January  20,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
67 
ANTIRRHINUMS. 
Few  hardy  perennials  are  capable  of  being  so  readily  raised  from 
seed  and  flowered  in  so  short  a  time  as  the  Antirrhinum  or  Snapdragon. 
The  dwarf  varieties  are  eminently  suitable  for  bedding  and  the  taller  for 
borders,  where  they  will  furnish  spikes  of  bloom  for  cutting  over  a  con¬ 
siderable  period.  The  dwarf  varieties,  too,  may  also  be  employed  for 
cutting  when  the  plants  are  glowing  luxuriantly  and  flowering  from  every 
side  shoot.  Sutton’s  Tom  Thumb  strain  is  the  best  I  have  culti¬ 
vated.  Seed  sown  in  March  has  produced  plants  which  bloomed  in  July, 
not  only  profusely,  but  in  admirable  variety,  distinct  yellow,  white,  and 
crimson  varieties  being  very  conspicuous.  There  are  also  brilliant  inter¬ 
mediate  shades,  the  whole,  when  mixed  and  planted  in  one  bed,  producing 
a  most  effective  display.  It  is  possible  to  obtain  the  different  colours 
separately  in  planting  a  bed,  or  any  combination  desired. 
The  present  month  or  early  in  February  is  an  excellent  time  for 
sowing  the  seed.  A  strong  temperature  is  not  essential.  Prepare  some 
light  sandy  compost  consisting  of  old  potting  soil,  a  little  fresh  leaf  soil 
and  silver  sand.  Place  this  in  a  moist  state  in  drained  pans  or  shallow 
boxes,  covering  the  drainage  with  damp  moss  or  fibre.  When  the 
compost  has  been  levelled  and  made  firm,  give  a  gentle  watering  with 
warm  water.  Alter  draining  freely  sow  the  seed  thinly.  A  dusting  of 
fine  sand  over  the  surface  first  will  show  where  the  seed  falls.  It  is  very 
small,  and  not  easily  distributed  as  thinly  as  desirable.  Merely  cover  the 
seed  from  view  by  a  layer  of  soil  sifted  through  a  fine  sieve.  Cover  the  pans 
or  boxes  with  a  pane  of  glass,  and  over  that,  paper  to  exclude  light  and 
lessen  evaporation.  Place  them  on  a  shelf  in  a  warm  greenhouse  or  other 
structure.  No  water  should  be  needed  or  applied  until  the  seed  has 
germinated,  but,  better  still,  until  the  seedlings  have  become  strong  and 
established. 
Plenty  of  light  will  soon  effect  this.  The  pans  or  boxes  may  then 
have  a  cooler  position,  but  still  abundance  of  light  must  be  accorded  them 
or  they  will  quickly  lengthen,  at  the  same  time  weakening.  This  causes 
them  to  be  liable  to  attack  from  the  fungus  which  frequently  infests  the 
stems  of  various  seedlings,  but  more  especially  when  somewhat  crowded. 
A  sufficiency  of  air,  light,  and  a  healthfully  moist  condition  of  the  soil 
are  the  chief  requirements  of  the  seedlings.  Under  these  conditions, 
and  having  room  to  develop  sturdily,  it  may  not  be  requisite  to  prick 
them  out  to  strengthen  further.  It  will  be  better,  however,  to  do  so  rather 
than  crowding  should  be  tolerated,  as  it  is  not  desirable  to  plant  out  in 
the  open  before  early  in  May. 
Young  plants  just  commencing  to  branch  from  the  nodes  may  be 
planted  6  inches  apart.  At  this  stage  they  will  be  furnished  with  a 
number  of  fibrous  roots,  so  there  is  no  difficulty  in  establishing  them 
permanently.  Even  in  a  still  younger  state,  and  the  seedlings  have 
experienced  no  crowding,  they  transplant  well.  Early  sowing  produces 
seedlings  in  time  for  pricking  out  in  boxes  or  frames  in  order  that  each 
may  assufbe  a  sturdy  habit,  and  thus  take  advantage  of  the  abundant 
space  and  rich  root  run  to  advance  rapidly  to  a  flowering  state. 
For  general  utility  a  bed  of  mixed  colours  will  serve  the  most  useful 
purpose,  either  for  decoration  or  cutting.  Admirable  effects  may  be 
produced  by  planting  small  beds  of  one  colour  only,  the  dwarf  or  Tom 
Thumb  being  far  preferable  to  any  other,  owing  to  its  low  and  bushy 
habit  of  growth. 
Varieties  of  intermediate  and  tall  growth  are  suited  to  the  mixed 
border,  elevated  and  sloping  banks,  between  and  in  front  of  shrubs,  or  in 
any  position  and  soil  where  light  is  not  denied  them. 
During  the  early  stages  of  growth,  while  vacant  spaces  remain 
between  the  plants,  the  soil  should  be  kept  loose  on  the  surface,  especially 
when  becoming  dry  after  rain  or  artificial  waterings.  The  Antirrhinum 
is  a  plant  well  adapted  for  a  semi-shady  but  yet  open  position,  as  well  as 
sunny  aspects.  The  soil  may  be  fairly  rich  and  light,  enriched  with 
decayed  manure  or  leaf  soil. — S.,  Gravesend. 
AUSTRALIAN  FORESTRY. 
The  increasing  use  of  Australian  timbers  for  wood-paving  purposes 
has  naturally  directed  attention  to  capabilities  of  the  various  colonies  as 
permanent  sources  of  supply,  the  general  impression  being  that  in  this 
respect  Western  Australia  takes  the  lead.  This,  however,  is  an  erroneous 
assumption,  for,  according  to  Mr.  Coghlan,  the  New  South  Wales 
Government  Statistician,  the  Australian  mother  colony  possesses  a  wealth 
of  timber  surpassed  by  only  a  few  other  countries.  Its  woods  are  as 
varied  as  they  are  valuable,  ranging  from  the  Ironbarks,  unsurpassed  for 
work  requiring  hardness  and  durability,  to  the  kinds  suitable  for  tbe  most 
delicate  specimens  of  the  cabinetmaker’s  art. 
Indiscriminate  felling  has,  however,  made  several  kinds  comparatively 
rare,  a  frequent  experience  in  newly  settled  countries,  where  the  leading 
object  of  the  pioneer  residents  is  almost  invariably  to  get  rid  of  the 
timber  on  the  lands  occupied  by  them.  The  necessity  of  preserving  the 
timber  resources  of  the  colony,  and  preventing  the  ruthless  destruction 
of  the  best  species  of  brush  and  hardwood  which  was  being  carried  on, 
principally  in  the  Clarence  River  district  and  in  the  Eucalyptus  forests 
on  the  Murray,  led  the  Government,  in  1871,  to  establish  a  certain 
number  of  forest  reserves  throughout  the  colony,  in  which  permission  to 
cut  timber,  under  certain  conditions,  should  be  granted  upon  payment  of 
a  fixed  fee.  Subsequently,  in  1875,  the  office  of  Forest  Ranger  was 
created,  and  this  led  to  the  formation,  in  March,  1882,  of  a  Forest 
Conservation  Branch,  which  was  attached  to  the  Department  of  i\Iines. 
Seven  years  later  the  colony  was  subdivided  into  a  number  of  forest 
districts.  These  are  frequently  ins])ected  by  forest  rangers,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  report  on  the  existing  state  of  the  proclaimed  reserves,  control  the 
operations  of  licensed  timber-getters,  receive  royalties  on  the  various 
kinds  of  timber  upon  which  such  dues  may  be  levied,  and  report  upon 
applications  to  ringbark  trees  on  Crown  land,  whether  comprised  in  forest 
reserves  or  otherwise. 
In  view  of  the  importance  of  the  timber  resources  of  the  colony,  the 
Hon.  J.  H.  Carruthers,  Minister  for  Lands,  is  preparing  a  bill,  the  main 
feature  of  which  will  be  the  establishment  of  permanent  forestry  reserves, 
where  the  timber  can  not  only  be  used  as  it  matures,  but  where  steps  can 
be  taken  to  create  a  new  supply  to  take  the  place  of  the  trees  which  may 
be  felled.  This  feature  of  the  establishment  of  permanent  reserves  is, 
the  Minister  says,  the  chief  matter  to  be  considered,  and  it  will  apply 
mainly  to  the  coastal  forests,  to  the  Red  Gum  forests  on  the  Murray, 
and  to  the  Ironbark  forests  all  over  the  colony.  With  regard  to  the 
Fine  forests,  it  is  recognised  that  a  different  system  will  have  to  be 
adopted,  because  Fine  is  a  timber  of  rapid  growth,  and,  indeed,  in  many 
instances  it  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  noxious  weed.  In  the 
meantime  much  has  been  already  effected  in  the  direction  indicated. 
During  the  last  two  years  about  60,000  acres  of  Red  Gum,  30,000 
acres  of  Fine,  and  2000  acres  of  coastal  forests  have  been  improved  by 
thinning  out  and  destroying  the  superabundant  growths.  This  work  has 
been  carried  out  with  the  object  of  insuring  the  maturity  of  a  larger 
number  of  trees  to  the  acre,  and,  by  reason  of  the  additional  light  and  air 
afforded,  of  their  reaching  that  stage  in  about  two-thirds  of  the  time 
hat  would  be  taken  under  natural  conditions.  The  cost  of  the  thinning 
out  operations  averages  5s.  8d.  per  acre  in  the  Red  Gum  areas,  Is.  6d.  in 
the  Fine  areas,  and  7s.  in  the  coastal  areas,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
this  outlay  will  return  during  the  next  twenty  years  two  or  three 
hundred  marketable  trees  to  the  acre  where  the  present  unimproved 
average  is  hut  four  or  five.  The  Forest  Conservation  branch  is  charged 
with  the  direction  of  a  State  forest  nursery,  which  is  situated  at  Gosford, 
in  the  beautiful  district  of  Brisbane  Water,  about  fifty  miles  from 
Sydney,  where  the  acclimatisation  of  valuable  foreign  timber  trees,  and 
the  conservation  of  such  of  the  best  indigenous  species  as  might 
otherwise  be  likely  to  disappear,  are  attended  to.  The  area  set  apart 
for  the  nursery  is  65  acres,  of  which  25  acres  are  cleared  and  cultivated. 
Among  the  indigenous  trees  which  are  raised  there  may  be  mentioned 
Tallow-wood,  Blackbutt,  Beefwood,  Silky  Oak,  Yellow  Pine,  the  best 
varieties  of  Ironbark,  and  Red  Cedar,  the  Red  Cedar  seedlings  on  hand 
at  the  close  of  1895  numbering  about  32,000.  Of  late,  special  attention 
has  been  paid  to  the  cultivation  of  the  White  Mulberry,  in  expectation  of 
a  demand  for  this  tree  in  consequence  of  the  increased  interest  taken  in 
the  cultivation  of  silk  in  the  colony.  It  is  esfimated  that  there  are  28,000 
Mulberry  trees  of  different  varieties,  in  various  stages  of  growth,  in  the 
nursery,  besides  nearly  100,000  exotic  trees  of  economic  value.  In 
addition  to  reforestering  the  Crown  reserves  with  the  best  classes  of 
timber,  the  State  forest  nursery  distributes  specimens  among  settlers  in 
the  sparsely  timbered  areas  in  tbe  western  district  of  the  colony,  and 
supplies  them  to  municipalities,  to  the  trustees  of  public  reserves,  and  for 
the  improvement  of  church  and  school  lands  and  for  other  purposes. 
Altogether,  from  1890  to  the  end  of  1896,  over  half  a  million  plants 
were  sent  out  of  the  nursery,  the  number  for  1896  being  24,769,  of  which 
11,120  were  supplied  to  public  bodies  and  private  persons,  and  13,649  were 
placed  in  reserves  and  other  plantation  areas.  The  number  of  merchant¬ 
able  plants  remaining  in  the  establishment  on  the  Ist  January,  1897,  was 
estimated  at  104,040 — viz.,  21,200  in  pots,  17,100  seedlings  in  boxes,  and 
65,740  plants  open-rooted.  The  consumption  of  Wattle  bark  is  very 
great  in  this  colon}',  where  it  is  in  large  demand  for  tanning  purposes. 
During  1895,  80,770  'cwt.  of  Wattle  bark  were  imported,  valued  at 
£19,634,  nearly  68,000  cwt.  of  this  supply  being  obtained  from  Tasmania. 
It  will  thus  be  readily  seen  that  there  is  room  for  a  large  development  of 
the  trade  in  New  South  Wales.  The  department  has  taken  steps  to 
prevent  the  indiscriminate  stripping  of  the  bark,  and  the  destruction  of 
the  trees,  and  thus  stimulate  the  trade. — J.  Flummer,  Sydney,  N.S.W. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Cyclamens. 
Few  plants  are  better  adapted  for  winter  and  spring  decoration  than 
varietie.s  of  C.  persicum,  and  few  plants  [iroduce  such  a  profusion  of 
flowers  in  return  for  the  moderate  amount  of  care  required.  The  propa¬ 
gation  of  the  Cyclamen  is  effected  by  seeds,  which  are  never  in  better 
condition  for  sowing  than  when  freshly  gathered.  An  excellent  time  for 
sowing  is  at  the  end  of  July  or  beginning  of  August,  when  shallow  pots 
or  pans  should  be  half  filled  with  crocks,  the  compost  consisting  of  light 
sandy  soil.  Scatter  the  seeds  thinly  and  evenly  on  the  surface,  and  then 
l)ress  it  in  and  cover  thinly,  placing  a  piece  of  glass  over  the  ]ian  or  pot. 
A  temperature  of  60°  will  be  sufficient  to  insure  germination,  and  when 
the  seedlings  appear  they  must  be  placed  close  to  the  glass  in  a  light 
position.  When  large  enough  put  singly  in  thumb  pots,  and  keep  like 
this  in  a  similar  temperature  till  sjjring,  when  they  may  be  i)laced  in  3-inch 
pots  and  grown  in  cool  frames  during  the  summer,  admitting  j^lenty  of  air 
after  they  are  established. 
Shading  during  bright  sunshine  and  syringing  on  fine  afternoons  will 
be  found  advantageous.  By  June  or  July  most  of  the  pots  will  be  filled 
with  roots,  and  the  corms  will  require  pots  5  inches  or  6  inches  in  diameter 
in  which  they  will  flower.  Good  drainage  is  very  important,  and  deep 
