March 6, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
429 
Prick off seedlings of all spring sown seeds as they be¬ 
come large enough, and do not let them become crowded. 
See that the stock of Caladiums is all right, and it will 
be as well to introduce them to the light. Shake out 
the bulbs, and place them in boxes or pans to the depth 
of the bulbs in leaf-mould, and let them start before 
potting, by this means any variety which may need in¬ 
creasing can be more readily got at than if potted off 
at once. 
See that the stock of Pelargoniums and herbaceous 
Calceolarias does not become overcrowded, or they will 
soon draw out and spoil. Fumigate upon the first ap¬ 
pearance of green fly, and upon all favourable occasions 
ventilate freely to encourage a( sturdy growth. The 
earliest flowering batch of Pelargoniums will be benefited 
by an occasional dose of manure water, or “Clay’s” 
Fertilizer, which we find in every way a good article 
for indoor plants. 
FORCING HOUSES. 
With the lengthening of the days Vines make a more 
rapid and satisfactory growth, and will consequently 
require more attention. Keep the laterals looped from 
the glass, or the foliage will become damaged, which 
should be avoided, as so much depends on good foliage 
being preserved. Succession houses will now becoming 
on apace ; keep them syringed frequently (four or 
five times a day in bright weather), and as probably 
the house may be filled with other plants do not neglect 
ventilation. It is now time that the Muscat house 
should be started, that they may not be hurried in the 
earlier stages ; of course the border has been surfaced, 
and also it should have received a thorough soaking of 
water. Syringe the rods frequently, even at night in the 
case of extra firing being needed, for as a rule they do 
not break over freely. When the bunches begin to 
show stop s 3 Tinging the rods, but still keep an abundance 
of moisture in the house, as this Grape will not bear 
trifling with and must grow throughout to ensure 
success. We still have some Muscats left in very 
creditable condition. 
Peaches will need to be heeled-in as growth proceeds. 
Let this operation be performed when the shoots are 
not more than 2 ins. in length. There is then little 
fear of breakage ; if left longer they become somewhat 
stubborn. We have applied heat to the second house, 
as the weather has been so very dull and cold easterly 
winds prevail. The flowers appear to appreciate this 
little attention, and are bursting into bloom. A little 
nursing now is of the greatest help to the setting of the 
crop and lessens anxiety, as in many instances the 
second house is of more consequence than the early one. 
Cucumbers wall now need daily attention in the way 
of stopping and tying ; let an hour or so be devoted 
each morning, and all can be easily kept straight. We 
are to-day making up a hot-bed for the third house, 
which we hope to plant towards the end of the week ; 
the pots will also be prepared and placed upon piers in 
the fermenting material ready for early Melons. We 
have sown the next batch, and if not wanted they will 
be thrown away. Where it is desirable, cuttings may 
be put in, and strike readily, of any particular kind of 
Cucumber that may be growing, instead of raising 
seedlings ; some even prefer cuttings to seedlings, 
thinking they fruit more freely. Let batches of Straw¬ 
berries be placed in heat to follow on ; but be careful 
not to maintain too high a temperature. Keep all as 
clean as possible and free from insect pests. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Wintry indeed is the outlook, the ground being 
covered with about 6 ins. of snow, completely putting 
a stop to all ground work. However, we can proceed 
with the sharpening of Pea and Bean-sticks, stakes, 
and so on, so that no time may be lost when these are 
required. Hot-beds may now also be attended to ; in 
fact, a stoppage of this kind is frequently of the greatest 
good in allowing such work to be done. Also prepare 
aheap of fermenting material, which will be needed for 
making good to Melons, and which cannot be intro¬ 
duced unless previously sweetened. 
Had the weather been fair, we quite intended sowing 
Parsnips and Horn Carrots outside to-day, having given 
the beds a surfacing of burnt refuse in readiness. We 
have also served our Onion square in the same way, 
thinking it may very probably help to keep the crop 
free from mildew, with which we are sometimes bothered. 
We managed to get in a good breadth of Peas and Broad 
Beans, and as soon as these appear through the soil we 
shall put in another big lot in preference to smaller 
sowings, of course regulating the sorts as they should 
follow each other for supply. Let the Gooseberry and 
Currant cuttings be made and heeled-in again, so that 
when open weather comes they may be planted as digging 
proceeds ; in short, let all such -work be done that there 
may be no delay whatever when ground work can be 
proceeded with.—- Walter Child, Croome Court. 
--r-X-c-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Odontoglossum crispum, New Blotched 
Variety. —We are apt to think unsurpassable each of 
the lovely spotted forms of this charming plant which 
appears, and in a measure that is the case, for, as no two 
of them are exactly alike, comparison does not extend 
very far. At present, with Messrs. Hugh Low & Co. at 
Clapton, there is, flowering for the first time, one which 
we should certainly think could not be beaten by any¬ 
thing in its way. Its flowers are white and regularly 
formed, the sepals having two or three heavy blotches of 
rich brownish crimson extending nearly across them, the 
petals five or six similar but smaller blotches, and the 
labellum one or two. The general appearance of the 
flower is most striking; and the plant is destined to 
rank with the very best of the spotted crispums. 
New Orchids. —The new Cattleya Lawrenceana 
is now flowering with Messrs. John Laing & Co., at 
Forest Hill, and the fine form and lovely soft colours 
of the flowers, attest that its merits have been in no 
way exaggerated. There are two plants in flower, with 
half a dozen blooms, and which having opened in a 
better light than Dr. Duke’s plant had last month, 
show to greater advantage. The plants have hardly 
been imported twelve months, so that their early 
blooming gives promise of great usefulness. A very 
striking form of Odontoglossum crispum is also now 
in flower with Messrs. Laing. Its sepals are pure 
white, each with four or five large chestnut-red blotches, 
running into each other ; the labellum has one or two 
similar blotches, but the fringed petals are pure white, 
without any marking. Also in bloom are some good 
forms of Odontoglossum Cervantesii, of the large 
notched-tipped decorum type. 
The Orchid Conference Report was issued 
on Wednesday, and may be obtained from the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s office, South Kensington. 
Potting Cattleyas, Lselias, <&c.— After the 
Aerides, and other things previously recommended to be 
potted are finished, the varieties of Lrelia anceps should 
be gone over in the same wa}q as also L. autumnalis, 
L. albida, and the other Mexican Ltelias. Half-pots, 
deep pans, or baskets suit these plants best, and they 
should be well crocked so as to require but a moderate 
bulk of fibry peat or peat fibre and sphagnum moss 
about them. (Illustrations of six varieties of L. anceps, 
with cultural remarks, were given at pp. 473, 501, 533, 
of The Gardening World last year). The potting 
of Cattleya Triame will follow the L. anceps. With 
respect to potting Cattleyas generally (and many 
other Orchids), I may as well now say that the plan I 
recommend with regard to potting them is, that each 
section, whether they be Trianae, Mossiae, Mendelii, 
or others, should be repotted should they require it soon 
after their flowering is over. 
A week or two or more if necessary should be allowed 
to pass after the flowers are over in order to allow the 
plants to recover themselves from the flower-bearing, 
and then, in my opinion, in their seasons is the best 
time to pot all Cattleyas, Lselias, and other things 
which commence soon after to make new growths and 
new roots to bear the flowers next season. It will, 
therefore, be seen that the potting in the Cattleya 
house cannot be rightly gone over all at once as in the 
Odontoglossum house, but that need not interfere with 
a plant in a shaky condition or in bad stuff being potted 
at any season. As a matter of fact, the condition and 
suitability of the house in which the plants are grown, 
and its management, is of the first importance, and the 
potting of secondary consideration ; although, of 
course, it requires every attention. What I mean to 
say is, that no skill in potting can ensure good healthy 
plants if the house is not well attended to ; and in a 
tliorougly good house, well ventilated, plants will 
thrive with but little material about them, and that 
material will keep good for a considerable time, the 
plants not requiring repotting for years. Where things 
thrive in this manner, but little peat need be used, and 
in filling it in it is well to work in here and there some 
good large open pieces of broken pots to allow of the 
water given having almost direct communication with 
the crocking of the pot in a place or two, as it ensures 
location of the whole of the material and perfect 
drainage, which is of the highest importance with all 
Orchids. 
When so potted plants can often be left in the same 
pots for years and yet have new peat given to them, as 
the whole of the old can be removed and replaced by 
new in the proper season. It will be well to impress 
upon the amateur the advisability of keeping clear of 
that mania for re-potting which affects some of them, 
and while advising them to give fresh material to poor 
and unthriving plants, even several times in the year if 
necessary, I would caution them against re-potting 
plants which are really sound and likely to continue so 
until the next season, and at the same time they should 
be v r arned to avoid using larger pots than is necessary. 
Good peat of Fern fibre is, in my opinion, the best 
material for all Cattleyas and Lielias, and when such 
can be obtained little or no sphagnum moss, or any 
other ingredient, need be used ; but where properly 
prepared Oak-wood charcoal can be got a few pieces 
may be worked in with advantage. 
In a recent number of The Gardening World, that 
clever Orchid grower, Mr. Woolford, stated that he had 
changed his views about potting Cattleyas. I am sure 
it would interest your readers if he gave a brief state¬ 
ment of his present practice, as the gorgeous show of 
superb forms of C. Trianse, now to be seen in the mag¬ 
nificent Cattleya house at Downside, tells that his 
opinion is worthy of the highest consideration. Now 
that we are getting gleams of sunshine, every oppor¬ 
tunity should be taken to give extra ventilation 
whenever the warmth of its rays is perceptible. Let 
none be afraid to admit air freely, particularly at this 
season, as it is the safest means of getting the plants to 
forget our (to them) unnaturally dull winter weather. 
The temperatures for the month of March should 
be— 
Warm or East Indian House, 65° to 70° by day, 
60° at night. 
Cattleya or Intermediate House, 60° to 65° by 
day, 55° at night. 
Cool or Odontoglossum House, 55° to 60° by day, 
50° at night. Degrees Fahrenheit. The houses may 
be allowed to range somewhat higher by sun-heat.— 
James O'Brien. 
Fire in Covent Garden Market.— Covent Garden 
Market was thrown into a state of much consternation 
on Saturday afternoon last, owing to the outbreak of fire 
on the premises of Mr. G. H. Garcia, fruiterer and florist, 
in the centre Row. The fact of smoke proceeding from 
the lower part of the place occasioned the alarm in the 
first instance, and no time was lost in getting three 
steam-engines and a manual at work, and the “ Row” 
having been cleared of promenaders, there was good 
scope for the firemen. The task was, however, not an 
easy one, the properties being so close to each other on 
either side, and the covered way making it difficult 
owing to the dense smoke. The official report records 
the damage done as follows :—G. H. Garcia, fruiterer 
and florist, front shop and basement and contents nearly 
burnt out ; first floor and contents seriously damaged 
by fire and heat, and roof slightly by fire and cutting 
away ; the Bedford Estate, about 85 ft. by 20 ft. of 
roof damaged by fire and cutting away; Messrs. 
Hooper & Co., seed merchants, front severely scorched, 
contents damaged by heat, smoke, and water; J. W. 
Draper & Son, fruiterers, office on ground floor and 
contents damaged by fire and heat, rest of building 
and contents slightly by smoke, water, and removal ; 
R, Green, florist, conservatory and contents damaged 
by heat, smoke, and water, and about 150 fancy birds 
suffocated ; J. Slaymaker, fruiterer, front scorched and 
contents slightly damaged by water and removal ; S. 
Solomon, fruiterer, and J. Bennett, florist, contents 
slightly damaged by water and removal ; J. Rains, 
fruiterer and florist, front severely scorched, rest of 
building damaged by smoke, water, and removal ; H. 
Deaton & Son, fruiterers, front slightly scorched and 
contents damaged by smoke, water, and removal; 
W. Hieatt & Son, fruiterers, front scorched, rest of 
building and contents damaged by smoke, water, and 
removal. C. Martin, fruiterer, contents damaged by 
removal. The whole of the buildings affected form 
part of the Bedford Estate, and are insured in the Sun 
Office. 
