rSgS. 



GARDENING. 



!63 



A HOUSE OP CALANTHES 



times injured seriously by the dry condi- 

 tion of the roots at the bottom. Insects 

 are troublesome when they once get a 

 footing, red spider being the worst of all. 

 This must be kept in check by a free use 

 of the syringe, which should always be 

 attended to in the morning so as to give 

 the foliage an opportunity to dry before 

 night comes on. The cause of so much 

 red spider is in my opinion many times 

 due to negligence in watering, as it is 

 noticeable that the plants which get dry 

 too frequently are the most subject to its 

 attacks. The greenfly can be easity kept 

 under by the use of tobacco stems placed 

 on the pipes and renewed every two or 

 three weeks, taking care, however, to 

 moisten them slightly every night. I find 

 it convenient to tie the stems in little 

 bundles before they are placed on the 

 pipes, thus saving much trouble in their 

 collection again when they have become 

 brittle by heating. 



The plants should be cleaned even' two 

 weeks, removing all dead leaves and weak 

 shoots, and light cultivation is necessary 

 at the same time. In the latter operation 

 care should be taken that the important 

 feeding roots, usually found close to the 

 surface are not injured seriously. In dis- 

 budding all the lateral buds should be 

 removed when they are small, thus con- 

 centrating the whole strength of the stem 

 on the production of one fine bloom rather 

 than several of indifferent quality. When 

 the plants begin to send up their flowers 



supports should be given them, and for 

 this purpose I have found one of the gal- 

 vanized wire devices much handier than 

 stakes, and more lasting. As to tempera- 

 ture, these plants are best suited in an 

 average night heat of 50°, and 10° 

 higher during the day. Air should be 

 given freely in good weather, and when 

 hard firing is requisite, the house should 

 be sprinkled twice daily to preserve the 

 air in a humid state. Among the many 

 varieties the best flowers with me are 

 gathered from the following: Wm. Scott, 

 pink; Lizzie McGowan, white; Portia, 

 red; and Buttercup, yellow. But the 

 varieties are legion, and everyone has his 

 favorite. David Fraser. 



CflLflNTflES. 



Deciduous calanthes are placed under 

 the bench in a temperature of about 60° 

 to rest, as soon as the flower spikes have 

 been cut off. They stay there until the 

 young growths begin to appear again, 

 when they are shaken out of the pots, the 

 roots cut off, the bulbs then placed in 

 shallow boxes or seed pans with a little 

 sand beneath them, and the boxes set on 

 the bench near the light, but shaded from 

 direct sunlight. When the roots appear 

 on the young growths they are read}' for 

 potting. 



They do well either in pots or shallow 

 pans, the soil used being turfy loam with 

 the fine soil well shaken out. When well 



rotted cow manure is obtainable, a little 

 of it may be mixed with the soil, but leaf 

 soil is preferable to green or rank manure, 

 and a little fine bone and sand may be 

 added, the bone having first been allowed 

 to heat and cool off. The pots are filled 

 about two-thirds with potsherds and 

 charcoal, but when seed pans are used, 

 very little drainage is necessary. The 

 compost is put on and pressed down 

 firmly, space for watering being left. 

 Small stakes are inserted to steady the 

 bulbs until the roots take hold. The 

 bulbs are set rather high to prevent the 

 young growths from damping. After a 

 good watering to settle the soil, they are 

 placed in position well up to the glass, 

 and gradually lowered as the growth 

 advances. 



Until the first flowers open, the plants 

 should be syringed every bright morning, 

 lightly at first, later on heavier, and this 

 will be about all the water they will need 

 for a time, but when well rooted they 

 . take up water freely, and on no account 

 must they be allowed to suffer for it. 

 When the young growths commence to 

 form bulbs, weak liquid manure should 

 be given, once or twice a week for the 

 first few weeks, then every time they are 

 watered until the first flowers open, when 

 the plants should be kept moist with 

 clear water as long as the foliage stays 

 green. Some of the plants will have 

 leaves on when the flower spikes are 

 ready to cut, if care is taken not to expose 



