June 1, 1903. 
Answers to Correspondents 
“FLOWER GARDEN.’—All hardy . trees 
and shrubs ought to be in by this month. 
Plant hardy annuals. Cut down tops of 
herbacious plants and divide those that are 
too large. Dig flower borders and beds and 
plant out hardy annuals. Dig up Dahlias 
and keep for spring planting. 
“Fruit GARDEN.”—Pruving should be 
got on with as quickly as_ possible. This is 
the best month for planting fruit trees, and 
a mild day should be chosen for the 
purpose. It is not advisable to prune 
young trees directly they are planted, better 
a month or so later. 
“KITCHEN GARDEN.” —Make successional 
sowings of peas and broad beans. Harth up 
celery and cover seakale to force. 
young crops before they get too big, and 
keep the ground well stirred amongst them. 
Dig potatoes as they ripen, and transplant 
young onions, and sow lettuce and other 
Salading. 
“RW. Younc.”—The article will be 
published in our next issue. 
“ENGLISH.”-—We appreciate your com- 
plimentary references to the ideas of such 
a practical character taken from the English 
publications on gardening. ‘The ideas 
themselves are most useful. Any novice in 
gardening can adapt them to Australian 
Conditions. 
—Communicate with 
{ie ike 
“SMEED AND SON.” 
the Consul for Japan, the Hon. 
Parsons, Adelaide... 
“T AUREL.”—Yes, the Laurel will do well 
on the Adelaide plains for hedging. We 
know of nothing that looks prettier. It 
must be cut well back in its earlier growth 
to make it furnish out well at the bottom. 
It is a mistake to allow hedge plants to gain 
much height before clipping. ‘They make 
too much wood, and can never be trained to 
look well afterwards. 
“Brcontas,’—~Luberous Begonias can b& 
propagated from seed. Shallow boxe 
Should be half filled with broken crocks: 
Upon these, place an inch of fine compost» 
composed of rotten sods, leaf mold, and 
Sharp sand, Moisten the soil and scatter the 
Seeds quite thickly. Cover with a_ fine 
layer of sphagnum and fine sand. Place a 
Piece of glass or paper over the box in the 
Sun, and aslight bottom heat. As soon as 
the’ second leaves appear, prick them out 
into a croieitest of leaf mold, cow manure and 
Sand. 
“CARNATION” writes suggesting that the 
hewly-formed society in Adelaide 
Should publish their proceedings. We 
Shall be very pleased to insert any reports 
of a practical hature that may be fur- 
Nished, 
To Our  Supscripers. —The year’s 
Subscription in advance from July 1 should 
€ paid this month. We shall be pleased to 
book any number of new subscribers for the 
Coming year for 3s. 6d. 
Thin. 
_annually in the kitchen garden, 
- root. 
TH 1 AUST RALIAN GARDENER. 
FLOWERS IN GRASS. 
[From “The Garden.” | 
Hrom very carly days it has been the 
practice to grow the commoner kinds ot 
doubleand single Nawcissus in meadowsand 
erchards ; and within a recent period most 
ct the rarer kinds have been found to pre- 
fer grassland to cultivated ground, and 
with the best possible eflect; but so far as 
my cbservation has gone, with the excep-' 
tion of Snowdrops and Crocuses, the Nar- 
c’'ssus stands nearly alone. This seems to 
mea mistake. There are many other 
flowers of equal beauty and perfectly 
adapted to similar localities. I might in- 
stance the blue, pink, and white Spanish 
Haicbells, Scilla italica, Snowflakes, and, 
perhaps, Columbines of different colors; 
and, when the grass is not very rank, [ 
have found Scilla preecox and S. bifolia, 
Chionodoxa, Museari, and hardy Cyclamen . 
to do well. Perhaps, 
chequered and white 
most satisfaction. 
above all, the 
Fritillaries. give 
Many of the Alliums 
are very beautiful, but too dangerous in 
their increase to be lightly introduced ; 
Colchicums are very suitable, where cattle 
are not likely to be poisoned by them. I 
have found-both Fritillaries and Cyclamens 
to increase in the grass, but it has been 
my practice to keep a seed-bed of cach 
plant out the second or third year. If 
if be a fact, that to gather a Fritillary 
flower is to kill the plant, the secd-bed 
will allow you to gather some of the 
flowers, and yet keep up the stock. Both 
kinds are equally graceful, but, for effect — 
in the meadow, the white should predo- 
minate. 
J. have always been anxious to naturalise 
the Sternbergias, especially S$. angusti- 
folia; both flower very fully in the garden, 
but in the grass a-solitary bloom has been 
my only foward’ they require sun at the 
(LT. sylvestris), which flowers freely in 
North Wales (one of its natural habitats), 
but I have had no success; it thrives, but 
does not flower. Even-in the garden it 
docs not flower very fully, not to be com-. 
pared with its very near relative, Tulipa 
fragrans; and from its stoloniferous habit 
it becomes a troublesome nuisance, spring- 
ing up. where it is not wanted, in the midst 
of “other plants. 
‘Tf any of your readers are inclined to 
enliven the unmown spots in their grounds 
it is not too late to procure the material 
for the coming’ season. Among the 
autumn Crocuses I have found speciosus 
‘and nudiflorus the most satisfactory in 
grass, and least attacked by mice and moles 
‘As regards C. nudiflorus, the grass 1s par- 
ticularly useful in supporting the long, 
naked stalks, which in the border are 
beaten to the earth by the first heavy 
shower. 
T. H. ArcHer-Hinp. 
~ dense, thicket-like masses. 
and to. 
T have also tried one English Tulip: 
ful. 
9 
BEAUTIFUL BAMBOOS FOR GARDEN 
AND. GREENHOUSE. 
GRACEFUL AND USEFUL BUT 
NEGLECTED PLANTS. 
Bambusa.—With a few exceptions the 
p 
Bambusas are less useful than either the 
Avundinarias or Phyllostachys. The ma- 
jority ‘of those in cultivation are of dwarf 
habit, and are more useful for massing in 
front of taller subjects, or for fringing the — 
sides of ponds or streams, than for any- 
thing else. There are, however, two or 
three species of imposing appearance whieh 
shouldsbe in every collection, and these are 
referred'to below. A. great deal of con-° 
fusion has.existed in the nomenclature of 
the species, and many which were at one 
time known as Bambusa are now included 
in the closely allied. genus Arundinaria. 
The differences between the two genera are 
more apparent to the botanist than the 
gardener, as in general appearance they 
are very similar. In several of the species 
the stems are Reed-like, and grow. in 
In several the 
side branches are borne singly from the 
nodes, not in clusters as in many of the 
Ar undinarias, but this cannot be relied 
upon as a distinct character. The chief 
differences between the two genera are in 
the flowers, and it is rarely that we sce 
these. 
B. marmorea.—This is a Japanese plant 
which is met with occasionally in this coun- 
try. It grows from 3 to 6 feet in height, 
according to conditions. It is inter esting 
on account of its thin stems, which are pur- 
plish in color, and by the purple sheaths of 
the young. culms, which are prettily 
mottled with a lighter color. The leaves 
are small, 3 #0 4 inches long, and $-inch 
wide. 
B. palmata.—Of the whole set of hardy 
Bamboos this is one of the handsomest. It 
isa native of Japan and_grows to a height! 
of & feet. The stems are slender ant’ 
reedlike, and bear handsome leaves, from 
5 inches to 1 foot long and 3 inches wide. 
The side branches are few in-number,-one 
only appearing from each node. It is a 
quick grower and soon forms a very large 
mass of bold and striking appearance. 
represented by this, aia for general pur- 
B. pygmaxa—The dwarf species are well 
poses it may be considered the most. use- 
It grows from 12 to 18 inches in 
height, and quickly forms a large mass. 
It is improved by being cut down: to the 
ground, in May, every other year. © 
B. quadrangularis.—A distinct Bamboo 
by reason of its four angled stems.  Al- 
though it lives out of doors at Kew, it can- 
not Be said to thrive satisfactorily. 
B. tessellata~—Though shorter in stature 
than palmata, this ieee some resemblance 
to that species. It may, however, be dis- 
tinguished by its larger leaves. It grows 
3 to 4 feet high, and the leaves are often 
13 inches long and 4 inches wide. 
Other species in cultivation are angusti- 
folia, disticha, metallica, and Nagashima, 
DL: RD 
