September  22,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
223 
RUDBECKIA  BICOLOR  SUPERBA. 
Amongst  the  several  interesting  plants  that  were  sent  to  the  Drill 
Hall  on  Tuesday,  September  6th,  by  Mr.  W.  Bain,  gardener  to  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence,  Bart.,  Burford  Lodge,  Dorking,  was  Rudbeckia  bicolor 
superba,  of  which  we  give  a  representation  in  the  woodcut,  fig.  39.  It 
is  one  of  the  handsomest  plants  that  has  been  grown  of  late,  and  it  is 
thoroughly  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  every  garden  where  border 
plants  producing  striking  flowers  suitable  for  cutting  are  appreciated. 
The  form  of  the  flower  is  shown  well  in  the  illustration,  and  the  colour  is 
bright  yellow,  with  a  deep  velvety  crimson  centre  round  the  brown  cone 
or  disc.  Speaking  of  this  plant  Mr.  Bain  says,  “  I  consider  Rudbeckia 
bicolor  superba  one  of  the  best  annuals  that  has  been  introduced,  or 
re-introduced,  for  some  years.  It  looks  light,  and  lasts  well  in  a  cut  state. 
The  plants  grow  to  about  3  feet  high,  branching  freely.  It  began 
flowering  in  July,  and  by  all  appearance  will  last  until  cut  down  by 
frost.” 
NOTES  ON  CELERY. 
In  numerous  instances  the  rows  of  Celery  are  strong  and  well-grown, 
only  to  be  much  damaged  and  disfigured  by  slugs.  Where  only  just  the 
heart  is  used  it  does  not  so  much  matter,  but  even  these  are  sometimes 
reached  by  slugs,  and  none  of  us  likes  to  see  much  mutilated  Celery  lifted. 
After  trying  various  systems  of  growing  Celery,  more  especially  as 
regards  the  size  of  trenches  and  the  number  of  rows  that  can  be  grown  in 
each,  I  have  long  since  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  single  rows  are  the 
most  profitable  in  the  end,  as  it  is  possible  to  grow  nearly  as  many  plants 
in  that  way  as  can  be  done  when  double  lines  are  placed  in  a  single 
trench  ;  not  only  can  the  finest  Celery  be  grown  in  single  rows,  but  these 
can  also  be  more  easily  earthed-up  and  better  protected  from  slugs  than  can 
two  or  more  rows  in  a  trench.  According  to  my  experience  heavy  or 
moderately  heavy  lands  can  with  very  little  trouble  be  made  to  produce 
Celery  of  the  best  quality,  but  unfortunately  such  soils  are  invariably  the 
most  infested  with  slugs.  It  is  therefore  in  the  process  of  earthing-up 
that  the  greatest  judgment  must  be  exercised  and  the  utmost  care  taken, 
or  what  wculd  have  been  very  fine  Celery  will  be  completely  marred 
quite  early  in  the  season. 
In  the  first  place,  it  is  a  mistake  to  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  complete 
the  earthing,  this  giving  the  slugs  good  shelter  and  plenty  of  time  to  spoil 
the  stalks.  When  the  plants  are  well  advanced  and  growing  strongly, 
enough  soil  should  be  broken  down  and  well  worked  round  the  plants, 
this  acting  as  a  mulch,  and  also  serving  to  prevent  the  outer  leaves 
assuming  a  horizontal  position.  Two  other  earthings  ought  to  be  suffi¬ 
cient.  If  the  second  is  given  before  the  hearts  are  far  advanced  the 
mass  of  earth  wedged  against  the  stalks  will  effectually  check  their  proper 
development.  Better,  therefore,  to  underdo  rather  than  overdo  it.  The 
final  earthing-up  must  be  done  before  severe  frosts  are  anticipated,  and 
only  the  very  latest  ought  to  be  left  till  early  in  November.  The  ridges 
enclosing  the  Celery  should  be  finished  neatly,  so  as  to  throw  off  as  much 
water  as  possible,  and  if  only  the  best  portion  of  the  leaves  is  unburied  a 
moderately  severe  frost  will  do  little  harm. 
Having  briefly,  alluded  to  the  manner  of  and  time  for  earthing,  it  yet 
remains  to  be  told  how  the  Celery  is  to  be  kept  clean — that  is  to  say,  but 
slightly  disfigured  by  slugs.  Where  only  a  small  number  of  plants  are 
grown,  the  simplest  plan  for  preserving  and  effectually  blanching  the 
stalks  is  to  enclose  each  plant  in  two  or  more  folds  of  strong  brown 
paper.  The  paper  requires  to  be  fastened  with  strips  of  raffia.  They 
must  not  be  too  tightly  bound  round  the  stalks,  or  the  hearts  will  be 
unduly  confined,  and  the  plants  should  be  earthed-up  for  the  winter,  the 
first  soil  being  worked-in  early,  and  a  final  earthing  given  after  the  plants 
are  fully  grown. 
Few  need  to  be  told  that  Celery  requires  plenty  of  rich  food  and 
moisture  at  the  roots,  and  deferring  earthing-up  admits  of  liquid  manure 
or  water  being  applied  quite  late  in  the  season.  In  many  instances 
the  Celery  is  much  too  dry  at  the  roots  when  the  soil  is  placed  round 
the  stalks,  and  unless  the  autumn  is  exceptionally  wet  it  is  a  long  time 
before  the  rains  benefit  the  crop.  It  is  dryness  at  the  roots  that  oftener 
than  not  is  the  cause  of  premature  bolting  or  running  to  seed,  few 
being  aware  or  taking  the  trouble  to  ascertain  that  the  soil  underneath 
could  possibly  be  so  dry  with  so  much  earth  on  the  top  of  it.  Even  in  a 
wet  season  I  have  found  it  necessary  to  give  the  rows  of  Celery  a  good 
soaking  of  water  prior  to  commencing  earthing,  and  more  had  to  be 
given  at  the  second  time. 
Those  who  devote  much  ground  to  Celery  culture  cannot  afford  to 
coddle  it,  and  must  perforce  adopt  some  rough  and  ready  methods  of 
checking  the  slugs.  In  some  instances  a  liberal  ‘application  of  soot,  or 
soot  and  lime,  about  the  plants  and  among  the  soil,  as  it  is  worked  round 
the  Celery,  helps  to  make  the  latter  distasteful  to  the  slugs  and  the 
quarters  too  hot  for  them.  Soot  especially  is  a  good  fertiliser,  and  though 
those  who  prepare  the  Celery  for  the  table  grumble  at  having  it  so  black, 
it  ought  yet  to  be  extensively  used.  On  light  soils  a  sprinkling  of  salt 
is  almost  a  preventive  of  slugs  and  acts  as  a  fertiliser,  but  it  must  not 
come  into  contact  with  the  leaves. 
The  surest  way  of  keeping  Celery  clean  is  to  quite  surround  the 
stalks  with  fine  burnt  clayey  soil  or  sifted  ashes  from  coal  fires.  Both, 
in  moderation,  greatly  improve  heavy  land,  and  the  process  of  surround¬ 
ing  the  Celery  with  them  is  not  so  tedious  as  might  at  first  sight  appear. 
It  need  not  be  used  at  the  first  earthing,  and  enough  may  be  worked 
in  at  the  second  time  to  quite  answer  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  added. 
The  first  proceeding  should  be  to  well  gather  the  outer  stalks  together 
so  as  to  effectually  shut  out  any  soil  or  rubbish  from  the  hearts,  the  ties 
being  made  rather  high  up,  or  where  they  can  be  loosened  again.  A 
long  board  of  any  width  may  next  be  set  on  each  side  of  and  nearly  close 
to  the  rows  of  Celery,  and  kept  in  position,  if  need  be,  with  stakes  fixed 
inside.  Against  the  boards  bank  up  the  soil,  and  then  fill  in  the  space 
kept  by  the  boards  with  either  the  burnt  soil  or  ashes.  The  boards  can 
then  be  drawn  up,  refixed,  and  a  second  layer  of  soil  and  other  material 
added  as  before,  or  this  may  be  delayed,  if  the  Celery  is  backward,  for 
another  ten  days.  All  should  be  finally  banked  over  with  soil.  Thus 
Fig.  39. — Rudbeckia  bicolob  supebba. 
treated,  the  Celery  is  less  liable  to  decay  during  a  cold  wet  winter,  and 
invariably  turns  out  clean  and  good. 
I  ought  perhaps  to  add  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  heart 
be  always  well  protected  with  the  outer  stalks  while  the  process  of 
moulding  up  is  going  on,  and  this  can  be  done  either  by  lightly  tying  them 
up  with  raffia  or  strips  of  matting,  which  must  be  taken  off  again,  or 
one  person  may  hold  the  stalks  together  while  others  are  chopping  down 
and  working  in  the  soil. — G. 
Begonia  coballina. — This  is  an  old  and  very  free  growing 
variety  that  does  admirably  to  train  under  the  roof  of  a  warm 
greenhouse  or  conservatory,  where  it  hangs  down  its  big  panicles  of 
flowers,  rich  red  in  colour,  and  forms,  even  in  the  winter,  a  very 
beautiful  object.  I  have  seen  it  so  grown  with  fine  effect  in  a  warm 
house  at  Forde  Abbey,  Chard,  by  Mr.  Crook  ;  but  I  hardly  expected 
to  see  it  growing  outdoors.  However,  such  was  my  experience 
recently  at  Sandhurst  Lodge,  Berks,  where  a  strong  plant  3  feet  in 
height  blooming  profusely,  the  colour  of  the  flowers  being  singularly 
brilliant,  was  plunged  in  a  pot  in  a  warm  spot  in  the  pleasure 
grounds,  and  standing  alone  with  a  green  background,  and  on  soft 
green  turf  was  a  most  attractive  object.  With  the  beautiful  Solanum 
jasminoides  its  richly  coloured  flowers  harmonise  admirably. — A. 
