284 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
April 27, 1907. 
in having slightly less formal and more 
pointed flowers. Although the colours are 
practically similar, the two varieties are 
distinguishable by the form of the flower. 
Joost vani Vondel has rather a longer 
flower than the other, and in spring bed¬ 
ding arrangements is indispensable where 
contrast is desired. 
Both of these varieties belong to the 
section known as early single Tulips which 
bloom in April, a month in advance of the 
Darwin Tulips, and those of the English 
florists’ type. By those employing these 
two types a display can be maintained ex¬ 
tending over two months. The earlier of 
these two sets just follows the flowering 
of the Hyacinths and Daffodils, or rather 
a few of the earliest, would precede the 
Hyacinths. It would be well to remind 
readers that the best effects are produced 
by having beds or masses of one colour 
in preference to mixing them up irregu¬ 
larly. 
-++*- 
Runner Beans. 
A Letter 
To the Editor. 
The time for sowing Runner Beans 
being almost at hand, I would like to 
recommend Webb’s Eclipse as a variety 
well worthy of cultivation. I have tried 
many kinds of Runner Beans, but find 
Eclipse a decided improvement on all 
others. It is an immense cropper, the 
pods are large, fleshy, of excellent flavour, 
and they retain their crispness a con¬ 
siderable time on the vine. As an exhibi¬ 
tion Bean it is very valuable, the pods 
often measuring from 12 to 14 inches in 
length. J. Murby. 
Bracknell. 
Main Crop Peas. 
Sowing in .... 
Shallow Trenches. 
The fact that Peas are very gross feeders 
is sometimes lost sight of by amateur 
growers. The practice of sowing in shallow 
trenches in all except very heavy soils has 
much to commend it, ensuring, as it does, 
a direct supply of nutriment to the plants, 
and also obviating the necessity of much 
watering during very hot weather in sum¬ 
mer. Mildew, which sometimes appears 
in hot, dry weather, may be generally re¬ 
garded as a proof that the plants are 
suffering from a deficiency of food in the 
soil. The trench system of sowing over¬ 
comes this difficulty. These trenches 
should be prepared in much the same way 
as for Celery, except that they need not be 
quite so deep, a width of 12 ins. or there¬ 
abouts and the same in depth should be 
taken out, and a layer of three or four 
inches of thoroughly rotten manure placed 
in the bottom, covering it with the major 
portion of the soil taken out, thus leaving 
a slight depression the whole length of the 
. line to be sown. The seeds should be 
sown thinly and evenly, thick sowing being 
very detrimental to the well-doing of the 
plants. As regards varieties every grower 
has his own particular favourites, but for 
extra late picking Gladstone, Sutton’s 
Latest of All, Ne Plus Ultra, and Auto¬ 
crat are very hard to beat. 
A. Ashmore. 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
Column short letters discussing any gar¬ 
dening subject. 
Letters should not exceed 150 vtords each 
m length, and must be written on one 
side of the paper only. 
Two Prizes of 2s. 6d. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the best. 
Birds and Young Seedlings. 
Now that seed sowing is in full swing 
a few words as to the enemies of young 
seedlings may be appreciated. The spar¬ 
row, especially the town variety, is ex¬ 
ceedingly -fond of tearing up the tiny 
plants as soon as a speck of green appears 
above ground. Those who have watched 
this bird carefully know that some are 
torn up out of sheer mischief, for, as soon 
as they are out it drops them ruthlessly to 
continue its work of destruction. Cotton 
has been found the best preventive. 
Black is to be preferred, for, being nearer 
the colour of soil, the bird cannot see it 
so well. Stretched along the side of rows 
of seedlings a few inches from the ground 
the sparrow strikes -against it, and goes 
off again faster than he came. <One or 
two such frights and the birds leave your 
garden for one where there is nothing to 
alarm them. 
Albert A. Kerridge. 
Chippenham. 
Trimming Edges. 
When trimming Box edgings alongside 
gravel paths all loose gravel should first 
be cleared back for some distance from 
the Box in order to facilitate cleaning 
up. Many amateurs might, however, 
adopt another plan, whereby they could 
leave off work at a few minutes’ notice and 
still have the walk tidy. A 6ft. length of 
scrim—or any material convenient— 
should be laid over the gravel close up to 
the roots of the edging to be trimmed ; this 
will catch all the clippings that fall on 
the walk, and then, when a length of this 
extent has been cut the whole is easily 
emptied 'into a barrow and scrim laid 
down for another length of trimming. A 
long length of edging can thus be cut at 
intervals, as time permits without leaving 
any mess, the material for catching the 
clippings being quite as useful on the 
landward side as on walk side of edging. 
G. F. 
Callander. 
Anthurium scherzerianum. 
This plant belongs to the natural order 
of Aroids, a class of plants which has given 
us some of our finest ornamental foliage. 
I think it ought to be grown by anyone 
who has a stove or warm house, as it is of 
dwarf habit, and not likely to take up 
much room where space is valuable. The 
leaves are of a sombre green colour, and 
of leathery texture, with a. light coloured 
mid-rib, above which stands the flower of 
a bright brilliant scarlet. It is a very free 
bloomer, and continues in flower for about 
four months. It is of easy culture. The 
best time to repot it is in the autumn. In 
potting lay a large piece of crock over the 
bottom, and upon that a layer of smaller 
pieces, adding some pieces of sand stones. 
The drainage should be about one-third 
of the depth of the pot. The compost 
should consist of fibrous peat, scalded to 
kill insects, and when dry, broken into 
pieces about the size of hen’s eggs, and 
adding some chopped sphagnum moss, 
and charcoal. Work in the compost care¬ 
fully amongst the roots, press it down 
firmly as it goes in, and so proceed till the 
pot is full. Heap up the centre, keeping 
the plant well above the rim of the pot. 
The proportions should be about two of 
fibrous peat, two of sphagnum moss, and 
one of charcoal. Syringe the plants twice 
a day in the summer, and give shade when 
the sun begins to get powerful, also give 
liquid manure when the plants are throw¬ 
ing up their flower spikes. 
F. F. 
Leamington Spa. 
A Useful Vegetable. 
I have read with great interest the 
articles that have appeared in your valu¬ 
able paper. It is very encouraging for 
young readers to try their hand in the 
competition. At this time of the year it 
is often an awkward job to find a boiling 
of vegetables. After the recent frost most 
of the vegetables perished. I would re¬ 
commend to any of your readers a good 
Cabbage which in this district has been 
found to be very useful and in excellent 
condition just now, viz., Christmas Drum¬ 
head, advertised by all the leading seeds¬ 
men. I find it does well if the seed is 
sown during the first week in April on 
nice light soil. When -the plants are large 
enough to transplant, plant them where 
early Potatos have been grown. The 
method is quite simple, and by so doing 
a good and useful vegetable can be ob¬ 
tained. J. Burnell. 
Wharfedale. 
Cankered Marechal Niel Rose. 
Most Rose growers know how liable this 
Rose is to canker, but I do not think it 
is generally known that it is an easy 
matter to root it from the affected parts. 
It is very annoying to have a fine plant 
gradually dying from canker,, perhaps in 
several places. In the spring, say, April 
or May, get some moss and tie it round 
the cankered parts and keep it moist by 
syringing or the water-can. In a few 
weeks roots will be seen pushing through 
the moss. Then get a 5-inch pot and cul 
it in two down the sides, an old saw 01 
file will do it. Place round the moss anc 
fasten in position with wire. Then ge 
some loam and silver sand, mixed to¬ 
gether, and fill the pot; make rather firm 
and keep moist as before. In a short time 
the pot will be full of roots, and may be 
severed from the old plant, and if kepi 
in a warm house it will soon become es¬ 
tablished ; it should then be placed in a 
larger pot. 
Marechal Niel. 
