7T2 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 6, 1892. 
BORDER CARNATIONS. 
As the popular flower of the timeCarnations are having 
it all their own way, and concurrently with the period 
of their greatest beauty comes that of propagating or 
layering them for the next display twelve months 
hence. In this respect the plants are comparable to 
Chrysanthemums, although the labour attached to 
them is infinitely smaller. Planting out, staking the 
flowers, and layering are the chief items of 
labour, but it may be said also that they have to be 
kept in pots during winter at Chelsea in the nursery 
of Messrs. J. Veitch & Son, because the ground has 
to be occupied with pot vines. On the whole the 
labour attached to them is small, and their beauty 
infinite while it lasts, either in the beds or for cut 
flowers. 
The beds were in their prime when we examined 
them the other day ; but of the extensive collection 
we singled out only a few of the best of the leading 
types. The bulk of them are ostensibly for border 
work, but some of them are known by the best of 
cultivators to be well suited for pot culture as well 
even in winter. Yellow varieties in most gardens 
are a failure, although Pride of Penshurst does fairly 
well in some soils. kVe can speak of the behaviour 
of Germania at Chelsea, some being grown under 
glass and in a large bed in the open. In the latter case 
the stems are 2 ft. high with an abundanc of 
“grass” 6 in. to 12 in. long. We should consider 
it the best yellow for outdoor work on account of 
its vigour. Flowers for cutting or any other purpose 
may be had in abundance, and in fine condition too. 
Like all the rest this variety was planted out in the 
third week of March. There were several other 
yellow varieties, including Almira, but we should 
give the preference to Germania. Leander is a taller 
sort, but the young shoots are poorer and the shape 
not so good as that cf the last named. 
Several white varieties are grown, more or less 
excellent in their way, but for purity, size, dwarf 
free-flowering habit and shape, that named Mrs. F. 
Watts must take a leading place. The stems are 
only 12 in. to 14 in. high. The other white varieties 
we noted were Comte de Chambord and Gloire de 
Nancy, both somewhat in the way of the Malmaison 
type, with broad glaucous^ leaves and large white 
flowers. The last-named is the purest, for Comte de 
Chambord is slightly tinted flesh, at least during ex¬ 
pansion. Going from the pale to the darker colours, 
we may notice the pink varieties ; and here we must 
give the palm to Rose Celeste, a beautiful rosy-pink 
variety of delicate hue that keeps its colour well. A 
bed of it was simply charming in its profusion 
of flowers. It is also of dwarf habit and robust con¬ 
stitution, so that there is no difficulty in keeping a 
stock of it. Dr. Park is rather a taller variety, with 
larger flowers very freely produced, but we should 
not give the preference to it on that account. 
Scarlet or rosy scarlet and red varieties are 
numerous, but the leading place must be given to 
Winter Cheer, by reason of its bright colour, florifer- 
ous character and extremely dwarf habit. The stems 
are only 10 in. to 14 in. high, and bear flowers in all 
stages of expansion ; it will, in fact, keep on flower¬ 
ing till October. No other can compete with it in 
dwarfness, while the young shoots about the base 
form quite a bush. The flowers are of a brilliant 
scarlet. Pot plants will continue the flowering 
period all the winter. The variety might well be 
termed perpetual. Queen of the Bedders (Turner) 
is by no means a refined flower, but its habit and 
constitution are good, while the large rosy scarlet 
flowers are produced in great abundance. Ruby is 
equally floriferous, but the brilliant rosy scarlet 
flowers are liable to burn at the edges. Grant Allen 
is similar in character, but the scarlet flowers shaded 
with rose are less liable to burn or bleach with the 
sun. It is moreover, a more refined flower. The 
brightest of this type is Joe Millet, with brilliant and 
cheerful, light scarlet flowers that do not burn in the 
slightest. It grows about 18in. high and is con¬ 
spicuous even at a distance. The variety named 
Brilliant is rose shaded with scarlet, grows about 2 ft. 
high and is very floriferous. 
There are some very bold purple-flowered varie¬ 
ties, of which Purple Emperor may be reckoned the 
best for exhibition purposes, as it has large, uni¬ 
formly dark purple flowers. Beauty of Foxhall is a 
bright or magenta-purple variety of great merit. 
There is also a tint of blue at the edges of the petals, 
and it may be considered one of the best of this type. 
Walter Ware is a deep purple with entire edges, and 
grows about 18 in. high, with plenty of grass. There 
are several dark crimson types of great merit for 
those who like flowers of this colour. Crimson Pet 
grows about 20 in. high, and bears maroon-crimson 
flowers that become darker as they get older. Simi¬ 
lar in colouris Wm. Toby, with medium sized flowers 
produced in great profusion. 
Many of the Picotees are well suited for border 
work, including Professor Goodheart, a yellow ground 
with orange-salmon edges, broad glaucous leaves, 
and a good constitution. A very pretty variety is 
Alice, having a rosy ground of definite character and 
a crimson edge. Quite another type is J. B. Bryant, 
with an unusually broad crimson-purple edge and a 
white ground. Chaste and pretty is Loddington 
Favourite, a white variety having a delicate rosy-pink 
edge. A somewhat peculiar type is Fanny Tromms- 
dorf, a German variety finely striped with heliotrope 
on a white ground ; but it is liable to sport to a 
heliotrope self with a satiny lustre and spotted pink. 
Of this peculiar colour we noted a finer sort in one 
of the houses, of a uniform heliotrope tint and silvery 
or satiny gloss. Its flowers were also strongly fra¬ 
grant. The name of the variety is Desire Ardoise 
Nacre. Another good border flower is Karl Schurz, 
with a broad crimson-lake edge and a white ground. 
Flaked and bizarre types are also grown in some 
variety, but we noted only a few of the more striking, 
including Harry Veitch, a light and pleasing rose 
flake raised by Ernest Benary, Erfurt. The Earl of 
Beaconsfield is distinctly flaked with crimson, or 
rather chocolate, on a deep red ground. Notwith¬ 
standing the amount of flowers that have been cut 
for exhibition purposes, no impression has been made 
upon the collection, which we were fortunate in see¬ 
ing at its best. 
-- 
ODONTOGLOSSUM 
CRISPUM. 
There are but few of the Odontoglots which possess 
so much beauty as does a well-grown plant of O. 
crispum when in flower. Much has been written 
about its fascinating charms, its habit, its culture, 
and I think its renown is now everywhere known. 
Experts and novices have repeatedly given us their 
opinions respecting its merits. The press has paid 
considerable attention to it, and has directed the 
attention of the public to its superlative qualities. 
Financiers and speculators have reaped golden 
harvests as the result of good importations, and 
much good has been done and much benefit derived 
from such " labours of love.” Anyone with means 
can buy a few dozen plants of it. But, alas ! how 
often is the result failure ? 
Perhaps the best way of obtaining a collection of 
Odontoglots, or indeed of any other Orchids is to 
buy the imported bulbs. In my experience this has 
been the most satisfactory, and to anyone who knows 
how to treat the imported masses after he has pro¬ 
cured them, I would say by all means buy imported 
bulbs. Assuming that we have before us an impor¬ 
tation of the pseudo-bulbs just unpacked from the 
case—ugly, worth'ess-looking things they are—and 
we wish in twelve months time to transform these 
“ dry bones ” into living, beautiful plants, perhaps 
bearing in some cases two or three spikes of their 
lovely blossoms ; how are we to proceed ? First, 
wash the pseudo-bulbs very carefully in tepid water, 
so as to thoroughly cleanse them from all parasites 
both insect and fungoid, which are almost certain to 
be there ; cut away all dead roots, bulbs, leaves, etc.; 
in short, make them perfectly clean. At the shady 
cool end of the stove spread a mat on the stage, and 
on the top pf this a layer of broken crocks, washed 
and perfectly clean ; place the cleansed bulbs base 
downwards on these, and syringe them several times a 
day, being guided by the brightness of the weather. 
The sun's rays must be shaded off with fine straw 
paper, gradually admitting more light as the young 
growths make their appearance. 
When the rootlets appear, and before they attain 
any large size, and the growths are beginning to 
nicely develop themselves, put the masses into pots 
of suitable size, three parts filled with clean crocks 
and a few pieces of charcoal; place one or two lumps 
of very fibrous peat on the top of this, as close as ex¬ 
pedient to the young rootlets. Let the bulbs be set 
as firmly as circumstances will admit, and upright on 
this until they have laid hold of the material with 
their roots, syringing periodically as they develop. 
After a time press carefully and firmly into the pot 
other pieces-of fibrous peat, so as to form a mound 
around the pseudo-bulbs, at the same time taking 
care that the bulbs rest on the summit—as nearly as 
possible—of the mound, and plant over with fresh, 
green sphagnum. At this stage they can be removed 
into a cooler temperature. The sphagnum must 
always be kept fresh and green ; and in order to 
accomplish this, rather plentiful supplies of water 
must be given. As long as the sphagnum is in good 
condition, the plant itself is certain to be right; the 
sphagnum should never be allowed to become dry. 
After the first leaves are fully developed, they may 
be moved into their proper quarters in the cool 
house, and grow on there, giving them plenty of 
moisture and ventilation. In all probability many 
of them will flower the first year. 
This mode of treatment is about the most success¬ 
ful, and one that never fails. After the plants are 
established nothing is required but the necessary 
ventilation, watering, and syringing. In very bright 
weather they should be slightly sprayed over with 
the syringe at least four times a day, and the floor of 
the house should be kept constantly damp. Plenty 
of water must be supplied to the roots if the drain¬ 
age is in good order, and the potting compost is of a 
porous nature. Too much water can scarcely be 
applied ; at least, such is mv conclusion after six 
years’ constant experience with this lovely species. 
When they grow too large for the pots in which they 
have been established, they must be carefully moved 
into a larger size. When any of the pseudo-bulbs 
decay, they must be cut out with a sharp knife. One 
of the most desirable features about O. crispum is 
that it will succeed in a most satisfactory manner in 
company with such plants as the Clivias, Dracaena 
congesta, Ferns, and similar subjects.— C. H.B. 
SPOT ON*~GRAPES. 
There are several varieties of Grapes which are 
subject to the well-known “ spot,” but Lady Downes 
Seedling is more liable to the malady than any other 
Grape with which I am acquainted, and the means 
of preventing it has often enough been submitted to 
readers of the various gardening papers. A dry 
atmosphere, a free circulation of air, and earl)' 
opening of the top lights are precautions which are 
often advised, but some do all that and still the spot 
does its usual amount of mischief till colouring 
begins, when the skins of the berries seem to become 
more elastic and the “ spot ” gradually disappears, 
but not before the bunches are sadly mutilated and 
disfigured. 
Some treat the “spot” as myth, simply because they 
are not liable to suffer from it, and proprietors of 
vineries occasionally come into conflict with their 
gardeners as being incompetent when the disease 
appears and it is not mastered. Plenty of air and 
dryness are very desirable agents in warding off 
“spot,” but a brisk temperature is also essential to 
keep matters right, and not only is early airing 
necessary, but air at the top especially should be 
kept on at night as well as in the day in order to 
prevent damp settling on the berries. I always did 
fairly well in saving Grapes by free air and dryness,but 
have always done much better when the pipes were 
kept warm, thus creating a free circulation of air in 
the house. The “ brisk ” heat practice I adopted from 
instruction received from the late Mr. Wildsmitb, 
of Heckfield, who grew capital Lady Downes 
Grapes.—S tirli ng. 
- -**■ - 
FORCING SHRUBS. 
In conversation recently with a nurseryman on the 
subject of the preparation of shrubs forced one year 
for a similar operation the next, I found myself quite 
in touch with his views regarding the proper mode 
of treatment, which might be summed up as 
follows :—Get them to make their growth early, and 
to ripen and rest them thoroughly while there is 
good foliage on the plants. Those forced early, such 
as Staphyleas, Andromedas, Azalea Mollis, 
Hydrangea panniculata grandiflora, Laurestinus, 
Lilacs, Prunus, Rhododendrons, Deutzias, and 
Viburnums, should be given the benefit of heat and 
moisture after they have flowered, in order to ensure 
good growth before they are gradually hardened off 
and eventually placed out in the open air. 
The pots, which by that time should be full of 
roots, should be plunged in a bed of ashes or old tan, 
where the sun can have full play upon the plants, 
