2 
CALENDAR FOR THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
JANUARY. 
Plant-houses. 
Orchid Houses. —AH through this month 
it will he very necessary to pay special attention 
to orchids, as there are some species which do 
not thrive under artificial heat if it be too liber¬ 
ally supplied; while at the same time some of 
those from the hotter regions of the earth would 
suffer in a low moist temperature if allowed to 
remain under those conditions for any protracted 
period. Odontoglossums of the crispum type 
should be kept in a temperature of from 45° at 
night to 50° or 60° in the day, according to the 
weather. Air should be admitted on all favour¬ 
able occasions, and the plants should be sprinkled 
with a syringe every day that the weather per¬ 
mits. If possible, the house should be washed 
and thoroughly cleaned inside, so as to get rid 
of all insect and other pests that may have crept 
inside from the cold. Constant supervision 
must be exercised to prevent snails from destroy¬ 
ing the flower-spikes, which they soon find out 
if any are showing. — Those of the vexillarium 
type ought to be kept in a temperature a 
few degrees higher; also 0. Harryanum, 0. 
citrosmum, 0. Roezlii, and others. If the weather 
in this month lie very severe, so that much fire- 
heat is necessary to keep the temperature to the 
requisite degree, a close search must be made 
for thrips. A little sulphur put down the sheaths 
will be sufficient to keep them in check. Some 
of the different sections of Dendrobiums will 
now be in flower, and they should be kept free 
from damp or the flowers will become spotted. 
Those of the nobile division, as, for example, 
Ainsworthii, aureum, and moniliforme, may have 
a temperature of from 50° to 55° Fahr. when in 
flower, and, while at rest, from 45° to 50°, ac¬ 
cording to the weather. Plants belonging to 
the bigibbum section should be kept in a tem¬ 
perature which should not fall below 60°; neither 
ought such as Farmeri to be subjected to a 
lower temperature. Cattleyas generally will 
now be at rest, and they should have a tem¬ 
perature of from 55° to 60°, with a rather dry 
atmosphere. Those who grow a mixed collec¬ 
tion of orchids in one house will find the 
Zygopetalums very useful at this period of the 
year. These thrive best in an intermediate 
temperature. Most of the Calanthes will by 
this time have finished flowering, and should 
therefore be put to rest in a warm dry place, 
which should not be allowed to fall below 55°. 
As many of the Oncidiums will be throwing 
up their flower-spikes, they will require careful 
watching to prevent slugs from eating them. 
Hothouse —During the present month work 
in this department is not abnormally severe. 
Special care, however, must be taken to keep 
the houses at the proper temperature, for as t he 
inmates of these structures have their native 
habitats in warm countries, they will not remain 
in health if subjected to cold. Where much 
house decoration is required it will be requisite 
to propagate plants for the purpose, and to 
bring them forward, so that they may take the 
place of those which become unhealthy through 
standing too long in dwelling-rooms. 
Caladium bulbs may be divided where there 
is sufficient heat at command to cause them to 
commence growth quickly. The little Argyrites 
and Le Nain Rouge are two useful kinds for this 
purpose. Small palms should be potted on, so 
that they may be well rooted before being 
removed. Kentias, Cocos, Arecas, and Geo¬ 
nomas are the most easily adapted to this use. 
Such plants as Gymnostachyum, Acalyphas, 
Pandanus, Panicum, Asparagus plimosus, Cy- • 
perus, Crotons, and the like, are all useful in a 
small state, and may be propagated where suffi¬ 
cient heat is available. Many of the plants in 
this department will soon be starting into growth, 
and will therefore require re-potting. Material 
for this, such as peat loam, leaf-mould, sand, 
cocoa-nut fibre, manure, and moss, should be 
got ready, and, if possible, put into a warm 
place, so that it may be of the same tempera¬ 
ture as that in which the plants are growing. 
Have all pots and drainage material washed 
previous to using them, as cleanliness is of great 
importance in plant-cultivation. 
Intermediate House.— This will now be 
occupied with the preparation of cut flowers and 
plants for the conservatory, for where a supply 
of these has to be kept up it is imperative that 
they should be subjected to a lower degree of 
heat than that of the forcing house before they 
are removed to cooler structures. Bouvardias, 
Heliotropes, and many other plants of a similar 
nature will grow in such places. Imantophyll- 
ums, Amaryllis, and Epiphyllums, together with 
many other plants of a like nature, will succeed 
well in a temperature of about 55° Fahr., in addi¬ 
tion to those which have been brought from 
warmer houses to be hardened a little before 
removal to a lower temperature. 
Forcing House Where a constant demand 
for flowering plants exists many things will have 
to be brought forward in heat. Among these may 
be mentioned Azalea mollis, A. indica, A.ponlica, 
