504 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 9, 1887. 
SHOW, FRENCH AND FANCY 
PELARGONIUMS. 
As a gay class of plants for making a brilliant display 
during the spring and summer months, the Pelargonium, 
grown in quantity and grown well, has claims of 
superior merit, and may be considered one of the most 
prolific and abundant flowering soft-wooded plants we 
possess. If not grown well they but poorly repay the 
grower for his trouble ; but when good cultivation is 
adopted, their brilliancy and variety of shades in colour 
is scarcely surpassed by any other class of plants, more 
especially when shown in a mass. 
To bring large plants to perfection, as they are some¬ 
times seen at our leading summer shows, takes a few 
years, as well as to thoroughly establish the framework 
for each ; and the time occupied in bringing this style 
of plant to perfection is considerable. "What with' the 
great amount of tying and careful watering they require, 
this style is not to be recommended for everyone, 
except their intentions are to exhibit the plant so 
grown. The Pelargonium may be had in the highest 
state of cultivation, and all the brilliancy of its colours 
may be brought out on one year old plants—that is 
plants struck from cuttings one season, and bloomed 
the next. All the classes may be got to perfection in 
this manner, but the decorative kinds (which include 
both Regal, French and Spotted), are more amenable to 
this system, for their habit is generally more compact, 
and the freedom with which they throw up their large 
trusses of flowers is something remarkable. 
Cuttings of any of these varieties may be rooted in 
heat during February, March or April, and should the 
parent from which the cuttings are taken be in a 
healthy condition, the cuttings so rooted will make 
healthy young plants by midsummer, and may, if 
they are potted on, give a few flowers. The point of 
the shoot should be nipped out as soon as they are 
established in the first small pot. This causes them to 
form two or three shoots, and make nice little bushes. 
It is to these plants that have been rooted early we 
will first turn our attention. If they are cut down not 
later than the second week in July, and allowed to 
stand without water for about ten days, with the ex¬ 
ception of a slight syringing once a day, they will soon 
break away into new growth, forming the foundation 
for several shoots where only one existed before. As 
soon as the latter are nicely formed, the plant must 
have a thorough soaking of water a few times, to wet 
the whole ball of soil through. If these young plants 
have not been in larger than 4-in. pots, they may be 
at once placed in 6-in ones ; and if they should have 
been in larger than 4-ins., they will require to be 
slightly reduced, but not shaken out altogether. Re-pot 
firmly in the 6-in. pot, and stand them in a cold pit on 
a rough ash bottom—the frame being all the better if 
it faces due south—where the sashes can be placed over 
them for a short time till they take root. As soon as 
they have re-established themselves in the new soil 
the sashes may be removed altogether, and the plants 
allowed to stand thoroughly exposed to all the sun¬ 
shine they can get during August and September. By 
the end of the latter month the plants should have 
made good stocky stuff, and they should be kept as 
short and bushy as possible during the winter. 
The best kind of house for them is one with plenty 
of light, and ventilation both top and bottom ; and the 
nearer the plants can be kept to the glass the better 
they will do. If a house of this kind is not at hand, 
shelves placed near the glass in some of the cooler 
houses may be made to do service during the winter 
months. The plants will require nothing more than 
attention to watering, and giving as much air as 
possible on all favourable occasions. If the house is 
devoted solely to Pelargoniums, a little warmth may 
be kept in the hot water pipes all through the winter, 
providing air is given in abundance to counteract the 
evils that would result from too close a temperature. 
If the system of a little heat being always kept on be 
adopted, the house should have air on day and night, 
except it may be during severe frost. Nothing causes 
green fly to appear on Pelargoniums sooner than too 
close an atmosphere. Therefore, by all means, study the 
welfare of your plants by giving them the best treat¬ 
ment possible with regard to heating and ventilation. 
If the treatment described above has been followed 
out, the plants by the middle of February will be in a 
very flourishing condition, and many of the earlier- 
flowering sorts will be showing for bloom. If the 
plants are wanted to flower early in the season (about 
April), these plants must be kept as close to the light 
as possible, and watered with a solution of weak Guano 
every time they want watering. I find this plan better 
than giving strong doses occasionally; weak and 
regular applications keeps the plants growing on at a 
steady rate without undue excitement. If the plants 
are wanted to flower at a later period (the end of May 
or through June), the points of the shoots can be cut 
out, and will make good cuttings for immediate in¬ 
sertion. The plants will soon push up new shoots 
from almost every eye on the main stems, and as soon 
as they are well started they must be put in their 
flowering pots, a 7 in. or 8 in. pot being large enough 
in which to flower them. Really handsome plants 
they will make in these pots, at least 18 ins. through, 
and will throw up dozens of trusses of flowers fit to 
adorn any conservatory. The above system really 
takes rather over twelve months, but the plants are in 
every way superior, and yield twice as much bloom as 
the older plan which I will detail in another paper. — 
WELLHAM HALL. 
Being in the neighbourhood of Retford a few days 
since, and having a little time to spare, I called at 
"Wellham Hall, the residence of — Birkes, Esq., and 
was amply paid for so doing, as I had the pleasure of 
seeing some of the finest plants of Dendrobium 
Wardianum at present in the country—splendid large 
plants growing in teak baskets. They were originally 
imported, but have wonderfully improved since their 
arrival here, being covered with flowers of large size 
and fine deep colours. I also saw the albino variety, 
with its chaste and beautiful flowers. Other choice 
Dendrobes in flower included some specially fine D. 
crassinode. The Fhalamopsis were extremely well 
done, and fine varieties of Cattleya Triame were in 
flower. Some fine plants of Odontoglossum Alexandras 
and 0. vexiilarium were in bloom, and included some 
of the best varieties. It would be almost impossible 
to single out from this choice collection anything more 
than the above, so extra fine is the whole collection, 
and in such a high state of cultivation, that the 
difficulty would crop up where to begin and when to 
leave off. The whole of the place is singularly neat 
and clean, and is alike creditable to Mr. Birkes and 
to his able gardener, Mr. Winch, and well worth a 
railway journey to visit; it would be sure to please 
those undertaking it as it did me.— F. C. 
-- 
DEVONHURST, CHISWICK. 
Although they can lay no claim to antiquity, the 
gardens here have an interesting history attached to 
them from the fact of their once forming an integral 
part of the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society 
of London. The grand old Elms, Oaks, Limes and 
various other trees bear testimony to this fact; but, 
their generally leafless condition reminds us, this is 
not the happiest season to notice them. 
The glass is not yet extensive, but Mr. Watts, the 
proprietor, takes an interest in his garden, which— 
under the care of Mr. A. Wright, his practical and 
painstaking gardener—is yearly assuming greater im¬ 
portance and value. Besides a Peach house of con¬ 
siderable length, glass structures already existing are 
to be extended. This, we believe, is mainly for the 
reception of Orchids, of which several collections of 
imported ones have recently been added to those 
already existing, notably a collection from Mexico. 
Those flowering at present include Dendrobium Ward¬ 
ianum, with large well-coloured flowers, D. nobile and 
D. Pierardi; the latter is notable for the great 
improvement in the stems comparable with those of 
last year, and in the retention of the leaves while in 
flower. Miltonia Phalaenopsis, now flowering, is note¬ 
worthy from the great improvement in the size and 
growth of the specimens and the depth of the purple 
blotches on the large conspicuously three-lobed label- 
lum. Its congener, M. vexillaria, shows great vigour 
and exhibits three flower spikes from every pseudo-bulb. 
Occasionally Odontoglossum crispum develops three 
flower spikes from a pseudo-bulb, of which one proceeds 
from the apex of the pseudo-bulb itself, but recently 
three spikes were produced all from the axils of the 
basal leaves. A curious monstrosity appeared on this 
specimen in the shape of a flower with a large column, 
which the miniature inconspicuous sepals, petals and 
labellum were unable to cover. Great variation exists 
amongst a group of well-flowered Lycaste Skinneri. 
As usual, the labellum is most subject to this colour 
variation, exhibiting shades of red or purple of great 
intensity, and in one case the tongue on the labellum, 
usually deeply stained, was deep unspotted yellow. 
Camellias and Azaleas are now becoming gay, although 
some have yielded a constant supply of flowers all the 
winter. C. Lavinia Maggi is a’beautiful pink variety 
striped with red, while the immense crimson imbricated 
flowers of C. Mathotiana, planted out in the con¬ 
servatory, attains a diameter of 44 to 6 ins. The 
hybrid Rhododendron, Countess of Haddington, in the 
same house, bearing considerably over 100 bloom-buds, 
will be a fine sight in a week or two. Besides the early 
flowering useful Azalea narcissiflora, A. Herberti is now 
a mass of white flowers, while A. amoena maintains its 
reputation for the production of masses of purple 
bloom ; the neat pyramidal or conical forms into which 
the plants are trained, ensures economy in the matter 
of house-room and the greatest display of bloom. 
Ferns and Selaginellas constitute an important feature 
at Devonhurst, and figure conspicuously at the local 
shows. The Selaginellas are grown on conical mounds, 
supported with wire framework, and look handsome 
when well started into growth. Amongst Ferns may 
be noted huge specimens of Asplenium Fabianum and 
A. lucidum ; the latter is also grown as a basket plant 
suspended from the roof of the conservatory, and very 
well it looks in company with Nephrolepis exaltata 
and Platycerium alcicorne, treated in a similar manner. 
Several choice species of Adiantum are also well grown 
and appear at the exhibitions. 
A recent addition to the varied collection is one of 
Cacti, from Mexico, consisting of healthy specimens of 
Pilocereus senilis, Mamillaria and Eehinocactus. The 
short flattened stems of M. turbiniformis are very 
singular and the plant is uncommon ; the rufous-red 
spines of M. sanguinea constitute it a very distinct 
plant ; great variety of character is also exhibited by 
the spines of the species of E. chinocactus ; those of E. 
helophorus are long and crimson ; while those of E. 
electracanthus are variegated with crimson and yellow; 
and those of E. Crussoni are wholly yellow. 
Another new feature is the reconstruction of a rockery 
for the cultivation of hardy alpine and other plants ; 
Iris reticulata, Sisyrinchium, Primula dentieulata, and 
other species are conspicuous amongst those flowering 
at present, and it is hoped this department will develop 
to be a feature of the place. 
-- 
FLOWERING- BASKET PLANTS 
FOR THE STOVE. 
I do not think sufficient attention is paid to the 
culture of plants in suspended baskets ; how much can 
be done in ornamenting houses, especially lofty ones, 
with basket decorations, and yet how seldom we meet 
with it. I have often wondered why this should be, 
considering there are so many lovely objects easily 
grown, and which are well adapted for such work. I 
well recollect in my early days, when a boy at the late 
Messrs. Rollisson & Sons, then the famed nurserymen 
at Tooting, how extensively baskets were used in all 
the houses, and what beautiful objects they were. As 
then seen, Orchid and Fern houses, greenhouses and 
stoves all alike contained collections of plants so grown, 
and which, I need not say, were greatly admired. 
I will enumerate such stove-flowering plants as we used 
to grow, among which were included several varieties 
of Achimenes, splendid plants for such work ; AJschy- 
nanthus, such as iE. grandiflorus, Lobbianus, pul - 
chellus, splendidus are, perhaps, the best; Agalmyla 
staminea, seldom seen now, is another good old plant. 
There are also several flowering Begonias that will do. 
The beautiful Coecocypselum discolor for this work 
cannot be excelled ; its bright blue berries being pro¬ 
duced freely in clusters are very beautiful. I have 
seen this in grand condition in the winter months, but 
now it is seldom to be seen. Epiphyllums, especially 
when grown upon their own roots in this way, are very 
graceful, and flower very freely; Hoyas, such as 
H. bella and H. Paxtoni will also do. Impatiens 
Jerdonim and I. J. alba were two plants we used to do ; 
the former we seldom ever see nowadays. Manettia 
micans and M. bicolor are good and useful ; Russellia 
juncea, with its bright scarlet flowers and graceful 
habit, is a grand thing for large baskets ; Tapina 
