3S4 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 8, 1907. 
There is so much work on hand this 
month that one does not know what to 
turn to first. Maiden plants are now 
growing freely, and, as mentioned last 
month, it is a question of tie, tie, tie, 
or else irreparable damage will be done 
when the first strong wind blows. Stan¬ 
dard maiden plants are the most awkwafd 
things to manage in an exposed situation, 
-but by splitting a bamboo cane in half 
and fastening it securely to the stock it 
can be placed so that the young growths 
can be easily fastened to it as.they develop. 
Suckers are always troublesome about this 
time of the year, and this is especially 
the case with standard stocks that have 
been budded and the buds remain dor¬ 
mant until late in the season as does some¬ 
times happen. Foster-Melliar says that 
where this occurs it generally means that 
“there is something amiss with them, and 
they are not likely to form good plants.” 
However, there are exceptions to every 
rule, and one of the best plants now in 
my garden suffered from this “ suspended 
animation ” at first. Both aphis and mil¬ 
dew are sure to make their appearance 
this month if they have not already done 
so. The former may be quickly checked 
with the quassia solution, directions to 
make this were given in the. “G.W . ”-for 
May 5th. 1906. Quassia soap and para¬ 
ffin soap can be readily purchased, and 
both are excellent remedies. “ Abol,” too, is 
most deadly, and does not hurt the ten- 
derest leafage. Use as fine a rose on the 
syringe or nozzle of the sprayer as pos¬ 
sible, it makes the spray so much more 
efficacious. In dealing with mildew do 
not wait until the fungus has got a com¬ 
plete hold of the plants. Start and spray 
early with sulphide of potassium or the 
Mo-Effic Mildew Destroyer. It is a very 
good plan when spraying with the quassia 
solution for green fly to mix some sul¬ 
phide of potassium along with it. This 
kills two birds with one stone—two pests 
with one spraying. The sulphide will 
destroy any chance of mildew spore that 
happens to be commencing operations on 
the leaves and stems. I have previously 
given full directions as to the best manner 
in which to prepare a solution of sulphide 
of potassium. Those who do not want 
this bother had best write to the Mo-Effic 
Chemical Co., 55, Brook Street, Brad¬ 
ford, Yorks., for some of the mildew des¬ 
troyer. It is the most efficient fungicide 
that I have ever had to deal_ with, and I 
am using it now for the second season 
with excellent results. 
Watering, hoeing, thinning and disbud¬ 
ding will’be other items'that'will help to 
keep the rosarian busy all through this 
month. Newly planted Brier stocks may 
have all the surplus shoots removed save 
the three best at or near the top. Plants 
that look unkind and are not making 
headway will be considerably helped with 
a sprinkling of nitrate of potash around 
them, but keep it away from the leaves. 
Exhibitors must look up their botxes, tubes, 
shades, and other paraphernalia prepara¬ 
tory for the “wars of the Roses.” 
Arthur R. Goodwin. 
Worcestershire. 
- - 
St. Paul’s Gardens. 
The maintenance of St. Paul's, London, 
gardens cost the City authorities last year 
/175 for police, and ^98 for the gar¬ 
deners. 
The Flower Garden. 
Sweet Peas. 
In May the enthusiasm of Sweet Pea lovers 
will run very high, for during this month 
a great change will take place in the 
plants. So spake Mr. G. F. Drayson, but 
I cannot but think that he wrote the par 
ahead of time, or he is fortunate in having 
a garden that is not wind swept. On the 
same day that I read his interesting Sweet 
Pea notes, a London daily published a wire 
from my own district to the effect that all 
vegetation was at a standstill, and every¬ 
thing very backward. I wish I could get 
my Sweet Peas 18 or 24 inches high by the 
end of May. Even on warm soils and bet¬ 
ter situations several miles away from my 
place spring-sown plants are never one foot 
high by the end of May, and so far as my 
experience goes it is only possible with au¬ 
tumn-sown plants on light soils. For three 
years past my notebook records that Sweet 
Peas set out in early April made prac¬ 
tically- no move unltil the first week in June. 
This season my plants were bigger and bet¬ 
ter than usual, but the great majority on 
the 25th of May were no more advanced 
than they were on the 6th of April, save 
that many were breaking from the bottom, 
and I venture to think that the bulk of 
spring-sown stuff in most parts of the coun¬ 
try was on a par with my own at the date 
mentioned. Sweet Peas sown early and 
treated coolly seem to require from 12 to 
14 weeks to make five inches of growth. 
After planting out they remain stationary 
until June is well nigh in The latter 
month is the time to see them grow, and 
I have often measured from 1^ to 2 inches 
of growth per day. Several amateurs have 
complained of their plants dying back after 
planting out, and in my opinion this is 
chiefly due to planting too deeply. The 
s-eed is not much more than one inch deep 
in the pots, and it is, I think, a mistake 
to plant deeper right away. I prefer shal¬ 
low trenches, and draw earth in when the 
plants are growing well. Deeper planting 
than that in the pots causes rotting at the 
collar, or checks the leading shoot, so that 
the basal growths start earlier than they 
would do. In most cases I find that the 
leading growth becomes a waster if the bot¬ 
tom growths appear too soon. 
Two troubles that have not yet shown 
themselves are maggot and spot. Last year 
at this time maggot- was .damaging a lot of 
them, and spot disease made an attempt to 
gain a footing. Pea growers will do well 
to watch for these' troubles. Hand picking 
is the onlj" remedy for maggot. Bordeaux 
mixture is the thing for spot. 
Roses. 
Speaking of maggot reminds me that this 
same pest is having high jinks among the 
Roses. I do not think there has ever been 
a worse season, for the pest swarms in some 
places.' If there is anything that makes me 
savage it is when a maggot gets in amongst 
the newly budded stocks. In the hurrv and 
bustle one is likely to forget these, only to 
discover later that a maggot has been at 
work. 
Roses, some more than others, have a ten¬ 
dency to push triple growths from one eye 
or bud. To my mind it is a mistake to al¬ 
low them to remain, and I always remove 
two, of'one if there are only two, and thus 
make sure of a strong shoot. Thgse wh 
have practised budding will doubtless hav 
noticed that some sorts burst away from th 
stock just as growth commences, and, moi 
often than not, these bursters die, and so 
season is lost. I have always found tha 
these bursters push two or three shoots fror 
the bud. Frau Karl Druschki is a terro 
for so doing, and I find that by keepin • 
the buds to one growth only bursting rarel 
occurs. 
Dahlias. 
Dahlias are beginning to make rapi 
strides in places, and they must be cor 
stantly looked after. Allow only one growl 
from the (bottom, and select three shoot f 
from this. These are ample, in fact quit ’ 
as many and better flowers can be obtaine 
from this style c-f plant than one that : 
allowed to send up half-a-dozen main stem.- 
Dahlias are prolific in making shoots froi 
the leaf axils, therefore a lot of growth if 
unneeded at the base. Earwigs are on th 
warpath, and they must be trapped, eithe 
.by the use of hollow Bean stalks or screwed 
up paper. I prefer Bean stalks, as the ir t 
sects may be blown into a pot of petroleun 
Carnations. 
'Carnations often send up one stem onlt 
but it produces a lot of buds. If goo- 
flowers and nice stems- are wanted, the bud 
must be thinned out. Stakes must be give 
where wanted. My herbaceous borders ar 
beginning to look like a forest of sticks, bu 
it is better to set out the stakes before the 
are needed than. wait. Often pressure 0 
other work prevents this attention just whe 
needed. The true gardener always has - 
bit of raffia in his pocket, and when he see 
a plant needing a tie he can do it on th 
spot if the stake is in position. 
Christmas Roses. 
A plant in the border that needs a littl 
attention is the Helebore or Christmas Rose 
This is a good time to divide or to plan 
new stocks. These plants need to be wel 
established if they are to make good bud 
for next -winter. ^Planting out of beddin • 
stuff is in vog.ue "^pretty much at this time 
and the general run of stuff may go out i 1 
well inured to the open air. 
Begonias. 
Begonias have grown rapidly of late, an 
good tough plants are better for being i 
the ground. If the foliage gets too big i 
suffers considerably. To make sure of .a 
even bed. the slow growers may be kept i 
the frames awhile longer. If they are al 
set out together the laggards never catch u 
with the more forward ones. 
Pentstemons. 
I never found Pentstemons more loth t 
grow than they are this season. A littl 
nitrate of soda and constant hoeing wil 
help them along. Pinch those that do nc ( 
break naturally. 
Thinning Asters, etc. 
Plants like perennial Asters and Boltoni 
asteroides are rare things to make shoots 
They pay for being thinned, however. 
Phloxes. 
Phloxes want the same attention. I regre 
that I can find no cure for the peculiar con 
t’orted growths' in herbaceous Phloxes. B 
cutting such shoots right away, as soon a 
seen the plants sometimes get over it' 
