238 



I HE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[April 13, 1912. 



The Week' s Work 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Cgelogyne. — Plants of Ccelogyne cristata and 

 its varieties, having been afforded a short season 

 of rest after flowering, are developing fresh 

 growth, and should be repotted or top-dressed as 

 may be deemed necessary. Those plants that 

 have sufficient root room, and the compost in 

 a good condition, may be top-dressed with 

 fresh material. This work will afford a favour- 

 able opportunity to peg down to the compost 

 such portions of the plants as may be projecting 

 over the sides of the receptacles, always direct- 

 ing the shoots towards the centre of the plant. 

 Plants that require repotting should have the old 

 compost shaken from the roots and the back 

 pseudo-bulbs removed, leaving only four behind 

 the leading growth. A number of these leading 

 shoots may be placed together, more or less, 



:cording to the size of the specimens desired. 

 Where a considerable number of plants are grown, 

 it is advisable to pot a portion of the stock each 

 season, as a period of two years is required for the 

 plants to become sufficiently established to flower 

 well. Pans are the best receptacles, and they 

 should be half filled with clean crocks for 

 drainage purposes, covering the crocks with a 

 thin layer of Sphagnum-moss. The compost may 

 consist of good fibrous loam, peat, and 

 Sphagnum -moss in equal parts, the various 



material! being broken rather roughly and mixed 

 with a quantity of crushed crocks. In potting, 

 irrange the compost so that the centre of the 

 plant is higher than the edges of the pan, and 

 direct the young growths to the middle of the 

 plant, pressing the materials moderately firm. 

 Coelogynes thrive best in an intermediate tem- 

 perature. After they have been potted, the 

 plants should be afforded a shady position and 

 watered once well. The compost may then be 

 allowed to become dry before being again 

 watered, but the atmosphere must be kept moist 

 by syringing between the pan and spraying the 

 plants overhead. The pseudo-bulbs that are re- 

 moved will, if placed in pans with a little 

 Sphagnum-moss, soon break into growth, and 

 may be used to increase the stock. 



Anquloa. -Such Anguloas as A. Clowesii, 

 A. eburnea, A. dubia, A. Ruckeri, A. uniflora, 

 and the rare and beautiful A. Cliftonii are push- 

 ing forth new roots, and should be repotted. Use 

 a similar compost to that advised for Coelogynes. 

 Anguloas are best grown in pots which should be 

 well drained, placing the plants just below the 

 rims of the receptacles. They grow best in a 

 light position in the Cattleya house. Water the 

 plants sparingly after repotting, and afford 

 moisture with great caution until the young 

 grow till are well advanced, when they may re- 

 ceive liberal quantities of moisture. See that no 

 water lodges in the centres of the young growths, 

 as this is a frequent cause of damping. When 

 the young leaves are well developed the plants 

 may be syringed frequently overhead. 



Maxillaria.— Certain species of Maxillaria, 

 including M. venusta, M. Candida, M. picta, M. 

 Turneri, M. striata, II. nigrescens, and M. 

 Mooreana are becoming active at the roots, and 

 plants that require fresh rooting material should 

 be attended to in this respect. Those mentioned 

 are best grown in pots and pans filled with a 

 compost consisting of Al fibre and Osmunda fibre 

 in equal proportions, with a small quantity of 

 Sphagnum-moss cut up rather short and a 

 liberal amount of crushed crocks. The pans or 

 pots should be well drained, and the rooting 

 materials pressed firmly. When the plants are 

 potted they should be placed in a shady position, 

 and watered very carefully, pouring \he • w r ater 

 around the edges of the pots so that it may not 

 lodge in the young growths. Such species as 

 M. Sanderiana and M. Lindenii, that flower at 

 this season of the year are best grown in teak- 

 wood baskets, as the flower-spikes sometimes 

 push downward through the bottom of the 

 receptacle. For this reason Fern-rhizome 

 should be used for drainage instead of crocks. 

 These two species, also M. fucata, M. leu- 



caimata, and M. Hubschii, should not be potted 

 until after they have passed out of flower. All 

 the species named are best grown in the inter 

 mediate house. 



THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



By F. Jordan, Gardener to Lady Nunburnholme, 



Warter Priory, Yorkshire. 



Apricots. — The soil of fruit-borders is suf- 

 ficiently moist for the roots of the trees, and 

 water will probably not be required for some 

 weeks longer ; but where the ground is light or 

 sandy, or the walls are furnished with broad 

 copings, the borders should be examined shortly 

 to ascertain if additional moisture is needed. 

 Many failures amongst Apricots may be attri- 

 buted to insufficient water at the roots, and 

 newly-planted trees especially must be kept well 

 watered. A good watering will do no harm, 

 always provided the borders are well drained. 

 Apply a mulch after watering, unless the weather 

 is dull and cold, when its application should be 

 deferred until the weather is more genial. 

 Apricots are the first trees requiring disbudding, 

 but this operation must not be done so severely 

 as in the case of Peach trees, Remove first all 

 shoots that are at the back of the tree, 

 foreright shoots and others in unsuitable 

 positions. Spurs may be induced to form by 

 pinching shoots that are not required for exten- 

 sion to three or four leaves, but whenever pos- 

 sible allow spurs to form naturally. Avoid a 

 severe thinning of the shoots at one time. Com- 

 mence the thinning at the top of the tree and 

 work downwards, repeating the operation at in- 

 tervals of a few days until the work is completed. 

 Only by a careful study of the different habits 

 and peculiarities of each kind of tree can disbud- 

 ding and pinching be carried out successfullv, 

 the object being to avoid using the knife severely 

 in winter pruning. In thinning the fruits remove 

 first those that are likely to grow deformed 

 through pressing against the wall and the wires, 

 leaving plenty of fruits for a future thinning, as 

 many will fall at the stoning stage. The material 

 used to protect the trees from frost should be re- 

 moved whenever the weather is favourable, but it 

 should still be kept in readiness for use until 

 danger from frost is over. 



Aphis. — Aphis generally become most trouble- 

 some just as the trees are passing out of flower. 

 Owing to the mild weather the growth of the 

 trees is two or three weeks in advance of an 

 average season. A sudden change to east winds 

 would cause a check to growth, and greatly 

 favour attacks of aphis. This pest is trouble- 

 some at all seasons when the plants are 

 rowing actively, but they are specially in evi- 

 ence during cold weather in spring. More 

 failures in fruit growing may be attributed to 

 aphis attacks than to any other cause. Crippled 

 curled shoots and leaves at this season are often 

 due to a neglect of winter spraying. There are 

 many excellent washes on the market suitable 

 for spraying fruit trees, including quaesia ex- 

 tract, V2 fluid, and paraffin emulsion. Preven- 

 tion is better than cure, and very little harm is 

 done by spraying the trees with either of the in- 

 secticides mentioned, even when the trees are in 

 flower. By spraying early a weak solution will 

 check aphis, but, once the pest is established, 

 stronger measures are necessary. The remarks on 

 spraying apply to all frujt trees likely to be 

 attacked by aphis. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



By E. Harriss, Fruit Foreman, The Royal Gardens, 



Windsor. 



S 



id - season Vines. — The stopping and 

 training of the shoots of mid-season vines should 

 be attended to as soon as they are large enough. 

 Vines growing close to the glass will need con- 

 stant and careful attention in this matter till 

 the shoots are eventually secured to the trellis. 

 This work should, if possible, be done durin_ 

 the latter part of the day, or when the weather 

 is dull, as there is not so much danger of break- 

 ing the young growths then as when the sun is 

 shining fully on the vinery. The surplus bunches 

 should be removed as soon as the berries have 

 set. If the roots are in need of moisture, lightly 

 fork up the surface of the border, and give a 

 thorough watering with diluted liquid manure 

 very_ slightly warmed. The work of thinning the 

 berries should be pushed on as quickly as pos- 



sible, as the fruits swell very quickly. There is 

 a danger, if the berries become crowded before 

 thinning, of the Grapes being disfigured by rub- 

 bing, and the work also takes much longer. 



Late Muscat Vines. — Before the Muscat 

 vines flower, the borders should be examined to 

 see if the roots are in need of moisture. Should 

 water be necessary, first sprinkle the sur- 

 face of the border with a suitable artificial fer- 

 tiliser. This should then be washed into the 

 ground with tepid water. Do any necessary 

 stopping of the shoots before the vines flower, 

 as it is not good practice to do this work whilst 

 the bunches are setting. The tying of the she* 

 should be deferred till the berries have set, unless 

 they are touching the glass, in which case the 

 should only be drawn clear of the glass, and 

 secured to the trellis with a neat piece of raffia. 

 The berries appear to set better when close to 

 the light. During the flowering stage, the tem- 

 perature should be kept as equable as possible, 

 therefore the ventilators should be carefully 

 regulated during changeable weather. Keep the 

 atmosphere dry till the flowering stage is passed. 

 Any pot plants present in the vinery should be 

 removed. In some districts it is a difficult mat- 

 ter to get Muscat Grapes to set freely. Where 

 this is the case, it is an excellent plan to have 

 a house of Black Hamburgh or some other free- 

 setting variety in flower at the same time as 

 the Muscats. The pollen from the Black Ham- 

 burgh may be collected on large sheets of paper, 

 and the Muscat flowers pollinated with it by 

 means of a rabbit's tail. When it can be seen 

 that the berries are set, and are swelling freely, 

 the border should receive another good watering, 

 using diluted liquid manure. When cutting off 

 the surplus bunches, it may be necessary to sacri- 

 fice some of the largest bunches which have 

 failed to set their berries sufficiently to make 

 well-shaped specimens. As a rule, the medium- 

 sized bunches set best, and these should be left 

 to form the crop, as they will keep better and 

 be of much greater service for ordinary pur- 

 poses than the larger ones. Attend to the thin- 

 ning as soon as the berries are large enough. 

 Some of the bunches may be improved by care- 

 fully looping up the shoulders ; but this must 

 be done by an experienced workman. The 

 operator must keep his scissors clean whilst 

 thinning, as neglect in this matter will result in 

 the berries being badly marked. Before the 

 border is again watered, it should be mulched 

 with a layer of rich, farmyard manure, and the 

 manurial properties washed into the soil with 

 tepid water. Keep a sharp look-out for red 

 spider, and should this pest be detected, sponge 

 the leaves with a w T eak solution of soft soap and 

 sulphur. A little flowers of sulphur sprinkled on 

 the pipes occasionally when they are very hot will 

 keep down this pest. Later on, when the sun 

 becomes more powerful, it may be necessary to 

 shade the glass to prevent scorching of the foli- 

 age. A little slaked lime in water syringed over 

 the glass will provide sufficient shade. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



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



Eastwell Park, Kent. 



Mignonette.— Plants of Mignonette grown 

 in pots from seed sown early in the year shoum 

 be planted out in a sheltered corner to flower 

 early. The plants grow best in a rich loam, 

 and the soil should be made thoroughly nnn 

 before planting. Plants that have already iur 

 nished a supply of blossoms indoors mav a 

 be planted out. If afforded a small quantitj 01 

 artificial manure, they will soon develop pw 

 of fresh flower-spikes. Keep a sharp looK-ou 

 for slugs, which are very fond of Mignonew- 

 a dusting of soot will act as a deterrent i 

 this insect pest. Seed should be sown in w^ 

 open garden at intervals during the ne « erg 

 •months, thus ensuring a succession ot . B 

 till the plants are cut down by frost. K *" ite> 

 varieties are Machet, Bismarck, Giant v 

 Giant Crimson, and Miles's Hybrid Spiral. 



Violas and Pansies.— Plants of Viol* j^ 

 Pansy that were propagated from cut £ in °, j be 

 autumn and wintered in frames, sn0Ul ^ nce . 

 planted in their permanent quarters at 

 Owing to the extreme heat and drought w 



summer, suitable shoots for making R Cl t h the 

 were very scarce in most gardens. **° -j 



Pansy and Viola thrive best in a cool, deep 



