410 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
. . Growing . . 
Cinerarias. 
If early plants of this popular flower are 
desired, the seed should be sown in April 
or early in May, and the young plants 
grown on without a check of any kind. 
To do this requires care, but the results 
amply repay for the trouble, for the dif¬ 
ference between well grown and neglected 
plants has only to be seen to be appre¬ 
ciated. 
Sow the seed in well-drained pans, 
using a compost of three-sixths loam, 
two-sixths leaf mould and one-sixth sand. 
Place the coarser parts next the drainage, 
and use the finer to fill up the pot, 
making it firm but not hard, leaving a 
space of three-quarters of an inch below 
the rim. Level the surface by pressing 
it lightly with the bottom of a flower pot. 
Water the soil with a fine rose, and let 
it drain for one hour. Take small 
pinches of the seed, and distribute it 
evenly over the surface, remembering that 
a quarter of an inch is not to® much 
space for one plant ere it leaves the seed 
pan. 
Place the pans in a cold frame facing 
north, on a bed of coal ashes, or in a 
greenhouse where direct sunlight does not 
reach them, and cover with glass until the 
seedlings appear, when air may be given 
by tilting the glass, removing it altogether 
as the plants become stronger. 
The young plants may be transplanted 
when they have made three leaves. Use 
three-inch pots, placing four plants in 
each, fixing them firmly in the soil, and 
then returning them to the frame and 
watering them with a fine rose. Keep 
the frame close and shaded until growtn 
commences again, when less shade and 
more air will be necessary. As soon as 
the leaves meet, re-pot again, placing 
them separately in four or five-inch pots, 
using more loamy and rather coarser soil. 
During hot weather, shade during the 
middle of the day, and give jrlent'y of air 
at all times. The plants may droop a 
little, even when the soil in the pots is wet, 
but do not give more water to the roots, 
but spray lightly overhead, and they will 
soon recover. 
If large plants are desired, re-pot as 
often as the roots encircle the inside of 
the pot, but for ordinary purposes one 
more shift into six-inch pots about 
August will be sufficient. As the pots 
become filled with roots, weak manure 
water may be used once a week, or a half¬ 
teaspoonful of some reliable fertiliser 
sprinkled on the surface once a fortnight. 
Lessen the shading as the sun loses its 
power. 
The earliest plants may be brought into 
the greenhouse about the middle of 
October. Later ones may remain in the 
frames, if protected from frost, until room 
can be found for them after the earliest 
Chrysanthemums are over. 
Green fly is sometimes troublesome, 
but can easily be prevented by fumi¬ 
gating once a month. 
J- c. 
Primula Unique. 
The above is a hybrid between P. pul- 
verulenta and P. cockburniana. The 
combination of colours of the parents has 
given rise to an orange-crimson hue, the 
orange being derived from the last named 
parent, which is unique amongst Primu¬ 
las in the matter of colour, being of an 
intense orange. Award of Merit to 
Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons at the Temple 
Show. The flowers are produced in three 
or four whorls on a stem. 
To Keep away Flies and Fleas. 
Flies are said to dislike the scent of the 
Geranium flower, Walnut leaves, and the 
Eucalyptus plant. The aromatic scent of 
dried Fennel seeds is also used for keep¬ 
ing flies out of a room Tomatos are often 
trained up the sides of a vinery or con¬ 
servatory to keep out flies and other in¬ 
sects, and prevent the spread of Ted spider 
and green fly. Flea Bane is stated to 
drive away fleas and other insects, and 
dried Wormwood strewed in rooms will, it 
is asserted, rid the apartments of fleas and 
ants. 
- G. W. - 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS.— Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,! any article or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to each competition should be care¬ 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OFTEN SHILLINGS will be given 
for the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making <-Le award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
folk wing date of issue. .Entries received later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
the following week. 
Two prizes of 2s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
-150 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. • 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ Con.” for the article on “ Apri¬ 
cots,” page 394. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ D. V. B. ” for the article 
on “Lobelia tenuior ” ; and another to “Mrs. 
D°nnett ” for the article on “ Bluebells,” 
page 396. 
June 22, 1907 
— Cropping Young — 
Fruit Trees, 
To be successful in the cultivation 
the choicer fruits, such, for instance, , 
the Peach and Cherry, it is necessary 
make oneself acquainted with their chi: 
characteristics or natural inclinations, ; j 
it will be found that many subjects difl: 
considerably in this respect although 1- 
longing to the same or allied species, 
which the above-mentioned subjects m- 
be taken as examples, and as a con- 
quence, require vastly different treatmu 
when in a young state. 
I have seen many promising you( j 
Cherry trees literally ruined from ovv 
cropping them in a young state, and tls ; 
is a mistake which is by no means cc- < 
fined to amateurs. I have known pn- 
tical men who would never think of refil¬ 
ing a tree of its crop, even thought 
showed unmistakable signs of exhaustii, : 
instead they would apply- a top dressg 
and expect 'that to put matters right, al j 
later express surprise because their exp - 
tations were not realised. 
Now it is a well known fact that your 
newly planted Cherries seldom make ay \ 
headway the first year, for most of t: 
buds are converted into fruit spurs whh 
will in all probability be thickly laci 
with fruit the following year, and f 
allowed to remain will seriously wealo 
the constitution of the tree and prev-t 
further extension. Now the aim shod 
be to first get the tree into a healt , 
flourishing state and then crop it acco- 
ing to its strength, the strength of e 
annual growth being the infallible gate 
to work" by. If poor and weak, redie 
the crop; if at all rampant, increase:. 
Needless to say, the first couple of ye;;’ 
sacrifice is more than amply repaid it 
after years. 
Now with the Peach the case is differe. 
,as they have a natural tendency to rih 
away into coarse growth, therefore its 
advantageous to crop them early, p- 
videcl it is not overdone. In this ce 
also, as in the last, the shoots or ann .1 
growth must be the guide, but much <n 
be done to check over-luxuriant gro'h 
,at planting time if plenty of grit, suchs 
old mortar or lime rubble, is used; n 
.fact; the compost immediately surround g 
# the roots should consist of quite one-fit 
of this constituent. It -is well to remo- 
ber that it is far better and much easr 
to prevent a Peach or Nectarine from 
coming too strong than it is to wink 
back to a fruitful state after having b<n 
allowed to become wild, as wild wood I s 
an awkward knack of producing the li'. 
no matter how pruned. My last wordo 
the amateur and inexperienced, therein’, 
is: — Study your subject well beforeha 1 . 
then plant well, and crop judiciously. 
ELRUGE 
; —— 
Luther Burbank, the great, b.d 
genius among creators of new plants, 1- 
most starved for years before he cod 
gain recognition. He is said to rect e 
6,ooo callers and 30,000 letters in ‘ e 
course of a year. 
