December  12,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
541 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
“Here  awa’,  There  awa’.’J 
When  conversing  with  a  friend  recently  upon  the  qualities  of 
VeitclTs  race  of  winter-flowering  Begonias,  he  hazarded  the 
opinion  that  they  were  being  made  too  much  of.  The  man, 
surely,  knew  not  of  what  he  spoke  ;  for  I  am  safe  to  say  not  an 
eighth  of  the  gardeners  in  England,  Ireland,  Wales,  or  Scotland 
have  ever  yet  seen  such  a  batch  as  are  now  aflowering  in  the  long 
span  houses  at  the  new  Feltham  Nurseries,  away  west  of  London. 
Imagine  800  stout  and  robust  plants  in  5-inch  and  6-inch  pots  of 
the  older  variety  Winter  Cheer,  whose  mass  of  flowers  glow  in 
colours  of  deep  shining  crimson-carnnne.  How  very  few  are  the 
plants  of  any  sort  that  the  gardener  has  at  his  command  at  this 
period  ’twixt  the  waning  of  Chrysanthemums  and  the  flush  of 
forced  spring  bulbs  and  Azaleas.  Every  year  we  feel  the  want, 
yet  we  get  very  little  “  forrarder.” 
Besides  Winter  Cheer — plant  of  many  graces — there  are  a 
number  of  other  varieties,  some  almost  new,  others  better  known 
because  older.  These  are  Mrs.  Heal;  Winter  Perfection;  Myra, 
pale  rose-pink;  Venus,  bright  rosy-carmine;  Ensign,  one  of  the 
best,  with  long  and  graceful  flower  clusters  of  crimson-pink 
flowers;  Julius_,  with  pink.  Balsam-like  blossoms;  and  the  new 
Ideala,  which  is  probably  too  rare  to  recommend  much  so  far.  It, 
however,  advances  a  new  and  dwarfer  type.  Mr.  Heal,  as  raiser 
of  these  Begonias,  is  busy  endeavouring  to  produce  a  white 
variety  and  a  yellow  one,  after  which  he  thinks  lie  will  rest  satis¬ 
fied.  Oh !  vain  hope  for  so  active  an  hybridiser. 
[New  Plants  at  Feltham. 
That  charming  Begonia  named  incomparabilis  (or  is  it 
B.  Froebeli  incomparabilis?),  with  tall  and  erect  stalks,  bearing 
showy  crimson-scarlet  flowers,  should  not  be  allowed  to  wait  for 
a  place  in  any  garden;  it  is  well  worth  a  sacrifice  on  somebody’s 
part,  only  to  be  secured  for  one’s  collection.  A  cross  between 
Begonia  natalensis  and  B.  socotrana  has  given  as  progeny  a 
wonderfully  floriferous  beauty,  with  more  erect  habit  and  less 
rounded  corollas  than  we  view  in  Gloire  de  Lorraine,  besides 
which  the  tone  of  colour  is  quite  distinct.  It  is  difficult  to 
define — the  colour  is — but  if  I  describe  it  as  a  soft,  peach  colour, 
slightly  shaded  throughout  with  bluish-lilac,  this  may  be  accepted 
as  somewhat  near  the  mark.  The  cross  would  seem  to  prove 
beyond  all  question  that  Gloire  de  Lorraine’s  parents  were 
B.  socotrana  and  B.  Dregei,  which  lineage  lias  frequently  been 
questioned. 
Kalanchoes,  &c. 
Amongst  other  splendid  novelties  that  ought  to  be  noted  are 
lvalanclioe  fiammea,  represented  by  a  well-grown  batch ; 
K.  coccinea,  which  is  an  easy  plant  to  cultivate,  though  not  nearly 
so  valuable  as  K.  flammea.  The  latter  should  be  kept  at  rest 
until  after  new  year,  when  cuttings  of  the  top  of  the  young 
shoots  may  be  struck  in  bottom  heat.  Pot  the  rooted  plants 
into  a  good  hazel  loam  mixed  with  about  a  half  proportion  of 
crock  dust,  and  avoid  leaf  soil  or  peat — at  any  rate,  a  very  minute 
proportion  of  mould  will  be  ample. 
Whoever  is  acquainted  with  Luculia  gratissima  will  well 
understand  the  wonderful  show  that  a  dozen  single-stem  plants 
of  this  very  fragrant  (though  agreeable  odour)  blush-pink 
flowered  subject  can  furnish.  Such  a  sight  is  to  be  enjoyed  at 
Feltham.  Then  there  are  a  number  of  robust  specimens  of  the 
new  blue-flowered  Coleus,  named  tliyrsoideus.  This,  for  January, 
is  likely  to  be  very  extensively  grown  in  time  to  come.  Mos- 
chosma  riparium,  with  Spirsea-like  flowers  and  odorous  green 
foliage,  has  also  its  way  to  make.  The  newly-introduced  Jacobinia 
chrysostephana  has  reached  this  Veitchian  establishment,  but 
until  a  stock  has  been  raised  nothing  need  be  offered  in  the  way 
of  description.  What  I  persist  in  terming  a  real  good  novelty  is 
the  somewhat  flouted  Senecio  auriculatissimus,  with  smooth, 
almost  fleshy,  dark  green  ear-shaped  leaves,  twining  stems,  and 
terminal  clusters  of  bright  golden  starry  flowers,  similar  in  form 
to  those  of  a  common  Daisy.  I  hope  it  may  be  well  grown,  and 
then  we  will  possibly  all  agree  that  it  is  beautiful  in  every  way. 
— Wandering  Willie. 
- o+u - 
Early  Forced  Vines. 
These  start  less  promptly  than  Vines  in  pots,  especially 
those  which  have  not  previously  been  subjected  to  early 
forcing,  and  they  should  not  be  hurried,  time  being  allowed 
to  insure  an  even  break  and  sturdy  growth.  The  buds  of 
those  started  last  month  are  now  moving.  Raise  the  tem¬ 
perature  to  55deg,  and  increase  it  a  degree  or  two  daily,  so 
as  to  have  it  60deg  to  65deg  at  night,  when  the  Vines  are 
producing  their  leaves.  In  forcing  to  time,  it  is  sometimes 
necessary  to  induce  growth  by  a  brisk  moist  heat  of  70deg 
to  75deg,  continuing  it  until  the  buds  have  fairly  started 
growing,  then  allowing  it  to  fall  to  60deg  to  65deg,  with  5deg 
to  lOdeg  rise  in  the  daytime.  This  is  important,  a  moderate 
temperature  being  essential  to  secure  short-jointed  wood, 
and  stout,  well-developed  foliage  ;  but  a  close  atmosphere  is 
very  prejudicial,  and  cutting  currents  of  air  equally  disas¬ 
trous,  therefore  ventilate  carefully  and  early,  seeking 
advancement  and  solidification  of  the  growth  under  sun¬ 
shine,  closing  early,  so  as  to  husband  the  sun  heat  as  much 
as  possible. 
Outside  borders  must  be  protected  against  cold  rains  and 
melting  snow.  A  6in  thickness  of  dry  leaves,  with  a  little 
litter  over  them  to  prevent  them  blowing  about,  is  effective, 
especially  when  covered  with  spare  lights.  Houses  to  afford 
ripe  fruit  during  May  ought  to  be  started  at  once,  fine 
weather  being  required  from  commencing  to  finish  ;  quicker 
work  only  needlessly  strains  the  Vines.  A  bed  of  leaves  and 
stable  litter  placed  on  the  floor,  turning  a  portion  of  it  daily, 
Ceropegia  Oardneri.  (See  page  540.) 
so  as  to  supply  ammonia  vapour  to  the  atmosphere  and  pre¬ 
vent  drying  of  the  material,  the  soft  glow  of  moisture  being 
favourable  to  a  good  break,  and  is  a  saving  of  fuel.  Out¬ 
side  borders  must  have  the  needful  protection  from  frost. 
A  few  inches  thickness  of  dry  leaves,  and  a  little  litter  over 
them,  answer  when  the  Vines  are  planted  inside,  but  where 
the  border  is  all  outside,  a  covering  of  warm  litter  is  prefer¬ 
able,  two-thirds  of  leaves  to  one  of  stable  litter  affording  a 
less  violent  but  more  lasting  heat  than  manure  alone,  adding 
fresh  as  necessary. 
The  inside  border  must  be  rendered  evenly  moist  by 
applying  tepid  water  or  liquid  manure.  Start  with  a  night 
temperature  of  50deg  in  severe  weather,  55deg  in  mild 
weather,  and  65deg  by  day,  except  the  weather  be  cold,  when 
55deg  will  be  suitable.  This  slow  wmrk  is  better  than  a 
forcing  heat,  which  induces  a  weak  growth,  and,  except  for 
special  purpose,  it  is  well  not  to  exceed  those  temperatures 
until  the  growth  commences.  Depress  young  Vines  to  the 
horizontal  line,  or  lower,  to  insure  the  regular  breaking  of 
the  buds.  Maintain  a  moist  atmosphere  by  syringing  daily, 
but  avoid  excessive  moisture  and  keeping  the  Vines  dripping 
wet,  which  excites  the  production  of  aerial  roots  from  the 
rods. — G. 
