785 
the gardening world 
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White Flowers at Christmas. 
Decay in Shrubs. 
All through the winter months let our 
word of warning be: Watch our Rose 
trees and shrubs so that no headway in 
decay may be allowed to take place 
amongst our trees. We should go round 
them with a sharp knife at least once a 
week and cut clean off the slightest tip 
of brown decay that we see on the top of 
a shoot, for if this is not done, like bone 
disease in the human body, it will con¬ 
sume that limb and weaken the body, and 
in the end may be the cause of its death. 
Katherine Curtis. 
Clontarf. 
Bulbs in Borders. 
Some amateurs raise objection to the 
growing of bulbs in their borders, etc., 
because their habit of growth does not 
cover the ground, as do the summer occu¬ 
pants. This is easily remedied with a 
little strategy in the use of low-growing 
plants, such as Myosotises, Aubrieiias, 
Arabises, and so on. Also, their flowers, 
white and blue, as the case may be, set 
off the colour of the blooms better. The 
bulbs should be planted two or three times 
their own depth, and the plants for the 
groundwork between, on the top. Plant¬ 
ing the bulbs at a greater depth will 
naturally cause them to be longer in 
breaking through the surface, but they 
will make a better root growth, and con¬ 
sequently develop superior blooms. 
J. W. H. 
Lockerbie, N.B. 
The Culture of Hard-wooded Plants in 
Pots. 
Hard-wooded plants such as Azaleas, 
Camellias, Rhododendrons, etc., require 
different treatment to most other plants. 
They thrive best in a compost of two 
parts peat, one part fibrous loam, and one 
part sharp sand. They must be potted 
very firmly, ramming the compost well 
down with a flattened stick until quite 
hard, and must then be given a good 
soaking with clear water. At no time 
should they be allowed to become dry, as 
this is the main cause of the buds drop 
ping. When they have made their sum 
mer growth in an intermediate house, it 
is necessary to stand them out of doors 
on a bed of ashes in a cool place, plung¬ 
ing the pots to the rim to harden and 
ripen the wood for spring flowering. 
When housed again during the latter part 
of September or early in October, they 
must be syringed twice a day in bright 
v/eather to keep the leaves fresh and 
clean. Great attention must be given 
to watering. If by any chance the plants 
become dry, they should be plunged in a 
tub or tank of water for at least ten 
minutes to thoroughly soak the ball. 
D. M. Allan. 
Folkestone 
White flowers at Christmas are always 
needed in every garden, and can be had 
if the grower will take a little trouble. 
The all-the-year-round Stock is one of 
the best white flowers that can be grown 
to flower in-doors at Christmas. Seed 
should be sown in boxes in June, very 
thinly, and placed in a cool frame. Prick 
off as soon as the seedlings are fit to 
handle, and when the plants have got four 
or five rough leaves pot off into 32-size 
pots, four plants in each pot, in a com¬ 
post of good, yellow loam, with a good 
bit of sand. When well rooted they 
should be given a little soot and stable 
liquid, and placed in a house with very 
little heat, just to keep the frost out at 
the end of October, and there will be 
plenty of flowers at Christmas. 
A. V. PARRATT. 
Farnham. 
Polygonum amplexicaule. 
This plant belongs to a vast genus of 
plants which comprises 150 species of 
world-wide distribution, many of them in¬ 
significant weeds. Nevertheless, it in¬ 
cludes several useful plants which claim 
consideration. One of these is P. am¬ 
plexicaule. Of the easiest culture, it 
grows well in the herbaceous border, 
luxuriating in the moister parts thereof. 
But, chiefly to its usefulness as a cut 
flower is reference made here. In vases, 
its long, narrow spikes of rosy-red flowers 
stand out in bold relief from the dense 
mass of flat heads of composite flowers, 
which abound during autumn. The 
flowers appear in August. Do not delay 
using them, as they succumb as easily to 
frost as the Dahlias. Exhibited as a 
bunch of herbaceous flowers in a collec¬ 
tion, it has a telling effect. To accom¬ 
plish this a large clump must be grown. 
S. H. 
Stirling. 
Foliage for Cutting. 
This is not much considered, even by 
some of the larger florists. Little is to 
be obtained beyond Asparagus, Maiden 
hair, and Smilax. Of course all these 
are, we know, excellent, but occasionallv 
one requires something a little less com¬ 
mon. Lovely long-striped foliage is ob¬ 
tained for nine months of the year from 
the variegated day Lilies, and for those 
with greenhouses the Anthericum gives 
good effective spikes. The variegated 
Ivies and Vinca are most useful both in 
trails and single leaves, and the Gera¬ 
niums or Zonal Pelargoniums give us 
splendid foliage all through the year. 
Abutilons and .some Fuchsias are useful, 
too, and for trails that are to be kept in 
water, nothing is more graceful than the 
Maurandia (\f in flower so much the 
December 14, 1907. 
. 
’H 
better), and Eccremocarpus scaber 
Climbing Fern and Lygodium scandens. ! 
Many of the Lycopodiums and even young 
growths of Ficus repens are all most com¬ 
mendable. 
D. V. E. 
Worthing. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias. 
Having been successful with the grow¬ 
ing of these plants for the last few years, 
I will endeavour to describe a few points 
as to their culture. Those which sowed 
seed at the proper time should now have 
their plants in sixty-size pots, and these 
will carry them through the winter. 
They should be on a shelf close to the 
glass. Plenty of crocks must be put in 
the bottom of the pots to ensure free 
drainage, or the soil will be soured and 
the plants turn yellow. These plants do 
but little good in 5-inch pots, thus they 
should have 8-inch pots and be placed in 
these about March. Above all, they must 
be kept quite clean. I have known more 
than one amateur give up growing these 
plants through their dying off just as the 
blossoms are opening, simply because the 
plants were killed by aphis. I have had 
as many as thirty plants, not two being 
alike. 
Oxon. H. H. 
-- 
Globe Daisies. 
+ 
The old-fashioned double red, white and 
pink Daisies seem destined never to fall 
out of favour. There are, however, plants 
of equal merit which deserve to be as well 
known and as widely grown. Amongst 
these are the Globe Daisies (Globulana). 
The popular name aptly describes their 
general appearance. Mhen in bloom the 
height is about 6 inches, and the compact 
masses of shining evergreen leaves are sur¬ 
mounted by round heads of blue or white 
flowers. The latter are small individu¬ 
ally, but collectively they make a brave 
show, and in the case of the blue-flowered 
species the colour is particularly good. G. 
vulgaris, the Blue Daisy, has bright co¬ 
balt blue flowers, while G. trichosantha 
has flowers of a light blue shade, and 
grows somewhat taller. Probably the best 
species is G. cordifolia. Here the flowers 
are almost ultramarine in shade, and the 
habit of the plants is beyond complaint. 
There is a. fine white variety of the last- 
named. As edging plants for beds and 
borders, the “ Blue Daisies" are very suit¬ 
able. They are also good rock plants. 
Quite indifferent as to soil, so long as 
there is a plentiful supply of moisture, 
they nevertheless pay for good cultivation. 
An annual top-dressing of sandv loam 
should be worked into the growths. Seeds 
aie larely procurable, but propagation 
may be effected quite readilv bv division 
of the clumps which have been top- 
dressed. The Globularias bloom from 
June onwards. 
Erica. 
-- 
1 HE growing of plants by electricity is 
the • latest. It should prove useful for 
raisin’ currents. 
