672 



THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE. 



August 31, 1912. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



and 



t h i M 



ODONTOGLOSSUMS.— The spring 



oarly summer-flowering m€ml>eis of 

 ffenus are the most popular of all the cool- 

 Irowin? orchids. The remarkable degree of 

 popularity to which the members of t^ 

 most beautiful family have attained is suffi- 

 cient proof of their great value. The species 

 O crispum, O. Pescatorei, O. Halli, O. Har- 

 ryanum. O. triumphans, O. luteo purpu- 

 reum O. cirrhosuni, and their very numer- 

 ous hybrids aud varieties, are all extensively 

 cultivated, and they can be successfully 



tcether n a cool, well-ventilated 



»rovvn 



lost 



structure. Odontoglossunis require a con- 

 stant and regular circulation of air. Owing 

 to the great humidrty of tlie outside atmo- 

 sphere, and the small amount of sunshine ex- 

 perienced during the present season, no 

 great difficulty haa been experienced m main- 

 taining a suitable cool and moist atmosphere. 



RHrOTriN*; is an iin])ortant detail, for 

 upon it largflv depends the success achieved. 

 The early autumn is generally regarded as 

 the most favourable season for this opera- 

 tion, the cool nights and moist atmospheric 

 conditions which prevail at this season being 

 favourable to their becoming re-established 

 before winter sets in. No time should be 



therefore, in proceeding with these 

 operations. When the young growths are 

 seen to be pushing roots from their base, 



which will soon outer the new compost, 

 the plants receive the slightest check pos- 

 sible. 



SPECIMENS that have been left undis- 

 turbed for some years, and are showing 

 signs of exhaustion, should be given atten- 

 tion. Shake away the old potting material 

 from the roots, and remove old and useless 

 pseudo-bulbs. Use pots just large enough 

 to accommodate the roots for one season only. 

 Those growing vigorously and in need of 

 more root space may be shifted without di.s- 

 turbing the ball beyond picking out the 

 l<x>se and decaved material. Return them 

 again to receptacles large enough for their 

 proper development for two seasons' growth. 



WATERING.— Supply water to plants that 

 have been newly potted with care, and regu- 

 late atmospheric conditions by the judicious 

 di'iiiping of the floors and the bare surfaces 

 about the plants. Shading will be needed on 

 bright days, and the plants may be slightly 

 sprayed overhead twice daily on favourable 

 occasions. 



PROPAGATION.— Odontoglossums may bo 



increasi^d by means of the pt^eiido-bulbs, 

 which have bo-en removed in repotting. Select 

 the bulbs, label them, and place them to- 

 gether On a bed of sphagnum moss, in a box 

 close up to the roof glass in a cool house. 

 If in good condition the bulbs may also be 

 put in small ])ots and placed on a sh?lf, and 

 kept on the dry side, when many will soon 

 make breaks and useful plants. Another 

 method is to sever the rhizomes between the 

 pseudo-bulbs whilst growing in the pots. If 

 these divided portions have bulbs with leaves 

 thev soon make breaks and root readily. — 

 J. t. Barker, The West Hill Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



IMPATIENS SULTANI. — This bright- 

 flowering exotic balsam is of easy cultivation, 

 and by inserting cuttings at intervals an 

 almost perpetual display of flowers may be 

 had. Cuttings root readily at any season, 

 and the present is a good time to insert 

 a batch for raising plants for winter flower- 

 ing. We usually sacrifice a few of the 

 largest plants about this time, cutting them 

 down to the ground level and selecting the 

 strongest shoots for proj)a(jatin.9^ purposes. 

 These we put singly in 2^in. pots. When 

 rooted they are transferred to either large 

 &ys or 48 's, in which size they- are flowered. 

 Over-potting should be avoided, as when this 

 happens the plants grow vigorously and pro- 



duce but few flowers. It is far better to re- 

 strict the roots of winter-flowering plants 

 generally, and feed them well a4 may l>e 

 found necessary. Given good culture these 

 make fine specimens by the early part of the 

 winter and are of great value for house 

 decoration. During summer they thrive m 

 the conservatory, but I know of no plant 

 more susceptible to cold, sunless weather, or 

 draughty rooms, than this. 



ACALYPHA SANDERIANA.— The plant.; 

 will now be developing their crimson in- 

 florescences, and should be placed where they 

 will have rather less atmospheric moisture 

 than was advised previously. W^atch closely 

 for the dreaded red spider, and when it makes 

 it.-i appearance 8ponge the leaven carefully 

 with soapy water. It is indeed a good prac- 

 tice to do this occasionally as a preventive 

 measure. Shade only during the hottest 

 part of the day, and continue to give perio- 

 dical applications of liquid manure alter- 

 nated with a little artificial manure until 

 the majority of the tass-Ls are developed, 

 when only clear water should be given. 



W^ATERING AND SHADING.— The cold, 

 sunless weather experienced for the last lew 

 v/eeks has necessitated very careful watering 

 of all pot plants. During such abnormal 

 weather gi-eat c-ire should be exercised, it 

 being far better to err on the dry side. See 

 that the water used is of about the same 

 temperature as the structure in which the 

 plants are grown. Fortunately it seldom 

 happens that such a note of warning is neces- 

 sary at this time of year, but it will be seen 

 that this is a matter of great importance. 

 Careful regulation of the shading is of equal 

 importance; in many instances it can be 

 dispensed with altogether, merely having it 

 at hand should we have a return of brighter 

 weather. The material should be light and 

 open, and only put on for 2 or 3 hours in the 

 u'-iddle of sunny days. — H. T, Martin, War- 

 ren Wood Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



MELONS.— The dull, sunless weather, and 

 the continuation of rain for the past few 

 weeks, has not been favourable to late crops 

 of melons, and it has been necessary — and 

 will be more so from now onwards — to main- 

 tain a steady bottom heat, ranging from 70 

 to 75 deg., with a temperature in the house 

 of about the same . Admit an abundance of 

 air, night and day, when the weather is 

 favourable, and stop all sub-laterals at the 

 first leaf. Keep the roof glass absolutely 

 clean, so that the foliage may be exposed, to 

 all the sun and light possible. Without this, 

 it is impossible to grow good-flavoured fruits 

 at this season of the year. Water and 

 stimulating manures should be administered 

 to the roots with great care, for if the soil 

 becomes too wet, the plants will probably 

 collapse some weeks after the fruits have 

 set. At the same time, moisture at the roots 

 must be supplied at all times as required, or 

 otherwise red-spider wil be sure to make its 

 ai^pearance, and much labour and patience 

 will be required to eradicate it. The supply 

 of water can, however, be diminished at 

 this season of the year, when the fruits are 

 ripening, exercising care that this is not 

 withheld in such a manner as to check the 

 full development of later fruits. Spray the 

 plants with clean water on fine days, after 

 closing the house in the afternoon. Any 

 fruits that are ripe should be immediately 

 cut and placed in the fruit room, where they 

 will keep in good condition for a few days, if 

 not required for immediate use. 



EARLY VINES.— The soil in the borders 

 of the bouse or houses required for very 

 early forcing shpul<d be allowed to become 

 fairly dry to induce an early rest. The cur- 

 rent season's side growths should be cut 

 back to within five or six leaves, and all the 

 side shoots cut clean away with a sharp 

 knife; this vnll materially assist the back 

 Imds to break, and also the vines will 



st sooner than would 



vines are required, to be started early iu 

 November. 



PEACHES AND NECTARINES.— All the 

 fruits having been gathered from the perma- 

 nently planted trees under glass, give plenty 

 of air night and day, and dispense with fire- 

 heat. Give copious supplies of clean water 

 to the rootLS. Where any trees are making 

 too much wood at the expense of fruitfulness, 

 the work of root pruning and careful lifting 

 should be done any time from the beginninfr 

 of September. W^e find that it is advanta- 

 geous to the trees next season where thi^ 

 operation can be taken in hand at the latter 

 part of this month or the early part of next. 

 Much, depends upon the weather. If the 

 sun is bright and powerful the glass should 

 receive a light shade, and the foliage kept 

 well syringed for a week or ten days. After 

 this work has been accomplished the roots: 

 should receive a good, soaking with rain 

 water, and the young growths be untied 

 from the wire trellis. — Henry R. Farmer, 

 Cardiff Castle Gardens. 



receive a complete 

 otherwise be obtained. It is very essential 

 to attend to these small details, where the 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



Treatment of Late-flowering 



Varieties. 



Owing to the weather having during the 

 past few weeks been so cold and rainy, and 

 the lack of sunshine, late-flow^ering chry- 

 santhemums will need extra care durnig the 

 period between the present time and the 

 commencement of the shows. The wood of 

 these cannot be too well ripened, and if 

 any of the varieties were a week or more 

 in showing their flower-buds in the early 

 part of August, the plants should be placed 

 in a very exposed position by themselves, 

 and given twace as much room as is neces- 

 sary in an ordinary season. Of course, 

 some protection from very strong winds is 

 essential. 



Some cultivators put their late-flovvering 

 plants under glass very early in order to 

 make up for lost time. It is certainly 

 necessary to place them in the houses m 

 good time, but it is essential to success that 

 the wood be properly matured first. A 

 long sojourn under glass is conducive to a 

 rather sappy grow^th w^hen the huds art' 

 quite small at the time of housing. Stems 

 bearing buds w^ell advanced are not affected 

 much by early housing. 



injudicious Feeding. 



The application of strong stimulants at 

 the time of housing in the case of late 

 varieties bearing small buds on iinmature 

 wood is not beneficial but harmful. Nitrate 

 of soda and sulphate of ammonia cause a 

 too free growth, and valuable time is pass- 

 ing, so that such forced growth wiU no 

 bear the deep blooms at the desired time; 

 during the first half of November. It 

 much better to allow the wood 

 slowly at first, and then as^sist the f"'' ^^\a 

 lopment of the fh)wei's with nitrate ot smi^ 

 judiciously applieil twice or "t^^''*^^' • 

 the flowers are half open. I^^ss stiniuiatmr 

 foods may be given before this sta^^ • 

 Nitrate of soda has a bad effect on the oi 

 tings which are relied upon for the m- 

 year's stock of plants if given very ■ 

 At first the suckers grow very I'^^^V'lJ ,V 

 and then seem to fail suddenly, a^^"^*/^ 

 je:-t(Hl to even a slight frost, tho e<lge^ 

 the leaves will turn brown. 



Specimen Plants. 



These, too, must he given more tnai^ 

 usual space at this season, so tliat ^ j^.^, 

 shoots will Ikk well ripened. ,^^„iid 

 tors partly ))luiia;etbe ])ots in ^'^^ jj]o\v- 

 .steadv ihvm :uh1 ]>rev<Mit winds from ^ 

 ing tiietn (»ver. Where any plants a ^^^^ 

 i)liMm«Ml tlu^v nurst l)e at once 

 lioards or ashes. UEO. 



