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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  2,  1901. 
Dipladenia  Culture. 
What  regal  looking  flowers  the  Dipladenias  are  when  seen  growing 
luxuriantly  on  the  root  of  the  stove,  or  taking  their  pait  at  our  early 
and  late  summer  shows;  and  yet  it  must  be  confessed  that  we  do 
not  see  them  by  any  means  nearly  so  well  grown  or  r  presented  as 
they  were  some  years  back,  a  fact  much  to  be  deplored,  for  they 
certainly  give  us  a  shade  of  colour  that  we  get  in  few  of  our  stove 
plants,  the  handsome  and  freely  produced  flowers  and  rich  green 
leaves  being  always  worthy  of  admiration.  Many  causes  are  adduced 
for  their  not  being  largely  grown,  such  as  they  do  not  grow  free  y,  or 
that  they  are  so  liable  to  the  attacks  of  insects,  but  this  ought  not  to 
dtter  the  earnest  cultivator,  as  difficulties  can  always  be  surmounted 
in  every  part  of  a  gardener’s  avocation,  and  when  once  overcome,  the 
way  appears  not  so  tedious  after  all. 
To  grow  Dipladenias  successfully  there  is  nothing  like  having  a 
good  propagating  case,  with  sufficient  plunging  material  to  allow  of 
the  pots  beiug  inserted  to  their  rims.  Clean  pots  and  crocks  are 
indispensable,  and  the  sand  used  should  be  of  the  very  best  quality. 
These  arranged  for,  a  start  may  be  made.  Two  and  a  half  inch  pots 
well  drained  f  have  always  found  a  useful  size,  and  sufficiently  large 
to  accommodate  one  cutting,  as,  if  the  body  of  the  soil  is  too  large,  the 
cuttings  often  decay.  Nor  should  the  compost  for  them  at  this  stage 
be  of  a  heavy  texture  ;  good  sifted  peat,  finely  powdered  charcoal, 
and  silver  sand  I  have  always  used  with  success. 
Fairly  hardened  side  shoots,  if  taken  with  a  heel,  make  the  best 
cuttings,  and  no  time  need  be  lost  in  their  insertion,  as  I  know  of 
nothing  that  suffeis  so  quickly  if  left  on  the  potting  bench  exposed  to 
the  air.  It  is  far  better  to  propagate  in  the  house  where  the  plants  are 
growing,  then  no  check  is  given.  Make  the  cuttings  fairly  firm  in 
the  soil,  water  with  tepid  water,  and  place  in  the  propagating  case, 
just  keeping  a  chink  of  air  to  dispel  superfluous  moisture. 
In  a  short  space  of  time  roots  will  be  formed,  then  some  4^-inch 
pots  shoul  l  be  in  readiness,  udng  a  compost  a  shade  rougher  and 
securing  each  plant  with  a  neat  stake.  Water  sparingly  for  a  time, 
but  keep  in  a  brisk  heat,  securing  the  growths  as  they  advance,  and 
tying  to  he  wires  to  prevent  their  being  twisted.  About  June  the 
plants  will  require  a  further  shift,  and  treated  as  previously  advised. 
When  autumn  approaches  much  care  is  required  in  the  watering,  as  it 
is  just  at  this  time,  if  given  an  overdose,  that  so  many  failures  occur. 
Through  the  winter  keep  moderately  dry.  The  following  spring 
larger  pots  will  be  wanted,  10  to  12  inches,  according  to  the  strength 
of  the  plants.  Drain  them  thoroughly,  for  this  is  of  great  importance. 
The  best  stiff  fibrous  peat,  a  little  charcoal  and  coarse  silver  sand,  is  an 
ideal  compost,  using  the  rougher  portions  to  cover  the  drainage. 
Keep  the  roois  fairly  well  elevated,  as  deep  potting  should  by  no 
means  be  countenanced.  The  same  treatment  as  for  the  previous  year 
wid  be  requisite,  but  as  the  growth  will  be  much  more  robust  the  idea 
as  to  mode  of  culture  should  be  noted. 
If  for  exhibition  the  best  system  is  to  set  a  number  of  thin 
strings  from  the  pot  to  the  roof,  training  each  shoot  separately.  A 
trellis  should  then  be  affixed  (balloon  shape  for  preference),  and  when 
the  flower  buds  are  showing  the  strings  may  be  cut  and  the  shoots 
tied  neatly  all  over  the  trellis.  If  to  be  trained  to  the  roof  or  rafters, 
it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  careful  training  to  the  wires  is 
essential,  as  by  so  doing  the  flowers  can  be  seen  to  greater  advantage, 
and  are  more  uselul.  Syringing  should  never  be  lost  sight  of,  as  it 
keeps  away  thrips  and  spider,  whilst  if  mealy  bug  makes  its  appearance 
a  little  weak  insecticide  in  the  hands  of  a  skilled  workman  and  several 
syringings  afterwards  will  soon  eradicate  it.  Light  doses  of  liquid 
manure  about  once  a  week,  when  root  action  is  in  full  force,  will  be 
found  beneficial. 
Varieties. — All  the  varieties  are  most  beautiful,  and  a  few  of  the 
mo-t  popular  are  : — D.  amabilis,  which  is  handsome  and  one  of  the 
freest  flowering  varieties  in  cultivation,  a  good  grower,  the  flowers  pale 
rose  on  opening,  afterwards  deepening  with  age.  D.  boliv  ensis  is  a 
variety  almo.it  by  itself  as  regards  colour  ;  the  flowers  are  small,  pure 
white  with  deep  chrome  eye.  For  all  purposes,  and  especially  in  the 
hands  of  beginners,  it  is  admirable,  growing  vigorously,  and  producing 
a  great  wealth  of  bloom  with  little  trouble.  The  flowers  of  D.  Brearleyana 
are  of  the  richest  shade  of  crimson,  contrasting  well  with  the  ample 
dark  green  foliage.  It  is  one  of  the  best  for  the  exhibitor.  There  are 
few  quicker  or  more  robust  growers  than  D.  insignia,  with  rosy  purple 
flowers  most  freely  produced.  D.  Thomas  Speed  is  a  grand  rosy 
crimson  flower  with  pale  centre  and  a  well-defined  pale  orange  eye, 
making  it  quite  distinct  and  beautiful.  Then  I  have  seen  D.  Lady 
Louise  Egert"n  for  several  years  past  in  fine  condition  at  Messrs. 
Clibran’s,  Oldfield  Nurseries,  Altrincham.  The  flowers  ate  the  largest 
of  all,  and  of  extra  texture,  the  colour  being  of  various  shades  of  rosy 
pink.  Most  growers  are  acquainted  with  D.  profusa,  a  very  popular 
sort.  It  lasts  well,  and  the  rich  carmine  flowers  cannot  fail  to  please. 
In  conclusion,  I  may  remind  intending  growers  that  no  time,  ehould  be 
lost  in  securing  any  available  cuttings. — R.  P.  R. 
Tecoma  SnfitUi. 
It  is  eight  years  ago  since  the  Floral  Committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  awarded  a  first-class  certificate  to  this  hybrid 
variety.  It  was  shown  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  October  10th,  1893,  from 
the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  and  at  that  time  much  attention  was  bestowed 
on  this  plant.  The  illustration  shows  how  free  flowering  and  handsome 
it  is.  The  cymes  are  terminal,  and  of  a  luteous  shade,  tinged  with 
brownish  red.  The  parents  of  the  plant  were  T.  capensis  and 
T.  velutina.  It  will  be  conceded  that  few  plants  of  this  genus  are 
handsomer  or  more  attractive. 
- - - 
The  Pruning  of  Hardy  Trees  and  Shrubs. 
( Concluded  from  page  326.) 
To  obtain  the  best  results  from  flowering  or  evergreen  shrubs  it  is 
very  important  that  their  proper  pruning  should  be  understood.  A 
great  many  plants  that  are  rarely  pruned,  from  the  general  belief 
that  it  pruned  they  will  not  flower,  as  a  matter  of  fact  flower  much 
more  freely  it  pruued,  but  the  pruning  must  be  thinning,  not  cutting 
back. 
Taking  the  Rose,  the  pruning  of  most  of  the  garden  varieties  is,  as 
a  rule,  well  understood,  and  consists  i  f  cutting  all  the  previous  year’s 
shoots  fairly  hard  back,  and  thinning-out  weak  and  inside  wood.  The 
prunin'  of  species,  however,  is  altogether  different.  In  this  case  old 
worn-out  flowering  wood  must  be  cut  clean  out,  and  the  strong  young 
wood  left  its  full  length  ;  the  same  thing  holds  good  with  numerous 
hybrids,  such  as  the  rugosa  and  Wichuriana  sections,  the  multiflora 
groups,  and  others.  Such  well-known  garden  varieties  as  Gloire  de 
Dijon,  W.  A.  Richardson,  and  Grace  Darling  do  well  treated  in  the 
same  manner  if  last  year’s  flowering  w  od  is  cut  clean  away  and  the 
strong  young  shoots  that  have  grown  from  the  base  be  bent  over  and 
pegged  down,  not  shortened.  Flowers  will  be  borne  from  every  bud. 
This  thinning-out  holds  ^ood  with  Rubus,  Pniladelphus,  &c.  In 
the  Lemoinei  section  of  Philadelphus,  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over 
all  flowering  shoots  should  be  cut  out  or  cut  hard  back  to  a  strong 
break.  By  this  means  strong  young  shoots  are  enabled  to  grow  during 
summer,  which  provide  a  wealth  of  flowers  the  following  spring.  If  the 
members  of  this  section  are  left  unpruned  they  become  perfect  thickets, 
and  produce  few  flowers.  Deutzias  should  be  treated  in  a  similar 
mmner  to  the  tall-growing  Philadelphus,  thinned  after  flowering. 
The  same  mav  be  said  of  Diervillas,  Loniceras,  and  the  majority  of 
the  shrubby  Spiraeas.  The  exceptions  iu  the  latter  genus  are  confined 
to  the  japonica  group.  In  this  it  is  a  good  plan  to  cut  the  strong 
shoots  back  about  half  way,  and  well  thin  out  the  centres  of  the 
plants.  Berberis  are  usually  coutent  with  thinning  after  flowering  ; 
Ribes  with  thinning,  and  an  occasional  hard  pruning  when  legginess 
is  shown.  Rhododendrons  simply  require  thinning,  and  the  flower 
heads  removing  before  seeds  are  formed. 
Magnolias  will  stand  very  little  use  of  the  knife,  consequently  as 
little  as  possible  should  be  done  to  them.  Hydrangea  paniculata 
should  be  spu  red  back  in  spring  to  within  two  or  three  eyes  of  the 
old  wood,  then  when  the  young  shoots  are  4  inches  long  a  few  strong 
ones  should  be  selected  to  flower,  and  the  remainder  be  removed. 
Pranus  triloba  should  be  spurred  back  hard  alter  flowering.  Forsythias 
are  benefited  by  a  fairly  hard  pruning  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over, 
providing  they  are  growing  in  rich  soil, otherwise  thinning  only  should 
be  done.  Lilacs  req  ire  well  thinning,  and  the  good  named  varieties 
should  have  all  weak,  useless  inside  wood  removed  several  times 
duiing  summer  to  throw  strength  into  the  flower  buds. 
Cytisus  and  Genist  is  should  be  pruned  hard  after  flowering  when 
young.  Old  plants  require  thinning  only.  Bamboos  require  an  occasional 
thinning  out,  which  is  best  done  in  May.  The  coloured-stemmed 
Willows  are  greatly  improved  by  an  annual  hard  cutting  back,  the 
work  being  done  in  March.  The  colour  of  the  foliage  of  the  Golden 
Elder  is  much  improved  by  hard  pruning  of  the  wood  in  spring. 
Although  there  are  many  dissenting  voices  heard  on  the  subject  of 
pruning  trees  and  shrubs,  anyone  who  has  given  the  subject  proper 
attention,  and  carried  out  the  work  in  a  thorough  and  systematic 
manner,  can  but  admit  that  it  is  a  very  necessary  operation  in  their 
successful  cultivation.  People  are  too  apt  to  connect  pruning  of  trees 
with  the  hacking  about  often  given  to  street  trees,  and  called  pruning. 
That  is  not  pruning  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term. 
Pruning  is  a  very  important  operation,  and  should  be  entrusted 
only  to  thoroughly  competent  persons,  not  to  unskilled  labourers. 
Young  gardeners,  as  a  body,  would  do  well  to  give  the  subject  a  share 
of  their  attention,  for  with  the  rapid  advance  trees  and  shrubs  have 
made  in  public  tavour  recently  we  cannot  know  too  much  about  them 
or  their  cultivation. — W.  Dallimore,  Kew. 
