634 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. atigust 17. 1912. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK 



♦ 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



DENDROBIUMS.— Mauy of the dendro- 

 biums, especially those of the D, nobile sec- 

 tion, are now completing their growths. It 

 will be necessary to examine them frequently, 

 in order that those which have ceased grow- 

 ing and have the terminal leaf at the ex- 

 tremity of the pseudo-bulb fully expanded, 

 may be removed to a cooler and drier atmo- 

 ^here where they will receive the benefit of 

 extra light and more air. They should be 

 exposed gradually to full sunshine in order to 

 thoroughly mature the newly-made growth. 

 To retain these plants in a healthy and 

 vigorous condition it is essential that the 

 growth be thoroughly, but gradually, ripened 

 and matured. The plants will be perfectly 

 safe for a few weeks in. a house where the 

 night temperature- is about 60 degrees, but 

 after that time they should be removed to 

 a structure where a cooler and drier atmo- 

 sphere is maintained. The night tempera- 

 ture during the autumn months should range 

 between 64) and 50 degrees, or, in very cold 

 weather, it may drop as low as 4-5 degrees 

 without any harm. If a house can be devoted 

 entirely to such species as D. Wardianum, 

 D. crassinode, D. Findleyanum, D. nobile, 

 and their numerous hybrids, it will be an 

 easy matter to choose a position on one side 

 for the plants which have completed their 

 growths, where they will enjoy more light 

 and air but less moisture. It will also be 

 easy to regulate the temperature as the 

 plants complete their growth. Do not with- 

 hold water entirely from the roots imme- 

 diately the new pseudo-bulbs are completed. 

 The plants shotild be examined daily, and 

 immediately any sign of shrivelling in the 

 pseudo-bulbs is observed give a thorough 

 watering, but this should not be repeated 



until the whole compost becomes again quite 

 dry. 



B. FOEMOSUM, now opening its flowers 

 or in bloom, should be well supplied with 

 water until the flowers fade. This species 

 produces its flowers at the apex of the cur- 

 rent years growths, the blooms remaining 

 a long time in good condition. 



EVERGREEN DEM)ROBIUMS, such as 

 D. thrysiflorum, D. densiflorum, D, Farmeri 

 D. Bronkarli, etc., will now be in the middle 

 of their growing season, and therefore must 

 have generous treatment. Every inducement 

 must he given them during the col4 sun- 



are^experiencing to make 



en 



their growths as quicklv as passible. W 



growing freely they form large roots, which 

 delight in a good depth of compost. 



COOLER - GROWING DENDROBIUMS 

 such as D. infnndibulum, D. Jamesianum^ 

 and others of this section will still be grow- 

 ing in their summer quarters, and do not re- 

 quire as much light or air as those of the 

 deciduous and semi-deciduous types. When 

 at rest these should be shaded from strong 

 sunshine, and given suflficient water at all 

 times to keep the pseudo-bulbs plump and 

 the leaves green and in good condition. D 

 Falconeri and its fine variety giganteum 

 should be suspended from the roof of the 

 cattleya house, in a position where it is not 

 subjected to a strong light. It should re- 

 ceive liberal treatment, and be syringed over- 

 head several times a day with tepid soft 

 water to prevent attacks of red-spider.— J T 

 Barker, The West Hill Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



GLOXINIAS.— As these pass out of flower 

 remove them to a cool house where they will 

 receive full sunshine. Although it is advised 

 to reduce the amount of water at the roots 

 after flowering, the plants should on no ac- 

 count be dried off suddenly. Let them eo 

 gradually and naturally to rest, then store 

 them on their sides in an intermediate 

 house for the winter. Those that flowered 



first should be marked as the earli*^ batch 

 to be started into growth next season. 

 Spring-raised plants still flowering should be 

 kept going for as long a time as possible. 

 During dull, sunless weather a little warmth 

 should be maintained in the structure by fire- 

 beat, in order to dispel damp. 



ventilators have been closed. 



Maintain a 



ERAJSTTHEMUM PULCHELLUM. 

 b e a ut if u 1 bl u e -fl owe rinsr 



This 



subject requires 

 good culture during the summer months, and 

 frequent stopping to induce bushy plants. 

 Stopping should, however, be discontinued 

 in time to allow the after-growth to grow a 

 few inches, and become ripened before dull, 

 wintry weather sets in or the plants will not 

 flower freely. 



HIPPEASTRUMS.— To ensure free flower- 

 ing when forced early in the year, the bulbs 

 must be thoroughly ripened in the previous 

 summer. New growth is made immediately 

 after flowering, and as soon as this is com- 

 pleted in a genial temperature the plants 

 should be duly hardened by placing them in 

 a cold frame or pit exposed to full air and 

 6un until they go gradually to rest, when 

 they should be stored on their sides in a dry 

 position in a cool house until restarted iuto 

 growth next year. The largest bulbs should 

 be chosen for the earliest batch, and if they 

 are in good condition no repotting will be 

 required. Seedlings should be kept growing 

 for as long a time as possible in order to 

 build up good bulbs. 



FITTONIAS.— These prettily-marked foli- 

 age plants are well adapted for edging the 

 stages, and for growing in baskets suspended 

 from the roof. Wire baskets may be lined 

 with green moss from the woods, and filled 

 with a compost of two parts loam and one 

 part each of peat and leaf-soil, with saud 

 added. Insert the cuttings about four inohes 

 apart over the whole basket, well water in, 

 and place in the propagating house, where, 

 they will quickly become established. When 

 new growth commences peg the shoots into 

 the moss, so that the whole surface of the 

 basket may be quickly clothed, and pinch out 

 the point of each shoot. The best way to 

 afford moisture to all basket plants is to 

 immerse them in a tub of water for a few 

 minutes. Fittohia argyroneura has bright 

 green leaves, lined with silvery white, whilst 

 F. Pearcei is a capital companion to it, hav- 

 ing markings of rosy-carmine. — H. T. 

 Martin, Warren Wood Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER CLASS. 



YOUNG POT VINES.— When the canes 

 are fully developed — which should be about 

 the middle of this month — remove them to 

 their outside quarters, placing them in a 

 sunny position to thoroughly ripen the wood 

 and foliage. The method we adopt here is 

 to fix galvanized pea trainers tied horizon- 

 tally to strong stakes, about two feet from 

 the level of the ground. The vines are then 

 detached from the wire trellis in the house, 

 and the pots and canes are carefully removed 

 and secured to the pea trainers outside. By 

 adopting this method, there is always a free 



canes, which mate- 

 rially assists the ripening of the wood. The 

 pots are placed upon a good hard ash surface 

 and copious supplies of clean water given to 

 the roots as required. In this position they 

 are allowed to remain until the foliage begins 

 to fall off, when the eanes are then cut back 

 with a sharp knife, leaving the rods aibout 

 twelve feet in length. If they are not re- 

 quired for immediate forcing, place the pots 

 close together under a wall, and protect with 

 long stable litter. Tie securely in a perpen- 

 dicular position to the wall, where they can 

 remain until required for forcing purposes. 



PINE APPLES.— The final potting of the 

 successional plants should, generally be com- 

 pleted this month. After this work is accom- 

 plished, the house should be kept close, and 

 the plant l>e shaded lightly. If necessary, 

 water sparingly until the roots have com- 

 menced to push into the new soil, and lightly 

 spray every afternoon with clean tepid 

 water, the spraying being done after the 



bottom heat of from 80deg. to 85deg., and 

 pot up crowns and suckers as soon as' the 

 are taken off. Plants swelling their fruiil 

 should be watered occasionally with weak 

 liquid manure. Stake and tie all fruits as 

 required, and admit plenty of air when pos- 

 sible, but not in such a manner as to cau^" 

 cold draughts, or a sudden lowering of the 

 temperature. 



TOMATOES.— The plants generally have 

 borne heavy crops of fruit, but we hear many 

 complaints in this locality of the leaf disease 

 in spite of periodical sprayings with the Bor- 

 deaux mixture. Careful attention must be 

 paid to the supply of water to the roots, and 

 also admit plenty of air at all times; leaves 

 badly infested with disease should be'cutoff 

 placed into old boxes, and immediately con- 

 signed to the fire. Towards the middle or end 

 of this month sow seed for the production of 

 plants for early spring supplies, using a light 

 sandy compost, and grow them as near the 

 glass as possible. — Henry R. Fabmee, Cardiff 

 Castle Gardens. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



PERPETUAL CARNATIONS.— These are 

 continuing to make a bright display of bloom 

 where planted out in the open, and as a 

 result of their good behaviour as bedding 

 plants they will be more largely grown for 

 this purpose in the future. It is necessary 

 to keep the plants neatly tied, and to remove 

 dead blooms as they occur. The present is a 

 good time to root cuttings to eecure strong 

 vigorous plants for next season; we invari- 

 ably obtain our best specimens from plants 

 rooted now. If inserted singly in thumb 

 pots, filled with a light sandy compost, and 

 kept close in a cold fraTme for two or three 

 weeks, they will soon take root, provided 

 they are afforded a light shade, and not 

 allowed to become dry. For planting out of 

 doors Britannia, Winsor, May Day, Mrs. C. 

 W. Ward, and White Perfection are good. 



PROPAGATION.— The present is a good 

 time to propagate a number of hardy shrubs 



from cuttings of the half-ripened wood, or 

 from layers, as by this means nicely-rooted 

 specimens are obtained before winter, and 

 these grow away freely the following spring. 

 It is an advantage to remove the growths 

 with the heel of the old wood attached, as 

 roots are then emitted readily. Cuttings 

 can be inserted near the edge of 48-8ize pots, 

 or in a bed of soil in a cold frame, whichever 

 is the most convenient, but a liberal quantity 

 of sand in the soil is essential, and the com- 

 post must always be pressed down mode- 

 rately firm. Keep the frame close until 

 roots are emitted, and use the syringe freely 

 to maintain a moist atmosphere. 



SEASONABLE NOTES.— The flower beds 

 require constant attention at this time of 

 year to keep them attractive, and must have 

 all dead blooms removed regularly, 

 all subjects that need it, and keep the various 

 plants employed for carpeting pinched back, 

 while those planted to form designs will need 

 frequent and careful treatment to preserve 

 the correct outlines. Yew and other hedges 

 can now receive their final clipping, but in 

 carrying out this work it is important to 

 keep them perfectly true to shape. A sharp 

 pair of shears is the best tool to use, except in 

 the case of large-leaved subjects like laurel, 

 when secateurs are more suitable to avoid 

 c.itting the leaves. Lavender should be cut 

 and dried as soon as it is in flower, and 

 cuttings of this sweet-scented subject can be 

 rooted easily at the present time. Lose no 

 time in completing the layering of border 

 carnations, »o ae to obtain strong-rooted 

 plants before winter. In case of dry weather 

 keep them regularly damped over to facili- 

 tate quick root formation. Sweet peas should 

 have all the seed pods removed, so as to 

 prolong the flowering period; if this is done 

 and the plants are kept regularly supplied 

 with liquid manure, a continuation of bloom 

 can be expected for many weeks.— J. Gaed- 

 NER, Bateford Park Gardens. 



Tie up 



