December 7, 1907. 
776 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
oat in the ground as they looked so jpegjlltih,y. 
I want, -therefore, to know whether I cam 
flower Narcissi (choice ones) in pots two 
years running, how should I plaint them 
(depth), and whether 1 should water with 
liquid manure (from old stable manure), and 
when ito enrich the bulbs foT the next year ? 
The new bulbs are planted near the surface 
and four each in 9in. pots. (Osbert Ward, 
Teneriiffe.) 
We have no experience of Daffodils in 
Tieneriffe, but we know that in New Zealand 
and Australia bulbs can be grown with satis¬ 
faction for a number of years in succession. 
Our experience with Daffodils in pots is 
that some varieties flower more readily than 
others. We have flowered some varieties 
three years in succession in pots- without 
using fresh soil, but Other varieties do not re¬ 
spond so readily. In reading your letter we 
-would dissent from drying off the bulbs 
after they have finished flowering. As a mat¬ 
ter of fact we keep them growing as long 
as they will by supplying them both with 
clear water and manure water, leaving off 
when the foliage has finished its growth 
and begins- to turn yellow. No doubt the 
best plan with bullbs generally is to put 
them near the top of the sail -when grown in 
pats. Out of doors we think it an advan¬ 
tage to plant them from .pin. to 6im. lin depth, 
and -in Teneriffe we should think this would 
be an advantage by ensuring more moisture 
for the bulbs when in growth. We think 
that -although -the climate is so warm it 
would be a great advantage to keep Daffodils 
well watered until 'the foliage begins to turn 
yellow than by withholding water. They 
woul-d ripen off and be much more plump 
than by drying them off ,immediately after 
they .have finished flowering. In pots you 
can shift the bulbs into a cool, shady posi¬ 
tion after the flowers are -over, and thus 
maintain the foliage in a healthy condition 
as long as possible for the benefit of the 
bulbs. For choice Daffodils in pots, pot 
them with the neck of the bulb just peering 
through the soil. When they are well into 
growth water them .twice a week with weak 
liquid manure from .the source you state. 
It is not a question of enriching the bulbs 
for the next year’s flowering, but a question 
of growing 'the bulbs well this year, when, 
of course, the flowers will be present in the 
bulbs, and all -vou have got to do is to urge 
them into growth. When the time arrives 
fox starting -them into fresh growth turn out 
the bulbs, clean the pots and get entirely 
fresh soil consisting of two parts of good 
fibrous loam, one part of well decayed cow 
manure, and one-fourth part of sand. This 
fresh soil will-be of immense -benefit to the 
bulbs while making their growth. The only 
point to observe is to repot them before the 
bulbs push out fresh roots, and that will be 
before any water whatever is given to them. 
In selecting bulbs which you would like to 
grow for more than one year we -should ad¬ 
vise you -to avoid Narcissus poetiicus and its 
varieties. We should try such as Emperor, 
Empress, Madame -de Graaff, Golden Spur, 
Henry Irving, OtovaLlamis, Bico-lor Hors- 
fieldi, J. B. M. Camm, Victoria, Cernuus 
pulcher, Gloria Mundi, Princess Mary, 
Sir Wa-tkdn, Stella superba, Leedsii Ariadne, 
Leedsii Gem, Leedsii Mrs. Langtry, Barii 
conspiiouus, Barri-i Sensation, Nelsoni Anran- 
tiius, N. odoxus, and N. rugulosus. All of 
■the above are easy ito cultivate, and some or 
al.l of them might well be tried to see 
whether they would flower twice in succes¬ 
sion. It is -largely a matter of experiment, 
and those who are at alll enthusiastic try 
several methods ito see how 'they will answer 
in their own particular locality. Remember 
that .Daffodils .like to be kept cool and moist, 
so if you can select deep soil or soil that re¬ 
mains cool and moist during -the period of 
flowering so much the better. A half -shady 
situation can often- work wonders in this re¬ 
spect. In pots you can also adopt various 
contrivances to keep 'them as cool as possible. 
Remember not to dry them off until the 
foliage shows signs of having fulfilled its 
mission. 
ROSES. 
2423. Rose Gloire de Dijon. 
I got two Gloire de Dijon Rose trees last 
spring. One I planted out in the green¬ 
house, the other I have got in a pot. They 
have just finished blooming, having had 
about a dozen blooms, each. Would you 
please tell me the best way to prune them to 
get plenty of 'bloom-si? I am desirous of 
filling one corner of the greenhouse with 
'them. (Novice, Lancs.) 
Evidently there is very little of your 
plants as yet to prune away. The strong 
stems should be laid in their full .length, as 
well as some of the side branches if there be 
any present. Retain just sufficient to cover 
the space you .have without crowding, and 
then proceed to out 'the remainder away right 
from 'the base. If any of the shoots have 
unxi.pened tips, or if any of the side shoots 
are very weak and slender, they could be 
cut back to one bud at the base. Always 
bear in mind that when thinning out the 
-shoots of this and similar climbing Roses 
to -remove the oldest ones first, giving space 
always to young wood, unless that happens 
to be badly ripened. In a greenhouse, how¬ 
ever, you should always- be ahle to have the 
stems thoroughly ripened in the autumn by 
ventilating freely during the summer and 
autumn. You must not attempt to prune 
these climbers in tihq. same way as you would 
a -Hybrid Perpetual, otherwise you will get 
very few or no blooms. 
2424. Heavy, Wet Soil. 
My soil .is vary heavy and I now find it 
very unworkable, especially where it has -re¬ 
cently been, dug or trenched. I have some 
Roses which I intended to .plant, but I fear 
i.t will become very hard in summer if I 
tread -it firmly in its present condition. 
What would you -recommend me to do? (F. 
Maynard, Hereford.) 
We should advise you not to be in any 
hurry getting on to heavy soil in .its present 
wet condition. A much better plan is to undo 
the bunches of Roses and lay them in 
trenches in some sheltered border where the 
soil is fairly dry and out oif your way for 
the time being. Here they may lie until 
the ground ‘is in a suitable cond:ition. If 
you have Teas, amongst them -it would be 
wall, perhaps, to -leave them where they are 
until towards the end of February, waiting 
for the soil to be -in better condition. The 
more hardy ones may still be planted When 
the soil will permit of being trodden with¬ 
out getting into a pas-ty condition. Even 
should we get hard weather after they are 
planted you can always protect -the Roses or 
the more tender of them by .putting about 
6 in. of soil round the base of the stems. 
Where protected in this -manner they will 
not be injured by frost and the soil, might 
remain there till .some .time in March when 
the weather becomes more genial. Any light 
soil will do, such as old potting .bench soil. 
If you use some sand over (the roots before 
planting it will do much to counteract an-y 
bad effects of heavy or lumpy soil, os the 
siand will! lie close round the roots. 
TREES AND SHRUBS . 
2425. Pruning- a Honeysuckle. 
Being a reader of The Gardening 
World, would you. kindly advise me on the 
following subject? Having a Honeysuckle 
climbing over my house, and 'the top of it 
all growing in the tiles the lower parts look 
as -if dead, though the top iis green. Would 
it be wise to cut it down, say 2ft., from the 
roof ? Would 'the lower part shoot out and 
-grow and flower, as it .looks unsightly? 
(Quy, Cambs,) 
The Honeysuckle readily submits to 
pruning, so that you should have no diffi¬ 
culty .in getting a good head upon .it con¬ 
siderably below the roof. It would be much 
better for .the plant if you could give it so 
much .pruning every year, so as to reduce its 
height and keep, it off the tiles. The prun¬ 
ing may be done at once, and the old plant 
will commence pushing young gxow.ths ear¬ 
lier 'than if you wait till March before 
pruning. The head can be cut some distance 
below the roof, and that will allow a con¬ 
siderable growth being made before it again 
reaches the tiles. Then whenever this por¬ 
tion gets crowded you can always .thin out 
some of the weaker shoots and shorten others 
back, if .necessary, so as to keep the plaint 
within bounds. You -may not get a large 
number of shoots next year, owing to .the top 
being out off in this fashion, but during the 
second season it ought to be well recovered, 
and :if you give the 'necessary pruning every 
year early in winter the plant will be kept 
in hand and will be in good condition to 
flower every year.. Another way to do it 
would be to wait until the first crop of bloom 
is -produced -if it is an early bloomer, and 
.then do the pruning. It will then partly re¬ 
cover during that same season. 
2426. Shrubs Beneath a Tree. 
I .have a fine Sycamore that I do not wish 
to out down, but 'the grass will not grow 
under it. Could you recommend anything, 
flower or foliage, that would grow under 
it?' I do not want Ivy, as it is rather 
dull in summer when everything else is so 
bright. (F. Watson, Shropshire.) 
We should recommend you to dig the soil 
beneath the tree, and to do that as deeply as 
possible without cutting the roots too much 
you should use a fork. In order to enrich 
the soil and hold some moisture, use plenty 
of ’leaf mould or even, well-decayed cow 
manure, working it in amongst the soil. 
This will give the shrubs you plant a good 
start and serve to keep them moist in sum¬ 
mer when they are mo-re likely to feel the 
effect of the Sycamore than at any other 
time. It would be well also to give .the 
plants a good watering occasionally until 
they get thoroughly established amongst the 
roods of the tree. Aucubas may be planted 
in the centre, and -.around these you could 
have Vinca minor or any of Its varieties, 
V. major and V.m. elegantissima, the latter 
having brightly variegated foliage. Other 
p-lanits that would succeed under .the shade 
are Hypericum calycinum and H. mosenia- 
mum, which might be .planted j.ust inside the 
Periwinkles, Hardy Ferns would also 
grow in such a position with a little atten¬ 
tion to commence with. For instance, you 
could plant at -intervals amongst -the Peri¬ 
winkles such -things as Lastrea Filix-mas, 
L. F.-m. crisitata, Polystichum angullnre, and 
P. aouleatum, or any other of the varieties 
which you may pick up. These Ferns, with 
the Periwinkles (Vinca) would .serve the 
■pur.p.otse as well as anything and look bright 
most of the year. 
2427. Bed of Dwarf Shrubs. 
I would like a bed of dwarf shrulbs, to 
flower earily and late, if possible. The bed 
is 2ft. wide, with -a walk all round it. 
Please .name a few that would suit, and say 
how I am to treat them. (D. R., Warwick¬ 
shire.) 
There are plenty of shrubs to give early 
and late flowering, but we cannot recommend 
any dwarf ones that would keep up a suc¬ 
cession all through the season. The sorts we 
have selected will give you a succession on 
the different kinds, but the whole -bed would 
not be .in bloom at any one time. Early 
flowering shrubs are Daphne Mezerenm, 
