6 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER 
Answers to Correspondents. 
2eSeen 
DarFopDIL.—The correct time to plant 
Daffodil seeds is early in December. Put 
them in pans in the shade, and keep them 
moist, not wet. Use a loose mould of 
decayed vegetable matter and sand. Plant 
out in the early Spring, say in August. 
PHILLIs.—One of the prettiest floral 
decorations possible is obtainable by the 
use of Shirley Poppies and Maidenhairfern. 
SNAKE.—Snake beans are also known as 
Asparagus beans. They are like what are 
commonly called French beans, long and 
slender, light-greenin colour. They grow 
to about 6ft. in height and should be 
staked, or, better still, trellised. Their 
culinary treatment is the same as French 
beans, and are highly favoured by some. 
Briars.—The specimen of your Vero- 
nica is Créme et violet. 
ZONAL.—The name Zonal used to 
identify pelargoniums is taken from the 
zone or horseshoe shaped marking on the 
leaves. 
PatHway.—You have a fairly large 
extent of pathway, and as tiling is expen- 
sive, and not easy to be put down properly 
except by workmen who understand the 
business, we would advise the use of long 
4 or 6 inch jarrah slats. These are very 
durable, easily pegged into position, cheap, 
and look well. 
Rose.—You can hardly expect us to 
answer your question as to which is con- 
sidered the very best rose, so much 
depends upon the taste, and other con- 
siderations. We may venture the opinion 
however, for what it is worth, that if a 
ballot were asked for upon the best rose, 
we think Marechal Neil would head the 
list of votes. 
Bonrs.—We presume you do not mean 
your own bones when writing the 
question, ‘what shall I do with my 
bones.” | Evidently the kitchen refuse. 
They are very useful in gardening, but 
not as you take them from the table, Put 
them into your manure heap, where they 
will become softened after two or three 
months, according to the amount of heat 
there isin the manure. When softened 
they are easily crushed, and used with good 
effects in various ways while manuring. 
CENTRE BED.—One of the prettiest 
effects for a centre bed in your lawn can 
be made of blue, and white Lobelias. 
Almost any design you can imagine can 
be worked, and the effect will be good, 
provided the design is bold. 
Lanpscape Lawn —Why not have a 
round bed with a Palm in the centre, and . 
surrounded by  Doryanthes  Palmeri 
(Queensland lily). We think you would 
like the effect on your large lawn. Ken- 
tucky Blue grass (Fescue pretensis), Couch 
grass (Triticum repens) are the best grasses 
for a large lawn. 
INQUISITIVE.—We do not, as a tule, 
answer anonymous letters, but do 
not mind telling you that we have no 
connection whatever with any nursery or 
garden, nor any other gardening paper. 
DECEMBER I 1902. 
Carden Operations for December. 
BESESeseesesee 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Owing to the dryness of the season 
mulching should have been done more 
than a month ago, and must on no account 
be longer delayed. Dig the beds lightly 
all over, ridding them at the same time of 
weeds, and then spread a light mulch of 
short manure. Give the soil good soak- 
ings of water occasionally, and frequent 
sprinkles, especially after hot days and dry- 
ing winds, to cool and moisten the atmos- 
phere of the garden, and to revive and 
refresh the plant. This should be a period 
of free and active growth in most things, 
and where foliage is an important point, 
as with Cannas, they will gain in strength 
and luxuriance with plentiful supplies of 
water at this season. 
Roses have absorbed much time and at- 
tention during the past month, and should 
continue to do so. The flowering season 
can be prolonged if they are regularly dis- 
budded. Relieve the bushes of all full 
blown blooms, cutting back to a strong out 
side bud. If they are suffering from mil- 
dew dust them lightly with sulphur or soot. 
-If the aphis is troublesome and persistent 
it is because the Roses are not growing 
vigorously from some cause or another, and 
have not the strength to 'throw off the 
pest, and there is some impurity in the sap. 
Tobacco water will help to diminish the 
nuisance, but the best way is to encourage 
the Roses with liquid manure, mulching, 
and water in moderation to make a free 
and healthy growth. 
Hollyhocks in windy positions, Dahlias, 
Perennial Phloxes, Bouvardias, Delphi- 
niums will want staking, although they 
should be so strengthened by being regulat- 
ed and having superfluous growth removed 
as to be almost independent of support. In 
some cases staking is unavoidable, but the 
stakes should not obtrude themselves so as 
to make one uncomfortably conscious of 
their presence. Thin iron ones are the 
strongest and the least aggressive. Wooden 
ones can be rendered less conspicuous by 
painting them a browny-green tone. 
Carnations should be flowering freely 
during the month. They should be care- 
fully staked, three or four small sticks to 
each plant, or else supported by wire-net- 
ting. Reduce the number of buds, leav- 
ing only one, two, or three, according to 
the strength of the stems. Carnations soon 
exhaust the soil, and when this happens 
they become weakly and a prey to insects 
and disease. Renew the soil at their roots 
periodically, and give them manure water 
particularly at this period. 
Balsams, Zinnias, Amaranths, and other 
autumn flowering annuals can still be 
planted out, choosng a cool, showery day 
for the purpose. Zinnias can be made 
most effective use of in the borders. 
seeds of both single and double Portulaca 
in bold masses in the sunniest borders. The 
/ 
Sow | 
colors are rich, and the flowers have a pecu- 
larly gem-like quality. Peg down Ver- 
benas, Heliotropes, and Petunias to induce 
a spreading habit. They are not half as 
effective if allowed to grow tall and 
spindly. 
Continue to occasionally feed and water 
Chrysanthemums, and towards the end of 
the month pinch them back, leaving about 
6 in. of growth. The flowering period of 
many annuals can be considerably prolong- 
ed if the flowers are regularly picked and 
not allowed to seed. Sweet Peas treated 
thus can be made to bloom for four months. 
If seed is desired, keep a separate patch 
for the purpose, and avoid cutting the 
flowers. 
LILIUM AURATUM. 
The following notes from the pen of 
“Danske Dandridge,” a frequent contribu- 
tor to the “Chicago Gardening,’ will be 
read with interest by many who have found 
how difficult it is to save their Lilium aura- 
tums from disappearing, and who have 
noticed that although young bulbs form 
few or none ever survive to bloom in place 
of the old bulb: 
A variety called platyphyllum has very 
large flowers quite 9 in. in diameter, and 
broad leaves. There are some beautiful 
hybrids raised between Lilium auratum 
and other species. One of these is Lilium 
Parkmanni, with large white flowers, band- 
ed and spotted with crimson. This lily 
is said to increase rapidly. The young 
bulbs should be separated from the parent 
plant and planted out in good deep soil. 
They need a sheltered position; if possible 
a nook in the shrubbery sheltered from the 
north and west and open to the south. 
Other plants, like rhododendrons or pzo- 
nias, in the same bed, are a great protec- 
tion to them. 
Many people complain that their aura- 
tum lilies soon disappear. It seems that 
the old bulb breaks up after a season or 
two. But it forms several small bulbs, and 
if these are separated from the parent and 
planted in suitable soil, they make nice 
plants in a short time. If they are not 
replanted, they share in the decay of the 
parent bulb. The platyphyllum variety 
is more permanent than any other kind of 
auratum. Henry Bright, in his interest- 
ing ‘Year in a Lancashire Garden,” writes 
that he has a bed of Lilium auratum with 
heliotrone growing between. He takes up 
the lily bulbs in the fall and grows them on 
in heat through the winter, and then 
plants them out in the spring. In this — 
manner he does not lose them, but says 
that they are every year more beautiful 
and vigorous. 
Our gpeciosum lilies have never been so 
fine. We are now having dry weather, but 
