Jury 14, 1906 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 5 
pi nn ea tre 
“Dest:oy weeds in the pots, Remove plants 
-about to bloom into the greenhouse, and 
make room there by bringing out any 
hardy plants which are not about to flower. 
Do not give ioo much water. Sow seeds 
of half-hardy plants in pots or boxes. 
Slugs. 
Slugs and snails should be treated to a 
dusting of newly slaked lime at night. If 
-the pure white color is objected to some 
soot may be mixed with the lime powder. 
Place this in a branbag, walk along to 
windward of the beds after dark, beat the 
bags with «short stick, and the dust will 
fly and tickle the slimy pests. Twice a 
week treatment will get rid of most of 
‘them. Tobacco water will kill aphides 
and some other iusects. Boil 4 oz of 
waste tobacco (34 per 1b from the Goverh- 
ment storekeeper, Port Acelaide) in a 
_gallon of water to which 4 0% of soap has 
been added. Spray this on the affected 
plants ; or if there are only a few plants 
put some of the mixture into a basin, 
carry it in the left hand, with thick gloves 
-on the right haud, bending the ends of 
the rose branches or any other plants 
down into the liquid. so that the aphides 
shall be immersed, ‘These insects always 
attack the youngest growths, and cannot 
do any harm elsewhere. ‘The woolly blight 
(or American blight) isa species of aphis 
which does for planting in the open beds 
later on. 
Petunias. 
Place petunias in 6 in pots filled with 
rich mould in which some charred turf 
thas been mixed. Use some nitrate of 
potash in liquid manure for these plants. 
‘The smaller petunias, for succession, should 
be potted up. Primula chinensis pols re- 
quire filling up to keep the plants from 
toppling over. Use rich loam for the 
purpose. Cinerarias shonld have some 
weak liquid manure. 
Pelargoniums. 
Place pelargoniums in the pots in which 
_ they are to tlower. A little weak liquid 
‘manure may be given. Pinch,out the 
points of the branches to cause side 
growths, and the branches may be tied 
down to the edges of the pots, to cause 
a half-globular shape, which should be 
covered with flowers later on. Fuchsisa 
will take more water and more liquid 
manure, but in other respects may be 
treated in the same way as pelargoniums. 
Heaths. 
When Cape heaths have done flowering 
they commence to make new growth, and 
should be repotted into larger pots, but 
without breaking the ball around the roots. 
Do not give too much water, and never 
let the svil become dry. Sandy peat is 
the proper soil for these. Some of them 
-are in flower in winter and others in 
spring. Do not prune these or any similar 
hardy wooded shrubs much. When new 
growth starts small pieces may be taken 
off and planted in peat under a bell glass, 
to provide new plants. 
Begonias. 
Plant cuttings of the shrubby varieties 
of begonia. Start a few of the tuberous 
varieties by lightly watering and placing 
them in a warm corner, and only increas- 
ing the water when growth demands it. 
Epiphyllums and_ others of the cactus 
family have done flowering, and:may need 
larger pots, but must not be given too 
much root space. 
Camellias. 
Camellias are now beginning to break 
into bloom, and must not be over-watered, 
whilst giving enough. Shelter the plants 
against drip from above by means of strips 
of calico. : 
—=—_o—— 
GREENHOUSE. 
Bring in all plants about to flower in 
the shadehouse, and make plenty of room 
for them by shifting some hardy plants 
into the shadehouse. It is very injurious 
to crowd plants anywhere. Camellias must 
be treated as directed for the shadehouse. 
Calceolarias must be placed where cold 
dranghts do not prevail. If fumigation 
becomes necessary, on account of aphides, 
these plants must be removed to another 
place and treated separately with insect 
powder or-Gishurst, as they will be hurt 
by the tobacco smoke. Whilst they do 
not need as much light as some plants 
they shoulda not be kept in too dark a 
corner. ‘The other plants can be fumi- 
gated with tobacco smoke to kill aphides‘ 
and it is advisable to do this, even if no 
insects are visible, because there is a cer- 
tainty that a few are present, aud these 
will increase to a multitude within a short 
time. By killing the few the multitude 
will be stopped. 
——— 0 ————- 
STOVEHOUSE. 
The temperature must be maintained 
about 65 tu 70 dag. F., but fresh air should 
be admitted—oyer the boiler if too cold 
outside, Water supply should be of about 
the same temperature, and then the house 
should be kept closed until the foliage is 
dry. Sprayiug the foliage is not always 
effective in moistening the soil in the 
pots, therefore some should be given. to 
the roots. 
Pot up anthurums, begonias of all - 
classes, caladiums, dipladenias. cleoden- 
rons, eucadonias, gesneras, gloxinias, and 
tydias in rich sandy mould, and water 
lightly from the tepid tanks. When growth 
gets stronger more water will be required. 
Place tropical orchids in a warm spot in 
good light, and give a little water. Aus- 
tralian terrestrial orchids will do well in 
the greenhouse. 
Repot crotons, dieffenbachias, dracae~ 
nas, etc., in strong loamy peat, with inter- 
mixture of leafmould or old manure from 
the cowyard, and put enough charcoal at 
bottom to secure good drainage. Start 
Eucharis ‘japonica in batches to secure 
succession of flowers. Sow seeds for de- 
coration of the stovehouse and greenhouse. 
Wash crotons, palms, and similar hard- 
leayed plants with a decoction of 4 0% 
each of quassia chips and softsoap in @ 
gallon of water, then cleanse with pure 
tepid water, and close the place till next 
day F 
——_o0—— 
TFERNERY. 
All tender ferns should be in the stove- 
house. Give fresh air when outside con- 
ditions are mild enough. Give access to 
light, but noc directly from the sun 
through glass. Remove dead vegetation, 
and look out for slugs, snails, and other 
pests. 
—— o—_ 
A Break in Pelargoniums 
A few years ago a retired English 
lawyer (Lord Penzance) in the seclusion 
of his English home did what no rosartan 
seems to have previously thought of 
doing; that is, he began crossing the 
sweoet-scented briar rose with various old- 
fashioned garden roses. Whit a happy 
union ! for we have the gracefal, rampant 
‘single-fluwered roses in meuny pretly 
shades of color combined with the fra- 
grant foliige of the sweet briar. 
Well, soe one has presented us with 
a cross between the oak-leaved scented 
pelargonium and a fancy or decorative 
pelargonium. Perhaps the vross has been 
effected before. Tho marriage has given 
notable issue, for while the foliage and 
habit of the plant has remained almost 
unaltered, even to the preservation of the 
foliar odoriferousness, the flower trusses 
are singularly improved—they are com- 
paratively large, very bright rich rose- 
pinked, and are borae upon long upright 
stems. Now tho next step*will be to get 
a few Jarge, double-flowered scented 
leaved varieties, 
Gladiolus and 
Sweet Pea 
FINEST COLLECTION IN 
AUSTRALIA 
kL. H. Howell, 
GLADIOLI SPECIALIST, 
Motnt Victoria. . N.3.W- 
Citalozues Free on application. 
