7G 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  25,  1900. 
the  walls.  The  trees  are  young,  it  is  true,  but  we  hope  that  as  they 
attain  to  years  of  maturity  they  will  prove  to  “A.  N.  0.”  that  the  art 
of  fruit  tree  training  has  not  quite  passed  to  an  untimely  grave.  We  had 
a  peep  into  the  fruit  room,  and  found  it  splendidly  stocked  with 
handsome  produce,  most  of  which  will  probably  ere  now  have  gone 
the  way  of  all  good  fruit.  Besides  the  Apples,  Pears,  Plums,  and 
Damsons  there  are  the  small  fruits;  but  we  must  pass  these  over  with 
the  simple  assurance  that  they  are  well  worthy  to  rank  with  their 
larger  confreres,  to  which  more  specific  attention  has  been  given  in 
these  notes. 
Many  persons  will  think  that  no  ordinary  man  could  have  much 
spare  time  when  such  attention  is  devoted  to  the  garden,  particularly 
when  it  is  remembered  that  there  are  other  duties  which  are  even 
more  important.  Not  only,  however,  do  these  matters  have  attention, 
but  Mr.  Ellison  has  another  hobby — namely,  carving.  This  is  done 
with  lathes  that  are  quite  perfect,  and  the  ivory  that  has  been  worked 
proves  the  evidence  of  a  master  hand  ;  indeed,  Mr.  Ellison  is 
acknowledged  as  one  of  the  foremost  carvers  in  England,  whose  work 
is  much  sought  at  exhibitions  of  this  nature.  Unfortunately  it  is 
beyond  our  scope  to  describe  either  the  man,  the  carving  work,  or  the 
machines,  so  we  must  leave  Mr.  Ellison  to  his  hobbies,  while  express¬ 
ing  gratification  at  the  visit  that  was  paid  at  the  close  of  last  summer. 
— H.  J.  Weight. 
FLOWERING  PLANTS  FROM  SEED. 
Abutilons. 
A  GOOD  strain  of  Abutilon  seed  will  produce  plants  that  will  give 
flowers  in  the  several  colours  of  crimson,  yellow,  red,  and  white.  The 
drooping,  bell-shaped  blooms  (fig.  16,  p.  75)  are  attractive  on  the  plants, 
and  can  be  used  for  cutting,  as  the  flower  stems  are  usually  of  a  sufficient 
length  for  utilisation  in  glasses.  Seeds  may  be  sown  in  February  in 
brisk  heat.  When  the  seedlings  are  large  enough  pot  them  singly  in  a 
compost  of  loam,  peat,  and  sand,  growing  them  in  a  moist  atmosphere 
until  they  attain  a  fair  size.  It  is  desirable  to  top  the  shoots  a  few 
times  so  as  to  make  the  plants  bushy,  which  improves  their  appearance 
and  renders  them  more  floriferous.  As  the  plants  become  well 
established  give  them  greenhouse  treatment  in  an  airy,  sunny  position, 
always  affording  water  before  the  plants  suffer,  as  they  are  rather 
impatient  of  moisture.  If  the  plants  grow  too  tall  they  may  be  reduced 
by  cutting  down  in  spring.  When  the  shoots  break  into  growth  repot 
the  plants.  Varieties  it  is  desirable  to  retain  may  be  propagated  from 
cuttings  which  root  in  a  compost  of  light  rich  soil  in  a  moist  temperature 
of  65°  in  spring.  One  of  the  best  old  named  varieties  is  Boule  de 
Niege,  and  this  is  chiefly  perpetuated  by  cuttings.  The  flowers  are 
white  with  yellow  stamens. 
Antirrhinums. 
Antirrhinums,  commonly  known  as  Snapdragons,  are  hardy  peren¬ 
nials  which  can  easily  be  raised  from  seeds  in  heat  and  flowered  the 
ensuing  summer.  Formerly  seeds  were  sown  in  autumn,  or  cuttings 
inserted,  but  this  requires  frame  space  in  winter  which  can  be  better 
utilised.  For  producing  very  charming  beds,  either  in  separate  or 
mixed  colours,  the  Tom  Thumb  varieties  are  excellent.  Some  object 
to  them  because  of  their  pigmy,  dwarf,  or  formal  character  when  in 
bloom,  but  they  are  nevertheless  attractive,  especially  a  mixed  bed  of 
various  colours.  The  tall  varieties  are  the  best  for  borders,  because  the 
spikes  are  longer  and  more  useful  for  cutting.  In  addition  to  these 
there  are  now  intermediate  varieties  which  are  as  beautiful  as  the 
others.  Seeds  may  be  sown  in  pans  at  the  present  time,  and  encouraged 
to  germinate  in  heat.  In  a  week  or  two  after  place  them  in  a  cooler 
place,  eventually  pricking  out  the  small  plants  in  boxes,  from  which 
they  may  be  transferred  to  the  beds  or  borders  in  May,  4  to  6  inches 
apart. 
Fibrous-rooted  Begonias, 
These  Begonias,  when  raised  from  seed  early  in  the  year,  can  be 
flowered  outdoors  in  beds  the  same  season.  A  bottom  heat  of  65° 
to  70°  must  be  at  command,  and  the  seeds  should  be  sown  in  pans  filled 
with  a  mixture  of  loam,  peat,  leaf  soil,  and  sand.  Drain  the  pans 
thoroughly,  and  make  the  compost  fine  and  level  on  the  surface,  giving 
a  gentle  watering.  When  drained  sow  the  seeds  thinly,  and  dredge 
over  a  very  slight  covering  of  white  sand.  Place  on  the  pan  a  square 
of  glass  to  prevent  the  moisture  evaporating  from  the  soil.  On  this  lay 
paper  to  shade  the  seeds  from  light.  No  water  ought  to  be  necessary 
before  the  seed  germinates,  and  when  it  is  required  it  should  not  be 
given  at  the  top,  but  stand  the  pot  in  water  until  moisture  begins  to 
percolate  through  the  surface.  It  is  best  to  remove  the  pan  from  the 
water  as  soon  as  the  first  drops  of  moisture  are  seen  on  the  surface. 
The  seedlings  ought  as  soon  as  practicable  to  be  transferred  to  fresh 
soil  in  well-drained  boxes,  still  keeping  them  in  heat  and  moisture. 
Lift  them  carefully  from  the  seed  pan  with  a  flat  notched  stick,  and 
place  2  inches  apart  in  the  boxes  filled  with  similar  compost  to  that 
employed  for  sowing  the  seed.  When  the  plants  are  well  established 
in  the  boxes  and  growing  vigorously,  they  may  be  introduced  to  a 
cooler  temperature,  where  they  will  gradually  become  inured  to 
hardier  treatment  for  final  planting  out  in  June. — E.  D.  S. 
Roses  Under  Glass. 
The  month  of  January  is  a  busy  time  with  those  who  grow  Rosea 
under  glass  extensively,  as  the  plants  need  pruning  and  the  bordera 
dressing.  Those  planted  out  are  not  generally  forced  very  hard,  as  so 
much  better  results  are  obtained  by  letting  them  advance  steadily  to 
give  blooms  during  April  and  May.  The  early  supply  of  flowers 
being  obtained  from  plants  in  pots,  a  good  stock  of  these  should  be 
pruned  at  once  and  placed  in  a  light  structure  where  the  temperature 
ranges  between  55°  and  65°.  A  vinery  just  started  is  an  excellent 
place  for  them,  as  the  moist  atmosphere  and  gradually  increasing 
temperature  suit  both  Vines  and  Roses. 
In  pruning  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  I  like  to  cut  them  hack  to  one 
or  two  eyes,  leaving  a  few  strong  shoots  longer  at  points  where  they 
are  required  to  fill  gaps.  Notwithstanding  much  that  has  been 
written  to  the  contrary,  nearly  everyone  prefers  a  Rose  of  good  size 
and  pure  or  brilliant  colour  to  a  smaller  bloom  of  any  given  variety,, 
and  to  secure  fine  blooms  hard  pruning  must  be  practised  with  nearly 
all  varieties  of  H.P.’s.  In  regard  to  dwarf  Teas  less  severe  pruning 
may  with  advantage  be  practised,  but  I  am  no  believer  in  the  let-alone 
practice  which  some  growers  adopt.  When  this  is  followed  the 
bushes  become  crowded  with  weak  growths  that  give  only  flowers 
of  moderate  size,  and  the  few  really  good  blooms  which  are  pro¬ 
duced  are  borne  on  strong  shoots  which  break  from  the  old  wood  or 
are  thrown  up  from  the  stools.  With  such  varieties  as  The  Bride, 
Catherine  Mormet,  Ernest  Metz,  Grace  Darling,  and  Madame  Lamhard 
I  cut  away  all  weak  growths,  shorten  strong  shoots  to  three  or  four 
eyes,  and  moderately  strong  ones  to  one  or  two.  When  this  practice 
is  followed  nearly  every  bud  which  bursts  brings  a  splendid  flower,, 
and  from  a  commercial  point  of  view  one  good  bloom  is  worth  two  or 
three  smaller  ones. 
After  pruning  a  little  of  the  surface  soil  should  be  removed,  a 
dressing  of  some  good  chemical  fertiliser  given,  this  to  be  coyered. 
with  a  layer  of  sound  loam  enriched  with  fresh  horse  manure  or  dried 
cow  manure.  But  I  pin  my  faith  principally  on  chemical  manures- 
for  Roses  in  pots,  as  nothing  seems  to  bring  out  such  vivid  colour  in 
the  blooms.  In  pruning  climbing  Roses  which  are  planted  in  borders 
and  trained  to  the  roof  of  a  house  or  other  trellis,  evidently  different 
treatment  is  neces.sary,  as  such  plants  grow  very  strongly  and  flower 
splendidly  on  long  shoots  which  are  thoroughly  ripened.  Take  for 
instance  Mar^chal  Niel,  at  this  season  little  if  any  pruning  is 
needed  ;  that  operation  should  '  ave  been  performed  shortly  after  the, 
blooms  were  cut  last  season.  If  the  worn-out  shoots  were  then  cut 
away,  to  make  room  for  the  strong  growths  just  starting,  the  trellis- 
should  now  be  covered  with  hard  firm  shoots,  ripe  almost  to 
the  points,  and  only  the  uniipened  pans  need  cutting  away  now. 
This  fine  Rose  often  produces  a  number  of  short,  wiry  looking  shoots 
near  spurs,  or  from  the  old  wood,  and  such  I  find  generally  bear 
blooms  of  good  size  and  fine  colour.  Climbing  Niphetos  and  climbing 
Devoniensi-i  are  both  very  strong  growers,  and  if  the  shoots  are  freely 
thinned  during  summer  such  growths  ought  to  be  thoroughly  hard 
and  ripe  throughout  the  greater  part  of  their  length,  and  only  need, 
shortening  back  to  hard  wood. 
But  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  quite  useless  to  have  long  green- 
looking  shoots,  as  they  only  produce  weak  growths  instead  of  flowers.. 
The  plan  to  follow  therefore  is — leave  as  much  ripe  wood  as  can  be 
kept  without  undue  crowding;  cutaway  the  remainder.  When  a 
large  amount  of  space  is  covered  by  old  trees,  they  succeed  well  by 
spurrimi  the  shoots  in  closely,  and  cutting  some  of  the  worn-out  ones 
away  each  year,  to  be  replaced  by  strong  breaks. 
Cheshunt  Hybrid  and  Reine  Marie  Henriette  flower  splendidly  on 
long,  strong  shoots,  provided  they  are  hard  and  ripe.  Training  thinly 
during  the  summer  is,  of  course,  the  way  to  secure  such  growths. 
Unripened  points  must  be  cut  away,  and  weak  shoots  pruned  in 
closely.  Young  plants  of  W.  Allen  Richardson  flower  well  on  long 
shoots  of  the  previous  year’s  growth,  and  after  flowering  numbers 
of  moderately  strong  growths  break  from  them.  These  Bower  at 
the  points  later  in  the  season,  and  from  almost  every  joint  the  follow¬ 
ing  year.  After  that  I  like  to  remove  a  few  of  such  two-year-old 
branches  annually  to  make  room  for  young  ones.  Two  old  favourites. 
Belle  Lyonnaise  and  Gloire  de  Dijon,  flower  well  either  when  treated 
on  the  long  shoot  or  spur  system  of  pruning,  but  when  grown  as 
climbers  I  prefer  the  former  method,  as  the  space  can  be  kept 
evenly  furnished  with  shoots  of  almost  equal  vigour.  Other  varieties 
have  their  special  characteristics,  and  need  treating  according  to  the 
lessons  taught  by  close  observation  ;  indeed  pruning  of  all  descriptions. 
