56 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



■ 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



WATERING ORCHIDS.— In the cultiva- 

 tion of all plants under artificial conditions, 

 the application of water to their roots and 

 foliage is one of the chief agents that leads 

 either to s^ceess or failure. Successful plant 

 culture depends in a large measure upon the 

 administration to each individual the proper 

 quantity of water at the proper time^ accord- 

 ingly to itri requirements, whether it is in 



fuirg^^'^^li r^^- place, 



we must study the plants both at rest and 

 in full growth. Orchids ^are so many and 

 so varied that in one short article one can- 

 not deal with them all at the same time, 

 but I hope to deal with the different .families 

 from time to time; so that watering may 

 be readily understood. Owing to the wet, 

 sunless weather we have experienced now 

 for .some time, the atmosphere outside has 

 been heavily charged with moisture, which 

 has prevented the evaporation in our houses 

 being "what it would have been had the 

 weather been clear and bright. Conse- 

 quently, the plants have not required so 

 much water a« they otherwise would have 

 done. The greatesrt mistake possible, in my 

 opinion, is giving water at the roots -with 

 a view to forcing the pseudo-bulbs to ibecome 

 plump (and hard. Such treatment is likely 

 to end in the loss of the roots. The best 

 thing to do at this season is to keep the 

 plants on the dry side, making sure they 

 require water, beifore it is applied to them. 

 The atmosphere also at this season should 

 be kept drier than it is during the growing 

 season. 



VANDAS of the tricolor and V. suavis 

 tactions, occupying the cooler end of the catt- 

 leya house and rooting freely, eihould be given 



sufficient water to induce the sphagnum moss 

 to grow luxuriantly. Tlie terete leaved 

 vanaaw, such as V. teres, V. Hookeriana, 

 and others, in fact, any terete leaved or- 

 chids at this season should only have suffi- 

 cient water to prevent shrivelling. Shrivel- 

 ling in any orchid, at any time of the year, 

 is detrimental to its well-being. 



COMPOSTS.— A good supply of the dif- 

 ferent fibres, such as peat, polypodium, and 

 o^smunda, which are used ifor the prepara- 

 tion of the different -composts should now 

 be obtained, so that it may be in proper 

 condition for use, and readily available when 

 the potting season commences. During open 

 weather a good supply of s.phagnum moss 

 should also be obtained, 



REPOTTIXG.— nie practice is not a good 

 one that is often adopted of overhauling a 

 house, wiietlier it be of oattleyas, odonto- 

 glossiimt-y, or other kinds, and re]>otting 

 everything therein that may appear to re- 

 quire it, quite regardless of whether they 

 are in a proper stage of growth to be re- 

 potted. For inistance, one plant may have 

 just commenced gmwtli, another may have 

 half eompleted it. whilst a third may be at 

 resit. llie })est course is to repot each plant 

 at the proper eeason only, llie plants will 

 not only be the better for it, but the work 

 distributed over a longer period, and undue 

 pressure at any particular time prevented. 

 Should, however, any plant be in an unsatis- 

 factoi-y condition, do not hesitate to give 

 it new compost, even in the depth of winter. 

 It will be much better than allowing it to 

 dwindle in sour materials.— J. T. Barker, 

 The West Hill Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



PUol'AiiAI^XG.— Although one can gene- 

 rally tirid a place in the ordinary stove for 

 a temporary propagating case, yet a pro- 

 perly constructed pit or house for propaga- 

 ti<iH must desirable in the garden. In some 

 ai rl* 11^ where much propagation has to be 

 done it is carried out early in t^e year on a 

 hot-il>ed fonnod in one of the houses set apart 

 for early c\U'umlKn'c> or melons, and if har^cl- 

 lights, or a frame is placed thereon, this 

 answers well for the raisinsr of seeds and cut- 



er 



tings. Whatever means are adopted, now 

 Ls the time for preparation, so that the pro- 

 pagation of the various plants may proceed 

 a(S opportunities offer. Insert good batches of 

 cuttings of the various plants used for edg- 

 ings to the stages, as Panicum variegatum, 

 fittonlas, and lycopodium. These root 

 readily if dibbled several in a s^iiall 6Q filled 

 with rich sandy soil. When rooted they 

 should be placed on a shelf near the glass, 

 and have t^ie points pinched out to promote 

 the production of side growths. W'hen well 

 established they may be placed in position. 



RAISING SEEDLINGS. — Some stove 

 plants are annually raised from seed, and 

 many of the seeds are a long time in ger- 

 linating. Therefore sow early in the year 

 to ensure a long sea&on of growth. The 

 plants usually raised from ,&eed which re- 

 quire to be sown early are asparagus, Mys- 

 siphyllum, Clerodendron fallax, Asclepias 

 carassavica^ Exacum macranthum, and 

 gloxinias. Pans or ipots may be used accord- 

 ing to the quantity of seed to be sown. 

 They should be quite clean and efficiently 

 drained, covering the crocks with a layer of 

 clean moss, then nearly fill with ligiit sandy 

 soil. Equal parts of good loaan and leaf- 

 soil, with half a part of peat and of shai*p 

 sand jorm an excellent mixture. W^ater 

 through a fine rose, with tepid water and 

 sow the seeds thinly and evenly an. hour or 

 so afterwards. Cover lightly with sandy soil 

 passed through a fine mesh. For some of 

 the very small seeds but a dusting of sand 

 will suffice. Plaee a sheet of glass over the 

 pot or pan, and plunge to one half the 

 depth in the propagating bed- Sprinkle the 

 surface with water occasionally to assist ger- 

 mination, then remove the glass and keep 

 near the light, 'but avoid draughts. 



PLANTS IN EOO'MS.— As many of the 

 plants nsed at this time of the year for the 

 adornment of indoor apartments are taken 

 from warm houses it is most desirable that 

 they are not exiposed to draughts. A care- 

 ful man who is fond of his work should be 

 in charge of the house decorating, and it 

 should be impressed upon him the necessity 

 of close watchfulness to watering and fre- 

 quent changing of the various plants used. 

 A covered barrow should invariably be re- 

 quisitioned at this time, and the plants 

 moved in and out with dispatch. 



CLIMBEES. — Allamandas, d'pladenias, 

 steidianotis, Clerodendron Balfouri, and 

 other climbers should now be pruned and 

 cleansed, it being important to do this when 

 at rest. It is a mistake to spare the knife 

 with these subjects, though I am aware 

 that pruning may be carried to excess. Cut 

 back each growth to well-matured wood ; 

 then if the other conditions be favourable a 

 wealth of blosisom will result. In gardens 

 where these are grown for exhibition as 

 specimens they should be treated in like 

 manner as those permanently planted for 

 the rafters and pillars, except they should 

 be so tied to the wires placed near the roof- 

 glass that they may be easily taken down 

 when well advanced,"^ and trained to the bal- 

 loon-shaped trellis. 



WATKK-ING.— (ireat care is necessary in 

 watering at this dull season; rather err on 

 tlie side of dryness for the maioritv of the 

 sul)jects.— iH. T. Martin, Warren Wood 

 Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER CLASS. 



EARLY VINES.— The shoots will be suffi- 

 ciently advanced in growi:h to handle, and 

 will need to be carefully disibudded. Com- 

 mence by rubbing off the weakest growths, 

 and finally in a few days reduce them to the 

 required number, leaving the strongest and 

 best placed shoots that show the best 

 bunches. Examine the borders, and if at all 

 <lrv. o-ive sufficient tepid water to soak the 

 whole thoroughly, increase the night tem- 

 perature to 6<) deg., with a day temperature 

 of from 65 deg. to 70 deg., allowing a rise of 

 1(» di^^. witli sun lieat. Maintain a moist at- 

 niu>pluM(' in the lion^e, and give air on all 

 favonrable occasions, close the house early, 

 and during bright weather lightly syringe 

 the rods and foliajye with wafer of fb^ «amp 



temperature as that of the atmosphere in tie 

 house. Where it is possible to obtain liquid 

 manure from the farmyard, the paths and 

 walls should be damped down late in tie 

 afternoon with a weak solution of this liquid. 



LATE VINES.— The work of pruning^ 

 cleaning the rods, and washing the houses 

 should be finished without delay, allow tlie 

 ventilators of the house to stand wide open 

 during open weather to give the vines a com- 

 plete rest. Care must be exercised not to 

 allow the water in the pipe to become frozen; 

 this can usually be obviated by reducing 

 the ventilators or closing them altogether 

 during severe weather. 



PEACHES AND NECTARINES. Perma- 

 nent trees that were started some weeks ago 

 will be in flower ; therefore increase the tem- 

 perature to between 50 deg. to 55 deg. at 

 night, allowing a day temperature of from 

 60 to 65 deg. During the flowering period 

 the air should be kept rather d?ry, and tie 

 flowers be pollinated every day with the aid 

 of a camel-hair brush or a rabbit's tail to 

 ensure a good set of fruit. Admit plenty of 

 air when possible, but at the same time 

 avoid cold draughts. If the borders require 

 water^ this should be applied early in tlie 

 day to allow a f airly dry atmosphere to be 

 maintained at night during the flowering 

 period. Disbud sparingly as the young 

 shoots develop, removing only the strongest 

 from the upper and lower part of t^* 

 branches; Keep a sharp look out for green- 

 fly, and fumigate on its first appearance. 



POT FIGS. — Pay particular attention to 

 figs grown in pots. The soil must not be 

 allowed to become dry, or the fruit will turn 

 yellow and drop oft'. On the other hand, tie 

 ix>ts must be thoroughly well drained, or the 

 trees will suffer in precisely the same way 

 from stagnant moisture. A temperature of 

 50 deg. at night and 60 deg. by day with sun 

 heat is sufficient to commence with, gradu- 

 ally increasing the night temperature to 

 60 deg. and 65 deg. in the day. Lightly 

 syringe the plants in genial weather, admit 

 ting air on all rfavourable occasions to main, 

 tain a. sweet growing atmosphere. 



STRAWBERRIES.— If the fruits are set, 

 thin them, immediately to the required num- 

 ber, and give those remaining some support, 

 attend carefully to the watering, and supply 

 occasionally with liquid manure water, to 

 accelerate the swelling of the fruit. Con- 

 tinue to syringe the plants on fine days 

 until the fruit commences to colour, when 

 i-:pringing must be discontinued. Maintain 

 a night temperature of 55 deg, with a day 

 temperature of 60 deg. Inti^uce batches 

 of plants into a cool house to maintain a 

 succession. — Henry R. Farmer, Cardiff 

 Castle Gardens. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



HERBACEOUS BORDERS.— Where tli^^^ 

 have to l>e rearranged, push on with tli^ 

 work during mild weather, in order to cam. 

 plete it soon as possible, and in replant- 

 ing always retain the more vigorous out- 

 side portions of the roots. In dealing witli 

 a border of large dimensions it is desirable 

 to place each variety in bold masses, as a 

 finer effect is obtained in this way, but in 

 the case of a smaller border it is preferable 

 to arrange the plants in small groups. 

 arrangement of the herbaceous border is ^ 

 matter that requires close attention ; an^ 

 an intimate knowledge of the various plaut^ 

 is necessary to enable the eultivator to 

 group them with due regard to their height 

 and colour. Tlie more ibold kinds, 

 delphini urns, phloxes, paeonies, the cain- 

 panulas, helianthuses, artemisias, and ma- 

 beckias, will form the outstanding features 

 of the border, while such kinds as aqiul^ 

 gias, poteutilla^, trollius, gaillardias, p7^' 

 thruni^. v. i niiica^. arc suitable for the i«l^^' 

 mediate >])a(<'^. Herhaceous lx>rders ^^^^ 

 be carefully forked over now, and, wli^r^ 

 well-rotted itianiire is available, a dressing 

 this oan be worked in with advantage. 



THE WILD GARDEN.— This p)rt.ion oj 

 the pleasure grounds, when judioionsl. 

 planted and well cared for, forms a P^^^'^l^? 

 feature. At the same time ,such a garden 



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