June 1, 1907 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
ss 
DOUBLE-FRINGED PETUNIA. 
The Petunia. 
(By J. Cronin,) 
Petunia is a genus of dwarf perennial 
plants found native in South Africa 
The present garden forms are assumed 
to be hybrids from P. nyctaginaflora, in- 
troduced into Buropean gardens in 1823, 
and P. violacea, introduced in 1831. 
Originally the petunia produced single 
flowers only. and it is due to the skill 
and care of the hybridist that the present 
popular double forms were evolved. The 
habit of growth was also improved by 
careful crossing and selection, and the 
hybrid varietios were soon cultivated to 
the exclusion of the original species, 
their flowers being more varied in form 
and colour, and of larger size and greater 
substance. 
Some years back the petunia was a 
popular plant in our gardens, and very 
fine varieties were raised, named, and 
distributed by some of the nurserymen 
of that time. Ffne specimen plants 
grown in pots were often» seen at the 
horticultural shows, and the plants were 
largely used also for bedding. The popu- 
larity has decreased largely, but lately 
they are again coming into favour. the 
introduction of new, large, brightly- 
coloured strains being mainly responsible 
The petunia is one of our best, hadiest, 
and most easily grown border plants. 
The plants endure heat and drought well, 
and continue to produce their attractive 
blossoms for a long period during sum: 
mer. The single-flower varieties are 
most suitable for border decoraticn, or 
for massing in sckemes of colour. They 
are not suitable for cultivating in places 
specially liable to dust, or where the 
atmosphere is heavely charged with grime 
or smoke, their viscid leaves becoming 
coated with such substances, which are 
difficult to eradicate, and which check 
the vigour and bloom of the plants. 
PROPAGATION CULTURE. 
Petunias are usually treated as annuals 
except in the case of specially fine 
varieties, The plants are raised from 
seeds annually, and when their blooming 
season is over are thrown away, anda 
new stock raised from seed for the en. 
suing season. Most of the double kinds 
are propagated from .cuttings, though 
there are strains of seed that will pro- 
duce about twenty-five per cent. of double 
varieties. The seed may be sown in 
autumn or spring. Autumn sowing is 
preferable, except where severe frosts 
occur in spring. The plants are strong, 
and will bloom early and continuously if 
well cultivated. The seed is very small, 
and should ke sown in light soil in well- 
drained pots or boxes. The soil should 
be rather moist, and the surface firmly 
pressed and even before sowing the seeds. 
A very light covering cf soil should be 
applied, and the whole {watered very 
gently to prevent the seed being washed 
together in heaps, after which the pots 
or boxes should be transferred to a close 
frame, or a sheet of glass should be 
placed closely over them till the seeds 
germinate. This covering should be 
removed gradually as the plants grow, 
being finally removed when they are 7 in. 
in height, The plants should then be 
potted into single pots, or transplanted 
into other boxes of light soil, and grown 
on till spring, when they should be 
planted out. When the seeds are raised 
in spring they may be allowed to‘remain 
in the seed-box until ready to plant out 
where it is intended they should bloom. 
Cuttings of the young shoots that 
develop laterally along the stemeg, or at 
5 
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the base of the plants, root readily in a - 
cold frame, or under a bell-glass or a 
closely covered box, if inserted in sandy 
soil during April. The cuttings should 
be ‘about three inches in length, the 
leaves trimmed from the lower half of 
the cutting, and the cuttings inserted 
around the edge of the pots of sand. The 
pots should be well drained, and the sand 
washed, to remove any fermenting me- 
dium, A box (like a butter-box) should 
be filled to within six inches of the top 
with light soil, sand, or ashes. Holes 
shonld be bored in the bottom to permit 
of drainage. The cuttings may be in- 
serted, say, 8ix in a 5-inch pot, always 
inserting cuttings around the edge in 
preference to the centre of the pots. 
Four such pots will be accommodated in 
a butter-box, and after the cuttings are 
inserted should be plunged tu the rims. 
in the box, lightly watered, and covered 
closely with a nicely fitting sheet of glass. 
In such a frame a number of cuttings 
may be rooted during the season, After 
the cuttings are rooted, they should be 
potted into small pots and grown on till 
. spring, when they may be either planted 
out in the border or re-potted and grown 
on in larger pots. Petunias succeed well 
in pots, and nice bushy plants may be 
developed by occasionally pinching the 
leading shoots, The soil for pot culture 
should be light and porous, and the pots 
should be thoroughly drained. 
The most suitable soil for growing 
petunias in the open border is a moder- 
ately rich light loam, but the plants will 
thrive fairly in any fair garden soil. 
Excessive manuring will produce large 
plants without a corresponding increase 
in the number or quality of the flowers. 
A fairly open position should be allotted 
them, and ordinary border cultivation. 
including watering during dry hot 
weather, will suffice to bring the plants 
into a condition that will enable them to 
produce an abundant crop of flowers. 
VARIETIES. 
Most of the nurserymen have ceased to 
catalogue petunias under name, though 
they have named varieties in stock, A 
proportion of double flowering kinds may 
be expected from some of the special 
strains of seeds, of which Hender & Sons’ 
double-fringed is one of the most reliable. 
“ Giants of California” is a noted large- 
flowering single strain, although many 
gardeners prefer the smaller fringed 
varieties, especially for bedding purposes. 
Undertakers. 
ADDY, J. C., & SON, Funeral Direc- 
tors and Oarriage Proprietors, 
All Funerals conducted under personal 
supervision. 113 Flinders St., Adelaide 
Phones—Adelaide 1677, Port 110, and 
Semaphore 255. and Jetty Road, Glenelg. 
Phone 78, 
