June 29, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



427 



Achimenes. — Whether in pots, pans or 

 baskets, these plants also should be staked, es, 

 no matter how carefully grown, the growths 

 are apt to fall about somewhat. If a small 

 Hazel twig or Bamboo tip is placed to each 

 growth and tied, the supports will keep them 

 in good shape, and as the plants fall out 

 they will not be noticed. As the flowering time 

 approaches the plants will need considerable 

 water, also liquid manure. The foliage and 

 flowers will show better colour if the plants are 

 given the benefit of a very slight shading and an 

 intermediate temperature. 



Ferns. — Any Ferns that may have been 

 potted up early in the year should now be grow- 

 ing freely. Adiantums growing among other 

 plants in the stove, or even under the shade of 

 vines, must be looked after to see they do not 

 commence damping in the centre, this often 

 occurring when the short fronds are allowed 

 to become decayed. If, however, these are 

 picked out there should be no further trou- 

 ble in this way. Some of the free-growing 

 Ferns, such as Nephrolepis, Pteris, Asplenium, 

 Gymnogrammas, and Microlepia, may require a 

 further shift if large plants are desired, and, like 

 the stove plants, they must not be left till they 

 are pot-bound. During the summer months 

 Ferns are very pleasing for house decoration, 

 and, if nicely hardened, they will usually stand 

 well and give to the rooms an agreeably cool 

 appearance. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



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



Gatton Park, Surrey. 



Watering and Ventilating.— Practically 



all kinds of Orchids are growing freely, and it is 

 important that the plants receive sufficient water 

 at the roots, also that the atmospheric conditions 

 are regulated in accordance with the weather. 



East India House 



Although the nights 



may be warmer, fire-heat should not be dispensed 

 with altogether. The hot-water pipes should be 

 kept sufficiently warm to maintain a temperature 

 of 75° up to midnight, regulating the fires so that 

 the thermometer records 70° in the early morn- 

 ing. The ventilators ehould be closed early in 

 the afternoon and the blinds drawn up directly 

 it is safe to do so without exposing the plants to 

 injury by scorching. The temperature of the 

 house may, with advantage, rise to 85° or 90° 

 with sun heat, and the floors and stages should 

 be damped frequently, soaking thoroughly the 

 spaces beneath the hot-water pipes. Most of the 

 plants should be sprayed lightly overhead on 

 warm, sunny afternoons. Dendrobiums should 

 be well syringed overhead and on the undersides 

 of the leaves in order to keep down red spider 

 and other insect pests. A damp, stagnant atmo- 

 sphere should be avoided at all times, as this has 

 the effect of causing the tender foliage of such 

 plants as Phalaenopsis, Calanthe, and Dendro- 

 bium to become spotted. On warm, damp nights 

 the top ventilators should be opened slightly 

 the last thing at night : this will cause the atmo- 

 sphere to circulate and thus dry up excessive 

 moisture that may have accumulated after sunset. 



Cattleya and Intermediate Houses. — 

 These houses should be ventilated freely. If the 

 outside temperature is higher than 50° the bot- 

 tom ventilators may be opened widely. The 

 plants should be ligntly sprayed overhead both 

 mornings and afternoons during fine weather. A 

 warm, moist atmosphere should be maintained by 

 well damping the floors and stages twice daily, 

 allowing the atmosphere to become dry for about 

 two hours in the middle of the day. During hot 

 weather the top ventilators may be opened, clos- 

 ing them again about 4 p.m., but leaving the 

 bottom ventilators partially open on warm nights. 

 Sufficient fire-heat should be employed to main- 

 tain a temperature of 65° at night. 



should be sprayed lightly overhead several times 

 with clean, soft water. Established plants should 

 be allowed to become fairly dry at the roots before 

 water is afforded, when 'they should receive a 

 thorough soaking. Newly-potted plants should be 

 watered with great care, and moisture should 

 never be applied unless the compost is dry. 



Insect Pests.— A diligent search should be 

 made periodically for thrips and scale insects, 

 the former being often found in the new growths 

 of Cypripediums, Lycastes, Odontoglossums, and 

 other species. Directly any are detected the 

 house should be fumigated on two nights in suc- 

 cession. In the case of Cvpripediums it is a 

 good plan to lightly spray the plants an hour or 

 so before the vaporising, to drive out the thrips 

 from the young growths. Scale and red spider 

 should be destroyed by sponging the leaves and 

 rhizomes with a liquid insecticide. 



The Cool House 



Everything possible 



should be done to keep the temperature of this 

 house a few degrees lower than that of the ex- 

 ternal air. The house should be well ventilated 

 through the bottom apertures. The blinds should 

 be lowered in the early mornings when the sun 

 oauses the temperature of the house to rise above 

 ?0 • If lath blinds are employed and the glass 

 is stnppled with a mixture of flour and water, fre- 

 quent damping between the pots and the imme- 

 diate surroundings will create a cool atmosphere, 

 during the hottest part of the day the plants for succession 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



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



Aldenhain House, Hertfordshire. 



Early Potatos— Immediately the tubers of 

 a particular batch are large enough for digging 

 the crop should be lifted and stored. It does not 

 matter if the skins rub a little, but no good would 

 result from leaving them in the ground, which 

 will thus be immediately available for some other 

 crop. Mould up the late plantings as the plants 

 come to the proper stage of development, and 

 where Cauliflowers or other greens have been 

 placed between the rows of mid-season Potatos, 

 the haulm may be lifted up and a few stout sticks 

 placed at intervals to secure a string. This will 

 allow more light to reach the plants. 



Runner Beans.— The earliest plants are now 

 running freely up the stakes. A good mulching 

 of decayed manure placed on either side of the 

 row will prove beneficial, and should be applied 

 at once whilst the ground is still moist. If the 

 weather be dry when the early flowers are set- 

 ting, the plants should be sprayed night and 

 morning with clean water. Those sown out-of- 

 doors should be staked immediately the plants 

 require support, and in showery weather the 

 young growths and surrounding soil may be given 

 dustings of soot. 



Cauliflowers. — Continue to plant out Cauli- 

 flowers for late supplies, making each plant 

 thoroughly firm in the soil. Cauliflowers already 

 planted should be examined and any failure made 

 good. The hoe must be used frequently between 

 the plants, and plenty of water must be supplied 

 to the roots directly they are in need of moisture. 

 If rabbits or hares are troublesome, dust the 

 foliage well with soot. Plants that are maturing 

 the curds should have the leaves drawn up and 

 tied over the flowers, to exclude light. When 

 large enough, if not required for immediate con- 

 sumption, pull the plants out of the ground and 

 suspend them head downwards in a cool place, 

 such as a Mushroom house or cellar. Where 

 Cauliflowers of extra-good quality are required 

 for exhibition, give liberal supplies of liquid 

 manure, and keep the soil well mulched. 



Mustard and Cress. — Sow seeds of 

 Mustard and Cress every week or ten days in 

 the shadiest place to be found, keeping the seeds 

 as dark as possible with double thickness of mats 

 until they have germinated. Frequent dampings 

 and keeping the bed of soil and surroundings 

 thoroughly moist are essential. 



Endive. — Another sowing of Endive should 

 be made, and two further sowings may be made 

 at, say, intervals of about a month. If the 

 ground is dry, give the drills a good soaking of 

 water before sowing the seed, and keep the 

 ground damped afterwards. 



Tomatos.- Plants that were placed out-of- 

 doors are growing freely. Rub the side-shoots 

 whilst quite young, keeping each plant to one 

 stem only, which should be secured by nailing 

 or tying. Given a warm site and a suitable 

 season, they crop well planted out in the open 

 ground, but generally do better for the protec- 

 tion of a wall or fence with a S. or S.W. aspect. 

 Water the plants as often as they require it, 

 though not to excess. A mulch of well-decayed 

 manure will prove valuable, but give no further 

 stimulant until the plants are cropping freely. 



Lettuce. — Tie up the varieties of Cos Lettuce 

 as fhey become fit. This will greatly improve 

 the hearts. Continue to plant out at intervals 



THE APIARY. 



By Chloris. 



Isle of Wight Disease. 



The latest re- 

 port by the Board of Agriculture on this disease 

 should call for the close study of every earnest 

 beekeeper. The report itself consists of 13 sec- 

 tions, and covers 143 pages. In 1860, beekeep- 

 ing in frame hives began to be practised, and 

 their adoption has been a great help in enabling 

 experts to closely observe the progress of bees 

 in health and disease. Generally, there has 

 been little attention given to any but brood 

 disease, so that disease among adult bees has 

 been neglected. The diseases attacking adults, 

 such as dwindling, dysentery, May pest, and 

 paralysis, have been attributed to various and 

 contradictory causes, such as severe and mild 

 winters, extreme cold and damp, while some 

 have thought that they were caused by an 

 excess of honey, others a lack of it, and others 

 again attributed it to a lack of pollen. The isle 

 of Wight disease was first noted in that island 

 in 1904, in the south-east corner, and spread 

 gradually to the centre and north. In 1909, the 

 first report of the disease on the mainland was 

 noted. When reports from beekeepers in all 

 parts of the kingdom are carefully tabulated, it is 

 found that bees on the mainland were suffering 

 as far back as 1903 from the disease. This was 

 the case in Yorkshire, and in 1904 a similar report 

 came from Cornwall. Investigators of the 

 disease state that, " The reports we have re- 

 ceived during the course of these investiga- 

 tions clearly show that no one symptom is 

 characteristic of the Isle of Wight disease, the 

 only essential feature being the death of a large 

 number of bees within or without the hive. 

 . . . . We further think that the disease has 

 been endemic in parts of the country for many 

 years." In other countries, the Nosema apis 

 has been found to be present. 



Symptoms,— When first the disease was dis- 

 covered in 1906, " bees were found crawling in 

 the autumn after they were packed for the 

 winter." It was next thought that a distended 

 abdomen was an invariable symptom, but Cooper 

 says this is not always found, though the wingl 

 are often twisted back, having the appearance 

 of being dislocated. From a careful study 

 of descriptions given by correspondents, the 

 specialists have found themselves unable to 

 name any one symptom as invariably present. 

 11 In some districts dwindling is fairly common 

 in the spring, and we think that it should be 

 looked upon as a disease, under cover of which 

 Nosema may spread through the apiary." " The 

 most commonly-recorded symptom is the 

 presence of a large number of crawling bees 

 with distended stomachs in front of the affected 

 hive." In some cases very young bees have 

 been discovered dragging their legs in the same 

 manner as the adults, and a number of them 

 were found on the ground dead. Some of the 

 bees are found dead singly on the ground, in 

 others they are found in heaps. The abdominal 

 distention seems to arise from the bee's in- 

 ability to fly, because it usually voids its excre- 

 ment on the wing. It seems to lose control, too, 

 over the sphincter muscles of the bowel, so it 

 soils combs, &c, with its excrement. Always 

 look on dysentery with grave suspicion, remem- 

 bering that the shade of the excreta voided at 

 these times varies from cream to dark brown. 

 An unsuspected form of the disease is when 

 bees with a plentiful supply of sealed stores 

 die in the winter. Sometimes bees lose the 

 power of flight suddenly; at other times gradu- 

 ally. They are, in the former case, able to take 

 short flights, but, in the latter, they creep up 

 blades of grass to rise the better on the wing, but 

 only jump and again find themselves on the 

 ground. In some instances, drones are first 

 attacked, and workers, finding themselves fewer 

 in number, kill off the drones unusually early, 

 and this may be a first sign. It has been re- 

 peatedly stated that the outstanding wing is 

 the first sign, but reliable investigators declare 

 it valueless. Diseased stocks, they conclude, 



a week, or the disease may drag 

 The disease, they are confident, 

 can only be diagnosed with certainty with the 

 aid of the microscope, so where there is the 

 least uncertainty the bees should be sulphured 

 and the hives disinfected. 



may live only 

 on for years. 



