412 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 22, 1907. 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
column short letters discussing any gar¬ 
dening subject. 
Letters should not exceed 150 words each 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine. 
This valuable winter flowering Begonia 
after flowering should be cut back to 
within 4 inches of the pot. Keep it on the 
dry side for a time, when, if in a warm 
house, it will break into growth. The 
shoots, when 2 to 3 inches long, should be 
taken off as cuttings. Place six cuttings 
in a 4-inch pot, using sandy soil, when 
they will soon root, and should then be 
potted off singly or three in a 4-inch pot. 
In these they can be left to flower, or, if 
preferred, potted into 5 or 6 inch pots. 
It is well to stop them twice and pick off 
all flower buds that form up to the time 
they are wanted to flower. Picking off 
the buds must be done, or they will not 
develop into good p:ants. 
G. Waller. 
Surbiton. 
Cinerarias in Wine Cases. 
Little groups of plants can be grown by 
adopting the above method of cultivation. 
Procure several old wine cases of different 
sizes and drill sufficient holes in the 
bottoms for drainage. Then put in some 
broken crocks and cover with leaves, after¬ 
wards three parts filling with good fibrous 
loam and sand. As soon as the plants 
are large enough, plant si'X in a box of the 
Cineraria stellata, and when in bloom a 
very pretty contrast of colours will be 
the" result. We have some here at the 
present time w r ith four and five different 
colours in each box. Three or four boxes 
planted in this way will make a very pretty 
group if thev are staged one above the 
other according to the size of the groups 
required, and a few Spiraeas added to 
hide the boxes. In this way a great sav¬ 
ing of pots will be effected and the boxes 
provide a much prettier substitute. 
J. Nibbs. 
Wilminster. 
Striking Dracaena Cuttings in Water. 
First procure as many clear glass bottles 
as you have cuttings, and then remove the 
lower leaves of the cuttings till three 
clear joints are left. Cut immediately 
below the lowest one. Put the cutting 
in the bottle, and fill up with water, till 
the two lowest joints are covered, and then 
place them on a shelf near the glass in 
the greenhouse. When the roots are 
about J-2 m. long, which will be in .about 
a month, they can be potted on, in size 
pots known as 6o’s, and kept near the 
glass till established. When striking, on 
no account must the water be changed, 
but if the water gets below the secpnd 
joint, fresh water can be added. When 
done this way, they don’t lose their lower 
leaves so quickly, and when potted up 
they go straight ahead without a hitch. 
Thomas Francis. 
Bolton-le-Moors. 
in length, and must be written on one 
side of the j>af>er only. 
Two Prizes of 2s. 6d. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the best. 
Tomatos for Early Use. 
These are much appreciated when they 
can be obtained early, and where 50 to 60 
degrees of heat can be maintained there 
should be but little difficulty in getting 
them. The seed should be sown very 
thinly the first week in August, in a pan 
of light soil, and when the seedlings are 
3 inches high they should be potted into 
2inch pots, and from these to 5 inch to 
be wintered. When established, fully ex¬ 
pose them outside to keep them dwarf. 
Remove them inside the last week in Sep¬ 
tember, always keeping them close to the 
glass. They should be kept on the dry 
side in winter, as they then make little 
growth. About the middle of February 
place them in 10 inch pots for fruiting. 
The plants, when in flower, must be 
shaken or a camel hair brush drawn over 
the blooms to get a good set, when some 
good fruit should be ready by the begin¬ 
ning of May. S— 
G. Waller. 
Surbiton. 
Salvia Splendens in Pots. 
For brightening the cool greenhouse 
during the late autumn months this sub¬ 
ject is invaluable, its gorgeous scarlet 
blooms forming a pleasant contrast to the 
Chrysanthemums which are practically the 
only other flowering occupants at that sea¬ 
son. Cuttings rooted in spring should 
be potted singly in thumb pots, using a 
compost of 3 parts loam, 1 part leaf 
mould, and 1 part silver sand, afterwards 
placing in a light position in the green¬ 
house, and when established, pinching off 
the tops to induce bushy growth. 
Next, shift into 5-inch pots, using com¬ 
post as above, with 1 part of old cow 
manure added, and (after again stopping 
the shoots), harden off in a cold frame. 
About midsummer repot into the 
flowering size, 7 to 9 inches, and stand 
them out of doors, , treating them 
similiarly to Chrysanthemums. Remove 
them to the greenhouse early in autumn, 
when occasional applications of liquid 
manure should be given. 
Setay. 
Manchester. 
Pansies in Pots. 
To succeed with the cultivation of 
Pansies in pots, the cuttings should be 
taken early in August, and, when rooted, 
potted up separately in thumb pots. 
When these are filled with roots shift into 
1-inch pots, and finally, about mid-Octo¬ 
ber, into the flowering size, 6-inch or 
7-inch, according to the strength of the 
individual plants. 
The best compost for potting consists of 
4 parts loam, 1 part leaf mould, and 1 
part well rotted cow manure, with a 
liberal sprinkling of silver sand. 
Throughout their growth the plants 
should be kept near the glass in a cold 
frame, giving plenty of air, except when 
frosty or during heavy rain storms. 
Green fly is apt to be troublesome, and 
should be immediately checked by succes¬ 
sive light fumigation. When the first 
blooms appear, which will be very early 
in spring, a little weak liquid manure is 
beneficial. 
Longsight. Bert. 
Cucumber Propagation. 
Should the sowing of Cucumbers for 
succession have been neglected, or any 
accident befall the seedlings, the gap can 
be quickly bridged by striking the requi¬ 
site number of cuttings from the older 
plants. Select points of shoots well ex¬ 
posed to the light, trim with a sharp knife 
to the third or fourth joint, and insert 
singly in 2-inch pots in light, sharp soil. 
Plunge the pots in the Cucumber bed, 
and invert a 6-inch pot over each cutting, 
covering the drainage hole with a piece of 
glass for a few days. Keep the cuttings 
moist but not wet. After a few days re¬ 
move the glass during the night, finally 
dispensing with it altogether. Gradually 
dispense with covering the pots in the 
same manner, and as the young plants 
attain vigour, plant out in the usual man¬ 
ner when the pots are filled with roots. 
These cuttings are quite as vigorous as 
seedlings if all male flowers are removed 
as soon as visible. 
G. F. 
Callander. 
-- 
Sweet Peas 
At the Forthcoming 
Ulverston Show. . . 
A Letter to the Editor. 
Sir.— Raisers or owners of brand nev 
seedlings will have a chance to win a golc 
medal value ^4 4s. at the forthcoming 
show on July 10th. 
A special class has teen added to the 
schedule, which calls foi one bunch of : 
Sweet Pea not in commerce. 
The seedlings will be staged unde; 
numbers only, and the visitors will adjudi 
cate upon them. A special voting care 
will be given to any visitor desiring it 
The seedling gaining most votes will wit 
the gpld medal. The second and thin 
best will receive a silver and bronze meda 
respectively. 
Grower. 
Cattleya Mossiae Princess of Wales. 
The sepals and petals of the above 
variety are rose coloured, while the lit 
is crimson and very wavy, with soft lilac 
edges. An Award of Merit to Majoi 
Holford, C.I.E., C.V.O., at the Temph 
Show. . .j 
Odontoglossum crispum Xanthotes White’ 
var. 
The above is a very handsome vafiet' 
with conspicuously white flowers, excep 
a fairlv large group of yellow spots oi 
each sepal. The word Xanthotes refer 
to these golden spots. A First-clas 
Certificate to Messrs. F. Sander anc 
Sons who exhibited it at the Tempi' 
Show. 
