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GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



COOL ORCHIDS. 



, immense Quantity of orchids now annually imported, and sold by 

 Owing to tne b f e pjjces, very many amateurs, with only the convenience 



^ on at such reasonable pr , y y uivation . Qdontoglossum 



TTnrrfinarv greenhouse, have taken up tneir cumvauuu. w^.^^u... 

 d an ordinary g _ d hundreds of thousands, and as a serviceable and 



crBpUm rhfd it cannot be beaten ; so there is small wonder it is such a general 

 ^ While this beautiful orchid may be grown without incurring any very 



* . ™»n«. there are also many other cool orchids that the amateur may grow 

 ^12Sr«th it, such as O. Halli, O. luteo-purpurum, O. Pescatori, O. 

 5 • im 0 triumphans, O. Cervantisi, O. Rossi, Sophronitis grandiflora, 

 Kidrum vitellinum, Cypripedium villosum, C. insigne, with many oncidiums 

 fS masdevallias, &c. In many instances I have noticed that the amateur who has 



nnt a house to devote exclusively to orchids, naturally desires to make the best 

 SLible use of it by growing a variety of plants in it In such cases the house is 

 ?Slv well adapted for the wintering of these cool orchids, but during the sum- 

 er months it becomes impossible to keep the atmosphere in the right condition 

 for their well-being ; there is a way out of this difficulty, and that is to move all 

 the orchids into cool frames or pits for the next three months. ^ If a cool, shady, 

 brick pit is at command, a temporary stage will be fitted up, using sheets of cor- 

 ngated iron, as they are easily fixed and the grooves carry off superfluous water ; 

 the sheets should be covered with a layer of small coke. Where brick pits are 

 not at command, ordinary garden irames may be used, placing them in a cool and 

 shady position, on a hard base of coal ashes ; before the plants are removed to 

 their summer quarters, the pits or frames should be thoroughly cleansed by 

 grubbing the glass and woodwork with soft soap and hot water, and it will be also 

 beneficial to lime-wash the walls of the pits with hot lime, so as to kill any insects 

 that may be hiding. Care should be taken not to crowd the plants together, so that 

 the air may pass freely among them, and also render it easier to damp down, which 

 Aould be thoroughly done two or three times daily in bright weather. Spraying 

 over head may also be practised on fine days, and a little air should be left on 

 it night whenever the weather permits, increasing it in the morning ; in 

 niny weather the lights should be tilted, so that the rain cannot 

 reach the plants, and as soon as the sunshine reaches the glass the plants should 

 be heavily shaded, less ventilation being then needed ; after sundown the shading 

 should be removed, and more air admitted. Lettuce leaves may be placed about 

 in the frame, as slugs will be almost sure to put in an appearance, and these play 

 k?oc with the new roots. Should the nights continue to keep cold after the 

 removal of the plants the lights may be covered with mats, or the change may 

 ve a little too great. Plants grown in this manner become hardy and robust, 

 I seldom fail to flower freely providing they receive careful attention ; remove 

 them to their winter quarters about the middle of September, though, of course, 

 th» depends upon the weather, for in the south of England they may be left out 

 t little longer if carefully covered by night in case of frost. 



Pkiones are now growing freely, and if the plants are strong and vigorous they 

 should receive abundant supplies of water and occasional doses of weak liquid 

 co» manure. Specimens that were not repotted should have a little liquid 



■ tta< every alternate watering and this should be followed up until the foliage 



mm i signs of maturity, when the manure must be discontinued. Zygopetalums 

 wiu also require plenty of water at the roots, and a soaking of weak liquid manure 

 mti week during the summer months will be greatly appreciated by them.— 

 tbim.L, New Hall Hey Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



in' v! ff^iS? JUn l l ° the . Cnd 0f J" 1 ? is a suitabIe time for Propagating 

 Jjons in variety, these to be retained in thumb and three-inch pots for dinner 



ifiSSS ruf pr .f fer ^narrow-leaved varieties only for this purpose. 



biwhere th~, - y S g , raC ^ U ' and have a P rett >' ^Pearance upon the table ; 



*m« Si ?S t y ? great deal of : this work to be done, one must have a variety^ 

 *Se w» K T d , U , ing th « course : of a fortnight, should there be a table to 



Ku Sabfi to W1 " ** P ° SSlbIe t0 , have a chan S e on each oc « sion . Aere- 

 ** i« such a 1 li E^ 8 ** S ^ e ? f the bold ' bright-coloured, large-leaved 

 S S 1 VlCt °, ria ' NevilIhe ' Hawkeri > Voungi, Veitchi, 



■C^£rthHm% i ^"^"^aved section may be mentioned Augusti- 



for table «L™ ^ M ^ D ?- man ' and Golden Rin g' 0ther 

 **Was VSS t f,™ are R «neckia carnea variegata, coleus in variety, 



Sttoaia, j 



Wdened 

 padually 



jJtogethei 



ft 



— - ■ *-* 



When 



: * *Wo« and dcnr< u ^V ear,y mormn ^ the servants generally 



£*• »nd how much 1 I 6 ° P \ n ; f uch , 1 an ex Perience is enough to try any 

 Sphere. The • Z I V L °" e ? at . has been brought direct fi om a warm, moist 

 *«* on, the rrn„;r J atCne ^ ot , Pomsettia and eu pnorbia are now ready for 

 » impost of S Sk S1X T lCh P° ts > the weake r into four and five-inch pots, 

 i pS firmfy t u f b n S t ,0 T l T k0 H> dried COW manure > small charcoal 



until 



5 th « middle of the dav e • • g raduall y reduced until it is only used 



5. *cond s y ,ingi ne Lrlv L ^?* e ? tWlce a ^ c]osio S the frame at the time 

 W; nter flowerint 1 • e afte ™oon 



■Jg^be afifordedT "•f^ ar I read 7 for and these also may with 



WTm and Aough hev m«. T >■ &S J***™* be grown cooler than 

 S£f u » father, or X leaLT Y -u e , synDBe 1 ? n bri 8 ht da >' s this ^ u st not be 

 ^n^ nawi 'l"et JS^ dam ,^ Tbysacanthus rutilans and Rein- 

 ^22?^?^ StedlinrJ of tS ^ Py ^ nd '-*r similar conditions to the poinsettia 



,las . "^rassa 



in 



is 



. mtAir .' 1Cawi llnowhavp fin 7\ ^uuaoie Slze to flower them in. 

 Cl! l l«tt-inch, in wWch tL ^ 6 three inch P«ts with roots, and may 

 1 •• : ■= 2 t "ccuflanu o WlH !!ovver : S row them in the intermediate 



!??«£l^ nts regularly!-™, , ^ are / low g rowin g f reely, and should be 

 **p£S 8 11 before growth be. u g ' ^ rather wea k-ind often. Repot 



' 1 r'* m «!ow n 1 JV * V" 6 ^ (;m ^, checked through restriction at the roots. 



**«to W Cnd re g"Iarly to L %° Sy V nge '. or insecticides if this is not 



* ^me too thick l n u? lnn f Dg L and tram,n g of Ambers, if they are 



« "pon^the roof the plants under them will suffer from 



375 



?! , suffici ent light. Less help will be required now from the heating 



d?S Tet the Z Z ? e r r q r te tem P eiatu ' e ' but even in the warmest weathe! 

 do not let the fire out ; a little warmth in the pipes keeps the air in the house 



SnISi an - heahh / r f ° r ? C P Iants S eneral b/- Wben ventilating avoid draughts! 

 SJSS fanr^-^f 61 -. ^ commencing to ventilate eafly and 

 l n " Ca l g (antlcl f P atlD g the rise of temperature as it were) it will be pos*ble to 

 keep he temperature correct with a less amount of airing than would be the case 

 aSw tem P eratl f re all owed to rise too high before commencing to ventilate. 

 Anthuriums, alocasias, and marantas, while delighting in a moist atmosphere and 

 copious syringmgs, must be carefully protected from the sun's rays while the 



CaTLSZ^ diSfigUr6d ^ SCOrch ^-J- TONNINGTON| 



KITCHEN GARDEN, 



The cold weather of May caused much anxiety to those living in low-lying 

 districts, as the cold nights retarded growth considerably. Never do I remember 

 crops making such slow progress ; the only plants that seem to thrive satisfactorily 

 are spinach and cabbage, and these, without doubt have done well. Colewort is 

 often much prized m the autumn and early winter, and to obtain strong plants a 

 sowing should be made about the middle of the month, and as soon as the seedlings 

 are large enough to handle they should be pricked out on a piece of rich ground to 

 give them a good start, in which place they may be allowed to stand till some crop 

 is cleared off so that they may be planted out. Asparagus beds that are intended 

 for forcing next season should not be cut over after the 20th inst. Growth should 

 then be encouraged by giving the beds a good soaking with liquid manure, or, if 

 this is not available, some artificial fertilizer, to be well washed into the ground. 

 Mushroom ridges may now be made in the open for a late supply ; care, however, 

 must be taken to protect the beds from heavy rains until such time as the spawn 

 has run. There is often much difficulty experienced in producing good mushrooms 

 in very hot weather ; for instead of being thick, fleshy, and large buttons, they are 

 poor and of but little flavour. To have first class produce the beds should be made 

 out of the reach of the mid-day sun and where the air is cool. Material should be 

 prepared for successional beds, and when sufficient has been brought together 

 this should be put up in ridges, and when of a suitable temperature the spawn ought 

 to be inserted without delay. All kinds of winter greens may now be 

 planted out, for the sooner the early supply is got in the better. If space cannot 

 be afforded them at present have them pricked out six inches apart, as the plants 

 ought not to remain in the seed beds crowding each other. Runner and dwarf 

 beans have made but poor progress this season owing to the cold weather, the 

 successional sowings being almost as forward as those sown in the early part of 

 May. It is, however, well to be prepared, as it is possible we may have a fine 

 autumn, when growth will continue till quite late in the season. When such is 

 the case late sowings of these always prove useful. A piece of ground should, 

 therefore, be reserved for a row of runners to be put in about the end of the month 

 or early in July. Choose a sheltered situation, if possible, that the growth may not 

 be injured by the rough winds in the autumn. Dwarf varieties of the Canadian 

 Wonder type should now be sown in open situations, as these will make rapid 

 progress in hot weather. Thin out the plants to a foot apart when the second 

 rough leaf has been made so that they may grow sturdy from the commencement. 



Celery trenches should be made ready, that the plants may be put out when 

 they are large enough, for it is bad practice to allow them to become crowded and 

 drawn, as is too often the case, owing to the pressure of other work at this time 

 of the year. The manure used for the trenches should be thoroughly decayed, 

 and this ought to be made firm, otherwise the roots cannot take hold of it. When 

 left too loose the manure acts as a drainage and robs the soil of moisture. In 

 planting see that the soil is pressed firmly round the roots, particularly that of a 

 light sandy nature. Celery is a moisture-loving plant ; therefore it requires plenty 

 of nourishment if good stems are to be grown. Some prefer planting two or three 

 rows in a trench, and where ground is limited this is doubtless a most economical 

 plan, but much care is required both in watering and earthing, otherwise many of 

 the plants wi'l be spoiled. We prefer to grow the plants in single rows, as by 

 so doing less labour is required in earthing. Make successional sowings of lettuce 

 and other small salads, so as to keep up a constant supply. As the plants become 

 large enough to handle see that they are planted out and kept well supplied with 

 water ; otherwise they will not grow satisfactorily. A pinch of endive seed may 

 now be sown, but as this is not generally required while good lettuce may be had 



" Attend to the thinning of all crops as they 



—II. C. Prinsep, 



a small quantity will be sufficient 



become large enough so that there may be no overcrowding. 



Buxted Park Gardens. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



Melons in frames, when growing freely, will need careful careful attention in 

 the matter of watering ; the soil on the hillocks must not be allowed at any time 

 to become dust dry, as it is impossible to get water to soak in if this once occurs. 

 At the same time a sodden state of the soil is equally undesirable, and wet should 

 be kept from the collars by fixing some protector such as a length of hoop iron 

 round the stems at an inch or two away. Choose the early afternoon for watering, 

 and, if possible, water when the succeeding night promises to be warm. Keep up 

 the bottom heat by remaking the linings piecemeal, so that only a portion a 

 disturbed at one time, and leaving the rest until heat is again rising from the newly 

 made up portion. Close the frames early, shutting up all possible sun heat and 

 syringing the plants freely before and after they flower until the fruits begin to 

 ripen This will keep them clean and free from red spider. Should green fly 

 ap^ar, vaporise at once with either of the two mixtures now on the market 

 Keep dowf woodlice by trapping, and introduce to each frame : which comaiM 

 r h P sp vermin a colony of toads which will be found very useful. In the matter of 

 ^SST^e^t t£t the melon is a tropical plant that w 11 stand a great 



wfthout injury but which will not submit patiently to sharp cutting 

 draughts ShoSd canker assert itself, I find nothing so good as fresh slaved lime 

 freelf applied to the s'ems, this will immediately arrest decay, but the application 

 should T enewed from time to time as the lime perishes quickly from contact 

 wfth a dam p atmosphere. Keep all plants that have set their crop, closely stopped 

 as only the main leaves are necessary for the good of the plants and nothing « 



worse for melons than crowding the frames , - . . . 



more successional frames and when the plants commence growing again pinch out 

 Se oo^nts to induce a fresh break for one or more leading shoots ; by stopping 

 L wVensmafl we are far more likely to have a set of fruit from the first 



ateSs made from the new leads, than we are from those made by unstopped 

 Xts7andthis is a great advantage as the frames do not then become so full of 



f ° h Ripening pines will need to have the water supply and atmospheric moisture 

 reduced to obtain really high-flavoured fruits, and if they can be removed to a 

 house by themselves, in which they can be kept with dry surroundings instead of 

 E 2x3 Twkh plants in other stages of development, so much the better, 

 men once they begin to colour it is easy to arrest ripening, if they are not wanted 



Plant one or 



