188 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
them. In this respect they may be com¬ 
pared to Rhododendrons, which are grown 
in a similar soil. 
The flowers of these Kalmias are of a 
delicate pink, saucer-shaped and curiously 
marked with little cavities at regular in¬ 
tervals where the anthers were accommo¬ 
dated before the opening of the flower. 
When fully expanded, these flowers are 
charmingly beautiful and refined in every 
way. The leaves are not unlike those of 
a Portugal Laurel, being much larger 
than those of the other species grown in 
this country. The shrub may be planted 
in full exposure, provided it is grown in 
a peat bed, but it may also be planted 
where there is slight shade from trees at 
some little distance away. 
If potted in autumn, the broad-leaved 
Kalmia may be forced into flower much in 
the same way as an Azalea, and for green¬ 
house work it is a change from the usual 
run of occupants. If subjected to much 
heat, however, the flowers will be paler 
than if the plants were brought into bloom 
under cooler conditions. 
Border Carnations. 
Seeds of choice varieties or crosses from 
carefully selected parents may now be 
sown in pans and placed in a temperature 
of 60 degs. to germinate. This may be 
done in a stove, pit or greenhouse that is 
heated. A Hotbed may be utilised where 
the grower has not the convenience other¬ 
wise. "When the heat in the hotbed has 
sunk to 85 degs. it will be safe to stand 
the seed pans on the top of the soil. As 
soon as the seedlings are well up they 
should be removed to a cooler place to 
avoid damping, as Carnations cannot en¬ 
dure being coddled in a warm, damp 
place. 
Those who have wintered their Carna¬ 
tions in frames should take advantage of 
the earliest opportunity, when the soil is 
in good condition, for nlanting them out 
in beds of borders. The soil must be 
sufficiently dry to be raked and trodden 
upon without sticking too much to the 
foot. This would apply to those having 
heavy soils or those situated in smoky 
suburban districts. Plantations made in 
October will now require inspection to 
see whether any plants have died from 
one cause or another, in order to have the 
blanks made good from the reserve stock 
of plants in pots. 
Show Carnations and Picotees. 
The shifting of these into their flower¬ 
ing pots must no longer be delayed if the 
work is not already completed. Advice 
was given in January for the collection of 
material and the placing of it in some dry 
situation where it would be in good condi¬ 
tion when required for this work. Select 
the pots carefully as to size, according to 
the vigour of the varieties to be placed 
in them, drain them well, and press the 
soil firmly. Return the pots to frames m 
the meantime, and in giving ventilation 
take care to tilt up the lights on the on- 
nosite side to that from which the winds 
blow. In the meantime preparation may 
be made for standing them, out of doors 
in a sheltered position when the weather 
becomes favourable. Carnations dislike 
heat and coddling, although they enjoy 
being sheltered from cold winds in the 
eariy part of the year. A good depth of 
ci ar. ashes should be laid down on which 
to stand the pots so that worms may not 
get into the pots. 
Tree Carnations. 
Propagation may still be continued 
where necessary. Those who have not 
much convenience for bottom heat in the 
early part of the year will find this a 
better month than the previous two for 
inserting cuttings. The light is better, 
and the cuttings are not so liable to damp 
off. Thosd who have not a propagating 
bed or case in a warm house may take ad¬ 
vantage of a hotbed covered with a frame. 
Insert the cuttings in pots and plunge 
them in the soil overlying the manure. 
Give air at favourable times during the 
day so that the moisture may escape, and 
dry the foliage for a while during each 
day. Cuttings struck in January should 
be ready for potting off at the end of tbe- 
month if they have made favourable pro¬ 
gress. Seeds of choice varieties may be 
sown and dealt with as described under 
border Carnations. 
Marguerite Carnations. 
This class, being treated as annuals, 
must be sown early in order to get them 
sufficiently advanced if they are intended 
to flower in the open during September. 
For pot work they may be later, accord¬ 
ing to convenience and requirements. 
Earlier batches should be transplanted 
into boxes or potted off, according to the 
purpose for which they are intended. For 
flowering in September, seedlings raised 
during this month should be kept growing 
freely until it is time to plant them in 
the open. 
American Carnations. 
Propagation is still the order of the 
day in this class of Carnation. The cut¬ 
tings should be prepared and inserted at 
once, before flagging, as cuttings suffer 
considerably if the leaves are once allowed 
to flag. The atmosphere of the pit or 
bed where they are kept will be drier 
than during the previous two months, and 
slight shade may be necessary during the 
day to prevent the leaves from wilting. 
If plunged on a hotbed covered with a 
frame, care, of course, must be taken to 
avoid damping on account of the greater 
amount of moisture there. The raising 
March 20, 1909. 
of young plants by this means should be 
completed during this month. Batches 
that were struck during January should 
now require pinching to make them 
bushy. 
The old plants now flowering should 
have more liberal watering, feeding and 
ventilation than they have been receiving 
since last October. A light shading may 
be necessary towards the end of the month 
to prevent the sun from burning the more 
delicate colours, such as Mrs. W. T. Law- 
son, Rose Enchantress, Winona and others 
of that class. Where size of bloom is a 
consideration, attend to the disbudding 
of the flower stems as early as it can be 
done without danger to the bud to be 
left. J. D. F. W. 
--- 
Shrubs for Forcing. 
<7 
A Few Less Common Kinds. 
The practice of forcing hardy shrubs 
has grown considerably of late years, ow¬ 
ing, no. doubt, to their great usefulness 
either as decorative pot plants or for cut 
flower purposes. 
But though this be true, it is noticeable 
how few growers—comparatively speak¬ 
ing—ever have more than the usual three 
or four kinds, such as Azaleas, Rhododen¬ 
drons, Lilacs and Deutzias. 
Now, while allowing all that can be 
said on behalf of the above really useful 
favourites, I should like to briefly mention 
and commend to'those of your readers 
who are not as yet familiar with them, a 
few less frequently seen, but nevertheless 
reliable and beautiful, shrubs for early 
flowering. 
The first—a great favourite of the writer 
— is Staphylea colchica, which produces 
large panicles of pure white, fragrant 
flowers. The Spiraea family is well 
known, but the variety Anthony Waterer 
I specially mention here, the flowers of 
which are a dark rosy pink, and it is a 
profuse bloomer. Forsythia suspensa 
forces well in a greenhouse temperature, 
and is a very free, yellow flowering plant. 
If well established in pots, Paeonia Mou- 
tan (the Tree Paeony) responds to forcing 
admirably, and is truly beautiful. Cytisus 
andreanus is also a most effective forcing 
plant, flowers yellow and maroon. 
Strong garden varieties of the Clematis 
will yield good large flowers wdth mode¬ 
rate forcing. Robinia hispida established 
in pots will force.nicely in gentle heat; 
its flowers are borne on drooping racemes, 
and are pink. Daphne Cneorum forces 
well, and its small red flowers are pro¬ 
duced on almost every shoot. 
And, finally, a charming companion to 
the flowering plants is the very pretty 
Acer palmatum, which is probably the 
best species of the Acers for variety in 
form and colour of foliage. It can be 
grown in pots and forced several years in 
succession. The other plants enumerated 
above will, however, be most satisfactory 
if given an alternate year of rest from 
forcing. As all the plants pass out of 
flower stand them where the frost cannot 
hurt them, but where growth can be con¬ 
tinued and plenty of air given. Cut away 
all flowering shoots anch the weak ones, 1 
that all the vitality may be put into those . 
growths that will produce the next lot of 
flowers. ’ LesneR. 
