Ii6 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



February , 9 . l8 , s 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



COOL ORCHIDS. 



mediate 



generally 



case in the 



the 



The present time will be found the most suitable tor dividing ana porting over- ^eroaenaron i nompum 3l . uu .u uuw receive attention ; thoroughly soal 7 01 



erown specimens of masdevallias such as M. ignea, M. Harryana, M. Veitchi, M. ball with tepid water, and any that require repotting should be attended J ^ 



l.indeni, M. polysticta, and M. tovarensis. The pots or pans used for masdevallias as a compost good fibrous loam, leafmould, a little well-decayed manure ,S ^ 



should be three jxirts filled with clean potsherds, covering this with a thin layer sand ; after repotting give water cautiously until the roots are working f 7^ 



of sphacnum. The compost should consist of peat of good quality with the dust the new soil. Those plants which are to be retained in the same Dots 



Clerodendron Thompsoni should now receive attention ; thoroughly cn if l * 

 ball with tepid water, and any that require repotting should be attend^ * 

 . fibrous loam> leafmould, a little well-decaved mnm,I „ ; 



harp 



phagn 

 shaken out and 

 added. 



?n our. anu Jiving spnagnuui, uMug i"*^ v, M w«* " « • rw ~ — 



1. A little fibrous loam may be added with advantage for the stronger grow- 

 ing kinds such as M. Harryana, M. Veitchi, and M. Lindeni, as these require 

 something more to root in than most others. Plants that are in good health should 

 !>e turned out of the old pots, removing a little of the loose material, but taking 

 great care not to injure the living roots, placing them in pots a size larger, pressing 

 the compost moderately firm. In the case of sickly plants or any that have 

 become exhausted in their old receptacles, should have all the old material removed 

 and the decayed roots cut away ; small pots should only be used. In potting such 

 plants should not be raised much above the rim, or it will be found very difficult 

 to make them secure, and if left in an unstable condition they cannot become re- 

 established ; small neat stakes should be used to keep the plants firm. A few 

 fresh heads of sphagnum moss pricked in over the surface of the compost will 

 son grow, and greatly improve the appearance. Specimens that only require 

 top-dressing should have the old material picked out and replaced with new. 

 Great care should be taken in watering after repotting, until the new roots have a 

 good hold of the compost ; the surface may be kept most with the aid of a fine rose- 

 can to induce the sphagnum to grow. Should cold weather prevail it will be 

 prudent to remove M. tovarensis to the coolest part of the intermediary house. 



Masdevallias of the Chimaera section should also be attended ; these are best 

 grown in teak- wood baskets, and suspended close up to the roof. The potting 

 material should consist of peat and sphagnum moss in equal parts with some finely 

 broken crocks and charcoal intermixed, as no crocks should be used for drainage 

 owing to the spikes growing downwards through the bottom and sides of the 

 liaskets ; after reliasketing place in the most shady part of the house, and on 

 bright days spray over them, by means of a syringe, using tepid soft water to keep 

 the compost sufficiently moist, and prevent the attack of red spider. These mas- 

 devallias are best grown in the coolest part of the intermediate house during the 

 winter months. Lrelia harpophylla, a beautiful species with its bright vermilion- 

 Coloured flowers, will be making a nice show just now, and cannot fail to give 

 .satisfaction to those who grow it successfully ; after they have passed out of flower 

 the young growths start from the base of the stem- like bulbs, and only a moderate 

 supply of water must l>e given until root action becomes brisk, and the young 

 growths are well advanced, then a full supply of water may be allowed. This 

 species are sometimes grown in the intermediate house, but it may be grown with 

 *|u:illy good results at the warmest end of the odontoglossum house. 



W ith increased sun heat the day temperature may rise a few degrees, but afford 

 the same care m i ventilating, damping, and watering. Cool houses that are in an 

 open position should have the roof shading fixed ready for use, as the plants 

 having fussed through the dull wintry months are unable to bear the sudden bursts 

 of sunshine that sometimes now occur in the middle of the day.— E. Smu., New 



si it'' ttt-y (, aniens. 



STOVE PLANTS, 



irf SSJu^iJtl 1 r C C . nd ° f F^W is lhe most suitabl * time for sowing seeds 

 v w 2\c* n il,1 ^ ,^,^;lnt h^Isolepis gracilis, Cyperus alternifolius, asparagus 



lulS Uii ! C ga,ned ^ sowin g lhem in January-thHhort, 



f?l y L • f- CXlf ? r i e ' ,anCC lhat has to be P laced «P™ artificial heat isagains 



F'TT" ° f lh u C ?K Sowin e at * e time * tated ab °ve will geneS 

 r^ JT rC5U,t8, ^ '^gthening days and the increased light, will all I £ 



nT^ hC ?l OUng N? ? rowir ^ ™*Y without any check Pans and six 

 nch i>o > ,r, the most suitable for seed vessels, and should be filled at least <S 

 hire! o their depth with crocks, the larger at the bottom, and liner on the surfed 



*>wn ThU C r r M g ^ then the com P° st in which the seeds are to 



Z h !nT! u i? ♦ • ? nd# , Pass thr <™R" a quarter-inch sieve, and place an 

 nch ami a half to two inches of this into each pot or pan over the moss • C n si £ 



IVrT " lhrwUKh , U f ncr sieve ' a " d P^ce half P an SSSt\ ^Mr^ 

 has drained awav the JS ™l £ " W £ I,e 8 erm,natin £. When the water 



of very m n. |i SJfc no^IeSI 5 ^ °™ Md in the CaSe 



che soil ; ! . S TTT'y K~* the Seeds into 



When sown EddS! Affiled cov.r V" 5 ^ 1 5° th ^r own diameter, 



with moss or «J * w£n i !r TVJ^ ^ a W of and then the glass 



water 



result of capillary attraction. 



necessary 

 ter overheai 

 upper layer 



become moistened as a 



VVK Pro T' 0n ° f a " classcs of stov e Plants may now be oro. 

 Z fS^ZK am ° Unt ?J{ ^ 0ra,in g h ^ «o don"? J&K$ 



IS 



they 



•ire har.Iened offand keot in TC Vh V V P ° tS ' and wnen roote <i 

 surprising how bng they 2? tl? *" USC , ?° the ,*»»« ^ble. It is 

 P^b yj tdicious?e ? eS Wh^n taki * f"*"?? ),e / on dition in these small 

 7 J JJ »J J^«*«wc kers of I'andanus Veitchi, avoid those 



those very small 



; — 10 °« lound at th< 



J« P[ants, and if grown in ^ 



mc wmte vanerat 



somewl^t drv^ fr-lZLT^'^ *«w arcmng more gracefully. Keep the suckers 



A W -* ^ • i \ 



[ a great deal of 



season without the loss 



Crotons may be rooted 



carefully 



but not too wet. Aralias are usefaTZw^'l *" U KCep tne 5011 moist at 



^ graceful that one could hardlv ^' J t or man y P ur Poses— in feet, mev are ^ v " — — " »»= ««« «wuwi S ysi C «. u» u « ° 



reticulata and A. Gailfo, W fee? J ™ , With the exception of A 1^W« ^ gr ° Wn > and which counteracts in a great measure the teodg 



5iSrt purp^o^^A^^ ^ A<» waning SoliSte^ 1^ at the collar, is a combination of the pot 



JSSSlffi ^„ a ''^ ^.. one »?. stand clear 



the drainage examined and receive a rich top-dressing! Syringe the riSS? ^ 

 head two or three times a day to induce them to break freely. More t L^' 



Castle Gardens. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



There is much work that can be done in this department at the present r 

 that will greatly facilitate matters later on ; therefore, anything that can be t 

 in hand now should on no account be neglected. Pea stakes should be nror 2 

 and sharpened, and put together in sizes for peas of different heights - beanari 

 may be treated in the same way. Any box edging that needs*replantinpshn2 

 also be attended to while the weather is suitable, and after all wheeling is d 

 the garden paths should receive attention. If any require regravelling this shanM 

 be done while the ground is moist, as the gravel will bind best when in 

 condition. The days are now lengthening, so that work in every departing 

 will be more pressing, and as that in this is often neglected it is well to 

 bear in mind that those who would avoid any complaints must be well preDared 

 with abundant supplies. The cabbage plot should receive attention by havinVi 

 spaces between the rows sprinkled with nitrate of soda. If any weeds are show 

 ing themselves the ground should be pointed over when sufficiently dry on the 

 surface to prevent its being picked up by the boots. Shallots may now be planted 

 and those who desire them for exhibition purposes should select sets that are not 

 likely to split up too much, and these should be planted a sufficient depth to 

 prevent the roots from lifting the bulbs out of the soil. The ground in whick 

 these are grown cannot well be too rich if large well-shaped bulbs are wanted. 

 When the soil is in a workable condition a small sowing of carrots may be made 

 on a warm border. ^ It is always far better to defer digging such ground till the 

 time of sowing, as it works much more freely than when dug in the autumn, the 

 particles of soil being closer together do not retain so much moisture. If dug and 

 sown as the work proceeds far better results will be obtained than from ground 

 that has become sodden or made pasty by frost. A small sowing, too, of lettuce 

 and radishes may also be put in. Care must be taken to protect the latter from 

 birds, which are very troublesome at this time of the year. 



Forced vegetables will now be in great demand, therefore ample proviai 

 must be made for their growth. Roots of both tarragon and mint must be intro- 

 duced as the older lots become exhausted. It is a good plan to have astockol 



they are 



cuttings of both these put in boxes in August ; they will root freely at that time of 

 the year, and the boxes may be introduced into heat as required. Small sowings 

 of such things as chervil, celery, basil and savory should also be made in pans, 

 boxes, as the young foliage of these is much esteemed by most cooks for flavouring 

 The young leaves of sorrel are often in request, so that a few boxes of it should be 

 placed on a slight hotbed to induce a free growth. Salads of all kinds must not be 

 neglected, for where there is a constant demand for these small but frequent 

 sowings should be made of mustard and cress, while endive, chicory, dandelion, 

 vVc, should be introduced into heat in small quantities to keep up the supply. A 

 small sowing of tomato seed should also be made, but it is well not to put in the 

 main lot until the weather is a little warmer, for the more freely the plants grot, 

 with an abundance of light and air, the shorter-jointed and more robust will they 



b&— H, C. Prinsep, Busted Park Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



1 HE varieties of grapes chosen for early forcing are, or should be, always free 

 setting, and should be thinned as soon as the berries become large enough to be 

 easily singled out, as there is no need to wait for fear of some berries being stone- 

 less. Early grapes should not be thinned so freely as mid-season and late varieties, 

 as they rarely swell so much, and as they are generally cleared off soon after they 

 ripen there is no fear of damping. Laterals should be stopped at one or til 

 joints beyond the bunch, allowing the latter number of joints where there is plenty 

 ot room between the rods, it being better to allow one or two extra main lew? 

 than to force a very early crop of sub-laterals. Keep the house fairly moist % 

 bright weather but avoid too much moisture, the presence of which is soon mi* 

 known by the appearance of air-roots on the stems and warty excrescences on the 

 under sides of the leaves, both of which are bad signs, which, if encouraged, wi 

 most certainly lead to shanking. I do not pretend to say that they are the ctf» 

 ot shanking, but I have rarely, if ever, met with shanked grapes on vines tW 

 have not carried also a crop of aerial roots. Vines in flower should have • 

 atmosphere kept rather dry until they have passed this stage, and the buncftj 

 snoulcl be tapped or have the hand drawn carefully down them on bright days* 

 mid -day The present is a good time to start a mid-season house, it being betw 

 o give the vines plenty of time than to hurry them later. Muscat and other W* 

 nouses should be made ready for starting ; the borders should have the necellin 

 attention in top-dressing, and those which are at all dry should receive a thoro» 

 soaking of tepid water. I find that the last week in February or the first *t* 

 l?J \u ? n he best time f or starting late vines, for the grapes are then npen- 

 under the influence of full sunshine, instead of having to be helped by aro6<* 

 heat in the autumn. The ventilation of vineries at work must be on careful U» 

 avoiding anything in the shape of front air or draughts from any cause, as t*j* 

 are certain causes of mildew ; the necessary air should be given at the apex, m 

 shut off again soon after mid-day. ^ 



WK; it 7 m I must he P° tted on or Panted out before they become P*"^ 

 vv mcnever method is chosen, the soil should be thoroughly warmed first, «7 

 should consist of heavy loam with a good sprinkling of broken mortar rubwj- 

 mvEht ° nly avai,ab Ie loam is of a light nature, one of the best correctives 

 Elm a ™. a fquaxnted is brick earth, and this may be used in a proportion 

 ■«» one.third to one-half the bulk. An excellent system under which goodjj 



i can he tr™„™ ...u.-.u - J .„r* the ten<W 



- .ur ine purpose of increasing 

 elegantissima, and A i^aT 11 

 HMO specie. ; after grWtine ^P to P h y"*, using as stocks th 



Acalyphat that have lost ^their ln lhc P ro P^ating case 



inserted to increase 

 ito growth. 



as A 

 two first-men- 

 Old plants of 



rvnf T.rt at ine conar, is a comuinauon 01 uic — *- * .u^ 



frnnPf "•• u Vhen thc ***** plants have filled their pots, which may beany J>~* 



mch , es t0 six ^ches in diameter, with roots, the bottoms of thePJ 



rS«™ «L? I J broken awa y untiI a hoIe lar fi e enou s h to allow of th . e fT** 



" e * wou has been made, then the pots should be plunged into hillocks olJJ 

 made up in the usual way, and into which the roots run freely ; the pot run* 

 AlmHm 'I ° r 5 W0 out of the soil, then the collars may be kept dry or netfj^ 

 degree?™ " V° 75 degrees must ta k «P* U P« and a minimum ten, ^ W <S*» 



dinars, hut 15. dem-e^ ic • V I 5 f!e g ree s must be kept up, and a minimum tempe""^,, 

 * stove, an inter- the roof a\H % ° T to P growth, keeping the plants always as near as po- ^ 



. . c roor glass, and preventing in this way the tendency they have to become 



