March 2, 1912.1 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



137 



finely, a little leaf mould (sterilised, if possible), 

 and silver sand. Grow the plants in a light 

 house where a temperature of about 50° is main- 

 tained at night. Keep the house moderately 

 close for a few days until the young plants re- 

 cover from their root disturbance, and spray or 

 syringe the foliage rather than resort to shad- 

 ing to prevent them from flagging. When this 

 stage is passed they may be liberally afforded 

 fresh air, for the hardier they are grown (within 

 reason) the better will be the results. The early 

 batch of " Malmaison " Carnations may be 

 helped with liquid manure or a small quantity of 

 Bentley's Carnation manure, which causes the 

 foliage to develop a healthy colour as well as 

 adding vigour to the plants generally. 



The Palm House.— In large establishments 

 a plant-house is usually allotted to Palms, 

 especially where many of these subjects are used 

 lor decoration in the dwelling-house. The pre- 

 sent is a suitable time for a general potting and 

 overhauling of the plants. In potting Palms re- 

 quired for decorative purposes due consideration 

 must be given to the size of the receptacles they 

 are eventually to fill, and here again it is neces- 

 sary to limit the size of the pot as much as 

 possible. Compost used for potting large Palms 

 should consist of good loam peat and sand, using 

 the peat and sand sparingly. If the soil is not 

 too moist it may be well rammed about the 

 roots, a necessary proceeding to keep the plants 

 firm in their pots. Badly-potted Palms grow up- 

 wards out of their pots as soon as the strong 

 roots reach the bottom of the receptacles. Smaller 

 Palms, Bamboos, Aspidistras, and similar sub- 

 jects in the Palm-house should also be examined 

 and potted if necessary ; a soil of a considerably 

 lighter texture should be employed for these 

 smaller-growing plants. Where Palms are largely 

 in demand, it is advisable to purchase a few 

 young plants each season, so that they may take 

 the place of those that have deteriorated. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



By J. G. Weston, Gardener to Lady Northcote, 



Eastwell Park, Kent. 



Border Carnations.— The beds of border 

 Carnations should be made tidy when the 

 ground is moderately dry. Examine the individual 

 plants carefully, and any that have become 

 loosened in the soil by the action of frost should 

 be made firm again. If this precaution is neg- 

 lected, the drying March winds may cause many 

 of the plants to die. In many gardens Carna- 

 tions planted out in the autumn do not survive 

 the cold of winter, and it is a safer practice to pot 

 or box the layers in the autumn and winter them 

 m cold frames. To keep them healthy under 

 such conditions during the dull winter months, 

 the lights should be withdrawn altogether in 

 favourable weather. Rains must be excluded by 

 placing the lights on the frames, but even in 

 wet weather the plants must be allowed plenty 

 of ventilation, as a damp, stagnant atmosphere 

 often causes disease in the plants. If the ground 

 has not been prepared already for planting, it 

 should be trenched at once, as it is well to get 

 the plants out early and before drying winds pre- 

 vail. A good, strong loam is suitable for Car- 

 nations : if the- soil is inferior, a quantity of rich 

 loam should be added during the process of 

 trenching. I do not advise the use of rank 

 manure for Carnations, but, if manure is neces- 

 sary, use that from a spent mushroom bed. After 

 the ground has settled and in a friable condition, 

 some burnt earth or wood-ashes should be in- 

 corporated with the top layer, making the surface 

 nne with a rake before setting out the plants. 

 Plant firmly at a distance of from 12 inches to 

 18 inches apart, according to the varietv, and 

 keep the ground clean by stirring it with the 

 flat hoe at frequent intervals. For massing in 

 beds, as distinct from a collection, select varie- 

 ties such as Duchess of Fife, Lottie Pike. Rabv 

 Castle, Roy Morris, Mrs. Nicholson, the old 



Crimson Clove, and White Clove Gloire de 

 rsancy. 



Perpetual - flowering Carnations. — 



Certain varieties of this popular tvpe of Carnation 

 nave proved suitable for flowering in beds or 

 borders out-of-doors. The plants need to be well 

 prepared for growing in the open, and if voung 

 plants only are available, those just potted into 

 ^-mcn pots, with five or six shoots, are the best, 

 inese will make good plants by the end of May, 

 but will be rather late in bloomine. The follow- 



ng method was adopted with success in these 

 ardens last year :— Plants were selected that had 

 owered during the preceding autumn and win- 

 ter, and were possessed of a number of flower- 

 ing shoots, some being in bloom. The* plants 

 were effective at once, grew without a ch k, 

 and flowered continuously till the blooms were 

 spoilt bv frost. The following varieties were a 

 success last season here, although it must be re- 

 membered that the summer was exceptionally 

 sunny :— Britannia, Aurora, Harlo warden, Jes- 

 sica, Mrs. Lawson, ^Yinsor, Lady Bountiful, Mrs. 

 H. Burnett, Oriilamme and most of the Enchant- 

 ress type. 



Pinks. — 



pipings last 



beds should 

 tions. 



Pinks propagated from layers or 

 season that are still in the nursery 

 be planted in their permanent posi- 

 Piuks are very suitable for forming edg- 

 ings to borders in the kitchen garden, or they 

 may be grown in clumps in the mixed flower- 

 borders or the scented garden. 



Lobelia cardinalis.— Plants of Lobelia car- 

 dinalis that have been wintered under glass 

 should be divided and potted in light sandy soil. 

 Place them in gentle heat till they have sterl 1 

 well into growth, then remove them to a frame 

 and gradually harden them, prepaiatory to plant- 

 ing out-of-doors in April and M iv. There are 

 several good varieties, including the novelty 

 Gloire de St. Ann's. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Epidendrums. — Epidendrums of E. radicans 

 type, such as E. Obrimianum, E. Courtonii, and 

 E. Boundii, are rooting freely, and any that re- 

 quire repotting should be attended to. Many of 

 these plants will, if neglected, grow to a great 

 length, and become unsightly, but they may be 

 kept dwarf and compact by proper attention. 

 Straggling specimens should "be cut through the 

 pseudo-bulb to a desired length below some of 

 the aerial roots that are pushing forth. The 

 plants should be potted singly, or several may be 

 placed together to form large specimens. The 

 lower parts of the pseudo-bulbs from which the 

 tops have been removed may be left in their old 

 pots. They will soon start growing afresh, and 

 when the roots are active, they may be repotted. 

 A suitable compost for these plants is equal parts 

 Al fibre, Osmunda fibre, and JSphagnum-moss, 

 cut up rather short and w r ell mixed together. 

 They require an intermediate temperature, and, 

 during the growing season, a plentiful supply of 

 water at the roots. 



Epidendrum Vitellinum. — This showy 

 Orchid is developing new roots, and any plants 

 that require repotting should receive attention. 

 These plants dislike root-disturbance. Therefore, 

 any that are in pots sufficiently large to accom- 

 modate their new pseudo-bulbs may be left 

 there for another season if the compost is 

 good and sweet. This species should be 

 afforded less Sphagnum-moss in the compost than 

 those mentioned above. Newly-potted plants 

 should be watered sparingly until the new 

 growths are about 2 inches long, when moisture 

 should be liberally supplied until the new pseudo- 

 bulbs have completed their growth. They will 

 grow well in a house having an intermediate 

 temperature. 



Epiphronitis Veitchii. — This pretty bi- 



generic hybrid, raised from Sophronitis grandi- 

 flora, crossed with Epidendrum radicans, is very 

 similar in habit to its second-named parent, ex- 

 cepting that the influence of the >phronitis has 

 somewhat dwarfed its growth. Like E. radicans, 

 the hybrid is continually poshing roots from the 

 stem, and should be dealt w T ith as recommended 

 for that species. Five or six shoots should be 

 potted together in the compost recommended for 

 Epidendrums. The plants grow and flower well 

 in pans suspended from the roof rafters of an 

 intermediate house. 



Calanthe. — Deciduous Calanthes that have 

 been kept dry and resting since passing out of 

 flower should be potted just before the new roots 

 begin to push from the young growths. All the 

 old rooting materials should be shaken from the 

 roofs, which should be shortened, leaving them a 

 sufficient length to held the pseudo-bulbs firm in 

 the new compost. The back pseudo-bulb should 

 be removed, leaving only the one of the previous 

 year with the new shoot. The plants may be 

 potted singly in 48 or 32 pots, or several'may 

 be placed in larger pots if specimens are required. 



In potting, keep the base of tin pseudo-bulbs an 

 inch below the rim of the pots, as the plants will 

 require a plentiful supply of water when in full 

 growth. A suitable Dotting mixture is composed 

 of three parts good fibrousloam. from which the 

 small particles have been removed, one part dried 



cow manure broken up small, and oak leavt 

 adding some crushed crocks, i hareoal. and .1 little 

 bone meal. The plants should be watered very 

 sparingly until the new ro< is have grown weu 

 into the conij it. Where a house is not specially 

 set apart for ( lanthcs, they mav be grown in an 

 ordinary plant stove or Melon house. The} re- 

 quire plenty of heat and atmospheric moisture, 

 and should not be exposed too much to the sun's 

 rays. The back pseudo-bulbs ina\ be employed 

 for purposes of prop nation by pL ing them in 

 pans filled with crocks, till they break into 

 growth, when they may be potted. " Thev should 

 develop good pseudo-bulbs by the end of I he 



PUBLIC PARKS AND GARDENS. 



By Chief Officer. 



Provision of Land for Picnics, &c. 

 A Parks Department which is fortunate enough 

 to possess land some little distance beyond its 

 city bonn ries is generally able to cater verj 

 effectively for the requirements of picnic parties 

 and school i i.ildreiTs summer treats. It is gener- 

 ally recognised that the provis n of laud for this 

 purpose is becoming a growing necessity, as 

 year by year the difficulties which school autho- 

 rities lind in obtaining suitable places for their 

 summer outings are so great that many have had 

 to abandon them altogether. One Parks De- 

 partment with which I am acquainted purchaacd 

 a number of \ears ago a fairly large farm on the 

 outskirts of the city as an open space. No at- 

 tempt has been made to lay it out as a public 

 park, and to-day the hedges and fences are just 

 as they were when it was occupied and worked 

 as a farm, and it still retains all the appearan 

 of a dairy farm. When first purchased, one or 

 two schools in the town took advantage of the 

 opportunities offered and held their treats in the 

 fields. Last year some 14 or 15 schools made use 

 of them for this purpose, and no doubt before 

 another 10 years are past double that number 

 will be very glad of the opportunity of using 



them in the same way. Land somewhat further 

 afield would, however, be more appreciated on, 

 such occasions, for, being so near the town, it is 

 visited by thousands of young people every week, 

 who play their games there, and in this way it 

 does not savour so much of the country as would 

 be the case were it a longer distance away. 

 Although few who are not intimately acquainted 

 with the inner workings of a municipality are 

 aware of it, the majority of towns of even an 

 ordinary size possess more or less large tracts of 

 land in districts sometimes considerably removed 

 from their own boundaries. Often for the sake 

 of securing an unlimited supply of pure water, a 

 township finds it necessary to purchase the free- 

 hold of hundreds of acres of land, comprising a 

 good watershed. Sometimes, also, for the pur- 



of supplying a demand for small holdings, 

 councils have to buy up large farms, and in these 

 two ways become possessed of property in the 

 very heart of the country. Unfortunately, from 

 the nature of these possessions it would be quite 

 out of the question to use them as a rendezvous 

 for picnicers. Any land set aside for this would 

 have to be purchased for this purpose alone. 

 Land need not be of any agricultural value to be 

 of incalculable value to the people as a country 

 playground, and it should, therefore, be possible 



to "purchase suitable sites at very reasonable 

 prices. Neither would there be any necessity to 

 allow the land always to lie idle, for it should be 

 quite easy to let it out for grazing purposes, and 

 in this way secure a certain amount of income, 

 which might help very considerably in the neces- 

 sary upkeep. That a scheme for providing land 

 for the purpose set out above comes within the 

 range of practical park politics is clearly shown 

 by the fact that several large cities already pos- 

 sess property which, if not exactly set aside for 

 this specific purpose, is mainly used for it. Lon- 

 don is. of course, one of these fortunate cities, 

 and the thousands of Londoners who every year 

 make use of Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, 

 and the various heaths and commons which lie 

 within the 25-mile radius from the City, provide 

 an eloquent testimony to the value of these 

 resorts to the inhabitants of London. 



