700 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 30, 1888. 
The Gardeners' Calendar, 
THE STOVE. 
Gloxinias. —Plants in flower will submit to a lower 
temperature than that in which they have been grown 
on to the flowering stage. They must not, however, 
be suddenly subjected to the temperature usually main¬ 
tained in the conservatory or greenhouse, which 
should be very freely ventilated at this season of the 
year. The draught would also be very trying to plants 
newly removed from a warm steamy atmosphere, 
especially if the sun should be allowed free play upon 
the subjects in the interior. Therefore, before removing 
Gloxinias from the stove proper, gradually inure them 
to a cooler and drier atmosphere, so as to harden the 
tissues, and enable them to withstand the treatment 
given to conservatory plants generally. This could be 
done in an intermediate house or pit that may be at 
command, and if so treated the flowers will endure for 
a much longer period. They may, however, be 
relegated to a house where treatment akin to their 
likings may be given without removing them to the 
conservatory if not particularly desired there. 
Poinsettias. —The foliage will be sturdier, more 
persistent, and the bracts better, provided the plants 
are grown in an unheated pit during the summer 
months, or from now till it is necessary to house them 
in a heated structure on the approach of frost or cold 
weather. It is unadvisable, however, to transfer them 
suddenly to a temperature of an opposite extreme from 
that in which they have been growing, as they would 
thereby suffer a check, and perhaps permanent harm. 
From a warm steamy atmosphere they should be trans¬ 
ferred to one of an intermediate character, both as to 
temperature and moisture, and finally placed in a cold 
pit or frame where they can be ventilated according to 
the nature of the weather. In all cases keep them 
near the glass, and fully exposed after they have 
become thoroughly inured to the change. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Azaleas. —The main batch will now be enjoying 
strong heat, and should be encouraged in every 
way that will enable them to make good growth 
and set their flower buds before winter. If any 
require potting, this may be done before urging 
them into growth, so that the roots may lay hold of 
the new soil while their vegetative vigour is active. 
The necessary preparation will consist in removing the 
seed pods, cleaning the plants generally, and potting 
if requisite. If at all infested with thrip or red-spider, 
lay the plants on their sides, so as to expose the under¬ 
side of the leaves, and prevent the water employed from 
soaking the soil in the pots. Syringe them hard with 
soapy water mixed with tobacco-juice, proportionate 
to what they will withstand without injury. For large 
plants use a compost of turfy fibrous loam, with about 
a third of peat and a liberal quantity of sand. 
Calceolarias. —A sowing of these for next year’s 
display should now be made. Owing to the extreme 
fineness of the seeds, more than half of them are lost or 
fail to germinate from want of sufficient care in the 
method of treatment, in sowing, and other small 
matters. Make the sowing in a pan or pans, according 
to the quantity required, using plenty of crocks for 
drainage. It is unnecessary to use very fine soil with 
which to fill the pans, as the seedlings are removed 
before they root deeply. The pans ought, however, to 
be surfaced with finely-sifted soil, made level and 
watered previous to their receiving the seeds. Sow 
thinly and evenly, exercising great care in this matter 
on account of the minuteness of the seeds, and the con¬ 
sequent liability of the seedlings to become crowded. 
Sprinkle a little of the fine soil over the seeds merely 
to keep them in position, and stand the pans on 
a Cucumber or Melon bed that is still slightly 
warm. Place a square of glass over the pan to retain 
the moisture, and shade from sun. On no account 
allow the pans to get dry during germination, as that 
may prove fatal to the greater quantity of the seeds. 
As soon as germination has taken place, remove to a 
cool frame with a northern aspect till the seedlings are 
fit to be pricked off. 
Cinerarias and Chinese Primulas. —Pot off the 
suckers, offsets or rooted cuttings of old plants that 
have been thought fit to preserve and grow on for 
another season. Seedlings should be pricked or potted 
off according to their size, keeping them growing 
steadily but sturdily by placing them close to the glass 
of the frame in which they are grown. This may face 
the north, or if immoveably placed the other way shade 
the plants, keeping them cool and well ventilated. If 
they are attempted to be grown in a warm sunny 
exposure and unshaded, it is more than likely that the 
greater number of them will die off. The object during 
summer should be to keep them as equable as possible 
with regard to heat and moisture, and prevent if 
possible their suddenly getting dried up. Rooted 
cuttings of double Chinese Primulas should be potted 
off giving them sufficient root-room but nothing more, 
and treating them like seedlings by shifting on when 
necessary, and pinching off flowers. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peaches. —Overhaul trees where the fruits have just 
completed stoning, and are just commencing to swell 
afresh. During the stoning period it can be finally 
determined what fruits will be brought to maturity by 
the trees ; therefore the trees may be gone over and the 
crop reduced to what the trees can properly nourish. 
Badly placed fruits or such as are too close together 
should be rectified at once by the removal of the worst. 
A fair average crop every year is of more advantage 
than a heavy crop one year and an indifferent one the 
next, or none at all. Keep the young wood tied in, 
but cut away all that is not .bearing fruit or is not 
absolutely required to bear next season. By all means 
avoid crowding, which prevents the wood from being 
properly matured. Syringe twice a day with clean 
soft water till the fruits begin to ripen, when they 
must be kept cool and dry. At the present time it 
will do the trees with their crops no harm to allow the 
house to run up to 80° with sun-heat provided the 
house is well ventilated. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Winter Crops. —The dull showery weather with 
which we have for some time past been visited has 
been very favourable for all late plantations of the 
Brassica tribe that are intended for winter use. There 
should therefore be no reason to complain of drought 
detaining this operation, as it did last year when the 
long-continued drought almost prevented planting 
operations being carried on except under great diffi¬ 
culties, and with an excessive amount of labour in the 
matter of watering. The weather on the whole has 
been exceptionally cold for this season of the year, but 
vegetation has been progressing favourably even if 
slowly. See, therefore, that everything is kept done 
up to time, so that no favourable opportunity may be 
lost. The seedling Coleworts, if sown in the first or 
second week of June, should now be making good 
progress. The beds should be gone over and regulated 
if the seedlings have come up thickly in places, so that 
the plants may be as sturdy and short-jointed as 
possible, not drawn and spindly. The difference 
between strong and weak plants soon becomes ap¬ 
parent after they have been transplanted for a time. 
The greatest progress in a given time would, of course, 
be made by the seeds being sown in their permanent 
quarters, but that would in most cases be too incon¬ 
venient to carry into practice. Space may be obtained 
for planting them where early crops of Potatos or Peas 
have been removed. Cabbages will require from 
15 ins. to 18 ins. each way, while the compact-growing 
Cole wort proper may be 12 ins. apart only each way. 
The Double White Rocket. —The pale purple 
or lilac flowers of Hesperis matronalis have given 
rise to many beautiful varieties, both single and 
double ; but the double white form (H. m. alba 
plena) is undoubtedly the best of them all. Even the 
double purple is much inferior, owing to its dull and 
inconspicuous appearance when placed in contrast to 
the white, which is as double as a Stock, and becomes 
even more conspicuous as the day fades to twilight, 
especially when planted in masses or lines. It also 
becomes more powerfully and deliciously fragrant 
towards night—a fact which has long been recognised. 
A rather moist soil and atmosphere are most favourable 
to its full development, and consequently we never see 
it in very fine condition in the neighbourhood of 
London during dry warm seasons. Although on the 
whole moderately dry, we have not much reason to 
complain of warm weather, which would probably 
account for the varieties of this plant being rather 
better than usual. The double white has been very 
fine at Devonhurst, Chiswick, where it is grown in a 
somewhat shaded position on the rockery. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Orchids at Garston. 
To the uninitiated there is nothing more unsightly, 
and to all appearance worthless, amongst plants than 
a collection of Orchids as they appear in their imported 
condition. One would almost exclaim: “Can these 
dry bones live ? ” But out of this conglomeration of 
shrivelled bulbs and dried leaves life and beauty are 
evolved in luxuriance. Amongst the largest importers 
of Orchids the Liverpool Horticultural Co. takes a 
foremost position, both on account of the vast quantities 
of plants that are imported by that firm and of the 
many valuable varieties that are found amongst them. 
Not a week passes but consignments are received from 
such widely separated parts of the world as Bunnah, 
Mexico, South America, &c. Of course, out of such 
vast quantities of plants they are enabled to flower very 
few, and the purchaser has thus the full benefit of any 
rare varieties that may be amongst them. The rare 
Lcelia anceps alba—a variety that formerly fetched its 
50 to 100 guineas a plant—can now be seen here by 
the hundred, and of the ordinary dark variety the 
plants are innumerable. Dendrobiums are a great 
speciality with this firm ; amongst their importations 
of D. TVardianum several most magnificent forms have 
been found, including the rare and chaste D. W. album. 
Cymbidium Lowianum and Cattleya Eldorado are also 
represented by thousands of healthy plants. Amongst 
the latter many Cattleya "Wallisii have flowered during 
the last year or two. It is unfortunate that this 
requires more heat than the generality of Cattleyas, 
but it is impossible to grow either it or C. superba at a 
lower temperature than they are normally accustomed 
to. Any little extra care, however, is amply repaid by 
the lovely and unique character of the blooms. In 
concluding, I would advise everyone who has the 
inclination and the time, when in the vicinity of 
Liverpool, to pay a visit to this characteristic 
emporium of Orchids, where there is much to be seen 
in the life of these plants both to please and instruct.— 
Henry Tacy Peck, Blaby. 
Cattleya gigas. 
From Reginald Young, Esq., comes a magnificent 
flower, 9 ins. across, and fine in colour and form. The 
variety is said to be constant, as when it flowered last 
its blossoms were of the same size as the present, and 
pronounced by good authorities to be the largest they 
had seen. It certainly is a superb form. Catasetum 
Bungerothii, too, is finely in flower with Mr. Young, 
at Fringilla, Sefton Park, Liverpool. 
Odontoglossum Harryanum, 
In many places this distinct and beautiful Orchid is in 
flower, exhibiting great variety. The largest flowered 
form I have seen is Baron Schroder’s, the richest 
coloured and darkest is at Messrs. Veitch& Sons, where 
the plant first flowered. One of the finest varieties, 
however, is in bloom with Mr. G. TV. Dutton, at 
Summerfield, Curzon Park, Chester. The flower 
measures 4 ins. from the top of the sepals to the point 
of the lip, and the violet marbling of the lip and petals 
is very fine. TVhen first it flowered at Messrs. Yeitch’s 
I considered it a natural cross between an Odonto¬ 
glossum and a Zygopetalum, and Mr. Seden, a great 
observer, since confirms that view, and I should say it 
was between an Odontoglossum and Warscewiczella 
(Zygopetalum) cochlearis of some remote age. The 
pouch in the labellum exists in no Odontoglossum, but 
it does in TV. cochlearis. O. Harryanum has very 
broad, leafy pseudo-bulbs, and the character of the plant 
and flowers favours my theory .—James O’Brien. 
Cattleyas at Howick House, Preston. 
There has lately been a charming display of Cattleyas 
in flower in the collection of E. G. TVrigley, Esq., over 
1,200 blossoms being fully expanded at one time, and 
including the finest forms of C. Mossire I have ever 
met with. Taking the quality all round they were 
indeed a grand lot. Many of the plants, although not 
large, were, and perhaps are still, well-flowered 
medium-sized specimens, having as many as two dozen 
fine, large, expanded blooms. It is really astonishing 
to see how many distinct and varied forms there are in a 
collection like this. Mr. Wrigley drew my attention 
to one variety that flowers twice a year. It was in 
bloom a fortnight ago, and also in October last, while 
it is besides a very fine variety. Many fine forms of 
Cattleya Trianse and C. Mendelii were also in bloom ; 
and a grand specimen of C. Skinneri, which has had 
200 expanded flowers on it this season, greatly took 
my fancy. Some nice, well-flowered, half-specimens of 
