2 oS 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 23, 1907. 
out what is the best place in the garden 
for it, and will place it there at an early 
opportunity. 
Transplanting may be done in March 
just as the plant is about to recommence 
growth. It can be done again with equal 
success after flowering has finished and 
the autumn rains commence either in 
September or later, but the. earlier it is 
done the better, because the plant gets 
established before cold weather sets in. 
In autumn the flower stems should, of 
course, be cut down, leaving nothing but 
the leaves springing from the root. The 
plant may then be lifted and pulled to 
pieces by" shaking away the earth. The 
best pieces, that is, the youngest, should 
be selected for making a fresh clump or 
plantation, and when treated in this way 
in autumn and given plenty of room to 
spread, it forms strong growth before the 
plant comes into bloom next summer. 
This transplanting and breaking up of tire 
plant is highly beneficial, as it gives 
fresh encouragement to 1 growth, and plants 
that are progressing with vigour flower 
better and continue showy for a longer 
period of time. 
The Coneflowers are so named on ac¬ 
count of the elevated disc which, in some 
species, project like the point of a finger. 
In this one it is merely convex or rounded 
and Sf a rich brown or nearly black that 
contrasts beautifully with the golden- 
yellow ravs. Propagation may also be 
effected by cuttings and seeds, but by 
dividing the plant in the manner above 
described, sufficient can be obtained for 
the requirements of any garden in a 
short time. 
-- 
Horticultural Societies’ 
Diary 
of Forthcoming Meetings. 
Abbreviations used. 
H. — Horticultural 
M.I.—Mutual Improve¬ 
ment 
m.m.— Monthly meeting 
S. — Society 
w.m.—Weekly meeting 
Thus :—The Templeton G. Am. ana Cott. M.l.H.s. 
Gardenersj Amateurs’ and Cottagers’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Horticultural Society. 
NOTICE TO SECRETARIES. 
Will secretaries of horticultural societies 
kindly send us at their earliest convenience 
dates of shows and meetings to be held 
during 1907? 
March. 
2 ^th.— Horsforth G. M. I. S. (w.m.). 
26th. —Crawley and D. G. M. I. A. (bi- 
m.m.). 
27th. —Royal Botanic Society of London 
(m.” exhibition); Harrietsham G. S. 
(m.m.). 
28th.— West Hartlepcol’and D. G. M. I. S. 
(bi-m.m.). 
30th.—Leeds Paxton S. (m.m.); Benfieldside 
and D. Sweet Pea S. (m.m.). 
-- 
Manures for Roses. 
The “ Rose Annual,” just issued by the 
National Rose Society, contains a paper 
by Dr. Bernard Dyer on the best manures 
for Roses on different soils, based on an 
analysis of various Roses submitted to 
him. He recommends basic slag in the 
proportion of 30Z. to qoz. per square yard, 
nitrate of soda, fish, guano, blood manure, 
bone meal, and Peruvian guano. A table 
is given setting forth the quantities to be 
used in different soils. 
A.—Association 
Am.—Amateurs 
Chy.-^Chrysanthemum 
c.m.—Committee meeting 
Cott.—Cottage or Cottagers 
D.—District 
n n ^ - J 1 r. rv r\r rrordAllfir 
Sweet Peas. =4 
. . Work for March. 
Now that March is here, even those gar¬ 
deners who have been unmoved by the 
prevailing enthusiasm for Sweet Peas will 
be influenced by the spirit of the return¬ 
ing spring to make at least some efforts 
towards securing a display during the 
coming summer. 
If the ground has not yet been pre¬ 
pared, no time is to be lost before the 
completion of this important operation. 
Any animal manure used now must be 
thoroughly decayed, otherwise it is liable 
to do as much harm as good. 
Although, in favourable seasons, it is 
possible to sow seeds in the open ground 
during the latter half of February, March 
is the more popular month, and the earlier 
this operation is performed now, the 
better. The precise date should depend 
very largely upon the condition of the 
soil, which should be free from frost and 
fairly dry. If the ground is wet; it is 
always wise to wait until it dries. In¬ 
deed,-“Keep off the ground while it is 
wet” is a very’ useful maxim, for it applies 
to all cultural operations of all flowers 
at all seasons of the year. Of course, 
come light, sandy soils dry very quickly, 
but many clay soils take quite a long 
time. It should be a gardeners great 
care to thoroughly understand the peculi¬ 
arities of his own soil. 
To sow the seeds, make a trench about 
six inches deep, lay the seeds about two 
inches apart in the bottom, and replace 
the soil to a depth of about two inches. 
Under ordinary conditions more plants 
will appear than are really required, and 
thev will have to be thinned out later. 
Expensive seeds, however, can be sown 
two or three times as thinly. 
Some reader may be undecided whether 
to grow clumps or rows. Each system 
has its advocates, but as regards the 
quality of the flowers yielded, there seems 
to be very little to choose. It is fairly 
generally admitted that where a plot of 
ground is to be devoted to Sweet Peas, 
rows are the more economical of space, 
for trade growers almost invariably use 
this system. On the other hand, how¬ 
ever, most persons of taste will agree that 
where Sweet Peas are grown m a mixed 
bed or border, clumps indubitably give 
a better decorative effect. 
If several parallel rows are grown, they 
should be at least five feet apart. Six 
or seven feet is none too much where the 
plants grow very tall. , 
Complaints are sometimes made that 
mice eat the seeds before they germinate. 
Where there is any fear of the depreda¬ 
tions of these rodents, it is wise to damp 
the coats of the seeds before sowing, and 
sprinkle them with red lead. 
The birds, like the poor, are always 
with us, and if they have an opportunity, 
thev will work havoc with the young seed¬ 
lings when they appear. How many a 
time has the seedsman been blamed for 
the non-germination of the seeds, when, 
if the truth were known, the seeds ger¬ 
minated well, but the birds removed the 
young plants directly they appeared. No 
man who values his plants will leave them 
unprotected. Many devices may’ be 
known to the reader, but one of the 
cheapest and, at the same time, one of 
the best, is the liberal use of black cotton 
stretched tightly along the rows. A 
correspondent wrote last year that the 
cotton device had proved useless with 
him, but this was probably due to the use 
of insufficient cotton. The present writer 
has always found it quite safe, and that 
in a district where it cannot be said that 
birds are scarce or harmless, seeing that 
even in June last year they pecked away 
half of the flower buds of one row, and 
in October took ripening seed. To ensure 
safety, three or four lengths of cotton 
should be stretched on each side of the 
rows, at heights varying from one to five 
inches above the level of the ground. If, 
when the plants outgrow this protection, 
the birds attack them, more cotton must 
be added. 
Slugs .and snails also are very’ fond of 
Sweet Peas, and at times .prove very- 
troublesome. To guard against them, 
sprinkle soot or lime along the rows, 
near the plants. If, in spite of this, the 
pests still prove destructive, it is wise to 
visit the plants on a warm moist evening, 
armed with a lantern. The creatures 
will then be caught in the act of feeding, 
and may easily be destroy-ed. 
Plants which have been raised in a 
greenhouse should now be placed in cold 
frames, where they^ should be hardened 
off by removing the lights during fine 
weather. By the end of the month the 
lights will only be required in very wet or 
cold weather. Under very favourable 
circumstances plants do well when planted 
out during the last week of March, but 
in most instances it is preferable to wait 
until April. 
It does not seem to be generally known 
by amateurs that, in the spring, Sweet 
Peas may be propagated by means ot 
cuttings. " The seeds of some varieties arc. 
so cheap that this method is unnecessary, 
but when one has to pay threepence per 
seed, the case is entirely "different. Slips 
about three inches long make good cut¬ 
tings, and if planted in fairly- sandy soil, 
they will root with comparative ease. The 
plants from which the cuttings are taker, 
send out fresh shoots and seem little the. 
worse from their decapitation. 
Springy woody cuttings root much 
better than soft, sappy ones. This 
method of propagation is used by trade 
growers to increase their stocks of novel¬ 
ties. From one plant it is possible to 
obtain quite a number of young plants. 
Where seedlings, are raised in a green¬ 
house, a few may be selected and potted 
into large pots for flowering under glass; 
they will then bloom earlier than those 
outside. Many plants are grown 
especially for this purpose, and are 
planted "in the autumn for very early 
