The Flower Garden. 
Sh, sh ! Whisper it softly. I am at the 
Sweet Peas again. 
Sweet Peas. 
Here in my. den I have a phenomenal 
assortment of Sweet Pea pictures, pictures 
published by gardening papers, coloured 
plates out of catalogues. They are every¬ 
where. This season nearly every self- 
respecting Sweet Pea specialist has issued 
a coloured plate depicting the latest novel¬ 
ties. Some are good, some indifferent. The 
best plate I have seen this year is that 
issued by Isaac House and Son. It does 
not embrace a motley assortment, for only 
one variety is shown, and the name of it is 
not even mentioned. It is a most artis¬ 
tically got-up plate, and shows a bunch of 
a pink variety of the Spencer type. It cer¬ 
tainly is the most natural figuring I have 
seen, for it is quite informal and has not 
the suspicion of an artist’s fancy. By the 
time these notes are published I shall have • 
sown all my Sweet Peas. 
As I have previously stated, my collec¬ 
tion embraces not a few new things. In¬ 
deed, I might almost venture to say that I 
have the most. complete collection of new 
sorts possessed by any private individual. 
In the wavy type I now possess 21 new 
and not heretofore introduced sorts, besides 
the famous varieties that were popular in 
1906. Also the same number of novelties 
of the ordinary type. Apart from this, my 
new unnamed seedlings include a pure white 
Spencer, a primrose, a majenta, a clear 
lavender, a carmine selection from Enchan¬ 
tress, all Spencer type. Beside these a 
monster Dorothv Eckford, a cross between 
Delicata and Dorothy Eckford, Enchantress 
x Hon. Mrs. Kenyon, Enchantress x 
Dorothv Eckford, Hon. Mrs. Kenyon x Miss 
Willmott, and a new American break. 
What wonder then that I find myself hum¬ 
ming, “An Englishman is a happy man”! 
Lawns, etc. 
Lawns and grass paths should not be for¬ 
gotten in these busy times. Keep the roller 
going whenever possible. Make a point of 
removing coarse weeds that are discernible. 
If left, they will destroy the grass sur¬ 
rounding them, and in a few seasons the 
lawn will be ruined. A common daisy 
grubber is a good tool but the new improved 
weeder, made by West, is better. 
Anemones, Ranunculuses. 
Do not delay the planting of Anemones 
and Ranunculuses if not already done. A 
medium loam is the best soil for these roots. 
They object to cold clay, and do not usually 
succeed on sandy soil. 
Wallflowers. 
Look over Wallflower beds, and replace 
any plants that have been badly damaged 
by frost. The bitter N.E. winds played 
havoc with not a few of my own plants. 
Some prefer to wait until plants are show¬ 
ing bud before they get Wallflowers into 
position. It is a great mistake, however. 
"When buying from hawkers make sure that 
the plants are strong, and have not been 
badly damaged at the roots. 
Hot Beds. 
Hot bed making should on no account be 
delayed. Where greenhouses do not exist, 
a frame and a hot bed come in remarkably 
handy. I myself should be utterly at a 
loss if I had not these useful accessories. 
Hardy Ferns. 
Those who possess hardy ferneries will 
find it a good idea to give a light coat of 
well rotted manure. 
Paeonies. 
Continue to plant herbaceous stuff, and 
on no account delay the planting of Faeo- 
nies. These plants are notorious for their 
dislike of shifts, but early planting ensures 
good root hold, before hot weather comes. 
Do not, however, expect newly-planted 
Paeonies to flower so freely as established 
ones. 
Planting Shrubs. 
Shrub planting should proceed apace. En¬ 
deavour to have stations ready, so that 
newly-arrived' plants may go in at once, 
thereby preventing withering of roots. Make 
a point of remembering that deciduous 
varieties are of little service for screens 
during the winter, however lovely they 
may be in spring or summer. 
Carnations. 
Get Carnations planted in the borders as 
soon as the soil is fit. These plants do not 
like late shifts. Beware of soil that con¬ 
tains wireworms. 
Anemone japonica. 
Those who have net Anemone japonica 
or its improved varieties, should make a 
point of getting it right away. The present 
is a good time for dividing or planting. 
A fine and popular plant is the Alstroe- 
meria (Peruvian Lily), and unless the soil is 
poor or porous, they will grow anywhere. 
Clumps may be secured now, or established 
roots may be lifted and divided. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Pruning should be completed by this time, 
and everything made snug for the season. 
It is not too late to plant various fruits, 
however. 
Raspberries. 
Raspberries must be cut back very hard if 
they are expected to do well. It is better 
to sacrifice the first year’s fruit than ruin 
the plants for all time. Tie up established 
canes. 
Manuring. 
Do not be afraid to pile on manure in the 
fruit garden. By giving a good mulch the 
roots are kept near the surface, and they 
benefit accordingly. 
Vines. 
Outdoor Vines should be spurred back if 
not already done. Good canes that are re¬ 
quired for filling up gaps should be re¬ 
tained and tied in. 
Silver Leaf Disease. 
Much has been heard of the terrible Silver 
Leaf disease in Plums and Peaches. Some 
say it is possible to check it in its earliest 
stages by digging in quantities of lime and 
soot. A market grower has found that by 
lifting affected trees, and replanting in a 
new position, the trees recover. Silver Leaf 
shows itself in the form of a silvery sheen 
on the foliage. Old trees that are badly 
affected had better be grubbed out. A 
point to remember is, never prune healthy 
trees with a tool that has been used upon 
trees known to be affected. 
Strawberries. 
Established beds of Strawberries will be 
benefited if all withered foliage is cut off. 
Dust soot around the plants, and mulch 
February 23, 1907. 
with good manure. Never mind if the beds 
had a dressing in the autumn. Rake off 
loose litter and give another good dressing. 
Strawberries revel in rich soil. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Onions. 
The sooner Onion seed is sown the better 
the chances of its doing well. Make the soil 
smooth and level. Sow very shallow. The 
best way to make a furrow is with a tiny 
spud hoe, or the handle of a rake, if pressed 
with the foot, makes a neat drill. Always 
endeavour to get perfectly straight rows; 
they look better, and it is easier to cultivate 
between straight parallel rows, than crooked 
ones. 
Peas. 
More Peas may be sown, and for a general 
sort, Daisy wants a deal of beating. 
Lettuce. 
Lettuce may now be sown out of doors. 
I myself am no advocate of sowing things 
broadcast, although a friend of mine swears 
by that system, because the seedlings are 
less crowded. 
Radishes. 
Radishes will come successfully on light 
soil in a sheltered position. It is useless, 
however, to sow on heavy, cold land. 
Celery. 
To ensure good Celery it is advisable to 
sow under glass, and a pinch or so of seed 
if sown thinly and placed upon a hot bed, 
will quickly germinate. Prick out the seed¬ 
lings as soon as possible. Celery dislikes 
checks at all times. 
Buying Seeds. 
If the seed order has not yet been sent, 
write away at once. It is amusing to me 
to observe how many firms are using the 
famous motto of an American house : ‘‘Seeds 
that Grow.” The thing to bear in mind is, 
will So-and-So’s seeds do more than grow? 
Any common rubbish will grow, but only 
selected strains can give good results. Re¬ 
member that the cheapest is by no means 
the best. Horti. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
Crotons. 
If any of those brightly-coloured foliage 
plants, which gardeners still call Crotons, 
and botanists Codiaeums, are straggly and 
untidy, the ends of their shoots may be re¬ 
moved and inserted as cuttings. Unless the 
old plants are dirty, i.e., infested with scale 
or mealy bug, there need be no hurrv to 
take cuttings, as with longer and brighter 
days quite large tops may be rooted as 
readily as a small piece now. These tops, 
inserted singly in small pots, will make 
beautiful little decorative plants in a few 
weeks. If it is desired to sever the tops 
now, ringing and tongueing must be resorted 
to, in all but the warmest, moistest green¬ 
house. As this ringing and tongueing are 
important aids to propagation, I will de¬ 
scribe the process in detail. 
Ringing and Tongueing. 
The chief plants increased in this way are 
Crotons, Dracaenas, India-rubber Plants, 
and Aralias, and the chief advantage of the 
process is that by its aid leggy plants, i.e., 
those with bare stems surmounted by a tuft 
of leaves, can be deprived of their tops in 
the sure and certain knowledge that the 
latter will root and soon grow into better 
specimens than their parents. In ringing, 
a narrow band of bark is removed with a 
knife just below the lowest pair of good 
leaves ; in tongueing, a notch is cut at the 
same point, taking the knife upwards for an 
inch or so, until a tongue is formed as in 
layering a Carnation. Round the ringed or 
tongued part a handful of wet moss is 
bound, and kept wet with the syringe until 
