February 12, 1898. 



GARDENERS 



MAGAZINE 



97 



SOM 



HARDY T 



ORC 



Having made many attempts to cultivate in the open border the finer 

 soecies of terrestrial orchids, including such kinds as the North American 

 Habenaria fimbriata and H. psychodes, I have reluctantly come to the 

 conclusion that the climate and surroundings of my garden at Edge can 

 satisfy very few of them. Amongst those few, however, some are so 

 ornamental as quite to make up for any attention they require, and 

 where successful they become a special feature in the garden. First may 

 be mentioned cypripediums, of which C. calceolus claims our sympathy 

 as a persecuted member of indigenous natives of Britain, where it has 

 been collected to extermination ; but imported plants are easily ob- 

 tained in nurseries. It requires stiff clay mixed with lime in some 

 soluble form; lumps of limestone are of very little use for supplying this, 

 as it takes years for them to dissolve sufficiently to impregnate the soil 

 It is a common fallacy to think that the requirements of lime-loying 

 plants may be satisfied by planting them on a rocky compost of lime- 

 stone, and, conversely, to think that because a plant thrives on a rockery 

 of limestone, it cannot be a hater of lime. However, C. calceolus likes 

 both lime and stone, and must have perfect drainage and an eastern 

 aspect, not exposed too much to the sun, A deep projecting pouch sur- 

 rounded with stone on the upper shelf of a rockery suits its taste. A top- 

 dressing in winter of loam and rotten manure, with a little lime, pleases 

 it, and when once established it may go on flourishing and increasing for 

 a dozen years. Still, it is a capricious plant, sometimes disappearing 

 unaccountably, and requiring to be renewed. 



The North American cypripediums are different in their requirements, 

 liking a deep peaty soil, but still exposed to the east, and mixed with 

 abundance of good sweet leaf-mould. The finest is C. spectabile. I have 

 not found this do well if planted, as imported, in large sods containing 

 half-a-dozen or more crowns ; it is better to separate the crowns and to 

 shorten the roots of each to about two inches long. Then they should 

 be planted three or four inches deep in a place where they will never get 

 dry. If not planted too far apart they will soon grow into a compact 

 mass, and by giving a rich dressing every year of rotten manure and 

 leaf-mould, they will be encouraged to grow two feet or more high, bear- 

 ing in June two flowers on each stalk. The same treatment suits C. 

 pubescens and C. parviflorum ; though if they had the perfect rest of a 

 colder winter, and the stimulus and ripening of a hotter summer, I be- 

 lieve they would thrive better than they do in the climate of Cheshire. 

 The only other North American cypripedium I have grown in any 

 quantity is C. candidum, which has a small white flower, scented like a 

 violet. Some twelve years ago I received from my son, then living in 

 Minnesota, a hamper containing a dozen fine clumps of this species, be- 

 sides a good many of the three other kinds described. All had been 

 found growing together in a glen running north and south, and whilst 

 common on the side facing the east, not one was on the side facing the 

 west. Under the treatment described for C. spectabile, C. candidum 

 seemed to do well, and flowered healthily for two or three seasons, but 

 the plants gradually deteriorated, and not one of them remained alive 

 seven years after they were planted. 



Next to cypripedium the genus orchis produces the handsomest 

 hardy species which can be grown with success in my garden. The 

 largest flowers are borne by O. foliosa, known as the Madeira Orchis, 

 and though a native of that mild climate, it is quite hardy in English 

 gardens—that is, I have never known it killed by frost in winter ; but 

 hard frosts and east winds cripple and stunt the growth in spring, and in 

 situations where it is exposed to these unfavourable conditions late in the 

 season, it dwindles away. But in a sheltered border, sloping towards 

 tiie east, in rich loam, mixed with well-rotted manure, it thrives and in- 



Cr £f ?\ 1 The clum P s ma Y be separated and replanted at once, 

 vvhilst the leaves are still green, about August, and they take no notice of 

 tneir move. Planted m pots, not less than nine inches in diameter, and 

 wintered in a cold frame, it will flower in the greenhouse at the end of 

 Aiay, and be secure against the dangers of an English spring out of 



fr™i nat £ C °Z ch } s > nearl y related to the last > is °- latifolia, so ex- 

 hnf? Y . T 1 ^- ^ oth in co,our and robustness of habit that some 

 \vlw dlvl ^ 1 lt pto three or more species, but in some parts of North 



ew™ ^ I m the An & Iesea b0 & s > the y a11 grow together, and 

 rirVi^f tl0n be . tween them may be found. The richest in colour, as 



no mxlT p( ! rt mne > 1 found > 1 believe > in Conwa y marsh ; thes * d ° 



"S c f ; lar S e s P lke > but retain their colour in cultivation. O. 

 others ^ I co ™ mo ™st of ou r native orchises, likes stiffer soil than the 

 indceV a lltS e f ?™ dlt . dowe » in any flower border of strong soil; and, 



up ifmoit ^J 5011 he ? ! ? 50 ful1 of the seed of this s P ecies tha ^ they come 

 U een * ™ ex P ected P^ces ; no spot seems to be liked better than be- 



this soerie ^^ ace l ro . wln & rhizomes of the German iris. Giant forms of 



'mcrm ^lV 11 , S1ZC When transferred to *e garden, and as they 

 ncrease fast, clumps often produce a good effect. 7 



wild together °rt°A^ that °' latifolia and °' macul *ta> where they grow 

 than cither 5 dlly A cross ' and the crosses, as a rule, are more robust 

 lion for th;J*f, 5" A ver y fine f °rm, which has been known in cultiva- 



same treatment *LT""2 " ^wauiy v*** v,i mcac iiynnas. With tne 

 that species S advised for O. foliosa, it is even handsomer than 



as a pot plant £ T T t ases as fast ' but 1 have never found J t to succeed 

 many orchises a™ * hat . everthe origin of the Kilmarnock Orchis, I have 

 taneous hvhriHc T !" g ln & arden which 1 f eel no doubt are spon- 

 grown orchises frn^ e ? ?' maculata and °- foliosa. Having never 

 of these terrestrial? I ' 1 cannot sa y how man Y years it takes for one 

 ^ow thtm^iirs^F to rea ^ h lowering size. Like lilies, they often 

 flowering it ,V m l east are first noticed by me, when already ripe for 

 kcted clumo of ol? V 1 n ten years since - J obser ved amongst a neg- 

 the leaves I th^Jr, I ° llo f a one or two with well-marked black spots on 



foliosa-in fact in ^ longer s P ikeS but small er flowers than (X 



' mt ermediate between the suggested parents. Since that 



time many more have appeared in different parts of the garden, some 

 with spotted, others with plain leaves. The increase of these is even 

 faster than that of the parents, and they make very good border orna- 

 ments. I think it was at the June show of 1896 of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural exhibition, in the Drill Hall, that Mr. Pritchard, of Christchurch, 

 had a fine bunch of these hybrids of O. foliosa of a better colour than any 

 of mine.^ He had not recognised them as hybrids, nor had he sold any, 

 but considered them a superior strain of O. foliosa. I believe that if 

 any patient gardener would undertake the artificial crossing of these 

 orchises, very good results might be obtained, especially by using a fine 

 variety of O. maculata as one of the parents. 

 Edge Hall) Malpas. 



P.S. — One important point in cultivation has been omitted. All the 

 orchises described above are improved by having chopped sphagnum, 

 mixed with the soil in which they grow, which is thus kept constantly and 

 uniformly moist. I have proved by experiment that in the case of O. 

 latifolia and of O. foliosa especially the greater vigour of plants so treated 

 is very marked. 



C. WOLLEY DOD. 



Protecting Apricots. 



The apricot, being naturally precocious, is one of the first of our hardy 

 cultivated fruits to unfold its blossoms, and is therefore liable to extensive 

 injury from frost unless adequate protection is afforded. The period at 

 which flowering takes place depends in a certain measure upon locality, 

 and to a great extent upon the character of the weather experienced in 

 the early part of the year. The apricot being a native of warmer climes 

 than ours the trees are quickly excited into growth. Therefore, should a 

 spell of mild weather occur after the turn of the year the flower buds at 

 once begin to swell, and they become quite prominent by the end of 

 January. When this happens, the trees are then as a rule, in full bloom 

 either by the middle, or not later than the end of February, generally 

 speaking, the first-mentioned period. On the other hand, should January 

 prove a cold month, and frost prevail to a greater or lesser extent, the 

 flowering period is then delayed until March. In some seasons this 

 occurs the second or third week in the month, and I have known it to be 

 quite the end, and on a few occasions the beginning of April before all 

 the blossoms have expanded. 



According to present appearances the trees are likely to flower about 

 the end of the month this season, although the buds are not so prominent 

 as I have known them sometimes at the end of January, The last few 

 days they have swelled up rapidly under the influence of bright sunshine, 

 but a change has now set in, the wind having shifted from south-west to 

 north-west, and cold showers of rain with some sleet with it keep passing 

 over. This will give the trees a check should such weather continue, 

 and the blossoming will be retarded to a later period than that mentioned. 

 However, I am having preparations made for affording the trees protec- 

 tion in case the change to colder weather should prove but fleeting. 

 When the buds arrive at the stage they are now in, my experience is that 

 they will not withstand the effects of very severe frost, and I have 

 known them killed outright from this cause. To prevent this occurring 

 it is always a wise precaution to have something in readiness, so that 

 protection can be afforded at short notice should a severe and protracted 

 frost appear imminent. What this should consist of will depend on circum- 

 stances, or the means at command for acquiring the necessary materials. 

 Blinds made of frigi domo, Hessian tiffany, and other materials offered 

 by horticultural sundriesmen are all excellent, and by their means the 

 trees are readily and effectively protected from inclement weather. These 

 are, however, within the reach of but few gardeners, especially where rigid 

 economy is practised, which unfortunately is too often the case at the 

 present time. The majority have, therefore, to adopt more rough and 

 ready modes. The next, which is perhaps the most extensively adopted, 

 method of giving protection, is by means of fish-nets suspended in front 

 of the trees. These may be doubled, trebled, or folded four times, 

 according to their strength and the width of the mesh. Boughs of ever- 

 greens tied on hurdles also answer the same purpose, and these possess 

 the advantage of being portable, and can be removed during the day. 

 These evergreens may also be tied on stakes fixed some eight or nine 

 inches from the face of the wall if hurdles are not procurable. The 

 evergreens in this case should not be too freely used, otherwise the buds 

 would be rendered very tender ; all that is wanted being something to 

 ward off frost and to break the cold winds. Laurels, yew, and spruce 

 boughs are all serviceable for this purpose. 



Another means of protecting the trees, which is also a great aid 

 towards securing a good set, are copings. These not only shed the 

 water clear of the trees during wet weather, but they are also convenient 

 for screwing pulleys to, in connection with the raising and lowering of 

 the blinds, as well as for fixing poles to, for keeping the latter and fish- 

 netting from blowing against and damaging the buds and blossoms. 

 These copings may consist of deal boards eleven inches wide by one 

 inch thick. They are quite as effective as the more expensive glazed 

 copings, and with ordinary care will last a number of years. These 

 copings must be securely fixed under the wall copings, which latter 

 seldom project more than two or three inches, so that they will remain 

 immovable during the prevalence of rough winds during March. Irons 

 somewhat like those used for supporting shelves in greenhouses, with 

 chisel points for driving into the wall, are excellent for this purpose. 

 The irons should be bent in a sloping direction, so that water will readily 

 run off the boards, and a hole should be drilled near the outer end for 

 the purpose of securing the boards witfc a screw. Stakes are, of course, 

 easily procured in woodland districts, but where they cannot be had laths 

 or battens, such as are used by slaters and tilers for roofing purposes, 

 form good substitutes, and are moreover very cheap. 



The foregoing are a few ways and means which may be adopted for 

 affording the necessary amount of protection ; but whatever is done, it 

 is well to be prepared, so that when occasion requires the trees may be 

 promptly shielded from harm. A. Ward. 



