July  11,  1895. 
27 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
PLANT  NOTES. 
Now  that  the  busy  season  of  bedding  out  has  again  been  brought 
to  a  close,  the  plant  grower  will  find  hosts  of  other  matters  requir¬ 
ing  speedy  attention,  and  which  if  neglected  now  will  leave 
conspicuous  blanks  in  the  chain  of  supply  later  on.  After  a  general 
clean  up  among  pits  and  frames  has  taken  place,  it  will  generally 
be  found  that  there  is  less  pressure  on  the  space  of  these  than  at 
any  other  time  of  the  year  ;  consequently  they  may  be  largely 
turned  to  account  for  the  propagation  of  young  plants  required  for 
winter,  or  for  growing  seedlings  which  have  already  been  raised 
for  that  purpose. 
The  earliest  plants  of  Primulas  and  Cinerarias  will  in  many 
instances  be  ready  for  shifting  into  5-inch  pots  ;  if  so,  the  work 
should  be  done  without  delay,  and  the  plants  allowed  plenty  of 
room  when  placed  back  in  the  frames.  This  I  consider  is  one  of 
the  most  important  points  to  be  observed  in  the  production  of 
sturdy  specimens  of  these  useful  winter  flowering  plants.  Where 
there  is  sufficient  space  for  the  purpose,  I  stand  the  pots  from  9  to 
12  inches  apart,  so  as  to  allow  a  large  volume  of  light  to  play  around 
uhem,  and  I  am  fully  convinced  that  if  the  practice  were  more 
generally  adopted  drawn  and  weakly  plants  would  become  far  more 
rare  than  they  at  present  are.  The  compost  I  employ  at  this  stage 
bonsists  of  three  parts  good  fibrous  loam,  two  parts  leaf  soil,  half  a 
part  well  decayed  manure,  with  a  little  sharp  sand,  charcoal,  and 
soot  added.  Another  sowing  of  both  Primulas  and  Cinerarias 
should  also  be  made  now,  so  as  to  secure  a  supply  of  useful  plants 
for  late  flowering. 
Where  the  whole  stock  of  Pelargoniums  intended  for  winter 
flowering  has  not  been  potted  into  the  flowering  pots  the  work 
should  be  done  at  once,  so  as  to  get  the  soil  thoroughly  permeated 
with  roots  by  the  time  the  plants  are  wanted  to  flower.  I  find  it  a 
good  plan  to  keep  the  plants  under  glass  for  a  couple  of  weeks 
after  potting,  so  as  to  be  able  to  shade  them  effectually,  and  ward 
off  heavy  rains  which  may  occur.  After  that  time  the  shade  is 
gradually  withheld,  and  the  plants  transferred  to  a  sunny  position 
in  the  open  air,  taking  care  to  stand  the  pots  on  a  bottom 
impervious  to  worms.  Kate  Farmer  (salmon  pink),  single,  and 
Raspail  Improved  are  two  varieties  which  it  does  not  seem 
possible  to  have  too  large  a  stock  of.  Marguerites  are  indispensable 
as  pot  plants  during  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  many  cultivators 
find  it  an  excellent  plan  to  have  a  good  number  ready  for  flowering 
by  October.  To  do  this  with  young  plants  they  ought  now  to  be 
in  3-inch  pots,  and  having  had  the  points  removed  previously,  be 
in  the  right  condition  for  transferring  to  5  and  6-inch  ones. 
These  should  be  potted  at  once  and  grown  in  frames,  where 
they  can  have  a  light  shade  during  very  hot  weather  and  be  kept 
well  syringed,  conditions  which  do  much  towards  keeping  them 
free  from  the  leaf  borer  which  gives  so  much  trouble  in  hot 
weather. 
As  soon  as  the  plants  have  established  themselves  and  the  hot 
weather  has  passed  the  shade  should,  of  course,  be  discontinued, 
and  full  exposure  given  to  the  plants.  Few  will  require  stopping 
again,  except  in  the  case  of  an  occasional  very  strong  shoot.  All 
flower  buds  should,  however,  be  removed  till  the  third  or  fourth  week 
in  September,  and  by  that  time  the  plants  will  have  formed  sturdy 
bushes  ready  to  develop  hosts  of  flowers.  Begonia  manicata,  a 
much-neglected  plant,  is  still  grown  for  winter  flowering  by  some. 
If  crowns  were  rooted  in  the  spring  they  ought  now  to  be  ready 
for  transferring  to  S-inch  pots,  a  useful  size  to  flower  them  in. 
Where  a  few  old  plants  exist  it  is  not  too  late  to  put  in  strong 
crowns.  These,  if  inserted  in  3-inch  pots  in  light  soil,  using  plenty 
of  sand  around  the  base  of  the  crown,  will  flower  next  spring. 
The  crowns  will  root  well  at  this  season  if  placed  under  a  hand- 
light  or  bell-glass  in  a  cold  frame  or  greenhouse. 
Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  Bouvardias  during  the 
next  two  nionths.  A  good  position  for  the  plants  at  the  present 
tiine  13  in  pits  or  along  the  front  of  a  south  or  west  wall,  the  pots 
being  plunged  in  ashes  or  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse,  and  arranged 
with  abundance  of  space  between  so  as  to  get  the  wood  thoroughly 
ripened.  Regular  applications  of  weak  liquid  manure  ought  also 
to  be  given. 
The  several  varieties  of  Selagmellas  such  as  apoda,  Martensi 
variegata,  and  the^  still  more  widely  known  denticulata,  which  are 
so  useful  for  a  variety  of  purposes,  should  be  propagated  in  quantity 
now.  Cuttings  of  the  two  first-named  require  to  be  placed  in  a 
house  or  pit  where  they  can  have  a  little  bottom  heat,  but  denti¬ 
culata  may  be  increased  rapidly  in  cool  pits  at  this  season  of  the 
year.  My  plan  is  as  follows  : — Early  in  spring  manure  and  leaves 
are  placed  in  pits  to  supply  bottom  heat  to  annuals  and  cuttings. 
When  these  are  removed  a  layer  of  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  is  placed 
on  the  top,^  and  boxes  of  Lobelia  cuttings  are  placed  in  the  frame. 
These  are  in  turn  cleared  out,  and  the  frame  used  for  hardening 
various  kinds  of  bedding  plants.  Then  at  the  first  opportunity  after 
bedding  out  time  this  pit  does  duty  for  propagating  Selaginellas. 
A  number  of  5-inch  pots  are  half  filled  with  drainage,  this  being 
covered  with  manure  from  a  spent  Mushroom  bed.  The  pots  are 
then  filled  with  a  mixture  of  light  soil,  sand,  and  charcoal,  which  is 
pressed  moderately  firm,  and  covered  with  a  layer  of  sand  on  the 
top.  Small  pieces  of  Selaginella  are  dibbled  thickly  into  these 
pots,  which  are  then  thoroughly  watered  and  placed  in  the  frame. 
This  is  kept  quite  close  and  well  shaded  for  several  weeks,  the 
cuttings  being  syringed  once  or  twice  daily  according  to  the 
weather. 
As  soon  as  the  cuttings  begin  to  grow  air  is  gradually  admitted, 
and  regular  syringing  and  closing  early  in  the  afternoon  resorted  to. 
With  this  practice  the  top  of  the  pots  soon  present  a  cushion-like 
appearance  of  verdant  green.  The  pots  then  require  to  be  arranged 
thinly  so  that  the  Lycopodium  may  grow  down  and  around  the  sides 
of  the  pots.  About  the  beginning  of  October  the  whole  stock 
should  be  removed  to  either  cool  or  warm  structures  from  which 
the  frost  is  excluded.  If  in  the  former,  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  these  plants  will  thrive  much  better  if  the  pots  are 
placed  on  the  floor  than  if  stood  near  the  ventilators  on  airy 
shelves. 
All  gardeners  who  have  much  decorating  to  do  (and  how  few 
have  not)  should  make  a  point  of  propagating  a  good  number  of 
pots  of  Selaginellas  each  year,  as  the  various  uses  to  which  they 
may  be  put  are  manifold  ;  indeed,  they  may  be  termed  indis¬ 
pensable  to  the  finished  performance  of  the  decorator's  work. 
— D.  W.  C. 
DEEDS  OF  VIOLENCE. 
Judging  from  outward  appearance — which  often  draws  wrong 
conclusions — there  were  but  few,  if  any,  of  those  traits  of  character 
pointing  to  the  possessor  as  one  walking  without  the  pale  of  the 
law.  Indeed,  it  is  but  right  to  say  that  no  law  was  infringed,  for 
none  existed — perhaps  never  will — to  protect  the  victims  of  that 
zeal  which  fired  an  enthusiastic  naturalist  to  the  deed.  “  A 
gentleman  ”  would  be  the  verdict  at  a  glance  ;  closer  acquaintance¬ 
ship  might  add,  “  a  scholar,”  for  he  who  bore  the  name,  which  shall 
not  be  mentioned  here,  had  the  right  of  tacking  several  letters  to 
it  when  asserting  his  full  style  and  title. 
To  a  few  only  was  it  permitted  to  know  the  mystery  of  those 
lengthy  rambles  o’er  moor  and  mountain,  by  dale  and  dell,  and 
these  being  members  of  a  certain  society  which,  if  not  a  secret  one, 
conducted  parts  of  its  business  under  cover  of  a  dead  language  ; 
privacy  at  least  was  secured,  for  dead  tongues  tell  no  tales  to  those 
to  whom  ignorance  is  bliss.  Certainly  one  member,  a  domestic  of 
this  gentleman’s  household,  had  on  divers  occasions  attempted  to 
invade  the  sanctity  of  a  locked  chamber,  known  as  the  master’s 
study,  under  pretence  of  clearing  it  up  (whether  the  mystery  or 
the  room  is  doubtful),  but  had  fain  to  be  content  with  such 
observation  as  the  keyhole  afforded  to  prying  eyes.  Baffled 
curiosity  even  went  so  far  as  to  assert,  with  a  contemptuous  sniff, 
that  there  was  “  nothing  in  it  but  rubbage.” 
Coming  to  the  particular  day  and  particular  deed,  reference 
must  be  made  to  the  last  meeting  of  the  society  previously 
mentioned.  On  this  occasion  discussion  had  been  animated  and 
prolonged,  whilst  opinions  were  equally  divided  on  the  possibility 
of  a  distinguished  member  of  a  high  family  being  found  in  the 
neighbourhood,  or,  in  fact,  if  it  existed  at  all.  The  publicity  of 
distinction  too  often  meaning  extinction  by  the  public.  Rare  old 
volumes  by  past  masters  localised  the  original  habitat,  hence  hopes 
were  held  out  of  present  gratification. 
Buoyant  with  faith  and  hope,  if  devoid  of  charity,  the  central 
figure  of  our  narrative  hastened  home,  and  straightway  sought  the 
quiet  of  his  sanctum.  The  prying  domestic  who  was  sent  to  summon 
the  master,  which  for  the  nonce  a  noisy  dinner  bell  had  tailed 
to  do,  saw  from  her  usual  reconnoitering  ground,  the  keyhole,  him 
— most  peaceful  of  men — hastily  sheath  a  bright  weapon,  and 
further  hide  it  in  a  tin  box  ;  and  on  commencing  her  duties  in  the 
early  morn,  by  another  similar  observation,  found  that  master,  box, 
and  blade  had  flown — were,  in  fact,  over  the  hills  and  far  away. 
We  who  are  privileged  to  follow  up  his  trail — to  be  in  at  the  death 
— would  scarcely  take  this  be-spectacled,  placid  looking  gentleman 
for  a  bushranger,  unless  a  closer  discrimination  noted  the  eagerness 
with  which  he  scanned  each  bush,  hedgerow,  cleft,  or  cranny  on 
approaching  his  happy  hunting  grounds. 
Eureka  !  He  has  found  it — his  victim,  last  of  the  race — and 
triumphantly  draws  the  bright  blade  (technically  known  as  a 
botanical  trowel),  and  up  comes  root  and  branch  this  specimen  of 
the  Florus  solitari,  this  rara  avis  of  the  British  flora.  Alas  !  poor 
plant,  to  be  henceforth  and  for  ever  as  extinct  as  the  Dodo. 
Slowly,  but  surely,  is  its  life  blood  absorbed  ’twixt  sheets  of  botanical 
