THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 10, 1912. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK- 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



COCHLIODAS AND ODONTIODAS.-The 

 genus CochUoda is not a large one, the onlj 

 known iipecies being C. NoezUana, C. rosea, 

 C sangumea, and C. vulcanica. These, how- 

 ever in the hands of the hybridist, have been 

 of considerable imi>ortance. Crossed witli 

 odontoglossums, they have given us the beau- 

 tiful odontiodas, and these comprise some 

 of the motit brilliant orchids that have yot 

 been rained. As time goes on, undoubtedly 

 still greater strides will be made in these 

 plants, and we shall obtain tiowern of vivid 

 colouring and easily produced in a cool 

 house. There are already some thirty or 

 more odiontiodas in commerce, and all have 

 some good qualities, and are worthy of culti- 

 vation. O. Bradshawiae, O. Bohnhoffige, O. 

 Charle^worthi. O. heatonense, O. Keighley- 

 enais, O. Thwaitesi. and O. Vuylstekeae, com- 

 prise the l>e.^t-kn(>wn and include some of 

 the choicest. They all thrive in a cool, airy, 

 and moist atmociphero. such as its suitable to 

 the cool odontogloHSunus. I hud they succeed 

 grown in ^ihallow pans, suspended or raised 

 well up to the light, the whole year round. 

 In a suitable atmosphere, and under judi- 

 cious treatment, they are ea^^y to cultivate, 

 and not subject to insect pests, but every 

 endeavour must be made to keep thrips at 

 bay. This troublesome pest must be eradi- 

 cated by mild fumigations at regular inter- 

 vals. 



]*OTTING.-Tlie plants are rather erratic 

 in their time of growing and flowering, but 

 the majority are now making their growth*^ 

 for next year's flowering. If any are in need 

 of fresh rooting materials they should be 

 ]K)tte<l just a^i the young growths are alK)ut to 

 push forth new nyois. They should be treated 

 exactly as odontoglossums, and will succeed 

 in the *^anie kind of compost, ))otted in the 

 same manner, and in the same way. Small 

 pans should be employed, as nothing is so 

 fatal as over|)otting. Tlie pauK should fco 

 thoroughly well drained with clean crocks, 

 and the plant should be placed so that the 

 base of the pt^udo-bulhs is slightly above the 

 rim of the receptacle ; press the com])Ost 

 moderately firm, without bruising the roots. 

 I do not advocate finit^hing off with a layer 

 of fresh sphagnum moss, as so often teen, 

 but believe in trimming the whole of the 

 surface to give it a neat appearance. During 

 active growth the supply of water must be 

 amp!e, but at no period should the rooting 

 material be allowed to remain dry for any 

 considerable length of time. 



MILTOXIODAS AND ONCIDIODAS. 

 (^fK^hlioflai-i have al?o l>een crossed with Mil- 

 tonias and Oncidiums. and no doubt, as timo 

 goes on, we shall have our collections en- 

 riched by many beautiful bigeneric orchids. 

 As the culture of these latter hybrids differs 

 from the former, I will defer giving their 

 treatment until some later date. In treat- 

 ing bigeneric hybrids, where the parents are 

 of a quite different character, it is always 

 Hafe to treat the plant according to the 

 predominating parent.— J. T. Barker, llie 

 West Hill Gardens. 



CONSERVATORY AND GREEN- 

 HOUSE. 



vSTREPTOCAEiPUSBS.— The.^e plants are 

 most useful at this period when some of the 

 earlier subjects are passing out of bloom. 

 Given an airy, light potiition, and shaded, 

 they present a brilliant display when massed 

 together. The colours have been so improved 

 during the last few years that they now vie 

 with the gloxinias, while for general use 

 they far surpas-s those fine plants. The cul- 

 ture is simple when well understood. The 

 compost best suited to their needs will be 

 two parts fibrous loam, one part peat or leaf- 

 soil, and one part coarse silver sand. They 

 are best raised annually, and should be sown 

 in two batches Seeds for one batch should 



well established, like liquid manure fre- 

 quently. Streptocarpuses cannot be relied 

 on to reproduce themselves true from seed, 

 unless each variety is kept separate. Should 

 it be desirable to increase any special 

 variety there are two methods of doing so. 

 One way Ls by division, the stem being 

 severed between the growths; the plant 

 should then be pulled to pieces, and each 

 portion potted up separately. The other, 

 and perhaps better, way ift to cut off some of 

 the long leaves, and prepare pans of compost, 

 two parts sand, one part loam, and one part 

 cocoanut-fibrc refuse, well mixed. The mid- 

 rib of the long leaves should be cut through 

 with sharp knife, one inch from cut to 

 cut, and the leaf spread out its full length, 

 with the midrib slightly buried and made 

 firm in the compost; the pans should be 

 placed in a propagating frame, and kept 

 moist and ^shaded. Small plantlets Avill soon 

 appear at each cut in the mid-rib, and 

 shortly afterwards they will emit roots, and 

 w"hen these are an inoh long, the leaves 

 should be severed and each piece with a 

 plantlet potted up separately. 



HEATING APPARATUS.— The present is 

 the mast conveuient time to have thLs ex- 

 amined and overhauled. Should a boiler 

 have given out or developed leaks it may 

 have to be replaced by a new one, and 

 this can be now carried out without fear of 

 injury to the plants, and prevent a big loss 

 should it have to be done in the winter or 

 spring. See that air valves and stopcocks 

 are clear and work freely; leaky joints in the 

 pipes should also be picked out and re- 

 plugged. Furnace bars must be removed, 

 the bearings cleaned and replaced; if one 

 should be burnt or warped it should be re- 

 placed by a new one, otherwise all the others 

 will quickly warp, too. Furnace doors should 

 be in order, and the flues and chimney stacks 

 clean, and everything placed ready to start 

 the fire at anv moment. — Le\vis Smith, 

 Shotesham Park Gardens. 



HARDY FRUITS, 



LAYERING STRAWBERRIES.— In many 

 parts of the country the long period 

 of dry weather has seriously affected the 

 strawberry plants, and for those contemplat- 

 ing the formation of new plantations from 

 home-grown stocks it will be a difficult mat- 

 ter to secure the requisite number of layered. 

 The operation should be completed as soon 

 as circumstances permit, for it is an esi^ential 

 point to have the young plants established 

 iis early as possible in their permanent quar- 

 ters. The general practice is to layer into 

 3in. pots; it is advisable not to uee too 

 small a pot, as the root action is quickly 

 restricted, and, if not frequently looked over 

 during dry weather, the. plantlets are apt to 

 suffer from lack of moisture. It is possible to 

 establish useful plants by drawing the run- 

 ners from two rows into one space, and then 

 partially cover with finely-broken mushroom 

 bed manure or leaf-mould, or a mixture of 

 the two; this makes a good rooting medium, 

 and the young plants may readily be lifted 

 with good balls of roots for immediate tra 



r 



ference to their allotted quarters. 



PREPAIiATfONS FOR PLANTING.-The 

 site selected for forming new beds, if not 

 previously well manured and trenched, 

 should be prepared at the earliest possible 

 moment ; generous treatment in the way of 

 manure and deep cultivation of the soil well 

 repayts the trouble involved. Our method is 

 to prepare the station early in the year, and 

 plant a crop of early potatoes; these are 

 cleared off, and the land carefully forked 

 over to remove any small tubers w4iich may 

 have been overlooked at lifting time. Other 

 crops may be grown, but only those which 

 will l>e over in time to prepare the ground 

 well aJiead of planting time. 



PLANTING 



STRAWBERRIES. 



The 



earlier the plants are put out in August the 

 better opportunity they will have to develop 

 good root-action, and sound, plump crowns 

 for the ensuing .^eason. Generally the space 

 be sown now, while another sowing should allowed between the rows is two feet, and 

 be made in February. The plant**, when eighteen inches from plant to plant in the 



row, and where the plants are treated as 

 biennials this is a satisfactory method to 

 follow. There are tw^o varietie.s for which the 

 above spacing is not strictly adhered to. 

 Reward is so vigorous with us that more 

 space is required, both in the row and be- 

 tween the rows; on the other hand, Water- 

 loo, the very dark-coloured variety, re- 

 quires much less space than most varieties, 

 and is planted one foot apart in the rows. 

 The soil should be in a moist condition at 

 planting time, as should also the ball of soil 

 of the young plants; plant firmly, and not 

 too deeply. A good soaking of water will 

 complete the operation. 



SWEET CHERRIES ON WALLS. — As 

 soon as the fruits are gathered remove the 

 nets, and thoroughly cleanse the trees with 

 the garden engine or hose. Probably aphis 

 will be present, and this should be eradi- 

 cated with a suitable insecticide. Fasten in 

 any loose growths required for extension, re- 

 moving others which are not necessary for 

 filling up gaps, etc. Varieties which hansf 

 on the trees well into August may possibly 

 require extra protection against wasps; if 

 so, this should receive prompt attention. 

 Young trees should on no account suffer from 

 lack of moisture at this particular season.— 

 W. Messenger, Woolverstone Park Gardens, 



Ipswich. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



PARSLEY, 

 nated well. 



The June sowing has germi- 

 Encourage a free growth by 

 stirring the soil regularly, and giving an oc- 

 casional dusting of soot.' Make still another 

 sowing if demands require it, but this time 

 make the sowing on a sheltered border, 

 where handlights or frames can be used 

 through the winter months. 



LEEKS.— Tlie earthing up of thec-;e should 

 now be completed wnthout delay. In dry 

 weather give copious supplies of water and 

 liquid manure. A late batch could still be 

 planted a^ ground becomes vacant, plantins: 

 these with an iron bar, six inches deep, just 

 covering the roots with soil, and adding more 



soil at intervals. 



BROCCOLI.— Late spring varieties may 

 still be planted out; lanJ that has been 

 cropped with strawlierries for three year8 

 provides a very efood site. Perhaps an iron 

 bar will bo needed for jjlantinor them, the 

 ground being hard on such plot^, but fine 

 firm growth will result, which will stand the 

 severe weather with impunity. 



WINTER GREENS AND S AYOYS in plenty 

 should still be planted; water in as planting 

 proceeds. Providing a batch was sown late 

 in May. good sturdy plants will be forth- 

 coming for planting now. Continue to plant 

 out cole worts. 



AUTUMN-SOWN ONIONS.— Beds for 

 these will soon be required if they are to 

 mature where sown. ^Ye find it the bettei 

 plan to sow on ground previously occupieu 

 bv potatoes, levelling it up and making it 

 firm before sowing the seeds. ^Ve delay th^ 

 planting until March. Good varieties tor 

 this sowing are White Leviathan, Red Rocca. 

 and Lemon Rocca. 



SPRING-SOWN ONIONS that have been 

 cultivated for special purposes will not neea 

 much attention after this date in the way 

 of watering. All that is now needed is to 

 encourage in every way a steady ripening 

 process by aerating the soil, and P^^^^^"S. ' 

 caved leaves and decaving skins away. ^^^^^ 

 bulbs are finishing off partially raise- them 

 with a fork, eventually lifting them alto- 

 gether, when thev can be laid on moss, wooa 

 wool, or anv other soft material, and placea 



of 



in the sun, but kept from rains. 



LETTUCE.— Make a judicious sowing 

 various kinds, and in various parts \, 

 garden, for the enrlv spring supply; perhap^ 

 the 2()th of the month is the bc.^t ri 

 the south, allowing a week earlier '^^ ^\ 

 north. Excellent varieties Jire Stansteaa 

 Park, Brown, Bath Cok, SuttonV) Winter 

 White Cos, All the Year Round Cos, Litt-^ 

 Gem, and Golden Ball.— G. Ei.l\vood, Swa^*' 

 more Park Gardens. 



