76 
THE GABBENING WOBLB. 
October 1, 1887. 
The Scarlet-berried Elder. — Sambucus 
racemosa seems to be considered a shy-fruiting plant in 
England, but this is not the case in the northern part 
of the country—as fruiting in Scotland is a regular, 
not an occasional, occurrence. It fruits freely at 
Glenbervie House, Kincardineshire, and Mr. Cruick- 
shank, the gardener, says he has never seen it fail for 
the last twenty years. This is a strong statement in 
its favour, but we do not discredit it, as according to 
our experience it fruits freely, and in some seasons even 
profusely, when its large panicles of scarlet berries set 
the bushes aglow in the autumn months, offering great 
attraction to birds. The foliage is very robust and 
quite distinct from that of the common small-leaved 
and black-berried Elder. The panicles of fruit stand 
erect and resemble miniature bunches of Grapes, the 
shape of the former being very different from the flat- 
topped cymes of S. nigra. The shrub is a native of 
South Europe and Siberia, and grows so freely in 
Britain that it ought to be more frequently planted. 
Specimens 10 ft. to 12 ft. in height have a grand effect. 
Allamanda Chelsoni at Holt House, 
Sheffield. —Where cut flowers are in demand, a 
plant or two of this climber should occupy a favourable 
position in the plant-stove. It is not necessary that a 
large space of roof be taken to obtain a good supply of 
flowers, as the plant in question is growing in a 12-in. 
pot, and covers a space on the roof of 10 ft. by 5 ft. 
At the time of my visit there were about 100 fine 
expanded blooms and a large number of buds, which 
will keep up a supply for some weeks to come. Mr. 
T. L. Bailey, the gardener, told me that this plant 
had been flowering profusely since the early part of 
July. In a late vinery adjoining the plant-stove was 
an excellent crop of Gros Colmar Grapes. The vine 
has four rods, which cover a space of about 150 ft. 
The number of bunches is sixty-five, averaging about 
1A lb. each, with fine berries. The other part of the 
house is devoted to Muscat of Alexandria and Cannon 
Hall. The latter is seldom to be seen, owing to its 
shy-setting qualities ; but when well managed it is a 
most noble Grape. Mr. Bailey generally contrives to 
secure a fine crop of it. — J. W. S. 
Decorative Dahlia, Flambeau. —This is one 
of the semi-Cactus Dahlias, growing to a height of 
about 4 ft., and throwing its flowers well above the 
foliage. There are plenty of them, too, for it is a very 
free-blooming variety. This and Cochineal I take to 
be the two best varieties for habit and freedom of 
bloom. Many of the Cactus Dahlias are utterly 
worthless for garden purposes.— R. D. 
-- 
The Gardeners' Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The Sharp Frost of yesterday morning may pro¬ 
bably induce those who have not paid attention to 
previous calendars to make arrangements for the 
housing of all half-hardy plants. It will not do to 
further play with the season ; the time has come when 
all such plants must be properly treated, or most 
assuredly a scant supply of flower will be the result 
for the next two months, Chrysanthemums alone 
excepted ; it should be remembered that these alone 
become very monotonous, and provision should be made 
for a full supply of other cut flowers to be used with 
them, and also those for staging purposes. If due 
attention has been paid to directions given, the stock 
of autumn-flowering plants should now be all that can 
be desired, and the pleasure derived during the coming 
dull months amply repays all attention bestowed. 
In the Greenhouse, which will be gay for a long 
time to come, are placed the numerous varieties of 
Salvias, late-flowering Fuchsias, early Primulas, Chry¬ 
santhemums, prepared zonal Pelargoniums, Eupa- 
toriums, Schizostylis, scented Pelargoniums and other 
things, making this house at all times interesting, and 
giving a lot of cut flower. In the intermediate house 
should be placed the Bouvardias, autumn and winter¬ 
flowering Begonias, Libonia Penrhosiensis, Tydeas, 
Euphorbia jacquinaeflora and such-like subjects, bearing 
in mind that a high temperature will be fatal to a good 
show of flower ; very gentle heat must be given for a 
time with full ventilation, unless the weather become 
much colder than at present, as although the nights 
are chilly, the sun has still considerable power, 
rendering fire heat almost unnecessary. Syringing 
should be done early in the afternoon, and the house 
closed in good time. 
Neapolitan Yiolets.— We have to-day planted 
out in pits the stock of Neapolitan Violets. They have 
not made so free a growth as usual, still the crowns 
are full and promise plenty of bloom ; the foliage, too, 
is of good texture. We make a point of using plenty 
of sharp sand and leaf-soil in the compost, because if 
they become at all soured they never do well. 
Chrysanthemums are now swelling up their buds 
apace, and must be liberally treated. Liquid manure 
of some kind should be given at every watering, and as 
soon as the buds are prominent enough, disbudding 
should commence ; but the final thinning should be 
deferred until it can be seen that those left are not 
in any way deformed. Where it is intended to propagate 
the points of any of the Pompons for the edging of 
stages, cuttings should be put in as soon as the buds 
are set. Let them be about 5 ins. in length, and six 
inserted in a 5-in. pot. The pots should be plunged in 
a mild bottom-heat, kept quite close and well shaded, 
when the cuttings will quickly emit roots, and should 
then be gradually hardened off. Abundant drainage 
should be given, so that they may be frequently watered 
and fed, in order to produce blooms as fine and highly 
coloured as possible. 
Poinsettias are looking well ; but as the pots are 
full of roots, to assist in the production of good bracts, 
liquid manure should be given at alternate waterings. 
That made from soot and cow-manure we find to give 
much the best results. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Mushrooms. —We have again made up two Mush¬ 
room beds ; it is useless to look for a full supply unless 
a liberal start is made, but after this one bed at a time 
will be sufficient. It will be advisable to have a heap 
of fermenting material on the floor of the house if 
possible, and so do away with the use of fire-heat ; for 
the produce of the beds is never fine if much fire-heat 
is used. Continue to collect and place under shelter 
sufficient material for succession beds, and to ensure 
firmness to the beds use a few barrow-loads of soil to 
the droppings before being put in the beds. 
The Pot-Strawberries now need attention, in the 
way of keeping them quite free from runners ; and to 
prevent them rooting through, they should be kept 
turned round at least once a week. Keep the pots quite 
free from weeds and water abundantly, but only with 
clear water ; the feeding with liquid manure at this 
season only leads to the production of gross foliage and 
divided crowns, which are not at any time desirable. 
Late Tomatos are fruiting freely, particularly 
Victoria, which we find one of the best, although if a 
trifle larger we should like it better; the flavour, 
however, is all that can be desired, especially when 
grown in a gentle heat. Much care must now be 
taken in the treatment of the late batch of Melons ; if 
too much water is given at the roots, or syringing 
before sufficient heat is obtained, they are extremely 
liable to damp off at the collar ; give all the air 
possible to the house in which they are growing, and 
when the fruits are approaching ripeness, withhold 
water altogether, or it may be many of the fruits will 
crack, and so be rendered quite unfit for dessert. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Salading.—O n account of the dry weather we are 
still compelled to water all kinds of salading, to keep 
them in anything like good condition. Endive does 
not grow at all freely, and unless encouraged good 
heads cannot be hoped for, as the season is so far 
advanced. Autumn-sown seeds are growing freely, 
which we attribute to extra pains taken when sowing, 
so as to prevent a failure with this most critical crop. 
Tomatos on avalls should now be kept closely 
pinched in, and much of the foliage pruned away, that 
as much as possible of the fruit may thoroughly ripen. 
A double thickness of netting placed over the plants 
will Avard off several degrees of frost, Avhich is of great 
moment Avhen such visitations are early in the season. 
The plants intended for fruiting next May should noiv 
be thought of; if from seed, they should be sown at 
once, but kept quite cool, and as hardy as possible ; or 
if it is determined to try cuttings they should at once 
be put in. They root readily if kept close and well 
shaded until established, after which treat as seedlings. 
Planting Fruit Trees.—I t is now time to decide 
upon Avhat trees are required for planting both on walls 
and in the open, and when once a decision has been 
arrived at, lose no time in sending off your order, or 
paying a personal visit, selecting and marking the 
trees required ; by this means better trees are, as a rule, 
obtained than if left till later on. As I write, rain has 
commenced to fall steadily ; and as the barometer is 
falling, let us hope we may have the much-needed 
soaking, as the soil is quite dry to a very great depth, 
and all green crops are sadly behind in growth, with 
little prospect of a full development unless favoured 
with rain and a mild autumn.— Walter Child, Croome 
Court. 
- --Kg*-- 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
Orchid Growers’ Calendar. — Presuming 
that all the houses are in thorough repair, the heating 
apparatus perfect and in good working order, the blinds 
removed from the shady sides of the houses, and the 
insides of them thoroughly cleansed, the next thing to 
attend to at present is to see that all the plants are in 
their proper places, and that those which are tender, 
but sometimes put in the cold house, be noAv removed, 
Avhilst those which like a cool temperature, though for 
good reasons have been temporarily placed in a warm 
house, be taken therefrom. Although Orchid growing 
becomes better and more generally understood every 
year, still the old evil of the past—too much heat— 
clings to it, and annually claims quite three-fourths of 
the plants which die or are killed, for an Orchid seldom 
dies unless it is badly treated. 
There is more in judging the temperature Avhich will 
demand only twelve months’ Avork—of growth, of rest, 
of flower—than any other point in growing Orchids ; 
and that is easily arrived at if properly attended to. 
A moderate temperature is best, as ensuring this, 
although, broadly speaking, every exotic Orchid will 
stand a high degree of heat in a moist airy house when 
growing, and many are greatly benefited by it ; but 
woe betides most of them if they are not removed to a 
cool house as soon as the growth has finished, so that 
they may quietly pass the time necessary to complete 
the year, for if left in the heat they must either grow 
again or perish. This is especially the case with small¬ 
growing Orchids, such as Trichocentrum, Burlingtonias, 
and Comparettias. 
It is generally well known that most O Jontoglossums 
like a cool temperature, and, indeed, for them and the 
Masdevallias, the cold house is framed, but the cool- 
loviug Oncidiums which would thrive best Avith them 
if the temperature is not allowed to fall below the limit 
prescribed, rarely get so treated, but are allowed in most 
cases to perish in heat. 
Where plants can be obtained which have never been 
subjected to a high temperature, the following do best 
in the cold house:—Oncidiums macranthum, un- 
dulatum, Loxense, monachicum, serratum, superbiens, 
Forbesii, prsetextum, crispum, priestans, curtum, 
Gardnerianum, Marshallianum, dasytyle, concolor, 
bicolor, bifolium, varicosum, holochrysum, Janieriense, 
cucullatum, phalaenopsis, nubigerum, and their 
varieties ; ornithorrhynchum, incurvum, tigrinum, 
unguiculatum, caesium, stelligerum, leucochilum, 
Warscewiczii (bifrons), Limminghii, Batemannianum, 
cheirophorum, splendidum, zebrinum, phymatochilum, 
and others known to require the same. Oncidium 
bicallosum and O. Cavendishianum would do in a 
favourable situation in a cool house, and with them 
Lailia praestans, L. Dayana, and other varieties of L. 
pumila, L. monophylla, and all the Sophronitis. 
Of Oncidiums Avhich require warmth in winter, the 
most susceptible to cold, perhaps, are O. ampliatum 
majus andO. papilio, O. Kramerianum, 0. Lanceanum, 
0. luridum, 0. Carthaginense, and others of that class ; 
these should, therefore, be wintered tolerably Avarin. 
Vanda suavis, V. tricolor, V. ccerulea, V. Cathcartii, 
and, indeed, most of the other varieties of this family, 
winter best in the Cattleya-house temperature, whilst 
for the rest of the East Indian things care should be 
taken to keep the heat down to the mark, especially at 
night. Odoutoglossum vexillarium, 0. Roezlii, 0. 
Phalienopsis, Masdevallia chimasra, M. bella, and all 
the section of Masdevallias usually called “ chimreroid ” 
are benefited by a little more heat than is given in the 
cold house during Avinter ; and these, therefore, if at 
present in this house, should be at once removed 
to suitable quarters in the intermediate or any other 
house where they have been known to thrive in Avinter. 
Indeed, now is the time to put all in order for the 
Avinter, and it is needless to say that while the plants 
are passing through the hands a look-out should be 
kept for insects of all kinds.— James O'Brien. 
Vanda Sanderiana. —There are now some fine 
plants of this over, in good condition. I would counsel 
those who buy not to put their plants into much heat 
at first. I am induced to give this advice by my own 
experience. Out of one of Mr. Sander’s earliest im¬ 
portations I had a plant Avith three growths, but no 
living root. I tied a little sphagnum round the base, 
