THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



829 



But to simplify matters, and which would not be a 

 ver}^ expensive operation, wonld be to partition your 

 houses, which would give you then six compartments 

 say, one for roses, fruit, carnations, chrysanthemums, 

 vegetables and plants, selecting the subjects that re- 

 quire the most heat for the warmest compartments; 

 for instance, plants for the house, roses and fruit, 

 should have the warmest end. In regards to fruit, 

 supposing grapes were the favored fruit. The vines 

 would have to be planted out in a prepared border; or, 

 on the other hand, peaches and nectarines may be 

 ^Town in pots and tubs, or planted in a prepared 

 border. Naturally they need more care and closer 

 attention in pots and tubs than when planted in the 

 border. These are just merely a few suggestions that 

 may be of help. Yes, and hot house melons could be 

 grown successfully in a compartment during the spring 

 and early summer, showing plainly the usefulness 

 of a small range of glass when kept stocked and prop- 

 erly cared for. W. T. 



Would you please tell me how to grow Oncidium 

 var. Rogersii? 1. When is its flowering season? 2. 

 When is the best time to get native plants to start with, 

 and what compost and how to pot? 3. When should 

 you rest them, how long and what temperature? 

 4. Could you grow them in a carnation rose or cattleya 

 house? 5. When is the best time to repot plants that 

 are done flowering? J. H. 



Oncidium \'aricosum Rogersii is one of the most 

 useful of all the large family of Oncidiums, and com- 

 paratively easy to handle provided a few details are 

 carried out. In the first place avoid placing them in 

 too large receptacles. They will not thrive if over- 

 potted. Nor is it wise to disturb the roots too often 

 Maybe the plants will stay in the same pots for two 

 years, particularly if the peat used for potting is of 

 a lasting nature. Still it would be advisable to exam- 

 ine them when through flowering. Should the 'peat be 

 anyway loose it would be well to firm them up. 

 Orchids cannot thrive unless they are perfectly firm 

 in the pots or baskets as the case may be. O. Vari- 

 cosum flowering season is September and October, 

 and into November. At times when a late importa- 

 tion is received I have known them to produce a fine 

 ■crop for Christmas, but their regular flowering season 

 is September, October and early part of November. 

 Usually there is no difficulty in procuring importations 

 in' early spring. There is no better compost than 

 peiat or, properly speaking, Osmond Fibre, which ma}' 

 Tjq obtained from seed stores or from orchid special- 

 ist's, and in potting place crocks and charcoal in the 

 pots two-thirds full, filling up the balance with peat 

 arid firm thoroughly. Their resting , season is after 

 they are through flowering. Until they commence to 

 grow again towards spring a temperature of 50 degrees 

 at' night, with a few degrees higher during the day, 

 would be ideal for their resting period. Nor do they 

 need much water at their roots through the winter 

 months. They could not be grown successfully in a 

 carnation house. In their growing season the cool end 

 of the cattleva house hanging near the roof woull 



be o. K. ' ^^^ t. 



markably well shown by Wheeler & Co.; William 

 Thatcher, gardener to Mrs. J. L. Gardener; George 

 Melvin, gardener to Colonel Charles Pfaff ; Duncan 

 Finlayson, gardener to Larz Anderson ; and V. J. 

 Dolansky, the last-named securing a first class certificate 

 for Cattieya Trianae, Mrs. T. H. Salvin. 



Primulas Sinensis, stellata, Kewinsis, obconica and 

 malacoides were all shown of superior quality. The last- 

 named variety has jumped into great favor. Specimens 

 of this and obconica from Martin Sullivan, gardener to 

 William Whitman, were marvels of cultural skill and 

 received cultural certificates of merit. Begonias Glorie 

 de Lorraine and Glory of Cincinnati from A. M. Daven- 

 port, Eric IT. Wetterlow, gardener to Mrs. Lester Leland, 

 and William Thatcher were fine. A. M. Davenport's new 

 sport Florence Davenport was a centre of attraction. 



Freesias from F. W. Fletcher, Martin Sullivan and W. 

 Stewart, gardener to Miss C. Warren, was very good. 

 Hard wooded plants, such as Ericas and Chorizema, came 

 from H. Stewart, George Page, gardener to Mrs. 

 Frederick Ayer, and Knight & Struck. Some splendid 

 varieties tulip. Pride of Haarlane, came from William C. 

 Rust, gardener to Mrs. C. G. Weld. R. and J. Farquhar 

 showed the fine white and deliciously fragrant Buddleia 

 asiatica. A wonderful new seedling hybrid tea rose, un- 

 named, from the Waban Conservatories, light pink in 

 color with five feet stems secured a first class cultural 

 certificate. 



Farquhar's universal mignonette from Patten & Co. 

 secured a first class certificate, the flower spikes were 

 simply immense. Thomas Roland had a wonderful dis- 

 play of the new winter flowering Spencer Sweet Peas 

 with 15-inch stems. Christmas Pink Spencer and White 

 Spencer were singled out for first class certificates. 



SETBACK FOR BOSTON'S HORTICULTURAL 

 BUILDING. 



The plan to secure a fine municipal horticultural build- 

 ing to be located on a plot of land in the Back Bay 

 section, Boston, predicting a preliminary appropriation 

 of $25,000, -secured from ex-Mayor Fitzgerald, has 

 been vetoed in common with some other appropriations 

 by Mayor Carley. John K. M. L. Farquhar, Thomas 

 Roland, Patrick Welch and other enthusiastic horticul- 

 turists who were instrumental in getting the sanction of 

 the late executive for their scheme are not at all dis- 

 turbed by the temporary setback, believing that such a 

 building will come very soon and they will continue to 

 work with that end in view. A building to cost $150,000 

 had been planned. Some enthusiasts were talking 

 $500,000. Boston undoubtedly in the near future will 

 have such a building. 



The site selected for the new building at one time was 

 in the Public Gardens, but the public would not tolerate 

 any such scheme any more than they would Mayor 

 Carlev's suggestion to sell the Public Gardens for $10,- 

 000,060 to help liquidate some of the city's debt and 

 locate them elsewhere. The garden for the S. A. F. 

 convention will be located on the proposed site for the 

 new horticultural building. $15,000 will be expended for 

 loam for this garden and it is intended to make the 

 garden a great feature next August. 



BOSTON MIDWINTER SHOW. 



There was a very attractive midwinter show at Horti- 

 cultural Hall, Boston, on January 31 and February 1, 

 which filled the main exhibition hall. Orchids were re- 



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