Somniferum, Poppies, es¬ 
pecially in bright pink colouring, wffiere 
given ample room, and otherwise suit¬ 
ably- placed. The seed may be sown early 
where the plants are to flow'er, and severe 
thinning is essential. The weak point 
with these Poppies is that they do not 
continue in flow'er so long as we could 
wish them, but the time may be a good 
deal prolonged if the seed vessels are cut 
off directly the petals fall. Last year I 
saw a particularly happy bit of planting. 
It consisted of a long screen of Dorothy 
Perkins Roses, and these Poppies at 
their base. The Poppies w'ere almost 
exactly the same shade of colour as the 
Roses and the mass of bright pink w'as 
grand. 
Hollyhocks. 
Nowaday'S there is a strain of Holly¬ 
hocks producing double and single flowers 
that flow'ers well the first season. I often 
w'onder why Hollyhocks are not grown in 
every garden. It is a point of real import¬ 
ance to have colour raised as high above 
the level as possible, and great spikes of 
glowing rose colour or pale sulphur have 
a wonderful w'ay' of adding a touch of 
dignity' and nobility to the border. I am 
not sure that the plants W'ould flow'er the 
first year if sown in the open, but assuredly 
they will do so if sow-n in a little heat 
during this month or even early' in March. 
Convolvulus major. 
The Major Convolvulus is one of the 
most richly coloured and indeed one of 
our most beautiful annuals.- The conditions 
that produce it to perfection are a warm 
southern aspect unshaded throughout the 
day', a light warm soil which yet is en¬ 
riched by some stable manure or other 
fertiliser, and growth unchecked through¬ 
out. This annual is so well w-orth bring¬ 
ing to perfection that it may' be well to 
experiment wfith it in different portions of 
the garden but always in open sunny 
positions. If grown from seed sown where 
the plants are to flow'er do not sow at 
present nor until the last half of April, 
and if sowm in pots and transplanted, put 
out after frosts are no longer to be feared. 
We learn by experience and so well I re¬ 
member once sowing the seeds and get¬ 
tings the seedlings well forward. But I 
planted them out too early', and the check 
they' received kept them at a standstill 
for about a month. Then a tree sent its 
shadow' over them by noon and the plants 
never produced the flow'ers they' should 
have .done nor had a tithe of the beauty of 
a few' plants at the base of an arch in the 
hottest sunshine. 
The Castor Oil Plant. 
A very beautiful foliage subject and one 
that in the small garden would take the 
’place of a shrub is the Ricinus or Crstor 
Oil Plant. The variety' R. sanguineu has 
both foliage and stems of a reddish colour, 
while C. africanus albidus is entirely' of 
a charming glaucous steel colour and both 
attain a height over five feet. The seed 
should be sown at once under glass. 
F. Norfolk. 
44-4- 
Seed Inoculation. 
“ There can be no doubt that, given 
favourable conditions, the inoculation of 
seed or soil with nitrifying organisms pro¬ 
duces better crops,” said Messrs. James 
Carter and Co.’s agricultural expert in a 
recent interview with a "Daily News” re¬ 
presentative. 
