March 23, 1907. 
THIS GARDENING WORLD 
209 
flowering. Mont Blanc, Earliest of All, 
Earliest White, and Earliest Sunbeams 
are four varieties which, owing to their 
precocity in blooming, are specially 
suited for this method of culture. Earliest 
of All is a specially early selection from 
the old Blanche Terry, which it resembles 
in colour. There seem to be several 
strains of it, varying in earliness. 
It is probable that the list of early 
varieties will soon be considerably in¬ 
creased, for in the 1907 year book of the 
National Sweet Pea Society, particulars 
(with a photograph) are given of very early 
selections of Sweet Peas, which may be 
had in bloom all the winter. Sports, 
blopming very' early, have occurred with 
several growers, and it i;s possible that the 
winter flowering Sweet Peas hailing from 
America, for which is claimed a hybrid 
origin, are merely sports similar to those 
which have occurred at home. 
The Sweet Pea annual, referred to 
above, has already been mentioned in the 
editorial column, and it need only be 
added that it should be in the hands of 
every lover of the Sweet Pea. It can be 
obtained from the secretary of the society, 
Mr. Charles H. Curtis, of Adelaide Road, 
Brentford, Middlesex. 
G. F. Drayson. 
-gflf— 
Or?ior?s. 
Growing 
Fine Specimens. 
In the race for improvement and in 
competition at special exhibitions where 
prizes are offered for the heaviest bulbs, 
Onions are now so fine that under the 
special culture adopted fine specimens 
will scale from 2)4 to 3/4 lbs. each. The 
method consists in sowing the seeds in 
shallow boxes in January', and placing in 
gentle heat. When three to four inches 
in height the plants are carefully lifted 
and dibbled into other boxes some two 
inches apart, using a compost of good 
turfy loam, and one-fourth of well decayed 
manure. About the end of April, after 
having been gradually hardened off, they 
are carefully lifted with a good ball of 
soil and planted in deeply trenched and 
highly manured ground. The rows 
should be 18 inches apart, 15 inches being 
allowed from plant to plant. Each plant 
must.be staked and a tie given until es¬ 
tablished. During the summer alternate 
light dressings of nitrate of soda, salt, 
soot and guano must be given, and 
manure water in quantity if there is very 
dry weather; also a thin coating of short 
manure to prevent evaporation would be 
most beneficial. A large proportion of 
these Onions do not keep long, seldom, 
indeed, later than the end of the year. 
The mcst favoured kinds to grow for ex¬ 
hibition are Lord Keeper, Ailsa Craig, 
Rousham Park Hero, and Anglo-Spanish. 
These are all good bulbs of even size, 
large, firm, sound and clean, high in the 
shoulder and with thin necks or stems- 
J. C. SCAMMELL. 
Over 5,000 species of Orchids are now 
known to botanists. Orchids are found in 
every part of the world. 
The Flower Garden. 
Penny Packets of Seeds. 
Truly this is an age of the nimble penny. 
Whenever I venture in any large town there 
I find a shop which exhibits a notice to the 
effect that every article offered is priced at 
one penny. The penny rage has got into 
gardening circles with a vengeance. Penny 
packets of seeds have been in vogue longer 
than I can remember, Ryders being the first 
to offer them for sale. Now we have seve¬ 
ral firms that handle penny packets exclu¬ 
sively, and moreover claim that their goods 
are equal to the highest priced seeds in the 
market. In the majority of cases this is so. 
It is simply a smaller packet, the idea being 
that an amateur does not want to spend six¬ 
pence when one penny will do. However, 
I would not venture to say that a penny 
packet of some kinds of seed is equal to 
that offered by a firm that specialises in 
that particular flower, and which entails 
great expense in the way of greenhouses, 
etc. Nevertheless, this is the penny age. 
Labels and Stakes. 
We find nurserymen offering various plants 
at one penny a time—plants which a few 
years ago would have cost a great deal 
more. The other day I went into a little 
general shop and there saw penny packets 
of pot labels nicely painted and penny 
bundles of plant stakes. They were the 
goods of a well-known firm, and I think 
there were 12 labels and 9 eighteen-inch 
stakes. What a chance for the little win¬ 
dow gardener! 
Speaking of labels and stakes reminds me 
that these useful articles should be ready 
at hand. Where seed sowing has taken 
place, I dare say the seed plot looks like a 
graveyard, filled with tombstones. Stakes, 
too, will soon be required. Indeed when 
planting out Dahlia roots, etc., it is safer 
to drive the stake in at the same time. 
All doubtful or dilapidated stakes in use in 
the garden should be renewed, or there may 
be trouble later on. 
Roses. 
There is an old Arab proverb which says, 
“ He who knows, and knows he knows, is 
wise.” The wise amateur knows that even 
now it is not too late to plant Roses, pro¬ 
viding that they were lifted some time ago. 
It often happens that delay® are impossible 
to avoid. I have had a fill of them, and am 
still sampling them, not because I like de¬ 
lays, huit simply because I am like other poor 
mortals, and possess but one pair of hands. 
Prune the Roses hard as soon as planted 
and give a good mulch of manure, especially 
if the soil is light. 
Buying Carnation Plants. 
If new stocks of Pansies, Violas and Car¬ 
nations are being secured, get them into 
position at once. When purchasing, make 
sure you are not buying a pig in a poke. 
There are many plausible frauds who jour¬ 
ney about with healthy looking Carnations, 
each neatly labelled, but shun them like 
poison. 
It is 20 to 1 the plants are “ Jacks,” that 
is, common seedlings which are grown by 
florists for foliage only. The flowers are 
generally very small, single and crimson in 
colour. The labels are all humbug. My 
advice is to look askance at all named 
plants carried by hawkers. They know that 
a plant with a name is worth half-a-dozen 
unnamed, and so they do their best to 
satisfy the demand. 
Violas and Pansies. 
Violas and Pansies, if obtained from a 
specialist, may be relied upon. The cheap 
stuff sold in the streets is often very, very 
poor. Plants in bloom are generally offered 
but it is by no means the best plan to pur¬ 
chase at such a time. A reliable nursery¬ 
man keeps a good strain, and can meet one's 
wants, either in -the named or unnamed line. 
Gladioli. 
Gladioli corms should be brought from 
their winter quarters, and if the soil is in 
the right condition, planted right away. 
Keep the crowns four inches below the sur¬ 
face, and bury the corm in sand, if possible. 
Clay’s Fertiliser or bone flour ate first rate, 
if a teaspoonful is stirred at the bottom of 
the hole before placing the sand and corm. 
On cold soilSj especially if the flowers are 
wanted early, it is a good plan to start the 
corms in pots in a warm frame. Use deep 
pots. 
Begonias. 
See that Begonia tubers in frames are 
kept just mo'ist. Do not saturate, however, 
I have heard from several growers that 
Begonias have kept rather badly this past 
winter. If this is so with readers, an early 
purchase of fresh -stock is advisable. Seed 
boxes, too, should have attention in the way 
of shading, watering, etc. 
Half-Hardy Annuals. 
Half-hardy annuals may still be sown, 
with every chance of success. Indeed, 
-there is less chance of damping off now that 
longer days are with us. These who 
would like a later batch of Pansies should 
sow a good strain in a cool frame. The 
resultant plants will come in well later on, 
and if necessary may be cut back after 
flowering, after which they will flower in 
late autumn and stand well through next 
winter. 
It is a good idea to make a final perusal 
of plant lists before the season advances. 
One not infrequently finds an odd corner 
which has not been taken into consideration, 
and a glance through a catalogue may dis¬ 
close something that will just fit the case. 
Always aim at having something different 
from your neighbour’s. If the landlord 
builds a row of houses exactly alike, there 
is no reason why each garden should con- 
tain the same kinds of plants. 
Chrysanthemums. 
Do not forget that the present is a good 
time to order early flowering Chrysanthe¬ 
mums. There are plenty of good varieties 
at very cheap rates, and a garden without 
’Mums in September and October will not 
show up very brightly. 
Sowing Grass Seed. 
Where soil is workable, and has firmed 
down, grass seed may be sown. Only a very 
little soil need be scattered over the seed". 
The plot of course must be thoroughly 
rolled before sowing, but it should be stirred 
a little with a rake, to break up the smooth¬ 
ness. Roll after Sowing, but the soil must 
be right or it will stick. 
Lawns. 
Roll and well sweep lawns, prior to bring- 
ing out the mower. The latter should be 
tested as to its working powers, before the 
mowing time comes in real earnest. 
