June 2, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
637 
house, which is always occupied with other and valu¬ 
able plants that must not have their requirements 
ignored. 
Impatiens Sultani. —The propagation of this plant 
may readily be effected by seeds or cuttings, and old 
plants may be cut back or pruned into shape, re-potted 
and grown on again. The most satisfactory results are 
obtained by raising a fresh batch of plants from seed, 
sowing the latter according to the time the plants are 
required to be in flower. Being naturally of a branch¬ 
ing and bushy habit, this Balsam requires much less 
care to produce bushy and compact specimens than the 
common species, which requires a considerable amount 
of skill and experience at the hands of the grower 
whether amateur or professional to maintain the plants 
in a sturdy short-jointed condition. Impatiens Sultani 
must not, however, be neglected, but potted off as soon 
as the seedlings show the rough leaf, and again when 
the pot becomes filled with roots. Keep them near 
the light, and leave plenty of space between the plants, 
to allow of a regular development and to admit light. 
Do not permit them to become dry, otherwise the 
foliage soon assumes a yellowish tint, entirely spoiling 
the appearance of “the plants. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Azaleas. —The earlier flowered plants that were trans¬ 
ferred to a warm pit or vinery some time ago to 
stimulate or urge on the young growth will have in 
many cases completed it, and when this has happened 
remove the plants to a cooler house or pit, where an 
abundant ventilation can be given to harden the newly 
made shoots and foliage. In doing this be careful that 
the tender young leaves do not get scorched or browned 
by exposure to the fierce rays of the sun, as the close 
and moist atmosphere from which they were taken 
will have rendered them highly susceptible of injury 
from extremes of opposite conditions. Later batches 
of plants that have now finished flowering should be 
treated in the same way as early kinds, and placed in a 
warm and moist atmosphere to make their growth. 
Climbers. —Attend to the regulation and thinning 
of greenhouse subjects as advised for stove climbers. 
Such things as Lapagerias, Passifloras, Tacsonias, 
Plumbago, Fuchsias, and other cool house climbers, 
seeing that growth is proceeding rapidly, and the 
temperature is naturally high, will require more 
copious supplies of water than they have done for some 
time past. This is especially the case where the plants 
are grown in narrow borders, but more so where the 
plants are grown in pots. 
Pelargoniums, &c. —Summer-flowering plants in 
the hurry of the present time should not be neglected. 
Pot on Pelargoniums of the zonal class where they 
require it, also young Fuchsias, Chrysanthemums of 
the C. frutescens type, Celosias, Gomphrenas, and 
similar things that are required for greenhouse and 
conservatory decorative purposes. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vineries. —In many cases the thinning of these will 
be completed, especially where it is done at the earliest 
opportunity. A medium course should be adopted— 
that is, they should be thinned where there is an 
indication of which will be the best berries. Some 
have not yet completed or even commenced the 
operation, and to those growers the above remarks still 
apply. Mulch the borders so as to prevent rapid 
evaporation during dry and warm weather, which we 
may expect will now be plentiful. If good manure is 
used, so much the better, as in watering no other 
manuring is necessary, and the occasional heavy 
waterings that are given will wash down the manurial 
properties to the feeding roots. Pot Vines intended 
for next year’s forcing should now be more freely 
ventilated, but at the same time a moist atmosphere 
should be preserved to maintain the foliage in a healthy 
condition. Should insect pests make their appearance, 
syringe well to destroy them, otherwise the rods will 
lose the best of their leaves sooner than is desirable. 
Melons and Cucumbers. —As the roots protrude 
from the sides of the mounds in which the young and 
rapidly-growing Melons are planted, fresh material 
should be added into which they can ramify and con¬ 
tinue a vigorous growth, also giving liberal supplies of 
water. Maintain plenty of atmospheric moisture, 
except when the plants come into flower and dry con¬ 
ditions are more favourable to the setting of the fruit. 
Four good fruits to a plant is quite sufficient. Old and 
nearly exhausted specimens of Cucumbers will be 
renewed by placing fresh soil round their roots, taking 
away some of the foliage, and partly pruning or thinning 
out the shoots. A higher temperature should be given 
to urge them into fresh activity. 
BEDDING OUT. 
Operations in the flower garden need no longer be 
delayed, but all the beds put in trim for planting 
where they are not occupied with spring subjects. In 
the best of seasons the planting of these has to be 
unavoidably delayed. Hyacinths, Tulips and Narcissi, 
however, are over in most cases, and can be dug up 
and removed to the reserve garden, where they can 
gradually ripen off their foliage and mature the bulbs. 
The two latter will produce a fine display next year if 
properly treated. In bedding out, the old maxim still 
holds good—namely, to commence with the hardier 
subjects, such as Calceolarias, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, 
Lobelias, Gazanias, Cotyledons, Sempervivums, Violas, 
Alyssum, and similar things ; while Zinnias, Dahlias, 
Heliotropes, Alternantheras, and other tender plants 
should be reserved to the last. Carpet and sub-tropical 
bedding should also be reserved to the last, when the 
weather will certainly be more settled, mild, and 
favourable. 
-•»*<*- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
From henceforth until autumn comes again, what is 
termed a heavy-handed waterer would be a great acqui¬ 
sition in some Orchid houses that I know of, where 
moisture is but stintingly supplied. Nothing, perhaps, 
causes more unhealthy plants among the robust-growing 
species, or more deaths among the frail ones, than 
giving too little water in the summer time to those 
which are actively growing and rooting, and especially 
to Phalaenopsis, Aerides, Saccolabiums, &c. When I 
say giving too little water, I must explain that there 
are two distinct ways of doing this—first, by not 
attempting to give water at the proper time to plants 
which should have it; and secondly, by imperfectly 
watering those which are dry. In the latter case, dry 
plants get just one supply of water poured on the 
surface from the water-pot, and they are passed without 
considering how long the moisture given will last, or 
what amount of benefit the plants will derive from it. 
As a fact, however, all they get is to make them eager 
for a further supply, and in a worse state than ever 
after the delusive surface wetting has evaporated. 
The proper course with growing plants which have 
become dry or nearly so at this season of the year and 
onwards, is to give them a thorough soaking, and if 
that cannot be effected by the water-pot, dip them and 
leave them submerged until thoroughly wetted. Go 
where I will, I find that liberal waterers have the best 
of it at all seasons, and especially in summer ; and that 
where water is sparingly given, and but little distributed 
about the house and under the staging, the plants 
have the worst of it, and insect pests of all kinds revel. 
I must also again repeat that rain-water is by far the 
best for all Orchids, and every care should be taken 
not to waste it, but to save as much as possible for 
watering only, water from any other source being used 
for damping down, cleansing, and other purposes. He 
who uses rain-water alone for his Orchids has an 
incalculable advantage over those who cannot get it, or 
who neglect to use it. 
The deciduous Dendrobes, Calanthes and other 
plants which are now actively growing should be 
pushed on with heat and a liberal supply of water. 
With all such it is needless to say that the prescribed 
day temperature may be exceeded with advantage by 
extra heat obtained when the sun is visible. At the same 
time, one of the most important matters in Orchid 
culture is to keep down the night temperature. A too 
high night temperature causes great mortality, by 
undoing any good which the plants may have received 
in the day. The reason of this is not difficult to 
explain, seeing that naturally the hotter the country 
from which the plants come the greater difference 
between the day and the night temperature. For the 
remainder of the season artificial heat may be entirely 
dispensed with in the cold houses containing Odonto- 
glossums, Masdevallias, &c. 
The Temperatures for the month of June 
should be:—Warm or East Indian house, 75° to 80° 
by day, 70° at night; Cattleya or intermediate house, 
70° to 75° by day, 65° at night; Odontoglossum or cool 
house, 60° to 65° by day, 50° at night .—James O'Brien. 
Chysis bractescens. 
I send you a bloom of Chysis bractescens cut from a 
spike of five flowers all of the same size. This is, in 
my opinion, one of the finest Orchids in cultivation, 
and one of the easiest to manage. The flower you will 
observe is far above the average, both in size and 
marking, this being the only one I have seen with 
the lip entirely yellow, and with the sepals and petals 
tipped with light lemon. I have another plant which 
has also fine flowers, the lip being much darker, 
streaked with dark brown, and. having a white blotch 
on the crest. [An exceptionally fine variety, and in 
the absence of the usual brown markings, very 
pleasingly coloured. We should be glad of a note on 
your method of treatment, which seems to ensure 
better results than most cultivators obtain.— Ed.] I 
also send you a flower of a Brassavola, which I shall 
feel obliged by your naming. [B. acaulis.— Ed.]— 
Robert Twiss, Bird Hill Souse, Bird Hill, Limerick. 
Cattleya Mossi/t. 
Now is this grand species in season, and it is interesting 
to watch each piece as it comes into bloom, especially 
when flowering for the first time. We noticed some 
beautiful forms in Mr. Gordon’s nursery at Twickenham 
the other day, and one of them was specially notable 
for the size and beauty of its lip. The flowers were by 
no means intensely coloured, but extremely attractive 
on account of the unusually fine frilling of the lip, 
which is brought about by a greater vigour of growth 
at the margin than in the centre, throwing it into deep 
undulations or plaits coloured with orange, rose, and 
pink. The flowers were also fragrant during the day, 
although not powerfully so. Another variety, also 
fragrant, was noticeable on account of the warm rose 
colour of the petals and a deeply-coloured lip. 
Saccolabium curvifolium. 
One objection to the larger-growing species of Sacco¬ 
labium is the amount of space they occupy ; but being 
aerial plants, they may be suspended in baskets, where 
undoubtedly they do better, and seem more at home 
than when grown in pots on the bench amongst other 
things treated in that way. Some cultivators succeed 
best by growing the species under notice on a raft, 
while others do equally well, or, perhaps, better, by 
growing it in baskets. In both cases the plants should 
be suspended near the glass, so as to get a maximum 
amount of light to induce them to flower. The stems 
do not exceed 12 ins. in height, but seldom do we see 
them more than half of that, while they flower freely 
every year, producing erect racemes of orange-red 
flowers from the axils of the leaves. The purple 
column offers a striking and peculiar contrast to the 
rest of the flower. It is, to say the least of it, a pretty 
species, and is now flowering in Mr. Gordon’s nursery 
at Twickenham. 
The Clovenfords Collection. 
From the importations of Laelia purpurata which have 
been distributed during the last few years, exceedingly 
fine varieties are constantly cropping up. A grand lot 
of plants are now flowering in the collection at Cloven¬ 
fords, and amongst them are several distinct forms. 
One of them is particularly attractive, being a free- 
flowering form, with an extraordinary dark-coloured lip, 
and which is, moreover, of great length and tubular in 
shape. The colour is an intense deep rich maroon. 
Particularly attractive here, also, is a very fine form of 
Masdevallia Harryana, Bull’s Blood variety. I have 
never seen one to equal it in colour. Another fine 
thing is a variety of Odontoglossum Alexandra, with 
pure white flowers over four inches in diameter, the 
sepals and petals broad, and the labellum large. It is 
a wonderfully bold, well-shaped flower, with the petals 
beautifully undulated.— A. O. 
A Hardy Bletia. 
Of the various species of Bletia in cultivation none are 
prettier than the Hyacinth-like Chinese species, namely, 
Bletia hyacinthina. Another recommendation is that 
it has proved hardy in the more favoured parts of 
England. To grow it out of doors a sheltered nook or 
pocket on the rockery should be selected, and after 
removing the ordinary soil fill up the pocket with a 
compost consisting of loam and leaf-soil, or loam and 
peat. Its hardiness depends to a great extent on the 
fact that it is deciduous, when the pseudo-bulbs may 
receive protection if considered necessary. To grow it 
in pots a similar compost may be used, after draining 
them well with crocks, as a liberal supply of water is 
necessary during the growth. The flowers are produced 
in racemes and are normally purple ; but we noticed a 
very distinct pink variety the other in Mr. W. 
Gordon’s nursery at Twickenham. 
