166 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  25,  1897. 
CARNATIONS  AT  RANGEMORE. 
{Concluded  f  rom  page  121.) 
The  large  flowering  house  runs  north  and  south,  and  is  built  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  rake  of  the  ground — that  is,  the  house  gradually  falls  to  the 
south.  It  has  a  central  bed  and  stages  on  each  side.  The  Malmaisons 
occupy  the  south  end  division,  and  the  tree  varieties  the  northern 
portion. 
A  collection  of  these  tree  varieties  is  not  aimed  at ;  on  the  contrary, 
numbers  of  what  are  proved  to  produce  good-sized  flowers  and  are  free 
flowering  is  the  object  in  view.  This  is  evidently  the  right  and  only 
method  by  which  a  profusion  of  flowers  can  be  had  during  the  dull 
months  of  winter.  New  varieties  are  tried,  and  if  they  come  up  to  the 
standard  of  excellence  required  they  are  propagated  and  grown  in 
quantity. 
Very  few  plants  of  Miss  Joliffe  are  grown,  not  because  it  is  not 
sufficiently  free  but  the  individual  flowers  are  not  large  enough.  J.  S. 
Rugus  was  producing  some  very  fine  flowers,  and  seems  destined  to 
push  out  Winter  Cheer.  President  Carnot,  a  dark  flower  and  very  free, 
is  a  favourite,  and  preferred  to  Uriah  Pike.  Mrs.  Leopold  de  Rothschild 
was  also  prominent,  as  well  as  many  others.  Germania  added  a  charm 
to  the  whole,  being  grown  in  large  quantities  and  carefully  arranged 
amongst  the  other  colours  throughout  the  house.  The  whole  of  these 
plants  were  in  7-inch  pots,  the  plants  being  dwarf,  very  healthy,  and  full 
of  flower  and  buds. 
These  plants  are  evidently  managed  on  two  principles,  Germania 
and  varieties  of  this  nature  being  grown  differently  from  what 
may  be  termed  the  real  tree  varieties.  The  plants  of  Germania  raised 
from  layers  were  at  the  time  of  my  visit  being  potted  into  5-inch  pots. 
The  plants  were  arranged  closely  to  the  glass,  and  would  be  allowed  to 
flower,  afterwards  transferring  them  into  7-inch  pots,  these  being  after¬ 
wards  grown  outside  until  September  the  same  as  the  trees,  and  housed 
with  them.  The  tree  varieties  are  raised  by  cuttings,  the  first  earliest 
batch  having  been  rooted  and  potted  singly  ;  in  fact,  might  be  termed 
established  in  2^-inch  pots.  These  were  arranged  close  to  the  glass — a 
feature  very  observable  at  Rangemore. 
Many  cuttings  were  in  process  of  rooting.  These  are  young  short 
growths  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  of  flowering  plants,  and  were 
inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  2J-inch  pots,  five  cuttings  in  each.  Toese  were 
plunged  amongst  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  close  to  the  glass  in  a  very  low 
house.  The  bottom  heat  ranged  about  80°,  and  the  lights  were  not  kept 
air-tight,  sufficient  air  being  admitted  to  prevent  damping.  When 
rooted  they  are  potted  singly,  and  grown  with  the  earlier  rooted  batch. 
A  little  pinching  is  done  during  the  early  stages  of  growth  to  induce 
the  plants  to  branch,  but  too  much  pinching  is  not  practised.  The 
young  plants  as  they  need  more  root  room  are  placed  into  5-inch,  and 
when  they  require  more  root  room  into  7-incb,  the  9ize  they  flower  in. 
About  the  time  they  are  ready  for  7-inch  they  are  placed  outside 
during  the  summer,  which  largely  accounts  for  the  dwarf  sturdy  nature 
of  the  plants.  For  their  provision,  while  outside,  beds  3  or  4  feet  wide 
have  been  formed  by  10-inch  boards,  which  are  filled  with  ashes  and  the 
pots  plunged  during  hot  bright  weather  to  prevent  too  frequent  watering. 
Over  these  beds  has  been  arranged  a  wood  framing,  sloping  from  the 
centre  either  way  like  a  span-roofed  house,  but  sufficiently  high  so  that 
watering  and  any  other  attention  the  plants  need  can  be  done  without 
the  woodwork  being  in  the  way.  During  wet  weather  waterproof  canvas 
is  stretched  over  the  woodwork  to  shoot  off  heavy  rains.  This  is  a  capital 
plan,  the  plants  having  plenty  of  air  and  a  fair  amount  of  light,  even 
when  protected  from  heavy  rains. 
Firm  potting  is  practised,  the  plants  are  given  room  to  develop,  and 
with  careful  watering,  judicious  feeding  while  in  the  flowering  house, 
abundance  of  flowers  result. — Wm.  Bardney. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
R.H.S.  Examinations. 
I  HAVE  read  with  considerable  interest  “  Student’s  ”  notes  and 
examples  on  the  above  examinations  lately  in  the  Journal,  and  I  am 
sure  all  readers,  especially  we  youngsters,  should  be  very  grateful  to  him 
for  his  valuable  information  on  the  subject.  I  am  rather  surprised, 
though,  that  no  questions  were  given  by  the  Society  with  reference  to 
the  numerous  Latin  and  French  names  and  terms  so  commonly  used  by 
gardeners.  I  should  have  thought  that  a  few  questions  as  to  the  mean¬ 
ings  of  some  Latin  phrases  at  least  would  have  been  set,  if  not  a  few 
French  one3  also.  Our  first  ambition  when  we  start  on  our  gardening 
career  is  to  know  the  names  of  the  various  plants,  and  we  look  on  our 
superiors  as  veritable  encyclopaedias,  they  are  so  well  acquainted  with 
them.  How  much  better  if,  instead  of  knowing  only  the  Latin  or 
botanical  names,  we  also  know  the  E  nglish  meaning  as  well .  There  are  many 
of  our  leading  men  who  are  well  up  in  the  majority  of  plants,  Orchids  in¬ 
cluded,  as  far  as  their  botanical  names  go,  but  quite  ignorant  as  to  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  same.  Not  only  does  this  knowledge  of  a  little  Latin  assist  us  in 
nomenclature,  but  should  we  be  at  all  interested  in  the  science  of 
botany,  which  all  gardeners  should  be,  the  various  terms  as  well  as  the 
sections  of  plants  can  be  better-appreciated  and  understood  through  it. 
As  to  the  French  of  course  we  do  not  get  so  much  of  it  in  our  work, 
but  still  it  is  very  useful  in  some  cases.  Ftfr  instance,  various  kinds  of 
fruits  bear  the  French  names,  notably  Pears.  In  the  plant  section  a 
vast  number  of  our  best  Chrysanthemums  are  French  named.  If  we 
are  pretty  well  up  in  French  we  can  understand  the  meanings  of  all 
these  names,  and  a  great  number  of  mistakes  can  be  avoided  as  to 
pronunciation  and  orthography.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  a  grand 
thing  to  be  a  good  grower  of  plants,  but  still  it  greatly  enhances 
the  interest  of  work  if  their  names  are  perfectly  understood.  I  should 
think  if  the  R.H.S.  included  a  few  questions  in  their  examination  papers 
pertaining  to  these  languages  as  they  are  used  by  gardeners,  it  would  be 
a  stimulus  for  us  to  improve  in  this  department. — Garcon. 
Freesia  refracta  alba. 
THlSiharming  sweet-scented  flower  requires  very  simple  cultivation, 
and  fornwone  of  the  chief  features  each  season.  After  the  plants  have 
ceased  flowering  they  are  gradually  dried  off,  and  the  pots  placed  on 
their  sides  at  the  back  of  a  cool  pit  protected  from  the  wet.  About  the 
second  week  in  August,  before  the  bulbs  begin  to  start,  they  are  shaken 
out  and  potted  in  a  compost  of  light  fibry  loam,  leaf  mould,  and  decom¬ 
posed  manure  in  equal  proportions,  with  a  sprinkling  of  sand.  About 
twenty  bulbs  are  placed  in  a  32-size  pot,  so  as  to  produce  a  good  mass 
of  flowers  and  foliage.  After  being  well  watered  they  are  set  in  a  cold 
frame  and  covered  with  ashes  until  the  foliage  appears  well  above  the 
surface.  They  are  then  taken  out  and  placed  on  shelves  in  a  cool  house, 
the  temperature  being  allowed  to  drop  to  38°  on  severe  nights.  Weak 
liquid  manure  is  given  when  the  plants  are  well  established.  We  have 
now  150  pots  of  Freesias,  the  plants  ju9t  coming  into  flower,  and  these 
will  be  very  useful  for  greenhouse  and  decorative  purposes. — J.  B., 
Eastnor  Castle  Gardens. 
Notes  on  Lapagerias. 
Having  read  with  interest  for  some  weeks  past  “  The  Young 
Gardeners’  Domain,”  I  now  venture  to  contribute  a  few  notes  on 
Lapagerias.  In  most  conservatories  some  kind  of  creepers  are  required 
for  the  adornment  of  the  walls  and  roofs,  and  I  think  Lapagerias  may 
be  placed  prominently  amongst  them.  The  plants  succeed  best  planted 
in  a  bed  of  good  loam,  with  a  little  peat  and  silver  sand  intermixed. 
They  commence  making  their  young  growths  about  the  beginning  of 
April,  and  when  these  are  from  4  to  6  inches  in  length  they  should  be 
carefully  trained  to  the  wires  or  trelliswork. 
It  is  essential  that  the  syringe  be  freely  used  amongst  the  foliage  of 
Lapagerias  on  all  bright  days  during  their  period  of  growth  up  to  the 
time  of  flowering,  which  is  usually  about  July.  Oae  .special  feature 
about  this  conservatory  climber  is  the  long  time  it  continues  to  produce 
its  beautiful  wax-like  flowers,  even  after  most  of  our  other  creepers  of 
'  the  conservatory  are  at  rest.  We  have  Lapagerias  in  quantities  from 
July  to  January.  The  flowers  are  very  effective  when  used  for  table 
decoration,  and  are  invaluable  when  wired  for  the  making  of  wreaths 
and  crosses.  Propagation  may  he  effected  by  seeds  or  from  suckers, 
which  the  plants  produce  when  in  a  thriving  condition. — H.  H.,  Staffs. 
Victorian  Era  Fund. 
With  pleasure  I  read  the  appeal  made  by  “  Yorkshireman  ”  to 
young  gardeners  in  aid  of  this  deserving  Fund.  I  hope  it  will  be  met 
by  hearty  approval  amongst  the  young  men  of  our  craft,  and  that  they 
will  give  what  they  can,  be  it  much  or  little.  For  my  own  part  I  will 
give  one  day’s  wage  in  aid  of  it,  as  no  doubt  many  more  will  do  for  the 
cause  which  is  to  provide  means  for  the  aged  and  infirm  to  obtain  the 
necessaries  of  life  in  their  declining  years.  Perhaps  the  days  may  come 
when  some  of  us  may  stand  in  need  of  a  helping  hand  ;  therefore  the 
present  time  is  ours  to  act,  that  those  who  follow  in  our  steps  may  be 
encouraged  to  do  the  same. 
A  short  time  ago  I  read  in  the  pages  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture 
a  suggestion  made  by  our  esteemed  friend  “  An  Old  Boy  ”  “That  he  hoped 
if  the  Committee  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Society  could  see 
their  way  clear  to  admit  young  gardeners  as  members  of  the  Society  at 
an  annual  subscription  of  10s.  6d.  instead  of  a  guinea  until  they  filled  a 
higher  position.” 
This  1  consider  to  be  an  excellent  idea,  and  I  hope  it  may  soon  come  to 
pass,  as  I  am  sure  it  will  be  the  means  of  getting  many  young  gardeners 
to  join  who  otherwise  would  not.  It  is  a  Society  which  ought  to  have  our 
support,  so  let  us  give  it, — J.  W. 
IMANTOPHYLLUMS  (CLIVIAS). 
Olivias  are  not  grown  so  extensively  as  their  good  qualities  deserve 
They  are  among  the  most  useful  of  plants  for  the  decoration  of  the 
conservatory,  and  cut  purposes  also,  during  the  winter  and  spriDg 
mouths.  They  are  of  the  easiest  cultivation,  and  will  grow  either  in  a 
stove,  intermediate  house,  or  a  greenhouse.  A  temperature  of  50°  to  55° 
suits  them  admirably.  Maintain  a  moist  atmosphere  during  the  growing 
season,  and  a  moderately  dry  one  when  growth  is  completed.  They 
require  abundance  of  water  during  summer,  and  will  be  greatly  benefited 
by  frequent  applications  of  liquid  or  artificial  manure. 
Some  of  the  new  varieties  are  marked  improvements  on  the  old 
typical  miniatum,  as  for  instance  Mdlle.  Marie  Reimers,  orange  scarlet ; 
Distinction,  brilliant  orange  scarlet ;  and  Splendens,  dark  orange.  The 
trusses  and  flowers  are  larger,  brighter  in  colour,  and  more  refined  and 
attractive  in  every  respect.  Where  plants  of  small  size  are  required  they 
may  be  grown  in  6  or  7-inch  pots.  By  this  means  we  produce  a 
succession  of  flowers,  instead  of  having  large  numbers  at  one  time  on  one 
plant. 
Olivias  grow  well  in  a  mixture  of  good  fibrous  loam  and  leaf  soil, 
incorporated  with  coarse  silver  sand.  They  should  not  be  overpotted  or 
disturbed  unnecessarily,  otherwise  they  will  not  flower  satisfactorily. 
When  the  tips  of  the  foliage  show  signs  of  decay  the  plants  should  be 
examined  and  repotted,  or  they  will  soon  present  an  unsightly  appearance. 
— C.  W.  M. 
