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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



[January 13, 1912. 



The Week' s Work. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



By J. Collier, Gardener to Sir Jeremiah Colman, Bart., 



Gatton Park, Reigaie. 



Cypripedium. — Many of the Cypripediums 

 have passed out of bloom, particularly those of 

 the C. Fairrieanum section. As soon as possible 

 after blooming the plants should be examined, 

 and those that require repotting should receive 

 attention, also any that need to be divided. It is 

 much the best time to divide when repotting, as 

 it can then be better seen how to carry out the 

 operation without cutting through the roots, and 

 on a divided plant every root is valuable. When 

 the plants are broken up, the strong growths 

 should be selected to make the larger specimens 

 and the weaker growths potted into smaller pots. 

 A growth that has flowered is most valuable for 

 propagating purposes, as it will often break with 

 two or three shoots, whereas a new shoot will 

 complete its growth before giving off-shoots. 

 Care should be taken, in potting the plants, not 

 to break the roots ; spread them out and work 

 the compost carefully between them. Cypripe- 

 diums are unlike most other Orchids, and they 

 benefit by a fair amount of pot room. Better 

 fluwers are obtained from plants with plenty of 

 material for the roots to feed upon than from 

 those that are pot-bound. The compost I recom- 

 mend for the majority of Cypripediums is as 

 follows: — Good fibrous loam, three-fifths; peat 

 or Al fibre, one-fifth; and Sphagnum-moss, one- 

 fifth ; all broken up and sifted through a 

 i-inch sieve to remove the small particles. Mix 

 the materials in bulk, and pass them through 

 a 1-inch sieve. This is the best method of tho- 

 roughly mixing all the ingredients together. To 

 such a compost should be added a good sprinkling 

 of crushed crocks and some silver sand. The 

 compost should be allowed to warm through 

 before being used. Plants that have been newly 

 potted should be placed in rather more heat than 

 is required for established specimens. They 

 should be sprayed two or three times daily until 

 the roots have become active. If the potting 

 material is already moist, the plants will not 

 require much water, as the syringe will keep 

 them going until they produce new roots. At 

 Gatton we have a house containing about 3C0 

 of the more hardy class of these plants that have 

 been making a very fine show for some time past. 

 The collection includes the best varieties of the 

 C. insigne type with many of the finest varieties 

 of C. Leeanum, C. Sallieri, C. Actaeus, C. Thom- 

 sonii, C. Euryades, C. Mons. de Curte, C. Swin- 

 burnii, C. G. F. Moore, and others. The night 

 temperature of this house during the winter 

 months is from 52° to 55°. Many Cypripediums 

 such as C. niveum and its many hybrids, C. 

 hellatulum and hybrids, C. callosum and its 

 variety Sandera?, C. Maudiae, C. Alcibiades, C. 

 Karl Tankerville, and C. Beeckmani require a 

 higher temperature. Cypripedium seedlings 

 should be placed in the warmest house, and an 

 endeavour should be made to encourage growth. 

 They should be kept potted on as thev require it, 

 using a compost similar to that already men- 

 tioned, and endeavouring always to prevent the 

 plants from suffering in any way. Thrips are 

 very injurious to Cypripediums if allowed to 

 attack the young leaves ; they should be destroyed 

 by frequent fumigations. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



By Edwin Beckett, Gardener to the Hon. Vicary Gibbs, 



Aldenham House, Hertfordshire. 



Seakale.— The stools of Seakale may now be 

 lifted carefully and the roots trimmed, preserv- 

 ing the stronger thongs to furnish next year's 

 supply. These should be cut into pieces about 6 

 inches long, tied into small bundles, and placed 

 in boxes filled with fine soil. Stand the boxes in 

 a cool place, so that the roots may start into 

 growth gently. Introduce into heat sufficient 

 crowns to provide a regular supply to meet the 

 demands of the establishment. Seakale is appre- 

 ciated in most households, and it will be doubly 

 valuable this year in many places, owing to a 

 scarcitv of other winter vegetables. A tempera- 

 ture of 55° to 60° should be maintained in the 



forcing pit, and the darkest place available under 

 such conditions should be selected to ensure per- 

 fect blanching of the growths. The main stock of 

 oots should be stored in sand or fine ashes, and 

 under a north wall for preference. 



Rhubarb. — Strong roots of any variety of 

 Rhubarb suitable for forcing should be lifted as 

 required and grown under the same conditions as 

 Seakale. Rhubarb may be forced readily if the 

 plants are lifted and allowed to remain exposed 

 to the weather for about 10 days before they are 

 placed in heat. 



Chicory. — Chicory is a useful plant for fur- 

 nishing a regular supply of blanched foliage dur- 

 ing winter and spring, and its cultivation is an 

 easy matter. The plants are best, at this season 

 of the year, lifted as required and placed in the 

 darkest part of the -Mushroom-house, or a simi- 

 lar structure, at intervals of about 10 days. The 

 blanched leaves are highly esteemed either cooked 

 as a vegetable or for use as a salad. The large- 

 leaved \Vitloof and Christmas Salad are both 

 desirable varieties. 



Dandelion. — The large-leaved variety of Dan- 

 delion provides an excellent winter crop, and may 

 be treated precisely in the same manner as the 

 foregoing. 



French Beans.— French Beans should be 

 sown at intervals of about a fortnight. Five 

 seeds may either be sown in a 5 inch or 6 inch 

 pot, to be transferred later to larger pots, or 

 they may be sown directly in w r ell-drained pots 

 having a diameter of 7 inches. Use a compost of 

 a moderately light texture mixed with a fair 

 amount of road grit. Water the seeds immedi- 

 ately they are sown, and germinate them in the 

 forcing-house. Earlier-raised plants should be 

 afforded all the sunlight possible, and for this 

 reason the plants should be stood on shelves near 

 to the roof glass. Maintain a temperature of 

 from 60° to 65°. The shoots should be stopped 

 by pinching immediately they are long enough 

 to pinch out the tops. " Whenever the weather 

 permits, the foliage should be syringed once or 

 twice daily to keep the plants free from red 

 spider. The growths should be supported either 

 by tying each plant separately to a neat stake 

 or placing fine twigs from old Birch brooms in 

 the pots. Plants in full bearing should receive 

 moderate supplies of liquid manure, which should 

 always be warmed to the temperature of the 

 house before it is applied. Ne Plus Ultra and 



Canadian Wonder are two excellent varieties for 

 forcing. 



Potatos.— No time should be lost before com- 

 mencing the forcing of the earliest batch of 

 Potatos. I have found it a capital plan to grow 

 this crop either in 8-inch pots or shallow boxes. 

 Under this system tubers are more readily 

 formed, owing to the growth being impeded, 

 whilst the plants may be moved easily from one 

 structure to another. Sharpe's Victor Express 

 and May Queen are two excellent valuable varie- 

 ties for early forcing. 



Carrots.— Young Carrots are always in de- 

 mand, and seeds should be sown now on mild 

 hotbeds or in slightly-heated pits in a well-pre- 

 pared mixture, to provide an early supply. Any 

 of the stump-rooted kinds are suitable for sowing 

 in January and February. 



PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 



By Thomas Stevenson, Gardener to E. Mocatta, Esq., 



Woburn Place, Addlestone, Surrey. 



Forcing Plants and Bulbs.— Late Chry- 

 santhemums are a little earlier than usual this 

 season, and these forming one of the staple 

 supplies of cut blooms during the month of 

 January will be much missed if they fail to 

 hold out ; therefore, every endeavour must be 

 made to forward some of the early forcing shrubs 

 and bulbs. Indian Azaleas are among the plants 

 that may be easily forced into bloom at this 

 season, and, as many of them are very forward 

 in bud, they may be introduced into a moderately 

 warm house when the atmosphere is kept fairly 

 moist by light dampings. Other plants that 

 may be brought forward are Azalea mollis, 

 Prunus in variety, Deutsia gracilis, Labur- 

 nums, and Wistarias. If a house can be devoted 

 to this class of plant, so much the better, for 

 as those plants fairly advanced in bloom are 

 drafted out into the flowering house, others may 

 be brought in and so keep up a good succession. 



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A temperature of 50° at night, allowing a rise 

 during the day when there is a little sun, is quite 

 sufficient to begin with, advancing it 5° towards 

 the end of the month. Where a special house is 

 not available, a Peach house or vinery just 

 started will prove a good ^ substitute. Good 

 batches of Tulips, Narcissi, and Hyacinths 

 should now be placed in this house, the quantity 

 depending on the demand for such subjects. I 

 prefer good batches of one plant rather than a 

 few specimens of several varieties ; then if there 

 should be a sudden demand for floral decoration 

 there will be sufficient of one kind at hand t 

 make a good display. Tulips may be allowed a 

 few degrees more heat than Narcissus or Hya- 

 cinths, and they should be put under a canvas 

 shading in the house to draw them up a 

 little, taking it off as the blooms begin to show- 

 colour. Later in the season it is not necessary, 

 but at this season of the year the practice is to 

 be commended. If the bulbs were potted up 

 early they should all be ready for taking out of 

 the ashes; there is no advantage in keeping them 

 there after the growth has attained some 3 or 

 4 inches. In the case of Hyacinths it is often 

 harmful, the points of the flower-spikes bein 

 very susceptible to injury if left in too lon&. 

 After removal from the ashes they should be left 

 in the cold frames and the lights covered for a 

 time with mats. Those required to flower late 

 should be given all the air possible ; if these can 

 be put in a frame on the north side of a wall it 

 will prolong the bulb season for some two or three 

 weeks. 



Liliums and Spir>eas should be potted up 

 as soon as they are received from the nursery 

 and placed in a cool, dry frame. Some of the 

 early imported clumps of Astilbe (Spiraea) 

 japonica may be placed in heat, but the pink 

 varieties do not succeed with early forcing, for 

 the flowers present a washed-out colour early in 

 the season. 



Richardia africana. — Callas will now be 

 growing freely, and as there is usually some 

 dearth of large-flowering plants towards the end 

 of the month, they may with advantage be given 

 an intermediate temperature and a weekly appli- 

 cation of manure water. 



Freesia. — Freesias should be placed as near as 

 possible to the glass. Too high a temperature is 

 not good for them, the flowers coming thin and 

 not keeping well when cut ; 50° at night is quite 

 warm enough. Successional batches should be 

 brought in as required, taking care to stake the 

 plants before there is danger of them being 

 broken down. If bulbs are potted now they will 

 give good results during May and June, thus 

 prolonging the season of bloom. 



Cleansing Operations.— As the cleansing 

 operations progress and the houses become free 

 of the smell of paint, lime, &c, batches of 

 Cinerarias, Cyclamen, Primulas in variety, 

 and any soft-wooded plants that may have been 

 wintering in frames or pits should be brought 

 in and arranged so that each plant is exposed to 

 the light and air. No matter how carefully 

 they have been treated in the frames, they are 

 apt to keep a little soft, but, with a little extra 

 space and air, the foliage will soon stiffen up: 

 in the case of Cinerarias I have .sometimes found 

 it necessary to spray clear water beneath them 

 occasionally for a few days after taking them in- 

 After a few days indoors all these subjects should 

 be fumigated to ensure their being quite clean, 

 but it will be found that Primulas do not like 

 much of this treatment, being apt to turn a little 

 at the edges of the foliage if they do not happen 

 to be absolutely dry at the time of the operation. 



Pot Roses.— Wherever possible all pot Koses 

 should be got under cover, except perhaps some 

 of the climbing varieties, such as Dorothy Pe r ~ 

 kins, Hiawatha, Tausendschon, Excelsa/ Para- 

 dise, and those that have been recently potted, 

 and even these would be better for being pro- 

 tected from heavy rain and severe frosts. Keep 

 them quite cool and allow them to become 

 fairly dry before pruning, or they may bleed 

 badly. Some of the Teas and hybrid Teas do 

 not requir( > much pruning as do the H.P.* and 

 flower betted if some of the stronger growth* are 

 left fairly long, but Hybrid Perpetuals must be 

 pruned fairly hard if high-class blooms are re- 

 quired, and gardeners cannot afford to produce 

 Roses of poor quality now that such quantities 

 of good, long-stomm< <1 blooms may be seen & s 

 early as February in most florists' windows. 



