74 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[Jaxvanr 15, 1887, 
diluted liquid manure at the roots during the grow- 
ing and flowering period 
POINSETTIAS. 
These plants, by reason of their crimson bracts, are 
en growing and in flower, the plants should be 
kept moist at the E but when they have done 
inem withheld, and 
stage, in the stove, 
or any out-of-the-way place Mile the temperature 
And as 
rts 
bottom heat near the glass, hE they will soon 
root. Н. W. Ward. 
IRIS RETICULATA. 
This Iris is a desirable plant for flowering in pans, 
f six or nine, in the early spring 
g well even when moderately 
mall flowers of a КО dark pur- 
plish blue and yellow colour. vids o ым desirable 
plant for the early spring greenh 
Parrot Torres. 
or grotesque shape арй vivid, strange combina- 
tion of colour few flowers equal the Tulips in com- 
merce offered under this Piu and sometimes Reutty 
“Dragon Tulips.” The sepals are long, ee 
most irregularly twisted, &e., and ре 
colo x heey. It is 
scendants of Gesner’s cut- 
sepaled species, бадава. from the Levant during 
the latter half of the sixteenth century. Parrot 
Tulips creme ма! in pots, and in the open border, 
ei they for Men severe forcing. 
epi > Me a eene prove very showy. William 
Baka Ne 
Earty Peras. 
шей RE ngs of green P. o- 
wards the of May in June next sowings 
pots three parts filled with 
light mould, putting about nine Peas in each pot and 
covering them with a like description of soil, Then 
d in rows 4 feet apart 
rder towards the middle of next 
we ather permitting ei ы work being done 
at that: time, sticking them at 
ion from fros pruce boughs: 
should be stuck firmly in the мание on either side 
the haulms for a week or ten days, H. W. Ward. 
THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN, 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
Turover the Pape severity of the weather— 
we registered 24° of frost on January 1, with 
12 inches of snow lying on the ground—nearly all 
work has been greatly hindered. ing has been 
mon as ible, taking of 
‘the of the day, and manure has been 
ees: frat borders and quarters. 
a Mixep PLANTING, 
Lam a an advocate for the system of 
planting a 
trees on the Paradise stock were planted between 
these, using fmm of good fresh loam with a little 
rotten man Á€— and as a am established 
and began fn few of the old trees were 
grubbed эз үз their places being filled b 
young ones; great care being take 
whole of the old roots. It is, I 
waste of time and trees, to plant in the worn-out 
soil that has been occupied by trees for a grea 
number of years. The old Apple trees are now all 
gone and the borders are filled with a stock of 
healthy fruiting young trees; en t 
planted Gooseberries, which are very useful to gather 
from, for purposes of bottling, &с; and round some 
ofthe kitchen garden quarter are planted pyramid 
Pears and bushes of Currants, that are netted over 
for late use. The sorts employed for this purpose 
are White beers Raby Castle, and Cherry Red ; the 
last named variety I can gt recommend, being 
the largest fruited that I am acquainted with ; it 
hangs for a long time, and is N both for exhibition 
wer, it is 
variety I would advise every one to obtain, as it will 
give much satisfaction, 
Renovating OLD ORCHARD TREES, 
Good varieties of old Apple trees may be brought 
from a state of ill-health and unfruitfulness to a 
— and fruitful condition by cutting а trench 
0 the trench, with a 
little rotted dung added, laying all the fibrous roots 
carefully into the n ich former should 
have been taken care of in cutting the trench ; then 
fill in, making it firm by treading, and sow tle 
quem of soil with fine grasses as = ommended in 
former Calendar. This system has been pursued 
here for many years, — with | trees of mo 
heim Orange, and with the greatest success, an 
now obtain crops of fine Sit from trees t 
merly bore fruit not worth the gathering. Edward 
Ward, Hewell, Bromsgrove 
NOTICES 8 OF Books. 
TISH ORCHIDS. TOME A. D. Webster. (Pub- 
lished by the Author, Llandegai, Bangor.) 
This is a welcome and very useful book for all who 
are interested in the culture of British Orchids, and 
probably it is the first work with so special a devo- 
eve to the subject. We find a variety of interesting as 
ell ctical matter, extending over rather more 
ан e rest 8vo The — introductory 
chap evoted re vely to structure, culti- 
citas postei над), fertilisation, and classifica- 
tion and etymology 
the -= of which, on Cypripedium, concludes with an 
ассо of the enemies of this and si Or- 
hides yoo following chapter is on British distri- 
bution, and the book closes with indices and a 
glossary of terms. Special remarks are given on 
culture under each species, with much ver 
information on the natural conditions o. 
illustrat 
zem "Ew not too clearly perhaps ; and а para is 
b 
rom the pencil of Mr. 
, and is OTE by all the inter- 
esting information concern 
altural in information, which is all the more hie 
able аз Qe from the author's own lon xpe- 
rience. The instructions are good and reliable, It 
would be well if dealers took a hint from the remarks 
us 
We join with the 
author in condemning the cruel treatment of Cypri- 
pedium calceolus, for instance, 
ti 
still, those that have 
ears. 
been grown for a couple of 
Failures are often traceable to a bad beginning. 
Cultivators should be very careful i in taking up their 
own roots, but we 
it is too liable to slip the soil and drag the 
and has not the cutting power that is necessary to 
get deeply down without trouble. We, however, 
much prefer the Wilson digger, because of its greater 
improved for 
t 
This alteration is mani 
improvement, especially when the eod ү is boggy 
and contains wiry roots, as the implement cuts 
through them instead of slipping adis With. this 
раа саргісе js observable 
in of which, for these Orchids, may be рит 
we kno .  Epipactis palustris is menti 
as especially difficult to manage, but with us it 
he easiest of all Orchids to grow, an 
кы well with the author 
On p. 6 the use of sand is pointed out as of great 
value for placing about the roots when planted, ai 
roots. precaution, he adds, is all the more 
necessary when planting imported Orchids, the roots 
of which h ome aged in transit or through 
in marking the plants, in order to have the new tubers 
at a stage of greater maturity. | 
At the end of the chapter on ton" the 
various species are usefully arranged under three - 
heads -according to ний. бон requirement : 
though, as the author says, ot be in 
must n н 
that some of the Orchids n only thrive under the | 
found that certain kinds do well in peat, though not _ 
naturally found in that soil, and our impression is 
that he has succeeded better with some di 
me y 
Mr. Needle, 
Orchis 
for insane we have found a beautiful pot plant. 
paris Loeselii is grown successfully by the author 
