418 



THE GARDENERS^ MAGAZINE, 



Jt:NE 1, 1912. 



Messi'S. Dicksons, Chester, set up a fine 

 group of hardy shrubs, in which rhododen- 

 dtons and azaleas were pleasingly inter- 

 spersed with acers and other variegated foli- 

 age plants. 



Messrs. Ladhams, Lim., Southampton, 

 showed a group of hardy flowers, in which 

 Muscaria plumosa major was conspicuous. 

 Messrs^ Cutbush and Son, Highgate, showed 

 a fine lot of pyramid ivies and varied forms 

 of vitis. 



Under a very elegant structure outside the 

 tents, Messrs. Watkins and Simpson, Covent 

 Garden, set up a delightful exhibit of flowers. 

 These were arranged in a bank-like form, 

 but with no solidity of outline, and we 

 noticed, amongst other things, some very 

 fine linarias, Nemesia compacta Blue Gem, 

 Clarkia elegans Vesuvius, hybrid schizan- 

 thuses. Lobelia tenuior, and Yellow Prince 

 ignonette. 



It is not usual for horticultural journals 

 to have stands at flower shows, but this, of 

 course, was a special occasion, and most of 

 the leading papers having to do with horti- 

 culture and rural life were represented. The 

 Gardeneks' Magazine was at home in a 

 rustic (Summer-house under the lime trees, 

 and it oan be congratulated on having quite 

 a garden appearance, as the pillars of our 

 little arbour were covered with Dorothy 

 Perkins xo^e, the railings in front were en- 

 twined with ivy, the miniature garden was 

 embellished with salmon zonal pelargoniums 

 and white marguerites, and the grass verges 

 and gravelled path gave our temporary honie, 

 from which literature was distributed, quite 



a finL-ihed appearance. 



The Leyton Timber Company, Lim., New 

 Cross, S.E., exhibited rustic summer-houses, 

 'both tiled and thatched, as well as arches 

 and flower stands. A revolving tea house was 

 another item of the exhibit. Steam's lawn 

 mowers, fitted with ball 'bearings were shown, 

 the Leyton Timber Company being Euro- 

 pean agents for these maehines. The ex- 

 hibit of the Army and Navy Stores w as ela- 

 borate and varied. All sorts of garden fur- 

 niture, tools, and sundries were housed in a 

 pavilion constructed of trellis-work. A big 

 motor mower and horse rollers contrasted in 

 ibulk and size with many small but useful 



garden requisites. 



Artistic seats and shelters in both teak and 

 painted white wood were shown by Messrs- 

 Vipan and Headly, Church Street, Leicester; 

 another exJiibit of furniture, but of totally 

 different style being the Dryad cane furniture 

 from Mr. Peach. Leicester. Small heating 

 apparatus were shown by the Twelve-Hours 

 Stove Syndicate, Lim., Vauxhall Bridge 

 Road, Westminster, who also had on view 

 an excellent large sectional boiler, suitable 

 for large erections. 



Gates, fencing, and hurdles were brought 

 by the Fernden Fencing Company, Hasle- 

 mere. The Patent Safety Ladder Company, 

 Peterborough, had their excellent and very 

 convenient adjustable ladders. The advan- 

 tage of these over ordinary ladders is very 

 great, especially for tree pruning, fruit 

 gathering, etc. ^Messrs. G. F. Braggins and 

 Co., Banbury, brought entrance gates in oak, 

 and they also had a most ingenious little 

 truck called tlie Scout's Kit Cart. Its de- 

 tachable sides can be converted into a ladder, 

 its body into a table, and its shafts into 

 scout poles. Its uses would be many in a 

 garden or on an estate. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK 



Streptosolen Jameson i. — It is 



somewhat strange that this beautiful flower- 

 ing greenhouse plant should have been com- 

 pletely lost to cultivation for so many years. 

 It was introduced in 1^50, but would seem 



ed till re-introduced 



ppea 



It is, however. 



not 



about 30 years ago. 

 likely to again disappear, for it has now 

 become a general favourite, not only for 

 growing in bush form, but also for clothing 

 the supporting pillars in the greenhouse or 

 conservatory. Beside this it is often used 

 as large specimens for summer bedding. In 

 addition to the generic name of streptosolen 

 it is also known by that of Browallia.— W. T. 



CONSERVATORY AND 



HOUSE. 



GREEN- 



These 



NERIUMS OR OLEANDERS. — 

 beautiful greenhouse shrubs are now fast 

 developing their flowers, and where room 

 can be given them to grow freely, they are 

 desirable. ITiey are easily cultivated, and 

 can be grown in any greenhouse, but they 

 are seen at their best when planted in the 

 border in the conservatory and trained on 

 the back walls. Nerines appreciate good cul- 

 ture^ and a suitable compost is one consisting 

 of fibrous loam two parts, peat or leaf-soil 

 one part, with coarse sand, mortar rubble, 

 and wood ashes added. During the winter 

 the plants will stand a low temperature, and 

 flower best after having had a good rest. 

 They cannot be ,so easily propagated as some 

 conservatory shrubs, but cuttings can be 

 rooted quite easily if the following method 

 of procedure is adopted. Select medium-sized 

 shoots, and take them off with a heel, and 

 an ordinary wide-mouthed bottle filled with 

 soft water. Add some pieces of charcoal to 

 keep the water sweet, place the shoots in the 

 water, and stand the bottle on a shelf in a 

 plant stove. I'Tie cuttings will soon emit 

 roots, when they may be put into pots in the 

 usual way. The best varieties are Nerium 

 album plenum, N. Madonna grandiflora, and 

 N. roseum plenum. 



MARGUERITES. — These are old 

 favourites, and are used extensively for bed- 

 ding and window-boxes ; they are also very 

 useful for the greenhouse. The new variety, 

 Mrs. F. Sander, has, however, eclipsed them 

 all. Queen Alexandra was considered a great 

 improvement on the double form, but, except 

 on very few occasions, it showed a yellow 

 hard centre, which disfigured it very much. 

 When first I saw the first-named at the Tem- 

 ple Show it appealed to me as being a fine 

 acquisition, and my opinion of it has since 

 been fully justified, llie blooms are pure 

 white, the centre opening perfectly; it re- 

 minds one of a finely-iormed pyrethrum. 

 The constitution, however, is not all one 

 could desire ; the plants must be rooted 

 from cuttings annually, and the soil should 

 be rich but porous. Tliis variety does not 

 root so freely as some of the marguerites, 

 and if the soil becomes sour the plants often 

 die suddenly. If some plants are bedded 

 out the cuttings from them will be much 

 stronger when required in the autumn for 

 stock. 



KALOSANTHUS 

 FLAMMEA.- 



AND KALAXCHOE 



— Tliese may be grown together, 

 the bright colours of their flower spikes 

 making them most conspicuous when ar- 

 ranged in groups. Both are very easily 

 grown ro a high degree of perfection. The 

 plants are best grown on a shelf near the 

 glass, and watered only when dry. If the soil 

 becomes in the least degree water-logged or 

 sour, Tust sets in on the leaves, and disfigures 

 them very much. The present is the best 

 time to root cuttings. The young growths 

 that are not flowering make the best cut- 

 tings, and they will be found to root readily 

 if inserted in 3in. pots, three in each, filled 

 with sandy loam. The plants are best 

 shifted on without being separated, as they 

 then make fine plants. — Lewis Smith, Shote- 

 sham Park Gardens. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



CATTLEYA HOUSE.— Since my previous 

 notes on these lovely plants great advances 

 will have been made, both in the growth of 

 the plants and in the flowers. Amongst those 

 in flower at the ])resent time are C. Mendelli. 

 C. Mo^siae, and innumerable hybrids, which 

 make an imposing display. C. Trianae and C. 

 Schroderae, as they ""commence to make new 

 roots, should have new rooting material 

 afforded them, should the compost in which 

 they are growing sho"^ signs of exhaustion. 

 To my mind, these plants are as easily grown 

 as aiiv others, provided a few simple details 

 are followed. Tlie first is simply to keep 



vinced that 



much 



WARSCEWICZI 

 now making strong 



them in a sweet and healthy rooting mediu^ 

 and always to repot them when they will 

 ceive the least check, and whenever the co] 

 post show signs of exhaustion, Th 

 is the application of water to the roots, and 

 in the atmosphere. The compost in which 

 the plant is growing must be taken into ac- 

 count when watering, and a compost which 

 will retain water, much in the same way as a 

 sponge will, must have a much less quantitv 

 applied to it, than one through which th^ 

 water passes readily. During the growing' 

 season, providing the compost is in good con- 

 dition, and the plant well rooted, not much 

 harm will accrue from an over-abundant sup. 

 ply either at the roots or in the atmoephew 

 if the proper temperatures of the house and 

 water are maintained. I am firmly con- 

 any growers give their catt- 

 leyas much too little water when in full 

 growth, and a great deal too much when at 

 rest, 



PLANTS OF C, 

 (GIGAS), which are 



growths, and are about ^ 



sheaths, may be kept fairly moist at th€ 

 roots to assist the plants in developing their 

 flower spikes, and they should be placed well 

 up to the roof glass, where they will receive 

 an abundance of light, but must be shaded 

 from the direct rays of the sun. The plants 

 which fail to produce sheaths must also re- 

 ceive generous treatment, or they will not 

 develop strong pseudo-bulbs. When the 

 growths are fully completed, and the flower 

 spikes removed, gradually expose the planta 

 to more air and sunshine by removing them 

 to another house, where a slightly lower 

 temperature is maintained , The better 

 the pseudo^bulbs are ripened, the better the 

 plants will bloom next year. When the 

 bulbs are completed, only sufficient water 

 should be given to keep them plump and 

 healthy, but on no account should they be 

 put in an out-of-the-way place to take care .r 

 themselves. 



C. DOWIANA and its variety aurea, hav- 

 ing now started into growth, may be- placed 

 at the warmer end of the houses and ishould 

 be carefully watered until the flowers open, 

 and when these fade, the plants should be 

 treated, as advised for C. Warscewiczi. C. Lue- 

 demanniana (speciosissima) another species 

 which delights in the temperature of the 

 warm cattleya house, may be repotted m the 

 same way, within a few weeks after tli' 

 plants have flowered, and then be kept ni 

 cooler and drier atmosphere whilst at rest. 



there are 



HYBRIDS. 



At this season 



numerous hybrid cattleyas and Iselio-cattlevr ■ 

 which have passed out of flower, and tn 

 need a short period of rest, therefore k 

 them be treated in the same way P'^'^^"^ 

 them in a cooler and more airy position, an 

 no efforts should be made to induce them w 

 start into growth. The same treatment b 

 also applicable to Laelia purpurata and num 

 rous other species and hybrids, ^^^^^f. thev 

 to start into growth immediately ^tr^g;,] 



have flowered. 

 Gardens. 



Th 



FRUITS. 



and nec' 



\Toii 



HARDY 



MORELLO CHEERIES.— The training 

 the Morello cherry is usually follo^vea 

 on similar lines as the peach 

 rine, and now the fruit is set and gr 

 is making good progress, disbudding , 

 have attention. Pinch back to two or i 

 leaves all foreright shoots, if it be tnu . 

 advisable to let spurs form, removing 

 at the back or badly placed. Lay Wl 

 extension shoots, and those 

 the place of present bearing growths. - ^ 

 overcrowding, as each shoot 

 allowed sufficient space to P^'OP^'^Y, I,, - 

 With us the crop is heavy and t^i^' , 

 are swelling fast, and it will be n^^^ ,; . 

 to lighten the crop on young trees, anu- 

 on soke of the old and well-established 

 otherwise growth will be more or less en ■ 

 and starved. Many young trees ^are^ 

 lutely ruined at the out 

 to carry heavy crops t 

 after planting. The borders 

 mulched with good manure,- and water 



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