578 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



July 27, 1912. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK* 



CONSERVATORY AND GREEN- 



CYCLAMEN. 



HOUSE. 



These 

 need 



winter - flowering 

 close attention. 



greenhouse plants 

 Young corms raised from seed last February 

 have been steadily growing, and the largest 

 are now ready for their final shift into six- 

 inch pots. An open, sandy compost is best 

 for them, consisting of two parts fibrous 

 loam, one part leaf-soil, one part sand, some 

 wood ashes, and a sprinkling of an approved 

 fertiliser. The crown of the corm should l)e 

 slightly raised above the surface of the soil 

 when potting, to prevent damping of the 

 flower buds when tliey apj>ear. Corms kept 

 over from last year, and which have been 

 resting for some finie, should be shaken 

 clear of all old potting compost, and have 

 the dead roots cut away ; but great care 

 must be taken with the living ones. The 

 stems of dead leaves should be neatly 

 trimmed with a pair of scissors (not pulled 

 off) to within half an inch of the corm ; re- 

 pot at once in compost as advised above, and 

 place in cold frames on a cool base; give 

 sluide, and water sparingly until root action 

 and growth commence. Green-fly and black 

 aphis are often troublesome on the yonng 

 leaves, and will soon cripple them if not 

 checked. It is best to fumigate occasion- 

 ally as a preventive. 



CALCEOLARIAS. — Herbaceous calceola- 

 rias should be sown at once. Choose a suit- 

 able pan, clean, and well crock it, and place 

 over the crocks a layer of leaves. Prepare 

 a fine sandy compost, fill the pan to within 

 one inch of the rim, and press firm and 

 level. The seeds should l>e sown thinlv and 

 evenly over the surface, and slightly covered 

 with silver sand. The compost should bo 

 moist at the time of sowing, hut should the 

 pan require water befoi-c the seeds have 

 germinated, the l>est way is to gradually 

 lower the pan into a pail of water until the 

 water rises through the compost to the sur- 

 face. This will give the necessary moisture 

 without disturbing the surface and washing 

 the s-eeds »l)out. The pan should then be 

 stood in a cold frame, covered with a piece 

 of glass, and shaded, to assist germination. 



BULBS. — The time ha.s arrived for con- 

 sidering the bulbs required for winter dis- 

 play. Freesias and Roman hyacinths should 

 be ordered at once, and a batch of both 

 should be potted up directly they arrive. A 

 rich, friahie compost i.s neee.-i^^ary, conrtistin^f 

 of loam, leaf-soil, burnt earth, or wood a^hes, 

 with a good sprinkling of silver sand. The 

 Roman hyacinths should be placed five in a 

 five-inch pot. just burying them; the com- 

 post should be made firm, and given a good 

 watering; when the moisture has drained 

 away the pots should be buried in ashes. 

 The bulbs soon commence to root and grow. 

 The pots should be examined frequently, and 

 when the growths are an inch long the stock 

 should be taken out of the ashes and placed 

 in a cold frame. After standing in the frame 

 a fortnight gentle forcing may }>e com- 

 menced. Tho same kind of comport suits 

 freesias, and these should l>e placed nine in 

 a 48-sized pot, the bulbs being sligljtly 

 covered and made firm. Tlie pots should be 

 stood straightway into cold frames, and 

 covered with a layer of moss ; when well 

 rooted, growth is emitted from the top of 

 the bull>s, and when the growths are two 

 inches long the moss should be removed. Tlie 

 pots may then be placed on a shelf near the 

 glass in a warm house. Care must be taken 

 that they do not become drawn, or they will 

 l>e quickly ruined. The secret of early^ forc- 

 ing bulbs is to get them well rooted before 

 placing? them in heat.— Lewis Smith, Shotes- 

 ham Park Gardens. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



CALANTHES.— Tlie deciduous calanthes 

 of the vestita and Veitchi section have now 

 filled their pots with roots. It is desirable 



mixing with 



to apply a top-dreseing of good fibrous yel- 

 low loam to the surface root^, 

 it some fine dry cow manure and silver 

 sand. They require at this season of the 

 year an abundant supply of water, both at 

 the root and in the atmosphere, the latter 

 especially on bright sunny days. When the 

 roots have permeated the fresh soil liquid 

 manure made from sheep, deer, or cow drop- 

 pings may he given from time to time. The 

 liquid manure should not clog the compost. 

 Care should be taken that the water u.sed 

 is heated to the same temperature as the 

 hou^e. Many plants receive a decided check 

 from cold water, and in many cae^es develop 

 black spot in the leaves and bulbs. The 

 night temperature should never fall below 

 70 degrees, and in many cases it will he 

 better if the figure reached is 5 degi-ees 

 higher. If calanthes are grown among 

 stove plants, they should be placed in a posi- 

 tion by themeelves, near the roof glass 

 where there is no danger of drip or water 

 from the syringe reaching them. If grown 

 in lean-to houses it is advisable to turn 

 them round from time to time to keep the 

 foliage erect. The later-flowering kinds 

 are somewhat later in making their growth, 

 but when they become well rooted they will 

 need similar treatment to tho^e mentioned. 



PHAIUS, ETC.— The different sorts of 

 phaius, as P. Wallichi, P. Sanderiana, P. 

 Blumei, P. grandifolius, P. bicolor, P. ma- 

 culata, and the hybrids, P. Cooksoni, P. 

 Norman, P. Marthse, phaio-calanthes, and 

 phaio-cymbidiums, having commenced to 

 grow, may be repotted if any are in need 

 of fresh compost or larger pots. Tliey all 

 root well in a compost as used for calan- 

 thes, and they may be potted in the same 

 manner. During their season of growth a 

 decidedly moist atmosphere should be main- 

 tained, and on favourable occasions a light 

 spraying overhead will do them no harm. 

 Should the points of the leaves become dis- 

 coloured, the moisture should be lessened 

 and more air given. 



PHAIUS TUBERCULOSUS may also be 

 repotted, using a lighter compost than for 

 the other species and hybrids. This plant 

 requires more heat and moisture than its 

 congenerts, and .should be placed in a shady 

 position at .all times.— J. T. Barker, The 

 West Hill Gardens. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



LATE PEAS.— Strict attention must be 

 given these to ensure a constant supply over 

 as long a period as passible. Providing robust 

 varieties have been sown and the soil is good 

 little will be required beyond mulching and 

 vatermg. Watch for thrips in the points 

 of the shoots, and attack quickly with a solu- 

 tion of soft soap and wafer, adding a little 

 creamy sulphur ; even dusting the rows over- 

 head with light soot would act as a preven- 

 tive. If mildew comes spray weekly with per- 

 manganate of potash; a Uw crystals dis- 

 solved in rain water, enough to bring the 

 latter to a bright claret colour, at the same 

 time dropping in a piece of sulphide of potas- 

 sium, the size of a cobnut, will prove a good 

 remedy. 



COLEWORTS should be quite ready for 

 planting out ; place them fifteen inches apart 

 in ground that has been occupied by early 

 potatoes; plant firmly, water in, and, should 

 cabbage butterflies be numerous, dust the 

 plants over with dry wood ashes. If neces- 

 sary sow another batch of Coleworts. 



MUSHROOMS.— The late inside beds have 

 been (and are) very prolific this year; no 

 doubt owing to the cool nights experienced. 

 If beds were spawned a^ advised outside^ 

 they will succeed tliese late inside ones. 



SEAKALE. — This crop has made wonderful 

 progress from thongs that were started to 

 form crowns in boxes. Tliongs that were 

 planted straight away have come very badly, 

 and not half a crop has shown as the result 

 of a dry April ; this tshows the great value of 

 starting thongs early in deep boxes where 

 only a few thousand are required. Ply the 



s 



hoe through the crop, and give a final dusting 

 of soot and salt. 



ENDIVE. — Transplant these as ready, and 

 made another good sowing of the Batavian, 

 as it can be used for cooking if required, 

 beside being the best variety for salads. 



GLOBE ARTICHOKES.— Cut the head 

 and place them in water as soon as ready, to 

 encourage a regular supply. Give ampk 

 encouragement by apjilications of liquid 

 manure and mulchings. 



LETTUCES.— Make weekly sowings to 

 meet the demand, and if the weather is dry 

 water the drills previous to sowing, Mako 

 regular sowings of turnips in various parts 

 of the garden. — ^Geo. EiiLwoon, Swanniore 

 Park Gardens. 



HARDY FRUITS. 



APRICOTS.— The summer pruning of the 

 apricot requires a considerable amount of 

 discrimination, to avoid, as far as possible, 

 the inducement of late growth in the 

 autumn ; trees in vigorous health, if pruned 

 hard and late in the summer, invariably 

 make a late growth, particularly if wet 

 weather sets in after a long spell of drought. 

 Early frosts severely punish these late 

 growths, and the trees receive a sharp check. 

 To obviate this danger a certain number of 

 shoots should be allowed free growth to 

 take the flow of sap, and in this matter 

 the operator must be guided by the vigour 

 of individual trees; the object to be aimed 

 at is to thoroughly ripen the young shoots 

 and spur wood, and at the same time prevent 

 the trees making fresh growth, to be even- 

 tually nipped by early frosts. The fruits pro- 

 mise to ripen early, and where the crop is a 

 heavy one it is advisable to take off those 

 fruits intended for preserving or bottling as 

 early as possible, as the remaining fruits 

 will then receive the benefit of this relief. 

 Earwigs play havoc with the fruits unless 

 kept under ; short lengths of broad bean 

 stalks placed in and amongst the branches will 

 trap the marauders, and a weak solution of 

 paraffin and water, applied to the base of 

 the wall at intervals of two or three days, 

 is helpful in warding off the attack of this 

 troublesome pest. 



W^ATERING.— The lack of rain in most 

 parts of the country, and the great heat, 

 has rendered the application of water to 

 fruit trees a pressing necessity, esj^ecially so 

 when dealing with soils of a light or shallow 

 character. Apples on the paradise stock and 

 pears on the quince stock are those most 

 affected by long periods of heat and drought. 

 Orchard trees of apples and pears worked 

 on the crab and pear respectively are not so 

 readily affected, although these, if carrying 

 good crops of fruit, should, if necessary, hav 

 a good soaking. In this immediate neigh- 

 bourhood the trees have had no moisture 

 at the roots since the end of March, and, 

 consequently, owing to lack of water, they 

 are casting their fruits. A free and con- 

 stant use of the hoe is of the utmost value 

 in preserving moisture. Mulching should be 

 done wherever possible as a means to the 

 same end. Even should rain set in, the soil 

 is now so dry that, unless it is unusually 

 heavy and continuous for some days it would 

 fail to reach the roots in time to assist 

 the swelling fruits. 



GATHERING EARLY APPLES AND 

 PEARS.— Most varieties of early pears, sucli 

 as Beurre Giffard, Jargonelle, William's Bon 

 Chretien, etc., should be gathered as soon 

 as they part readily from the stem wli-en 

 lifted to a horizontal position. By examin- 

 ing the trees at frequent intervals, and tak- 

 ing off such fruits as are ready, the supply 

 M^ill be considerably prolonged, and the fla- 

 vour of the fruits be of a much higher 

 quality. Early apples should be eaten direct 

 from the tree, for if stored a few days th^y 

 become mealy and insipid. Unless the 

 trees are looked over daily many of th<' 

 fruits fall to the ground, and are spoiH 

 for dessert purposes. — W. Messenger, Wool- 

 verstone Park Gardens. 



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