May 7, ^ 8 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



299 



WORK FOR THE WEE 



WARM ORCHIDS. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



after having their annual overhauling in the way of adding new to the display in these borders an^ L ' P d , 0Wn T Ceds ' Fo1 



vfot a thorough cleansing, providing* they have had the advised ma ? *>wn, as the best effects are obtained bv r£ Snf^ */7 S f ,CCt annuals 

 vin ? u™;£„ il™ oft. f i* flnwprina season, the sown m mtxlerate auantih'e* rofJ! ° Dtained . by the employment of a few varieties 



HAL-KNOPSIS ^ ^ 



^f^nf n w ilTnow be gaining vigour ; & always, after the flowering season, the 

 f iSc flags more or less, as in some other orchids. Syringe between the cylinders 

 Ivin the forenoon, and give a slight fine spray over the leaves, but care must 

 h^tLcen not to lodge water in the heart, or rot may set in, and ultimately kill the 

 hole plant. If any are grown in baskets they must be suspended over the path- 

 *^ so that they are under control of the syringe ; all should again be damped 

 Sad early in the afternoon. The shading must be put down early in the morn- 

 fabui top air must be avoided at present, the bottom ventilators being used only, 

 tlKHigh on both sides when the weather is favourable. Liquid cow manure may 

 be used under the stages and about the pathways about twice a week, or cow 

 manure on the one occasion and soot water the other. Carefully sponge 

 phatenopsis leaves with soft-soap water in a weak state, as they enjoy cleanliness. 

 The young fleshy roots are now working freely, and will require to be watched, or 

 dug?, beetles, woodlice, &c, will spoil them ; a few young lettuce leaves will 

 entice and trap slugs, and may be examined by lamp light in the evening. 



Cypripedium bellatulum will now be coming into flower, and short crutched 

 slicks should be used for the flowers if effect is considered. Hybrids from it and 

 Cypripedium niveum should be served likewise. Cypripediums may have a slight 

 syringe overhead early in the forenoon as well as a good damping between the 

 pots, under the stages, and pathways. In the case of selenipediums great care 

 must be taken as to watering, as they are queer subjects, and over-watering will 

 soon produce rot at the base of the growth ; a slight syringe, however, is bene- 

 ficial. Selenipedium macrochilum and its variety giganteum will be flowering, 

 and it is a good plan to raise them on pots to afford the petals plenty of room for 

 development ; neat strong sticks to support the flowers will be necessary, but 

 here, as with other selenipediums, such as S. caudatum, S. nitidissimum, S. 

 grande, &c, great care must be taken to keep water from the flowers. More 

 shading will be necessary, and if the cotton blinds are of a thin texture the glass 

 will need to be slightly limewashed. These selenipediums and other cypripedes 

 will require more moisture in the air now, and liquid cow manure will prove very 

 beneficial if thrown under the stages and on pathways ; the best time to give this 

 is in the evening, thus allowing the plants to have full benefit of the stimulant 

 while all is quiet and close. 



Chysis bractescens will have finished flowering, and ought to be removed to 

 the dendrobium house ; amateurs will find this thrive better than grown in the 

 Mexican house, and plenty of water afforded during its growing season. I would 

 strongly advise al that have recently purchased imported cattleyas to carefully 

 aumne them and see that they are perfectly free from cattleya fly before placing 

 Jem along with the rest of the collection, for it is without doubt a terrible pest if 

 M kep down. It is sad to find it in a good hybrid, attacked perhaps in different 



^tr°- US , Pen0dS '/"f . rf aI1 in the lead ' which has to ^ cut off, then the 

 ni2Z emi °F'* nd 1 } 1S means the ruin of perhaps an expensive plant. 

 U rn w T 7 bC Sprayed ?° rnin e and aft emoon on bright days, taking P care 

 Sel^v 25 ?WCr ! ; m ° r 1 dampin S Wil1 be necessary, and shading give/when 



CONSERVATORY AND GREENHOUSE. 



the l«dftg IKoSp ' t Jh^ - ^enly-balanced heads frequent stopping of 

 "P the fiom^^ For , coverin g walls, o? trained 



of different kinds shSld hT^2f A * ' ^ pk " tS are a,so usefuL Cree P ers 

 crowded shoots and train o^Lrs e ° nIv V ^ to thin out 



*hen the shoots are no thtlv d£n 5 ?? u g ainvlIle ? 8 lab ^ loses half its charm 



fwih gets too CaJvanced \tTZ ™t be Iooked over 



*e removal of a quantitv rff A r * br T aDches disb "°-de 1, which will 

 applies of „^r™ uL w & ro * m later on - Lapagerias will now reauire cn 



In 



For 



varieties 



grandifl 



tiums, Collinsia bicolor, Clarkk nZinT fl T' g °A^ T ° m Thumb nastur " 

 or low-growing varieties : wh I ! fl J - pl y a " d others «e adopted as dwarf 



Besides 



sown 



^f^e^A^^^ annua, sunflowers, sweei 

 baceous borders, sweet peas m av I ■ pur .P os % Towards ^ back of her- 



feet in diameter and a few sSs t nW ^ ^ lu gS> tf Spa - Ce P ermit > a cou P le of 

 cover, or in small r*rr hi Vz?. 1 ?. p,ac ? d in i"e centre for them to eventuallv 



save 



nourished. 



a covering for the roof. 



Cannas 



propagate 



easing 



J? wmber should b\ DO ted ' n and . orna ^^tal f pot plants, therefore a 

 Sphere. Lilies of different kinS; ^ ncb SoiI and a close h »™* 



J*' to induce new rootf to fol at fh. h W At" 1 ? a to P- dressin S of rich com- 



on in ouirt „ '11: a * the *«? of th e stem. L. Harrisi will now 



**t position 



Pots 



"oerous-rooted W aUerwards - Heat, moi 



vS^ff "^ divided if it 



Harrisi will now be 

 mts should be placed in a cool 

 Celosias should receive larger 

 pot-bound or drv at rhe 



cover, or in small patches if mo^££™kT c V /' e lor them to eventually 

 very small, and should be scaled ^ J"** ? ?^ C , ° f these annuals are 

 those of larger size drillT oravhfi Tnl- 5 ^ Shg ^ ly raked in ' while ** 

 well covered, should be drawn out t ? fe t0 aI1 ° W ° f the seeds bein S 

 need attention in the matter of "sSLL^ *' S ° me Subjects wiH also 



refer to the herb.ceS^«y^?J^i 1 t,,, «» ."f m ° ie , especia,, y does this 

 flower heads, and before Eer J a ^ , plantS a L re fast de veloping their 

 of support, otherwisf^th hlaw rfL *5 ° , r pS Sh °? ld recdve some kind 

 become spoilt in shape and aS' wind - ^e growths fall over and soon 



cutting or garden dSaS For 5 * ^ ° nce fel,en eith « for 



subjects are much benefited by the application of good ^^of S mlnure 



rang^g from scarlet to pure white, with both double and single ilowefs th? 



tTnrn^rFT °^ \ ^ dcr f le P eriod « f time. Seeds, if sown forthwith, 

 will produce flowering plants for the coming winter and spring. The soil should 

 be deeply dug and manured, small permanent beds being desirable. Anemone 

 seeds may the more readily be sown if rubbed out with a little silver sand. Prim- 

 roses, polyanthuses, and Alpine auriculas may also be sown now for the production 

 of flowering plants for next spring. A frame on a spent hotbed, and sowing in 

 light sandy soil, is one of the best means of raising these seedlings, pricking them 

 out on a somewhat shaded border as soon as they are large enough to handle. 

 Young plants of dahlias recently struck in thumb pots should be given a shift into 

 a larger size, rather than allow them to become unduly pot-bound before planting 

 out time, which will scarcely arrive for another fortnight at least. They should 

 now be standing in cold frames and have the lights removed in warm weather. 

 Where old stock roots are merely split up into convenient sized pieces before 

 planting, and little growth has started, they may be planted out about the middle 

 of the month. The flowers from these will be scarcely equal to those from young 

 newly propagated plants, but at the same time they answer well for garden decora- 

 tion, and produce a quantity of flowers. All dahlias are best mulched with short 

 manure after planting.^ For use as cut flowers, no section is equal to the true 

 cactus type, these having the advantage over the single varieties of lasting longer 

 in good condition. — C. Herrin, Dropmore Gardens. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Early potatos planted in March have pushed through the soil in some localities, 

 and whenever they appear material should be at hand so as to afford protection 

 against frost, for if once the haulm is cut back the crop is seldom worth lifting. 

 Early planted potatos require a lot of look ng after unless a framework be made in 

 the first instance, » o that a covering of canvas or straw mats can be put over during 

 inclement weather. Those planted at the foot of a south wall willineed watering unless 

 rain has fallen since writing, as the soil has become somewhat dry, and in districts 

 like this, where but little rain has fallen during the present year, the tubers will be 

 small unless assisted. The planting of late varieties should at once be brought to 

 a close, as all danger of frost will be past before the growth appears through 

 the soil. 



In the southern counties, and sheltered places where protection can be 

 afforded, a sowing of both scarlet runners and dwarf French beans may be made 

 the first week in May. The former will not have grown too much to require 



placed 



danger of frost is over, and the latter may easily be f 

 rer hooos. These early sowines are always serviceable 



c — 

 W shoot: 



increase 



*«h tandy soil and Tent m-I ^ Sh ° uId be P laced in shallow 'bSxes" filled 

 ^^^^Z^J^J^J^^ M growth 



iT-"i«irea, and for a Mm* , ■ s uuu * uuni snoum be stopped and potted 



RJ « growing b " Wc g fiS"S S J° Uld be Gained fn the 



5^ a 2^%«^ very valuable 



perfume 



j vx A ? a 



section should give this 



pots. Tk« , ine tree 



variety a trial in 



AiLT!? sh ? u Id be obtained7o U \h a ? ' *ii ™ . "° Wers , is most pleasing, 

 •TSo'ui^u the most of them wil? SSL thC P° tS „ are , we11 fiIled with roots by 

 fc iffi? th v. e War ™h of any 0 Td- na haVe P ra ? lcall >\ f °rmed flower stems, and 

 *» k«£ l y the *«*m SSrTLg^^ £ February, to have them 



^fr— not t^^^^^^^ 



^ necessary now the season is so 



m a _cool north house. Former 



come mio ucarmg «u a uiuc wucu asparagus is tailing. Where room can be found 

 in a cold frame seed of some of the early dwarf kinds may be sown in pots to be 

 brought forward with a view to planting out when danger of frost is past, about 

 half a dozen seeds being placed in a six-inch pot. These can be thinned out 

 before the plants become crowded to two or three. 



In most places the main sowing of broccoli may now be made, taking care not 

 to sow too thickly, as the plants are apt to become crowded before they are large 

 enough to transplant. The early sowings should be kept free from weeds, and be 

 assisted by the application of weak liquid manure. Should the turnip- flea beetle 

 make its appearance dust the plants with lime after watering. As the plants be- 



1 * ^X. r l Unfmrr c«* that" thfi-V SJTf» Til if Clllt' Tf TOOTll 



planting 



cannot 



r^anced, ours hri„„ • n J now - Le ss heat i 



"SSjte! Sp5K Xr np h r ndHg H h V S ^ DOrt * h <>use. Former 



on a coo? bS S^t^ 1°' * ^ ^ m ^ * "ranged 



t*** SSl ^' 35 m °re than nrol^ 1 WC ^ fe ? e ' shouId be remc 

 ^ V y '.. 0Vii ^ to uhTL^Kry of . them will have been 



apart each way. As the ground becomes cleared of those ready for use it should 

 be manured and dug ready for late peas, it will then be settled down before the 

 time for sowing arrives. .Turnips will now grow more freely than those sown 

 earlier it is, however, advisable to make only small sowings, as in hot weather the 

 roots soon become tough and stringy. For the present Snowball, Stropleaf, or the 

 Early Stone are the best. The ground must be liberally treated for this crop, and 

 - - ..... - ■- — '-1 — *~ — — : — ~ In hot weather the 



are well 



-y, owing to thesyr^e not ° v. wil1 h ave been attacked 



T!***, as ,?T Uk en very offin n Q 0t , havin S be en USed while tfa 

 J^^^^ P l an j is a great 



j^ariy OLonc arc uic ucai. — — ------ 4 - - 



plenty of moisture should be given to keep the plants growing. In hot wc 

 turnip-flea is very troublesome, but this may be kept under if the plants 



supplied with nourishment. . » , . k , u , 



The early peas on borders will now be showing bloom m most sheltered 

 gardens, but unless rain is forthcoming a liberal supply of water should be given to 

 maMp the nods to swell quickly. With us the autumn-sown peas look well at the 



eDU ^ the wav of UCk ln 



wa y of support. 



eas 



•K. Tarker, Goodwood. 



good 



soon 



not advisable, where the ground is . _ g 



be had from sowings made towards the end of May. But to keep up a succession 



