THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE. 



3^ 



A BEAUTIFUL SINGLE 

 CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



The high degree of popularity to which 

 the single-flowered ohrysanthemvims hxve 

 attained within re<?ent years was admirably 

 exemplified during the past season by the 

 many new varieties that were submitted to 

 public notice during the past season. 

 There were, it need h^ardly be said, some 

 that failed to find favour with the Floral 

 Committees of the Royal Horticultural So- 

 ciety and the National Chrysanthemum So- 

 ciety^ but a considerable proportion were 

 of so high an order of merit as to obtain 

 distinction from one or other of the two 

 committees or both, and to immediately 

 attract the attention of those who appre- 

 ciate the claims of chrysanthemums with 

 single flowers. To the latter class belongs 

 the beautiful variety Percy Arnoldj illus- 

 trated herewith. The form of the blooms 

 is so well shown as to render description 

 unnecessary, and it will suffice to say 

 that grown under ordinary culture the 

 blooms are a trifle larger than they are re- 

 presented in the illustration. Their ele- 

 gance .and adaptability for decorative pur- 

 poses in a. cut state is evident, and it re- 

 mains to be s*aid that the icolour is rich 

 pink, with a white zone round the disk. 

 The variety was raised by Mr. W. Rigden, 

 Englefield Gi'een, and had an Award of 

 Merit made in its favour at the meeting of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society held on 

 November 9 last 



WORK FOR THE WEEK 



APPLE COX*S ORANGE PIPPIN. 



Many readers, besides myself^ will have 

 read E. M.'s experience with this 

 variety as grown in a clayey soil, with much 

 interest. I have never grown the variety 

 in a really heavy loam, even ; but in a 

 light and medium heavy one only. I have^ 

 however, seen trees badly cankered in a 

 clayey rooting medium. I confess to being 

 extremely fond of Cox's Orange Pippin. 

 My trees never cankered, but they made 

 too much growth, and had to be root- 

 pruned a little. 



A gentleman living near had one tree of 

 this variety in his garden, the soil of which 

 was a very clayey one. He saw my trees, 

 and asked me what he should do to liis as it 

 did not bear fruit, and was badly cankered, 

 and after my suggestions had been made 

 he said I could experiment with the tree, 

 and kill or cure it. A trench was opened, 

 roots cut off, some brought up nearer the 

 surface, and some lighter soil was mixed 

 with the original in filling up the trench 

 again. ^'E. uM." rightly draws attention 



•oots will g 



sucli uncongenial soils, as in the case of tTie 

 tree in question, nearly all the roots were 

 round very deep down in the cold, hard 

 sub-soil. We freely cut out all cankered 

 parts of the branches, so much so that I 

 could see through some of them near th« 

 junction of the main branches with the stem 

 «r the tree. Then the pared parts were 

 twice painted with pure (undiluted) fir-tree 

 oil. The following year a nice crop of fruit 

 was gathered from the tree: the second 

 year a heavy crop, and the healthy bark 



_ad covered all the wounds. ' 

 tinned to bear satisfactory for several 



years but I have not heard how it has be- 

 haved sincp T Icff +V,^ 4._.- i 



con 



a sorry appearance when 

 dressed with the oil. 



. It presented 



first cut and 



This reference may be 

 some use to those persons who are grow- 

 ing a tew specimens in a clay soil. 



in my light soil the trees of Ribston 

 ^ippm cankered badly, and <all mv efforts 

 only results in a very partial cur^. 



Geo. Garneb. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



CLEANLINESS. 



It is do s i r a b Ic- the 



cleansing of the houses, both inside and out- 

 side, should be brought to a conclusion as 

 soon as possible, so that everything is ready 

 when the butsy season commences. It is 

 essential that all wood work, walls, glass, 

 stages, should be scrubbed thoroughly clean, 

 as cleanliness is one of the greatest aids to 

 good cultivation. The inmates of the 

 various houses should also be thoroughly 



that the maximum amount of light may pass 

 through it. 



WATERING.— Success in plant cultiva- 

 tion in their artificial homes depends en- 

 tirely on the application of water, or the 

 withholding of it. Each family of plants, 

 will require different treatment in this re- 

 spect, and in many cases different plants of 

 the same kind will vary in their require- 

 ments in the amount of water they require. 

 In some cases the error is made of giving 

 too much water at the roots with the idea 

 of keeping the pseudo-bulbs plump and 

 hard, and in not a few instances they are 

 seriously injured. On the other hand ex- 



A distinct 



CHRYSANTHEMUM PERCY ARNOLD, 

 beautiful single variety, raised by Mr. W. Rigden, with rather large 

 blooms which are rich pink with white zone round the disc. 



cleansed. Every plant before being put back 

 in its quarters should be dipped overhead in 

 a solution of some approved iucvecticide, and 

 all dirt, insects and other pests removed. 

 Many growers object to removing the outer 

 sheaths of cattleyas, and other plants of that 

 cla^, but when they are dried up and easily 

 removed, I do not hesitate to remove them. 

 By doing thici, a nice stock of scale and other 

 insects, which infest this class of plant, is 

 exposed. If these are not eradicated, the 

 plants will succumb sooner or later. Light 

 is a necessity in the cultivation of orchids 

 as of other plants, therefore the glass at all 

 times should be kent scrupulously clean, so 



cessive dryness is quite as harmful, and any- 

 one studying this question must take pains 

 to understand his plants. In the warmest 

 division (East Indian house) such evergreen 

 epiphytal orchids as a^rides, saccolabiums, 

 renantheras, angrsecums require water in 

 sufficient quantities to prevent loss of 

 foliage. When the sphagnum moss on the 

 surface assumes a whitish colour, it will show 

 at once that water is required; therefore the 

 compost should be thoroughly soaked, and 

 left until it becomes dry again. The species 

 of phalaenopsis at this season should have 

 close attention in the matter of watering. 

 Cypripediums of all kinds require watej: 



