8 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
NoveMBER 1, 1902 
appear to require, provided of course the 
soil is fairly rich, is a mulch of decayed leaf 
mould just before they begin to move in the 
late winter. 
Success is very stimulating, especially in 
gardening. Last summer in fear and tremb- 
ling we attempted some Delphiniums and 
were rewarded, some really good spikes of 
flower found us profoundly grateful. This 
year we intend to profit by Miss Jekyll’s 
excellent suggestion and obtain an effect 
with Delphiniums and Globe Artichokes, 
and, better still, Cardoons, and recommend 
the same to anyone anxious to enjoy a 
symphony of silver and blue. 
PTSCOteO See 
Over-Watering Plants. 
NDOUBTEDLY the greatest sin of 
growers of pot plants isthe temptation to 
over watering. This is more particularly 
noticeable in winter when owing to so many 
plants being partially or wholly dormant 
there is very little necessity for feeding 
other than simply keeping the soil slightly 
moist. Have you never compared the re- 
sults and the universality of the practice of 
over-feeding of both human and _ plant life. 
Just think fora moment of the multitude of 
ills that follow in the wake of over-feeding 
the human body. The results are never so 
quickly apparent as those arising from star- 
vation..- In the latter case we quickly 
jump at the-right cause and remedy 
it; in the former the protective and re- 
cuperative forces of nature are often so 
long in being overcome that many causes, 
and very often the wrong ones, are-assigned 
for the ill-conditions resulting. 
_ A pot plant that is repeatedly overfed— 
-A-properly crocked drained pot will 
resist . overwatering-— especially if in 
an open and exposed position where 
the drain upon it by evaporation is 
great—far longer than the ‘‘sedentary” or 
indoor plant, the digestive organs of which 
‘are less lusty and the artificial conditions 
more enervating. 
The navvy, for instance, will, with his 
hard toil, take twice the sustenance, and 
without harm, than the clerk in his office 
will with chronic indigestion. 
‘Then another thing one frequently notices 
is that plants often look miserable when 
the cause is semi-starvation rather than 
over-feeding. This is usually the case where 
the plants, when being repotted, have too 
much soil filled in to the top of the pot. 
Hence when watering just enough is 
put on to the soil to sink in half or a third | 
of the way, because the water runs oyer and 
the pot cannot hold enough. Sufficient space 
should be left on the top of the pot to hold 
water enough to soak the whole of the soil» 
and run through; then no more water 
should be given till the pot is again fairly 
dry and actually needing it.—F.C.S. 
Pope Leo XIII. has always been a great 
admirer of Geraniums, the double scarlet 
Geranium might indeed be called his favourite 
flower. 
ness for church decorations. 
Perhaps on account of its effective- 
Rose the Queen of towers. 
BOSD 
[By A. H. SCARFE.] 
On all the flowers that have been altered 
and improved in character by careful 
selection the Rose perhaps holds first rank. 
Its pre-eminenee amongt the myriads of 
flowers to be found the world over must be 
conceded. The Rose as the “ Queen of 
Flowers” has been elected to her proud posi- 
tion by universal consent. No other flower 
in Flora’s fair domain possesses her many 
it should be mentioned that the Rose of 
Jericho is generally understood to bea cruci- .. 
ferous plant, and all seem to be agreed that 
whatever the Rose of Sharon was, it was cer- : 
tainly not a Rose. Nevertheless, Dr. Hooker. 
enumerates seven species of Roses which he - 
observed in Syria.” 
“ By far the most important ancient quota- 
tion is from Sappho, the Greek poetess, who 
Marechal Neil. Te 
Growing on tripod in the garden of Mr. A. H. Scarfe, from which the firat Lite six roses were, 
cut for the Royal Horticultural Show, Adelaide. 
characteristics. Beauty of form, infinite di- 
versity of colour, delicate and unsurpassed 
fragrance, adaptability to all climes and con-° 
ditions, responding magnificently to expert — 
culture, yet blessing’ the humblest garden 
plot with her varied charms. These are 
qualities which entitle her to the pride of 
place. 
The Rev. A. Foster Melliar, M.A., an 
eminent English rosarian, speaking as to its 
antiquity, says :—‘‘ Homer’s allusions to the 
Rose in the Illiad and Odyssey are, I sup- 
pose, the earliest mention we have. Every 
one will be aware of Bible references, though. 
was born about 600 B.C. **Mr. Wm. "Palit. 
gives in his book a fragment of a’ translation 
of one of her poems : j 
z Ww ould, J ove appoint some flower to reign 
In matchless beauty on the plain, 
The Rose (mankind will all agree), 
The Rose the Queen of Flowers should be. 
The title of the ‘Queen of Flowers,” there- 
fore, is no modern assumption,“ ‘but '- has 
hardly ever been seriously questioned for ~ 
twenty-five centuries.” 
IMPROVEMENT IN ROSES. 
The Rose, however, as we ao it in its © 
He goes on to say::—~ 
ae 
