1 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 9, 1907. 
96 
flowering so late in the open garden it 
is much more easy to grow it in pots be¬ 
cause then if stood out of doors during the 
summer the pots can be removed to a 
greenhouse when the weather becomes cool 
and stormy in September. L. speciosum 
and its varieties take very kindly to cul¬ 
tivation in pots and the same bulbs may 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
coli.mn short letters discussing any gar¬ 
dening subject. 
Letters must not exceed 150 words each in 
Forcing Early Rhubarb. 
To gain success in forcing early 
Rhubarb crowns should be dug out and 
exposed to the air a few days previous 
to housing as they force more readily 
and stronger than when placed straight 
from the ground. An excellent plan is to 
dig the number of crowns necessary and 
cover lightly in ashes till required, as they 
may be secured in severe weather, and 
also the ground may be trenched in the 
meantime for a fresh plantation. A few 
crowns may be divided for fresh planting 
to remain for at least two years previous to 
forcing, so a fresh bed should be made 
each successive year to keep up the de¬ 
mand. 
T. Preston. 
Oxon. 
Gooseberry Caterpillar. 
Those who have been troubled with the 
above pest during the last season should, 
as soon as possible, remove about six 
inches of the soil from under the trees, 
placing it in a distant part of the garden. 
Fill up the vacant places thus made with 
fresh soil taken from some part where no 
pupae are likely to be present. Placing 
fresh soil will induce formation of roots 
near the surface, and tend to increase 
fruitfulness. Some well rotted manure and 
leafmould may both be mixed with the 
mould, if they can be had. Even with 
this treatment some flies will probably 
hatch next season, and a sharp look out 
must be kept so as to quickly destroy the 
first feeders. Dusting the foliage with 
hellebore powder, or mixing powder in 
water and syringing plants therewith will 
check ravages. Hand picking and des¬ 
troying is one of the best remedies. 
Albert A. Kf.rridge. 
Wilts. 
Bulbs in Beds. 
Those who planted their bulbs in good 
time may now anticipate the appearance 
of their shoots above ground. Early 
planting has many advantages, not the 
least being that ample root action results, 
and larger leaves and flowers are ob¬ 
tained ; a good bulb is also formed, 
capable of producing fine flowers the fol¬ 
lowing season. When growth commences 
early, some protection is desirable. This 
be used for a number of years in succes¬ 
sion provided the grower gives them good 
treatment, not only up to the period of 
flowering, but until the foliage dies away. 
Amateurs who give close attention to their 
plants can succeed almost as well as a 
professional in the flowering of these 
Lilies in a greenhouse. 
length , and must be written on one side 
of the paper only. 
Two Prizes of 2s. 6d. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the best. 
should take the form of a slight mulch of 
sifted leafmould, dry decayed horse 
manure, cocoanut fibre, or even peat moss 
that has been broken up finely. Such a 
mulch is of great service, not only to keep 
down the seedling weeds which spring up 
all too freely in autumn, but it also to 
some extent prevents the lifting action of 
frost, and forms a loose surface which can 
be readily weeded or hoed. Before hoe¬ 
ing give a dressing of soot. 
J. C. 
Sussex. 
Sowing Tomatos. 
For the earliest crop of Tomatos, seed 
should now be sown thinly in shallow 
pans. Having filled the pans with light 
compost, water with a fine rose water-pot, 
and let them drain for an hour or two be¬ 
fore sowing the seed. Cover the seed 
-with fine sifted soil, which should be 
rather moist. 
Over the pans place a sheet of paper for 
a week, and apply no water till then. 
This gives the seed time to swell, and 
then if the paper covering be removed 
and tepid water afforded, there will be 
quick germination. The young plants 
have many enemies eager to devour them 
as soon as they peep through the soil. 
Seed paps should therefore be raised upon 
pots, and a diligent search made for 
depredators. A high degree of fire-heat 
must be avoided, even in sharp weather. 
After the seedlings come up they must be 
well exposed to light. 
J. M. T. 
Hamilton. 
Potatos. 
On reading “West Countryman's ” 
article on the above subject, I was in¬ 
terested to note the behaviour of certain 
varieties corresponded very nearly with 
that obtained here, 500 miles from hiis dis¬ 
trict. The soil here is a stiff adhesive one 
on rock (whinstone), and whatever others 
may advance as to the merits or otherwise 
of autumn and winter trenching and ridg¬ 
ing, we at any rate consider it the only 
way to treat our soil. But to return to 
the Potatos. Sharpe’s Victor, our best 
earlv, was followed by Duke of York, a 
good cropper and sound. British Queen 
. is a heavy cropper, and not much diseased 
if lifted before they are ripe; the same 
remarks apply to Sutton’s Abundance. 
Late varieties, such as Northern Star, pro¬ 
duced a fair crop last year, but failed 
altogether this year from home saved 
stock. Factor produced a good crop, with 
no disease. Foreman was a fair crop, with 
no disease. Sir John Llewelyn was a 
failure, and likewise Evergood. Up-to- 
Date was the best variety in the garden, 
turning out at from 24 to 30 good, even, 
sound tubers to the root. 1 might add we 
use any amount of lea.fsoil in the drills at 
planting time. 
H. Arnold. 
Sauchiehurn, N.B. 
Propagation of Privet and Euonymus by 
Cuttings. 
The winter is a favourable time for 
increasing stock of such shrubs as the 
evergreen Euonymuses and Privets. For 
cuttings, select firm half-ripened growths; 
shorten to 3 or 4 inches, leaving two or 
three pairs of leaves below the shoot. 
Eight or ten cuttings may be dibbled into 
a 60-sized pot of sandy soil. Stand the 
pots in a cold frame ; the plants will then 
require little attention for some time. 
When rooted, give them plenty of air. 
•They need not be potted off, but can re¬ 
main until planted out in May or earlier. 
Such shrubs are not particular as to soil 
or aspects, though the latter should not be 
toio sunny. The golden variety of Privet 
and the variegated Eunoymuses look 
charming when used as quite small bed¬ 
ding subjects; while larger specimens 
serve well for light effect in a shrubbery. 
Helen Colt. 
Middlesex. 
Begonia, Gloire de Lorraine. 
This is a most effective plant for filling 
vases and decorating the conservatory or 
the dinner table. It may be struck from 
cuttings taken off in February, inserting 
them round the rims of 3m. loots filled 
with light loam, leaf-mould, and silver 
sand. The pots should then be plunged 
in a propagating case. They will soon 
root, and should be potted off" singly into 
small pots in the same kind of compost, 
watered and returned to heat in a position 
near to the roof, so as to ensure a sturdy, 
short-jointecl growth. The plants should I 
be shifted on before they become pot- 
bound. Do not pot too firmly or the 
growths will be stunted, nor use too large 
pots when repotting, but afford thorough 
drainage. Clay's Fertiliser, with alternate 
doses of liquid cow and sheep manure, 
and occasional applications of soot-wate: 
should be given during the summei 
months. FlTZ. 
Hamilton. 
Public Parks Examination. —The 
second annual examination of the above 
was held in the Royal Horticultural Hal I 
on the 14th January, when more than fifty 
men paid the entrance fee of 5s., entitling 
them to sit at this examination. Twc 
classes were instituted, namely, foi 
officials and subordinates, who were 
allowed three hours to work out theii 
written examination. There was also ar 
oral examination with shrubs to be 
identified and various other questions 
From what the “Morning Post” says, c 
policeman and a lavatory attendant"were 
amongst those desirous "of getting back 
to the land somehow. 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
