]\Iarch  10,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER^ 
247 
Vines  from  Eyes.- 
When  tho.se  inserted  last  nionth  are  well  rooted  they  should 
be  potted  singly,  or,  if  inserted  in  small  pots,  shifted  into  6in 
pots  as  soon  as  the  roots  reach  the  sides  of  the  smaller,  placing 
them  on  shelves  over  the  hot-water  pipes.  Syringe  well  amongst 
them,  and  pinch  laterals  at  the  first  leaf,  unless  they  are  intended 
to  be  planted  out  this  season  and  not  fruited  the  next,  when  the 
laterals  may  be  left  entire ;  but  in  that  case  the  Vines  must  be 
planted  before  the  roots  become  matted. 
The  Snowdrop  Disease. 
So  far  as'  I  have  as  yet  been  able  to  discover,  the  Snowdrop 
white  mould  (Botrytis  galanthina)  is  not  S0‘  prevalent  this  season 
as  in  some  former  ones.  The  opinion  I  have  formed  is  that  it  is 
most  virulent  in  seasons  when  frosts  of  some  severity  are  alter¬ 
nated  by  heavy  rains  and  close,  damp  weather.  There  is  an  ex¬ 
cellent  figure  accompanying  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke’s  “  Pests  of  the 
Flower  Garden,”  in  the  “  Journal  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,”  vol.  xxvii.,  part  2;  but  Dr.  Cooke  has  been  misin- 
forined  when  he  says  that  it  has  never  given  much  trouble  in  the 
South.  Mr.  James  Allen,  of  Shepton  Mallet,  has  lo.st  many  of 
his  choicest  Snowdrops  from  this  destructive  fungus. — S.  Aenott. 
Star  Primulas. 
It  is  quite  superfluous  to  labour  praise  on  the  Star  Primulas. 
They  are  typical  of  the  class  of  flowering  plant.s  that  at  the  pre¬ 
sent  time  find  the  greatest  favour.  Easily  and  quickly  grown, 
they  yield  a  profusion  of  elegant  inflorescences  bespangled  with 
star-like,  medium  flowers  which  are  useable  in  a  cut  state,  or  the 
plants  themselves  may  be  placed  on  a  drawing-room  table  for  a 
number  of  days,  and  will  last  well.  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons, 
in  common  with  many  other  firms,  have  now  a  wide  selection  of 
varieties  to  choose  from,  including  pink,  blue,  carmine,  and 
cream-coloured.  For  early  winter  display  in  the  cool  house  or 
conservatory,  the  brightly  coloured  .sorts  are  greatly  to  be  com- 
jnended. 
Antirrhinums  as  Half-hardy  Annuals. 
Among  flowers  of  simple  and  attractive  beauty  and  a  free- 
flowering  habit.  Antirrhinums  are  worthy  of  attention.  Strictly 
speaking,  they  are  hardy  perennials,  existing  and  flowering  more 
than  one  year,  but  there  has  of  late  years  grown  up  a  custom 
of  sowing  seed  early  in  the  year,  and  treating  them  as  half-hardy 
annuals.  This  is  to  say  that  it  would  be  usele.ss'  to  sow  seed 
outdoors  early  in  the  year,  although  the  plants  are  hardy,  and 
expect  them  to  flower  satisfactorily  that  summer ;  but  if  the 
.seed  is  sown  this  month,  in  a  box  in  a  little  heat,  and  encouraged 
to  develop  in  light  and  warmth,  young  plants  may  be  had  quite 
strong  enough  to  prick  out  in'  boxes  or  a  frame  at  the  end  of 
March.  They  would  soon  strengthen,  and,  with  a  course  of 
hardening  to  outdoor  conditions,  they  could  be  planted 
permanently  at  the  .  end  of  April  or  in  Maj'.  Seed  is 
cheap,  the  plants  are  readily  raised,  and  success  is  sure  to  follow. 
There  are  three  distinct  types  of  Antirrhinums,  namel3'’ : 
The  tall  varieties,  many  of  which  will  attain  to  the  height  of 
3ft,  and  also  bo  bushy  if  not  crowded;  secondl.y,  there  are  the 
intermediate  varieties,  which  in  habit  are  also  bushjq  but  only 
attain  the  height  of  18in  at  a  maximum  ;  thirdl.y,  there  are  the 
dwarf  or  Tom  Thumb  varieties,  which  are  very  dwarf,  onh’  attain¬ 
ing  the  height  of  6in,  but  very  bushy  and  floriferous.  The  colours 
of  all  the  types  comprise  red,  pink,  white,  yellow,  crimson,  and 
many  shades  of  these  colours.  The  dwarf  and  intermediate 
varieties  are  excellent  for  bedding.  The  tall  varieties,  being 
more  suitable  for  cutting,  should  be  grown  in  borders.  Seed  may 
be  had  in  separate  colours,  and  the  plants  of  each  colour  placed 
in  lines,  rings,  or  masses  of  one  colour,  when  they  are  most 
effective  and  give  a  grand  display.  Mixed  colours  are  very 
interesting  and  charming  in  rich  velvet.v  colours.  After  com¬ 
mencing  to  bloom  they  will  flower  all  through  the  season. —  j 
E.  D.  S. 
Cut-back  Vines. 
For  fruiting  in  pots  next  season  the.so  Vines  will  now  be 
fit  for  shaking  out  and  repotting,  or  if  that  has  already  been 
done,  and  the  roots  have  reached  the  sides  of  the  pots,  they  will 
need  shifting  into  the  fruiting  12in  pots.  If  they  have  been 
given  bottom  heat  they  should  bo  returned  to  it  for  a  time,  70deg 
to  80deg  being  sufficient,  otherw  ise  bottom  heat  is  not  neces.sary; 
j'et  the  pots  are  better  stood  on  slates  over  hot-water  pipes  than 
on  a  cool  bottom.  Keep  the  house  close  and  moderately  moist 
until  the.v  become  established.  Train  the  canes  near  the  glass, 
pinching  the  laterals  to  one  leaf,  and  thus  secure  solidified  and 
plump  buds.  I’se  clean  pots  and  efficient  drainage.  Turfy  loam 
with  a  fifth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  answers  well  for  potting ;  but  a 
pint  each  of  steamed  bonemeal  and  soot,  and  double  quantity  of 
wood  ashes  ma.y  be  mixed  with  every  bushel  of  soil. — G. 
An  Historic  OaK. 
Most  of  us,  in  our  nursery  days,  have  listened  with  full  hearts 
and  welling  eyes  to  the  tragic  tale  of  the  “  Babes  in  the  Wood;” 
of  the  duel  between  the  Wicked  Uncles,  and  the  subsequent 
wanderings  up  and  down  of  the  forlorn  mites,  till  they  sank 
exhausted,  and  were  covered  with  leaves  by  the  friendly  robins 
under  the  great  Oak  in  Wailing  Wood,  near  Watton.  But  the 
recent  gales,  in  their  fury  or  frolic,  have  levelled  the  Oak,  which 
in  its  long  life  had  witne.ssed  many  a  pilgrimage.  Tlie  name 
“Wailing  Wood,”  although  locally  said  to  be  derived  from  the 
tragedy,  is  but  a  corruption  of  the  word  “waylaid;”  but  the 
legend  of  the  death  of  the  children  has  always  been  firmly  held 
in  the  neighbourhood,  and  might  easily  have  had  some  foundation 
in  fact.  An  ancient  hall  in  the  neighbourhood  contains  a  mantel¬ 
piece  curiouslj^  carved  with  representative  scenes  from  the 
pathetic  old  ballad. 
The  Globe  Artichoke  as  an  Ornamental  Plant. 
The  Globe  Artichoke  is  more  generally  grown  for  economic 
purposes  than  for  garden  ornamentation  ;  but  few  plants  are  more 
stately  or  effective.  It  is  scarcely  suitable  for  small  gardens  on 
account  of  its  large  size;  but  where  it  can  be  accommodated,  its 
foliage,  tall  flower  stems,  and  heads  of  purple  flowers  make  it  a 
desirable  plant.  The  most  suitable  positions  for  it  will  be  found 
in  the  background  of  a  large  herbaceous  border  in  beds  of  shrubs, 
where  the  latter  are  thinly  disposed,  or  as  an  isolated  specimen 
in  the  wild  garden.  The  leaves  of  this  plant  may  also  be  used 
for  house  decoration,  but  the  flower  heads  are  rather  too  heav.v. 
The  Artichoke  is  hardy  in  inost  soils  in  ordinary  winters,  but  it 
is  the  safe.st  plan  to  give  it  a  little  protection  on  the  advent  of 
frosty  weather.  This  maj'  be  done  by  tj'ing  the  leaves  loosely 
together,  and  banking  a  few  cinder  ashes  round  the  plants,  and 
allowed  to  remain  until  the  following  April. — J.  S.  U. 
Table  Decorations. 
A  request  is  at  times  forthcoming  for  decorations  with  flowers 
of  a  pleasant  perfume.  The  seasonable  flower  for  complying  with 
such  a  request  can  now  be  found  in  the  lovely  and  graceful 
Freesia  refracta  alba ;  and  what  indeed  could  be  more  delight¬ 
fully  scented  without  being  overpowering?  I  am  of  opinion  that 
the  best  method  of  arranging  the  racemes  is  to  use  epergnes,  the 
centre  one  being  about  18in  in  height,  varying  downwards  to 
12in.  The  epergnes  used  here  have  five  small  trumpet-like 
receptacles,  and  we  ari'ange  on  the  outside  of  these  drooping 
pieces  of  Asparagus  Sprengeri,  placing  the  flowers  in  varying 
lengths  in  the  centre  of  the  glasses,  and  verj'  loo.sely,  inter¬ 
twining  with  them  Paspalum  elegans,  the  beautiful  ornamental 
Grass.  Pieces  of  Smilax  twisted  around  the  stands  of  the 
epergnes  (the  ends  to  be  allowed  to  fall  about  on  the  cloth)  add 
grace.  The  whole  of  the  epergnes  are  suitably  placed  in  posi¬ 
tion,  not  too  formally.  The  remaining  spaces  about  the  cloth 
is  filled  in  with  .some  trails  of  Asparagus  plumosus  nanus,  on 
which  may  be  dotted  some  racemes  of  tlie  Freesias.  In  close 
proximity  to  the  artificial  lights  wind  some  trails  of  th<*  Asparagus 
jjlumosus  nanus  the  whole  length  of  the  table,  and  stretch  the 
material  fairly  tight,  wiring  some  of  the  smaller  racemes  of 
the  Freesias  at  var3ung  distances  on  to  this.  The  weight  of 
the  flowers  will  cause  the  material  to  droop  slightl3',  conse¬ 
quently  the  effect  will  be  much  enhanced,  and  give  to  the  whole 
a  finished  appearance. — F.  Bible. 
