MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 8

MISCELLANEOUS.

SEEDUNQ CARNATIONS. ■ Those who want plenty of tree, useful, fragrant flowers for catting during the fcutnmer cannot do bet er than grow a batch of tesdling ctrnatiocs actually. They aic pes feebly hardy, J r equiting nt ither glags nor haat at any time; | they are wonderfully free flowering, Btaud admirably when cut, and, lastly, they are no more tiouble to raiss than so many sweetwilliams cr Canterbury be';ls, and nob so much as antirrhinums aud some other biem>ie!B, tho Eced not being bo fine ; nor do tLe j oung plants require k> much care while still small. Of course, but few of the flowers are equal to those of nauifcd kinds ; but whpn carefullysaved seed is employed, quito h^'f to two',thirds of the pn geny produce d.uble floorers <cf fair quality ; and tbe great advantage of seedlings over plants from layers or cuttings is that they j icld at least four or five timeß the quantity of fljwer?, especially when the seed is sown in good time, bo that Ih9 plants may be piicked out and thus get well established before tbe advent of winter, i gksner's tolip. s In the garden facing me as I wrile, fcaya a correspondent, is a epleudid bed of the Gesncr's tulip, which will be found iv bocks and catalogues under the name of Tulipa gtsntriana. The sun is 6hining brilliantly on this flaming bed of flowers, which open fully in the sun, showing an intense black base against the crimson eegment?. No lateblooming tulip is more brilliant then this, so robust m growth, tall, and handsome in colour, like a tongue of fire against the d&rk yew in the background. This is a tulip which every amateur can grow, as it is quite strong in growth, Mid lifts its big, goblet-shaped bloom on a tall, JlroDg stem. SOME CHARMING POI.YANTHA ROSES. Pcrle dOr is a charming little rose of the poly aii tV, a type. Tho habit is very dwarf and of • bushy nature, while the tiny blooms are borne in gr<ab irofcfliou. Colour, a rich shade of buff jellc'v:. 'H o pohantha rocs make excellent pot pl-iuts Mid (h ir miniature flowers have many admin it. Ma Paquerctte, white ; mignonette, rosy pink ; Qloiro de 6 polyantha, deep rose, are also first-rate varieties. THE ORIOINAL COLOUR OF FLOWEnS. Botanists are agreed that the earliest petals were yellow, and that, originally, all flowers were of that colour. The order of development of colour in flowers appears to ba yellow, piuk, red, purple, lilac, up to deep blue— probably tho hightst level— while white may occur in any normally coloured, flower, iusb as albiuQfl are

found among auirca'p. As flowers become more tppcislißcd th'iy bfcorue more dependent upon the visits of f-pocial iutecta — purple aud b'.no fljweis, for insiinnco, bemfiting most from wi>l b- in^ iHc-8-; preferred by Lees and l.u 1 1 -t Hic-f, A French authority states that sb^ut 4200 species of plants arcs utilised for various purposes in Europe. Of these only about one-taith have an agreeable pprfumn, the others b j ing either inodorous or having an unpleasant smell. White flowers are Hie snostuumerouo. One thousand one hundred and twenty -f jur ep?eies out of 4200 are white, and 187 of thece h.-vt- a roent ; 931 (77 peifunx»d) are ytllow ; mxt in order com-'H red, with 823, of wlich 84 give forth a perfumes; then blue, 594 (34 scei(eJ), and violet 303, enly 13 tf which have auy pcrfum?. Tbe remaining 400 kinds aro of various shades and colour, and only 28 of them hivve a plov*ant smell. AZ.VI.EA DKUTSCIIE PKUI.K. Tlui is almost, if not quite, equal in appearance tj a gardenia, the flowers being large, senii-doul.lo, of the pure»t white, aid uf great sub tatice of pc-t.^l. Besides all tlwse points, the plant is a firat-rato grower, it boing of a strong, fioo habit, and as it is naturally an o^tlyblooming varitty, it requires bub vc»y little foiciug to get it in bloom iv midwinter. I,IMB AND MIGNONETTR. Lime i 9 very eseenti-1 for mignonet'e. Either fork come slrJied lirac or oil nvrtar into the sjil prior to 80-.vkg. Tuslim-i will Mveoten the soil, strengthen Ibo planfc.«, and tnako bhem produce finer blossoms. SOWING RADISHES. Radishes are much liked iv some housaholcU. I If a radifh it not quickly grown it is practically valooltßS ; and to get them in tbe best condition bow setds at interval?, t v e long red and turniprooted beiag the best kinds. Select for tho seed-feed a cool spot, and do not cow too thickly. HALF A DOXKN ANNUALS FOR BEDS. Nemophil* insignin, blue, 3iu ; Virginian slock, io-o, 3'n ; sweeb aljsaum, white, 3in ; godetiao, varit us colours, 12in ; Shirley poppies, , various, 12in ; crimson CAiidjtuft, 6in. | WINLOW GARDKN. ! Tuberous b got.ias are breaking up low everywhere, and should be repotted, using clean pots, well drained, aud a sweet open compost of turfy loam and leaf-mould, wilh enough sand to keep it opou. Bnlbs, as they go out of flowtr, should be placed outaid*, and Boffiotenfc water given to prevent a too sudden ripening. Cutting* of the trailing Catnpanulv isophyila will sirike now under a bell glaA. Azaleas in bloom should nob stand in lha full sunjhina. Tho flowers will last longer if shadei. HARDY ANNUM S. Sow plenty ba-dy annuals now in light, rich soil, and in opan and sunny positions, and thin them out well when np, for, if crowded, they are poor, mi-eraWe things compared with whit tbey become with «-pace to develop themselves. Mignonette, corL flowers, and annual chryf-an-thomums will thrive anywhere, and .are invaluable for cutting. Sneei psas all admire. BIRDS AND THE SEEDS. Our feathered friends ace a gre.vt plague at this seasoa. They frequently devour the uprising peas, and trouble the gardener, especially the amateur with a small space at command. String, cotton, and " guys " aro of little use in driving them away. A good way is to doable over tho bed fish .neHiug. They cannot get through thi», and ifc imy bo used from year to year if carefully stored away after use. CARNATIONS AND PINKS FROM SEEDS. This J3 a good time to sow ciraatiou and pink seed. It will vegetafcft most freely iv a ho' bad where tho heafe ii nob too violent. Those who may purchase pvske's of carnation or pico'ee seeds must rob txpeet, on the one hmd, to have all fhkes and bzirres, or on the other, edged picotecs. There is also from 10 per cent, to 15 p*r crct. of tiuglo varieties, many selfs, and a largo uumbrr of nondescripts. They are all interesting, however, and well adapted for cutting in flower and bud with long stems. TUe cultural details are very &>mp'e. Prick out the mull seedlirg* 2in or 3:n apart in boxes, and when they ara inured to the open air, let them be planted out a f»,ot ap«t in lines, beds, or border*. The plants like a generou*, deep soil, with free exposure to light and air. Piuks require quits the same t-ea*mcnt. — H> me paper. SOWING HALF HARDY ANNUALS. In the cour«e of a week or so now h*lf-bardy annuals miy be sown, •• half-hacdy " tignifjiug those kiuds like China astera, stocks, tfce nightecented tobacco (Nicotiana afiiuis), petuaias, celosia or cockscomb, rhodauthe, verbenas, zinnia, and others, but these are the chief flowers of this kind. The ceksias come in ueeful towards the autumn, whea summer flowers are on the wane. Cclosias are not so familiar, perhaps, as cockscombs, th^ss big, flaming, scarlet corrugated comba that make curious pictures of colour in the full of the year. The rhodanthes are " everlastings," tho principal varieties being whit? and rtsey-pink. The most useful things, however, will be China asters, petunias, and tobacco. They are three delightful and showy things, free, brilliant in colour, a joy, though perhaps not forever, at least durhi3 bcveral months of the year. It 13 a very pimple matter to sott seed. Saw it thinly in a shallow pan, which should ba pined in the greenhouse. Ordinary light soil will euflice, and put in several crocks for drainage. l J ut tbe seed - pans in a light position near the glaes, and it will ba well to just water the soil, otherwise the seed is apt to get washed away. Sprinkle the seed with the finer particles of Boil. When the Beedlit'gs are up, prick them off intD a larger pan, or pot eft" separately i( to small pots, say sm^ll 60 fix,p, j pulling a crock or (wo in the bottom of each '

I pot. Use a light soil, bat not so light as for j tho cecdling plants, and sl*ud the young planfca in a frtirly sunny position not far from (ha glass, othfrwiss the f-rovyth will get very wtak and j spindly, a thing ono wa: ts to carefully avoid. Nover let them fl-vg, and aboab tbe end of October th* y may bo plac-.d in the open to thoroughly harden before biing jut into their pertmneit quarters. China asters uro liibla to atUcks of red spider, but these firs oil) to a dry atmosphere. All seedlings require cloho attention. Thoy aro like dtlieafco children — r.eod uu'turipg. The nighl-sconted tobacco haß du'in^ rcoent yeara been made much use of ia all gardens, small aed otherwise. Iv large garden groups of the pl&nta present a distinct effect. No plant has been introduced during tho past few yeara of grca'-tr utfefulaess thau this, eepecitvHj to amateurs ; ib ia oa.Kily g own, aud bo-vliful vrhon in bloom, tbo plants burring a wealth of creamy or ivoiy-whito £Lwt ts. The«e hang their heads in tho bright sun, but towards evening regain in frethueas, diffusing a sweet feagrfcnee, likaa.whid of VirginiAii stock. Tha stol mus"; be sowu as recommauded for the other things, and the plants poited oa. Wintor sp'oioicus in the o^on ground shoot up again in spring. TDFTJSD PANSIES. One of the most useful of all bedding pla»t3 are the tufted pansieg. The thow aud fancy classes are not so useful for tbe garden as this charming l'aco, wtr'c'i is getting more Ltrgcly grown each year. Tho word "tufted" is iv allueion to their tufted growth, and there is a charming gradation of colours in tho flowers. Ordinary soil, bat slight shelter end shade ars more agreeable to them than full exposure. No'hirg puits tho pJanfca better than a steady moisl border wh-ra tbey aie not exposed to the fierce rays of a sammer sun. Tho cutting* btiike readily. Water liberally in dry weattier, and keop seed vessels picked off to proloug the display of flowers. &CEKTED PLANTS. " A. R " asks for the nanus of a few frsgranb plants, comprising only indoor thin^3. Of course many things that are eweefc-suaelliag' may be grown both indoor* aud o'hfervHsp, bus the following are amor gat Ibe best that could be named :—Mu3k, cfpecially Harrison's varitty, which, as everyone knows, is very fragrant), though nob unpleasantly so. We recently made a note upon musks, describing culture. The Cape pelargoniums, or scented-leaved " geraniums," art- iuviiluable, their foliage beiog highly pcr : ucmd — quits an s>roraitic sceufc. A deliyhN ful pl<vnt for the fragrance of its flowers is Boronia inegastigma. Oue of these in a greenhouse will fill it with a sweet spicy odour. 16 requms a g«ouhouse, and sandy peat for soil. Eucalyptus leaves give off a strong perfume, especially when bruiwd, a»d a»o also healthy. A greenhouse climbor u^med Rhynccspermum jikSQiiucides is very frkgraufc, the flowers white. Bin ill, but numorous. Oue of tho mesb fragTsnt of all grcsiih 'Use plants b Daphne indica, which ip, unfortunately, nob very easy to grow. Ifc succeeds best in a soil composed o? fibrous j peat, loam, acd slurp silver s.ind. 6ivo ample draiaage, pot firmly, and wator carcfu'ly, especially ju^ft f.fter pot ing. These plants will ko quits bufll"ient for "A. R." to commtLCo with ; they sire not expt imve, and all h*ve especially fragrant leaves or flowers. — Bxcbango.

A petition to Parliawenb is being signed in Auckland asking that a trial bd given to V&ile'g railway stage »jst*m.