2 52 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
attracting a considerable amount of atten¬ 
tion at Sydenham. The Superintendent, 
Mr. G. Dray, is to be congratulated upon 
the arrangement and planting of this bed 
last year. 
-- 
Pear Midge Pest. 
The examination of Pear trees during 
May for the Pear midge pest,.even though 
there may be no reason to suspect its 
existence, is urged by the Royal Agri¬ 
cultural Society, in order to check it be¬ 
fore it has obtained a hold on the orchards. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
Flower --- 
Border 
- Edgings. 
A few uncommon flower border edgings 
in addition to the more ordinary ones 
mentioned in the interesting article on 
p. 126 of The Gardening World will 
perhaps interest amateur gardeners own¬ 
ing small gardens. 
A most charming and uncommon 
edging can be made with the Dwarf 
Bearded Irises, sometimes called Hybrid 
Crimean Irises. Always looking nice, 
they flower from the end of March until 
May, and can be had in many shades of 
blue and yellow, though the best effect 
would be gained, perhaps, with the pure 
sky-blue blossoms of pumila caerulea. 
Galax aphylla, the North American 
Wand Plant or Carpenter’s Leaf, would 
make another delightful edging; its 
beautifully shaded bronze and red leaves, 
so useful for cutting, are at their best 
during autumn and winter, while numer¬ 
ous white flowers appear in early summer. 
Though growing best in peat, it does well 
in good garden soil with a liberal allow¬ 
ance of silver sand. It can be raised 
from seed or propagated by division of the 
roots. A very good effect could be ob¬ 
tained by using this plant with white 
Pinks, for the silvery foliage of the Pinks 
would contrast well with the bronze leaves 
of the Galax. 
Alpine Phloxes of the subulata section 
make pretty edgings for sunny border. 
Place a few stones round the necks of the 
plants to keep their roots moist, as Alpine 
Phloxes delight in positions fully exposed 
to the sun with moist root runs. They 
will repay a little trouble being covered 
with bloom in early summer, and are 
easily propagated by cuttings, taken 
directly the plants have flowered, placed 
in sandy soil and kept moist and shaded 
until rooted. 
Various dwarf Campanulas make charm¬ 
ing edgings. The best for this purpose 
are the blue and the white varieties of 
Campanula carpatica. They are easily 
raised from seed, or old plants can be 
divided. 
Beautiful edgings can be made with 
Saxifraga hypnoides, which provides a de¬ 
lightful fresh green all the winter, while 
in spring it is a sheet of white blossom. 
Most of the mossy Saxifrages can be used 
in the same way. 
Other plants suitable for edgings are 
Auriculas, Veronica rupestris, \eronica 
taurica, tufted Pansies- — best in masses of 
self colours— Aubrietias, and Stonecrops 
of various kinds. A. C. D. 
April 13, 1907. 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
column short letters discussing any gar¬ 
dening subject. 
Letters must not exceed 150 words each in 
length, and must be written on one side 
o 1 the paper only. 
Twi Prizes of zs. 6d. each will be 
awa-ded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the best. 
Vines and Ventilation. 
Regarding the above, a few remarks 
mav be of benefit at this season of the 
year. When the young shoots and leaves 
of the Vines are tender and sensitive to 
sudden changes of temperature, the 
greatest care should be exercised regard¬ 
ing outside conditions, changes of tem¬ 
perature, etc. Be careful during cold 
windy days, especially when the wind is 
blowing from points north to, east; rather 
let the insid^ temperature rise consider¬ 
ably above the required point than have a 
great volume of cold air rushing in 
through the ventilators. When air is 
necessary, commence by opening the ven¬ 
tilators a little at a time, and shut them 
down in a similar manner when possible. 
Avoid draughts of cold air, as no end of 
trouble arises from these. Top and bot¬ 
tom ventilators should not be used except 
when perfectly satisfied with outside tem¬ 
perature, which should be at 60 deg. or 
over. 
Middlesex. H. Ross. 
Reducing Overgrown Hedges. 
However closely hedges are trimmed, 
they always have' a tendency to increase 
in size. Cutting them back to reason¬ 
able dimensions is most necessary, even 
though it render them unsightly for a 
short time. The tools required for this 
work comprise a smali sharp saw, a pair 
of secateurs, and ordinary garden shears, 
long handled shears with short blades 
being very convenient. Deciduous 
hedges can be cut as soon as the leaf has 
fallen; evergreen hedges just before new' 
growth commences. Begin by stretching 
a garden line at the right height, and cut 
dowm to that level. The hedge is now 
flat topped. Place the line along the top 
to denote centre, and cut the sides to the 
form desired. A hedge should be com- 
parativelv broad at the bottom and narrow 
at the top. Another line may be used to 
indicate the w'idth at base, a rod leaning 
from it to the centre indicating the slope. 
Crawley. J- C. 
Advantages of Keeping a Diary. 
In keeping a diary there are various 
ways of achieving the benefits to be gained 
therefrom. For instance, in the case of 
under-gardeners in both large and small 
establishments, where a large number of 
bulbs are forced each year, especially 
Tulips, I myself have had considerable 
trouble among early and late sorts, some 
varieties forcing readily, while others will 
not force at all. This is a case in point 
where a pocket diary is found valuable, 
to make notes of such things, and so avoid 
repeating a mistake another season. I 
have often heard the remark passed: 
“What good is a diary to under¬ 
gardeners ?” I say it is a great advan¬ 
tage, and many little difficulties may V. 
overcome by dotting down any little iten 
of interest that the human brain is boun 
to forget in the course of a year, 
would like to advise all readers who hav 
not secured one of The GaRDENIX 
-World Diaries, to obtain one. It 
v'orth double the trifle that is asked for 1 
J. N. 
Henley-on-Thames. 
Rose Dorothy Perkins. 
In cultivating the above the groan 
should be deeply trenched previous t 
planting, while the soil should consist t 
good heavy loam. Plant early in Marc! 
preferably in round beds five feet acros: 
and five plants to each bed. Arrange tli 
plants round the margin of the bed an 
train in balloon shape. All that will 1 : 
required for support will be an iron ro 
six feet high in the middle of the bed, t 
which to tie the tops. When youn 
growths appear great care should be take 
to prevent damage by tying in loosel; 
cutting out all weak shoots and leavin 
five of the strongest to each plant. 
soon as the plants have finished flov'erin 
old wood should be cut out and ne 
growths tied in. I have a fine bed treate 
this way, w'hich gives a mass of pale pin 
blossom from the middle of July till tl 
end of August. A great mistake is mac 
by overcrowding. Select those_ youn 
shoots, if possible, which come from tl 
ground. 
T. Preston. 
Wilminster. 
Treatment of Primulas. 
The most suitable times for sowing ai 
April and May. Sow in well dramei 
shallow pans, pots, or bo'xes, in a mixtui 
of equal parts of leaf mould, peat, ar 
sand, and cover lightly with fine soil < 
sand. Cover with a square of glass ; 
preserve moisture, and protect the seed 
A temperature of about 55 degs. is mo 
favourable to their germination. So soc 
as the seedlings appear, remove the gla 
gradually, and place them on a gree: 
house shelf. When the plants have forme 
three leaves, prick off into small pots, ar 
as soon as these are filled with roots, shi 
again into larger pots. For the last shi 
use a mixture of equal parts of pea 
loam, and rotten manure, or leaf mou 
and sand. Let the base of the plan 
rest on the soil; they must not be burie 
and it is a good plan to place three snu 
stakes around the crowns to keep tl 
plants steady, for they get top heavy wi 
foliage and bloom. A temperature of 
to 55 degrees is not only suitable f 
growth, but also for blooming. 
8 E. Relf. 
Boughton Monchelsea. 
