298 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 



[May 4, 1912. 



The Week' s Work. 



rs 





THE ORCHID HOUSES 



Bart., 



By J. Collier, Gardener to Sir Jeremiah C 



Gatton Pack, Surrey. 



Odontoglossum. -Plants of Odontoglossum 

 ^rande and 0. Insleayi with its variety 

 Jeopard in urn are starting into growth afresh, 

 and should be potted or top-dressed as may be 

 necessary. Any plants that have sufficient pot 

 room for another year, and with compost in a 

 good condition, should be immersed in water so 

 as thoroughly to soak the soil, afterwards allow- 

 ing them to become partially dry, when portions 

 of the old materials should be picked out from 

 between the roots on the surface of the pots and 

 replaced with fresh compost. Plants that 

 need repotting should have all the old compost 

 shaken from the roots, and be potted up afresh 

 in receptacles large enough to accommodate them 

 for two seasons. The compost may consist of 

 equal parts Osmunda fibre and Al fibre with 

 Sphagnum-moss and crushed crocks added, in- 

 corporating the materials well together. After 

 potting, water should be applied sparingly until 

 the young roots have grown well into the new 

 compost, when moisture may be afforded liber- 

 ally until the season's growth is completed. 

 Plants of Odontoglossum Uro-Skinneri are send- 

 ing forth new roots from the base of the young 

 shoots, and should be potted or top-dressed 

 according to their requirements, using a compost 

 similar to that already described. All these 

 plants are best grown during the summer months 

 in the warmest position of the Odontoglossum 

 iiouse. Plant* of 0. Rossii majus and its many 

 hybrids will, as they pass out of flower, 

 require repotting or top-dressing. These plants 

 are best grown in plain shallow pans without 

 side holes, suspended from the roof-rafters in 

 the cool Odontoglossum house. A compost 

 similar to that advised for 0. grande is suit- 

 able. When dealing with specimens possessing 

 numerous back leafless pseudo-bulbs with 

 growths that have developed over the sides of 

 the pans, the plants should be broken up, the 

 back pseudo-bulbs cut away, leaving three or 

 four behind the lead, and be made up again into 

 specimens of a required size. 0. triumphans 

 has passed out of flower, and should be repotted 

 if the roots need fresh rooting materials. 



Temperatures. — At the present time and 

 during the summer months the inmates of the 

 Odontoglossum house should be kept as cool as 

 possible. Endeavour to maintain a day tempera- 

 ture of 60° to 65° and a night temperature of 

 60° or a little lower. Fire heat should not be 

 employed during the day, but on damp chilly 

 nights the hot-water pipes should be slightly 

 warmed. This small amount of fire-heat may 

 be counter-balanced by opening the bottom 

 ventilators a little extra; the fresh air will be 

 beneficial to the plants, and will prevent the 

 flowers from becoming spotted through con- 

 densed moisture settling on them. The house 

 should be damped thoroughly three or four times 

 during bright days, and the plants judiciously 

 shaded and watered. Those not in flower should 

 be spraved overhead twice at intervals on sunny 

 days, affording the last wetting sufficiently early 

 in the afternoon for the leaves to become dry 

 before night arrives. Admit air freely through 

 the bottom ventilators on all favourable occa- 

 sions. 



PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 



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



VVoburn Place, Addlestone, Surrey. 



Chrysanthemum.— Where large numbers of 

 Chrysanthemums are cultivated, the grower will 

 be experiencing a busy time. All the earliest- 

 rooted plants should be in a suitable condition for 

 removal from the frames, but they should be 

 afforded a little temporary shelter in case of late 

 frosts: if the plants are well hardened, one or 

 two degrees of frost will not harm them. Large, 

 soft-foliaged varieties are liable to damage from 

 winds, and ttyis must be guarded against. Batches 

 of late-struck plants should be potted w T hen the 

 roots require increased room, using the syringe 

 to keep them from flagging, rather than maintain 

 >close conditions in the frames during the hottest 



part of the day. It is not too late to insert a 

 batch of cuttings to furnish plants for flowering in 

 small pots. Certain of the single varieties are 

 especially suitable for this purpose, but prob- 

 ably Caprice du Printemps and its sports are 

 even better for growing in very small pots. 



Hydrangea paniculata. — Plants of Hydran- 

 gea paniculata purchased this season that 

 w r ere potted and plunged in the autumn are 

 pushing their buds, and should be pruned. The 

 shoots should be cut back, leaving only about 

 two pairs of buds. Growth will develop very 

 quickly afterwards, so that the plants may be 

 removed soon to a cool greenhouse or pit. Older 

 established plants are well in growth and, if 

 required, may be forced into bloom, although I 

 prefer to keep this Hydrangea as backward as 

 possible. During the growing season the plants 

 should be supplied liberally with water and 

 liquid or artificial manure at frequent intervals. 

 Syringings are necessary during hot, dry weather 

 to combat red spider, which attacks this species 

 more than any other Hydrangea. 



Greenhouse Cyclamen. - Plants of Cycla- 

 men latifolium having finished flowering may be 

 removed to a cold frame, where they should be 

 watered carefully until the foliage shows signs 

 of dying, when water should be gradually with- 

 held. Afford plenty of air and expose the corms 

 to the sunshine as much as possible to ripen 

 them. Young plants that were potted as ad- 

 vised some time since should be growing freely ; 

 they should be encouraged to make plenty of 

 growth. A little shade is necessary during the 

 middle of the day, especially if the plants are 

 growing in pits, to keep the foliage in a healthy 

 condition. Both mornings and afternoons the 

 leaves should be sprayed with clear soot water, 

 which will assist in keeping down attacks of the 

 yellow thrip, which is one of the most insidious 

 pests of these plants. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



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



Windsor. 



Early Fruit Trees in Pots.— When the 

 fruits of Peaches and Nectarines commence to 

 ripen, the atmosphere of the house should be 

 kept dry, and plenty of air admitted by both the 

 top and bottom ventilators. At this stage, 

 stimulants should be withheld, but the roots 

 must not be allowed to become excessively dry. 

 The pots should, if possible, be plunged in a 

 bed of litter, or be shaded from the direct rays 

 of the sun, to prevent the soil from drying soon. 

 Syringings must be discontinued when the fruits 

 are ripening, but as soon as the fruits are 

 gathered the trees should be washed with an in- 

 secticide and placed out-of-doors in a sheltered 

 position for a few days. Later on, they may be 

 placed in a sunny position, plunging the pots to 

 the rims. The foliage will require to be syringed 

 thoroughly, late in the afternoon each day, to 

 keep down red spider. 



Early Permanent Trees. -The fruits on 

 trees planted in the borders must be exposed to 

 the sunshine as much as possible. When they 

 commence their final swelling, all lateral growth 

 should be removed, and, if necessary, the fruits 

 propped up to the light by means of portions of 

 laths or wooden labels. The trees should be 

 afforded a copious watering just before the fruits 

 commence to ripen, as it would be detrimental 

 to the flavour to afford water whilst the fruits 

 are actually ripening. At that stage, the trees 

 should be afforded the same treatment as ad- 

 vised for pot trees. It is better to gather the 

 fruits when they are not quite ripe, rather than 

 over-ripe. When determining the condition of 

 ripeness, only touch the underside of the fruits, 

 which should be gathered as early in the morning 

 as possible. It may be necessary, in the case of 

 some varieties, to place a thin shading over the 

 glass to prevent the sun from scorching the fruit. 

 Fruits of Nectarine are very prone to injury 

 from the effects of excessive sunshine. A double 

 thickness of fish netting or very thin lime wash 

 will answer the purpose. 



Figs. — As soon as the fruits of the earliest 

 crop have been gathered, effort should be made 

 to rid the trees of insect pests. Red spider may 

 be destroyed easily by two or three applications 

 of a strong solution of soft soap and sulphur. 

 Afterwards wash the foliage thoroughly with 

 water applied by means of the garden engine or 



a hose. If it is intended to mature a second 

 crop of fruits, the latter should be thinned 

 liberally. Attend to the stopping of the young 

 growths, and use the knife freely where the 

 shoots are too thick. Syringe the trees 

 vigorously twice daily, and at"the second svrin g. 

 ing, about 3 p.m., close the house. The ti a 

 will need copious supplies of water at the roo 

 also stimulants. It is not advisable to allow 

 pot trees to develop two crops in the same season. 

 Pot trees should be subjected to a thorough 

 cleansing, and, when sufficiently hardened 

 placed in a sunny position out-of-door- 

 plunging the pots in ashes. It may be necessary 

 to thin the shoots to allow the remaining growth 

 to become ripened thoroughly. The roots must 

 not be allowed to suffer for want of water ; they 

 may be given an occasional watering with diluted 

 liquid manure. Later trees, w T hich are carrying 

 heavy crops of fruit, must be afforded plenty of 

 stimulants till the fruits are ripening. Admit 

 plenty of air to the trees during favourable 

 weather ; the top ventilators should be left open 

 a little all through the night. Thoroughly spray 

 the foliage in the early morning, and again at 

 closing time ; promote a moist atmosphere by 

 damping all available spaces frequently when- 

 ever the weather is hot. Shallow borders should 

 be mulched with a thick layer of rich manure. 

 Artificial heat should be used sparingly. Should 

 it be necessary to hasten the maturation of the 

 crop, it may be done by closing the house early 

 in the afternoon, after the trees have been 

 sprayed with tepid rain-water. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



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



Eastwell Park, Kent. 



Canna. — Cannas are not only beautiful 

 flowering plants, but their foliage is also ex- 

 tremely handsome, hence they are especially valu- 

 able for use in sub-tropical bedding, massing in 

 large beds by themselves, or intermingling with 

 other subjects. Plants for sub-tropical beddin 

 mav be raised from seeds, which should be sown 

 early in the year, growing the seedlings on in 

 moderate warmth. They should be repotted in 

 rich soil, and not allowed to become stunted whilst 

 they are young. Cannas should be started into 

 growth in slight w/armth hardening them after- 

 wards in cold frames, but exposed to full sun- 

 shine. Treated in this manner, they should be 

 ready for planting out at the beginning of June. 

 It is a mistake to grow the plants in a very higl 

 temperature, as this causes the foliage to grow 

 soft and tender, thereby rendering the leaves 

 susceptible to damage by strong winds. Tni 

 plants require a maximum amount of sunshine, 

 and should be planted in a warm situation in 

 soil that has been trenched and manured tor 



some time previously. 



beds of 



Sub-Tropical Bedding. — Large 

 handsome foliage plants are an agreeable change 

 from the ordinary flower-bedding/ ai.d, when 

 well arranged, never fail to give pleasure. Ane 

 majority of the plants used in sub-tropical bea- 

 ding are of a tender nature, and, m order to d- 

 successful with them out-of-doors, they require 

 to be in a robust healthy condition forplannn 

 out early in June. A few plants suitable tor ww 

 purpose are Ricinus, including the bronzy-lea^ 

 R. Gibsonii, R. cambedgensis, and some = ot r 

 green-leaved varieties with red stems ; juei w 

 thus major (Honey Flower), which » mode [? ie j f 

 " ' and sometimes survives the ,»» 



tessalatum, Solanum 

 Vigieri, Eucalyptus 

 gigantea, the Giant 

 is a quick-growang, 

 especially suitable 

 early in the season. 



Globulus, and Camw-- 



for furnishing 

 The growth is very 



a 



and the plant requires keeping, in 



be 

 free, 



check by 

 aim tuc picint 1C4UUW - — it- <-> . around- 



judicious pruning. A suitable edging or b th 

 work for sub -tropical beds may be t0 ' m ^ na an d 

 silver-leaved Centaureas, such as U ra„ 

 C. gymnocarpa, or Cincus (Chamspeuce) 

 thusf the Fish-bone Thistle. Many ptantt ^ 

 able for sub-tropical bedding may be ra ^ 

 seeds sown in January. Such plants sa ^^ 

 be fair-sized specimens, and must ° „ ^ 



be allowed to become stunted m » . f tbey 

 Afford them a liberal treatment, ana. .^ 

 have filled the pots with roots, stun 





