12 
in their growing period. Keep them hoed, 
not too deeply, and pinch all the longest 
runners from them. Syringe them in. the 
afternoon, of hot, dry days with clear rain- 
water, and occasionally mix a little soot 
water with the rain water, also once every 
three weeks usea little farmyard manure 
water with the clear water. If they are 
planted in some good garden soil, which 
_ has been given a dressing of cow manure 
and scot, you will be rewarded with some 
good clumps by the end of March. As this 
time make your beds up for them in frames, 
using good loam, leaf soil, burnt earth, 
scot, and a little bonemeal; mix well up 
together. Place in frame to a height that 
will allow, about 2 in. space clear from, 
the lights. Plant the violets in this mix- 
ture 9,in. apart each way, water them: in. 
thoroughly, keep the lights off them: night 
and day, excepting in welti weather; then! 
run the lights over them, lifting them side- 
days, which will admit air top and bottom 
of frame. Mat them over to keep frost out, 
pick all dead, damped leaves from them, 
stir the surface with a label to keep moss 
down; then I think the violets will re 
ward you with their sweet blossoms through 
the winter. 
AUTUMN PLANTS. 
Many of them are indispensable for 
autumnal effect in the border. 
Agapanthus umbellatus—This hand- 
some plant, a native of the Cape of Good 
Hope, is one of the most decorative of 
autumn-flowering subjects. In favored 
spots in the south-west it succeeds admir- 
ably planted permanently in the open, 
producing its tall blue flower-umbels in 
quantity year after year. In colder dis- 
tricts it creates a telling effect if grown in 
large pots or tubs and placed in the open 
during the summer months. Tubs are pre- 
ferable to pots, as when the plants become 
pot-bound—in which condition they flower 
most abundantly—the force exerted by the 
expanding roots generally breaks the pots 
if these are not bound round with copper 
wire. At the advent of frost, the plants 
should be removed under shelter, and very 
sparingly watered until they commence to 
make growth in the spring. There is a 
white form of Agapanthus umbellatus, and 
also a distinct white-flowered species, al- 
though this is not recognised in horticul- 
tural dictionaries. The latter is deciduous, 
whereas the type is not, and bears taller 
flower umbels. Both the white-flowered 
African Lilies are perfectly hardy in the 
south-west. 
Anemone japonica—The well-known 
Japanese anemone is met with in three 
colors—namely, white, flesh-pink, and ma- 
genta, the last being a tint that should 
never be admitted into the garden. Honor- 
ine Jobert is a beautiful white variety, and, 
when at its best, reaches a height of 5 ft. 
and flowers profusely. Newer forms are 
Lady Ardilaun, Lord Ardilaun, and’ Whirl- 
wind, the two last being semi-double. 
Perennial Asters or Michaelmas Daisies. 
These charming plants are the mainstay 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
of the autumn garden, the different species 
blooming for a pericd of considerably over. 
three months. The earliest to flower is 
A. Amellus, of which species A. Amellus 
bessarabicus is an excellent large-flowered 
form) bearing viclet-blue blossoms. It 
often commences to flower in January, and 
remains in bloom for many weeks. It is 
comparatively dwarf, and has not the 
spreading habit that renders so many of 
this genus unsuited for a small garden. The 
last to flower is the handsome A. grandit 
florus, which is rarely in bloom before the 
end of April or beginning of May, a date 
which makes its culture inexpedient in cold 
districts. It bears very large flowers of 9 
deep purple hue with golden centres, and 
is extremely decorative when in full bloom. 
Tt may be lifted carefully and potted when 
the buds are formed, and will then expand 
its blossoms under glass. Other good 
varicties are A. acris, lilac-purple, forming 
4 sheaf of flower; Esme, a dense bush with 
white flowers of the size of a florin:; A. 
levigatus, rosy; A. patens, sky-blue ; A. 
ericoides, bearing ai profusion, of tiny white 
daisy-like flowers; and A, (Chrysocoma) 
linosyris, a British plant commonly known 
as Goldilocks, but valuable for its dense 
corymbs of bright yellow flowers. All the 
foregoing are dwarf varieties, rarely exceed- 
ing 2 ft. in height. A. cordifolius 1s a 
most graceful plant. Photograph, with 
small lavender flowers, is, perhaps, the 
best variety. A. Shorti bearing sprays of 
bright lilac flowers is also particularly good. 
These two generally reach a height of be- 
tween 3 ft. and 4 ft. Perry’s Pink produc- 
ing large bright pink flowers is very distincti 
and ornamental and grows to the same 
height. Of the Novi-Belgii section Ar- 
cher Hind, soft blue, Harpur-Crewe, and 
Purity, white, and Robert Parker, laven- 
der, are well worth growing. They are 
mostly tall growers, the last-named some- 
times reaching a height of 7 ft. A levis 
Arcturus is a handsome plant with black 
stems and lilac flowers, with a suspicion of 
rose, and A. puniceus pulcherrimus is a 
noble species and a very vigorous grower, 
attaining a height of over 6 ft. Every spray 
of the plant is thickly covered with flesh- 
tinted flowers, which become white with 
age. Of the Nove-Anglie section, Melpo- 
ment, purple, and ruber, rose-colored, are 
the best. Boltonia asteroides and B. latis- 
quama are two aster-like plants, natives of 
North America. The former bears flesh- 
colored flowers, and the latter lavender. 
Cannas.—Since the raising of the new 
large-fldwered Cannas these: plants have 
become most admirable subjects for the 
autumn garden. In. the south-west they 
may be allowed to remain undisturbed in 
the beds through the winter, but in more 
northern districts they must be lifted and 
housed like Dahlias, and started in heat in 
the spring. Of thle Crozy Cannas, which are 
comparatively dwarf, the following are good 
varieties: Beaute Poitevine, scarlet; Pre- 
sident McKinley, vivid vermilion; Duke 
of Marlborough, deep crimson ; Aug. Chan- 
pink ; Secretary Chabanne, orange ; Light- 
May 1, 1905 
house, yellow; Queen Charlotte, scarlet 
with broad yellow margin; Paul Meylain, 
buff with narrow yellow border; Fol. Ber. 
tine Brunner, very large yellow with small 
red spots; Comte de Bouchard, yellow 
heavily mottled with crimson; and Mme. 
Pichon, yellow with centre of petals 
gplashed red. Of the Italian Cannas, 
which grow to a great height and bear — 
flowers from 4 in. to 6 in. in diameter, good 
varieties are Allemannia, America, Italia, 
and Pluto. The far older Canna, Ehemannj 
iridifiora, with its great, Musa-like leaves 
not be omitited. 
Chrysanthemum maximum, with its 
large, daisy-like flowers, is a well-known 
autumn bloomer. Of late, dwarf varieties, 
more free flowering in habit and bearing 
larger blooms, have been, raised, which are 
tin, orange-pink ; Annie J. Chretien, flesh- 
and slightly drooping scape of rose-cerise 
flowers, is also very beautiful, and should 
superior to the type. 
Coreopsis grandiflora, though commenc. 
ing to flower early in the summer, often 
continues its display, through the entiro 
month of August. 
Crinums.—These noble Cape bulbs are 
perfectly hardy in the south-west, and if 
planted at sufficient depth and mulched 
during the winter would doubtless prove 
so further north. Ait any rate, they: ara 
worth a trial. C. capense, or longifolium, 
is the best known, but cannot compare with 
C. Powelli and its variety C .Powelli album, 
C. Mcorei, and ©. Moorei album, the latter 
known on the Continent as C. Schmidti 
cr G. Yemense. When: in flower these 
crinums, with! their tall bloom-scapes bear- 
ing several giant blossoms, make a splen- 
did display in a wall-backed border. 
Dahlias are too well known to be dealt, 
with at length, but it may be said that no 
autumn garden is complete wihout them. 
For decorative effect the cactus varieties 
take the precedence, but care should be be- 
towed on the selection, and only those 
which throw the flowers well above the 
foliage should be ordered. A selection, 
made aa flower show, where the indivi- 
dual blooms are displayed on stiands, is cer- 
tain to be unsatisfactory, as many of the 
varieties that produce the most perfect 
blossoms bear them hidden by the foliage, 
and are, therefore, utterly useless for the 
embellishment of the border. Dahlia tu- 
bers must be lifted after the first frost and 
kept in a dry cellar or other frost-proof 
structure until the spring, when they 
should be started in heat. 
Galega.—The type which bears rosy-lilac 
pea-shaped flowers and its white form; are 
excellent border plants, forming dense 
bushes 4 ft. or so in height, smothered in 
bloom-racemes. 
Gladiolus—The common scarlet G. 
Brenchleyensis is amongst the most effec- 
tive of border plants, while the newer G. 
Childsi, G. nanceianus, and Lemoine’s hy- | 
brids bear wonderfully large and handsome 
flowers. The foregoing and the G. ganda- 
vensid scetion may be left undisturbed in 
the ground through the winter in favored 
