j6i 



GA RDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



November 26, 1898. 



Pot Carnations. 



The carnation has ndw become such a general favourite that there are THERE are 



DlSAS. 



one 



few places where an attempt is not made to grow a few in pots ; in fact, 

 some very desirable varieties would be lost to us were it not that we 

 could give them the shelter of a house during the winter months, their 

 constitutions not enabling them to withstand cold and damp with 

 impunity. But merely putting a carnation in a pot does not mean its 

 succesbiul growth, for it requires a special soil for its roots, special 

 atmospheric treatment, and exceptional care in watering to secure the 

 best results. In smaller establishments the essential conditions to 

 securing healthy, vigorous plants are not always obtainable, for in not a 

 few places they have to be grown along with other greenhouse subjects. 

 In cases of this kind the carnations will have to submit to general 

 treatment, and it will only be an exceptional instance when they are 

 found in a satisfactory state. 



When a house can be devoted to their culture — and they are worth 

 there is no reason why pot carnations should not be found as 

 healthy as geraniums. The chief difficulty in carnation culture lies in 

 the tenderness of the roots. These or fc ans resent too much moisture, 

 and are impatient of drvness. This teaches us that the compost used 

 should be a porous one, and tr^at strict attention and care in waterii.g 

 should be exercised. A porous k am— one that will not run together — is 

 the one to endeavour to secure for carnation culture in general. Of 

 course, to obtain the best results all round different blends will be 

 necessary, for it will be found that the more spindly the natural habit of 

 growth of any variety the more sandy should be the soil for its roots, 

 and the more robust the growth the stronger should be the loam used. 

 In all cases a natuial is better than an artificial blending, and therefore 

 an open sandy loam is the one to employ generally for wiry-growing 

 carnations. For strong growing sorts, such as Malmaisons, a really 

 porous loam is the staple to make use of. To this may be added leaf- 

 mould and well-dried cow manure. In the event of the soil having a 

 tendency to run together, soft red bricks broken fine, some powdered, 

 may be incorporated with it. Should sand be necessary to get the blend 

 of compost desired, use that which is sharp and clean. As is well known, 



a large number of these beautiful cool house orrh ^ 

 described, but only about half-a-dozen are worthy of extended cultivatil $ 

 The species are natives of South Africa, and chiefly found growing 

 high elevations. Most disas are of exceptional beauty, and quite distinct 

 in floral character from other garden orchids, while, if well managed 

 they make a fine display when in bloom. They are herbaceous, fo?th?n 

 the leafy annual stems have finished their growth and flowered thev S 

 down, and young growths take their place. Growth is made during o, r 

 winter and spring, and flowers are produced in early summer these re 

 maining in condition for six or seven weeks. When they have done bloom 

 ing the plants will require a short rest, and during the resting period 

 they want little water beyond a spraying once a day. At all times how 

 ever, they need plenty of air, day and night ; even in winter a little should 

 be allowed when the weather is at all favourable. We always remove our 

 plants from the house at the latter end of May, and put them in a cold 

 ■ frame with a north exposure until the first week in the present month 

 shading them with a roller blind whenever the sun is very hot. During 

 the time they are in the cold frame watering must be done with great 

 care, and according to individual requirements. 



The present is a good time to commence repotting the disas, as I 

 find October the best month, because as yet the new roots are not matted 

 together. All pots and crocks should be clean, for the roots of the disa 

 love cleanliness. The compost should consist of three parts peat of a 

 rough nature, a small portion of turfy loam pulled with the hand into 

 small pieces, some chopped sphagnum, and pieces of soft sandstone, 

 mixing these ingredients together. Crocking the pots or pans should be 

 done with care, and the crocks are best arranged in the pots on their 

 edge , instead of flat side down, as it is much better for the water to pass 

 away quickly from the tuber ; and not only that, but the fleshy roots 

 delight to ramble in the moist drainage. Give the crocks a covering of 

 sphagnum moss, to keep the soil from choking the drainage. The plants 

 should be slightly elevated above the pot rim ; then, with a thin label, work 

 the soil down the side, but not so as to make it too firm, or the roots will 



a a ^ at A at _ 



thorough drainage is indispensable in the pot culture of carnations. Not not spread ; finish off with a little sphagnum moss. After potting remo\e 

 only should the crocks be well placed, and m sufficient quantity, but they the disas back to their winter quarters, which should be a very light, 

 should be covered with some lasting material, such as dried moss, to " ~ " 



prevent the soil mixing with them. Some like their balls of soil around 

 the roots moist before they pot the layers up, and then they allow the 



airy house ; stand the pots or pans on stone slabs covered over with 

 sand and spar to hold moisture both day and night. This latter is very 

 important ; so also is it to have these orchids near the front ventilators. 



T * , mm m\ m m m m ■ . 



newly-potted plants to stand a few days before water is given to them. Insects which are troublesome to disas are green and black fly, thrip, and 



Others, again, prefer the little balls just damp, and then they give a good 

 watering immediately the operation is finished. In either case stand the 

 pots on ashes or gravtl in a cold frame for six weeks or two months, and 

 then remove them to a light, cool, airy, dry structure for the remainder of 

 the winter months. During these months the plants will not require 

 much water, but they should be examined once a day at least, and their 

 wants supplied. 



The success or failure which follows is almost entirely in the hands 

 of those who attend to the watering. To meet with success we must 

 not water until it is necessary, and then fill the pot to the brim. This 

 will diive out all the air among the particles of soil, and enable a fresh 

 quantity to take its place when the water drains away. In the way of 

 feeding, fi*h guano, bone meal, wood-ash, and nitrate of soda are all 

 useful as helping and stimulating agents, but should be used sparingly. 

 Weak solutions of farmyard liquid manure may also be given occasionally, 

 and sour milk, though it has a most unpleasant odour, will foster healthy 

 growth in the carnation. If the loam employed be of a fertile character 

 very little assistance from fertilizers will be necessary, and therefore in 



red spider, but these pests can soon be eradicated by the use of XL All 

 vaporiser. Slugs are very fond of them, and also the little shell snail ; 

 these can be trapped with lettuce leaves. Syringe the plants twice a day 

 when the weather is favourable, but little water will be required at the 

 roots until the early months of the year, when, from February to May, 

 they will take copious supplies. During the latter month a little weak 

 guano water given once a week will prove very beneficial. 



Disa grandiflora produces the largest flower of any member of the 

 genus, and varying in colour from brilliant carmine-red to a deep blood- 

 red ; the sepals in some varieties are orange tinted. There are several 

 hybrids, such as D. Langleyensis, the result of crossing D. racemosa with 

 D. tripetaloides ; also the beautiful D. Veitchi, a hybrid between D. 

 grandiflora and D. racemosa, the sepals in this being of a bright carmine, 

 with the inner portion of the lip almost white, spotted with crimson. 

 D. Kewensis, D. Premier, and D. Clio (the latest) are all additions of 

 great value. Disa grandiflora ripens abundance of seed, and this should 

 be sown as soon as it is ripe, for it does not improve with keeping. My 

 method is to obtain a round seed pan, putting in the bottom some crocks, 



somen nes a little troublesome, but if none of the specially prepared 

 antidotes are at hand a solution of mercuric chloride at the strength of 

 one ounce to five gallons of water will shift them. In order to get the 

 mercuric chloride to dissolve it will be necessary to first dissolve a little 

 chloride of ammonia in warm water, and then add the mercuric chloride. 



A damp, stagnant atmosphere in the house should be sedulously 

 guarded against ; in fact, a free circulation of air at all times when the 

 temperature is above the freezing point, with a gentle warmth in the 

 pipes in rather cold, foggy weather, will be most conducive to healthy, 

 sturdy growth in the carnations. Over or under watering and faulty ven- 

 tilating will almost invariably lead to an attack of fungus, which will 

 take time, patience, and perseverance to get quit of. 



The finest houses of pot carnations I have yet seen are at Eaton Hall 

 Gardens. The tree forms are grand, but the Malmaisons are superb. 

 Mr. Barnes, the Duke of Westminster's head gardener, is in this, as in 

 every subject committed to his charge, thoroughly familiar with the 

 essential items to successful cultivation, and the keen practical energy 

 with which these are carried out leaves nothing to be desired. The trees 

 and Malmaisons are in separate houses, both of which are span-roofed, 

 with paths in the centre and beds on each side. The plants standing on 

 these beds were close to the glass, and in the current of air passing 

 through the house— between the bottom and top ventilators. The soil 

 in which Malmaison carnations were growing was, I noted, of a very 

 porous loamy character, like little lumps, to which had been added leat- 

 mould and crushed bricks. The majority of the plants were in seven- 

 inch and eight-inch pots, and were a mass of strong, healthy growths, 

 toliaged right down to the soil. Not a speck of disease or anything else 

 was visible on the, comparatively speaking, broad, thick leaves. Every 

 plant was a specimen, and when the time comes for them to yield their 

 quota of flowers the display, judging by the exceptional stoutness of 

 growth and short internodes, will be well worth a long journey to see. 

 buch exceptional examples of successful pot cultivation of carnations are 

 so rare that I feel constrained to advise anyone interested in them to 

 endeavour to secure the privilege of a peep at those at Eaton Gardens. 

 Ucular demonstration is positive proof of facts, and a few wrinkles can 

 nearly always thus be obtained. J Riddell. 



„_ o o When 



seed on the soif, just sprinkle a little silver sand on it, cover over with a 

 bell-glass and keep it in a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees, shading it 

 from the sun at all times. The seed will soon germinate, then gradually 

 harden the seedlings, so that they can be placed in a cooler house. 

 The temperature I find to suit the disas best is from 40 to 45 degrees at 

 night, with as slight a rise as possible during the day. 



To/lev Hall Garden* T. W. HiRKlNSHAW. 



Notes from Natal.— A correspondent at Helpmakaar, Natal, 

 follows : " Since I have been here I have heard of a red and also of a pink arum 

 hly." He inquires, do we know of such varieties? Yes, certainly. Then he 

 proceeds : "The place where I am to see them is about a hundred miles trom 

 here, but if novelties I will go and see them. They are said to be about nan 

 the height of an ordinary white arum, and should live in the South of fcngiana. 

 Would it be worth my while to get what bulbs I can, which would involve another 

 journey ? I know the white arum lilies are, of course, no good ; but would it pay 

 me if I could get a quantity of yellow ones as well ? I am told of a p.ace n 

 Zululand where they are to be found, and I intend making the journey. 1 snou.a 

 1 ke to know of any South African plants which would be of use, as 1 uo no. 

 know when I shall go next, or what I may come across. The flowers of the J 

 are not yet in bloom (October 20), as it is too dry, with the exception ot a \«> 

 pretty miniature iris-mauve, with a yellow spot on each segment, ot wk 

 have seen several specimens. England's not the only place that has beensutteng 

 from drought, for the veld, as I have said, is as brown as a berry, and 1 our snecg 

 and cattle are dying of starvation. It is impossible to plough, and when »e « 

 have green vegetables again I do not know. Yesterday we had '^ he 

 the season. It was just enough to start the grass, but not enough to plough, 

 heat is dreadful, the only time of day which is tolerable being from five to in 

 past seven a.m I live five thousand feet above the sea, at the en d of a emu 

 mountains called the Biggarsberg, and, standing at my open room door, 

 see right .nto the Transvaal and Zululand. I send this letter by a _ Kafir to 

 nearest post office, twelve miles distant, whence another Kafir will take it * 

 miles or more to the railway station, and I have to send that Kafir to we 

 place now and again to see if there are letters for me, for there , 5 °° P ^ 

 delivery here. On our (Boer) farm we lay in a stock of groceries for three > 



at a time ! »_Wm. Norman Brown. 



writes as 



