242 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 15, mi. 
Under the Vines are Royal George, Late Admirable, and Golden 
Eagle Peaches, and Elruge Nectarines. These trees are heavily 
laden with fine fruit of excellent quality, Elruge Nectarine and 
Royal George Peach being the most noteworthy. The back wall is 
covered with Brown Turkey and other Figs. An adjoining span- 
roofed Peach house, about 60 feet long by 20 feet wide, has six 
trees covered with promising fruit, Royal George carrying about 
fifteen dozen, Noblesse ten dozen, Millett’s Mignonne eighteen 
dozen, and Elruge Nectarine again with twelve dozen remarkable 
fruits. 
A long span-roofed house with several partitions is devoted to 
Melon and Cucumber growing. From one compartment 250 
Melons have been cut, some of which were exhibited at Wimble¬ 
don, and though not for competition were highly commended. 
Reid’s Scarlet-flesh and Golden Perfection are held in high esteem. 
Another very promising crop is coming on. In another compart¬ 
ment are some very fine specimens of the most useful Orchids, 
also a good collection of table plants, which seem in strong de¬ 
mand at this establishment. Some of the Crotons were very highly 
coloured. A good collection of Zonal Pelargoniums are grown for 
flowering in pots. A fine lot of Azaleas and other plants w'ere 
noticeable, also a collection of healthy Chrysanthemums. 
The kitchen garden although small is well stocked, not a spare 
foot of ground can be seen. Some fine pyramid Apple and Pear 
trees are well laden with good even fruit. The flower garden 
and lawns are neat, and a fine conservatory attached to the dwell¬ 
ing contains healthy Camellias and other plants, the Fuchsias 
trained to pillars being remarkable for the profuseness with which 
they flower. Good management reigns throughout, reflecting 
much credit upon the gardener.—J. P. 
GREENHOUSE RHODODENDRONS. 
For some time this useful class of plants was much neglected 
in private gardens, but during the past two or three years their 
cultivation has extended. The demand was small for a time, but 
it is now almost difficult to obtain plants of some useful kinds. 
The more recent introductions, of which Princess Royal is the 
type, are beginning to be plentiful; while Princess Alice, one of 
the very best, can scarcely be obtained except as very small 
plants, w r hich require to be grown two or three years before they 
are of much service for decoration. 
These plants are amongst the most useful we possess either for 
cutting or other kinds of decoration, and should be largely grown 
in every garden. Some of those classed as greenhouse varieties 
are very nearly hardy, and would, I feel confident, stand our 
winters in some parts of England and Wales. Rhododendron 
Gibsoni, R. Princess Alice, and R. ciliatum I have left outside all 
winter—not during one of our severest winters—and the plants 
were not injured in the least. It is not advisable to subject them 
to this treatment if the best results are looked for. If no better 
accommodation can be given a cold frame will suit them well. 
Some kinds do best when grafted, others succeed best on their own 
roots. Rhododendron Gibsoni does well worked on the common 
R. ponticum or any variety for a stock ; while Princess Alice 
dees not take well to a stock, but strikes readily with care and 
proper management, and grows well upon its own roots. R. jas- 
miuiflora does well either way, but grows strongest when worked. 
Princess Royal, which grows most luxuriantly and strikes freely, 
would no doubt make a capital stock for the more delicate 
growers. 
When propagation is effected by means of grafting, clean stocks 
should be selected and established in 2 or 3-inch pots ready for 
grafting in the spring, say about the month of February. The 
tops of the previous year’s wood should be used for the scions. 
The system of grafting should either be saddle or side grafting, 
similar to that employed for Roses or fruit trees. The former I 
consider the most successful mode. Little art is required in 
saddle-grafting. The cut of the stock or scion must be clean and 
done with a sharp knife, so that the two fit exactly together, being 
made secure by means of worsted. Some employ clay or grafting 
wax round the union after the scion and stock are placed together, 
but this is optional, and by no means indispensable. After the 
operation of grafting is performed the plants should be placed in 
a close frame where a slight bottom heat can be given, and the 
top heat maintained at 45° to 50° until the stock and scion are 
thoroughly united. The plants must be shaded from bright sun, 
kept well watered, and dewed with the syringe twice daily. 
When the. stock is increased by means of cuttings they can be 
inserted at once, selecting short growths of nearly ripened wood. 
Pots 8 inches iu diameter should be prepared by half filling them 
with crocks, and the remainder with sandy peat pressed in firmly. 
About half an inch depth of silver sand must be placed over the 
surface. Place the tallest cuttings in the centre and the dwarf 
ones round the sides, leaving sufficient room for the bellglasses, 
which should be placed over them after a good soaking of water 
has been given. The pots containing the cuttings should be 
plunged amongst any moisture-holding material in a cold frame 
until cold weather sets in, when the temperature if possible should 
be maintained at from 40° to 45°. The bellglasses will not require 
to be removed for a long time, as but little water will be needed, 
and sufficient can be given by syringing over the glasses occa¬ 
sionally. As soon as the cuttings are rooted they must be potted 
singly in small pots, and kept close in a frame until they have 
commenced to root afresh, and must then be exposed to more air 
to gradually harden them to be grown under cool treatment. 
The grafted plants when the scion and stock are thoroughly 
united may be treated similarly. 
The hardening process must be gradual, or a severe check is 
sure to follow. The operation must be done with much care, then 
the young plants will continue growing. When severely checked 
in their early stages they often fail to grow satisfactorily. When 
they have been hardened to cool treatment and have filled the small 
pots with roots the plants should be transferred to 5-inch pots. 
This size will be large enough for the first season after grafting. 
The plants should be wintered in a greenhouse or frame, where 
free ventilation can be ensured. 
The second season the object should be to obtain two growths, 
which can be accomplished by starting them early in the season 
by means of a little heat, giving at the same time sufficient air to 
cause a sturdy growth. The first growth should be completed by 
the beginning of July, and must have for a short time abuudance 
of air until the flower buds are visible, which is sure to be the 
case with free-flowering kinds such as Princess Alice. The flower 
buds must be removed and the plants kept close again until they 
commence growth, which must be pushed on until completed. 
Flower buds may by chance be formed upon this second growth, 
and can be allowed to develope if deemed necessary. This is not 
altogether advisable when the plants are small; in fact they will 
make greater progress the following year if not allowed to flower. 
The freedom with which many kinds flower render them in a 
small state very attractive for vases and decoration generally. 
Where plants for such purposes are in request, and good-sized 
specimens are needed, they can be allowed to flower and only 
make one growth a season. Moderate-sized plants are best for 
greenhouse or conservatory decoration, and should, until they 
attain a fair size, make two grow'ths a season. This is an advan¬ 
tage and saves valuable time. 
Potting must be done carefully from time to time as the plants 
require it. To grow greenhouse Rhododendrons successfully every 
attention must be paid to this matter, as if allowed to become 
rootbound the wood hardens, and in consequence growth is weak 
and slow. They must not, however, be overpotted, or the evil will 
be as great as if the plants are in too small pots. The pots must 
be well and carefully drained and the soil pressed firmly in. The 
soil most suitable is good fibry peat with plenty of coarse sand to 
keep it porous. They also do well in a mixture of loam and peat, 
but the former is preferable. 
Watering must be carefully done, especially after the plants are 
first potted, but they must not suffer by the want of water during 
any season of growth. If allowed to become dust-drv they soon 
fail to do satisfactorily ; they also refuse to grow luxuriantly if 
water stagnates about their roots. During the growing season the 
plants should be liberally syringed, which will keep down thrips, 
the only insect I know that attacks them. Cultivators of these 
plants will not grow them satisfactorily upon dry shelves, where 
I have seen them placed in more than one garden. They should 
stand upon some cool moisture-holding material, such as ashes or 
gravel. During the summer or growing season plenty of water 
should be thrown amongst the pots and the atmosphere kept 
moderately moist. Under such treatment the plants grow rapidly 
and luxuriantly.—W. Bakdney. 
Shading Camellias. —Perhaps the short note I wrote about 
Camellias was rather loosely constructed. I certainly do not 
mean to say, as “An Amateur” assumes, that as fine flowers 
are produced from a plant in feeble health, and which in con¬ 
sequence makes a weakly growth, as from a plant of robust 
growth and in perfect health. I quite agree with him as regards 
shading. All our Camellias are shaded, and necessarily so, 
because they would not thrive in our structures without shade. 
However, they are to be found thriving in gardens without any 
shade during summer, consequently it is a question that no one 
can draw a hard-and-fast line about. Some growers, for instance, 
manage Orchids without shade. I have tried both plans, and 
find I can keep the plants healthy with less labour grown under 
