October 14, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 357 
efficiently drained, and above them 12 inches of rubble, covered with 
a layer of turves grass side downwards, and about 24 inches of compost 
as above described, allowing 9 inches more for settling. A border 
6 feet wide is ample, and should be entirely within the house. Trees 
in pots must be examined, and such as require larger pots can be 
shifted into those 2 to 3 inches larger. Where it is not considered 
desirable to increase the size of the pots the trees should have a few 
inches of soil removed from the base of the balls, the roots being cut 
back, and all the loose surface soil removed ; supplying fresh soil, 
to which has been added about a fourth of well-decomposed manure. 
Water thoroughly, and plunge the pots in ashes to the rims in a 
sheltered situation, where they may remain until removed to the 
house. 
ORCHARD HOUSE. 
The trees having been attended to in potting or surface-dressing as 
may be required, they should remain under glass until most of the 
leaves have fallen, when they may be moved into the open air, plac¬ 
ing them on ashes in a sheltered situation, surrounding and covering 
the pots with that or some other protective material. In this posi¬ 
tion they may remain until December or January, the trees being 
benefited by the exposure. If, however, potting and surface-dressing 
has been delayed it should be attended to at once. Trees allowed to 
root from the base of the pots should have the roots cut off close 
to the bottom of the pots, and the surface soil with the roots or 
fibres it may contain must be scraped out to a depth of at least 3 or 
4 inches at the sides of the pots, and supply turfy loam rather strong, 
adding a fourth of well-decayed manure and a twentieth of bone 
meal, which can hardly be rammed too firmly. Planted-out trees 
requiring root-pruning should be attended to whilst they are in leaf, 
and those not thriving satisfactorily may have the roots laid bare, 
the old soil removed, lifting the roots carefully to within a short 
distance from the stem, the drainage being put right, and the trees re¬ 
planted in fresh compost, spreading the roots out carefully. Maiden 
loam, strong rather than light, suits all fruit trees. The ventilators 
must be kept open by night as well as by day, but in case of the wood 
not ripening well the ventilation may be lessened in the daytime to 
secure a higher temperature, allowing, however, a circulation of air, 
and ventilating fully at night. If there is means of heating, the heat 
may be turned on in the morning and off at night. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
The late tempestuous weather has nearly destroyed the beauty 
of flower gardens, hence anything that it is desirable to protect 
should at once be attended to. Some of the plants now employed 
for outdoor decoration are of great value for furnishing conserva¬ 
tories, halls, &c., provided they are lifted before they become damaged. 
Aralias, Abutilons, Chilian Beet, Cannas, Dracaenas, Melianthuses, 
Solanums, Grevillea robusta, Acacia lopbantha, Wigandias, &c., 
lifted carefully with good balls, potted, and placed in a close moist 
atmosphere, and if syringed they will soon become well established 
and prove useful for general decoration where it would be running 
great risk to employ choicer but not more effective plants. Succu¬ 
lents of the half-hardy type, such as Aloes, Agaves, Echeveria metal- 
lica, E. metallica rubra and E. secunda glauca, Sempervivum tabu- 
Iseforme, S. arboreum variegatum, S. canariense, S. Donckelaari, 
Kleinias, and Pachyphytums, should at once be taken up, potted in 
good open soil, and placed in a dry warm house or pit until esta¬ 
blished, when they may be moved to cooler quarters with advantage. 
All Pelargoniums when housed should have a dry atmosphere, damp 
being their greatest enemy. Verbenas, Calceolarias, Petunias, and 
similar plants will do well in a light airy house where the tempera¬ 
ture is not allowed to fall below freezing point. Alternantheras, 
Coleus, and Iresines should have a minimum temperature of 55° to 
winter them satisfactorily. 
As soon as the frost causes a general lifting of stock, a speedy 
clearance should be effected preparatory to filling the beds for the 
winter, either with spring-flowering plants, bulbs, or evergreens. Of 
shrubs suitable for this purpose may be mentioned Erica herbacea 
carnea, E. herbacea alba, Laurustinus, Andromeda floribunda, A. 
Catesbcei, Euonymus radicans variegatus, E. japonicus albo-margin- 
atus, E. japonicus aureus and aureus marginatus, Aucuba japonica 
limbata, A. longifolia, A, japonica vera nana, A. japonica mascula, 
Cryptomeria elegans and var. nana ; Hedera arborea vars. aurea, 
elegantissima, Rmgneriana, and fructo-luteo ; Osmanthus ilicifolius 
and vars. aureus and variegatus nanus, Skimmia japonica, Thuja aurea, 
Thujopsis borealis, Retinospora plumosa and var. aurea, R. obtusa 
aurea nana, R. ericoides, Pernettya mucronata ; Cupressus Lawson- 
iana and vars. nana glauca, alba variegata, and erecta viridis ; Ligus- 
trum japonicum, Juniperus Sabina variegata, Myrtle-leaved Portugal 
Laurel, Buxus suffruticosa argentea marginata nova, B. sempervirens 
aurea, Vinca elegantissima, Gold and Silver Hollies, and Golden 
Yews. Grounds, lines, or edgings of Gold and common Thyme, 
Pyrethrum Golden Feather, Ajuga reptans rubra, Stachys lanata, 
Cerastium, Sedum corsicum and S. glaucum, Sempervivum arach- 
noideum, S. calcareum, and S. montanum, and Saxifraga granulata 
and hirta, will render the garden cheerful in the dullest months ; and 
if some of the earliest flowering bulbs, as Snowdrops, Scillas, and 
Crocuses, with Arabis alpina variegata argentea, Hepaticas, Daisies, 
Primroses, &c., be introduced a very effective spring display j may be 
secured. Beet and the many coloured variegated Kales may be used 
with good effect. 
The mixed or herbaceous border should now be examined, and any 
of the strong-growing plants having outgrown the spaces allotted to 
them they should at once be reduced. Most herbaceous plants re¬ 
quire good soil, and where any have stood long on the same ground 
an entire removal and replanting will be found of great benefit, as 
the strong-growing species soon exhaust the soil immediately sur¬ 
rounding them. By replanting early in the season the plants have 
time to become re-established before severe weather sets in. Prior 
to replanting the border should be trenched as deeply as there is 
good soil, and at the same time adding some well-decomposed manure, 
leaf soil, or well-reduced vegetable soil, working it well in. 
Planting evergreens may be done now, also deciduous trees and 
shrubs as soon as the foliage begins to fall; and the ground being 
comparatively warm and moist the plants will'commence making 
roots at once, which cannot be the case when deferred until the 
ground is cold. All alterations should be pushed forward at this 
season instead of putting it off until spring, when more important 
matters will be pressing. Sweeping and cleaning up will entail con¬ 
stant labour for some time to come. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Greenhouse .—A few plants of Cytisus racemosus superbus that 
have been ripened well and early, if now introduced to gentle heat 
and kept near the glass, will come into flower quickly, and be very 
useful for conservatory and cutting. Some of the earliest Epacrises 
may be forwarded by placing them in a house with a temperature of 
50°, and a similar temperature will be required for Monochsetums 
that have well ripened through the autumn, and will shortly flower. 
Lasiandra macrantha floribunda, to induce it opening its violet-purple 
flowers freely, should have similar treatment, also Tree Carnations, 
Libonia floribunda, Cyclamen persicum vars., and Bouvardias, as 
they do not flower freely in winter in an ordinary greenhouse tem¬ 
perature. IVitsenia corymbosa will now be opening its lovely blue 
flowers, and as its leaves are inclined to become bad at the points 
these should be removed with a sharp knife so as to improve its 
appearance for the conservatory. Heliotropes that have been well 
grown and fully exposed during the summer, with the flowers con¬ 
stantly pinched off, will flower for a considerable time in a tempe¬ 
rature of 45° to 50° artificially. Crowea elliptica, C. latifolia, C. 
saligna, and C. stricta, bloom for six weeks to two months con¬ 
tinuously at this season, their starry pink flowers being very pretty, 
and if kept rather warmer than an ordinary greenhouse their flowers 
will be finer. Correa cardinalis, C. Brilliant and C. bicolor, will 
bloom with little attention to the end of the year, also many Ericas. 
Lachenalias will now be growing, and should be potted and assigned 
positions near to the glass. 
Orchids .—Many attractive species and varieties will yet be bloom¬ 
ing, and the practice of removing them to a drier atmosphere should 
be followed, the temperature ranging from 50° to 55°, the flowers 
lasting longer than in a very moist atmosphere. Oncidium macran- 
thum, 0. flexuosum majus, O. tigrinum, O. incurvum, O. aurosum, and 
O. bicallosum are among the best, for autumn and winter flowering. 
