562 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 27, x 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



WARM ORCHIDS. 



We are at the present time experiencing some peculiar weather, very heavy 

 rains following spells of hot sunshine ; such experiences are rather trying to 

 orchid growers, in certain departments, with respect to shading and airing. Laelia 

 purpurata is a commonly grown orchid, and very often at this season too much 

 water is afforded at the roots; if an overdose is given it is very likely to rot the 

 pseudo-bulbs. Laelia crispa, in most collections, will now be making a fair dis- 

 play, and only sufficient water must be allowed to keep the bulbs in a plump con- 

 dition, at the same time removing the plants to a drier atmosphere, otherwise the 

 damp will condense on the flowers and cause small spots to appear, leaving the 

 blooms useless in every way. Some of the cattleyas will be growing, others 

 flowering, and some resting ; it would be well to remove all that are growing to 

 the warmest end of the house if a separate structure is not at hand for them. 

 Cattleya Gaskelliana that has finished flowering ought to be put at the cool end 

 with other occupants of the same condition. The roller blinds on the cattle) a 

 house ought to be pulled up a little earlier in the afternoon now in order to 

 gradually ripen up and harden the pseudo bulbs before the winter months ; plenty 

 of fresh air, both at top and bottom, must be given on all favourable occasions, 

 and if this is done in conjunction with extra light the results will be satisfactory. 

 Many amateurs are in the habit of using the hose- pipe indiscriminately over and 

 among all their plants and whatever section they belong to ; this plan is good so 

 far as economising labour goes, but absurd for growing successfully the old-esta- 

 blished plants. It is certainly good to damp well in between the pots, and all 

 about the house, under the stages, &c, to obtain a growing atmosphere, but not 

 to drench the plants with cold water every morning whether they require it or 

 not. The plants may not show immediate ill-effects, but will ultimately do so. 



Thunias must now be removed to a cooler and drier atmosphere, and be placed 

 close to the glass, in order to well ripen the growths ; a shelf in the vinery is a 

 suitable place for them. The ends of the leaves, as tbey die off, may be cut 

 away to prevent an unsightly appearance. Cypripedium bellatulum and C. 

 niveum may now be repotted if they require it. These are difficult plants to grow 

 successfully year by year, as they require to be treated much the same as succulents ; 

 their foliage is very largely composed of water, and if overfed, the plants cannot 

 breathe freely. The best compost to use is loam, limestone broken up small, 

 and a little peat, well mixed together ; the pots or pans must be well crocked, in 

 order to have good drainage at all times. If convenient, a shelf will be found a 

 suitable place for them. The temperature in the houses will be difficult to regulate, 

 owing to the fluctuations of outside conditions, but it is not necessary to be exact 

 at this season.— Thomas Stafford, Tyntesfield Gardens. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



Speakinu generally,the flower garden should now be at its best for the present 

 season, for although continued dry weather has somewhat checked the growth of 

 some subjects where the application of water was not practicable, the exlra 

 warmth has, however, produced a wealth of bloom on most flowering plants. 

 The present will, therefore, be a suitable time for noting any alterations or im- 

 provements it may be desirable to carry out another year, that propagation may be 

 proceeded with accordingly. As soon as this has been determined a start in pro- 

 pagation should be made forthwith with pelargoniums and such like, cutting over 

 the beds carefully, as thinning now will be to the advantage of the plants, and 

 the cuttings not being over sappy should strike freely. These may be inserted in 

 any open border and potted up into small pots in the autumn, or placed direct 

 into store pots or boxes filled with sandy loam, with the addition of a little leaf- 

 soil, and stood in any open, sunny position. The latter is the more usual practice, 

 and if boxes of one size, and not too large, are used, the more convenient they 

 will be found for storing through the winter The tender varieties* such as 

 tricolors and variegated kinds generally, should be inserted first, which will allow 

 them to become well established early, and thus pass the more safely through the 

 winter months. These should also be struck principally in pots, and if pits are 

 at liberty they may be stood in them, and in the event of wet weather occuring 

 the lights can be placed in position, allowing plenty of air. 



898. 



the amount until the maximum is reached ; in the after 

 process in gradually reducing up to the time of closing the house an!!° * the »** 

 afternoon syringing. It will be necessary still to keep the arm k affordin g the 

 damping floors and stages, yet not to the extent carried on durW ?kt moist 

 longer days of^ummer. Pancratiums that have just flowered will >Tu Uer and 

 their new leaves, and any needing repotting should be attended M » owin 8 U P 



un 1 art 



ratus,~under which conditions the water-pot has to ^"^ed^into 1 ^^- 1 - 118 appa " 

 frequently for newly-potted plants than is good for them re quisiu on more 



other things requiring repotting attend to directly. Every week L\° n ? ; 

 getting shorter, and greater reliance will have to be placed uoon th , A! ?• day 



Gloxinias that have stood in the conservatory for the flowerinfr 

 are now over, should be transferred to the stove ; afford water ™a «♦ , D ' and 



Inner a c thp fnliacre keens fresh ! whf>n c.; r • • an< ? Stlm Ulants SO 



long as the foliage keeps fresh ; when showing signs of ripening eraduallv u,;,ku 

 water until, when the leaves and shoots are fully maturedfif ^SSS'K 

 altogether, and the pots laid on their sides in the bed of the stove for th ^ f 

 Seedling plants of gloxinias established in four and a-halfand five-inch not a 

 showing their flowers should be encouraged by means of application of some?!! 

 artificial fertilizer. The plan s of gloxinias raised from leaves this season encour" 

 age to grow as long as possible to obtain large tubers for next season's floweri™ 

 Gesnenas for late autumn decorations that are established in their flowering not* 

 must be afforded stimulants ; later batches pot on as ready. Plants of steohanot 

 and allamanda that have finished growth and flowering may be removed to a 

 cooler house to rest ; still afford water, but in reduced quantities. Saintoaulia 

 lonantba is now flowering, and will be best placed in the .intermediate house 

 Rogena gratissima is now flowering in the latter house, and is well worthy of 

 extended cultivation, its pinkish cymes of flowers are more appreciated by many 

 people than are bouvardias. As plants of dipladineas have finished flowering re- 

 move them to a cooler house and expose them to full sunshine to ripen the shoots 

 Afford stimulants regularly to plants of Clerodendron fallax that are flowering or 

 approaching that stage. 



Wage a constant war upon all insect pests— in ratio to the way these flourish the 

 plants infested suffer. If all the plants in the stove are examined at short in- 

 tervals it is not a great matter to keep them clean. Less shading will be necessary 

 now, yet care must be taken that scorching does not occur. Put in a few cuttings 

 occasionally of such things as coleus, acalyphas, fittonias, crotons, and other things 

 to replace any that have suffered through being used for furnishing in the house. 

 Keep an eye on ferns, to remove all decaying fronds ; good specimens may soon be 

 spoiled by neglect of this. Gomphrenas are now well in flower, and may with 

 advantage be removed to the conservatory ; yet they will not stand cold draughts, 

 if exposed to such they will in a few days become very shabby subjects. -J. 

 TunningtoN, Ripley Castle Gardens, York. 



HARDY FRUITS. 



The genial rain that has fallen in most parts of the country wa^ much needed, 

 but owing to the parched condition of the soil it was soon used up, and did not 

 reach the deeper roots, so that it will be necessary to mulch and give moisture on 

 light soil to newly-planted trees or those bearing a heavy crop. The apricots 

 should receive copious supplies of water after the fruits are cleared, as it is im- 

 portant to build up a strong growth ; trees that make little wood are the first to 

 fail. Peaches and nectarines as soon as cleared of fruits may have a goodly por 

 tion of the old fruiting wood cut out. This does not always add to the 

 appearance of the trees, but the wood needed for next season's fruit is well 

 matured, and rarely suffers in the worst of winters. By removal of fruiting wood, 

 I mean the wood that has just borne the crop, and, of course, with peaches and 

 nectarines this is small wood of last year's growth. Such will not fruit 

 again, so it is not needed, and must give place to the wood of the current year. 

 With young trees that are inclined to make gross growth, and that have borne 

 little fruit, more attention must be paid to the leaders ; these should not be 

 crowded. Foreright shoots should be cut clean away, and the side ones tacked in 

 to extend the trees. There is no need to use the knife severely with young 

 trees, as if given plenty of room to extend it is much better to cover the space in a 

 short time. Few trees more liberally respond to good culture, and seeing how 

 quickly a maiden tree can be grown into a fruiting condition, my advice is to 

 encourage good wood, give it ample space to mature, and merely remove useless 

 growths Many growers will consider by this method there will be gross wood, 

 and in some cases there may be, but it can be remedied by lifting m the early 



5 care 

 wood 



ucai icw seasons. At this season any unsatisiactory irec* -~ — 



for removal, for though it is hard to part with old favourites, there is no gam 

 keeping worn-out trees of any kind. 



Newly-planted strawberries will need water freely to enable them to root into 

 the soil, and the plants will benefit greatly if the water is given overhead as in 



Wallflowers laised from seed recently should be ready for pricking off from the 

 seed bed into nursery quarters at six or eight inches apart each way. A thorough 



soaking of water should be given to settle the soil about the roots. The prepara- x HU 1U5S OI Iruu> m LUC lIcca 1A1 _ „ r - 



tion of plants to furnish the beds for spring flowering should be carried on in the next few seasons. At thi* season any unsatisfactory trees should be markea 



earnest now. Old plants of myosotis should be pulled to pieces and dibbled in . - - - — « m 



about six inches apart each way ; whether with or without roots, they soon make 

 nice plants if watered occasionally if dry, and will be ready for going out in early 

 autumn. Seedlings should also be pricked off the same distance apart. Pansies 



rlt!rh sh r ,d ^zf s T, ied r th water v hile the „ weath r ^ dry i if siin ~ r »>* - * 



a shaded border can be found for them, or cooler weather with rain set in, they plants delight in thp rnnl „h.u J=m„. in 5 «il of a thin natuie it prevent, 

 may now be pulled in pieces, selecting all the young growths to be dibbled in, in g* plants fecomng a p eyt Sd pider O d beds just Sed of fruit? and to 



nursery rows six inches asunder, and kept watered as often as the state of the , & * ^ 10 rea s P ia€r \ vjm pcusj > Um ^ r]nse af 



weather necessitates. Other subjects may be similarly treated, including Alyssum 

 saxatile, aubrietias, arabis, daisies, primroses, and polyanthuses. For the same 

 purpose seeds may be sown of such annuals as Nemophila insignis, Saponaria 



calabrica, silenes in variety, Limnanthes Douglasi, Collinsia bicolor, and godetias. p l ant unt il ^^T^A £FLZ~k also more readily given, 



Intermediate and Brompton stocks, if not already in, should be sown forthwith in 1™*™™^*?** ™ thelr P ots with roots ; over the 



shallow drills, moistened to ensure a quick germination. These may be potted up 

 later on, and kept in frames through the winter and planted out in spring. 



The present is a suitable time for giving new and similar hedges their annual 

 clipping. If cut now after the principal growth is made, they require little further 

 attention during the year.— C. Herrin, Dropmore Gardens. 



t UC F ,*, JU , uecommg a prey to red spider. UW beds jusc cicaicu ^ 

 be retained for a future crop should now have all runner growths cut close aw»j 

 unless runners have been layered and pegged in the soil for new beds, i 



cases 

 wall or 



«s will now be ready, and should be removed, for if P^ed under a norm 

 in a cool place it is not necessary to keep them attached tc . tne \» 

 m _Jtfl they have filled their pots with roots ; water is also more WW»JISJ 

 and the old quarters can be cleared up. I am not an advocate of mowing on 

 old foliage, as is sometimes done. Useless leaf-growth may be cut te 



u ant mav with *A. — i . r. . j i „j„;c» KnmA manure if it can 



STOVE PLANTS. 



The season is now advancing, and the object of the cultivator should be to 

 mature the growths of plants in the stove, so that they may stand our long, dull 

 winters without injury. With this end in view do not force growth now, but 

 admit rather more air— of course, using judgment and care -the aim being to have 



«L„ S f £ I u prCSent Season har dened, so that they may pass through the 



w " °f becoming naked through the loss of leaves. How often 



*ZS ™£&Stfg££Z t ST in spr j^ cr T s E- d - ot f her thi T 



attributahlp to *n™«. r f leav es during the winter; this is frequently 



SSfb^iS?*^ f r P owth Ute inthe autumn raonths ' whi?h d <** 



perhaps weeks of dull, leaden skv S* T"* ^ °l 5"? ff^ "S? 



result being unsiehtlv „| J, " 7' e leaves are shed at an a armu >g rate » th e 

 When I say admit air mo f t f SCV ' ere check to those sub J ects future Progress. 



early in the day all at nur/T k . y ' 1 do not mean t0 °P en the ven til at °" wide 



y an at once . but. r nm « tndn earl in the d gradually increase 



™«uy persons like the small alpine strawberry ; these are reaui.y does 

 sown m the spring, and will give a good return the following year. ^ 

 not permit to enter at length into their culture, but I believe seedlings ma 

 secured from leading growers for autumn planting at a small cost, and t 

 of the large red and white are delicious for late supplies. Strawbe nes tn 

 forced in the spring and then planted out for a late crop should have tne , 

 trusses thinned and re™„» „ ~f-i~ ..,^^i;»c «f fnnd and moisture. « ow » J lMt 



the soil. Early 

 kinds are m 



Lady 



Mr. Gladstone 



.. — o mauling much earlier than usual witn u;», a.ju « - . flavour w 

 examine he trees every other day and clear fruits just ready, for " Xbe 



G. Wythes, Syon Gardens 



