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THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



November 16, 1912 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



CATTLEYAS.— Among the specift^ of catt- 

 leyas which bloom at this season, C. labiata 

 undoubtedly is one of the most useful, and 

 the varieties inchide »somo of the mot^t beauti- 

 ful flower- iinao^iiiablo. There are other 

 specii'^, r>iu li iis ('. iJow iaiia, which al&o pro- 

 duce tlieir tiowtTs at this season, all of 

 which are most useful, and assist the culti- 

 vator in making his houses g-ay aiul attrac- 

 tive. Among the hybrid catt Irva^ and 

 IsDlio-cattleyas, which, from a ciiit ivator's 

 standi>oint, can be treated in the same way, 

 there are numerous varieties whieli produce 

 their blooms at this dull season <»t tin* viar. 

 I do not iiiteiirl (Kcupying space lnn- oiv- 



ing a long li^t <>1 names of tlie.-.r liyhrid^s, 

 but would sii^gft^t 1 liat anyoiu^ w 110' i.^ an 



admirer of tliiv^e most Infant itul planlts 

 should pay a visit to an up-to-date nursery, 

 or a ])rivate garden where a representative 

 cnlh'i tioii of the«e ydants is grown. Many of 

 thes<^ hjvely plants ar<' now in their full 

 beauty, and the fiiir ^i/c, and tlnir wide 

 range of colour, b(^ar t '.'alimony of the hy- 

 bridist « art. Tlie (lowers should not ex- 

 haust the plants l^y l>eiiio- allowed to re- 

 main upon theni too loni^-. but after InMug 

 open for a reasonable tinu' they should Ik* 



removed. Tliost* ])ushin(r uvw ronts t'jom the 

 base of the pseudo-bulbs may rejjotted, 

 if the compo6;t in which they are growing is 

 at all >oiir <>r (h-<'()ui]>osc(|. 



\VATF:HIX(;.— All plants that have been 

 repotted must be carefully watered until re- 

 established. The- watering of cattleyas, 

 laelio-cattleyas, and also laeliis during the 

 winter is often a difficult matter, especially 

 to the amateur and beginner. So varied are 

 the conditions under which the plants, arc 

 grown that T vtMiture to give a few details 

 to show how ditfienlt it is to advi^- citlier- 

 on the ajiplieat i<in or reduetioTi of watci-. 

 In the fir«st plae.'. it 1-^ <le^irablc to know tlie 

 nature of the e-»nipo-.t in wliieh tlu^ ]>lants 

 are growing; seron<lly, it Ih,' plart is well 

 rooted or n(»t ; thirdly, if the ]>]ant i. potted 

 firmly or ](K>sely. Affain» are the plants 

 growing in a dry or humid po-ition? All 

 thes4> j)oints >eem of minor iuipoi tiinee, but 

 all have a ]>earing on tlu' amount of water 

 which should be applied t<> t lu^ roots. As 

 regards potting, this sh(mld all l)e done 

 firmly. A great many users of Osnninda 

 fibre have made the mistake of not potting 

 firmly enough ;all loosi? co!r.|)n.sts retain mois- 

 ture much in the same way as a sponge. 



SECONDARY GROWTH - 

 at this season make secondarv growth, ^ 

 have not found any ill effects from this. 



_ ^ — 



Many cattleyas 



nng IS 



providing the plan's are kept active until 

 this growth its completed; it is often the 

 means of the plant makinof extra leads. 

 When once grnwtli lias -^t irt-ed i:ntl 

 gained by eheckin'^- it , t liert^fore every en- 

 couragement should \>e given to develop the 

 growth by placing the plants well up t-o 

 the light, and watering them whenever thev 

 require it.— J. T. Barker, The West Iliil 

 Gardens. 



CONSERVATORY AND GREEN- 

 HOUSE. 



MIGNONETTE.— This delightfully sweet- 

 nted annual is always appreciated, and 

 e87)ecially «o when grown in pots for the 

 decoration of the conservatory. It is of eaisy 

 culture. Seeds sown in the first week of 

 August, a,^ advised, have germinated well, 

 and the eeedlings are now strong and 

 healthy. These should W thinned out, leav- 

 ing five plants in each five-inch pot to de- 

 velop. They should now l>e removed to a 

 cold vinery or j>each-h()n>e. an:l he placed 

 o?i a shelf near the gla>s. uiiere ahuiifhuice 

 of air can be obtaine<l, tlii> will tend to 



harde?' the plants, and keep them <lwarf and 

 sturdv. 



rXMVWl ]^\ Vy\l\M\\),\\A^_ With 

 the a<lvent <.t \iu^\< p|;nit. nt tin. u^fiil 

 ^•in>ii.;iiMi]a .]uuu<\ !m. litte<l Ironi the hauler 



^^here they had been during the summer; 



and potted at once. Owing to the wet 

 season the plants have grown well and 

 will therefore require rather larger pots than 

 usual . It will be found they are coarse- 

 rooted, and care must be taken in lifting 

 to maintain the ball of soil and roots intact, 

 or the plants will suffer badly. Most of 

 the plants will need a ten-inch pot. Ram 

 the soil firmly, and after potting place in 

 a cola frame cr peach-house. Those grown 

 in 7)otcs should also be placed under shelter; 

 chey will require very little water until 

 growth again becomes active in the spring. 



DIELYTRA SPECTABILIS, 



A 



very 



valuable old favourite is this perennial, but 

 to my mind it never looks so beautiful as 

 when grown in pots and slightly forced. 

 Plants can be purchased at very little cost 

 at this season; they like a rich, fibrous com- 

 ))or.t, and after they are potted should be 

 placed for a short time in a cold frame. 

 'J 'hey commence to root at once, and when 

 well established may be placed in more warm 

 and congenial quarters, where they quickly 

 respond. The fine racemes of heart-shaped 

 flowers are very effective, and the plants 

 are most useful for placing in va&es for house 

 decoration. There is also an albino form 

 of this, but the flowers are not pure white, 

 but a bad cream ; the constitution is not so 

 good, and it is not nearly so effective and 

 valuable as the type. 



CLIMBERS.— Many of these will now have 

 done flowering for this season, and need a 

 period of re-t. Plants which have been 

 trained up the hack wall and over the rafters 

 of the roof may >)e slightly pruned back and 

 tied together. AVater should be withheld 

 from the roots. Climbers always do best 

 when planted out, and shoidd any additions 

 be required the present time is most oppor- 

 tune for planting. Most of the climbers like 

 a rich compost with a good root run, but 

 Ml the case of lapagerias a bed of peat must 

 ht- prepared. 



f;i:XK!fAL IM-ArARKS.-During wet days 

 iiiKl when tro^f and enow occurs, the staff 

 should he drafted into the houses to clean 

 plants, woodwork, and glass. Get every- 

 thing forward ready for the rush of work 

 that always comes with the advent of the 

 New Year —Leavis Smith, Cadland Gardens 

 Southampton. . 



HARDY FRUITS. 



PLANTING FRUIT TREES \ND 

 BUSHES.-The planting of all kinds of truS 

 trees and bushes should be energetically pro- 

 ceeded with, taking advantage of every ai> 

 portunity when the csoil is in a suitable con- 

 dition for the operation. By plantim^ early 

 while the soil still retains a certain amount 

 of warmth, quick root action is induced, and 

 the trees will break freely next vear and 

 make a stronger growth than would be the 

 case were planting delayed until later 

 period. Vs hen dealing with soil of a heavy 

 retentive nature care must be taken to avoid 

 the great mistake of treading it down in 

 smh a manner a. to make it resemble soft 

 putty: tho best plan is to have ready to hand 

 some lierht material .nch as old lifted soH 

 fr.)m tlie potting shed or well-rotted rubbish- 

 hean material, and vhen planting place .ome 

 ot this^ over and about the roots also adding 

 n good p<.rtion to th. soil for filling up^^ 

 thiK will allow of firm planting. Half st-in 

 dard trees sliould be inmiediatelv smireT^t^^^ 

 a stout stake, which should be placed in posK 

 tion prior to planting the tree."^ Fruit t ?e 

 when thev co^me to hand from the nursery^ 

 ^hou d b. quickly unpacked and laid in 7n 

 moist soil or leaf-mould; should the roots 

 ^tuTl ^r;'-7hieh may occur throiigh 



delay m transit plunge them in a tub or 

 nnk of water for two or three hours and 

 urn lay them m. buf the sooner, however 



r'^w. ^^'-^'^^ P^^n^anent qiiar ers 



futu?/well 



^ examine the 



roots before pbintm... euttin^ back thp 



in^ Ar .i^^^ oo»ipleted the prun- 



h nd V P^i^'"s may be Lken 



HI hand, loung trees which have received 

 due at ention during the summer Sh. 

 ^vdl only need to have tbe ehief shoots cut 



back somewhat, and a little thinning done 

 to the young shoots that must be laid in f 

 extension of the young trees. Treet^ which 

 have filled their allotted space should havp 

 the spurs shortened back, particularly those 

 which point outwards from the wall even 

 if by so doing a few bloom buds have to be 

 sacrificed. Crowded spurs should be well 

 thinned out, bearing in mind that the nearer 

 the spurs are to the wall the more warmth 

 and protection they will receive. The main 

 branches should have ample space allowed 

 for proper development of the foliage and 

 overcrowding should be strictly avoided In 

 some instances it is advisable to cut out some 

 of the old and exhausted branches^ and train 

 in young growths from the base, and where 

 the tree is still of a vigorous habit it is 

 possible to gradually replace old and ex- 

 hausted branches with vigorous and fruitful 

 young growths. Trees which have been neg- 

 lected, and which have spurs standing out 

 to some considerable distance from the wall 

 should have half of the spurs cut back to 

 within one inch of their base and the re- 

 maining spurs treated in a similar manner 

 the following winter 



DESSERT CHEREIES should be pruned 

 on much the same lines as the plums; they 

 are very impatient of the knife, and unless 

 the cuts are^ clean and done with a sharp 

 knife there is always a danger of gumming 

 occuriing. When the shoots are well pinched 

 back during the summer, the use of the knife 

 is reduced to a minimum. If the growth on 

 dessert cherries is excessive, the root action 

 must be restricted by root pruning.— W. 

 Messenger, Woolverstone Park Gardens. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



CAULIFLOWERS.— The May-sown batch 

 Will now be turning in, and will be found 

 most useful to prolong th? season of this de- 

 licious vegetable, for without a doubt cauli- 

 flowers are superior in flavour to the majo- 

 rity of the broccolis. Protect the small 

 forming curds by tying them up. If a short- 

 age m the supply occurs, take up a quantity 

 with good balls of earth and roots attached, 

 and plant thickly in pits or deep frames, 

 giving a good watering. Use the lights as 

 necessary. Both cauliflowers and broccolis 

 should be treated in this way to maintain 

 a regular supply of heads throughout the 

 winter. Sutton's Winter Mammoth broccoli 

 is one of the very best, as it follows the cau- 

 liflowers, and a good batch will last well 

 anto February. Prick off autumn-sown 

 cauliflowers without delay in a cold frame. 



GLOBE ARTICHOKES.— These will now 

 require attention to safeguard them against 

 Tnuch rain and frosts. Remove all old flower 

 stems and decaying leaves, then place a 

 good supply of cinder ashes around each 

 plant; or, if preferred, long litter or bracken 

 tern could be used. If the stock needs in- 

 creasing, now is the time to proceed by 

 .dividing the plants, potting good suckers, or 

 divisions, into ten-inch and tw^elve-inch pots, 

 placing these for the winter in cold frames, 

 plunging the pots in ashes. 



1 RENCH BEANS. — Wherever room is 

 available, make a sowing now, using 60-sized 

 pots and placing five hwds in each. Even- 

 tually pot them into 24-sized pots for crop- 

 ping Maan'ain a temperature of 50 degrees 

 in cold weather. 



POTATOES. — Wherever a little room can 

 be spared for a few early potatoes, it should 

 be made use of. Proceed to prepare the sets, 

 t AT ^i^^^^^y -done, by placing smali tubers 

 01 May Queen and Express on end in boxes iu 

 a warm house. When sprouting has com- 



place in pots or bloater boxes. 



T i^^t"^^^' — Shorthorn carrots on 

 slight hotbeds, and make up other beds for 

 asparagus, seakale, etc. Remove endive to 

 eate quarters, but expose it to all favourable 

 weather until required for blanching. Prick 

 out late-sown lettuces into cold frames for 

 spring planting. Watch winter spinach 

 closely, and if shelter is required place fir 

 boughs on the exposed side«. Dust soot over 

 winter carrots, and collect all garden and 

 other rubbish into a heap to rot, turning it 



occasionally. — Geo. Elwood, Swanniore 

 <jrardens. 



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