120 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



February 10, 1912. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



DENDROBIUMS. — Many species ai\d 

 hvbride^ are now showing flower buds m 

 various stages of development. Where good 

 growth was obtained la^t year, and after- 

 wards properly ripened, the plants may be 

 allowed to carry them; but plants that failed 

 to make satisfactory growth, or any that 

 are weakly, from any cause, should be re- 

 lieved of their flower buds, in order that 

 they may make stronger growth in the 

 coming season. Before the flower buds are 

 far advanced, it desirable that the plants 

 should be thoroughly cleansed, 80 that after 

 flowering they may be repotted at once should 

 this be necessary. The flowering plants will 

 need a little extra moisture both at the roots 

 and in the atmosphere, to enable the flower 

 buds to expand satisfactorily. A tempera- 

 ture of 60 degrees will answer their require- 

 ments, and on no account murit they be un- 

 dulv forced. With dendrobiunis it is as yet 

 a little early to do very much repotting, but 

 there are cases where a start can be made. 

 Seedlings which are too small to flower may 

 be potted. With newly-potted plants the 

 watering must be done with great care until 

 the new growths are well advanced, and the 

 new roots taking a good hold of the com- 

 post. The temperature for these must be 

 about 65 degrees, so that the growths may 

 l>e healthy and sturdy. A suitable conipctst 

 consists of equal parts of peat, polypodium 

 and osmunda fibre, and sphagnum moss. I 

 do not favour the use of leaves for dendro- 

 biums. 



IMPORTED DENDROBIUMS— This is 

 the best season of the year to acquire im- 

 ported plants ctf D. nobile, D. Wardianum, 

 and many others. After the plant-^ have been 

 thoroughly cleansed, they may be potted an:l 

 treated in the same way as those that are 

 now cominor into flower. No eifort to undulv 

 bush the plants into growth should he made, 

 and the compost should be kept somewhat 

 dry until new roots are seen to be pushing 

 from the base of the bulbs. Spraying over- 

 head occasionallv will be })em^ticial, and be 



a 



conducive to growth. As the new growths 

 gain in strength, and roots become plentiful, 

 water may he more frequently and liberally 

 given. 



PHAL^NOPSIS. — These lovely winter 

 flowering orchids are now^ practically over 

 for this season, and will enjoy a slight rest. 

 Tliev should onlv receive sufficient water to 

 support their large succulent leaves, wliich 



should remain at all times perfently plump 

 and healthy. Having no pseudo-bulbs, these 

 leaves are the mainstay of the plants, there- 

 fore every means should be taken to retain 

 them as long as possible. I prefer pans in 

 preference to baskets, or cylinders, as I think 

 the majority of plants can be more succct-s- 

 fully cultivated in pans than pots. When 

 phalsenopsis are seen to be moving into 

 growth is the best time to overhaul them, 

 and all tliose that are in want of new cnin- 

 ]K>st should have attention. A good compost 

 consists of equal parts of peat, polypodium 

 and osmunda flbre, and sphagnum mo-_s, with 

 a liberal addition of half-decayed oak leaves. 

 After repotting the plants must be carefully 

 watered, and shaded from strong light. All 

 composts used in potting should be warmed 

 quite up to the temperature of the house 

 in which the plants are grown. — J. T. 

 Barker, West Hill Gardens. 



CONSERVATORY AND GREEN- 

 HOUSE. 



CAXX AS.— During the last few years 

 canna*^ have been greatly improved; they 

 used to be grown chiefly for the flne effect 

 they gave to suh-tropical bedding, the foliage 

 being very eft'ectivc, but the flowers were 

 very poor and not of much account. They 

 are" now among our most gorgeous conserva- 

 torv plants, and would be even more popular 

 if their cultivation were better understood. 

 The present is a good time to make a start. 



Seeds can be obtained, and if soaked in warm 

 water for twenty-four hours by placing the 

 vessel of water in the plant stove, before 

 sowing, the plants; are easily raised if sown 

 in sandv loam and placed in a temperature of 

 60 degrees; but the varieties are generally 

 so poor and disappointing from seeds that 

 they are not worth the trouble. It is better 

 to "buv named varieties of merit to begin 

 with. ^ Plants that were grown last season, 

 and have been rested under the stage, should 

 now be placed in heat. In most cases they 

 are a potful of roots, with one or two leading 

 growths. When the leading growths have at- 

 tained a height of 18 inches with the leaves 

 developing, the rhizome should be cut clean 

 through between the young growth and the 

 old stool. The plants should then be knocked 

 out of the pots, and the young growth with 

 the roots attached to it pulled away from the 

 side of the ball of soil, and potted, choosing 

 large 32-sized pots. The compost should be 

 good loam two parts, decayed manure one 

 part, and plenty of coarse sand. The old stools 

 should be thrown away unless required for 

 stock. Cannas revel in plenty of heat 

 and moisture, and they also like liquid 

 manure when well rooted. When the flower 

 spike appears another young growth will 

 atart from the base, and when this is 18in, 

 high, sever it from the plant , remove, 

 and pot it separately as advised above, or it 

 may take the lead, and very likely the flower 

 spike will not develop. If this system is 

 practised one may have cannas all the year 

 round. A good selection of varieties is: Eliza 

 Hoss, Oscar Dannicker, Black Prince, Gaek- 

 war of Baroda, Mrs. G. H. Strohlein, Papa 

 Crozy, W. Watson, H. Aldinger, and Goethe. 



ROSES IN POTS.— These should now be 

 pruned back to three buds on each growth. 

 If the soil has become sour the plants should 

 be shaken out of the soil and repotted. Trim 

 l)ack any long, straggling or decaying roots, 

 and repot at once in a rich compost of fibrous 

 loam, decayed manure, and coarse sand. If a 

 top-dressing only is necessary, pick off as 

 much of the soil as it is possible without in- 

 juring the roots, using a pointed wooden peg. 

 Give a top-dressing of rich soil, adding a oin. 

 potful of some good fertiliser, such as Clay's, 

 which is well suited for roses, to the bar- 

 rowload. of soil. When they have been 

 potted or top-dressed, they should be placed 

 in a heated frame, giving water sparingly. 

 They should be syringed well overhead to en- 

 courage them to break freely; give on all 

 favourable occasions. Such varieties as Maro- 

 chal Niel, Niphetos, etc., trained on rafters, 

 should be taken down and pruned hard, i.e., 

 all the young growths made during the last 

 summer should be tied carefully in their full 

 Length, as these varieties produce their best 

 blooms on the last season's growth ; but all 

 old wood that flowered last season must be 

 cut away. — Lewis Smith, Shotesham Park 

 Gardens. 



HARDY FRUITS. 



OKCHABES. — The scathing remarks of our 

 fruit-growing friends aeross the water on tlie 

 j)ianagemeiit (or mismanagcjiient ) nf our or- 

 cliai'ds arc unfortunately in many casos only 

 t')r» \iui\ In these days of eflicient i>isecti- 

 ( ides, washes, etc , and moauis ot applying 

 them, it is to be regretted tliat more time 

 and energy is not given to the best of what 

 may be a necessary evil, that is, to give the 

 old trees, as far as possible, a new leane of 

 life until such time as a younger plantation 

 takes the place of the old one. Decrepit trees 

 and worthless varieties . should be removed 

 and replaced by good varieties ; the site 

 should be trenched over, and, where neces- 

 sary, fresh loam added bcLore planting the 

 young trees. Sadly neglected trees should 

 first be pruned; usually this kind of tree is 

 one mass of growth, and the work of thin- 

 ning out must be drastic, with the object of 

 allowing free admission of light and air to 

 all parts. All dead wood and growths 

 aftected by canker mu .t be cut away. The 

 loose bark on the stems -and main branches 

 shoiihl tK' scraped oft' (a three-incli onion hoe 

 is a liaiidv U>o\ for the purpose). 1'<> cleanse 

 the trcc> of moss, lichen, etc., f:pray with a 

 ciaustic wash, thoroughly wetting the mam 



stem and branches to reach hidden insect 

 pests. If growing in grass, remove the latter 

 for a foot or fifteen inches clear of the stem. 



AMERICAN BLIGHT.— Trees aft'eeted bv 

 this pest should be well brushed over witn 

 paraftin emulsion. The roots should be laid 

 bare for a yard or so, and, if troubled with 

 blight, djamp the roots v^ith the emulsion. 

 The removed soil should be burnt and new 

 put in its place. Old pear trees still retain- 

 ing their vigour of growth, but if inferior 

 varieties, may be cut back and grafted 

 with choice varieties (this will be referred 

 to in a later note.) To promote healthy 

 growth a spring dressing of <a suitable arti- 

 ficial mixture should be applied, and, if de- 

 sired, a home-made mixture of superphos- 

 phate, sulphate of potash, and sulphate of 

 ammonia can be used ait the rate of 5cwt. of 

 superphosphate, 2cwt. of sulphate of potash, 

 and 2cwt. O'f sulphate of ammonia per acre, 

 the whole to be thoroughly well mixed to- 

 gether before use. 



BUSH TREES.— Arrears of pruning should 

 be made good at the earliest opportunity, 

 and the trees sprayed. When pruning apples 

 discrimination and close observation of the 

 various varieties are some of the prime fac- 

 tors of success, habit of growth varies con- 

 siderably, and to prune all alike is to court 

 failure. Varieties which form fruit &purs 

 freely may be pruned , back 'hard, leaving suffi- 

 cient extension wood to fill up any gaps or 

 weak places ; there are several which form 

 their fruit buds on the tips of the young 

 wood, or in the forks of the branches, and 

 Lady Sudeley is a well-known example of this 

 type"^; with such varieties it is more a matter 

 of thinning out the growths, leaving as miich 

 bearing wood as is consistent with admission 

 of light and air ; the miain branches should 

 be more thinly disposed to allow room for 

 the young growths, but in many causes far too 

 many fruit buds are allowed to remain on 

 the trees. Many varieties ol pears, if allowed 

 to carry too many fruit buds, completely fail 

 to produce fruit, and hard thinning will, in 

 most caees, work wonders, and trees hitherto 

 unfertile w^ill set their fruits freely. Pears 

 on the quince usually require a certain 

 amount of thinning of the fruit buds, more 

 particularly after a few years' growth. Trees 

 making too vigorous growth and at the same 

 time failing to crqp ishould be root-pruiiecl 

 and allowed more growth until the balance of 

 root action and growth is res^tored; once a 

 tree heeomes fruitful it continues so under 

 ordinary c'rcumstances and care. Young 

 t.e^s <)f both ap]nes and pears, with an up- 

 right, close habit of growth, can be iorniod 

 into shapely trees by tving out the branches. 

 — W. MfssknCxEr, Wolverstone Park Gardens- 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



MUSHROOMS.— Prepare beds at frequent 

 intervals to maintain a regular supply, tlu- 

 course being far more satisfactory tlian 

 making very large beds less frequently. Oit - 

 times fresh horse-drcppings are not obtain- 

 able in large quantities, therefore small bed-j 

 made every three weeks will serve '^^^si ai^^l 

 prevent deterioration of the manure, wkuP 

 trying to collect enoug]i for larger br-ds. 



ARTICHOKES (JKUFSA LK^1 — 

 is gained by leaving the^e in the ground atte- 

 th's date; lift the crop, choosing the larger 

 tubers for use, and place them under ^^^^^^ 

 facing north till required; they shouldj^^ 

 "soiled " over to retain their freshness. 1 

 medium tubers of good ehape should >^ 

 planted back on the same plot, providing tn? 

 ground is deeply dug and well ^^'^^^^^^f; 

 Artichokes answer well for hiding unsightly 

 objects during the summer and autuni 



months. . 

 GLOBE ARTICHOKES.— The old stoo-^ 



must have ample protection during co^^ 

 w^eather; litter, bracken, or ashes answe^ 

 well, but ishould be removed during o^^^ 

 weatlier to i)revent the growth from rottiHr 

 or becoming drawn. Tiiose growths that weu 

 taken off in the autumn -and potted up, an 

 are now in cold frames, should have all po^ 

 sible air given on favourable occasion^. 



plant these out in March. . 



RHUBARB.— It is now an excellent tm 

 to replant a portion of the bed to keep u| 



