184 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



March 2, 1912 



U8ed for aerides will answer their require- 

 ments, as also it will for vandas. 



VAXDAS. — Some of these will require at- 

 tention, notably V. Sanderiana, V. Eox- 

 burghi, V. ineignis, V. Parish!, and V. 

 lamellata, baskets ciuiting their requirements, 

 especially if they are large for ordinary 

 orchid pans. Tliey should be suspended in 

 a humid part of the house, and position is 

 everything, as they will thrive luxuriantly in 

 one part of the house, and fail absolutely in 

 another. A plant that fails to grow satis- 

 factorily should never be allowed to remain 

 long in one position. V. gigantea and V. 

 Batemaniaua require pot culture, being 

 strong gix>wing species; afford them a 

 light position and a moderate supply of 

 water until the growing sea^son is more a^i- 

 vanced, V. tricolor and V. suavis delight in 

 the temperature of tlie warm intermediate 

 houc^. V. coerulea, one of the most delight- 

 ful of orchids, succeeds under somewhat 

 cooler treatment than those previously men- 

 tioned; and, above all, must have pure 

 atmosphere. Plants that have been kept 

 cool and dry since they flowered, and are 

 now emitting new roots, should have atten- 

 tion. I tind they succeed in ordinary flower 

 pots, and are best grown in the intermediate 

 house, where they receive a plentiful supply 

 of fresh air, light, and moisture when in 

 full growth. 



TEMPEE ATU R E — llie temperature in 

 the various departments may now be slightly 

 increased with advantage from the figures 

 given in January; an all-round increase of 4 

 degrees may be allowed both by night and 

 day. With the increase of temperature, it 

 follows that the atmospheric conditions 

 should gradually become more conducive to 

 new growth. ITie amount of water afforded 

 may be increased without fear of injury, and 

 damping down may be done more frequently; 

 but a moist atmosphere together with a low 

 temi>erature must be avoided. Also avoid 

 urging the plants unduly into active growth 

 by using over much heat and moisture, but 

 rather allow them to grow in their own 

 natural way. Take advantage of mild 

 weather and bright days to give more air 

 than hitherto, bemg careful that no draughts 

 are admitted. — J. T. Barker. The- West Hill 

 Gardens, 



STOVE PLANTS- 



EUCHAELS GEANDIFLORA. — Under 

 good cultivation this bulbous plant produces 

 three or four crops of fragrant blossoms in 

 the course of the year. As is well known, 

 eucliaris revel in plenty of heat and mois- 

 ture both at the root and overhead, there- 

 fore a heated pit or hoxise should be devoted 

 to them entirely. This is one of the few 

 plants grown in our stoves that does not 

 need an entire rest at any time of the 

 year. Our plants luxuriate in a rather deep 

 brick pit, heated by one 4-inch pipe running 

 round it. The last crop of flowers was cut 

 about mid-December, and the plants have 

 since made good growth. We shall now 

 keep them somewhat quiet until flower scapes 

 appear, and then give a higher temperature 

 accompanied by increased moisture, and fre- 

 quent applications of liquid farmyard 

 manure. Eucharis resent disturbance at the 

 roots, and until the pots are becoming over- 

 crowded with bulbs no repotting should be 

 done, merely applying a top-dressing occa- 

 (^ionally. and using a compost of loamy soil, 

 leaf-mould, dried cow manure, and a 

 sprinkling of sand and bone-meal. 



GARDENIAS.— Plants that have been 

 rested after yielding a crop of fragrant, pure 

 white flowers last autumn should now be cut 

 down, and the old ball of soil reduced; then 

 repot in a compost consisting of two parts 

 fibrous loam, one of peat, and one of dried 

 cow or sheep manure, adding sufficient sand 

 and charcoal to keep the soil open. Gar- 

 denias are gross feeders, and respond well 

 to lil>eral treatment. Where large numbers 

 of these flowers are in demand, and space is 

 at command, I advise planting them out in 

 a restricted border in a house or pit, and 

 tying the growtliB to wires stretched six or 

 eight inches from the roof -glass. Should 



mealy bug or other insects attack them, 

 syringe heavily with paraffin, used in 

 the proportion of a wineglassfvil to 

 each gallon of clear rain-water. Keep 

 the mixture well stirred during appli- 

 cation. When the flower buds are ob- 

 served the young skoots produced at the 

 side of it must be pinched out, in order to 

 concentrate the whole energy of the plant 

 on the development of blooms. If this 

 is neglected the buds become yellow and 

 drop. 



SHADING.— It is now time to fix the 

 blinds or other shading to the house-s. In 

 all cases where possible this should be 

 movable, and not painted upon the roof- 

 glass, for duVing dull weather shade is 

 harmful to the plants. Except in the case 

 of the propagating house containing cut- 

 tings and tender seedlings, the blinds will 

 only need to be let down for three or four 

 hours in the middle of the dav, ard then 

 only in very sunny weather. 



GENERAL WOEK.— Push on with the 

 work of repotting, or top-dressing, and en- 

 courage new root action as much a^ possible 

 by maintaining the proper temperature and 

 humidity. Attend closely to pricking off and 

 lK>tting seedlings as soon as large enough to 

 handle, so that they receive no check. A few 

 days lost in this respect now cannot well be 

 made good afterwards. The man on duty in 

 the evening should keep a watchful eye 

 open for slugs, etc It is seldom these can 

 be located except in the evening. — H. T. 

 Martin, Warren Wood Gardens. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



TH.E EOCK GARDEN should be examined, 

 and any of the strong-growing plants, like 

 arabis and aubretia, that need restriction 

 round the edges should have attention. 

 Hardy alpines that have been wintered in 

 cold frames may be planted out at the first 

 favourable opportunity. Lightly stir up the 

 vacant soil between the plants with a hand 

 fork, and apply a top-dressing of a light 

 compost, with which a little bone-meal should 

 be mixed. Those species, that are lime-loving 

 subjects will benefit by having some old 

 mortar rubble mixed with the soil. Keep a 

 sharp look-out for slugs or they will do con- 

 siderable damage. 



PEOPAGATION. — Cuttings of various 

 tender bedding plants that it is necessary to 

 increase will root readily now, if inserted in 

 shallow boxes or pots filled with a light 

 sandy compost. Give them a good watering 

 in with tepid water, place in a fairly warm 

 structure, and shade lightly from bright 

 sunshine until they are rooted. Heliotropes 

 and fuchsias growing in 60-sized pots will 

 need shifting into 48's to make good speci- 

 mens by bedding out time. Grow them 

 near the glass to promote sturdy growth, 

 and ventilate carefully when cold winds 

 prevail. 



STANDARD BEDDING PLANTS.— Those 

 that have been kept from last year for use 

 as dot plants in the bedding scheme must 

 now be gently started into growi:h by plac- 



house with a temperature of 

 Spray them over frequently 

 weather, but give water " at 

 the root sparingly until growth is advanced. 

 Any pruning required, such as shortening 

 back the long, straggling shoot**^ can be at- 

 tended to now. Young plants that are being 

 cultivated to form standards must be given 

 every encouragement, and be grown on single 

 stems until the required height is reached, 

 when the lead should be pinched out to in- 

 duce the formation of bushy heads. 



CLIMBERS. — Tliose growing on pergolas, 

 arbours, or poles will now need pruning and 

 training, and in doing this work care must 

 be taken to retain a sufficiency of the growths 

 on which the various species produce their 

 flowers. Clematis Jackmani should be pruned 

 fairly close, as it flowers on the young 

 growths late in the summer. C. montana and 

 its varieties flower on last season\s wood, so 

 all that is needed is a careful thinning of the 

 growths. The various species of vitis may be 



ing them in a 

 about 55 deg. 

 during bright 



pruned according to the amount of space at 

 their disposal; they look very charming 

 when allowed to ramble over forest trees iu 

 the wild garden. Loniceras and wistarias do 

 not need much shortening back, an occa- 

 sional thinning of their growths being all 

 that is necessary. ChoLsya ternata, Chimo- 

 nanthus fragrans, and Bignonia radicans 

 grow well against walk in a sheltered posi- 

 tion. The lovely orange-coloured flowers of 

 the latter are very charming in September 

 Pergolas and arbours should be examined 

 and any decayed woodwork be repaired be- 

 fore the climbers commence growth.— J 

 Gardner, Batsford Park Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER CLASS. 



YOUNG POT VINES. _ ^Eves" which 

 were placed in Sin. pots eaily in Januarv 

 will have made sufficient growth to be shifted 

 into 5in. pots; use a compost of loam and 

 leaf-mould, with a little lime rubble added; 

 make thb^ moderately firm, place a neat stak 

 to each plant, and place them near the glass 

 so that they may receive as much light as 

 possible. The temperature of the house should 

 at all times be kept at 70 degrees with fire- 

 heat, allowing a rise to between 80 to 90 

 degrees with sun heat; air should be >ad. 

 raitted on all favourable otccasions ; <close 

 the house early in the afternoon^ thoroughly 

 syringing the plants and damping down the 

 walls and paths of the house at the same 

 time. The plants will soon respond to this 

 treatment, and grow rapidly, and when the 

 pots are filled with roots a shift should le 

 given into Sin. pots. Tliese latter must be 

 clean and well-drained; ram the soil firmly 

 as the work of potting proceeds. Tlie com- 

 post for this and tbe final potting should 

 consist of three barrow-loads of good fibrous 

 loam, one barrowful of leaf-mould, half a 

 barrowful each of lime rubbish and well- 

 pulverised cow manure (rubbed through a 

 fine sieve), and a lOin. potful of some ap- 

 proved vine manure. Water the plants care- 

 fully, until the roots liave permeated the new 

 soil, and place longer stakes to the plants, to 

 which they should be carefully tied as re- 

 quired. 



FINAL POTTING.— After this treatment 

 the young vines will grow away vigorously 

 from now onwards, and in a few weeks' time 

 they will be ready to shift into llin. or 12iu. 

 pots; again ram the soil firmly to within 

 Sin. of the top. They must then be placed 

 where they are to remain to grow for the 

 season, which should be close to the front 

 lights ; stakes sufficiently long will be re- 

 quired to reach from the top of the pot to 

 the first wire of the trellis, and the vme3 



be 



^ ^ Ee 



move all tendrils, and pinch tlie laterals and 



siiuuiu oe aiiowea to grow uu^^il^^'-j^"^ 



they are about 13ft. to 14ft. in length. 



sub-laterals to one leaf^ It is surprising the 

 large quantities of water well-rooted vines 

 require during the summer months, and it is 

 often necessary, during hot weather, to wat^r 

 them three and four times a day. Liquid 

 manure should be -given, and some approved 

 vine manure three or four times a week, tf> 

 accelerate the development of good, strong- 

 short-jointed canes. Towards the latter end 

 of August, the vines will have finished grow- 

 ing, and should be removed to their outside 

 quarters, fully exposed to tlie sun and air, 

 to thoroughly ripen the canes. 



FIGS.— Whether grown in pots or planted 

 out, abundance of water should be given to 



growth 

 ght temperatur 



JUG remperaLure u-i im.x7±xx - 



degrees, attend to the disbudding ot tne 

 shoots to prevent overcrowding, and stop- 

 ping the growths should receive careful a^- 

 te n t i on ; over-v i gor o u s shoots shoul a 

 pinched at once, or the young {^^^^^^ ^ 

 drop off ; remove all suckers immediately, 

 tlie ultimate results will l>e a greater io^ 

 of fruits. Syringe the plants when tii^ 

 weather will allow, but guard against Hp 

 ing wot Toliage at night; maintain a nim^ • 



humid ahuosphere, "and should red sp 



dust the affected par^^ 



Henry R. Faemi=R- 



maki' its appearance 

 with fiowers of sulphur. 

 Cardiff Castle Gardens, 



