IRISH GARDENING 



183 



flowering for a cou])le of weeks. Of course the 

 blooms are much smaller in tliis way. 



When the i)lants are flowering freely, and pots 

 are well filled with roots, a little feeding will be 

 very helpful and will greatly add to colour, size 

 and quantity of blooms. I much x>refer using 

 liquid manure in a clear state, as if given other- 

 wise the ])ores of the soil get closed up and the 

 leaves turn yellow^ and sickly. Fowl manure and 

 soot are very good, but need to be applied 

 cautiously : other animal manures are equally 

 good by way of changes, such as sheep, cow, and 



atmosjihere are very essential during the winter 

 months. Always use tepid water in cold weather, 

 about the same temi>erature as that of the house 

 in which the i)lants are growing ; never have the 

 tem]»erature above 50° to 55^, as by .^o doing the 

 result will be long weakly flower-stems with 

 inferior bloon^s. Always aim at having a strong, 

 stocky growth. From now until the month of 

 May the grower ought to have abundance of 

 blooms. If i)lanted out in June of next year the 

 l)lants will continue to bloom away until cut down 

 by frost. 



CyI'KU'EUIL'.M INSIUNK \'aI:1 KTl Kri. 



horse manure. The best way to i»i'epare i^ame is 

 to soak in a sack for a cou])le of days in a barrel 

 of water ; stir well before using, and, as before 

 advised, rather err on the weak side, by using 

 same in a rather clear state. Doses of pure water 

 must be given between times. Always look over 

 the i)lants at a tiuu' when about to ap]>ly liquid 

 manures or artificials, and sec; that ]»lants that arc 

 dry have V)eeix watered, otherwise the grower will 

 do more harm than good. 



With a little extra care in watering, tying, dis- 

 budding, &c., the grower will have very satis- 

 factory results, which must mean great i>leasure 

 to all concerned ; careful watering and a dry 



Cypripedium insigne* 



XovKMUKi! and Deceuibcr are the months to yee 

 Cypiqx'dium insignc and its varieties, for they 

 are now making their finest disjilay. It is one 

 of the easiest Orchids U> cultivate, and anyone 

 having a snuiU heated greenhouse in which the 

 a.tm()S|>hcre can l)e ke]>t moist, and an jiverage 

 l('m])erMtui'e of about 50° maintained, will be 

 fully rewarded for the small amount of care 

 which will be required to produce good results. 



('yprij>ediums are the best known exami)les of 

 terrestrial Orchids, and usually grow satisfactorily 



