240 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 19, 1885. 
horizontal position until all the lower buds have started, but old Vines 
will hardly require this attention. 
Cucumbers. — Stopping, thinning, and tying the shoots will need 
almost daily attention ; especially is this the case with plants that have 
been fruiting all the winter. In order to keep them in bearing remove 
all decayed portions of stem and leaf, and encourage a free growth of 
young wood, which should be tied up to the trellis, removing the old portions 
to make room for the young. Then take oil an inch or two of the soil 
from the surface of the bed, not disturbing the roots more than can be 
helped, and give instead an admixture of two parts light turfy loam, a 
sprinkling of charcoal, and one part of well-decomposed short dung free 
from worms. Into these fresh ingredients the roots will push speedily, 
after which, when circumstances require it, water them liberally with 
diluted tepid liquid manure. Maintain a night temperature of from 65° 
to 70°, and 75° by day artificially, with a rise of 10° to 15° from sun heat, 
and keep the bottom heat steady at 80°. Liberal and frequent supplies of 
tepid liquid manure in a diluted state must be given to the roots of plants 
swelling their fruits, especially to those having their roots in a somewhat 
confined space. Syringe the plants freely, so that the foliage may receive 
a good washing every morning and afternoon during favourable weather, 
which, with judicious ventilation and sufficient water at the roots, will 
keep red spider away. 
Melons .—Although the weather has been cold, and easterly winds 
have prevailed, the plants have made satisfactory progress. Remove all 
blossom from plants swelling off their fruits in the early house or pit, 
which will need supports in order to relieve the plants of the weight. 
Pieces of board 6 or 7 inches square and about half an inch thick answer 
very well, suspending them in a sloping position to prevent the lodgment 
of water, and being secured to the trellis by pieces of wire, one to each 
corner of the board. Small-meshed garden netting also answers for the 
same purpose if secured in the same way. The soil will need examining 
about twice a week, and if the necessity for water arise it must be applied 
thoroughly. The plants will most likely be in a condition at the roots to 
receive a weak application of liquid manure, but avoid applying it close 
to the stem, as that would be likely to result in canker, and should that 
appear rub quicklime into the affected parts. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Acrides .—These plants may now be repotted or top-dressed. Thos e 
that do not require larger pots should have the whole of the sphagnum 
moss removed from the surface, and fresh supplied in a living state. 
When the old moss has been removed, if any decomposed particles have 
fallen amongst the crocks and charcoal they should be washed out by 
pouring tepid water into the pot. Allow the water to drain thoroughly 
from the pots before replacing the sphagnum moss, which must be well 
elevated above the surface of the pots. Those that require larger pots 
must have all the charcoal and crocks carefully removed to which roots 
do not cling, and the pots broken if they cannot be taken out without 
injuring the roots. The portions to which the roots are clinging 
must be placed into the larger pot, and then charcoal and crocks can be 
arranged amongst the roots until the pots are nearly full, and upon these 
sphagnum moss only must be used. Any plants that are a little unhealthy 
may have their roots washed and be potted for a time entirely in crocks 
and charcoal, in which condition they will soon recover if carefully watered. 
After potting and top-dressing dew the moss daily with the syringe to 
encourage growth. Vandas and Saccolabiums may also be potted and 
top-dressed, and the system and treatment advised above will suit them 
admirably. No attempt must be made to place the roots of the latter 
ins’de the pots or baskets in which they may be grown, for they delight 
in having their roots in the air. 
P hales nop sis .—The sphagnum moss used for surfacing the pans or 
baskets should now be renewed. This will be required annually, for the 
large supplies of water given to these plants thoroughly decompose the 
lower moss in one season. After this has been done the plants may be 
lightly syringed twice daily to start the moss into growth. Much care 
must be exercised in this operation, especially when the plants are in 
bloom, as their delicate flowers are very liable to be’ome spotted. A 
sharp look-out must be kept for thrips, which soon disfigure and destroy 
the foliage of these plants. 
Oncidiums .—These have started root-growth, and may be repotted, 
rebasketed, or top-dressed without further delay. For the majority peat 
fibre with a little charcoal will be found the most suitable compost. The 
fibre will last in good condition much longer than moss, and is, therefore, 
preferable to a mixture of both. These plants require a less bountiful 
supply of water during the greater portion of the year than many Orchids ; 
therefore the surfacing of moss after potting, which adds to the neat 
appearance of the plants, is better deferred for some time until liberal 
supplies of water can be given so that the moss will grow freely. After 
potting the most careful watering must be practised until the roots are 
active and growth well advanced. Remove the whole of the old compost 
if decomposed or likely to become sour before the plants again require 
potting. Some species root very freely into the surface dressing of moss, 
and those that do so should have a greater depth of moss given them than 
others that root with equal freedom into the peat fibre. Species that prefer 
something to which their roots can cling should have a good proportion 
of charcoal in lumps. 
Cypripediums .—The plants that require potting or top-dressing should 
receive attention before they are too far advanced in growth, or they are 
liable to receive a serious check. These useful Orchids grow quickly 
when the material about their roots is kept in a sweet healthy condition. 
"When these plants are in pots and pans nearly full of drainage, and well 
elevated, the whole of the compost can be picked out annually and re¬ 
placed with fresh without turning out the plants or disturbing their 
roots until they require larger pots or pans. A suitable compost for these 
plants is equal portions of peat fibre and sphagnum moss, with lumps 
of charcoal freely intermixed. Some cultivators prefer loam for a few 
species, but they will do equally well in the compost named, and are 
much safer in the hands of all but experts who know exactly how much 
water to apply. When potted in loam they are more liable to suffer 
from excessive watering, which will cause the foliage to become spotted 
and injured. 
Cattleyas .—Many of these are now growing, and potting should be 
done as soon as the plants are ready. The pots must be broken, for the 
roots generally cling to their sides in large numbers. The portions of pot 
to which the roots cling must not be disturbed, but place them into the 
larger pots. Remove the old compost carefully from amongst the roots 
and supply fresh. When this is done, the material, if good, will remain in 
a healthy condition about the roots until the plants again require repotting. 
Peat fibre from the very best peat must be used. If plenty of drainage is 
employed charcoal or crocks intermixed will not be needed. We always 
employ a little moss, but near the surface, and not mixed with the fibre, 
so that it can be picked out annually. Water these plants at their roots 
carefully, and see that it does not lodge in the young growths, or they 
are very liable to decay at this time of the year. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Forming New Lawns .—No time should be lost in completing any 
levelling and turf-laying that require to be done. It is true turf may 
be put down at almost any time of the year, but it is a difficult matter 
to prevent shrinking, which renders the lawn unsightly during the 
whole summer. Good turf is soon obtained by sowing a properly pre¬ 
pared mixture of lawn grass seeds, and on the whole this may be said 
to be the cheapest, and not unfrequently the best way of securing a good 
expanse of turf. In either case the ground should be made quite level 
and firm, or otherwise inequalities will soon result, this being an eye¬ 
sore to many, besides entailing much subsequent labour in the shape of 
relevelling, especially in the case of tennis and croquet lawns. It will 
not do to merely level, shaving off the mounds and filling up the hollows 
with the soil thus obtained, as this is certain to result in an uneven 
surface, but all must be dug, the subsoil being removed from the mounds 
and added to the subsoil in the hollows. The levelling can be done 
with the aid of stout pegs, one of these being fixed at the required height 
of the level, and the rest brought to the same level with the assistance of 
a straight edge and spirit level. After the soil is levelled and made 
firm so as to be at the height of the top of the pegs, these can be removed 
and the turf laid or the grass seed sown. The surface soil should be 
fairly good, as if very rich the grass will grow too strongly, while if very 
poor or badly drained weeds and moss are almost certain to be in the 
ascendant. Early in April is a good time to sow the grass seeds, and if 
showery weather is chosen for the work the seeds will quickly germinate, 
and be less likely to be picked up by birds. Cover the seeds with a 
little fine soil in preference to attempting to bury them with rakes. On 
lawns where ridges are to be removed or hollows filled up, in most cases 
it will only be necessary to pare off and roll back the turf, removing 
some of the subsoil, or adding more to the surface soil as the case may be, 
and then the turf can be rolled back exactly as it was before. If this is 
done late in the spring a little leaf soil or good mould should be placed 
directly under the turf, into which the grass will quickly root, and thus 
little or no check be given. In every case the turf should be well beaten 
down. 
Pruning Climbers .—Much of this may now be completed. Chimo- 
nanthus fragrans has now ceased blooming, and should have all 
lateral growth spurred back to near the main branches, and the spray 
and medium-sized growth resulting will flower abundantly next season. 
Deciduous and evergreen Magnolias may be thinned out if much crowded, 
the former having any extra long foreright branches shortened back, and 
the fastenings securing the main branches made good. The evergreen 
varieties, of which the best known is M. grandiflora, require extra strong 
supports, strips of leather being suitable, and all the principal branches 
have to be tied in, or strong winds will break many of them down. 
Hibiscuses, Honeysuckles, common Jasminums, Pyrus japonica, Crataegus 
Pyracantha, and LoDiceras, should all be annually spurred back, or 
otherwise they soon lose much of their beauty, becoming, in fact, un¬ 
sightly rather than ornamental. Jasminum nudiflorum and Forsythia 
viridissima to be spurred back to the main branches directly after they 
have done flowering, the shoots and spray resulting flowering freely next 
season. Escallonia macrantha to be kept neatly fastened up, and only 
the coarsest of the branches shortened back. The summer-flowering 
Clematises, such as C. montana, ccerulea, azurea grandiflora, Albert 
Victor, and Lady Londesborougb, flower on the ripened growth formed 
last year, and consequently this should only be thinned out, and all dead 
or weakly growth removed. The autumn-flowering section, of which 
C. Jackmannii is the best known type, and which also includes Tun- 
bridgensis, Gipsy Queen, Robert Hanbury, lanuginosa, Lady C. Nevill, 
and Velutina purpurea, flower on the current year’s growth. These, then, 
should be freely cut back in order to obtain a few extra strong shoots, 
which will yield finer blooms over a longer period than if left unpruned. 
Thickets of these, or any other climbers, ought not to be permitted. 
Wistaria sinensis, Passion Flowers, and Bignonia capreolata should have 
all lateral growths spurred back to near the main branches, the leading 
growths only being laid in where required. Ivies, if left uncut, soon 
break away from the walls, and will present a much neater appearance 
