142 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



FEBRUAnY 17, 1912. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



THE MEXICAN HOUSE.— In this house 

 Odontoglosoum citrosmum is starting into 

 growth, but the plants must not be dicsturbed 

 by repotting, nor unduly excited by watering, 

 or tliey will produce no flower spikes. They 

 should be kept at the cool end of the house, 

 and receive no water until the spikes are 

 eeen to be pushing up through the centre of 

 the young growths. When this occurs they 

 may receive abundance of water both at the 

 Toote and in the atmosphere. Tlio&e plants 

 which show no signs of flowering within the 

 next few we- eks, should not be rented longer, 

 for no further amount of resting will in- 

 duce them to bloom. 



LMLIA. ANCEPS.— In the same house 

 Laelia anceps, and its numerous varietiet^, 

 will have passed out of bloom, and after 

 they have enjoyed a short rest, and new roots 

 are'^seen to be pushing from the rhizome, no 

 time should be lost in supplying fresh root- 

 ing material, or larger receptacles to tha-ie 

 requiring them. I prefer pans to pots, and 

 these mu-t be well drained. Do not disturb 

 the plants more than is necessary, but any 

 that have overgrown their receptacles, or 

 that are unsightly, should be made up again 

 into compact specimens. All useless back- 

 bulbt> should be cut away, as it is not neces- 

 sary to have more than three or four behind 

 the leading growth. Should these back- 

 bulbs come from any variety which it is 

 deemed necessary to increase the stock, they 

 may be placed in a box or pan, upon a layer 

 of sphagnum moss, and sprayed from time 

 to time, when those which have good buds 

 will push forth new growths ; they may 

 then be potted up. The compost I find them 

 succeed in consists of equal parts peat, poly- 

 podium and osmunda fibre, and clean 

 sphagnum moss, with a fair sprinkling of 

 half-decayed oak leaves, which have been 

 rubbed through a half-inch sieve. All the 

 earthy particles must be taken from the 

 fibres*. Tlie newly-potted plants must be 

 watered cautiously until new roots are 

 moving in the compost. Tlxey may be sprayed 

 overhead occasionally on bright days, and 

 they delight in the lightest and brightest 

 position in the house. For the present the 

 night temperature should range from 58 to 

 60 degrees, increasing gradually as the davvs 

 lengthen. It matters little how high the 

 temperature rises by sun-heat, providing 

 plenty of fresh air is admitted. When young 

 roots push from the rhizome, they must be 

 carefully protected from woodlice and cock- 

 roaches, w hich do considerable damage, even 

 in a single night. The above conditions 

 answer the requirements of all the Mexican 

 laelias. 



SHADING.— Although up to the present 

 it has not l>een necessary to use any shad- 

 ing, it will become a necessity at any time 

 now; therefore all blinds should be tho- 

 roughly overhauled and put into working 

 order, so that whenever the sun puts forth 

 its power everything may be ready. W^e find 

 lath rolled blinds answer our requirements 

 in all c£:>es, but during the abnormal summer 

 of last year it was found necessary to use 

 additional shading of thin canvas. The usual 

 kind of shading for the ends or sides 

 of the various houses must soon be brought 

 into use; either stippling, or frames covered 

 by canvas, or the foliage of the plants may 

 easily be scorched. — J. T. Barker, Tlie West 

 Hill Garden.s. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



TEMPERATURE. — As the days are now 

 lengthening, and the sun's power appreci- 

 ably increasing, a temperate re a few degrees 

 higher should be maintained both day and 

 night; but the rise must be gradual, and in 

 accordance with the conditions prevailing 

 outdoors. Utilise the sun heat as much as 



favour an increase of insect life. In the-se 

 days there are numerous preparations on the 

 market for the extirpation of pests, thus 

 making it easy to keep the plants clean by 

 timely applications. 



BEGONIAS.— Begonias of the Lorraine 

 type that have pas&ed out of flower should 

 be cut down to within four inches of their 

 base, and kept rather dry for a time, then 

 placed in heat and supplied with w^ater to 

 induce them to produce cuttings. These 

 should be taken of^ with a heel when two or 

 three inches long, inserted in sandy soil, 

 and placed in the propagating frame. If 

 potted on friable soil, used as soon as 

 rooted, these will provide good specimenis 

 for the earliest batch of flowering plants next 

 wanter. Where extra large specimens are de- 

 sired it is good practice to strike three cut- 

 tings in a thumb pot, and shift them on into 

 larger pots when rooted without any dis- 

 turbance. Excellent plants may be grown 

 by selecting mature leaves at this time, and 

 after passing the knife lightly over the ribs 

 of the leaves, peg them on to sandy soil in 

 pans. Plants raised by this metlio.d will 

 ))ear comparison with th^se raised from cut- 

 tings. The Rex varieties are also particu- 

 larly amenable to leaf propagation, and the 

 present is a good time to raise the required 

 number of planto. 



ACHIMENES.— These are not so fre- 



possible by closing early m the alternoon, 

 thus saving excessive fire heat at night. 



INSECT PESTS.— Wage constant war with 

 these at this season, when the conditions 



quently cultivated as their merits deserve, 

 llie tubers should now be shaken from the 

 old soil and restarted into growth. In gar- 

 dens where these plants are grown in quan- 

 tity it is good practice to start them in 

 batches to form a succession. Grand speci- 

 mens may be grown in ordinary round seed- 

 pans, or the tubers may be started in a seed 

 box, and when the young growth is two or 

 three inches high, be transplanted into 

 hanging baskets. The soil most suitable for 

 achimenes iri one consisting of two parts 

 peat to one each ot loam, and flaky leaf- 

 soil, plenty of sharp sand, and a sprinkling 

 of bone-meal and dried cow or sheep manure. 

 The pans, or pots, should be three parts filled 

 with the compost, the tubers laid flat on 

 the surface, and then covered with half an 

 inch of soil. — H. T. Martin, Warren Wood 

 Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER CLASS. 



EARLY VINES IN FLOWER.— The sharp 

 host and snow, which we have recently ex- 

 perienced, accompanied by dull, sunless days, 

 has had a deterrent eft'ect upon early forcing. 

 During the flowering period of -vines tlie 

 atmosphere of the house should be kept fairly 

 drv, and we like to leave a crack of ventila- 

 tion on the top ventilators night and day, 

 but this has been almost impossible during 

 the severe weather we have experienced, and 

 at the eame time maintain a steady minimum 

 tem{>erature of &) to 65 deg., without over- 

 heating the hot-water pipes. We discon- 

 tinued syringing and reduced the damping- 

 down to a minimum for a few days during 

 the flowering period to allow the flowers to 

 ^et, but immediately a "set" has been ob- 

 taiiUMi, syringing and damping-down will be 

 coniincnced again, or red-spider will probably 

 make its appearance. Pollinate the hunches 

 with a camel'? hair brush, or rabbit's tail, 

 every day, when the pollen is dry, and easily 

 dispersed. We find this is the safest plan to 

 adopt at this early season of the year to en- 

 sure a good set. Later on in the season, it 

 is not necessary to adopt these means with 

 free-setting varieties, but with Muscats and 

 several shy-setting grapes it is imperative 

 that it should be done. 



THINNING GRAPES.— It is a great mis- 

 take to allow^ the berries to grow to the size 

 of small peas, before commencing to thin 

 them. A commencement should be made 

 immediately they are set. The small berries 

 grow with remarkable rapidity, and con- 

 stant attention should be given ; use a good 

 sharp pair of thinning scissors, and exercise 

 great care not to rub the berries in any 

 way. Maintain a night temperature of 65 

 degrees, with a day temperature of 70 to 75 

 degrees, allowing a rise of 10 degrees with 

 sun heai. Applications of weak liquid 

 manure, and some approved chemical fer- 



tiliser should be given, and well watered in 

 occasionally to accelerate the swelling of the 

 berries, and to promote good healthy foilat^e 

 Continue to damp down the house late in fhe 

 afternoon with w^eak liquid cow manure. 



PEACHES AND NECTARINES.— Endea- 

 vour to finally disbud the earliest trees, and 

 exercise due care to thin them eufficientlv, 

 and allow plenty of room to develop, so that 

 later on no confusion will follow; commence 

 to tie in the shoots as they advance in 

 growth. The fruits wall now be set, and a 

 start should be made to partially thin them; 

 proceed with due caution, first removing all 

 badly-formed fruits, and also those that are 

 too close to the wires. Administer some 

 liquid or chemical stimulant to the roots, to 

 assist the young fruits to grow away freely. 

 Close the house, and syringe the trees 

 thoroughly early in the afternoon, and mani- 

 tain a night temperature of from 60 to 65 

 degrees. Close the second early house for 

 isuccessional fruits; give the borders a good 

 soaking with clean water, and proceed on 

 exactly the same lines as that recommended 

 for forcing the early house. 



MELONS. — Plants raised from seeds sown 

 as recommended, early last month, Avill '>e 

 ready to plant out into firm mounds of soil: 

 give the plants a good watering to settle the 

 soil around the roote after planting, and 

 place a strong stake to each, to which it 

 should be carefully tied.— Heney R. Farmer. 

 Cardiff Castle Gardens. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN, 



LAWNS.— These should be kept in good 

 condition by frequentlv sweeping and rolling 

 them during favourable weather, otherwiee 

 wonn-casbs render them unsightly. It often 

 happens that lawns become impoverished 

 from varioucs causes, and where this is the 

 case a good dressing of bone-meal, or some 

 approved lawn manure, should be given at 

 the present time. Weeds like dandelions and 

 plantains must be taken out, and the hok^ 

 be filled with some fine soil. Towards the 

 end of March these places, and other bare 

 parts of the lawn, can be sown over with 

 some good grass seed, which should be well 

 rolled in ; but means must be taken to guard 

 it against birds. 



SWEET PEAS.— Autumn-sown plants that 

 have been wintered in cold frames must be 

 well supplied with air on favourable occa- 

 sions to promote sturdy growth. For ordi- 

 nary garden adornment seeds can be sown 

 at the present time in 60-sized pots, three 

 seeds in each pot, and placed in a house witn 

 a temperature of 55 degrees to germinate. 

 WUien the seedlings are above the soil, give 

 them a position near the glass, and finally 

 remove them to a cold frame where they can 

 be hardened off, to plant out early in April. 

 When they need support, place a few twiggj 

 sticks around them to keep the plants erect. 



BORDER CHRYSANTHEMUMS.---Tliose 

 boxed up in the autumn are now producing 

 an abundant supplv of cuttings, which shouia 

 be taken off with a sharp knife and insertea 

 in small pots filled with a light sandy com- 

 post. If placed in a brick pot with a tem- 

 perature of alx)ut 50 degrees, and kept near 

 the glass, they will soon take root, and can 

 then be potted separately. Tliey should t)e 

 given a good watering, and kept close lor 

 few days until they take root in the neNv 

 soil, when more air can be given with a ■ 

 vantage. 



DELPHINIUMS AND PHLOXES.--Tliese 

 are both handsome border plants worthy 

 extensive cultivation, and they delight in _^ 

 rich and deep rooting medium. ^ W^hen it ^ 

 desired to increase choice varieties, this ca 

 readily be done at the present time by at- 

 taching small side shoots with some roois 

 attached. Pot them up separately m ^mau 

 pots, and place in a cool house or frame, 

 which should be kept fairly close for a tim^ 

 until growth commences. 



Later on they can 

 be planted out where required, in boi^ 

 jTOups for preference, or, if it is desired 

 still further increase any of the phloxes, tli^y 



pats, and have 



should be grown on lu 

 tings taken from them, 

 ford Park Gardens. 



" mi 



cut- 



J. Gardner, Bats- 



