6 5 8 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



WARM ORCHIDS. 



We have now reached the decline of the year, and many of the warm orchids 

 in different sections are rapidly terminating their season's growth, some having 

 already completed it. Taking the season throughout, one cannot say it has been a 

 very good one, and yet it has not been a bad one for orchids. In some of our large 

 collections we always find certain warm orchids have grown better than others, yet 

 without special treatment ; it thus behoves growers to well study such cases and 

 endeavour to find the cause for their own benefit. Phalaenopsis will have attained 

 their full leafage; these orchids enjoy strong shading in the summer months, 

 especially in exposed houses. Early in the year advice was given to afford 

 shading both inside the house and outside, the outer to be used with discretion, and 

 the inner to remain throughout the growing season. The time of the year has 

 arrived when the shading must again have attention, and if at various periods 

 during the growing season too much shade has been given and the leaves are very 

 sappy, proper care and attention will now bring the matter right. The moisture must 

 be gradually decreased, and the inner blinds must be taken down, though it would 

 be well to take the top half down first, and the remaining half in another week ; no 

 more syringing will be required, as the present time is a very critical one. The 

 bottom ventilation must receive every attention, and fluctations of temperature 

 must be strongly guarded against. 



Dendrobium atro-violaceum having been recently imported, many growers 

 will be able to purchase a few plants, this being such a pleasing orchid, and, 

 without doubt, well worthy of cultivation. Thoroughly examine each plant to 

 see that nothing in the way of beetles or insects are lurking in or among the 

 stems. Well wash the plants in lemon oil or some other insecticide before 

 placing them along with the other occupants in the warm-house ; the species will 

 require plenty of heat all the year round, and especially at the growing season. 

 Some of the plants are pretty well advanced in growth, and these should be 

 placed in a strong heat. Others that are not showing growth should be kept 

 quiet for the winter, and started early in the coming year, as this will allow them 

 a long growing season. Indeed, it is far better to adopt this plan than to force 

 a small weak growth in the short time left this year. Odd plants of Cattleya 

 aurea and C. gigas that finished their flowering season early, will be sending 

 forth new roots, and if any attention in the way of potting is required, this may 

 be given. Great care must be taken in the watering, keeping the compost rather 

 dry. Cattleyas of all sections will require to be well watched at this time of the 

 year. C. labiata will be coming into flower in many collections, in fact, many are 

 in full flower. Water must be given sparingly, and cold nights guarded against. 



The temperature in different houses should range as follows : — East Indian 

 house, 70 degrees by night ; and cattleya house, 65 degrees. The day tempera- 

 ture must be regulated according to the weather outside. The dendrobiums should 

 not have below 60 degrees of heat.— T. Stafford, Tyntesfield Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



INSTEAD of offering obstruction to the rays of the sun, which is customary 

 during the hottest months of the year, the endeavour from now on through the 

 winter should be to afford the plants in stoves all the light possible. With this 

 object in view all roof climbers should be well thinned out ; in the case of stepha- 

 notis that are planted out in beds, and, therefore, cannot be removed, as much of 

 the old wood should be removed as possible, also any superfluous shoots of the 

 current season's growth, reserving the strongest and best ripened of the current 

 season's growth to furnish the wires for the first crop of bloom next spring ; these 

 shoots may be tied loosely into small bunches and looped to the wires over the 

 pathway. Allamandas must be freely thinned out, and the remaining shoots 

 shortened, but on no account finally pruned until they have been brought to a 

 state of rest. Aristolochias, passifloras, bougainvilleas, and, in fact, all roof 

 plants may be freely thinned, and afforded a gradually reduced water supply until 

 they are brought to a complete state of rest, when they may receive their final 

 pruning. The roof glars and woodwork should also receive a good washing with 

 soft soap and water to get rid of all the green matter which generally forms so 

 freely, owing to the close, humid atmosphere. Thoroughly wash the gravel on 

 the stages, or, if ashes are used, clear all out and replace with new, as by so doing 

 much filth will be got rid of. Before re-arranging the plants, all should be care- 

 fully cleaned ; croions, ixoras, tabercamontanas, and plants of a similar habit 

 may be syringed with or dipped into some good insecticide ; eucharis, pancra- 

 tiums, anthuriums, marantas, draciunas, &c, to be sponged, taking care during 

 the operation that the leaves are not broken. When arranging them in position 

 avoid that flat, even surface one so often sees, and break the outline by raising 

 some, and here and there bringing a larger plant to the front; by such an arrange- 

 ment the house is made far more pleasing. 



If not already attended to, the poinsettias should receive a light top dressing, 

 incorporating in the soil a little artificial manure. A few plants may be introduced 

 into the stove for affording early bracts, but the bulk of the plants for the time 

 being are better in a light house with a temperature of 55 degrees by n ; ght and 60 

 degrees by day ; an occasional watering with s^ot-water will be beneficial, and 

 impart that dark -green colour to the leaves which one delights to see. Again I 

 would warn those who have the watering of these plants to attend to, be sure the 

 ball of earth is thoroughly moistened through, and now and again a plant should 

 be turned out to see thar such is actually the case ; if the roots in the lower part 

 of the pot become dry, and remain so for a few days, the plant will quickly lose 

 its lower leaves. The bracts of poinsettias are beautiful ; but they are doubly so 

 if the plants are furnished with leaves to their base. Plants of alocasia and 

 maranta will now require less moisture ; I do not mean to afford dribblets instead 

 of a thorough watering, but to water at wider intervals of time ; a position at the 

 warmest end of the stove will be their best quarters for the winter. Young 

 gardenias and ixoras that have filled their pots with roots should be shifted on. A 

 position in the intermediate house will suit old plants of gardenias until such time 

 a? it is desired to push them on into flower. The tops of any leggy crotons may 

 now be taken off and rooted, as these will root more quickly now than in spring, 

 when the wood has become hardened. P ut i n another few pots of cuttings of 

 pamcum and fittonia ; they will be very useful after the turn of the year. Aphe- 



nTJ!fI r ^ nOW ad J an c in S t0 b, °om, and should be placed where the syringe will 

 not each them ; afford them stimulants regularly at the root. Eranthemums, 



: ™ d fC1 !)™ rd V*s ^ould have a position at the cool end of the intermediate 



-ill need to be regularly syringed to keep red spider in check. 



October 8. 1898. 



subjects should now be placed under cover or sn a a 



easily afforded on cold nights. Although the drZhl st mL IT* 0 * ma >- ** 

 tropical heat has given way to a cooler air, and at hi? date f Tt S , the re( *nt 

 any night At the time of writing bedding geraniums aSSiUfi^y b U * ^ 

 subtropical plants, where water has been applied arc in „ j y , bloom, and 

 the most effective flowering plants at the present 'time is the u r° n '. 0ne °f 

 bosa, a very useful subject for association with others in ti,/ u C ^ si& corym- 



THE FLOWER 



ipley 



mghts recently experienced have come as a reminder that all 



These will be found to root more readily now than if inserted**? SCaSon .' s stock - 

 especially in seasons like the present one. Yountr shrink with a ° e " 1,er date > 

 should be chosen, rejecting those that show ^tX^ ^X%?T%^ 

 striking these cuttings successfully is a cold frame set on 'a hart I base offiS* 

 or something similar, on which some rough leaf-soil ahnuf • 1! . , ^ 

 should be placed, and over this three or *J? t^at <£f 

 ously passed through a half-inch seive If the soil is heavy it should 

 with sand and leaf-mould The whole should be trodden firmly, al£S1 

 slight slope to the front of the frame, and over the surface scatter a sprinffof 

 silver or sea sand. The cuttings should be inserted with a rather blumly-Sted 

 dibber, allowing a space of about three inches between each. The bed should 2 

 given one good watering after inserting the cuttings, and then all be kept close f« 

 a few weeks and shaded from bright sunshine until roots are formed. 



Antirrhinums, pentstemons, and gazanias may be similarly treated and strike 

 readily at this date. If small quantities only are required pots or boxes mav be 

 nsed for the cuttings, and these stood in a cold frame kept close until roots are 

 formed. Violas for summer flowering may be treated similarly to calceolarias cr 

 if given a sheltered position on the open border they strike almost with certainty 

 The cuttings should be made from the young growths starting from the base and 

 not from those that have borne a crop of flowers. The old plants may also be 

 pulled in pieces and the youngest growths, with bits of roots attached, be pricked 

 off on a border to stand until spring, when they may be transferred to the flower 

 beds in March or April. Pink pipings, if inserted when advised, should now be in 

 a good condition for removal to their permanent positions in the borders or beds 

 which should be duly prepared for them by digging in a dressing of rotten manure 

 and soot. If planted in beds a space of nine inches asunder should be given. 

 Pinks are suitable subjects for front lines or patches on the herbaceous borders or 

 where the edging is of stone or tiles ; they may be planted a few inches on the 

 inside and be allowed to grow over and cover the same. The old white and Mrs 

 Sinkins are useful varieties for this purpose. The double-flowered violets should 

 now be lifted from the open ground and be planted in frames. In many instance! 

 the clumps of these will be smaller than usual owing to the heat and drought 

 experienced throughout their time of growth, and they may therefore be planted 

 at a less distance apart ; as a general rule, if the plants stand two or three inchts 

 clear of each other at planting time this should suffice. The frames in which they 

 are to be planted should be raised well to the light, a good position being on spent 

 hot beds on which the frames are placed, putting in them sufficient soil in which 

 to plant the roots so as to bring the tops very near to the glass when the lights are 

 placed on. A good watering should be given to settle the soil ; give full exposure 

 in mild weather. Beds of Marguerite carnations, so useful for prolonging the 

 supply of these sweetly-scented flowers, should have some arrangement for pro- 

 tecting the blooms from wet and frost for a week or two if the flowers are prized 

 for cutting. These do not lift well for transferring to pots, so a batch should lie 

 grown on outside in pots and now placed in a warm greenhouse temperature for 

 carrying on the supply into the winter.— C. Herrin, Dropmore Gardens. 



HARDY FRUITS. 



Since penning my last calender note we have had no rain to reach even the 

 surface roots of the trees, with the result that most of the remarks 1 then made 

 concerning moisture are now equally applicable, indeed, more so, as in light soils 

 trees are suffering badly, some varieties having lost their foliage prematurely. 

 Trees that are suffering will benefit by a mulch, as, without this, moisture evaporates 

 quickly and is lost in a few hours. In many gardens it is usual to allow the trees 

 to carry the wood made during the summer, as some growers think by so doing 

 the trees are benefited. Space does not permit me to point out the importance of 

 summer stopping, but there can be no question as to the advantage of removing 

 shoots now, as this will cause the buds to swell up at the base of the growths left, 

 will give the wood more light, and reduce the demand upon the roots. With 

 newly planted trees more license must be given, and my remarks mostly apply to 

 trees making a strong growth, and of course only these will now be shortened - 

 not pruned to the proper distance. Watering recently planted fruit trees should 

 not be overlooked, as upon the supply given now will mostly depend next season s 

 crop, for as there are none too many roots the trees need assistance. No matter 

 how small the fruit garden, it will repay the cultivator to grow the best trees, and 

 now is a good time to select new material and to mark those not worth growing. 

 There are generally some old and worthless trees, so it is a necessity to plant % 

 few young ones yearly, that losses may not be felt. Many value an old fruit tie* 

 for its age and appearance, but it is useless if the fruits are so poor that they 

 not worth storing. Now is the time to purchase new stock, as the trees may oe 

 seen in a growing state, and though I fear planting may be later than usual uhj 

 season, owing to the heat and drought, it will be well to prepare by selecting ana 

 by making the land ready at an early date for the trees when they are ready 

 to lift. 



A little advice on planting may not be out of place. Many mistakes axe 

 made by planting in the sam! spot that the old trees occupied. Tn.s shouI< 

 not be, as the soil is so impoverised that good results cannot follow. It may oe»j 

 times necessary to plant on the same spot ; if so, it is well to remove the old son 

 and replace with other, adding such aids as burnt refuse, wood ash«. < w» 

 mortar rubble, and some bone-meal, the whole being made firm, so thst the 

 made are of a fibrous nature. Of course, what is termed maiden oam is not w 

 be beaten as a compost for new trees ; but it is not within everyone s reach, anflv 

 purchase it is not always feasible. The aids advised, however, will be of gre* 

 S3Su m , ordmar y s °il- In heavy clay land road scrapings, mixed with mortj 

 rabble and ground bones, make an excellent compost, and in places wheresma 

 nn JT •Tu be . re L adil y o^ained, it is a valuable addition. By preparing the ** 

 woTlibTe ^1? cond «ion for planting, and the rainfa. I wd ' 



workable. I have not mentioned animal manures, and, indeed, this a ne* 

 alone, as young trees, with the usual attention to cultural detaib, Jf U ^ 

 to grow freely enough ; animal manures are best used as surface dressings. ^ 



£ e ion h ? 1 , hand ' 2 have ' Poor soil, used spent manure to a*««»£ °£ 

 melon beds or old mushroom manure are excellent, and assist in budding up gP» 

 woou it not used in great quantities. — G. Wythes, Syon Gardens. 



