iTarch  2,  1899. 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
173 
MUTlfSlA  CLEMATIS. 
This,  “J.  R.,”  is  an  ornamental  plant,  the  long  tubular  bright  red 
flower  heads  drooping  from  the  slender  climbing  stems  supported  by  neat 
pinnate  and  tendril-terminated  leaves  having  a  graceful  appearance  in 
suitable  situations.  It  succeeds  very  well  in  a  greenhouse  trained  to  a 
pillar  or  short  rafter,  but  the  plant  re(iuires  a  position  where  it  can  be 
readily  seen.  It  can  be  planted  out  or  grown  in  pots,  a  compost  of 
loam,  peat,  and  sand  suiting  it  well,  with  plenty  of  water  when  in 
growth,  and  a  well  marked  period  of  rest  subsequently’.  Fig.  34  repre¬ 
sents  a  bloom  of  this  beautiful,  though  seldom  grown,  plant. 
DEEP  POTTING  AND  PLANTING. 
The  question  of  planting  Tomatoes  deeply  may  bo  applied  to  other 
plants  also.  Personally  1  do  not  believe  in  earthing  up  say'  6  inches  to  a 
foot  of  Tomato  stem  at  one  operation,  but  always  advocate  planting  low 
down  in  the  boxes  or  pots  in  shallow  soil,  and  when  this  is  permeated 
with  roots  adding  an  inch  at  a  time  as  necessary  until  the  limit  of  soil 
capacity  is  reached.  No  plant  better  responds  to  frequent  top  dressings 
than  the  Tomato.  As  the  fruit  develops,  a  little  enrichment  varied  from 
time  to  time  with  soot  or  the  excrement  of  sheep,  horses,  or  fowls  in 
limited  quantities  separately  is  excellent.  These  applications  induce  the 
white  rootlets  to  break  from  the  stem,  and  joining  their  predecessors 
eagerly  run  through  the  food  mixture,  provided  so  to  speak  in  relays, 
and  the  plant  progresses  without  lack  of  energy  for  all  requirements. 
This  would  seem  the  more  natural  treatment.  I  am  a  thorough 
believer  in  the  efficacy  of  judicious  top  dressings  where  practicable,  and 
this  belief  surely  is  universal,  or  wherefore  the  dressings  annually  given 
to  Peach  trees  and  Vines,  while  the  shrubberies  have  theirs  in  fallen  leaves 
forked  in  year  by  year.  Again,  the  farmer  carts  soil,  road  sidings,  or 
manure  on  to  his  grass.  Surely  we  have  enough  depth  of  soil  here.  But 
that  is  not  the  object ;  he  well  knows  that  these  annual  top  dressings  prove 
a  healthy  stimulant  to  his  grass  crops,  new  roots  form,  and  as  the  sun 
increases  in  power,  two  or  three  blades  of  grass  shoot  up  where  probably 
only  one  would  have  grown  under  less  favourable  treatment.  This 
should  convince  every  thinking  man  of  the  necessity  of  maintaining  a 
healthy  root  action  by’  periodical  dressings  as  recommended. 
With  ordinary  plants  in  pots  we  see  the  same  misconception.  Of  course 
one  cannot  very’  well  apply  the  process  recommended  for  Tomatoes  to  all, 
but  no  one  will  deny  that  frequent  pollings  m  the  case  ot  such  quick 
growing  plants  as  Cinerarias  and  Calceolarias  are  preferable  to  giving 
unduly  large  shifts  from  small  to  big  pots  at  one  operation.  I  am  for  this 
reason  averse  to  layering  Strawberry  runners  directly  into  their  fruiting 
pots  on  the  assumption  that  a  second  potting  supplies  something  that 
was  lost  in  the  former  system  ere  the  roots  derived  any  benefit  therefrom. 
But  to  revert  to  deep  potting.  I  have  repeatedly  proved  that  various 
plants,  such  as  Begonias,  Gloxinias,  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Liliums,  Gladioli, 
and  many  others  do  equally  as  well  potted  deeply  as  otherwise.  1  never 
had  better  seedling  ijrloxinias  than  I  grew  last  year,  and  these  being 
drawn  somewhat  through  no  fault  of  mine,  I  let  them  down  nearly  to  the 
bottom  of  the  pots,  and  no  plants  could  have  thrived  or  flowered  better. 
Some  growers  allow  the  corm  of  Cyclamens  to  rest  on  the  soil  ;  1  prefer 
them  with  the  crown  only  clear,  as  I  am  convinced  there  is  much  more 
danger  from  shallow  potting  or  planting  than  is  to  be  feared  in  the  other 
instance  with  the  above  plants. 
There  are  of  course  times  when  it  is  necessary  to  alter  the  general  rule 
of  planting.  In  summers  like  last,  the  winter  Greens,  Brussels  Sprouts 
and  Broccoli  stood  best,  when,  although  leggy,  they  were  planted  deeply 
with  a  crowbar  and  afterwards  had  soil  drawn  up  to  their  stems.  But  in 
every  instance  where  practicable,  constant  feeding  judiciously  given 
from  lime  to  time  when  needed  will  never  be  misapplied,  especially  to  such 
gross  feeders  as  Cucumbers,  Melons,  Vines,  Peaches,  Tomatoes — in  fact 
all  fruit  bearing  plants  are  better  top-dressed  than  potted  afresh.  I  should 
like  to  see  other  opinions  on  this  matter. — A  Midland  Gardener. 
Deep  Potting  Tomato  Plant?. 
“A.”  (page  144),  seems  to  doubt  the  utility  of  potting  young  Tomato 
plants  deeply,  and  hints  that  only  those  who  wish  to  hide  bad  culture 
adopt  it  as  their  primary  object.  The  best  practical  growers  do  not  bury 
the  stems  when  potting  for  that  reason,  but  because  they  find  even  the 
sturdiest  and  healthiest  plants  benefit  thereby.  Why  should  top 
dressings  be  given  strong  plants  in  a  fruiting  stage  and  thus  encourage 
roots  from  the  stem  if  the  practice  is  not  beneficial  I — E. 
“  A.”  appears  to  be  somewhat  sceptical  as  to  the  good  results  obtained 
by  the  above  practice,  as  recommended  by  Observer,”  and  endorsed  by 
“E.  D.  S.”  If  I  do  not  mistake  the  identity  of  “A.,”  we  all  know  him  to 
be  a  wielder  of  the  pen  who  is  cautious  in  the  extreme,  and  this  to  prevent 
us  all  from  doing  anything  rash.  Before  he  sanctions  the  practice  of  deep 
potting  or  planting  as  being  a  good  one,  he  would  like  to  hear  of  some 
practical  grower  experimenting  by  planting  six  plants  of  one  variety’ 
in  the  ordinary  way’,  and  a  similar  number  with  their  stems  buried  4  or  5 
inches.  “A.’s”  wish  has  been  anticipated  on  a  far  larger  scale  than 
he  proposes.  Last  year  I  planted  a  house  with  Challenger  ;  four  rows  of 
plants  were  employed,  and  as  some  of  the  plants  were  leggy,  the  stems 
were  buried  quite  4  or  5  inches.  Yet  the  whole  of  the  plants  were  a 
pronounced  success,  the  two  central  rows  attained  a  height  of  7  feet,  and 
fruited  right  to  the  top,  in  fact  I  never  saw  a  heavier  crop.  It  sounds 
well  to  write  against  deep  planting  to  hide  bad  culture,  but  when  thou¬ 
sands  of  plants  are  grown  some  of  them  are  sure  to  become  comparatively 
leggy-— H.  D. 
PERENNIAL  BORDER  FLOWERS.  ' 
{(Continued  from  page  bT) .  , 
Adenophoras. 
These  plants  are  not  at  all  largely  grown,  probably  because  they  do 
not  lend  themselves  readily  to  division.  The  only  satisfactory  way  of 
propagation  is  by  means  of  seeds,  and  it  is  advisable  that  these  should 
Fig.  34.  — Mutisia  clematls. 
be  sown  where  the  plants  are  to  grow,  or  in  small  pots,  from  which  they 
can  be  planted  w'ith  the  ball  of  earth  attached.  They  have  thick,  fleshy 
roots,  which  are  impatient  of  disturbance,  and  like  a  fairly  strong  soil 
with  a  rather  moist  subsoil.  A  sunny  exposure  is  best.  Out  of  a  consider¬ 
able  number  known  only  a  few  are  to  be  found  offered,  and  seed  lists, 
even  of  specialists,  show  that  there  is  little  choice. 
In  catalogues  of  the  current  year.  A,  denticulate,  A.  Lamarcki, 
A.  lilifolia,  and  A.  Fotanini  are  the  only  species  of  which  seeds  are  for 
sale.  They  generally  resemble  each  other  in  their  long  spikes  of  drooping 
flowers,  much  like  those  of  the  Campanulas,  from  which  only  a 
small  botanical  distinction  separates  them.  Of  those  named  above 
A.  Lamarcki  and  A.  Fotanini  grow  about  18  or  20  inches  high,  the  others 
being  about  a  foot  taller.  The  flow’crs  of  all  are  blue.  Those  of 
A.  Fotanini  are  larger  than  the  others.  The  Adenophoras  come  from 
Dahuria  and  Siberia. 
Adonlses 
Plants  bearing  the  name  of  Adonis  ought  to  be  handsome,  and  it  may 
be  said  that  few,  if  any,  discredit  the  name.  Not  many  are  finer  than  the 
