226 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
April 3, 1909. 
daily, thus effecting a welcome saving in 
fuel, and it is a well-known fact to gar¬ 
deners of experience that no good is done to 
the plants by keeping the pipes at great heat 
whilst the greenhouse is sufficiently warmed 
by the more natural effects of the sun. Watch 
the more delicate blossoms, and note how 
scon they fade and wither under the com¬ 
bined influence of stove-heat and sunshine, 
and it is safe to assert that the plants them¬ 
selves suffer in a lesser degree. 
The greenhouse subjects proper will now be 
making rapid growth, and must have plenty 
of room to develop. It therefore behoves us 
to clear the structure of the bedding plants 
which have been wintered there with nil 
speed compatible with their safety and wel¬ 
fare. The frames, which are an indispen¬ 
sable adjunct, should be overhauled and 
cleaned in readiness to receive them, and, if 
one can be spared, it may be .lined with 
dead leaves and manure, into which the pots 
containing a batch of Strawberry plants may 
be plunged, to be removed to the greenhouse 
later on when the fruit is set. 
Beautiful for Baskets. 
This and more is. the dainty, twining, 
Thunbergia alata, and plants to bloom 
throughout the summer months may be raised 
by sowing seed without further delay in a 
temperature of 65 to 70 degrees. Light, 
sandy soil should be placed in 5 inch pots 
or pans, and the seed scattered very thinly 
and lightly covered. When sufficiently large 
to handle, insert the resultant seedlings 
singly into “sixties,” or several together in 
banging baskets, in a somewhat rich, light 
soil—loam leaf-mould and well-decayed 
manure being as good a medium as any. 
Keep them somewhat warm in the early 
stages of their growth, and plentifully sup¬ 
plied with water, and if well-grown I am 
convinced that even the most exacting ama¬ 
teur will be more than pleased with them. 
Increasing Selaginellas. 
These pretty moss-like plants are very use¬ 
ful in pots during summer placed round the 
edge of the staging ; nothing could be better, 
the delicate green foliage hanging over arud 
draping the pots in a manner at once grace¬ 
ful and effective. Moreover, no difficulties 
at.end their culture, for they thrive in any 
fair.ly light soil with which nodules of char¬ 
coal or even small broken “crocks ” are in¬ 
termixed. 
Delighting in moisture like Ferns, con¬ 
stant syringing Is necessary in warm weather, 
and the creeping stems which emit roots at 
nearly every joint may be detached at the 
piesenttime and potted up, several together, 
in three- or five-inch pots, which they will 
soon fill, and in which they may remain till 
overcrowded. 
Begonias for Bedding. 
What a pity it is that the tuberous Be¬ 
gonias are so frail and brittle, which ren¬ 
ders them so much at the meicy of wind and 
rain when bedded out. Nevertheless, many 
amateurs favour them, .and tubers for this 
purpose should be started in the greenhouse 
without delay. Ordinary shallow seed boxes 
are as good as anything for the purpose, and 
a mixture of fibre and leaf mould is a good 
medium in which to start them, whilst a 
pinch of silver sand beneath each will ob¬ 
viate any tendency to rot. 
Place them fairly close together, although 
not actually touching, in order to economise 
space, and any extra-sized tubers may be 
cut in two, thus increasing the number of 
plants, but it is as well to wait till the eyes 
push out, as they can then be avoided when 
cutting, and an equal number be left c.n each 
portion. The most promising plants, when 
potted up, can, of course, be retained to 
adorn the greenhouse in company with the 
choice double and frilled varieties. 
Greenhouse Carnations. 
There is yet time To propagate these from 
cuttings as described some weeks back, and, 
if the house is a cool one, not much will be 
lost by the delay. They will strike more 
easily in a gentle bottom heat such as pro¬ 
vided by a frame placed over the hot-water 
pipes, and any that are already rooted 
should (if inserted several together in six- 
inch pots) be carefully transferred, each by 
itself, into one of about three-inch dimen¬ 
sions, handling them lightly in order not to 
break the tender roots. Shade them again for 
a few days till they are re-established, then 
allow plenty of light and ventilation, “ stop¬ 
ping” them once, that is to say, for the 
benefit of the uninitiated, pinching back the 
main shoot, to induce them to branch out low 
down, and throw up several flowering stems. 
Hybrid Tobacco Plants. 
Seed of the sweetly-fragrant Nicotians 
afflnis should be sown now in pots or pans 
of light leaf}' soil, and a few days will see 
them germinating if covered with a sheet of 
glass and placed in a temperature of about 
sixty degrees. Those who have not grown 
the coloured hybrids of this strain should 
certainly do so, as they are undoubtedly far 
in advance of the older N. Sanderae, both 
as regards size, colour and general habit. 
It is indeed surprising how long they con¬ 
tinue in bloom if kept fairly cool and moist, 
and if stood upon the conservatory floor, 
grouped with Ferns or Palms, they are really 
delightful. 
Transfer the seedlings to small sixties 
when sizeable, shifting them on as required 
to five-inch pots, in which they may be 
flowered. 
Spring Treatment of Clivias. 
The Clivias or Imantophyllums should not 
be repotted unless absolutely necessary, and 
the offsets, when detached, may be placed at 
once into five-inch pots, in which they may 
remain for a year or even longer . 
Old plants, however, will benefit just now 
if a thorough mulching or fop-dressing of 
loam, leaf-mould, and cow manure be given 
them, and as the weather becomes warmer, 
more water will be required, and the syringe 
may be freely used with good effect. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Shading. 
The sun’s power is now sufficiently strong 
to necessitate the use of roof blinds and 
shadings in the houses during the hottest 
parts of the day, and the permanent shading 
at the sides, ends., and between the meeting 
of the blinds should now have attention. 
I do not think it advisable to put on too 
heavy a shading of a permanent nature, thus 
early in the season ; a thin wash or even 
the syringe sprayed down the panes of glass 
on the rcofs where it is necessary owing to 
the blinds not meeting or covering, will be 
found sufficient. The severe frosts and ex¬ 
posure generally cause the shading to 
perish, so that it is best to apply only a 
thin cca'ing now, which may be the more 
readily washed off about the beginning of 
May, and a more substantial covering then 
put on. There are many who do not trouble 
to wash off the old shading, but by cleaning 
this off it gives a neater appearance inside 
the houses. 
We find a good medium for permanent 
shading in churn milk and whitening, but 
ordinary skim milk with a lump of salt 
added will be just as effective. A clear 
bright dry d.ay should be chosen for 
putting or. the permanent shading on 
the top of the rcofs, as then a little 
air may be given through the roof 
ventilators, which will render it pos¬ 
sible for the shading to become rapidly dr 
and avoid, to some extent, the streakin 
which usually follows the effect of moistu: 
running through the laps of the glass, 
the shading is painted on the glass an 
gently stippled afterwards with a dry brusl 
this greatly adds to the appearance fro 
the inside of the house. 
Suitable Shading- Materials. 
For all general purposes the materi; 
known as No. 5 Orchid House Shading 
without doubt the most serviceable, bi 
where a lighter shading is desirable, th¬ 
is a shading just sufficient to break tl 
scorching rays of the sun, without obstruc 
ing too much light, No. 3 -is suitable, and 
would recommend this especially for Dei 
drobiums, the Mexican Laelias, and oth 
light loving pilamts. These materials a: 
procurable from any nurseryman or sin 
driesman. The particulars required ft 
measurements are the depth from the rid§ 
to the eaves, allowing 3 or 4 inches to wra 
once around the roller, and width of tl 
roller, or so much of it as may be desirab: 
to cover the roof. I would advise that tl 
blinds, in all cases, should be raised abo\ 
the glass, which may easily be arranged 1 
fixing runners about 6 to 9 inches above tl 
glass at the eaves, and tapering to nothin 
at the ridge; by this means, a current 
air is permitted' to pass between the blinr 
and the -roof glass, and the interior of tl 
house is retained much cooler than wou.1 
be the case if the rcof blinds were mac 
to lie close on the glass during hot sun 
mer weather. I certainly would recommen 
blinds that could be easily taken up c 
rolled down at any time required, in pr< 
ference to fixed permanent shading. Tl 
benefits of light to the .plants cannot 1 
well overestimated. Lath roller blinds ai 
very serviceable, and in the case of sma 
houses where they may be easily rolled u 
by the hand, they should be fixed perpei 
dicular, and made only sufficiently large t 
cover a light or two, thus affording an oj 
portunity of giving additional light 1 
those plants requiring it, by grouping thei 
together, while the remaining ones may 1 
shaded as desired. These blinds are ver 
serviceable on cold and windy nights, whe 
thev .are a great assistance in dispensin 
with excessive artificial heat. 
H. J. Chapman. 
- +++ - 
“ Trees and Shrubs of the British Isles.” 
Besides dealing with our native tree 
and shrubs, the authors, Mr. C. S 
Cooper, F.R.H.S., and Mr. W. Perciva 
Westell, F.L.S., include a number of th 
more important of those subjects whicl 
are grown in gardens and looked upon a 
being legitimate occupants of British gar 
dens, or as the authors say, acclimatised 
Part I. has a beautiful nlate of the Straw 
berry Tree in flower and fruit. As th 
book is meant to be instructive, variou 
leaves are drawn so as to represent th 
different types which occur in botanica 
books to indicate the shapes of leaves 
Types of inflorescence are also deal 
with in the same way, and typical fruit 
is also a plate that is meant to be educa 
tive. The Traveller’s loy and the Lint 
are represented by full-page drawings 
The various subjects are being dealt wit! 
on the natural system, commencing witl 
the woody Ranunculaceae and passing oi 
to Magnoliaceae, the Barberry family am 
that which includes the sweet scented All 
snice. The book is being published b; 
Messrs. J. M. -Dent and Co., 30, Bedforr 
Street, London, W.C. The work is to b 
completed in sixteen parts at is. each. 1 
