August 17, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
545 
Zonal Geraniums. 
How and What to Grow 
To get the Best Results. 
The zonal Geranium, a universal 
ivourite with everyone, has in the last 
pw years been brought to the acme of 
erfection. The variety and brightness 
f colour which they give, even to the 
mallest of greenhouses at all times of the 
ear, make them so much loved by every- 
ne. 
I find the following treatment the most 
uccessful to obtain a regular supply of 
ice plants.—Cuttings taken now and 
otted singly into thumb pots will make 
ice stuff for flowering early next year, 
elect wood which is fairly hard for cut- 
ngs, and use soil composed of loam and 
3a f soil in equal proportions. When 
ooted pot them into 35 inch pots; they 
ill then remain in those during the winter, 
n February they can then be potted into 
inch pots and allowed to get nicely es- 
ablished. When sufficiently grown they 
hould be topped, the tops being put in 
ar cuttings for a later batch to follow 
hose already in 5 inch pots. 
After stopping, care should be taken 
iot to give too much water, but to keep 
>n the dry side until they begin to break 
licelv. All flowers should be taken out 
luring their small state. 
These plants will give a good display of 
doom during April, May, and June; the 
uttings taken from them in February will 
hen be coming along to follow. The old 
ilants in 5 inch pots should then be 
)Otted into 6 or 7 inch pots and placed 
,utside until September, when they 
hould be put in the greenhouse where 
hey will flower well all the winter. 
A few words as to feeding the plants: 
A'hen the pots are full of roots a water- 
ng with manure water twice a week will 
ceep them in a healthy condition. Put 
nto a tub half a bag of soot to which has 
seen added 3 lbs. of any fertiliser, Clay s 
: or preference. This will make a good 
reed, which will last 2 or 3 months. Care 
should be taken not to water the plants 
with it, if they are dry; they should be 
watered with clean water before using the 
manure water. 
Some of the best varieties to grow are 
Paul Crampel, a fine scarlet; Snowdrift, 
one of the best whites; Rudyard Kipling, 
a splendid scarlet majenta; Crabb, 
enormous trusses and pips of a soft rose; 
Mrs. D’ombrain, a very fine salmon ; Chas. 
Curtis, bright scarlet; Lady Warwick, 
white edged with purple; Achievement, a 
cross between the Zonal and Ivy-leaf, be¬ 
ing a pleasing shade of rosy pink; also 
Myfield Gem, a later introduction of the 
I same type, being pale mauve with dark 
blotches on the upper petals. 
Raspail Improved is the best double 
I scarlet; King of Denmark, salmon with 
i enormous trusses; Colossus, a very dark 
crimson; Hermoine, the best white ; and 
Pink Raspail, a very free variety. For 
bedding, it is used more than anything 
else. H. Jacoby is a favourite for its 
crimson flowers. West Brighton Gem, 
a well known scarlet variety, also finds a 
first place. King Edwarcl VII. (a new 
Bed of White Violas at Moos' Hall Gardens. 
variety) has the flowers the colour of H. 
Jacoby, with the habit of W. B. Gem, and 
will become a favourite with all when 
better known. The best white bedder 
is Queen of the Belgians. Mrs. Pollock 
is one of the best tricolors; while last, 
but not least, Little Trot or Dandy makes 
a fine edging plant. 
H. J. B. 
-- 
White Violas 
For Spring Bedding. 
Culture from Seed. 
Of the many occupants of the flower 
garden which were planted to produce an 
effect during the past spring, nothing 
stood the winter in our exposed position 
so well or gave such a wealth of bloom as 
a large bed of white seedling t iolas. 
They were almost the first plants to show 
flowers, and continued to be an effective 
mass until the time of their removal to 
make room for the summer flowering 
occupants of the bed. As this spring has 
only been a repetition of previous ones 
and" the methods adopted in their produc¬ 
tion being so simple, I will detail them 
as briefly and simply as possible. As¬ 
suming that we are in readiness to clear 
the bed in which they are flowering, a 
careful selection is made of all the plants 
with the best habit and producing the 
finest type of flower, these are carefully 
taken "up, and those remaining are 
destroved. I do not wish to infer that 
all the seedlings will be absolutely equal 
to the parent "plants, as now and again 
a slight variation is bound to occur; but 
by careful selection a high standard of 
excellence is easily maintained. The se¬ 
lected plants are carefully replanted in a 
cold frame a foot apart between the rows, 
a glass light being used to cover them, 
this being of material assistance in the 
ripening of the seed pods. As the flowers 
fall and the seed pods ripen up and burst, 
it is a good plan to go over the plants 
and lightly tap them with a stick. This 
facilitates the falling of the seeds into the 
light soil beneath. A good overhead 
watering with a coarse rose should now 
be given. In about twelve or fourteen 
days the young seedlings will be observed 
coming up in thousands. The tops of the 
old plants must now be cut away—not 
pulled' up— as this will displace many of 
the seedlings. As soon as large enough 
to handle, prick off lb f > most forward of 
the young plants into fine u. i icpared 
soil containing a good propoilion cf leaf 
soil, preferably in a cold frame, in a cool, 
partially shaded position. The glass 
should be removed as soon as the seed¬ 
lings catch hold of the soil. Repeat this 
process as the seedlings develop, until the 
requisite number have been obtained, 
finally planting them in their flowering 
quarters in well prepared beds at the end 
of October. The plants in the bed, shown 
in the accompanying photograph, were 
produced in the manner above described. 
W. H. W. 
- - 
Strawberry Filbasket. 
The above variety was put into com¬ 
merce at least as early as 1000 by Messrs. 
I.axton Bros., Bedford. It has been tried 
at the Wisley Gardens of the R.H.S., and 
given an Award of Merit by that body on 
July 23rd. The fruits are of large size, 
glossy' scarlet, juicy and luscious. The 
plant is vigorous and fruits heavily'. It 
is a mid-season variety'. 
Spiraea camtschatica rosea. 
This is one of the giants of the her¬ 
baceous Spiraeas, and in the ordinary 
form has fluffy' white flowers. This variety' 
has the flowers of a pale pink on the back 
and the anthers are of that colour. The 
bunch of flowers is like a cloud of pink 
smoke. The plant grows 5ft. or 6ft. high. 
Award of Merit by the R.H.S. on July 
23rd, when shown by Mr. Amos Perry, 
Hardy' Plant Farm, Enfield, unde*" ‘he 
name of S. gigantea rosea- 
