248 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 6, 1907. 
YUCCAS 
(ADAM’S NEEDLES). 
An article showing how to 
cultivate these fine plants 
and naming some of the 
best varieties to grow. 
These plants, which have so charac¬ 
teristic and distinct an effect when pro¬ 
perly placed in groups or singly in a gar¬ 
den or lawn, are not sufficiently grown or 
appreciated. As they are quite hardy and 
easily satisfied with ordinary soil, they are 
just what anyone looking for something 
out of the way wants. The plant be¬ 
longs to the natural order Liliaceae, and 
is a native of the United States, Mexico, 
and Central America. The variety Yucca 
gloriosa comes from Virginia, the land 
of Tobacco and Puritan romance. There 
are many quaint stories about the flower¬ 
ing of Yuccas. One gardener who has 
been working at his trade for thirty years 
to'd me that during that time he only saw 
three of them in bloom. He was of 
opinion that these plants only flowered 
once every seven years. Another, who was 
equallv versed in plant lore assured me 
that they bloomed but once in a hundred 
years. Last year a very fine plant of 
Yucca gloriosa superba bloomed here 
(Holywood, Co. Down! in the garden of 
Mr. W. J. Gilliland, architect, but I re¬ 
gretted very much that I was on a holiday, 
so did not see its magnificent flower spike. 
The cultivation of Yuccas seems very 
simple, but those who aim at having the 
best results must of course be thorough. 
The ground should be trenched very 
deeplv and 'veil drained, plenty of well 
decayed manure, brick and mortar rubble, 
and good loam and sand being incor¬ 
porated with it. It is very essential that 
a position facing the full sun should be 
chosen, such as, for instance, a south or 
south-west aspect, the site must also be 
absolutely free from all draughts, and pro¬ 
tected from winds or storms, while a back¬ 
ground of evergreens, such as Hollies, 
Laurels, Aucubas, or Barberries, is desir¬ 
able in order to set off the plants and show 
up their beautv. They are equally at 
home on the verges of lawns in the hardy 
border associated with Bamboos andKniph- 
ofias ; the larger ornamental grasses also 
give a tropical appearance to the rock 
garden growing side by side with Funkias, 
Pulmon,arias, hardy Aloes, and the giant 
Saxifrages of the Megasea section. A 
world-renowned authority, Thomas Smith, 
of Newry, informs me that the following 
varieties may be relied upon as being 
hardy anywhere :—Yucca filamentosa and 
varieties, Y. gloriosa and varieties, Y. 
plicata and Y. recurva. These always 
thrive best in a dry soil which contains an 
abundance of old brick and mortar rubble. 
In mild localities by the seaside with 
plenty of exposure but free from blustery' 
winds, the following may be used and 
would grow satisfactorily: Yucca angusti- 
folia, Y. cornuta, P". floribunda, Y. 
gracillima, Y. treculeana, Y. vomerensis, 
and Y. whippleyi. 
To give a description of the different 
varieties would require more space than is 
permitted. Some are partial to lime and 
sand, and others to rich loam. The fol¬ 
lowing is a list of the best hardy varieties 
in cultivation, and any'persons interested 
in the culture can obtain the name of a 
nurseryman who stocks them all: — Yucca 
aloefolia, Y. andreana, Y. angustifolia, 
Y. besmettiana, Y. brevifolia, Y. cornuta, 
Y. filamentosa, Y. f. flaccida, Y. f. rigida, 
Y. f. variegata, Y. floribunda variegata, 
Y. glaucescens variegata, Y. gloriosa 
variegata, Y. g. gracilis, Y. g. variegata, 
Y. gracillima, Y. pilosa, Y. plicata glauca, 
Y. procera, Y. recurva (pendula), Y. re¬ 
curva elegantissima, Y. treculeana, Y. 
vomerensis, Y. whippleyi, and Y. whip- 
plevi glauca. 
Since writing the above a correspondent 
informs me that it is a chance of a life¬ 
time to see a Yucca in flower, but where 
they are grown in quantities that is a fre¬ 
quent occurrence, some varieties even 
blooming two years in succession. 
Walter Smyth. 
-- 
Sweet Peas. 
Letter to the Editor. 
Sir,—I feel I must put in a word of con¬ 
gratulation for the excellent number dated 
February 2. The supplement is charm¬ 
ingly done. 
One or two points regarding the Sweet 
Pea articles in that number I should like 
to comment upon. The writers handle 
the subject with some skill, although they 
do not touch upon all the varieties. 
I observe that Mr. Duncan refers to 
George Stark as being a carmine 
Spencer, which it certainly is not. Al¬ 
though derived from Enchantress and 
Coccinea, it is not a Spencer, nor is it a 
Carmine. It is an improved Prince of 
Wales. 
Ivy Miller referred to is but a shade 
lighter than Phenomenal, so that its 
omission from the lists this year is not 
very regrettable. 
Mr. Duncan is in error in quoting Mrs. 
Carter as a 1907 novelty. Bunting Co. 
will not offer it until next year, when 
it will be called Sweet Lavender. It is 
the best lavender Spencer that has been) 
shown. 
As it is generally conceded that the 
Spencer and Unwin types differ some¬ 
what, I might point out that H. J. Jones’ 
quartet are of the Unwin type. 
Mrs. Chic Homes is a rosy mauve, not 
maroon. 
Rosy Morn is not sent out by House, 
but by Cannells. It would be interesting 
to know if Mr. Duncan has seen an 
American variety named Nymphaea. I 
should not be surprised to find The Fairy 
the same thing. 
Is Mr. Dravson quite certain that several 
growers staged a wavy white as Nora 
Unwin? There were a number of wavy 
whites, but they had different names, and 
when the award was made, Nora Unwin 
was passed. Nora Unwin, although a 
pretty flower, has never been shown with 
substance equalling Dorothy Eckford. It 
is. the latter’s wonderful purity that will 
prove the stumbling block for the wavy 
varieties. 
Respecting Mrs. Chas. Foster, I might 
point out that Mr. Sydenham purchased 
the joint stocks of Bolton and Bakers. 
When this variety was first shown, it was 
as Mr. Drayson suggests, a pure lavender. 
As grown and shown last year, it wasl 
several shades darker, although retaining 
its wavy form. HoRTI. 
-f+4- 
Moving Plants in Summer. 
We cannot always choose our moving 
time, and we like, if we are fond of our 
plants, to take them with us. Twice we 
have had to move in summer, once in 
July and the following year in June. The 
first time the ground was so dry we had 
to soak it with water before we could get 
the things out, and again when planting. 
We moved Hollies, Euonymus, Yew, 
Syringa, Veronica, Roses, Ferns, Goose¬ 
berry bushes, Michaelmas Daisies, peren¬ 
nial Sunflowers, Delphinium, Phlox, 
Pinks, Thrift, Snapdragons, Lilies, Holly¬ 
hocks, in bud, and other plants. After 
the first move showery weather set in 
directly and the garden was soon pretty. 
The second time it was dry for some 
weeks, and we gave a good dash of water 
at the roots every night. Never let them 
get dry or wither, pack in baths and 
soak with water, if time must pass be¬ 
tween taking up and planting again. 
Caversham. S. A. H. 
Perennial Phlox in Pots. 
These beautiful though often neglected 
flowers make splendid pot plants for the 
greenhouse if treated after the manner of 
Chrysanthemums. Cuttings should be 
taken as soon as they are about two 
inches long and rooted in small pots. As 
soon as they fill these with roots shift them 
into six inch pots, using good loam two 
parts and well rotted manure one part. 
When these are well filled with roots com¬ 
mence feeding with weak liquid manure, 
and gradually increase its strength until 
the flowers show colour. From the time 
they are struck until the flowers commence 
to expand they must be grown outside 
and only put in the greenhouse to finish. 
Grown in this way they make huge trusses 
of bloom perfect in colour, especially 
when shaded from bright sunshine. They 
should never be allowed to want for 
water. 
Canterbury. A. DENNETT. 
Feed the Plants. 
Harvey's “ Fertilo ” is to plants what food 
is to the body. “ Fertilo ” is plant food. It 
contains the essential proportions of Nitrogen, 
Potash, and Phosphates, and, acting as a 
fertiliser through the soil, it develops, 
strengthens, and nourishes all plants. Users 
of “Fertilo” confirm our claim, and tell us 
they get healthier and more abundant crops, 
better fruit, and more beautiful blooms than 
before they used it. 
Mr. R. Beck, The Lodge, Ham Manor, New¬ 
bury, Berks, says: “I have tried ‘ Fertilo’ on 
Strawberries, Begonias, Potatoes and Tomatoes 
with excellent results." 
Hundreds of amateur and professional 
gardeners speak just as enthusiastically of 
the wonderful results following the use of 
“Fertilo.” It is cheap and economical in use. 
4lb., is. 4d. ; 7lb , 2s. ; 141b., 3s. ; 281b., 4s. 6d.; 
561b.,8s.: icwt., 15s. If you cannot get Harvey’s 
“Fertilo” from your local seedsman, we will 
send it carriage paid. —J. P. Harvey & Co., 
Dept. 6, Kidderminster. 
