Apeil 27, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE 



"\ \ 



279 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Phal/ENOPSIS. — Plants of Phalsenopsis, in- 

 cluding P. amabilis, P. Stuartiana, P. Schilleri- 

 ana, P. grand i flora, P. Esmeralda, P. intermedia 

 Portei and P. Brymeriana have passed out of 

 flower and are becoming active at the roots, 

 therefore fresh compost should be afforded 

 them. The plants should be afforded fresh 

 rooting material each year. A suitable rooting 

 medium consists of equal parts of Al fibre and 

 Sphagnum moss chopped up rather short. Plants 

 that are growing in baskets should, if the re- 

 ceptacles are decayed, be provided with new ones. 

 First immerse the basket for a short time in 

 tepid water, when the roots may be easily de- 

 tached from the wood. The wires that hold the 

 basket together should be cut and the bars of 

 wood removed singly. At the same time care- 

 fully detach the roots with the blade of a thin 

 knife. Wash all the old compost from the, roots 

 and remove dead portions of the plants with a 

 sharp knife. Before placing the plants in the 

 basket half fill the receptacles with portions of 

 Fern rhizome for drainage purposes. The roots 

 should then be woven singly between the bars, 

 working the compost between the roots until it is 

 level with the top of the basket. Finish with a 

 layer of clean heads of Sphagnum-moss. If the 

 baskets are in a sound condition carefully re- 

 move all the old rooting materials from between 

 the roots and afterwards w r ash the inside of the 

 basket and roots by syringing with clean, tepid 

 water. Then fill the spaces between the roots 

 with the fresh compost. These plants may be 

 grown successfully in shallow pans, preferably 

 those without side holes. Employ clean crocks 

 for drainage, half filling the pots with these, 

 and employ a similar compost to that recom- 

 mended for the basket plants with the addition 

 of crushed crocks and small lumps of charcoal. 

 Phalsenopsis should be afforded a position in the 

 warmest house, where a constant circulation of 

 warm air obtains. The plants should be shaded 

 from the sun's rays during the spring and sum- 

 mer months. They may either be suspended 

 from the roof rafters or placed on the stage on 

 inverted pots standing in saucers of water. 

 The bare spaces between the plants should be 

 syringed on bright days, and the undersides of 

 the leaves should be wetted frequently with 

 tepid rain water. Maintain a moist atmosphere 

 in the house by damping the walls and paths fre- 

 quently during the day. Water the surface of 

 the pots sparingly with a fine rose until the roots 

 have grown well in the new compost, when they 

 may be more liberally supplied with moisture. 

 On the approach of winter moisture should be 

 afforded in reduced quantities. Plants of P. 

 Reimstadiana are in flower, and should not be 

 disturbed at the roots until a later period. 



CATTLEYA.-Plants of C. gigas, C. Hardyana, 

 U Dowiana and its variety aurea are starting 

 into growth, and should be placed in the warmest 

 end of the Cattleya house near to the roof glass, 

 lhey should be afforded very little "water at the 

 roots until the young growths are several inches 

 long, when the amount of moisture may be 

 gradually increased, giving the maximum quan- 

 tity when the flower sheaths and young leaves 

 are forming. After the blooms have faded 

 water at the roots should be withheld. Any 

 plants that require potting should be attended to 

 wnen young roots are developing from the new 

 pseudo-bulbs. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



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



Aldenham House, Hertfordshire. 



French Beans.— If the fruiting plants in 



pots are kept well supplied with manure-water, 



Sr r ! y b £S row * in a comparatively low tern- 

 now ^ i ^j^dling plants in 5-inch pots may 



Sane, P i an i ted , ™ a frame ' P lacin S them ^ I 

 18 tnoZ I } f ° 0t a P art > lowing a space of 

 ahoSS hL bet 7 e ? n «** ™ w - Another sowing 



SS i until T^ m ? e frames to furnish S ather - 



ProteS fh ^ ° Utdo ° r SUpplies are mailable, 

 protect tb« frames well at night. 



present ,? EANS — Towardg the end of the 



Sy be SS?- a S £ wlng ? f Scarlet Runner Beans 



furnish S ln * ^f S P laced in a cold ^me to 



W mot 18 tl^^ ^ ^ °F n ground 



inontn. beedlmgs raised in this manner 



may be easily protected from inclement weather 

 and from the ravages of slugs. In these gardens 

 the boxes used are 2 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 

 4£ inches deep; 50 seeds are sown in each box. 

 The trenches for the Runner Beans should be dug 

 at an early date, bearing in mind that this plant 

 responds to liberal treatment, and that during 

 the hot and dry summer of last year the best re- 

 sults were obtained from the plants which were 

 grown under these conditions. Seedlings raised 

 in this manner come into bearing before those 

 sown out-of-doors. 



B 



Broad Beans. — The earlier .plants of Broad 

 in pots will now require stimulants to as- 

 sist the swelling of the pods. These plants 

 should be gradually removed to cooler quarters. 

 Pinch out the growing point now that a good 

 set is secured, and top-dress the plants with rich 

 material. 



Celery. — The trenches for planting Celery 

 should be made without delay, excavating the 

 soil 1^ foot or 2 feet deep. The trenches should 

 be three-parts filled with half-rotted manure, 

 preferably horse dung. A layer of soil should 

 be placed over the manure, using some of the 

 richest mould taken from the trenches. It is a 

 mistake to plant Celery in very deep trenches, 

 especially when intended for early and mid- 

 winter supplies, also where the land is of a wet, 

 heavy nature. By the end of this month the 

 earliest plants should be ready for their final 

 planting. In transplanting, preserve as much 

 soil as possible about the roots, plant firmly, and 

 afford a good watering. During times of dry 

 weather the plants should be damped frequently 

 until they are established. The leaves should 

 be dusted during the early mornings on fre- 

 quent occasions with fresh soot, which, if ap- 

 plied early, will prevent the Celery fly from 

 making its appearance : this will also apply to 

 subsequent plantings. Successional plants 

 should be well hardened before they are planted 

 in the trenches, and those of the final sowing 

 intended for use next spring pricked out on a 

 border facing south or west. 



Celeriac. — This vegetable, which is com- 

 monly known as Turnip-rooted Celery, should 

 be grown in soil which has been well enriched 

 with farmyard manure. The situation should 

 be open, so that the plants may receive plenty of 

 sunshine. The first week in May is the best 

 time for planting. Allow the plants plenty of 

 room to develop, and keep them well supplied 

 with moisture, dusting the leaves with soot 

 exactly as recommended for Celery. 



Beetroot. — Plants of Egyptian or Globe- 

 rooted Beet raised early in the year in frames 

 should receive their final thinning, allowing a 

 distance of about 6 inches between them. A 

 mulching of light, finely-sifted soil will be bene- 

 ficial afterwards. Immediately the roots com- 

 mence to swell, growth may be hastened by 

 syringing the plants overhead and closing the 

 lights partially early in the afternoon. Do not 

 close the lights entirely, as too close conditions 

 are harmful to the crop at any time. A sowing 

 of this variety may be made in an open part of 

 the garden, as the roots will be very useful 

 when quite young as salad. The Globe-rooted 

 Beet is a most desirable variety, as its roots 

 develop soon, and it grows well in any garden. 

 The main crop of long-rooted Beet may be sown 

 at intervals between now and the end of the 

 next three weeks. If roots are desired for ex- 

 hibition purposes, they may be grown in 

 specially-prepared holes filled with a finely- 

 sifted sandy soil. 



Peas. — Peas growing under glass should have 

 the leading shoots stopped and the side growths 

 removed after the third or fourth truss of flowers 

 has formed. Damp the foliage overhead on the 

 mornings and afternoons of fine days, and afford 

 the roots copious supplies of diluted liquid 

 manure. Admit plenty of fresh air whenever 

 the weather is favourable. Continue to plant, 

 on well-prepared ground, Peas raised under 

 glass, and in order to maintain an uninterrupted 

 supply of pods, make sowings in the open at in- 

 tervals of 10 days. Select varieties that do best 

 in the district; two excellent sorts for sowing 

 now are Duke of Albany and Quite Content. 



in the autumn for lifting and planting in frames* 

 to continue the supply. Plants of earlier sow- 

 ings should be set out in deeply-trenched and 

 heavily-manured land. Cauliflower plants grow- 

 ing under glass, either in pots or borders,, 

 should be fed liberally with strong manure 

 water. Admit plenty of fresh air on all favour- 

 able occasions. 



Aubergine. — Plants of Aubergine or Egg 

 plant intended for early fruiting are in flower. 

 Immediately the fruits show signs of swelling, 

 feed the roots liberally with stimulants and 

 maintain a high temperature. 



Cauliflowers. 



Make a final 



early and autumn giant Cauliflowers 

 situation. The plants will be very 



sowing of 

 in an open 

 serviceable 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



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



Windsor. 



Bananas.— To be successful with the fruit- 

 ing of Musas under glass, the plants need to be- 

 grown specially well. The plants require a 

 fairly lofty structure, with plenty of space to- 

 develop their large leaves. Plants grown in 

 tubs seldom fruit, and this method of culture is, 

 only recommended for specimens intended for 

 ornamental purposes. Fruiting plants require a. 

 rich rooting medium. Good loam mixed with 

 plenty of well-rotted manure and crushed bones 

 will provide a suitable compost. The plants re- 

 quire an abundance of water at the roots during 

 their growing season, therefore ample provision 

 should be made for the surplus moisture to 

 drain away. When the fruits are developing, 

 stimulants in plenty must be given. Although 

 the plants are benefited by very high tempera- 

 tures, they should be shaded from the direct 

 rays of the sun. After the plants have fruited, 

 they should be cut down, selecting the strongest 

 suckers that form for stock. The suckers should 

 be lifted with a good ball of soil, and planted ia 

 a compost as advised above. Musa Cavendishii 

 is the most suitable species for fruiting under 

 glass. 



Pineapples. — Plants of the Queen variety 

 which were placed in the fruiting house in De- 

 cember must be watered very carefully. The 

 pots are full of active roots, and, should the soil 

 become dry, the fruits will receive a check. The 

 plants should receive stimulants on at least every 

 alternate watering. Liquid manure from the 

 farmyard and guano water are both suitable 

 fertilisers, and may be used alternately. The 

 paths and walls in the house should be sprinkled 

 frequently with water to promote a moist at- 

 mosphere. Spray the plants with tepid rain- 

 water in the mornings, and again in the- 

 afternoons, when the ventilators are closed, 

 which should be done not later than 3 p.m. The 

 night temperature may be maintained at about 

 70°. Admit air at the top of the house in the 

 mornings, when the temperature approaches 80°, 

 increasing it at intervals as the sun's heat 

 augments. If the tops of the fruits are inclined 

 to grow disproportionately large, the growth 

 may be stopped by means of a pointed stick, 

 but this must be done effectively, or growth 

 will again commence and the fruits be dis- 

 figured. Excessive syringings overhead will 

 cause the crowns to grow too freely. 



Successional Pines.— Plants which were 

 potted early in the year must be given every en- 

 couragement to grow freely. The minimum 

 temperature of the pit should not fall below 70°. 

 Regulate the ventilators carefully in the fore- 

 noon, closing them early in the afternoon, after 

 spraying the plants and charging the atmosphere 

 with moisture. In the afternoon a temperature- 

 of 100° or even more will not be too high, so long 

 as the atmosphere is kept moist. When the soil 

 in the pots is becoming filled with roots, weak 

 stimulants may be afforded, increasing the 

 strength as growth develops. Plants needing re- 

 potting must be attended to before they become- 

 pot-bound. Young plants of the varieties Smooth 

 Cayenne and Charlotte Rothschild, which were- 

 planted out last month, are developing plenty of 

 roots. Although it has been necessary, up till 

 now, to shade the plants, they must be inured 

 gradually to direct sunshine, until shading is 

 dispensed with altogether. The Pineapple en- 

 joys exposure to the full sunshine, except when 

 the roots have been disturbed through repot- 

 ting or planting, and undue shading may defer 

 or even be the means of preventing the fruiting; 

 of the plants. 



