April 3°> 



1898. 



GARDENERS' MA GA ZINE. 



283 



■ ■ 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



COOL ORCHIDS. 



u ™l houses the plants are now starting to grow freely. The spring months 

 N th , CC iS emarkably, but the occasional drying east winds are not bene- 

 . the M .3ln should be moderately afforded when they exist, for a dry 



, W J^SdM should be moderately afforded when they exist, lor a ory 

 fiC,a ^here maV check the plants and it undoubtedly increases the insect pests. 

 l mCW t s s3d be examined carefully, and any aphis that have settled on the 

 1116 pl ^L?,hould be removed at once, for if left until the flowers begin to open 



flower spikes should 



thpy crippl 



present 



Odontoglossum crispum will be commencing 



n r f,,teo-Durpureum, &c. These plants carry their spikes ^ — ™ 



°" S weeks It is, however, a bad practice to let these remain long on the 

 Tnu Tit naturally causes the bulbs to shrivel. There are some examples that 

 P S making new growths and carrying flower spikes at the same time ; in such 

 £L the spikes should be cut off as soon as the flowers have expanded, for if 

 SSwed to remain the young growths will be weakened considerably. Odonto- 

 Kim Oerstedi with its dainty little flowers forms one of the most charming 

 Ets in the cool house at the present time ; it is a native of Costa Rica, being 

 found there at elevations of 7,000 to 9,000 feet. When commencing to grow 

 his species should be watered very sparingly until root action begins, and even 

 then they should not receive overdoses of water ; during the winter months only 

 sufficient water will be needed to prevent shrivelling. 



Any plants that have been wintered in the intermediate house may now be 

 removed to their growing quarters, and the warmest end of the odontoglossum 

 house will be found a suitable place for the following during the next six months : 

 Odontoglossum Krameri, O. naevium, O. cirrhosum, Miltonia vexillaria, Leelia 

 harpophylla, Dendrobium infundibulum, D. Jamesianum, Masdevallla Schlimi, 

 and all the chimsera section may be removed, and also M. tovarensis that has 

 become re-established. Masdevallias should receive a good supply of water during 

 hot, dry weather, and it will be beneficial to syringe the foliage of all plants of 

 members of the chinuera section on fine mornings ; the ether species mentioned 

 should be kept decidedly moist at all times, and as all are liable to become 

 attacked by yellow thrips, a careful watch should be kept, as if allowed to 

 become established the grower will find much difficulty in ridding the plants of the 

 pest. Barkerias are now commencing to grow, and new roots will proceed in due 

 course from the base of the young growths ; these plants are best grown in baskets, 

 or on flat blocks of wood, with sphagnum moss about the roots, and suspended 

 from the roof near the glass ; a position should be found for them at one end of 

 the cool house, where they may be exposed to full sunshine, and given abundance 

 of water during the growing season. Syringe the plants at least twice or three 

 times daily, and should any become too tall they should be shortened by cutting 

 off a portion of the base, then placing the plants in baskets or on blocks of wood. 

 If baskets are used make the plants secure by tying the stems to the wires, three 

 parts filling the receptacle with crocks and charcoal, and surfacing with moss. 



One of the principal operations necessary among orchids making growth is 

 watering, and it takes up a great deal of time now ; rain water should always be used 

 whenever obtainable, particularly for syringing, so means should always be taken 

 to supply tanks large enough for a good store in case of long spells of dry weather ; 

 the water should be warmed to the degree allowed for the night temperature of 

 the house. I always make it a practice to commence watering as soon as the 

 thermometer indicates the proper temperature of the houses, affording a thorough 

 soaking to all those plants that require it ; plants that are grown on blocks of wood 

 and in shallow pans should be examined daily. Small slugs and snails are very 

 troublesome at the present time, and unless kept under will destroy the young roots 

 as fast as they are put forth, which, of course, very much weakens the plants. — 

 E. Siiill, New Halt Hey Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



W ri'H the increase of temperature, owing to the progress of the season, insect 

 pests will increase rapidly, and unless unremitting attention is paid to their 

 destruction they will sadly disfigure the plants and cripple growth, for, be it 

 remembered, these pests are pure parasites, and draw their sustenance from the 

 elaborated sap of the plant, thus depriving the host of that matter which otherwise 

 would go to its further development. In this department the most troublesome 

 pests are thrips, mealy bug, and various kinds of scale ; to destroy the former, 

 fumigating two or three nights in succession with XL All fumigating compound 

 will effectually destroy it. Regarding the two latter my experience is that to 

 eradicate them is impossible, therefore to keep them in proper subjugation a fortnight- 

 syringing of the infested plants with one or other of the best-known insecticides is 

 the most efficacious plan to follow. Where blinds are not provided for shading, 

 the permanent shading, such as summer cloud, should now be applied ; a bright 

 aay should be chosen ; the house not damped down, and a little air to be kept on 

 until the shading has quite set ; if these precautions are not taken the moisture 

 wiU condense upon the inner surface of the glass, percolate through the laps, and, 

 in running down the outer surface, wash off the application. To obviate the 



uneasily 01 running 

 carpenter's glue-pot, 

 can be immersed s - 



All v-uuicu, ana mucn time win oe saved. 



rr a ,'n^ amandaS ; s tfphanotis, and dipladenias, which are being grown in pots and 

 lamed upon hollow trellises for the purpose of exhibiting, or being used as 

 UD^Hn 115 in if rg f co ? servat °"es when in flower, should have their shoots trained 

 string f u they , have attained sufficient length, and set the flowers, when the 



Pot un t - Ut ^ withdrawn, and ihe shoot, tied down carefully to the trellis. 



be daKfT 1 ^ches of gloxinias, tydseas, and achimenes ; these require to 



thev do n^K 1 glaSS ' to have a11 the H 6 ht P° ssibl e, taking care, of course, that 

 cutting iTT scor <*ed ; if grown in a dense shade the flowers are useless for 

 Ml stovi* 1 P ,ants will not bear removal for room or conservatory decoration. 



repotted En? 12*1 n0 ^ 6 rowin g freel y> and > ™ th the exception of those recently 

 mo** Jku a benefi ted by the occasional application of a good fertiliser, but 



manure 



The thick and muddy, or it will render the soil sour. 

 flowerinr^iL - Pnl ls a sui t a ble time to propagate the various varieties of winter 

 tifrrican? H^** SUch ** B - corallina, B. President Carnot, B. heraclifolia 

 "£y be Dro™^^ , B ' M'ocoty lifolia, B. Gloire de Sceaux, and B. nitida, 



P*rvitfo£ ^ vf k -i lng,y ln smaI1 P° ts ; such ^ B - insignis, B. Knowsleyana, B. 

 *>ur in a th r L • I ^ltiflora, and B. fuchsioides may be propagated three or 



will be th t0 potted off singly when rooted - Loam, leaf-soil, and 



*ey mav h-> , ^ St s . uitab,e compost ; and if the propagating-case is over-stocked 

 * kent IZL 0( * ed , <l uite successfully in the body ~ 



which is admittedly one of the most beautiful of the dwarf section, is by far the 

 most difficult to work up a stock of, it being difficult to procure shoots free from 

 flower for propagating purposes, and my experience is that it is useless to insert as 

 cuttings those shoots showing flower. Rooted cuttings of Strobilanthus Dyeranus 

 should be potted on into five or six inch pots, potting them firmly and standing in 

 shade— if the sun reaches them they will lose their colour directly. In potting on 

 young plants of Phrynum variegatum and Dracrena Sanderiana pot three young 

 plants of each into a five-inch pot, for if potted singly they have rather a weedy 

 appearance ; this draccena will be found to thrive better on a smaller supply of water 

 than the rest of the family. Close the stove early in the afternoon to raise the 

 temperature up to 90 degrees, at the same time affording a good syringing, and if 

 the house is a lean-to, and dries up quickly, give another syringing before five 

 o'clock.— J. Tunnington, Ripley Castle Gardens, Yorks. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



Melons growing on trellises require some support for their fruits, and this 

 should be given in good time to relieve the vines from their great weight. Where 

 the trellises are rigid, the simplest support is formed with strips of matting, either 

 crossed under the fruits or tied to a ring of the same material, in which the fruits 

 can rest without being in any way pinched or prevented from swelling to a good 

 shape. In other cases it is better to join rests of thin squares of wood with a 

 string or wire for attachment to the trellis ; there should be a hole 'with smooth 

 sides in which the eye of the fruit can rest, without fear of its being kept wet. 

 Woodlice are frequently a great nuisance to melons in their earlier stages, and 

 will, if not kept down, either destroy the fruits or render then unsightly. Traps 

 for these insects may be formed of hollowed halves of potatos, which should be 

 laid cut side downwards, and examined frequently ; pots of dry moss, too, are 

 good for the same purpose. The best and safest way of clearing out woodlice is to 

 pour boiling water round the sides of the beds and into all crevices to be found in 

 the house, taking care, of course, that the melon roots are not so watered. One 

 or two such applications will do wonders. Afford liberal doses of liquid manure 

 to plants on which the fruits are swelling, as such have much work to do in a short 

 time, and require support of this kind. When netting is completed, return to the 

 application of clear water, and from this time until the fruits are ripe the plants 

 will require less water than they have hitherto needed. During the summer and 

 early autumn months, it is often necessary to depend on frame cultivation of 

 melons, and this is an easy matter, provided constant attention is paid to the 

 linings, and fluctuations of bottom heat avoided. Frames may be planted now at 

 any time, and the general conditions are such as were stated a few weeks ago, the 

 great thing to remember being to always plant thrifty young plants, and not those 

 that are pot-bound. Seeds should be sown for each frame, rather more than three 

 months before the fruit is required. Careful ventilation and early closing to secure 

 the safest maximum of sun heat are important factors in melon culture, and 

 must not be neglected, also plant in soil made very firm. If the bed on hillocks 

 of soil be madealong the centre of the frame, pinch out the tips of the plants when 

 they have made three leaves, and form leaders of the two strongest breaks, taking 

 one towards the front and the other towards the back of the frame ; take out the 

 points of these leads before they reach the sides, and fruit the plants from the first 

 set of laterals, if possible, so that the frames may not be crowded with foliage. 



Work in peach houses will now be plentiful. In the early house the fruits will 

 need exposure to full sunlight by elevating them above the foliage, or by tying the 

 latter back clear of them, never by cutting it off. Syringe freely to keep down 

 spider, and so retain the leaves in perfect condition, see that the borders are well 

 supplied with water, for dryness at the roots must be avoided if good fruits are 

 wanted. Continue disbudding and tying-in shoots, which are necessary items in 

 management. When in doubt as to the removal or otherwise of a shoot, the 

 former is generally the safest course, unless it be the leading shoot above the fruit, 

 when it must be left, but never forget that the general tendency is to leave far too 

 much wood in peach and nectarine trees, and act accordingly all through the 

 season for disbudding. The latest vines will now be getting forward, and a 

 caution as to scalding of berries and leaves may be useful. Lady Downes, one of 

 the most useful grapes for keeping, is especially liable to scald, and houses 

 containing it and all such varieties should invariably have some little ventilation 

 left on at night after the berries have set, and more should be added quite early in 

 the morning. It may, in the case of houses with bad glass, be necessary to shade 

 the roof slightly, the best method being to apply a very thin coating of summer 

 cloud, which must be put on while warm, and with the glass in a thoroughly clean 

 and dry state.— J. C. Tallack, Livermcre Park Gardens. 



Whitewashing Peach Trees. 



A good many British fruit growers will be able to verify the experience of the 

 Columbia Experimental Station given in a recent issue. It is a good many years 

 since some of us discovered that common hmewash was one of the cheapest 

 insecticides-cleansing bark, branches, and twigs, and rendering the crevices 

 in wood and bark ungenial to insects of all sorts, sizes, and stages of evolution. 

 It proves not only a powerful cleansing agent cheap and harmless, but also a pro- 

 tecting force of great potency ; and it was also early discovered that the white- 

 wash Led the trees, oVrather their blossoms and embryo fruits through making 



rfj 1 wlirur them cool In early life I saw experiments made on some walls, 

 and keeping hem cool, m y f ^.^ ^ ^ 



fh!r^ and'obscurity was the retarding of the 



• • soTof peaches, pears, plums, by from a fortnight to three weeks by whiten- 



Cultivators hardly need to be told that such retarding in early spring often 

 f f^I lin nr savin? of a crop. The Columbia and Missouri experiments seem 

 ??Kd ^Sto of whitewashing, inasmuch as it was repeated four 



Sn«?th£ of course/added to their whiteness and consequent coolness and result- 

 times , LOto, > have httle or no effect m retarding growth, and 



altl *ZTJ£ to the skim-milk made the British whitewash stick on frorn 

 November to April. There is, however, no objection to repeating the whitewash 



-a~a u ; c ryXt ucpH when the trees are in bloom. 

 P Tthl taS Seek oFMafch a fine peach tree on the open wall so far north as Perth, 

 N B wJTn7uU blossom; had it been whitewashed it could hardly have been 

 so fcJS until the middle of April, being thus whitewashed into greater safety. 

 Its ex oerienced grower, however, looks for sure cropping by letUng his trees alone. 

 If te »ys, growers would only let one peach tree alone and note results there 

 would be a speedy end of all forms and methods of covering and coddling peaches 

 in the open air Should your readers care to hear more of the size, age, and doings 

 of this fine peach tree at Perth, I will supply these another day. D. T. I. 



ing 



BEST GUIDE to the gard 



simSa 4 su ccesshilly in the body ot the house, if the atmosphere con J£n Z practical articles on the culuvau 

 ana they are shaded from the sun. The variety Gloire de Lorraine. " Gardeners Magwine" Office, 4. Ave Mam 



is the "Gardening Year Book," 

 Fruit, Vegetables, &c. Price is, 

 [AdvtJI 



