December 24, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
260 
Thyrsacanthus rutilans. — This is a very 
beautiful stove plant, with its long pendulous racemes 
of brilliant scarlet tubular flowers coming in at this 
season of the year. It is not a popular subject, 
probably owing to the present rage for cut flowers and 
decorative work, for which it is not very suitable, but 
is well worthy of a place in every collection. Cuttings 
should be taken from the plants, struck in the early 
spring, and grown on rapidly to 24-size pots in slight 
bottom-heat, using as a potting mixture two parts 
loam to one part peat and silver-sand, with a little 
well-decomposed cow-manure for the later shifts. This 
treatment will produce fine plants, bearing, probably, 
eight to ten branches of flowers. It also does well 
when planted in a high temperature where it can have 
the advantage of a little bottom heat, with plenty of 
room for its roots.— Alfred Gaut, The Gardens, Copped 
Hall, Totteridge. 
Holyrood Viola. —Such a season as the past 
would try the constitution of any Pansy or Viola. 
Holyrood is a Viola which has asserted its right to be 
considered a thorough stayer. The plant is of good 
habit and a free-grower ; the flowers are large and of 
good substance ; colour deep indigo blue with a dark 
blotch in the centre. It begins to bloom in the early 
spring, and continues to be a mass of bloom until the 
frost comes and destroys the flowers. We have given it a 
fair trial this summer, on a border alongside of Blue 
Bell, Cornuta Perfection, and Yellow Boy, with the 
result that Holyrood has completely surpassed them 
both in blooming and withstanding the drought. 
About a quarter of Blue Bell and Cornuta Perfection, 
and half of Yellow Boy died off. Those of your readers 
who wish to procure a thoroughly trustworthy Viola, 
I would recommend to get Holyrood.— H. Newton. 
Thomson's Vine, Plant and Vegetable 
Manure. —Of all the artificial manures I have used 
I consider this by far the best and most economical, 
giving the heaviest crops of fruit, flowers or vegetables 
without causing too rank a growth. This year I have 
used it for my Chrysanthemums with the result that 
I have much finer blooms than formerly, and on dwarfer 
plants. I think very highly of this manure, and in 
future I shall use it still more extensively.— IV. 
Dinsmore, The Gardens, The Cedars, Harrow TVeald. 
Winter-flowering Begonias.— This section 
of the Begonia comprises a great many species and 
varieties, the greater part of which are invaluable for 
blooming during the winter months. Many of them 
are not commonly met with in private gardens, but 
the following sorts are most extensively cultivated : — 
B. insignis is a free-blooming species, with pink flowers 
all along the shoot, and excellent for making a show. 
It should be cut back in the early summer and placed 
in the greenhouse, introducing it into a warmer house 
to flower. B. manicata is easily recognised on account 
of its leaves, which are light green, shining, and the 
ribs distinctly marked with red. The spikes are well 
thrown up, bearing an innumerable quantity of light 
pink flowers, which drop off in a comparatively short 
period. B. Frcebelli is a neat little plant, its bright 
red flowers and small leaves being very conspicuous. 
Soil consisting of loam, leaf-soil and sand suits them 
admirably, and the two latter will thrive w r ell in an 
intermediate house all the year round. — F. R. S. 
-- 
The Gardeners' Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Bouvardias, if used for indoor work, quickly lose 
their foliage, unless in a light warm room ; but from 
now onward, instead of throwing away, let them be 
partly headed back and dried off for a week or so, when 
they may at once be placed in gentle heat to furnish a 
batch of early cuttings. When sufficient cuttings have 
been secured, it is not necessary to throw away the shoots, 
but they may be gradually hardened off and finally 
placed in the frames to be planted out as sood as the 
weather permits. To keep up a full supply, at least 
three batches of cuttings may be taken at intervals as 
the plants go past. When grown in this way there is no 
necessity for such frequent pinchings, an operation 
which the plant does not at all approve of; what should 
be aimed at is the permitting and encouraging of a 
natural growth in pots, such as is made when planted 
out and allowed unrestricted growth. The great 
advantage to be gained is to avoid the check consequent 
upon lifting when planting out is adopted, as it is so 
generally now ; this can only be gained by the most 
generous treatment. 
The Earliest Cinerarias are now opening nicely, 
and most useful we find them for staging purposes, as 
their deep green foliage is very effective ; if the con¬ 
servatory is kept at all warm, they must be staged 
where they can receive all the air possible, for if 
coddled they at once become infested with green-fly, 
and, to avoid fumigating in that structure, must be 
removed and replaced by others, causing unnecessary 
labour, which should at all times be avoided. They 
are most useful when planted in vases singly, or raised 
on inverted pots, the odour emitted being so very 
pleasant. 
Preparations for Potting. —It will be advisable 
now to prepare soil for the potting of different subjects 
later on, notably Amaryllis, Pelargoniums, herbaceous 
Calceolarias, Hedychiums, and others requiring a rich, 
lasting soil. To obtain this it should be mixed some 
weeks prior to use, turned several times that the whole 
may become thoroughly incorporated ; using the best 
loam obtainable. The leaf-soil employed should be 
carefully sorted and rendered free from sticks of any 
kind, and a liberal use of rather fine charcoal and raw- 
bones may always be made ; and should the loam be 
on the heavy side, a good sprinkling of burnt-ash 
should be added. From a compost so prepared the 
very best results may be confidently relied upon. 
Chrysanthemums. —Lose no time in completing the 
collection of Chrysanthemums, which have been selected 
for next year’s specimens, and should any have failed, 
let fresh pots of cuttings be inserted. We do not con¬ 
sider it wise to put in cuttings where failures occur, as 
they do not, as a rule, flower at the same time, and 
when plants are potted up together this is a very great 
disadvantage. As varieties go out of flower have them 
removed from the house, cut down, and staged in some 
open, sheltered position where they may be regularly 
watered, and protected as required, until sufficient 
stock is assured. In case of severe weather take extra 
care of those stools from which cuttings will be required 
during February. _ 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
The Vines in the early house should now be suffi¬ 
ciently forward as to render the looping of the shoors 
necessary, so as to prevent them becoming damaged by 
remaining long in contact with the glass. Much care 
is necessary that this be not overdone, as while in so 
young a state they are very liable to snap out at the 
base, frequently causing ugly gaps, and the loss, 
probably, of some of the most promising clusters. 
Do not raise the temperature for the present, but wait 
until they come into flower, when a rise of 10° will 
greatly assist in obtaining a full set, after which it may, 
if necessary, be reduced a few degrees with advantage. 
The Early Peach Trees will now be bursting 
into blossom ; but the treatment need not, for the 
present, be altered, nor, in fact, until there is a good 
show of blooms open, when the atmosphere must be 
kept drier and more buoyant by a free circulation of 
air. The trees should be gone over about mid-day 
with the rabbit’s-tail for about ten days, afterwards 
tapping the main branches with the back of the hand, 
or shaking the trellis to distribute the pollen. The 
temperature should be 60° by day and 52° at night ; 
but if frosty nights prevail, lower a few degrees rather 
than submit the trees to much firing. 
Vine Borders, &c. —If not completed, lose no time 
with the cleansing, surfacing, &c., of the remainder of 
the vineries and Peach-houses. Work all round will be 
coming in apace with the commencement of the new 
year ; and it is a dangerous practice, too, to leave the 
pruning of the Vines until that period, as it frequently 
leads to bleeding. Our Muscats, which were pruned 
a fortnight ago, have, in two or three cases, been 
weeping. _ 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Asparagus Beds. —Although the weather has been 
somewhat unsettled, with occasional storms, there has 
not been sufficient to prevent us making good headway 
with the digging. Asparagus beds should have the 
surface forked over and a good dressing of half-rotted 
manure given, from which the winter rains will wash 
all the goodness to the roots beneath, or if plenty of 
waste soil is at hand, it may be covered over lightly 
and so prevent the necessity of raking it off before 
cutting commences next spring; the alleys may be 
forked over, and so make all as neat as possible. 
Nailing. —Let nailing proceed as rapidly as is con¬ 
sistent with being well done ; but care should be taken 
that no old ties are left to eat into the bark next 
season. Peaches and Nectarines will be benefited if 
un-nailed, simply securing the mains to prevent injury 
from winds ; left thus considerably hardens the wood 
and retards blooming. Gooseberry quarters should 
receive a good dressing of rich manure and be deeply 
dug. If the trees were infested last season with the 
caterpillars, the soil round the stock should be entirely 
removed as the work proceeds, as in this way the pest 
is greatly reduced. 
Keep the roller at work constantly upon the walks 
and turf, as, through the mildness of the weather, 
worm casts are very numerous and unsightly. Decora¬ 
tions will probably occupy considerable time with most 
of us ; but strive to put as clean a “face” as possible 
all round, and so contribute in no small degree to a 
Merry Christmas. — Walter Child, Croome Court, 
Worcester. __ 
ORCHID NO TES AND GLEANINGS. 
Orcliid- Growers’ Calendar. — Formerly it 
was the general rule to arrange a bed with bottom heat 
in the Orchid houses, but a better knowledge of the 
requirements of the plants has caused it to be discon¬ 
tinued, as it is generally found that such an arrangement 
causes the atmosphere in the houses to be too moist, 
and in winter liable to cause great damage to the 
plants from the moisture being condensed by the cold 
air acting from outside the house, and causing drips 
from the roof and saturation by condensed vapour on 
the plants. Now it is generally conceded that all 
Orchids can be best grown without enclosed piping or 
tanks, but still some of the horticultural builders will 
persist in supplying the warm Orchid houses with an 
enclosed heated bed in some part of it. In such houses, 
and in old Orchid houses where bottom heat is still kept 
going, careful tests should be made in regulating the 
heat of the bed, so that it does not give off moisture 
in excess of that which can be balanced and corrected 
by the uncovered piping in the houses, and by that 
means it will be rendered harmless for the warm house ; 
but where Cattleyas, Lselias, Oucidiums, and other 
intermediate-house Orchids are grown, and in the cool 
houses, where means of heating by enclosed piping 
exists, it had better be shut entirely off if the remainder 
of the piping can be trusted to keep up the required 
temperature. 
Much mischief is often caused by syringing the hot- 
water pipes in Orchid-houses, and the hotter the pipes 
the more liable to cause injury. The brickwork behind 
the piping, and other parts of the houses liable to 
become dry, should be frequently syringed, but without 
wetting the piping more than is necessary- 
The careful examination and cleaning of the plants 
will now form the chief work for the remainder of the 
year. Fortunately, Orchids are now generally grown 
clean, and the terrible infliction of six days’ hard labour 
on a specimen of Aerides or Vanda covered with 
little brown scales is a thing almost unknown now, 
although a common occurrence years ago. Those who 
have tanks with hot-water pipes running through 
them, should shut off the heat if the water is used for 
watering the plants ; nothing is more injurious than 
watering plants with water heated by artificial means. 
—James O'Brien. 
Winter Growths of Cattleyas.— October is 
usually considered to be the limit of the growing 
season for Orchids generally, but from various causes 
it often happens that some of the growths are behind¬ 
hand ; either they have started late, or it may be that 
imported plants have been received and started into 
growth rather late in the growing season. When the 
blooms have been allowed to remain upon established 
plants for their full duration, it is particularly notice¬ 
able how late the new growths are in starting, and it 
is no doubt very weakening to the plant for these 
blooms to remain too long, and thereby drain it of its 
vitality. 
It is remarkable that with Cattleyas, the buds of 
which have been eaten by slugs, the following growths 
have started much eaidier, and have developed much 
more rapidly than those upon the same plant from 
pseudo-bulbs that have flowered. These retarded 
growths are, as a consequence, prolonged into the 
winter season, and have to do the best they can with 
but a very limited supply of sunlight and heat. It is, 
however, remarkable that these late growths almost 
invariably produce flower-sheaths, and are healthy and 
robust, although kept in the same houses and treated 
similarly to Cattleyas that are resting. Certainly the 
progress of the growth is slow, as little artificial heat 
as possible is given, the temperature ranging from 45° 
.at night to 55° or 60° in the daytime, according to the 
weather outside. Abundance of air is given, both top 
