654 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 24, 1912 



WORK FOR THE WEEK 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



CATTLEYAS.— As Catrxeya gigas, C. Eex, 

 C. Gaskelliana, C. Dowiana, and its variety 

 aurea, C. Havdyana, and many others which 

 flower at this season pass out of flower, they 

 should be kept rather dry for some little 

 time. They may also be exposed to more 

 light and air than at other seasons. The 

 compost should not bo allowed to become 

 dust-dry, or there will be loss of roots and of 



" in need of 



energy. Those plants that 

 new rooting material should have attention 

 as regards repotting, as soon as new roots 

 are seen to be developing. A compost as 

 advised in the issue of iVIarch 23 will answer 

 the requirements of the whole of these or- 

 chids. Each plant should be potted firmly, 

 with the rhi2x>me placed just on a level with 

 the rim of the pot or pan. When repotted, 

 the plants should be placed at the cool end 

 of the cattleya or intermediate house, where 

 they will be exposed to the light and air ; 

 but should the weather be bdght, care must 

 be taken that they are not scorched 

 by the sun. Until the plants are re-estab- 

 lished only sufficient moisture is necessary 

 to prevent shrivelling. Every care should 

 be taken to keep the plants at rest, and to 

 prevent secondary or autumn growth. When 

 these secondary growths insist on pushing, 

 the plants must be Icept in their growing 

 quarters, and every inducement given them 

 to complete growth as soon as possible. 



C. SPECIOSISSIMA should be treated in 

 the same manner ; although these remarks 

 are made especially for C. Warscewiczi, 

 which in so many cases fails to give a re- 

 turn of flowers for the room occupied. If 

 this so-called shy-flowering cattleya is treated 

 as advised, and not allowed to sufPer from 

 either too much or too little water during 

 tlie winter months, and placed in a good 

 light position at the warmest end of the catt- 

 leya house, I feel confident a fair percentage 

 will produce flowers. I hav-e from time to 

 time observed that plants which have been 

 kept dry, and did not push their growths 

 early m February, failed to flower! while 

 those which commenced to grow at that 

 date rarely failed to do so. If this cattleya 

 IS potted now and treated as advised it will 

 get well established' before the 

 months. 



whiter 



LJCLIAS. 



L. purpurata, L. tenebrosa, L. 

 emnabarina, and many of their hybrids 

 should also be examined in order to see if 

 more root room or new material is required 

 By this time their new growths will have 

 reached a few inches in height, and will be 

 pushing forth new roots. When mvin? 

 plants larger pots, the old back pseudo-bull^ 

 should be cut away ; and, should the eyes 

 l>e good, they may be potted up in small 

 pots, when many will make new growths and 

 soon become iKseful plants. Enough space 

 should be allowed in the receptacle for at 

 least two seasons' growth. Old 

 need renovation should 



lings will become drawn and spoilt. When 

 the seedlings are large enough the most for- 

 ward should be taken out and potted .sepa- 

 be kept fro8t proof. The early batcli will 

 be pocssibla to obtain three batches of plants 

 from the same sowing. The .seedlings must 

 at all times be grown quite cool. Dur- 

 ing the winter a good position for them will 

 be found on the top shelf of a vinery, where 

 they vvill obtain th? maximum of light and 

 be kept frost proof. The early batch will 

 be ready for a shift into flowering pots about 

 the end of October, but the later batches are 

 best kept in the small pots until the spring. 



ARUM LILIES.— The time has arrived for 

 these plants to be examined. There are two 

 distinct systems practised for the resting or 

 ^>um'mer treatment. iSome growers favour 

 planting out, while others prefer to let them 

 remain in their flowering-pots, simply drying 

 them oft' by withholding water. I prefer and 

 practise the former treatment. Those which 

 have been planted out have, owing to the 

 heavy rains we have experienced, started to 

 grow much earlier than usual, and are now 

 rooting freely. They should be carefully 

 lifted with a fork, commencing at one end, 

 and taking the row right through. iPots and 

 soil should have been prepared beforehand. 

 Arums are gross feeders, and require a rich, 

 rather heavy compost, consisting of two parts 

 loam^ one part well-decayed 'manure, and one 

 part coarse sand. They are very fond of 

 soot, therefore a good dusting should be 

 added at the time of potting. When lifted 

 the plants should be sorted into three sizes. 

 A ten-inch pot will accommodate four of the 

 largest plants, and a five-inch pot will easily 

 hold one strong-flowering plant. Arum lilies 

 are very valuable at Christmas and Easter 

 for church decoration, and they are equally 

 valuable for house adornment. If they are 

 potted in sizes, all the plants in each large 

 pot will bloom at the same time. 



LILIUM LO^sPGIFLORUM.— Some bulbs 

 should be obtained at once and potted, if 

 required for Christmas display, '^hese lovely 

 lilies are always welcome, and Specially in 

 the winter when all outdoor flowers are over 



VALLOTA PUEiPUREA.— This is finely in 

 bloom now, and should also be put into the 

 conservatory. I have before stated in this 

 calendar when vallotas and nerines are 

 grouped together they produce a glorious 

 effect, — 'Lewis Smith, Norwich, 



HARDY FRUITS. 



EASPBERRIES.— The 



SUMMER PRUNING. 



pleted 

 unless 



^11 ^-11 . ^^^^ time 



growth has practically ceased, and the open 



tion of summer pruning should now b^ com" 

 '~^--\ Cordon and espalier pears and apples" 



regularly pinched back, will havelnad^ 

 a considerable amount of growth, and ana i 

 from such growths w^hich may be required for 

 extension or filling up vacant spaces, all un 

 necessary shoots should be cut back fairlv 

 close; much depends, however, upon the co/ 

 dition of each individual tree as to whether 

 hard pruning should take place or otherwise 

 Trees carrying an average crop of fruit niav" 

 with advantage, be closely 



air ; it is 

 which in- 



■ - 1. I.- . - pruned: those 

 with a vigorous habit of growth and little or 

 no fruit will, if cut too hard, make a secon 

 dary growth, which is not desirable ■ but bv 

 leaving a certain number of growths evenlv 

 distributed over the tree, the risk of secon 

 dary growths will be obviated. Bush trees 

 require similar treatment, and to obtain 

 fruits of high colour and qualitv there must 

 be free admission of light and 



therefore obvious that growths „ 



terfere with the due passage of sun 'and air 

 must be removed, and as soon as possible, to 

 gain the desired results. 



PROTECTING PLUMS. - Choice plums 

 should be netted to ward off the attack of 

 birds; if wasps are troublesome it will be 

 necessary to use special protecting material 

 and to closely envelop the trees, as the least 

 hole is quickly found out and made use of 

 The best plan is to search for and destroy 

 wasps' nests.— W. Messekger, Woolverstone 

 Park Gardens. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



TOMATOES OUT. . OF DOORS. 



^- ^ - - - — The 



weather of late has not been over favourable 

 to the ripening of this crop. Remove side 

 growths and large leaves that prevent sun 

 from reaching the fruits. Stop the leader 

 to encourage every bunch to perfect its 

 fruits. If only good-sized green fruits form 

 at the tops of the plants, these can te 

 ripened late inside. oi\ if desired, can be 

 used for tomato chutney or pickle. Any 

 fruits that are now^ colouring should be 

 gathered and jstored in boxes to ripen, plac- 

 ing them on a ishelf in an ordinary gum- 

 house or frame. 



tion at this season. 



plants that 

 also receive atten- 

 All exhausted or worn- 

 out pseudo-bulbs and dead roots should be 

 cut away, the old decayed compost removed, 

 and the pieces potted separately into pots as 

 small as possible, so that, when they become 

 well rooted, they may easily be placed into 



tefTi-n'rP*'^^'-^- Bamkku, The 



West Hill Gardens. 



CONSERVATORY AND CREEN- 



^^^Z H he sown at once for next 



spring display. Choose a seed-pan, clean 



of thT "'""'^.r*^ ^" inch 

 i .1 '"V ^ -^^^dy compo^^t sow the 



.eeds thinly and evenly over the surface and 

 .lin.i.fi. eover thein with compost. n,e pan 



ir.rr. V^^^^d in a slightly-heated 



frame and covered with a piece of Hnss 



Susf S; m ^ "/f^ '^^^1 ^ermKd [hf^ptn 

 mmt be moved to a cold frame or the seed- 



fruiting season is 

 now over, and every effort should be made to 

 remove the old canes as soon as possible • 

 these should be cut out, and, at the same 

 time, weakly young growths should be re- 

 moved where a sufficient number of stout 

 healthy growths are available for the pur- 

 pose required. AVhen tied to individual 

 stakes, hve or six growths are ample; these 

 should be loosely tied up to prevent break- 

 age from strong winds. Where trained on 

 wires a sufficient number of youn^ canes 



tZ^,^ ^^'^ '\ ^"^^^^^ ^"^Pl^ ^Pace be- 

 tween the growths to permit the thorough 



ma uring of the rods. Manurial a«sistanS 

 ^ill prove mast .beneficial, particularly .0 

 where no previou, feeding has be^n 

 afforded If tho soil 1. naturally deficient in 

 hme, a dressing should be applied forth^ 



During the fruiting ^^ason weeds 

 spring up m abundance ; th;se should now 

 be cleared off and the plantations 

 clean and tidy. 



LOGANBERRIES ETC 



the loganberry should receive similar treat- 

 ment to that advised for raspberries The 

 thorough ripening of the young growths is 

 of the utmost value, and greatly enhances 

 the prospects of a good crop of 



TURNIPS will grow 

 date; 



Bed 



with. 



ade 



hould 



another season, 

 strictly avoided, 

 the raspberry the 

 of more extended 

 tainly be grown 

 afforded 



crop of fruit for 

 Overcrowding should be 

 As a successional fruit to 

 wineberry is well worthy 

 culture, and should 

 wherever 



. ^ , space can be 

 ^ even it it is but a row or two The 

 plants present a most pleasing sight when 

 carrying a crop of fruit. ^ - ^ 



INDOOR TOMATOES will need a hiUo 

 fire heat should the weather remain cool. 

 Pay strict attention to watering, or --^racked 

 fruits will be the result. Young plants for 

 winter fruiting sliould now be shifted into 

 their fruiting pots. Guard against e>xef>sive 

 moisture. These will do well in any cold 

 house for some time to come. 



SPINACH.—The principal sowing of tii^ 

 crop can now be made for winter and spring 

 supplies. Sow again two weeks hence, when 

 much ground will ibe vacant after the lifting 

 of maincrop potatoes. Sow in drills eighteen 

 inches apart. Do not forget to sow a row or 

 two of the perpetual spinach beet at th^ 

 same time as the Winter Prickly and the 

 Carter Spinach. 



readily aft^r ihi> 

 treat as advised for jspinach. 

 Olobe and Snowball are two good varieties. 



ENDIVE. —Late-sown plants should be put 

 out without delav so as to form fair-sized 

 plants before winter .sets in. Make still an- 

 other mowing, this time in a cold frame or 

 hand-light, finally planting the seedling'^ 

 under lights so that should severe weatliei" 

 «et m, and spinach is'iit a stand-^till, thrycan 

 very conveniently In^ used a.^ a siih.-titiitc f*"' 

 the latter. 



ONIONS.—This crop is keeping its foliage 

 very late this year ; hardly a plant has fallen 

 dowti, yet ; consequentlv they will be lat&r in 

 ripening than usual. '"With continuous 

 weather afford a little help by lifting their 

 foliage oocasionally: should it fall too 

 thickly or rot, mildew and decav will set 

 whereas the regular movement of the leave^^ 

 will help to dry and ripen the crop. 



LATE PEAS.-Pay attention to this crop 

 as the gales which usuallv occur from no^ 

 onwards may blow them over; treat runner 

 beans likewise, securing thcim safely.—^' 



