May  12.  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
411 
IMadame  la  Douavriere  Lampsius  van  den  Velden,  Souvenir  de  I’Exposi- 
tion  du  Havre,  Avenir  de  la  S.C.D.N.,  which  being  fully  expressed  is 
Avenir  de  la  Society  des  Chrysanth^mistes  du  Nord. 
From  America  there  is  not  much  to  chronicle  at  present.  Mr.  T.  H. 
Spaulding’s  familiar  little  square  catalogue  bears  a  new  name,  that  of 
George  AtkinSon  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Atkinson,  it  appears,  has  acted  as 
Mr.  Spalding’s  manager  for  the  past  ten  years,  and  therefore,  no  doubt, 
fully  knows  what  is  expected  of  the  Chrysanthemum  in  America  and 
elsewhere.  After  perusing  Continental  catalogues  it  is  always  refreshing 
to  tarn  to  the  American  ones.  There  is  a  crispness  about  American 
nomenclature  that  cannot  fail  to  be  appreciated,  and  the  1898  American 
novelties  illustrate  this  fact  once  more.  Avoiding  personal  names,  which 
will  always  appear  in  every  raiser’s  catalogue,  Spottswood,  Snow  Queen, 
Merry  Christmas,  Autumn  Glory,  Boundless  Snow,  Black  Hawk,  Quito, 
and  the  like  may  be  cited  as  illustrations. — C.  Harman  Payne. 
HARDENING  BEDDING  PLANTS. 
About  the  end  of  May  or  the  first  week  in  June  is  usually  a  safe 
and  convenient  time  to  begin  the  important  work  of  bedding  out.  Two 
great  essentials  to  success  in  the  matter  are  to  have  good  plants,  and  by 
exposing  them  freely  to  all  weathers,  short  of  actual  frost,  to  bring  them 
into  such  a  condition  by  bedding-out  time  that  they  may  grow  with  as 
little  check  as  possible  after  being  planted  out.  Where  plenty  of  pit  room 
is  at  command  Pelargoniums  will  have  been  placed  in  them  during 
April,  and  will  now  only  need  the  lights  to  be  placed  on  at  night  when¬ 
ever  there  is  the  slightest  danger  of  frost  occurring,  or  when  cold  cutting 
winds  prevail. 
In  nearly  all  gardens  there  seems  at  this  time  of  the  year  to  be  a 
scarcity  of  cold  pits  and  frames,  but  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  quickly  form 
rough  ones  with  a  few  boards,  and  old  lights  to  cover  them,  or  failing  the 
latter,  cross  stakes  and  canvas  answer  admirably  for  purposes  of  protec¬ 
tion.  Warm  positions  in  front  of  walls  and  fences  can  also  be  utilised 
for  many  of  the  less  tender  plants,  such  as  Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums  and 
Lobelias,  but  even  in  their  case  it  is  necessary  to  have  some  means  of 
protection  at  hand  should  a  sudden  frost  occur.  Some  gardeners,  I  think, 
make  a  great  mistake  in  their  anxiety  to  get  their  whole  stock  of  bedding 
plants  hardened  at  once,  when  by  following  some  other  course  they  might 
often  gain  a  great  advantage.  Let  this  serve  as  an  example.  If  the 
earliest  and  best  plants  are  selected  for  hardening  first,  the  weaker  ones 
will  be  much  benefited  by  remaining  a  couple  of  weeks  longer  in  heat, 
and  as  the  weather  is  by  that  time  usually  more  settled,  a  week  or  ten 
days’  exposure  in  pits  renders  the  plants  quite  fit  for  planting  out. 
It  is  surprising  how  much  may  often  be  gained  by  the  exercise  of  a 
little  ingenuity  of  this  description,  for  attempting  to  harden  a  plant 
before  it  has  been  grown  to  the  required  size  often  causes  the  flower 
gardener  to  “  run  short  ”  of  material.  As  the  houses  are  gradually  cleared 
of  Pelargoniums,  the  space  can  be  utilised  for  Alternantheras  and  other 
tender  bedders,  which  if  placed  in  cold  pits  ten  days  before  they  are 
wanted  for  planting  out  will,  if  rightly  treated,  be  properly  hardened.  I 
have  seen  tender  plants  of  this  description  placed  in  cold  pits  weeks 
before  they  were  wanted  for  bedding  out,  and  when  planted  'oy  the  side 
of  others  started  much  later,  and  only  removed  from  warm  houses  a 
fortnight  before  being  planted  in  the  flower  garden,  they  were  a 
comparative  failure,  having  got  into  a  stunted  condition  through  being 
placed  in  cold  pits  too  early.  I  have  always  found  that  with  such  tender 
bedders  the  hardening  should  be  done  quickly.  Get  the  plants  strong  and 
vigorous  before  they  leave  the  houses,  choose  warm  weather  for  transferring 
them  to  pits,  admit  air  judiciously  for  a  few  days,  after  that  increase  the 
amount  each  day  till  full  exposure  can  be  safely  given,  then  the  results 
are  sure  to  be  satisfactory. 
It  is  a  pity  that  the  great  value  of  planting  Calceolarias  early  is  not 
more  generally  practised,  for  well  hardened  plants  may  be  now  safely 
planted  out  in  any  part  of  Britain.  I  planted  some  in  a  very  exposed 
position  a  fortnight  ago,  and  although  we  have  had  6°  of  frost  since,  they 
are  quite  uninjured.  Early  planting  enables  them  to  withstand  the 
drought  of  summer,  and  to  flower  grandly  throughout  the  season.  If 
those  who  fail  in  getting  these  showy  plants  to  thrive  satisfactorily 
during  the  summer  would  only  try  early  planting,  I  feel  sure  they  would 
succeed  ;  but  it  is  of  course  necessary  to  plant  sturdy  specimens  which 
have  been  fully  exposed  night  and  day  for  the  last  two  weeks.— 
Flower  Gardener. 
The  month  of  May  is  one  of  the  busiest  periods  of  the  year. 
Thousands  of  bedding  plants  during  this  period  requiring  special  atten¬ 
tion,  the  gardener  must  be  up  and  doing,  so  that  the  wants  of  each  and 
all  may  be  promptly  supplied.  Softwooded  plants  which  have  been 
propagated  from  cuttings  inserted  in  autumn,  and  potted  singly  in  small 
pots  or  spaced  out  in  boxes  during  March  and  April,  demand  now  cold 
frame  treatment.  If  Lobelias  or  bedding  Pelargoniums  are  allowed  to 
stay  in  heat  when  the  plants  have  attained  to  profitable  size  they  must  of 
necessity  become  drawn  and  weakened.  This  is  especially  so  if  to  the 
heat  is  added  shade,  which  is  now  becoming  dense  even  in  late  vineries, 
where  large  quantities  of  bedding  plants  are  often  located. 
A  bed  of  ashes  in  a  cold  frame  should  be  prepared  for  standing  the 
plants  upon,  as  it  is  essential  that  a  cool,  damp  base  be  provided.  The 
frames  must  be  sufficiently  deep  to  allow  of  the  largest  plants  receiving 
the  protection  of  a  glass  light  both  throughout  the  day  and  night  at  first 
and  on  specially  unfavourable  occasions  afterwards.  If  the  stems  of  the 
plants  have  become  soft,  and  the  leaves  thin  in  texture  through  remaining 
beyond  their  proper  time  in  heat,  lessened  light,  and  a  moist  atmosphere, 
the  too  sudden  exposure  to  the  outside  atmosphere  for  a  length  of  time 
will  cause  the  foliage  to  be  discoloured.  The  growth  of  the  plants  will 
also  be  checked  to  a  more  or  less  injurious  extent.  The  plants  ought  to 
have  as  much  space  to  stand  upon  as  can  be  afforded,  the  plan  of  placing 
them  close  enough  to  touch  each  other  being  usually  the  best.  Further 
space  can  be  given  later  if  necessary.  In  a  fully  exposed  frame  the  light 
is  abundant,  and  helps  materially  in  hardening  the  cuticle  of  the  leaves 
and  stems.  Arrange  the  plants  so  that  water  may  be  readily  supplied  to 
them.  , 
The  watering  of  bedding  plants  in  frames  consumes  a  large  amount  of 
time  if  the  soil  in  the  pots  cannot  be  easily  seen.  It  is  much  better  to 
water  carefully  than  at  haphazard,  because  some  will  receive  water  that 
may  not  require  it  then,  while  others  that  do  may  be  overlooked.  In 
sunny,  breezy  weather,  it  is  not  too  often  to  look  over  the  plants  twice  in 
the  day,  morning  and  evening,  and  if  essential,  at  noon  too. 
For  the  first  few  days  after  placing  the  plants  in  the  frames  keep  the 
lights  on  fairly  close,  shutting  up  early  so  that  a  good  heat  may  be 
retained,  approximating  somewhat  to  the  temperature  they  may  have  left. 
Should  the  nights  be  cold  cover  the  lights  with  mats,  but  remove  these 
early  in  the  morning.  Give  air  carefully  according  to  the  weather,  and 
on  calm,  warm  days,  lift  off  the  lights  altogether,  but  replace  in  the 
afternoon,  though  ventilation  may  be  left  on  until  evening.  This  treat¬ 
ment  will  gradually  and  thoroughly  inure  the  plants  until  they  can 
withstand  all  but  cold,  stormy  weather,  in  the  day,  and  frosty  nights. 
After  the  24th  of  May  it  is  safe  to  expose  fully  all  gradually  hardened 
plants,  frosts  at  nights  having,  except  in  very  unfavourable  positions, 
ceased  to  be  dangerous. 
Frames,  after  the  date  above  mentioned,  then  come  in  handy  for  the 
hardening  treatment  of  the  really  tender  bedding  plants  used  in  carpet 
bedding,  including  Coleuses,  Alternantheras,  and  Mesembryanthemums. 
They  likewise  serve  to  finish  off  Begonias,  Petunias,  Iresines,  Ageratums, 
Carnations,  and  others,  also  for  the  pricking  out  and  strengthening  of 
Golden  Feather,  which  does  not  need  such  early  raising  and  pricking  out 
which  is  often  accorded  to  it. 
Earlier  in  the  month  the  strengthening  and  hardening  of  all  half- 
hardy  annuals  should  be  dealt  with,  for  by  the  time  the  frosts  are  past 
full  exposure  may  be  accorded  to  them,  and  they  will  be  all  the  stronger, 
as  well  as  better  rooted,  for  the  final  planting  out  at  the  end  of  the  month. 
— E.  D.  S. 
AUTUMN  VERSUS  SPRING  DIGGING. 
It  has  been  well  established  by  scientific  experiments  and  investiga¬ 
tions  that  a  considerable  loss  of  the  valuable  nitrates  formed  in  sods 
during  the  summer  months  takes  place  during  the  winter  if  the  ground  be 
unoccupied  by  a  crop.  If  the  soil  is  loose — i.e.,  recently  stirred  or  dug — 
the  loss  is  still  greater,  for  while  cultivation  in  the  spring  and  summer 
increases  the  formation  of  nitrates  the  reverse  is  the  case  when  the  soil  is 
cold  and  wet.  Theoretically  and  practically,  it  is  therefore  desirable  to 
have  all  ground  occupied  with  crops  of  some  kind  during  winter,  even  if 
they  have  to  be  dug  into  the  soil  in  the  spring  to  make  room  for  special 
crops. 
This  is  a  little  elementary  science  which  may  concern  beginners  to 
understand,  and  it  is  only  mentioned  here  to  illustrate  the  point  to  be 
referred  to'  presently.  The  fact  is,  there  are  practical  considerations 
which  must  influence  the  time  chosen  for  many  gardening  operations,  and 
the  most  important  of  these  are  the  weather  conditions  prevailing  at  the 
time  they  are  undertaken.  In  sowing,  planting,  and  digging,  whether  we 
are  to  obtain  the  best  results  or  not  often  depends  entirely  upon  the  state 
of  the  soil,  and  especially  so  in  the  two  last-named  operations. 
There  is  another  matter  which  must  be  remembered  —  namely,  labour 
can  often  be  more  conveniently  spared  in  the  autumn  than  in  the  spring, 
so  that  in  weighing  the  respective  advantages  of  the  two  systems  many 
things  require  to  be  kept  in  view.  It  is  occasionally  laid  down  as  a  rule 
admitting  no  exception  that  ground  must  be  either  cropped  in  autumn  to 
stand  the  winter,  or  digging  must  be  deferred  to  spring,  if  soil  exhaustion 
is  to  be  avoided.  Like  many  hard  and  fast  rules,  this  is  open  to  serious 
objections,  and  I  will  describe  one  which  may  not  be  scientific,  but  it  has 
a  commercial  bearing  that  can  be  fully  appreciated  by  all  who  are  engaged 
upon  the  problem  of  securing  the  best  possible  returns  from  the  least 
expenditure. 
Having  in  my  occupation  a  large  extent  of  land  that  is  worked  almost 
entirely  by  manual  labour,  the  autumn  and  winter  enabled  me  to  have  a 
large  part  of  this  dug  under  very  favourable  conditions.  About  2  acres 
had,  however,  for  several  reasons,  to  be  left  until  the  spring,  and  then  we 
were  unable  to  wait  for  the  rain  which  has  come  at  last,  and  the  work  in 
consequence  had  to  be  performed  with  the  soil  in  a  dry,  hard,  and  most 
unpromising  state.  With  regard  to  some  soils  the  dryness  would  be  an 
advantage,  but  mine  is  peculiarly  heavy  and  difficult  land,  as  it  is  absolutely 
unworkable  when  wet,  and  when  dry  it  is  almost  like  bricks,  and  scarcely 
breakable.  Still  it  had  to  be  done,  and  the  result  was  as  follows,  judged 
by  the  cost  alone,  though  the  work  was  less  efficiently  executed  into  the 
bargain.  The  autumn  digging  cost  between  £3  and  £4  per  acre,  the 
average  being  nearly  the  last-named  sum  ;  but  our  spring  work,  performed 
with  forks,  has  cost  nearly  £6  per  acre,  and  the  results  were  practically 
identical  by  piece  or  day  work,  and  tested  with  different  gangs  of  men. 
