164 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



February 24, 1912 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



AXGULOAS are now becoming^ active after 

 their long^, dry rest, which they so much 

 appreciate. They should be grown in a 

 ■compost of one part osmunda fibre, one part 

 peatj one pai^t polypodium fibre, and one of 

 sphagnum moss and fibrous loam, all used in 

 a fairly rough condition. Should it be con- 

 sidered necessary to repot any of these 

 plants, this is best done when the new 

 growths are a few inches hiRli* before the 

 flower spikeis appear; as, if left until the 

 flowering period is over, the roots are often 

 far advanced, and easily damaged. The 

 flower buds will appear from the base of the 

 new growths. Anguloas succeed either at the 

 cool end of the intermediate, or the warm 

 end of the cool house. When in full growth, 

 and the pots are full of roots, they delight 

 in an abundant supply of water, and an oc- 

 casional watering with weak liquid manure 

 or soot water. 



LYCASTES. — The same remark^s also apply 

 to thoe, many of which will now be in bloom. 

 They produce their flower buds in exactly 

 the same manner, and therefore require re- 

 potting in the same way. They recover very 

 quickly, as the new roots soon enter the new 

 compost, and become firmly established. 

 "When potting, keep the plant well below the 

 rim of the pot, so that in the growing season 

 a plentiful supply of water can be given. 



ZYGOPETALUMS. — Z. Mackayi and Z. 

 crinitum, as they pass out of flower may be 

 r e po 1 1 ed shou Id t li is be ne c ess a r y . Tliets e 

 plants resent being disturbed at the roots, 

 and potting mu(st be done with care. TTiey 

 will thrive in the same kind of compost as 

 lycastes and anguloas, and the general treat- 

 ment laid down for those species is altso suit- 

 able for these. Such zygopetalums as Z. 

 Perrenoudi, and others, that are pushing 

 up their flower ^spikes, had })etter not be 

 potted until the flowering period is over. 

 They must not be potted too firmly, and they 

 delight in abundance of water when in full 

 growth. During the summer months they 

 must be shaded from strong c^unshine, and 

 their proper place is at the warm end of an 

 intermediate house. 



CYMBIDIUM TRACYANUM, C. Hookeri- 

 anum, etc., as they pass out of bloom ard 

 the young growths push up and begin to put 

 forth roots, may be repotted, using the ,same 

 sort of compost as for anguloas, etc. If the 

 loam is of good quality, a little more can be 

 used for this species, but I prefer a good 

 free rooting medium in preference to a heavy 

 ■compost, relying on frequent usee of liquid 

 manure when well rooted and in full growth. 

 These plants do not like disturbance at the 

 Toots, therefore it is not desirable to pot them 

 unless it is an absolute necessity to do so. 

 Do not use pots too large, as cymbidiumis 

 flower much more satisfactorily when their 

 roots are restricted, and the pots are well- 

 filled with roots. They delight in an airy 

 position in the intermediate house, and must 

 be shaded from strong sunshine. — J. T. 

 Barker, The West Hill Gardens. 



CONSERVATORY AND GREEN- 

 HOUSE. 



FERNS. — Adiantums, etc., should be ex- 

 amined forthwith. Plants in small pots will 

 need a shift. Before repotting scratch the 

 ball of soil around the sides with a pointed 

 stick to free the roots somewhat. Old plants 

 which are bare in the centre should be 

 divided with a knife and potted, using 

 smaller pots. Adiantum Farleyense will not 

 remain in good health for many years unless 

 treated in this way. Plants which do not 

 need a shift should be tidied up by picking 

 off old fronds, and enc-ouraging the young 

 fronds with applications of tepid soot water 

 and liquid monure occasionally. 



SCHIZANTHUSES.— These useful annuals 

 are excellent vsubjects for the con^rvatory. 

 Young plants raised in the autumn and 

 grown in email pots will now be ready for 



]>otting on into 32's. Loam, leaf-soil, and 

 coarse sand make an excellent compost. 

 Schizantliuses must be grown cool to main- 

 tain sturdy, bushy plants; they resent cod- 

 dling, and so long as the liouse or frame is 

 frost-proof, with plenty of light, it will siiit 

 the plant^^ admirably. When well rooted in 

 their flowering pots the plants like plenty of 

 liquid manure. 



PRIMULAS. — The members of the primula 

 family are favourites for conservatory deco- 

 ration, and the cultivation of P. sinensis, P. 

 stellata, P. Kewensis, P. obconica, etc., is 

 well understood. It is of a later arrival I 

 should like to add a note, namely, P. mala- 

 coides; I have now a batch of about 1()0 

 plants, and their dainty rosy-lilac flowers, 

 produced on spikes one foot high, after the 

 style of Primula japonica, present a charm- 

 ing appearance. The abundance of flower 

 spikevs in comparison to the size of the plants 

 is extraordinary. It has been spoken 

 of as being quile hardy, but I have not 

 found it so. True, it will stand a great deal 

 of cold, but it is liable to damp off at the 

 collar in wet weather, and hard frost will 

 kill the plants. It is a perennial, but the 

 plant^^ are best raised from seed each year. 

 If seeds are sown at intervals of three months 

 a succession may be kept up. The cultivation 

 is also very simple. Seeds should be sown 

 now, choosing pots or pans well crocked. The 

 compost should be two parts loam, one part 

 leaf-soil, and one part silver sand. The com- 

 post should be sifted finely, and the pos or pan 

 filled to within one inch of the rim; sow the 

 seed evenly, and sprinkle it over with silver 

 sand. Put a piece of glass over the top, 

 and place the pan in a strxicture with a tem- 

 perature of about 50 degrees. When the 

 seedlings are well up, prick off' and place 

 them in cold frames. As the plants grow 

 shift them into larger pots, but they 

 are not strong rooting subjects, and 

 the largest specimens can be grown in a 

 48-size pot. Grow the plants cool and near 

 the glass always. — Lewis Smith, Shotesham 

 Park Gardens. 



HARDY FRUITS. 



STEAWBEKRIES.— Owing to the mild 

 weather weeds have grown apace ; with so 

 much wet it has been practically impossible 

 to keep them down. Old plantations will 

 need manuring, but previous to applying the 

 dressing remove all dead leaves and weeds 

 from the plants, then spread the manure be- 

 tween the rows and point it in with a fork, 

 working it well up to the collar of the plants, 

 but the less the roots are disturbed the 

 better. Spent mushroom bed material is the 

 best for this purpose ; failing this use well 

 rotted manure. The addition of some old 

 potting soil is an advantage where the soil 

 is of a tenacious character. Where the above 

 manures are not to be had, artificial fer- 

 tilisers may be used. Soot is an excellent 

 stimulant, and at the same time proves dis- 

 tasteful to slugs and other pests. Young 

 plants put out last autumn should be ex- 

 amined, and faulty ones replaced from the 

 reserve bed ; a dressing of soot will be bene- 

 ficial, and supply suflicient nutriment to the 

 plants. New beds may be formed from run- 

 ners which were set out in nursery rows, but 

 I do not advocate this method of culture. 

 Planting should only be carried out when 

 the soil is in a suitable condition. 



ESPALIER TREES. — The 



of 



pruning 



espalier apple and pear trees should be com- 

 pleted without delay. Where there is a 

 superabundance of fruit spurs (this often oc- 

 curs on espalier-trained trees) they should be 

 boldly thinned out; long, unsightly spurs 

 should be removed by degrees, and by sawing 

 off each year those spurs which can be spared 

 it is possible to recover the branches with 

 a fresh set of healthy, plump fruit spurs in 

 the course of a few years. Extension wood 

 should be cut back according to the vigour of 

 the tree, and young growths laid in where 

 necessary to take the place of old or diseased 

 growths. Tie in the branches with tar twine, 

 and spray the trees. If growth is tco vigor- 

 ous, and the trtM^s fail to form fruit spurs, 

 attention must })e dii-ected to the roots; it 

 is now getting late to completely lift the 



trees, but by doing one-half now and the re- 

 maining portion early next autumn, suflicient 

 check will be administered to bring the trees 

 into a fruitful condition. Apples on the para- 

 dise, and pears on the quince stock, seldom 

 require attention to the roots unless the tree 

 is in an unhealthy state, when it should be 

 carefully lifted and the border renovated 

 with fresh loam. Trees on these stocks should 

 have their roots disturbed as little as pos- 

 sible. Fruitful trees may now have a dress- 

 ing of artificials, lightly pointing it in; a 

 dressing of bone-flour, 3 or 4 ounces to tlie 

 square yard, will prove a great help, and if 

 to this! is added 2 ounces of sulphate of 

 potash, better results may be anticipated. X 

 mulch of good manure later on will supply 

 the neceseary amount of nitrogen to trees 

 which have set a full crop. 



Apricots should be protected against frost 

 and cold winds. Choice plums are worthy 

 of protection alike from birds and severe 

 weather. Three thicknesses of one-inch mesh 

 netting provides a fair cover, but it pays to 



have blinds made up of either No. 3 or Xo. 5 

 shading, stout hessian or cotton canvas ; these 



with cave will last for years. No. 3. shading 

 I consider to be an excellent protective ma- 

 terial, but whatever material may be used 

 muet be so fixed that strong winds cannot 

 dash it against the trees. — W. Messenger, 

 Woolverstone Park Gardens. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



PARSNIPS.— Should the ground be in a 

 suitable condition, the seed should now be 

 sown. Parsnips delight in a deeply-dug soil, 

 and may follow leeks or celery ; beyond a 

 dressing of burnt garden refuise, or soot, and 

 the surface well raked and levelled up, very 

 little eke will be necessary previous to sow- 

 ing the seeds. Draw drills eighteen inches 

 apart, and one inch in depth, and sow two or 

 three together at intervals of six inches to 

 ensure an even crop ; later on thin out ev^ry 

 alternate station, and leave the plants one 

 foot apart. To obtain fine roots, holes must 

 be bored eighteen inches apart, and four 

 feet deep, filling them in fairly firm with 

 finely sifted soil; old potting soil forms 

 capital material for this mode of culture. 



ONIONS.— Tliose sown early in the year 

 rnust be pricked off; nothing is gained br 

 pricking off too early, but much is gained 

 if the seedlings are left long enough to be- 

 come strong, with three and four nice roots, 

 as they then grow away sturdily and root- 

 more quickly. Use boxes of soil containing 

 three partis loam, one part mushroom l>^d 

 manure, and a little road grit ; place the 

 seedlings three inches apart, return to a tem- 

 perature of 55 degrees, and well water them 

 in. When the seedlings are established, 

 gradually inure them to more airy surround- 

 ings, aiming at a strong plant by April. 



LEEKS should l>e treated as advised for 

 onions, giving them occasional light spray- 

 ings of tepid water on all favourable occa- 

 sions. 



PEAS.— Good sowings t?hould be made on 

 sheltered borders to succeed those now com- 

 fortably inside, in boxes. Draw drills not 

 less than nine inches wide and four inches 

 in depth, and cover the seed with one inch ot 

 fine soil. This trench-like drill, when com- 

 pleted, will make things snug, by warding on 

 the cold wind when the little r^eedlings ap- 

 pear ; and later on w ill hold the usual top- 

 dressings and wateringei. Should much rajfl 

 occur after sowing, lay boards temporarily 

 over the trenche-s ; and, again, should tn« 

 ground rstill remain wet and pasty (as it i 

 at the time of writing^, make another sow- 

 ing in boxes and place in the Ri"^"^^^^^^',^^ 

 any fruit house, to germinate. Prontao^ 

 varieties for thi^j sowing are Early Gian ■ 

 Edwin Beckett, and Duke of Albany. 



GENERAL REMAEKS.— Prick off earlv- 

 sown parsley, when ready, in boxes of ric 

 soil ; make small sowings of maincrop cauli- 

 flowers, cabbage, lettuce, French beans, etc.. 

 in pots and boxes. Introduce more clave- 

 mint, and tarragon into the forcing pi^- 

 blanch endive and chicory as ^^^"^^'^ 

 sow spinach on a south border.—^ 

 Ellwooo, Swanmore Park Gardens. 



