March 30, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE, 



201 









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Hazel sticks such as are employed for Peas out- 

 of-doors, but these rob the plants of a consider- 

 able amount of light. For this reason, I prefer 

 to place three or four long bamboo rods in each 

 pot, and these are neater in appearance. The 

 bamboo canes may be tied together at the top 

 either to a wire or Hazel hoop about 1 foot in 

 diameter. All that is necessary afterwards is to 

 place strands of matting around the stakes as 

 growth progresses. Keep the plants growing as 

 steadily as possible, by affording fresh air on all 

 favourable occasions, leaving the ventilators 

 open until late in the afternoon. It will shortly 

 be necessary to feed the plants by giving liquid 

 manure, but, as a rule, stimulants should be 

 withheld until the first blooms are showing 

 colour. After this stage, the roots may be fed 

 liberally. 



Beconia. — Plants of Begonia Gloire de Lor- 

 raine and others of the winter-flowering section 

 which have been rested in a cool house, may be 

 introduced again into heat to furnish suitable 

 shoots for cuttings. Select for .cuttings growths 

 that develop at the base of the plant, as these 

 are likely to be stronger, and are less prone to 

 develop flowers than those on the upper parts 

 of the plant. If it is necessary to obtain the cut- 

 tings from the upper portions, the flower-buds 

 should be removed as soon as they appear. 



Carnations. — Plants of Souvenir de la Mal- 

 maison Carnations are commencing to throw up 

 their flower stems and to send out side growths. 

 This will necessitate giving the plants increased 

 space. Staking should be done at once ; one 

 support is sufficient for young plants, but older 

 specimens may require several. In the case of 

 specimen plants, the staking needs to be done 

 carefully, so as to afford sufficient space between 

 each shoot to allow the flowers to develop pro- 

 perly. Do not tie the matting too tightly, as 

 the flower-stems are brittle and liable to break 

 if enveloped in a tight ligature. Older plants 

 may, as advised in a previous Calendar, be 

 assisted with manure, these being as a rule in a 

 forward condition and ready to make use of 

 food ; young plants that are well rooted may be 

 given a little soot water, or some equally mild 

 fertilizer. The perpetual-flowering varieties are 

 again developing strong growths, and with 

 brighter weather fine flowers. Keep the plants 

 fed with suitable stimulants if a succession of 

 blooms is desired. Carnations do best in a dry 

 atmosphere, but syringings are necessary occa- 

 sionally to keep down red spider and maintain 

 the plants in good health. If this pest is de- ' 

 tected, place a little sulphur in the water that 

 is used for syringing. Aphis is often trouble- 

 some at this season of the year, and occasional 

 fumigation must be given to keep them in 

 check. Some of the flowers, notably those of 

 rose-pink shades, lose their colour if exposed to 

 too brilliant sunlight, therefore, in bright 

 weather, the plants should be shaded a, little 

 during the middle of the day. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Dendrobium. — Dendrobiums of the deciduous 

 kinds, both species and hybrids, commence to 

 make new growth as they pass out of flower, 

 and should be potted or top-dressed as soon as 

 roots begin to push forth from the base of the 

 young shoots. It is better to grow them in pots 

 than in pans or baskets. Specimens that require 

 repotting should have the old compost shaken 

 from the roots and old or useless pseudo-bulbs 

 cut away. The pot, which should be just large 

 enough to hold the plant comfortably, should be 

 filled to one-quarter of its depth with clean crocks 

 and with portions of Fern rhizomes cut rather 

 short over the top of the sherds to complete the 

 drainage. Over these place a layer of Sphagnum- 

 moes. The following mixture is a suitable root 

 mg medium :— One part Al fibre or good fibrous 

 peat with all the small particles removed, and 

 one part Sphagnum-moss, both ingredient's cut 

 up rather short, adding a good sprinkling of 

 crushed crocks and coarse silver sand before in- 

 corporating the whole together. I do not advo- 



l a i e U u e of 0ak leaves for dendrobiums, as I 

 nnd they have a tendency to promote spot in the 



Wh eS 'F^\ e plants rather firml y bu t not hard. 

 Sfft^j the ba *e of the plant should be a 

 little below the rim of the pot, being careful 



during the operation to work the comport well 

 between the roots: the surface may either be 

 covered at once with chopped Sphagnum -moss 

 or, when the young roots have got well into the 

 new compost, the latter being the better plan. 

 After the potting is finished and until they are 

 well rooted great discretion must be exercised 

 in watering the plants, for there is dan- 

 ger of both the young roots and growth 

 damping off if too much moisture is applied. 

 But when the plants are in full growth water 

 should be afforded freely. Newly potted 



plants should be shaded for a few hours 

 during the middle of the day. Healthy speci- 

 mens that have ample pot room and compost in 

 a good condition should have a little of the 

 material removed from between the roots and 

 replaced with new. All Dendrobiums of this 

 section require a hot, moist atmosphere during 

 their growing season, and are benefited by ex- 

 posure to the early morning and late afternoon 

 sun. The old pseudo-bulbs that have been re- 

 moved from the plants may be utilised for pur- 

 poses of propagation if an increase of stock is 

 desired. They should be labelled and placed on 

 a stage in a warm house for a few weeks to dry. 

 When making the cuttings, the pseudo-bulbs 

 should be cut up to a single eye to a noint that 

 has not produced a flower. Cut path,er close to 

 the eye at the top end of the stem, leaving 

 rather more of the stem at the bottom end to 

 insert in the compost to keep the cutting upright 

 without covering the dormant eye: it will also 

 help to sustain the young shoot. The cuttings 

 should be placed in 4-inch pots, half -filled with 

 clean crocks for drainage, and with a layer of 

 Sphagnum-moss over the top of the crocks, finally 

 employing a compost consisting of two parts 

 silver sand and one part Sphagnum-moss (hopped 

 finely. Press the cuttings into the compost at a 

 sufficient depth to hold them firm without cover 

 ins: the buaV They may be rooted in a hot, 

 moist frame. The frame 'should be kept closed 

 by day and opened a little each night. The 

 material in the pots should be kept on the dry 

 6ide, but the cuttings should be sprayed lightly 

 on bright days. When the young growth has 

 developed about an inch in length, the plants 

 should be potted in small pots, in a mixture 

 similar to that reeomni ided for established 

 plants. N 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



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



Eastwell Park, Kent. 



Calceolaria amplexicaulis. — Where 



plants of this Calceolaria were propagated in 

 boxes or in cold frames, the potting-up should 

 not be further delayed. Put them into 5-inch 



* 



pots, and place them in a cold frame, which 

 should be kept a trifle close for a few days. If 

 tall plants are required, stake and tie the shoots 

 as they lengthen. When established, and the 

 pots full of roots, they must on no account be 

 allowed to suffer from want of water, or they 

 will be starved and become of a bad colour, not 

 recovering readily when planted out. 



Marguerites. — If Marguerites were propa- 

 gated in the same way, they should now be 

 potted or boxed. Boxes are quite suitable, and 

 usually more convenient for handling. The mild 

 weather has caused the plants to be ususually 

 soft and sappy, and therefore they should now 

 be grown as hardily as possible. 



Early - flowering Chrysanthemums. — 



The present is the best time to propagate early- 

 flowering Chrysanthemums, whether intended for 

 the decoration of the flower garden or furnishing 

 a supply of cut blooms in the reserve quarters. 

 Though' the plants are reputedly hardy (in mild 

 winters certain varieties are unharmed), nothing 

 is gained by leaving them in the beds or borders 

 all through the year. To grow them to the best 

 advantage they need to be divided annually, and 

 afterwards planted in ground that has been well 

 prepared by trenching and manuring. In the 

 autumn, after the flowers are over, it is customary 

 to lift a -portion of the clumps and either place 

 them in boxes in cold frame* or plunge the roots 

 in ashes in a sheltered position, where they may 

 be protected during severe weather. Plants 

 wintered thus have made plenty of robust and 

 sturdy growths, suitable for cuttings. Dibbled 

 into "pans or boxes, the shoots root very 

 readily at this season, and, when rooted, should 

 be hardened off and planted out by the end of 



April. The simpler method of division is recom- 

 mended where plants are plentiful. In this case, 

 shake off all the soil from the roots and cut. fully 

 pull the plant to pieces. It will be found that 

 most of the young shoots are already rooted; do 

 not divide the clumps too severely, lut retain 

 several shoots in each portion. These will even- 

 tually make tine specimens for planting in bor- 

 ders. The growths having been made under cool 

 conditions, the shoots are not tender, and the 

 plants may be set out now with every prospect 

 of success. The ground, having been prepared 

 puviouslv, should be forked over and raked 

 fine, making the surface firm and even before 

 planting, there is a wealth of suitable varieties, 



some of the finer being Horace Martin, Goacher'i 

 Pink, Goaeher's Crimson, Mine. Desgrange and 

 its yellow sport Mine. Marie Massie, Crimson 

 Massie, Carrie, Harvest Home., La Parisienne, 

 Market Pink, Roi des Blanc s. Nina Blick, Queen 

 of the Earlies, Pee Japonaist , Ryecroft Crimson, 

 and Ryecroft Glory. 



Gladioli. — The corms should be planted 

 whenever the ground is in a suitable condition. 

 Clumps of showy Gladioli are very pleasing in 

 the mixed border, whilst the scarlet G. Branch* 

 leyensiG may be planted in quantity to create a 

 brilliant effect in the shrubbery border or in the 

 natural garden. Gladioli of the early-flowering 

 section, of which the best known is G. Colvillil 

 alba or The Bride, have become very popular of 

 late years. These are invaluable for growing in 

 quantity for supplying cut blooms, and thrive 

 best on a warm, sheltered border. Do not plant 

 them in a prominent position, because, when the 

 flowers are over, the foliage quickly becomes un- 

 tidy. A rich, open soil is required for Gladioli ; 

 if the staple is of a heavy, retentive nature, 

 <>me spent manure from an old Mushroom-bed, 

 leaf-soil, or old potting-soil .should be incorpor- 

 ated to lighten it. Salmon Queen, Delicatissi- 

 mus, Fairy Queen. Peach Blossom, Emperor Wil- 

 liam, Queen of Holland, Fire King and Ne Plus 

 Ultra are desirable varieties. Those of the Gan- 

 davensis section and the Childsii and Nanceianus 

 hybrids are all valuable to succeed the early- 

 flowering varieties. The corms should be planted 

 not later than April. If a delay occurs in their 

 planting, pot the corms and start them into 

 growth under glass. This plan is to be recom- 

 mended in districts that are cold, where crops 



K 



are late. 



THE APIARY. 



By Chloris. 



Beekeepers and Wasps.- Some time since 

 a beekeeper informed me that Cotoneaster 

 Simonsii attracts queen wasps in the spring 

 when she is searching for material to construct 

 her nest. My informant killed nearly 400 on 

 one plant in less than a week. The shrub may 

 be purchased from almost any nurseryman, and 

 is worth planting for trial in this respect. It 

 is a pity that school children are not encouraged 

 by horticultural societies in rural districts 

 to destroy queen wasps. This could be done very 

 easily by offering prizes for the greatest num- 

 bers. In one district where the plan is adopted 

 the first prize was given for nearly 700 queen 

 wasps, and three children killed nearly 1,500 

 queens. 



Feeding. — Many beekeepers are over-anxious 

 to commence stimulative feeding, but it is a great 

 mistake even to manipulate the hive now. When 

 the weather permits, colonies that are short of 

 food should be given a cake of candy, disturbin 

 them as little as possible. There is plenty o 

 work to be done in the apiary. Hives may be 

 made and painted, while others may be re- 

 paired, and frames fitted with full sheets of 

 foundation. If supers are fitted up now the 

 work is generally better done than later in the 

 season, because there is more time ; the wax is 

 cut truer, and the sections St more tightly in 



because they are put in more care- 

 wedged up closely ; a double gain for 

 be less propolis to scrape off in the 



the racks 

 fullv, and 

 there will 

 autumn. 



Artificial Pollen. — As soon as the weather 

 is suitable artificial pollen may be supplied with 

 advantage. A very good mixture may be made 

 by using equal quantities of Wheat and Pea 

 flour, which should be lightly sprinkled on shav- 

 ings placed in an upturned skep, lying in 

 sheltered, sunny corner of the garden. 



