368 
WURIIAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  4,  1899. 
A  warm  moist  base  of  cocoa-nut  fibre  nfuse  is  very  suitable.  Give 
sjrecial  care  when  the  seed  is  germinating  so  that  the  soil  is  neither 
dry  nor  wet.  When  the  seedlings  can  be  readily  lifted  transplant  an 
inch  apart.  The  next  move  must  be  to  G0-|X)ts,  following  with 
5-inch  or  6-inch  size.  Afford  shade  and  sprinklings  of  water  to 
■encourage  growth,  but  the  plants  must  also  be  moist  at  the  roots. 
After  potting  keep  closer  for  a  time — a  week  or  ten  days  will  be 
long  enough — then  afford  more  air.  Stopping  the  most  vigorous 
growths  must  be  practised,  so  that  the  plants  may  be  even  and 
ffcgular. — E.  D.  S. 
GOOD  WORK  AND  GOOD  HINTS. 
It  is  pleasant  to  find  good  work  of  whatever  kind  and  wherever 
■seen  in  gardening,  and  to  take  and  record  hints  that  may  be  useful  er 
suggestive.  It  is  feared  that  many  a  good  point  is  seen,  and 
momentarily  admired,  but  for  some  reason  or  other — or  no  reason — 
is  passed  by  as  if  it  were  unw'orthy  of  public  mention.  I  wdll  not 
make  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  what  I  have  hal  the  pleasure  of 
•seeing  lately  in  a  florist’s  establishment  at  Derby  wUl  be  of  no  interest 
to  others,  for  I  believe  many  may  like  to  know  of  what  afforded 
satisfaction  to  one  who  has  had  opportunities  for  seiing  good  work  of 
the  kind  in  which  readers  of  “our  Journal”  are  interested. 
Thousands  of  Arum  Lilies. 
Those  which  I  have  to  refer  to  were  to  be  seen  “in  their 
thousands  ”  in  pots,  boxes,  and  planted  out.  All  were  in  full  flower, 
and  had  been  since  last  November.  Those  In  pots  were  really  magn‘- 
ficent  specimens.  They  w'cre  in  10-inch  pots,  each  containii  g  three 
large  selected  crowns,  and  my  ft  ention  was  called  to  the  striking 
tact  of  every  leaf  having  its  flower  bud  springing  up  soon  after  full 
leaf  expansion.  This  (ree  flowering  was  attributed  to  the  thorough 
resting  and  drying  ofl’  which  the  plants  have  in  summer.  They  then 
become  quite  denuded  of  leaves,  the  crowns  are  well  ripened,  after 
which  they  are  assorted,  the  finest  being  pot'ed,  the  ntxt  size  jilanted 
in  boxes  or  on  shelves,  all  of  them  coming  into  flower  in  November, 
and  proving  a  source  of  profit  for  six  or  seven  months. 
A  Brilliant  Wall  of  “  Raspails.’ 
Imagine  a  wide  and  lofty  span-roof  house,  ends  east  to  west,  with 
au  interior  wall  along  the  entire  length  of  it,  shutting  off  about  a 
third  of  the  width  lor  a  north  house  for  Ferns.  About  a  tear  a^o  the 
valuable  double  scarlet  Zonal  Pelargonium  F.  Y.  Ilaspail  was  planted 
out  of  48-sizcd  pots  in  a  narrow  border  ahug  tlie  entire  length  of 
100  feet  on  the  south  side  of  this  wall.  They  now  cjvt-r  the  w^all  to  a 
height  of  about  6  feet,  and  are  laden  with  thousands  of  the  compact 
rich  scarlet  trusses,  although  flowers  had  been  cut  all  the  winter.  If 
ray  memory  serves  me  aright  Mr.  Cannell  once  showed  me  a  “  Rnspail 
Improved,”  but  I  very  much  question  if  it  can  be  an  improvement 
upon  the  free-flowering  of  the  original  as  I  saw  it.  I  used  to  admire 
it  very  much  at  the  Horticultural  College  at  Sw^anley,  where  large 
quantities  of  it  were  grown  in  pots  for  cut  flowers  for  market,  but  I 
never  realised  its  true  value  and  beauty  till  I  saw  it  on  the  wall 
referred  to.  It  looks  like  growing  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  I  know  no 
rea.son  why  it  should  not,  and  if  it  does  it  will  not  only  be  a  lovely  but 
an  instructive  sight,  as  showing  how  profitable  an  interior  w’all  may 
become  under  skilful  management.  On  a  side  stage  a  large  quantity 
of  Lilium  longiflorum  was  remarkable  for  vigour  of  growth  and  promise 
of  flower,  there  being  from  three  to  six  brea  s  in  each  pot  with  four  to 
six  flower  buds  upon  each  of  them.  My  attention  was  called  specially 
to  these  plants  as  being  from  Japanese  bulbs,  and  altogether  superior 
to  the  growth  from  Dutch  bulbs  last  year.  A  thousand  Tuberoses 
were  being  started  in  shallow  boxes  under  the  side  stage. 
White  Marguerites  and  their  Leaf-mining  Enemy. 
“  White  Marguerites  are  always  in  demand,  and  always  go  well,’’ 
I  was  told,  as  I  came  upon  thousands  of  plants  full  of  bloom.  The 
system  of  culture  is  spring  propagation,  bedding  out  in  summer,  lifting 
and  potting  in  August;  they  then  flow^er  in  September,  and  continue 
flowering  till  spring.  Some  trouble  had  been  experienced  from  attacks 
of  leaf-miner  insects.  These  insects  are  often  troublesome  amongst 
Chrysanthemums  and  Cinerarias,  as  well  as  Marguerites.  I  saw  a  fine 
lot  of  Cinerarias  last  season  so  disfigured  by  leaf-miners  as  to  be 
practically  useless.  It  may  be  well  to  mention  here  that  the  remedy 
for  this  pest  is  tar  water,  made  by  boiling  half  a  gallon  of  coal  tar  in 
a  gallon  of  water,  to  which,  when  cool,  add  50  gallons  of  clear  water. 
Spray  thoroughly  over  plants,  stage,  woodwork,  and  glass.  In  the  use 
of  this,  as  of  all  other  insecticides,  prevention  should  be  our  aim  :  when 
the  presence  of  the  pest  is  suspected,  occasional  spraying  prevents 
attacks — a  far  better  plan  than  trying  to  cure  a  bad  case  of  inlestation, 
for  the  foliage  has  then  suffered  beyond  recovery. 
Acknowledgments. 
It  would  only  be  fair  to  say  that  such  objects  as  I  have  briefly 
described  and  the  hints  recorded  are  the  outcome  of  a  visit  to  Mr.  F. 
Lewis,  a  meet  capable  florist  and  decorator  at  the  Mile  Ash  Nursery,  | 
Derby.  It  would  serve  no  useful  ]mrpose  to  enumerate  a  list  of  tl  o 
many  flowers  growu  there.  I  have  said  enough  to  show  something  of 
good  work  done  by  a  good  man — work  so  well  done  that  it  has  its 
lessons  for  others,  among  which  not  the  least  is  the  industry,  energy, 
and  intelligence  that  are  brought  to  bear  upon  it,  and  the  success 
which  is  already  crowning  efforts  so  well  directed,  and  energy  so  well 
applied. — Edward  Luckhurst. 
PERENNIAL  BORDER  FLOWERS. 
Alyssums. 
While  s  veral  of  the  Mad  worts  are  more  sui:able  for  the  rockery 
than  the  border,  there  are  still  some  which  may  be  used  in  the  latter  with 
advantage.  Of  those,  A.  gemonenso  may  be  mentioned  as  a  desirable 
species,  although  not  quite  si  hardy  as  A.  saxatilc.  It  has  the  merit  of 
flowering  over  a  longer  period  than  that  species.  It  grows  about  a  fo  t 
high  and  produces  a  profusion  of  small  yellow  flowers.  There  is  a  variety 
with  paler  flowers  named  A.  gemonense  stilphureum. 
Alyssum  saxatile  is  the  most  valuable  of  the  genus  for  the  border, 
where  masses  and  clumps  make  a  brilliant  effect  in  late  spring  and  early 
summer.  It  flowers  profusely,  and  is  very  showy  with  its  small  brigb.t 
yellow  flowers,  which  quite  cover  the  foliage.  The  latter  is  of  a  hoary 
grey.  Of  A.  saxatile,  which  has  the  popular  name  of  Rock  Madwort, 
there  are  four  varieties.  One  is  A.  s.  compactum,  of  dwarfer  haldt  ; 
anotlier  is  A.  s.  variegatum,  which  is  pretty  but  rather  tender;  the  third 
is  A.  s.  Tom  Tl  uinb,  a  very  dwarf  form  which  is  not  so  free-flowering  as 
the  type;  and  the  fourth,  A.  s.  fl.-pl.,  a  double  form.  Ano'her  border  species 
is  A.  Wiersbeeki — a  summer  bloomer — which  grows  about  foot  high  anil 
has  yellow  flowers.  The  Alyssums  are  easily  raised  from  seeds  or  by 
m'tans  of  cuttings  taken  off  with  a  heel  in  spring  or  early  autumn,  and 
inserted  in  sandy  soil  under  a  hand-light  or  frame.  A.  saxatile  compactum 
does  not  come  quite  true  from  seed,  and  A.  s.  variegatum  ought  also  to  be 
propagated  by  cutt  ngo.  The  Alyssums  are  very  useful  in  the  border,  and 
A.  saxatile  has  often  been  used  for  spring  bedding.  It  flowers  more  freely, 
however,  when  left  undisturbed. 
Amsonias. 
The  Amsonias — named  in  honour  of  Charles  Amsi'n,  a  traveller — are 
so  seldom  offered  that  it  seems  needless  to  say  much  about  them;  jet 
the  grower  of  hardy  flowers  may  like  to  know  at  least  a  little  about  then  . 
They  are  hardy  plants,  which  come  from  North  America.  The 
only  members  of  the  genus  included  in  the  “  Kew  Hand-list”  are 
A.  tabernasmontana  and  its  \atiety  salicilulia.  The  former  has  pale  blue 
flowers  with  narrow  lobed  Ci  rolla.  and  a  tube  of  a  funnel  shape  and  ovate 
lanceolate  leaves  ;  the  latter  has  light  blue  flowers  with  a  while  throat, 
and  is  of  less  upright  growth  than  the  type.  They  are  grown  in  borders 
with  a  little  shade.  They  may  be  divided  in  spring.  The  Amsonias  are 
not  particularly  showy. 
Anchusas. 
A  few  of  the  Anchusas  or  Alkanets  are  quite  hardy  and  perennial,  but 
what  the  writer  considers  one  of  the  best — A.  italica — is  only  a  biennial  in 
most  gardens.  It  has  brilliant  blue  tr  purple  fiowers  and  grows  about 
4  feet  high.  A.  semperviiens,  a'lhough  naturalised  in  some  parts  of 
Britain,  is  worth  growing  in  rough  borders,  -where  its  line  blue  flowers 
look  well.  For  ‘‘wild  gardening”  it  is  well  adapted.  It  grows  in  one  spot 
by  the  wayside  a  few  miles  fi’om  where  the  writer  lives,  and,  growing 
among  other  herbage,  gives  a  pretty  effect  ;  it  is  also  pleasing  by  the  sea 
in  half-shady  places.  It  grows  about2fu  t  h'gh.  A.  Barrolieri.  which 
grows  from  1:^  to  2  feet  high,  and  has  white  tubed  and  yellow  throated 
blue  flowers,  is  a  native  of  the  southern  part  of  the  continent  of  Europe. 
It  is  not,  however,  hardy  with  the  writer.  A.  italica  and  some  of  the 
others  ot  the  genus  are  favourite  bee  plants  ;  this  may  recommend  them 
to  some.  The  Anchusas  are  increased  liy  seeds. — S.  Arnott. 
(To  be  emtinued.) 
“Trimmings.” — When  the  ladies  at  the  hall  send  down  to  the  garden, 
as  they  do  once  or  twice  a  week  for  flowers,  the  order  generally  has 
lacked  on  it,  “and  plenty  of  Fern  or  foliage.”  Ah!  we  say,  that’s 
all  right  as  to  flowers  just  now  ;  we  have  pretty  well  of  Roses — Marechal 
Niel,  Gloire  de  Dijon,  Niehetos,  Souvenir  d’un  Ami,  and  Catherine 
Mermet,  indoors  and  out ;  Daffodils  in  many  varieties,  Hortefieldi  a  special 
favourite;  but  as  to  “ trimmings,”  as  this  green  decorative  material  is 
called  in  thu  bothy,  that  is  another  matter,  with  the  Adiantums  and 
Ferns  generally  all  cut  down  an  1  repotted  to  go  on  to  do  their  work  in 
the  coming  season  ;  but  something  must  be  found,  and,  turning  round, 
“  Oh,  here  it  is  1  ”  That  friend  in  need  proved  to  be  a  large  plant  of  the 
Climbing  Fern,  Lygedium  scandens,  and  right  well  it  serves,  with  its  fine 
fronds  of  two  sorts,  the  plain  ones  unfertile  and  the  crinkled  ones  fertile, 
thus  providing  variety  at  once,  and  without  going  anywhere  else. 
Anoiher  Fern,  which  is  mi  st  useful  at  this  empty  time  is  Nephrodium 
molle,  which  sows  itself  all  over  the  stove,  and  is  generally  to  be 
depended  upon  for  a  few  good  fronds.  As  a  variation  from  the  greenery 
commonly  sent  in  with  flowers  we  find  that  variegated  foliage  is  often 
very  acceptable  as  “  trimmings,”  and  we  therefore  occasionally  send  in 
variegated  Panic um,  Tru descan tia  zjbrina  tricolor,  Strobilanthes  Dyeri- 
anus,  leaves  of  the  many  varieties  of  Begonia  Rex,  and  stray  shoots  of 
Coleus.  It  is  wonderful  how  ingenious  we  can  be  when  necessity  drives, 
and  variation  or  change  bwaks  up  the  monotony  of  life,  and  adds  a 
charm  even  to  prosaic  surroundings. — P. 
