272 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  1,  1897. 
coddled  or  grown  too  closely  together.  The  former  may  therefore  with 
safety  be  planted  in  their  summer  quarters  at  the  time  named,  as  it 
is  important  to  get  the  plants  thoroughly  established  before  the  drought 
of  summer  begins. 
I  have  several  times  planted  oat  Calceolarias  daring  the  last  week 
in  April,  and  these  have  more  than  once  withstood  10°  of  frost  withoat 
the  slightest  protection.  All  who  have  experienced  a  difficulty  in 
getting  good  beds  of  Calceolarias  I  strongly  advise  to  try  the  plan 
above  detailed. — Flower  Gardener. 
FIG.  60.— NARCISSUS  SOUTHERN  STAR. 
HYBRID  NARCISSI. 
Year  by  year  the  number  of  Narcissi  is  being  increased  by  a  few 
cultivators  who  spend  much  time  and  trouble  in  the  work  of  hybridisa¬ 
tion.  One  of  those  whose  efforts  have  been  crowned  with  some  truly 
remarkable  results  is  the  Rev.  G.  R.  Bngleheart.  This  worker  has 
already  in  previous  years  given  us  many  of  great  excellence,  bat 
crowned  all  his  efforts  so  far  by  the  exhibition  on  Tuesday,  March  23rd, 
at  the  Drill  Hall  of  two  varieties  named  respectively  Southern  Star  and 
Ellen  Willmott.  The  first  named  belongs  to  the  small  cupped  (parvi- 
coronati)  section,  and  is  really  superb.  The  perianth  segments  are 
broad,  stoat,  and  white  in  colour.  But  the  chief  feature  in  the  flower  is 
the  cup,  which  is  singularly  broad  and  spreading,  while  the  colour  is 
bright  orange  red,  becoming  richer  as  it  approaches  the  slightly  fringed 
margin;  The  woodcut  (fig.  60)  depicts  this  gem  amongst  Narcissi. 
Ellen  Willmott,  of  which  fig.  61  is  a  representation,  is  a  massive  bicolor 
that  can  be  placed  second  to 
none,  even  in  this  section  of 
beauties.  The  blooms  are  large, 
bold,  and  wonderfully  telling, 
standing  up  in  a  most  desirable 
manner.  The  perianth  seg¬ 
ments  are  pure  white  in  colour, 
broad,  and  of  remarkable  sub¬ 
stance.  The  trumpet  is  of  the 
brightest  gold.  The  Narcissus 
Committee  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  awarded  each 
of  the  varieties  figured  a  first- 
class  certificate. 
BEDDING 
CALCEOLARIAS. 
HOW  disappointing  it  is 
tr  have  gaps  made  in  flower 
beds  when  they  should  be  at 
their  best,  by  that  mysterious 
“  going  off  ”  so  prevalent  among 
Calceolarias.  Under  the  best 
of  management  a  few  plants 
will  occasionally  succumb,  but 
the  losses  may  be  reduced  to 
a  minimum  if  the  plants  are 
properly  prepared  and  planted 
in  their  summer  quarters  at 
the  end  of  April  or  early  in 
May. 
Too  often,  I  fear,  the  plants 
are  left  in  their  winter  quarters 
till  bedding  out  time  arrives, 
instead  of  being  tiaasplanted 
in  March.  There  is  also  a  great 
tendency  to  unduly  coddle 
Calceolarias,  and  in  following 
such  a  course  the  cultivator 
takes  a  great  amount  of  trouble, 
which  might  with  advantage 
to  the  plants  be  dispensed  with. 
At  the  present  time  we  have 
about  a  thousand  well  rooted  plants  in  frames,  and  before  these  lines 
appear  in  print  I  hope  to  have  them  all  transplanted  into  beds  4  feet 
wide.  The  soil  is  already  manured  and  dug,  and  the  outline  of  the  beds 
bounded  by  strips  of  board  10  inches  in  width,  which  are  fastened  to 
upright  stakes  driven  into  the  ground.  The  plants  will  be  lifted  with 
nice  balls  of  earth  and  planted  5  inches  apart,  the  soil  being  pressed 
firmly  around  the  roots  as  the  work  proceeds.  If  old  lights  were  avail¬ 
able  these  would  be  placed  over  the  beds  for  a  time,  but  as  they  are  not 
at  command  strips  of  wood  will  be  laid  across  the  boards  forming  the 
edge  of  the  beds,  and  these  covered  with  garden  mats.  These  mats  will 
not  be  removed  for  a  few  days  should  the  weather  prove  bright  or 
windy  ;  after  that  time  they  will  be  taken  off  each  morning  and  put 
on  again  at  night.  When  cutting  winds  prevail  during  the  day  the 
mats  will  not  be  removed,  and  by  the  beginning  of  April  the  night 
covering  will  be  dispensed  with  unless  a  sharp  frost  seems  likely  to 
occur.  A  few  degrees  will  not  injure  Calceolarias  when  properly 
hardened.  I  have  followed  this  practice  for  several  years,  and  have 
found  it  to  answer  well  in  every  way. 
When  it  is  not  easy  to  obtain  boards  to  form  sides  for  the  beds  a 
trench  should  be  taken  out  6  inches  in  depth,  and  the  soil  thrown  up 
on  either  side.  This  will  be  found  to  give  good  shelter  and  plenty 
of  head  room  for  the  plants.  After  levelling  the  ridges  and  beating 
with  the  back  of  a  spade  all  is  ready  for  planting  and  covering  by 
means  of  cross  stakes  and  mats.  Plants  grown  under  conditions 
above  described  are  sturdy  and  hardy,  will  bear  with  impunity  cold 
and  frost  severe  enough  to  seriously  cripple  others  that  have  been 
Planting  Out  Shrubby  Calceolarias. 
The  half-hardy  shrubby  Calceolaria  is  not,  perhaps,  quite  so  popular 
for  decoration  in  the  flower  garden  as  formerly.  In  its  season  of  the 
first  flush  of  blooming  it  is  most  attractive  and  showy,  and  merits  a 
place  on  a  torler  or  in  a  bed  where  the  plants  can  be  massed  together 
to  give  a  decided  tone  of  colour.  A  mass  of  Calceolarias  when  in  good 
health  and  full  of  bloom  never  fail  to  elicit  admiration.  Although 
numerous  other  plants  now  compete  with  them  in  attractiveness, 
and  probably  surpass  them  in 
usefulness,  yet  yellow  and 
brown  Calceolarias  still  occupy 
a  place  in  popular  regard. 
It  is  true  that  the  flowers 
are  not  the  best  for  cutting 
purposes,  as  they  soon  drop. 
Hence  their  usefulness  lies  in 
affording  a  display  upon  the 
plants. 
The  treatment  of  Calceo¬ 
larias  is  eimple  enough,  pro¬ 
viding  the  details  are  carried 
out  at  the  right  moment.  It 
is  quite  wrong  to  allow  the 
plants  to  stay  in  the  cutting 
bels  until  late  in  May  or  into 
June.  They  become  in  these 
positions  attenuated  and  unable 
to  reveal  their  true  character, 
which  is,  under  suitable  con¬ 
ditions,  sturdy  and  shrubby. 
In  order  to  do  justice  to 
Calceolarias  there  are  several 
methods  of  treatment  applic¬ 
able  now,  one  of  which  should 
be  adopted  so  as  to  secure  good 
results  in  the  culture  of  these 
plants.  It  will  be  evident  to 
all  who  have  safely  wintered 
a  number  of  cuttings  in  a 
frame,  that  the  plants  now 
need  more  room.  Some  time 
ago  they  commenced  to  form 
roots  freely,  and  shortly  after¬ 
wards  to  extend  the  stems, 
forming  fresh  foliage.  As  soon 
as  this  was  apparent  the 
growing  points  were  nipped 
out,  which  has  caused  several 
shoots  to  form  and  grow  simul¬ 
taneously.  All  this  has  been 
done  under  airy  conditions — 
that  is,  the  plants  have  had  a 
constant  circulation  of  fresh 
air  about  them,  with  full  ex¬ 
posure  whenever  frost  was  not 
present  or  expected.  Under  any  other  conditions  the  growth  would 
have  been  tender  and  elongated. 
Methods  frequently  adopted  are  to  lift  each  plant  separately, 
transplanting  in  frames  wider  apart,  or  to  place  them  in  5  or  6-inch 
pots.  The  best  method,  however,  is  to  lift  and  plant  at  once  in 
their  flowering  positions.  At  no  time  will  they  lift  and  plant  better. 
They  have  time  to  become  thoroughly  well  established  while  making  slow 
and  steady  growth,  which  is  essential  to  a  bold,  sturdy,  floriferous  habit. 
The  ground  for  their  reception  should  be  moderately  rich  and  not  too 
light.  An  application  of  decayed  manure  and  a  little  leaf  soil  will  give 
something  for  the  roots  to  lay  hold  upon,  and  assist  in  retaining  moisture 
in  the  soil,  which  is  as  essential  as  any  food  the  manure  supplies ;  in  fact 
food  supplies  from  any  source  are  not  available  without  a  due  supply  of 
moisture  in  the  soil.  Incorporate  the  soil  and  materials  added  well 
together. 
If  the  ground  were  well  manured  in  the  autumn,  or  for  a  non- 
exhausting  previous  crop,  no  manure  will  be  necessary,  but  the  ground 
may  he  well  broken  up,  inasmuch  as  the  planting  can  be  better  carried 
out.  Eight  to  12  inches  of  space  may  be  given  to  each  plant.  The 
latter  ought  to  be  raised  from  their  position  in  the  frame  with  as  much 
soil  adhering  to  them  as  possible.  Place  in  holes  sufficiently  large,  and 
sink  them  a  little  lower  in  the  soil  than  they  were  previously,  so  that 
the  roots  near  the  surface  may  have  something  fresh  to  work  in  and 
feed  upon.  Watering  is  scarcely  needed,  but  should  the  soil  in  which  the 
plants  were  previously  growing  be  dry,  a  thoroughly  good  soaking  should 
1  be  given  before  lifting. — E.  D.  S. 
