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GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



December n, 1898. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



WARM ORCHIDS. 



ATTLEYA Eowringiana at the present time will be emitting 

 its young, tender roots, so that if repotting or top-dressing is 

 required it must be attended to. A compost of rough fibrous 

 peat mixed with a few pieces of charcoal and fresh sphagnum 

 moss will suffice, but the plants must be kept well up above 

 the lim of the pot, because the new breaks or growths are 

 produced low down, and thus apt to rot off or in danger of 

 being broken. The work, generally speaking, at this time of the 

 year consists of giving everything a thorough cleansing. There 

 is usually plenty of washing, spoDging, &c, to be done, and it is well that all this 

 should be finished while the ordinary course of work is light, for when growth 

 recommences there is very little time for cleaning. Plenty of soft soap and soda 

 will be required to wash down all the stages, rafters, and glass. All the spar or 

 cinders ought to be well washed, so that slugs and woodlice may be killed, and 

 the appearance of this material be made more pleasing. 



We have again experienced a change in the weather, and one we do not 

 expect at this time of the year, and are scarcely prepared for. Of late 

 there have been times when we prepared for a night's frost, and when the 

 morning came the rain was falling fast, consequently the houses were 

 warmer than necessary. Great care is required when this occurs, for the follow- 

 ing nights may bring cold winds followed by frosts. It is rather puzzling weather 

 for growers I should prefer seasonable weather, so that the plants might take 

 their annual rest and receive as much light as possible. At all times orchids 

 must have a certain amount of humidity in the atmosphere, and if not found 

 naturally such must be provided, according to requirements, by artificial means ; 

 a quite dry atmosphere in an orchid house is bad, but excessive moisture is 

 worse. 



In many collections several :of the phaJsenopsis iwill be pushing up their 

 spikes, especially in districts that are clear of fogs ; it is wise to put neat stakes 

 to these, and take every precaution to ward off attacks of beetles, slugs, wood- 

 lice, &c. But in foggy districts it would be wise to cut away these spikes, and 

 depend upon the second crop of flowers. It is a great pity phalaenopsis blooms 

 are so sensitive to fog, for they are extremely useful and beautiful flowers, and 

 must be favourites with all growers. A few plants of dendrobiums must be brought 

 on gently to provide a succession of flowers for general use, as these come in well 

 for buttonholes at the present season. — T. Stafford, Tyniesfield Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



The present is a suitable time to give the palm house a thorough cleansing. 

 In the first place, tie the palm fronds carefully up so that they be not injured Ly 

 being stood closely together in one half the house while the other half undergoes a 

 thorough scrubbing with hot soapy water. Cleanse the stages and limewash the 

 walls, then take the palms in hand, giving each a careful sponging to remove any 

 scale or dirt that may be upon them. For cleaning the base of such leaf-blades 

 as Latania borbonica, chamserops, &a, produce, there is nothing better than a 

 good toothbrush, afterwards utilising the syringe to wash out what the brush has 

 loosened. Any potting and top dressing necessary may also be done now, providing 

 the plants so treated are not to be used for room decoration for some time to come. 

 In rearranging the palms, allow each plant the maximum of space to show off its 

 individual beauty, and grow perfectly upright, for a palm whose growth is one- 

 sided is not a desirable object. Any whose pots are full of roots, and are not 

 potted or top-dressed, will require an occasional application of some good artificial 

 fertiliser, with now and again a watering with soot-water to encourage that dark 

 green colour which is such a desideratum. Among those palms most useful from 

 a decorative point cf view are Kentia Fosteriana, K. Belmoreana, Latania bor- 

 bonica, Cocos plumosus, C. Weddeliana, Caryota urens, rhoenix dactylifera, P. 

 rupicola, P. reclinata, Areca lutescens, A. crinita, and Seaforthia elegans. Caryota 

 urens and Seaforthia elegans, though both beautiful and useful subjects, do not 

 bear room treatment so well as the others named, and care must be taken that 

 they are not left in for more than five or six days at a time. All palms, while they 

 are in the rooms, should be kept rather drier at the roots, or the foliage will soon 

 become pale ; directly there is the least indication of loss of colour remove them 

 to a warm house, thoroughly cleanse the foliage, and allow them to become quite 

 dry, then stand the pot in a tub of very weak liquid manure for about ten minutes. 

 The soil suitable to the majority of palms during the earlier stages of growth is 

 one part peat, one part loam, and one part good leaf-soil, with a free admixture of 

 sand and a little charcoal. At later pottings the peat may be reduced until, when 

 they are placed into pots of nine-inch diameter and upwards, it may be omitted 

 altogether, excepting for some of the more delicate, such as caryota and cocos. 



Nepenthes will now require a position at the warmest and dryest end of the 

 stove and reduced supplies of water, yet taking care that the roots are not allowed 

 to become dry, for, though resting, they require more water than the general run 

 of stove plants in that state. As the bracts are removed from the earlier batches 

 of poinsettias, gradually dry them off and store them away in a dry position in a 

 temperature of 50 to 55 degrees. The later plants are coming on rapidly, and 

 should receive stimulants to develop the bracts to the largest possible size. Rein- 

 ward tia tetragyna is now in full beauty, and is amongst the brightest of plants in 

 flower at this season. A position in a moderately dry house with a minimum 

 temperature of 55 degrees suits it admirably when in flower. Urceolinas, as the 

 flowers fade, should be stored away in the intermediate house until the season for 

 repotting and starting into gTowth comes round again. Encourage gardenias that 

 are required in flower at an early date by judicious applications of stimulants and 

 a free use of the syringe. Pot on young plants of these and ixoras as they fill their 

 pots with roots. Cut down plants of strobilanthus whose leaves have lost their 

 colour, and encourage them to break away from the base, when cuttings can be 

 taken. Keep up a supply of panicum, fittonia, pilea, and selaginella in small 

 pots for furnishing purposes.— J. Tunnington, Ripley Castle Gardens. 



T "E FLOWER GARDEN. 



Where not already taken in hand herbaceous beds and borders should be 

 cleaned and made as tidy as possible. All dead tops of Michaelmas daisies, 

 soiidagos peonies and many others shouW be a dose tQ the ground> and 



su Wu^r °f ?5 R ' ccartoni Pe may be similarly treated. These latter are useful 

 SvSS I' h f Cr ] )aCeous or ^rubbery borders, and may, if desired, be lifted, 



t not ;i MtC ? ^ DuriD £ the continuance of mild weather, if the soil 

 SSrSX2Sk m ! 1 ? eihaceous subjects that have outgrown their allotted spaces 

 Tlllnt ° r tak ? U P and ^planted, discarding the central portion of the 



^SJ^J* ofun *« kl * and p^ or - Bor * eis ma y also be entirely 



renovated during open weather by taking *hort sectional pieces up at a time, 



not necessary, as above, the borders should be given a surface dressing of half 

 rotten manure, to remain until the spring, and be then lightly pricked Pinto th* 

 surface. Border chrysanthemums may have the tops removed, and unless cuuines 

 are now obtainable a plant or two of each variety should be lifted and nlaced in 

 cold frames, where protection may be afforded in the event of severe frosts orni 

 ring, and from these cuttings may be obtained later for future planting ThZl 

 remaining in the borders in permanent positions should be given a slight mulching 

 of cocoa fibre refuse or coal ashes, as should any other subject not quite hardv ^ 

 dielytras, alstroemerias, cannas, montbretias, &c. y 



Herbaceous pseonies, where not freely supplied with water during the nast 

 summer, have suffered somewhat from the excessive drought. These strong 

 rooting subjects require good soil and feeding to enable them to produce 

 fine blossoms ; large clumps impoverish the soil quickly, and the blooms are 

 small and poor in consequence, and often, especially if dry, the buds fail to develop 

 Any spare liquid manure may with advantage be poured around the roots even in 

 winter and the surface soil be removed and rotten manure applied, placing the soil 

 back on the top of it. Where the clumps have become over-large they may be 

 dug up now, weather permitting, and divided and replanted elsewhere in well- 

 trenched and manured stations. If required in same positions trench and heavily 

 manure, and add fresh soil about the plants at replanting. Small plants of her- 

 baceous paeonies have little decorative value and take at least two or three years to 

 grow into effective specimens, therefore lifting is not advisable unless the clumps 

 are over-large and partially worn out through exhaustion of the soil. 



In shrubbery borders evergreen trees and shrubs, as laurels, hollies, yews, 

 cupressus, &c. , may be cut into shape, or with laurels, where large branches have 

 grown tall and lanky, these may be removed by sawing them away close to the 

 ground ; work of this description may be done when the ground is too wet to work 

 upon, or even in frosty weather, Prunings of evergreens are often useful for house 

 and church decoration at this season. A considerable amount of labour must of 

 necessity be devoted to the clearing up of fallen leaves from walks, lawns, and 

 pleasure-grounds generally. Leaves should be raked up and carted away without 

 delay, otherwise they may be scattered again by winds. Sweeping should follow 

 the raking, and after this is accomplished both lawns and paths should receive a 

 good rolling if the weather is suitable for the operation. The leaves need not be 

 removed from shrubbery borders in many cases, but be lightly pointed in with 

 flat-tined digging forks. Dirty gravel paths, where regravelling is not necessary, 

 may be easily turned at this season when moist, using forks as above, and turning 

 the gravel over to the depth of two or three inches. New gravel may also be laid 

 on paths providing the weather be fairly dry. — C. Herrin, Dropmore Gardens. 



HARDY FRUITS. 



The pruning of bush fruits, gooseberries and currants, will now claim atten- 

 tion.^ In many gardens birds are troublesome, and it may be well to defer the 

 pruning of gooseberries till the latest possible date ; but there are objections to this 

 latter, as the birds frequently take the lower buds needed for next season's fruit. 

 I find it much better to prune at this season, and protect from the enemy. The 

 pruning of young trees should be confined to thinning, opening the centre of the 

 bush room, and removing cross branches. Sucker growths should be cut or pulled 

 clean out from the base, and in all cases the trees will be more shapely if trained to 

 a single stem. In many gardens it may be out of the question to protect with 

 netting ; but if this can be done, and wire netting used, it preserves the fruit also. 

 For a wash to preserve the buds I have found fresh lime mixed with quassia 

 extract efficient. Many of our best gooseberries are of pendulous growth, and so 

 it will repay one to give such supports, and in pruning to clear the lower branches 

 from the soil as much as possible. Where the grub was troublesome last year it 

 will be advisable to remove the surface soil from under the trees after the pruning, 

 and replace with new materials ; burn the old soil to prevent the spread of the pest. 

 A good coating of fresh lime, sulphur, and soot in a soluble state will prevent moss 

 growth. Gooseberry trees on walls should be attended to. I find we obtain much 

 better fruit if a goodly portion of the weak spurs are removed every third year ; this 

 gives the trees a nicer appearance, and the growths, being less'crowded, are stton B er - 

 At the same time it may be well to encourage new leaders in the case ot old 

 trees. Few fruits are more useful than the gooseberry on a north wall, as it is an 

 easy matter to net the trees, and the fruits keep a long time, while the trees give a 

 good return for the space given. Now is a good time to plant cordon gooseberries, 

 using the cream of the dessert kinds, and training them to iron rods or strong stakes. 

 We have now some valuable additions to dessert gooseberries m Langley ^ beau ty, 

 Langley Gage, and Golden Gem, all of which do well in cordon form. Ail kinds 

 of fruit trees will benefit now by a top-dressing of manure. . 



Black, white, and red currants should now be pruned, the first by thinning out 

 old wood or weak growth, leaving the well-ripened, strong wood of last season 101 

 next year's fruit supply. Many growers leave black currants too crowded, ana 

 the fruit are small in consequence. White currants need the same treatment as 

 red, and both these fruit well on spurs or buds which are close to the old stems , so 

 that in pruning it is not necessary to leave a lot of young wood except in tne case 

 of young trees needing extension. The shoots may thus be cut close home, on 1 y 

 leaving two or three buds from the old wood. In the case of old trees it may uc 

 found by this hard pruning that branches are becoming thick and stunted ; insut 

 cases it may be well to allow a few new growths to proceed from 

 time these will take the place of the older wood. In our locality birds play saa 

 havoc with the currant buds, and we are obliged to protect in the ^J^STirith 

 gooseberries. The black varieties are first attacked, but a dressing of J^*? 

 other mixtures soon repels them ; the first- named causes the buds to have a 

 taste. Of late years the black currant has suffered greatly from the mite, and 

 the case of badly infested trees I have found it advantageous to cut them down 

 the soil and secure new growths from the base, as half measures useless. 



Plums shou d nnu- i „„a mz»nf voucc trees inclined 10 uc 1 



b — ~ r w«~ ^ auvisaoie to lilt and replant caiciui.j, 'T^JL h a V e a ten- 

 severe pruning I n traini trees on walls these fruits al*a> ha ^ ches 



dency to ascend and grow ILg, so now is a good time ^^JS SSTSS 



and equalise the flow of " ~i th+ nlum iruus now 



freely, so if a hea 



, , - sap. S « M ft P Ium fruitS n °" t0 ° 



i? ft 1° lf * heavier impost can be given so much the better, 

 should be pruned and renailed. Morellos also may be taken m hand 



nhfain hn^ f-»«S*^ • a „ * «m « ♦ i « .f f»„Jf frPP< Will 



Dessert cherries 



i_ • r--"^ auu renailed. lviorciius - / - u:*k mr^ neu 



obtain fine fruits avoid overcrowding. All kinds of fruit ^2*£5Jrf»i 

 surface, such as the cherry, are benefited by a top-dressing of good mate ^ 

 season ; we find burnt refuse and bone-meal an excellent fertiliser. 1-repar. , 



