

June 1, 1912.J 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



363 





the more natural will be their effect when in 

 bloom. Where newly-planted, permanent climbers 

 are not likely to furnish their allotted spaces 

 this year, advantage should be taken to fill up 

 the blanks with tender climbing annuals, taking 

 care, however, that these do not encroach on 

 the 'rightful occupants. There is a good choice 

 of showy, tender climbers, including Lophosper- 

 nium scan-dens (pink), Eccremocarpus scaber 

 (scarlet), Cobsea scandens, Convolvulus major, 

 and the tall Nasturtium. These are all of very 

 quick growth, and may be relied on to fill up the 

 gaps and to give a variety of colour. 



The Herbaceous Border.— Hardy peren- 

 nials are growing rapidly in the herbaceous bor- 

 ders, and constant attention to the matters of 

 staking and tying is very necessary. The work 

 6hould not be left till the plants have grown so 

 loosely that the shoots drop about or have become 

 broken by high winds and heavy rains. Damage 

 done by storms is not readily repaired, but much 

 may be averted by timely attention to staking 

 and tying. Delphiniums, Lupins, Galegas, 

 Paeonies and Heleniums, to name a few, should 

 all be supported early in the season. Discrimina- 

 tion must be used in this work, and the individual 

 habit of growth studied. Avoid tying the plants 

 in shapeless bundles. Where perennial Asters 

 have been left undisturbed for a year or two, 

 there is usually a great number of shoots. These 

 should be reduced without delay, leaving a suffi- 

 cient number only that will develop properly ; 

 the stronger-growing sorts should be thinned of 

 all but from four to six shoots. These should be 

 staked out singly, and, if the ground is in good 

 heart, each shoot will develop in a large, bushy 

 pyramid or standard, to which the spindly 

 growths of an unthinned plant will bear no com- 

 parison. Keep the flat hoe constantly at work 

 in the border, and if the weather remains hot 

 and dry place a mulch of manure from an old 

 Mushroom bed or leaf-mould, after first affording 

 a thorough soaking of water. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Van da. — As plants of Vanda teres pass out 

 of flower, they should receive attention at the 

 roots. Specimens that have become "leggy" 

 and have lost a quantity of their bottom leaves 

 niay be cut down to a desired length below 

 some of the aerial roots, and potted again 

 as compact specimens. The portions may be 

 potted singly, or three or more stems may be 

 placed together in pots of a suitable size, or in 

 narrow boxes or troughs. Whichever receptacle 

 is employed, it should be provided with plenty 

 of clean crocks for drainage purposes. Use a 

 compost composed of equal parts of Osmunda 

 fibre and Sphagnum-moss, cut up rather short, 

 mixed with a quantity of crushed crocks and 

 small lumps of charcoal. Plants that do not 

 require to be cut down should have all the old 

 soil washed from the roots, substituting fresh 

 compost. Secure each plant firmly to a neat 

 teak-wood stake. When the potting is finished, the 

 plants should be afforded a thorough watering at 

 the roots, and be placed in a house having a 

 southern aspect and a humid atmosphere. They 

 ♦v! u ^ e s k a ded for a few days, and, as soon as 

 Uiey have recovered from the effects of repotting, 

 tney must be exposed fully to the light, syring- 

 m g them overhead frequently. This treatment 

 Bnould be continued throughout the 

 season. When 



growing 

 , . the season's growth is com- 



pleted, water should be withheld gradually, and 

 ior a period of at least four months the plants 

 enould receive no water at the roots, but should 

 r/ y ? nged occasionally to prevent the foliage 

 *£n i B i ems from shrivelling. These conditions 

 snouid be maintained until flower-spikes are 

 Been to be pushing from the stems, when the 

 ft™ ^? y , again be subjected to moist condi- 

 tio + t e lower P arts of the stem s from which 

 rpno ? P i ave been remov ed may be left in the 

 eceptacles, and if they are afforded moist con- 



rnir 8 ' i Wl11 , soon form new top growth and 

 roots when they should be repotted. The stock 



stem ' mc £ eased b y Pacing portions of the 

 boToo ln f , of Sphagnum-moss, or in the 



in* VJh 5 S in ™ hich the P lants are g row " 



erow+i^ * the cut tingB have formed new top 

 &°wth and roots, they may be potted and 



the usual wav. V. Miss 



Vanda ccerulea.— Plants of Vanda ccer.ilea 

 having been afforded a short season of rest since 

 passing out of flower, have become active at the 

 roots, and should be repotted or top-dressed ac- 

 cording as is necessary. Plants that have healthy 

 roots and have not become leggy or unsightly 

 through losing their bottom foliage, should have 

 some of the old compost picked out from be- 

 tween the roots, replacing it with fresh material. 

 Plants that require repotting should be turned 

 out of their pots, and any portions of the stems 

 at the bottom that are bare of healthy roots 

 may be cut away. The plant should be placed 

 as low in the pot as possible. Fill the pots to 

 half their depth with clean crocks, placing them 



carefully between and around the roots. Fill the 

 rest of the pot level of the rim with a mixture of 

 equal parts Osmunda fibre, half-decayed Oak 

 leaves and Sphagnum-moss : pot moderately 

 firm. Water should be applied sparingly until 

 after the new roots have grown well in the com- 

 post, when moisture may be given more liberally. 

 Keep the stage on which the plants are stood 

 moist by frequently syringing the undersides of 

 the foliage and the bare spaces between the pots. 

 The plants should occupy the lightest position 



Eossible in either the Cattleya or intermediate 

 ouse, and, when established should be sub- 

 jected to but little shade. They will be bene- 

 fited by a continual supply of fresh air during 

 their season of growth. 



grown i n 



way 



Agnes 



m°tot 1? ^^ receive the same cultural treat- 

 ment as y^ ^ 



PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 



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



Woburn Place, Addles tone, Surrey. 



Celosia cristata and C. plumosa. — The 



earliest-raised plants of Celosia may be placed in 

 their flowering pots, using a rich compost. If 

 plants of the former variety are plunged in a pit 

 with plenty of bottom neat good " combs M 

 should be secured. Bottom heat is not so necessary 

 in the case of C. plumosa, but a good brisk heat, 

 with plenty of moisture, is desirable until the 

 flower-plumes are about one-third developed, 

 when somewhat drier conditions will suit them 

 better. 



Can n as. — Cannas that have been treated as 

 advised in a previous Calendar may ^ now be 

 potted in their flowering pots, using 6-inch pots 

 for those with a single inflorescence, and larger 

 receptacles for those with more spikes. A rich 

 soil is necessary for these gross-feeding plants, 

 giving them plenty of water as soon as they 

 have rooted freely, as well as plenty of syringings 

 overhead to keep the foliage free from aphis and 

 red spider. 



Gloxinias. — The earliest batch of these 

 plants should now be making a good show, and 

 the atmosphere of the house must be kept a 

 little drier to ensure the flowers keeping fresh. 

 After a little judicious hardening the plants may 

 be transferred to the shady side of the show 

 house or conservatory, where they should con- 

 tinue to provide a bright display for some time 

 to come. Later batches of plants and this sea- 

 son's seedlings must be kept growing freely; 

 the former may be afforded a little manure when 

 the pots are filled with roots. The seedlings 

 should be potted into 5-inch pots, in which they 

 will flower. 



Streptocarpus. — The Streptocaipis requires 

 a similar treatment to Gloxinias. The young 

 seedlings may be grown on steadily for a year 

 unless small decorative plants are desired, in 

 which case they may be allowed to flower m 

 5-inch (48-size) pots. The plants are rather sub- 

 ject to attacks of aphis, therefore the house should 

 be lightly fumigated occasionally. \Mien the 

 plants are well established in their flowering 

 pots they will be benefited by applications of 

 manure. Clay's fertiliser will improve the size 

 and number of the blooms, and add colour to the 

 foliage. 



Pot Roses.— By this time practically all the 

 pot Roses will be removed out-of-doors. The 

 plants should be spaced well apart on open 

 ground or an ash bed, and should receive con- 

 stant attention during the summer months. In 

 the case of Tea Roses, when it is desired to 

 build up the plants for next season's blooming, 

 all the flower-buds that appear after this date 

 should be removed. This is not necessary in the 

 case of Hybrid Teas and Hybrid Perpetuate that 

 W pre nruned severely before they were started ; 



at the same time, they must be kept steadily 

 growing during the summer, and every precau- 

 tion must be taken against aphis and mildew 

 appearing. Plants of the climbing Polyantha. 

 and Wichuraiana varieties that are still indoors 

 should be treated liberally in the matter of 

 watering and feeding. Shade the house a little 

 as the plants commence to unfold their flowers. 



THE APIARY. 



By Chloris. 



Bee-keepers and Legislation.— Those of 



us who go from apiary to apiary know only too 

 well that unless something is done soon to 

 protect us from careless and ignorant bee- 

 keepers, bee-keeping will become a thing of 

 the past in parts of the country at least. A 

 person with whom I am acquainted is about to 

 make a third start in bee-keeping. His former 

 failures have not been due to carelessness, for he 

 destroyed all diseased bees and hives. Every 

 bee-keeper should lay his grievances before his 

 local member of Parliament. In one district 

 already fruit blooms have not set because there 

 are none, or few, bees to do the necessary pollina- 

 tion. 



Supers. — There has been an abundance of 

 bloom in all parts of the country, and the bees 

 are vety forward. Brood frames are filled to 

 their utmost capacity with brood in all its stages, 

 and the topmost cells containing honey are tipped 

 with new white wax, showing that the time has 

 come when supers may. be added. Before ex- 

 amining the hives have ready a complete supply 

 of well-fitted sections or frames so that no time 

 may be lost when the hives are opened. In the 

 case of sections see that they are wedged tightly 

 so as to leave no spaces, which the bees would 

 fill with propolis and cause additional work later 

 in the season. Since bees do not take readily 

 to sections, a rack of frames containing drawn 

 comb will induce them to commence work above 

 at once, and its place may be taken by sections 

 when the work is well started. Having got the 

 smoker to work, remove the roof, and, raising 

 the quilts carefully, give a few puffs of s,moke to 

 drive down the bees, remembering to use no more 

 smoke than is necessary. Put on the queen ex- 

 cluder, with the perforations running in the 

 same direction as the frames, over this place the 

 super, packing it with plenty of material to 

 economise the heat, for bees dislike cold and 

 draughty supers, finally covering all with plenty 

 of non-conducting quilts. 



• Wasps.— When the bee-keeper is removing 

 roofs containing no cone escape, a sharp look-out 

 should be kept for queen wasps, which often 

 make their nests in the roof of hives amongst 

 the quilts. 



Purchasing Swarms.— Those about to com- 

 mence bee-keeping will be advised to start with 

 one swarm, not more ; as knowledge, increases, 

 others may be added. During May and June 

 swarms may be purchased with advantage, but a 

 little knowledge is necessary. An excellent 

 swarm would weigh 5 lbs. and measure about 2 

 gallons or a little less. Never purchase a swarm 

 of less than 3 lbs. in weight. In each instance 

 the swarm should be headed by a queen in her 

 second season. A written guarantee should be 

 obtained showing that the apiary is free from 

 disease. If the bees have travelled- a distance it 

 should be distinctly understood that they will 

 have lost a little of their weight in transit as 

 they have consumed some of the honey, with 

 which they were gorged, for comb building. 

 Having fitted up the hive, see that it stands 

 quite level in each direction, and this can best be 

 ascertained by using a spirit level. In the even- 

 ing, after 6 p.m., set the smoker going, and when 

 well alight place it near to the hive in case of 

 need. Shake down the bees in the skep from 

 the cheese cloth cover— this may be done by 

 striking the sides smartly with the palms of the 

 hands ; cut the string, shake the bees on 

 the board resting on four bricks and the 

 alighting board and cover with a sheet. Watch 

 the bees enter the hive, and if they be shaken on 

 the cloth as far from the entrance as possible and 

 in small quantities the queen will easily be dis- 

 covered. Place on a super, and wrap up warmly. 

 Should the weather be wet and cold, feed the 

 bees with syrup, not forgetting to reduce the 



size of the entrance. 



