Gardening Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2710, 8 October 1887, Page 2

Gardening Notes.

Tuberous roofed Begoniaß. These :..-,;. plants are well adapted for by those who have not a house or pitjw kept at a stove or intermediate tern*, pemture, as they succeed perfectly.,; with-'cool treatment. '"■' Tubers -%|>' Jafter being dried'off in '^nttimn, . - been pat 'away lor the 'winteri|©f;: ; tli3 reach of frost, will into growth, and ; should . ; without delay, .They require 'ordinary,;. ioam.with a little rotten ••manure, leaf* ''. „. mould and sand added,' Small tubeVs that were, raised from seed sown last Vq* Spring, will : probably not need pots'' "M more than six inches, in diameter, as . bvorpqtting is better avoided, anduiuch '■;'. can.be done to support thegrowth.later. on in the Summer, when the. roots have.', got full possesion of the soil, by tho . use of manure water. Large tubets. , will require an inch or two more room. If thesoil is in the right condition for,, use as to-moisture, no water necdJajr . given for some dnye after, poUibglv , Stand the plants where they will get plenty of light; tins is.a matter;.of, : .■ ■; importance,' as, if there is a.. deficiency , .of )his„ in the early stages of ~ growth; the young shoots got drawn,, .and tho plants will have n straggling appearance, that canuot bo afterwards; • ' corrected. Seeds of. tbeso. Begonias ••• may yet be sown, bub plants raised:..'". after this time will not be so strongw, those produced from---earlier sowings.' When there is not a warm house in which to'stand the Beed-pan,.al)ot-bed, **, with tie ordinary frame and light, wulMjiy answer. In fact," this' contriv.ance t .*., now often looked upon as antequoted, • might with advantage bo used more frequently by amateurs than' it' is, . especially in the Spring, for seeds and cuttings of various kinds. Eupatoriunis These free flowering, softwooded plants are so easily grown, that amateurs who are about to make a beginning in the cultivation isf Greenhouse plants will do welwlj include the white sort, which may M>e ' looked upon as the most suitable.. ■ Ic strikes freely from cuttings, which may be had now from specimens that havd made some young growth after flowering. They will root in two or threo weeks if placed in a hot-bed. Except whore very large specimens are required or whero there is no wariiith in which . to strike cuttings,. it is best t0... discard all the old' plants after ,'■'. blooming, as young stock raised each , spring is preferable; but when the old plants are intended to do duty asecond; • season, the smallest should be selected; ,\/ and their, heads cut in close. of these'and similar quick groouliouso plants may bostruek in i».'.■ greenhouse where ouly euough boat is -■. . maintained to keep tho occupants of the house in a healthy state; but under'.' such.cpnditions they, root moro slowly, ;. The heat way to proceed when propag-"' ation has to bo effected under;, such & > disadvantage, is to lay Bottie' still better, slates' .ontho side stages of, the house next to tho glass; on r (j^H : ■ two or throe inches of moisture bolafag'' material, such as sand; cocoauut fibfeV V* - , or'cottl ashes, should be.put. This ought to be kept moist, and on it the potßcontaining thfl cuttings 'must bo Btood, and covered wiih a cutting ftame.' ■ ; of boards, with: loose, sheots of glass laid ou top. In a cool bouse it 1 will be best to have striking ar-.. rangement on tho sunny side, shading whon it it noccßsary. In thia way where there is not tho convenionco .of artificial heat, such things -as Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Petunias, 1 Salvias, and Chrysanthemums, ifj||JK - latter were not put iu earlier,' nly be struck, but no time must; be. lost in pushing the work on, : or the . season will be far advanced before the i plants attain the requisite size. Large i flowered Pelargoniums.—Cuttirigs : of these should be put in where yoimg examples are required. Ifstruckftdw >■ instead of at tho latter part w the t summer, when the old planer are , headed down after flowering, the , young stock will attain a much larger size before autumn, and will bo in' a condition to bloom better next year.... The stems and leaves of this section of " ■ Pelargoniums are only somewhat less succulent than those of the Zonal , varieties, and they must not be kept closely confined in propagating frames, , or under glasses, as, if so treated, most \ of the cuttings would decay. Nor I must they be kept so warm as cuttings | of many kinds. If tho pots are stood on moisture-holding material, unclAe soil is kept slightly moist-not I they should havo as much air as can- be , given without its causing the leavesito ' I Hag; proportionately km shade also , will suffice for cuttings of these plants, ...,,• Cuttings maybe put singly iu small pots' •■'s ; , or half a dozen together -in larger 6noß. " v , The pots should be half, 'tilled with a ; '' I mixture of ordinary loam und sand, in • about equal proportiouß, and sand-. ,' alone should be put at the top^ifoilnese.: • , Primulas.—To have seeding 'lmulaa; , in flower towards the end of the sea-

son, a little seed should bo sown nowv • The seed of this section of Primula ■'. dislikes much moisture, and must be covered but slightly. Al2 inch seed, pan will be largo enough to raise a . considerable number of plants; it must • bo drained and filled with tine -sifted soil, to which some leaf-mould (also sifted) and sand have been added in • suffioieut" quantity to makothe whole" light and free, Press ;the'nujsffi|l . down moderately ■firm, make. it jome smooth, water slightly, so .as to fill"';'.'. up the ' interstices,; aud again ■; smooth ", the surface. Allow the soil time to "'.'.'. dry a little, aud then-, distribute the .. seeds evenly, but riot too thickly.v ( . ; Sprinkle as much sand' over the seed i as will just hide it .Put asheetoll glass on the top of tUo piiii; towill-'?" prevent the soil drying, so -that if any,, water will be required' uniil' .after;.the • plants.-' appear,- The muV. ' ihonld be stood in .a house where a ■- ■ little warmth v is kept up, pd/shaded ' : . with a sheet of 'white paper wjfen the : sun is bright. :i If the m&. the, ''i surface gets 1 too dry; ought to be sprinkled on with.a'fihei- ' rosed syringe. As soon as the seed* '' lings appear, dispense with the glass;'but be careful to shade, so as topte*. : vent the sun coming on them «gtii ' /*' % gain strength, '' "-.■ >-fe-^-

■ ■■' , Second BditioL