January 12, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
313 
but my experience does not lead me to adopt this plan. 
I think the proper time to commence the use of 
stimulants is when the roots have taken full possession 
of the soil, after the last potting. Some say that 
feeding should not commence until the flower buds 
are formed. This I think a mistake, because in some 
cases they do not form until the middle of September. 
From this time until the plants are in bloom is too 
short a space to allow them a chance of deriving much 
benefit from applied stimulants. The plants ought to 
be fed before they form their buds, so that they will 
be strong at the critical period. During the time the 
buds are forming the plants should not be excited by 
giving them stimulants, these being better reserved 
until after the buds are set and commencing to swell. 
The applications may be increased in strength as the 
buds swell satisfactorily. 
The character of the season must be considered as to 
the amount of stimulants the plants shall receive, and 
the nature of the soil, be it heavy or light. In a wet 
season the manure given should be on a small scale 
compared to that needed in a dry one, as wet summers 
are inimical to the maturation of the growth, and an 
excess of stimulants would aggravate this evil, and the 
plants fail in producing flowers of the finest quality. 
We commence with soot-water first. One bushel of 
soot in a bag will be ample in a tank holding 100 
gallons of water. We give this every time the plants 
require water, for a week, and then withhold it for 
three weeks, when it is again used, this time with 
liquid from the farmyard tanks, or from that made from 
sheep manure. After the first course of soot-water we 
give clear water for a day or two, then an application 
of liquid made from cow or sheep manure about the 
colour of brown brandy, varying the sort every second 
or third day, when clear water is given say once, 
returning then to the liquids. After the buds are 
formed and swelling freely, stimulants should be given 
regularly, varying them constantly, as a change of food 
is desirable. Whatever sort is used it should not be 
continued beyond three or four days at a time. The 
weakest growing plants should not have it so strong as 
those of a more vigorous habit. During a spell of 
wet weather it is not advisable to use liquid made from 
animal manures ; a small portion of any of the 
artificials should then be sprinkled on the surface of the 
soil. By this means the plants receive nourishment, 
whereas if liquid manure were entirely depended upon 
the plants would not be in a state to receive intervening 
waterings. Any of the artificial manures named make 
a good change of food for the plants if sprinkled on the 
soil, and watered in according to the instructions given. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Autumn and Winter-flowering Plants. — It is 
now time to make preparations for propagating a stock 
of plants for next autumn and winter decorative pur¬ 
poses. Those that flowered early will by this time 
have been cut or past their best. A number of plants 
of each should be selected, according to the quantity of 
cuttings required, and well cut back, placing them in a 
stove or propagating pit. If plunged in coco-nut fibre 
with bottom-heat, they will start all the more strongly 
and freely. Little water, if any, will be necessary till 
the buds have again pushed and commence to make 
vigorous growth. The cuttings should be taken off 
when 2 ins. or 3 ins. long, and getting somewhat firm 
at the base. Amongst those that should receive 
attention at present are Bouvardias, Sericographis 
Ghiesbreghtii, Libonia floribunda and L. Penrhosiensis, 
Reinwardtia (Linum) trigyna, and R. tetragyna. 
Where well grown, Centropogon also affords a large 
quantity of cut flowers, and should receive due attention 
in providing a stock of it at this time. Several 
Begonias of the winter-flowering class, such as 
B. insignis, B. odorata, B. semperflorens, and its fine 
rose-coloured varieties, should also be looked after. 
Abutilons.— For winter decorative purposes great 
variety is afforded by the numerous fine inprovements 
amongst this class of flowers. The white Boule de 
Reige is, perhaps, one of the oldest of the improved 
kinds in cultivation, and it is still one of the most 
popular. Other varieties are Rosueflora, rose; Miss 
Laura Powell, yellow and dwarf in habit; Couronne 
d Or, bright yellow and most distinct, owing to the 
unusual length of the stamens ; Silver bell, white with 
red veins ; and Purpurea, deep purple, shaded magenta. 
For training against a rafter, the old A. venosum, which 
has been much used in obtaining the improvements, is 
still worthy of a place. To assist in the development 
of flowers, weak liquid manure should be administered 
to the plants at every alternate watering at least. 
Salvias. —Such of these as have not yet exhausted 
themselves, should be encouraged with liquid manure. 
Late batches of S. involucrata Bethelli, together with 
S. lantanifolia, S. rutilans, S. gesneraeflora, S. leu- 
cantha, S. elegans, and S. Grahami will continue to 
furnish flowers for some time to come. They should 
be favourably situated with regard to light, and freely 
ventilated on all favourable occasions. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Peach house. —As the buds swell and approach the 
flowering stage in the early house, which was closed 
say about the middle or end of November, increased 
attention will have to be given to heating and 
ventilation. Should the weather prove severe at this 
stage, it is better to maintain a low temperature at 
night in preference to a high one, as under these con¬ 
ditions the bloom will be stronger, healthier, and more 
likely to produce a good set than where much firing 
has to be done in order to maintain the night tem¬ 
perature at the required figure—namely, 50°. During 
the prevalence of frost it may be allowed to sink to 
45°, which will have a beneficial rather than an 
injurious effect. A rise of 10° may be permitted 
during the day, or more if the weather be open. 
Melons. —Those with a choice of houses at command, 
would do well to select a lean-to, with a southern ex¬ 
posure for the first crop. The fruits ripen earlier in a 
house of this kind than in a span-roofed one, whether 
it runs east and west or north and south. Less firing 
will be required, as the shelter afforded by the wall 
from cold, cutting north winds, and the beneficial effects 
of the sun are harvested to the fullest extent. The 
heating apparatus should also be able to maintain an 
efficient bottom and top heat without having recourse 
to hard firing. 
Tomatos. —If not already done, sow a batch for early 
work. By using small pots, and putting two or three 
seeds in each, the superfluous seedlings may be pulled 
out after it is seen which are going to be the best. 
This will save the check given to seedlings when shaken 
out of the soil to be potted singly at this unfavourable 
season. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Seed Sowing. —Take advantage of open weather to 
make a successional sowing of Peas and Beans out of 
doors on warm dry borders. If there is little prospect 
of being able to do this at an early date, a sowing 
should be made indoors. Should the autumn-sown 
Cauliflowers be keeping badly, a sowing should be made 
in boxes under glass, to be dibbled into a frame later 
on till the weather permits of their being safely planted 
out. 
Potatos.— Make up fresh beds from time to time, 
and when the heat has risen sufficiently, put on the 
frames and then the soil. If the Potatos to be used 
have been previously sprouted in a warm place, much 
time will have been saved. 
-->X<-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Dr. Davis’S Phal/enopsids. 
Escaping from the fog in London last Wednesday 
week, I ran down to Maidstone, and calling upon Dr. 
Davis, at Barming Heath, was delighted to see his 
display of Phalajnopsis Schilleriana, P. amabilis, and 
P. Stuartiana in bloom. Some of the spikes of P. 
Schilleriana had from thirty to forty flowers on each, 
fine in shape and colour. A houseful of Odontoglossum 
crispum and a nice lot of Cattleyas were also doing 
well under the fostering care of the worthy Doctor. 
They are, indeed, as well handled as any I have seen. 
— F. C. 
The Smallest Cattleya. 
One frequently finds Cattleya luteola grown in gardens 
under the name of C. Holfordi, but it has also a host of 
other names, amongst which is that of Epidendrum 
luteolum, of Reichenbach. The flower-scape is some¬ 
what shorter than the leaf, and bears from two to five 
blooms of a pale yellow, but slightly variable in indi¬ 
vidual specimens, so that cultivators sometimes dis¬ 
tinguish them by special varietal names. The whole 
flower is from 1J in. to 2 ins. in diameter, and is 
usually of a lemon-yellow, with a whitish margin to 
the middle lobe, the side lobes being more or less 
streaked internally with purple. It flowers during the 
winter months. 
Trichopilia fragrans. 
The white flowers of this Orchid are not at any time 
particularly conspicuous, but are valued on account of 
the Gardenia-like smell with which they pervade the 
house in which they are grown. A variety with much 
larger flowers, and named T. nobilis, belongs to a 
section of the type. Both T. fragrans and its variety, 
T. f. nobilis, belong to a section of the genus, which 
is better known under the name of Pilurana. Like a 
number of the typical Trichopilias, the flowers are 
borne singly upon the peduncle. 
Dendrobium Ainsworthii. 
Amongst the various hybrid Dendrobiums that have 
been artificially raised and comparatively recently put 
into commerce, none are more popular or useful than is 
the subject of this note. This arises both from the 
individual beauty of the flowers, their exquisite frag¬ 
rance, and the freedom with which they are produced. 
They combine in themselves the good properties of D. 
aureum crossed with D. nobile, which are the two 
parents. From now onwards will D. Ainsworthii keep 
up a display of flowers. 
Odontoglossum cirrhosum Hrubyanum. 
A long raceme or panicle of flowers of the typical form 
is a beautiful object. Equally so would a raceme of 
the variety under notice be, as the flowers are pure 
white, or have their purity marred only by a few small 
blotches. The long tail-like segments of the species 
are very curious, and from the fact of their being 
slender, or more or less twisted, has the specific name 
been given. The white-flowered or Baron Hruby’s 
variety has been flowering for some time past in Mr 
William Bull’s collection at Chelsea. 
Lycaste lanipes. 
The first thing that strikes the observer when looking 
at the plant is the great size of the pseudo-bulbs, which 
are oblong, thick, somewhat ribbed, green, and from 
3 ins. to 6 ins. in length. The flowers are large and 
borne singly on short peduncles nestling amongst the 
leaves, which are lance-shaped, plaited, evergreen, and 
of great length. They are of great substance, and have 
ovate-oblong, creamy white sepals, smaller pure white 
petals, and a three-lobed also white lip. The tongue 
is prominent, as in L. Skinneri, and creamy yellow, 
while the sides of the terminal lobe are beautifully 
fringed. It is a native of Guayaquil, in South 
America, and flowering specimens may be seen now in 
many collections. 
Masdevallia polysticta. 
One of the prettiest of the small-flowered species is 
that under notice. The specific name, literally trans¬ 
lated, means many-dotted, and refers to the numerous 
crimson spots which stud the white ground colour of the 
perianth tube. The three outer segments further run 
out into long, bright yellow tails, which point in 
different directions; and as the flower-scapes each 
carry six to eight flowers, a pleasing effect is the result 
of the whole combined. A large plant well furnished 
with foliage and flower-scapes is a pleasing object 
indeed in any cool Orchid house, and those who have 
seen it in good condition can hardly fail to appreciate 
its beauty. Although in full flower now, it will again 
make a show of bloom late in spring, or, indeed, at 
various times of the year. 
- ■ »!<■ - 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
Ferns Injured. — W. Hunter: Tour plants are simply affected 
with t.hrips, and if you examine the underside of the fronds 
exhibiting the discoloured patches you will be able to detect 
the cause of the mischief, in the shape of small elongated black 
or yellow creatures, which are the larval or immature condition 
of the perfect insect, which is winged. You have no doubt been 
keeping your house dry to tide it over the winter months, 
bringing about the conditions which are most favourable to the 
insects. If your house is kept at a low temperature, a dry 
atmosphere can hardly be avoided ; but you can get rid of the 
pest by fumigating with tobacco in some form or other; or 
better still, if the fronds are sufficiently hard to admit of it, 
sponge them with soft-soap and water, or dust them with insect 
powder. In the first two cases syringe immediately with 
clean water, and where insect powder is used syringe the 
plants well with water after twelve hours have elapsed. 
Foliage Plants for Wild Garden.— C. H. R. : With some 
variety of aspects, and the presence of a stream or pond, there 
are many subjects that would be suitable for the purpose you 
mention. In deep rich soil plant large clumps of Gunnera 
scabra, G. manicata, Rheum palmatum or its variety R. p. tin- 
gitanum, Polygonum sachalinense, P. cuspidatum, Helianthus 
oryzalis, and the taller forms of H. decapetalus, as well as H. 
annuus, if you have no objections to raising it fresh annually 
from seeds. The species of Polygonum, if planted in a sunny or 
open position, will flower profusely (especially P. cuspidatum) 
towards the end of the summer. The species of Gunnera will 
produce the largest and finest leaves if planted near water, or 
kept well manured and watered. Plant Saxifraga peltata, 
Rodgersia podophylla, Petasites vulgaris and the Royal Fern 
(Osmunda regalis), by water. Inula Helenium, Funkia Sieboldi 
and Heracleum giganteum are also well worthy of attention. 
