4 THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
cally no trouble, and there is the advantage 
of the flowers lasting longer, whether cut 
or on the plants. 
Roses.—VThe autumn display of Roses is 
generally the best. more especially with the 
eas and Hybrid Teas. All old flowers 
should be cut away, and any bushes making 
unnecessary growth should be thinned out, 
and if the rainfall is deficient about March 
give a good watering, or, what is preferable, 
Jiquid manure. 
TLawns.—Buffalo grass lawns may still be 
made until March or April. When it is in- 
tended to grow other grasses with the 
Buffalo, nothing is so good as Kentucky 
blue grass. Igenerally have a patch ready, 
and dibble a piece in about every foot when 
planting the Buffalo. The one leads during 
the summer, while the other is green and 
fills up all the available space during 
autumn, winter, and spring, yet the one 
dves not harm the other or become patchy. 
Consideration should be given to such 
plants as those which produce flowers during 
tlie autumn, which season is often the most 
satisfactory during the year in many parts 
of the State. The most conspicuous flowers 
are the Chrysanthemums and the Dabhlias. 
If superior blooms of either of these plants 
are required, a good deal of trouble is 
necessary for some time before they flower. 
Both need good supplies of water, if the 
yainfall has not been sufficient, and both 
are improved by the application of liquid 
manure, which, however, should be discon- 
tinued as soon as the flowers are partly 
open. ‘The necessary liquid manure, which 
will be found useful also for any other of 
the garden plants—including pot plants— 
can be made by soaking cow, horse, or fowl 
lung, either separate or combined, in water. 
Say a bucketful in half a hogshead of 
water. Only the clear liquid should be 
used, after the dung has been soakel a few 
flays.. Is can be diluted with water for 
various kinds of plants, if judged to be too 
strong. Better apply rather weak to all 
plants, and the grower be on the safe side. 
1f Cosmos plants were growing in the 
garden last year, it is more than likely that 
numbers of seedings are coming up, or 
even some of those which come up early are 
in flower. This is a useful flowering plant 
for the autumn, when it succeeds hest. The 
yellow variety, Klondyke, is well worth 
growing, as if makes a pretty contrast to 
the other varieties, and is a very showy 
plant when in full bloom. Carnations will 
need. attention should the weather be dry, 
and. should be kept well supplied with 
water; otherwise, if allowed to want mois- 
ture, they may suddenly die off. The Car- 
nation has become a great favorite, and 
many handsome kinds of the perpetual class 
can be obtained. Bouvardias, if ~ well 
treated, will keep up a constant supply of 
flowers well into the winter months. As the 
flowers drop off, prune the flower-bearing 
branches, and apply liquid manure, and 
they will very speedily flower again. The. 
Bouvardia is as useful a plant, with the ex- 
ception of, perhaps, the tea-scented Rose, 
as could be grown in cottage or farm home- 
stead gardens. Plants may be planted out 
in the early autumn, or else in the spring. 
If extensive autumn planting of evergreens 
is to be carried out, preparations should 
‘with carmine. 
soon be begun. The antumn_is the ver) 
best time of year to plant evergreens of any 
kinds, and it is also the best time to propa- 
gate cuttings of plants. ¥ 
A GAY BED. 
Here is a pretty filling for a small bed, 
preferably a round one, in a_ lawn. 
Thoroughly pulverise the soil, make the 
surface even and fine, then water it 
through a fine rozed can. At 6-inch in- 
tervals round the edge dibble in seeds of 
Nasturtium Queen of Tom Thumbs, put- 
ting two seeds at each place, and. forming 
a double row, avenue fashion. This Nas 
turtium has deep crimson: flowers and sil- 
ver variegated foliage. Over the inner 
space sow Viscaria clegans versicolor 
sparingly ; slightly cover with sifted soil, 
and then stretch black cotton over the bed 
to keep the birds off. The Viscaria 1s 1 
foot high, flowers all the summer and most 
of the autumn, yielding innumerable blos- 
soms which are salmon striped and blotched. 
Tt is a great improvement 
upon. the older sorts of Viscaria.—M. H. 
OHRYSANTHEMUMS: 
Plants which were struck early in the 
season have done very well, and the huds 
have developed satisfactorily. Those 
growers, however, who delayed their opera- 
tions have good reason to regret commencing 
in the spring. The tendency nowadays to 
retain second crown buds has given us 
plants much taller than was the case some 
years ago, and, in quite a number of 
instances, the plants are exceptionally tall. 
There is the promise—at least, from the 
collections of careful growers —of obtaining 
incurved blooms of exceptionally fine 
quality, and this can only be achieved by 
commencing the propagation of this type 
of the Chrysanthemum early, stopping or 
pinching the resulting plants, and retaining 
second crown buds, or those of even a later 
series. In the case of plants grown for 
decoration terminal buds may be retained,” 
and, under ordinary treatment, blossoms 
from these for autumn displays. Terminal 
buds develop at a rapid rate, and, as the 
blooms from this bud selection are not by 
any means over large, they are invaluable 
for cutting. Their color, too, is usually 
good, and rarely are they known to show 
signs of damping of the florets. Keep a 
sharp look-out for insect pests. The earwig 
is one of the greatest troubles, often eating 
out the points of the tender shoots with the 
buds in embryo. Inverted pots with hay or 
paper in them, and placed on the stakes, 
are a capital and ready means of trapping 
them. The pots should be examined each 
morning and carefully lifted. They should 
then be shaken over a vessel containing 
boiling water, or any other equally effica- 
cious fluid for destroying them. As bamboo 
canes are now used very largely for stakes, 
it is just as well to point out how they 
harbor the earwigs. Those bamboo stakes 
with hollowed out stems afford an excellent 
hiding-place, and old stakes may be slit 
down and often found to contain quite a lot 
of earwigs. For this reason growers should 
fill the hole in the top of the bamboo canes 
January 5, 1905 
with putty or auy other equally useful sab- 
stance, and in this way minimise the risk of 
damage to the shoots. 
Specimen Chrysanthemums are of two 
types—the large bush, 2 to 3 feet high 
and 5 feet across; the small bush, about 
3 feet across. 
The stem of the plant must show clear 
above the surface of the soil after all top- 
dressings haye been put on; indeed, 2 ix 
more satisfactory if the single stem is 
clear of branches for about 9 inches from 
the soil in the pot. Watering, top-dressing, 
and staking are more easily accomplished. 
With regard to standards, a stiff, Mush- 
room-shaped head is not recommended, but 
one on a single stem which has branches 
grown in a natural manner, and simply 
secured to light stakes to prevent breakage- 
The standards should average about 4 feet 
6 inches in height, according to the variety, 
erown in this manner. Extremely dwavrt 
varieties would not be satisfactory for this 
purpose. A few plants only should be so 
treated and well grown, then they are- 
beautiful objects for placing in greenhouse, 
conservatory, or entrance hall while they . 
are in full bloom. 
WATERING. 
When and how to water plants is a ques 
tion often asked by the amateur grower, 
especially ladies who have a few pot 
plants. There is no doubt the watering 
is the most important operation connected 
with the treatment of plants, and, alas, taa 
often neglected. The first consideration Is 
to have a method in watering, look over 
them every day, and see if they require it. 
Tf this is not done there is great danger 
of neglect. Tf the soil is too dry the roots 
cannot absorb sufficient moisture to coun- 
terbalance the evaporation which takes 
place through the leaves, thereby causing 
the plant to flag. If water is used tom 
freely the soil becomes sodden and sour, 
causing the leaves to turn yellow. We 
shall understand better how to water if we 
correct first some impressions derived from 
old works on physiology. It is said that 
plants want water. This is strictly time: 
Water is found in plants, but enters rather 
in the shape of vapor. A soil that is web 
will only grow water plants; and it is & 
remarkable fact that these water plants 
scem to have very little water in them. A 
reed or bulrush grown in water has far 
less water in its structure than a nearly 
allied species grown in dry land. The 
plants which have the most fluid in them 
are those grown in the driest places. 
A wet soil is totally unfit for plant-grow- 
ing. - A. plant standing twenty-four hours 
in water is oftentimes ruined. 
A good soil for plant growing, therefore, 
is not one that will hold water, but one 
in which the water will pass rapidly away. 
The soil itself ought to be comprised. of 
minute particles through which air spaces 
abound. The water must be just enough 
to keep these particles moist; the air in 
the spaces is thus kept in the condition 
of moist air. The roots traverse these air 
spaces, and it is, therefore, moist air the 
roots want, and not water. Tf it were water 
