





102 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 



[February 17, 1912 



The Week' s Work. 



m 



iU 



THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



By F. Jordan, Gardener to Lady Nunbuknholme, 



Warter Priory, Yorkshire. 



Morello Cherries. — If the pruning and 

 training of Morello Cherry trees have not yet 

 been done, the work should be complete d at the 

 tirst opportunity. The pruning is a simple 

 operation as the trees bear the greater number 

 of their fruits on shoots of the previous season. 

 The growths should be thinned in the same 

 manner as is practised with Peaches, cutting out 

 any old, useless wood, and training the growths 

 at about 4 inches apart. This Cherry will grow 

 in almost any position, and may be trained in 

 any form. It is especially valuable for growing 

 on north ^alls where few other fruits are profit- 

 able. The Morello Cherry is a prolific cropper ; 

 bush trees planted in the open fruit with 

 great freedom, even in northern districts. It 

 grows well in ordinary soils, provided they are 

 well drained. A difficulty is experienced in the 

 case of trees grown as bushes in the open in 

 protecting the fruits from attacks of birds. A 

 row of trees should b© planted, and a simple 

 framework fixed over them provided with two 

 side rails and a central ridge in span form. A 

 net may then be placed over the framework with 

 little trouble. 



Miscellaneous Work. — During frosty 

 weather, such as we have experienced recently, 

 work of a preliminary or preparatory character 

 should be undertaken to save time when the 

 busy season arrives. Manure should be carted 

 to where it is required, and mulchings applied to 

 newly planted trees. Manure should be wheeled 

 to established trees which show signs of weak- 

 ness whilst the ground is hard with frost. An 

 opportunity will also be afforded for placing 

 fresh labels to any of the trees that require it, 

 and a list of names should be prepared accord- 

 ingly. 



PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 



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



Woburn Place, Add: tone, Surrey. 



Potting Materials. — During February and 

 March many of the occupants of the plant- 

 houses will require to be repotted, and the 

 stock of bedding plants will have to be over- 

 hauled. A quantity of loam, peat, leaf -mould, 

 sand and other potting materials should be placed 

 under cover, and if possible, where they will be 

 kept partially dry and warm. It is detrimental 

 to the well-being of plants to pot them in 

 soil which is a trifle too moist. If means exist 

 for sterilising the soil, this should be done, as 

 Carnations and many other plants succeed better 

 in soil which h i l>een treated in this manner. 

 Where the presence of eel worm is suspected, it is 

 essential that the soil should be thoroughly 



steril: <1. 



Propagation.— The middle of February is 

 probably the best time for propagating many 

 kinds of indoor and bedding plants from cut- 

 tings, and a start -hould be made at once. Stove 

 plants, if required, should be propagated first. 

 Cuttings of such plants as Codia?um (Croton), 

 Dracaena, Panax, Aealypha, Pandanus, Phyllan- 

 thus, and Strobilanthes may be inserted singly 

 in thumb-pots filled with a compost comprised 

 of peat, leaf-mould, loam and sand in about 

 equal proportions. They will soon develop 

 roots if afforded warmth in a propagating 

 frame, and should retain all their foliage. 

 Smaller plants such as Panicum, Selaginella. Fit- 

 tonia, Tradeseantia, Ficus repens and Pilea 

 muscosa should be rooted several together in 

 the same pots they will occupy all the season. 

 Propagated in this way, they will be available 

 for use in a comparatively short time. Green- 

 house plants such as Fuchsia, Coleus, Strepto- 

 solen, Heliotrope, Abutilon, Begonia metallica 

 and B. Haageana may, with advantage, be pro- 

 pagated now, and if the plants are kept growing 

 freely after they are rooted they will make good 

 specimens by July. " Leggy " plants of Cro- 

 tons and Dracaenas that have healthy heads may 

 be made into good specimens by ringing or 

 tonguing. Roots will develop quickly at this 



time of the year, and, when well rooted, the 

 plants should be gradually severed from the old 

 stems, for if they are taken off suddenly a con- 

 siderable loss of foliage may result after potting. 

 I do not recommend this method of propagation 

 except in the case of fairly large specimens, as 

 smaller plants grow more shapely when rooted 

 from cuttings. 



Seed Sowing. — Many plants grown under 

 glass are raised from seed, and there is no better 

 time for seed-sowing than the present. Seeds 

 of most kinds germinate freely, and the seedlings 

 will grow quickly with the lengthening days. 

 Seeds of Begonia, Gloxinia, Streptocarpus, 

 Gesnera, Torenia and Exacum all require very 

 careful treatment. Use shallow pans well fur- 

 nished with crocks for drainage, and filled with 

 a very fine, light compost, pressing the soil only 

 moderately firmly. Give the soil a thorough soak- 

 ing with water before sowing the seeds, which may 

 be done after the surplus moisture has drained 

 away. Distribute the seeds as evenly as possible, 

 and then sprinkle sand over them very slightly, 

 more for the purpose of keeping the seeds in 

 position than to cover them. Cover the pans 

 with a sheet of glass, and no further waterings 

 should be required until the seedlings are well 

 through the ground. If there is not room in the 

 propagating case for the seed pans, they may be 

 stood in a warm corner of the stove or forcing 

 house, but they must be watched carefully and 

 placed near to the roof -glass as soon as germina- 

 tion has taken place. Seeds of many other 

 greenhouse plants that do not require so much 

 heat or quite such fine soil as those mentioned 

 may also be sown now, including species of 

 Acacia, Asparagus, Clerodendron fallax, Eulalia, 

 Grevillea, Amaryllis and Medeola. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Cattleya and L/eli a. —During the winter 

 months Cattleyas and Lselias are very subject to 

 attacks of scale insects, which should be removed 

 by sponging the leaves and rhizomes with an in- 

 secticide, taking care to dislodge the pests from 

 and around the " eye " at the base of the 

 pseudo-bulbs. The creatures secrete themselves 

 underneath the outer skin of the plants, which 

 should be opened carefully and the insects re- 

 moved by the aid of a small brush. If scale 

 insects are allowed to remain unchecked they 

 will infest the young growths as they develop, 

 causing the plants to become yellow and un- 

 healthy. Plants that are beginning to push new 

 roots from the base of the pseudo-bulbs of last 

 year may, if thev need it, be re-potted. The 

 work should be done when the roots first make 

 their appearance as the roots break easily when 

 they are long. Although the present is not the 

 usual trme for potting Cattleyas and LaBlias, it 

 is better done now than when the roots have 

 attached themselves to the sides of the pots. Pot 

 firmly rn a compost composed of equal parts Al 

 fibre and Osmunda fibre, cut up rather roughly 

 with a small quantity of Sphagnum-moss. After 

 potting, the plants should be kept on the dry 

 side until the new roots have grown freely in 

 the compost. Seedlings of these plants should 

 be kept growing without a check until they have 



r £ i! d u the flowerin S sta se. If possible they 

 should be afforded a warmer temperature than 

 the parent plants. Greater success is obtained 

 when a house is devoted entirely to the raisin^ 



f S2> Wtt * 8 of seedlin S s - A temperature o** 

 from 60 to 75° and a moist atmosphere are suit- 

 able conditions. Shift the plants into larger pots 

 as they require increased room, and never allow 

 them to become pot-bound. Use a compost com- 

 posed of Al fibre, Osmunda fibre, and Sphag- 

 num-moss m equal proportions. Cut up the 

 materials rather short, and add some crushed 

 crocks to keep the mixture porous. Fumigate 

 the nouse at intervals to keep down thrips. 



Aerides and Saccolabium. — Plants of 

 Aerides odoratum, A. Lobbii, A. virens, A. 

 ineldingiana, A. Lawrenceana, A. Sanderiana, 

 also such Saccolabiums as S. violacea, S. retusa. 

 and S. guttatum will be showing signs of fresh 

 root^ action, and any that need re-potting should 

 receive attention. Aerides are best grown in 

 pots whilst Saccolabiums give the best results 

 potted in teak- wood baskets and suspended from 

 the roof-rafters. A quantity of crocks should be 

 placed in the bottom of the receptacles to pro- 



vide drainage. Employ clean Sphagnum-moss 

 as a rooting medium, mixing portions of broken 

 pots among it to allow the water to pass through 

 freely. Fill the receptacles to their rims, and 

 raise the materials higher in the middle of the 

 pot or basket. Finish with a layer of living moss 

 over the surface. Plants that do not need re- 



? lotting should have the old materials removed 

 rom their roots and new compost substituted. 

 Clean the plants thoroughly from scale insects 

 which infest the stems and axils of the leaves. 

 Water the roots copiously, and place the plants 

 in the warmest house afterwards, keeping the 

 moss moist by lightly spraying it with clear 

 water until growth is again active, when water 

 may be freely applied. Aerides, such species as 

 A. Lindleyanum, A. crassifolium, A. crispum, and 

 A. Warneri are best grown in an airy position 

 in an intermediate temperature. 



THE FRENCH GARDEN. 



By Paul Aquatias. 



Hot- beds. — The cold weather and bright sun- 

 shine has proved very favourable to the recently- 

 planted Lettuces. It has been nee aiy to cover 

 the frames with mats until 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., but 

 as the hot-beds were very warm, no ill-effects fol- 

 lowed. The preparing of the beds for setting the 

 cloches should be commenced as soon as possible. 

 Lettuce Little Gott and the first batch of Cos Let- 

 tuces may be planted under cloches within three 

 or four days after the beds are made. As a rule 

 we place only two Cabbage Lettuces on the south 

 side as the third one, when planted on the north 

 side, does not thrive so well and forms its heart 

 with difficulty. The Cos Lettuce is set firmly and 

 deeply in the centre of the cloche. Sometimes 

 one Cauliflower is also planted next to the Cos 

 Lettuce at the same time, but this method is not 

 satisfactory. 



Crops in Unheated Frames. — Ctops 

 planted early last month are well forward. The 

 Radishes are through the ground, and the Let- 

 tuces are forming a new crown of leaves. Cauli- 

 flowers will be planted, five plants per light, of the 

 varieties Duan Court, All the Year Round, and 

 similar large kinds. If dwarf varieties are selected 

 such as Salomon, Snowball, or Early London, 

 eight of these may be grown in each light, pro- 

 vided a liberal dressing of black soil has been 

 used when filling the frames. Lettuces will now 

 develop rapidly, as the Cauliflowers will in no 

 way impede their growth. All the glass imple- 

 ments intended either for placing in hot-beds or 

 unheated beds should be fully utilised by the end 

 of this month. Should the weather not be pro- 

 pitious to the immediate planting of the first 

 batch of Lettuces in the open ground, the glass 

 may be safely removed from them and used for 

 the growing of the spring crops. 



Nursery Beds. — Tn many gardens seeds of 

 the first batch of Melons are inserted in boxes 

 placed on a hot-bed 2 feet 6 inches in thickness, 

 specially made for the purpose, or, better 

 still, in a greenhouse when the latter is avail- 

 able. It is, however, generally better to wait 

 until the end of the month in order to obtain a 

 healthier and quicker growth, economise the cost, 

 and minimise the risk of success. A bed from 14 

 inches to 16 inches deep, to accommodate one light, 

 should be prepared for the sowing of Green and 

 White Bush vegetable Marrows. The seeds are 

 sown in a box filled with good loam, or singly m 

 4-inch pots. 



Tomatos. — A sowing of Tomatos should be 

 made now in a shallow box, to provide plants for 

 growing in frames during the summer. The seeds 

 need not be watered, as the manure will provide 

 sufficient moisture. 



Mildew.— As recent investigators in France 

 have recommended the use of sulphate of copper 

 for destroying mildew on plants, we decided to 

 apply this substance in the nursery quarters 

 before top-dressing the beds with a coat of black 

 soil, as it is usually done. We therefore sowed 

 broadcast Strawson's sulphate of copper at the 

 rate of half-pound for each full-sized bed, 4 feet 

 6 inches wide by 65 feet long. Three parts of 

 the beds were top-dressed with black soil, while 

 finely-screened loam was used for the other quar- 

 ter, as the quantity of black soil was limited. 

 The growth of the seedling Lettuces pricked out 

 in the black soil was well up to the average, 

 while the vegetation in the other beds was not so- 

 satisfactory ; but, to our satisfaction, the plant* 



