August 1, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
767 
are tall and stout. The sepals and petals are almost 
entirely without spots. The lip also differs from the 
originally described plant in having the dark 
magenta-purple papillae confined to the basal half, 
instead of being spread all over its surface. The 
afical half is, therefore, creamy-white. This sub- 
variety is undoubtably both distinct and handsome. 
-- 
THE PUNT HOUSES. 
The Stove. 
In most cases the majority of plants will now be 
well advanced as far as the season's growth is con¬ 
cerned. It will be necessary now to afford them 
every chance of maturing these growths in order 
that they may pass through the dull season, which 
will presently be upon us, with the least possible 
amount of harm. More air should be given during 
the day time, and the atmosphere may with advan¬ 
tage be allowed to get fairly dry for a while in the 
middle of the day. Increased ventilation, together 
with the great heat of the sun, will necessitate careful 
attention to watering. The majority of stove plants 
do not like to be dry at any time, but in the middle 
of the summer such a state of affairs would soon 
bring disastrous consequences. Root action will be 
very vigorous, and occasional doses of manurial 
stimulant will be gladly received all round. 
Cumbers. —Attend to the tying in of these as 
growth calls for it. Allamandas which are now in 
flower should be loosed to some extent, and allowed 
to hang from the roof as much as possible. The 
natural vigour and erect character of the shoots will 
be sure to press the flowers close against the glass, 
where they will not only be out of sight, but will be 
injured by the contact if not properly looked after. 
All climbers will now be standing in need of plenty of 
water, and hence they must not be allowed to suffer 
for lack. 
Insect Pests.— With the continuous dry weather, 
scale, mealy bug, and thrips are almost sure to put 
in an appearance in greater or less numbers. Any 
time, therefore, that can be spared must be devoted 
to keeping these at bay. 
Ardisia crenulata.- One of the handsomest of 
our stove berried plants, it is a thousand pities that 
this should be such a dirty subject. Scale is particu¬ 
larly fond of it, and it is no uncommon sight to see 
the stems studded with these undesirable visitors. 
The leaves also are apt to get thickly coated with a 
black glutinous deposit that can scarcely fail to be 
harmful. The great beauty and usefulness of the 
plant render it quite worthy of a little extra attention 
in order to keep it in condition. 
Edgings to the Beds. —In many stoves the beds 
in which the plants are placed are edged by a narrow 
border in which dwarf growing plants find a place. 
If properly looked after these narrow borders may 
be made to look very pretty, and to add a great deal 
to the appearance of the house. Panicum plicatum 
is an excellent subject for dotting here and there, but 
as it grows fairly tall the plants will need some 
support, or they will be beaten down by heavy 
syringing. In places where vacancies occur 
Selaginella kraussiana may be planted, as this likes 
tropical heat and moisture, and soon carpets the 
earth with its soft green. 
Gloxinias. —As. these go out of flower and become 
shabby they should be removed to a frame or pit, 
where they may be permitted to ripen off gradually. 
They must not be allowed to dry off all at once or 
the tubers will suffer greatly in consequence, but the 
supply of water may be curtailed by degrees as soon 
as it can be seen that they are not likely to do much 
more this season. During hot days they will require 
to be shaded from the sun’s rays, or the foliage, used 
to the shade of the stove, will be scorched and the 
plants greatly weakened. 
Heating Apparatus. —At this season of the year 
the services of the heating apparatus can be better 
dispensed with than at any other time. Boilers and 
pipes, like human beings, can scarcely be expected 
to work for ever without a hitch, and it will be well, 
therefore, to take advantage of the opportunity that 
now presents itself for remedying any defects that 
may have been observed. The whole apparatus 
should be given a thorough overhauling, leaky joints 
caulked, defective valves put to rights, and the 
boilers tested to see that they may safely be called 
upon to bear the severe strain of another winter 
season. Were this system of a yearly examination 
carried out we should hear less of collapses at 
critical periods, as well as of the damage that is sure 
to be attendant upon such a mishap. 
Pits and Frames. 
Show and Regal Pelargoniums. —At least one 
good result of the hot sun is that the wood of all 
Pelargoniums is wonderfully well ripened. No time 
should be lost in cutting the plants down once this 
stage is reached. The cut back plants need not be 
touched at the roots, but left in the pots in which 
they have flowered. Stand them in a cold frame, 
and ply the syringe well amongst them morning and 
evening to assist them to break Dicely. Where it is 
desirous to increase the stock of extra good or new 
varieties, cuttings should be put in now. These may 
be obtained in any quantity from the prunings. 
Four or five may be inserted close to the edge in 
large 6o pots. The cuttings strike fairly well in a 
cold frame, but we have obtained decidedly the best 
results when they have been placed in heat. A 
position on a shelf near the glass in a propogating 
pit will suit them admirably. 
Freesias. —Nothing is to be gained by keeping these 
charming bulbous plants at rest too long. They 
should be potted up sometime in the first or second 
week in August, and the earlier batches will then 
require less forcing and the foliage will as a result be 
far more vigorous and the flowers of better substance 
and longer duration. The bulbs will have been 
suffered to remain in the pots in which they flowered 
during the last spring. The first step, therefore, will 
be to knock them out, and separate them from the 
old soil. The bulbs must then be sorted over, for 
the smaller ones, which will not flower yet, should 
be grown on in pans, or shallow boxes by themselves 
until they reach the flowering size. The larger bulbs 
may all be confidently expected to flower during the 
coming season. Either 48’s or 32's may be employed 
but larger pots than these are apt to be clumsy, and 
the value of the plants is thus heavily discounted. 
Freesias are much sought after for the decoration of 
dwelling rooms, and all gardeners know but too well 
with what disfavour large pots are viewed. From 
six to eight strong bulbs should be placed in each pot, 
according to the size. A compost of two parts of 
good loam, two of leaf soil rubbed through a § in. 
mesh sieve, and one part of dried cow or horse 
manure, with a nice sprinkling of sharp sand will 
make a capital compost. After the bulbs are potted 
off, the pots should be covered with a layer of ashes 
or cocoa-nut fibre refuse in order to faciliate the 
making of roots. 
Chrys\nthemums. — The season for that 
important operation known to gardeners as " taking 
the bud " will soon be upon us. Generally speaking 
this operation may be said to extend over a period of 
five weeks i.e., from the first or second week in 
August to the second week in September. A great deal 
depends upon the proper management of the buds 
for almost every variety has special requirements 
that only experience can teach the way to supply. 
Gladioli in pots. —For flowering in the conserva¬ 
tory in April and May nothing isjmore beautiful or 
serviceable than Gladiolus Colvillei, and its white 
variety alba. The corms are small and do not 
occupy a great deal of space, hence they lend them¬ 
selves very readily to pot culture. At the beginning 
of the summer the plants will have been dried off in 
the usual manner and stored away in their pots. It 
is now quite time to see about potting them up. A 
compost similar to that used for the Freesias will 
answer very well. Six-inch pots are a handy size to 
use, and five good corms may be placed in each of 
these. After potting it will be well to consign the 
pots to a cold frame—one having a northern aspect 
will be the best. Some cultivators prefer to cover 
the pots with ashes, or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, but 
this is not at all important, as the plants do very well 
if they are kept shaded in the earlier stages. A good 
deal of discretion in the use of the watering can will 
be needed, for if over watered the corms are very 
liable to rot off. 
General Work. —Late sown Primulas which 
were potted off into thumbs at the commencement of 
the month will now be ready for another shift. Forty- 
eight sized pots will be quite large enough for the 
strongest plants, whilst those of medium vigour may 
be put into large 6o’s. These small plants come in 
very handy for the front row, and pot-bound as they 
usually get, they may be made to carry a lot of 
bloom by judicious feeding. Stove plants for winter 
blooming, such as Centropogons, Clerodendron 
fall ax, Scutellaria mocciniana, etc., should now be 
given rather more air than hitherto. They will 
bloom all the better presently for a little judicious 
exposure now. Keep the blooms picked off zonal 
Pelargoniums for winter work, and double Primulas 
The latter are very liable to exhaust themselves by 
flowering unless they are prevented. Continue to 
tie in tree Carnations and Chrysanthemums before 
the shoots are endangered by their length and 
weight. The dry weather is greatly favouring thrips 
and if these are to be kept off Azaleas, continual 
syringing will be necessary .—A .S.G. 
-o fi - - ■ 
VEGETABLE CALENDAR. 
The month of August is an important one in connec¬ 
tion with the kitchen garden, as some of the main 
spring crops will depend on the sowings made during 
the present month. A few days or a week’s delay in 
sowing spring crops is not of much importance, but 
in the case of sowings made during autumn the 
exact times should be adhered to as closely as 
possible. In some cases two sowings may be neces¬ 
sary ; as a very favourable growing time may bring 
on the earliest sowings into too forward a state for 
standing the winter. 
Positions should now be selected for seed beds for 
Lettuce, Onions, and Cauliflowers, to stand the 
winter. In each case the ground should be carefully 
prepared, and a sheltered but open position selected 
to be in readiness when required for sowing. 
Spinach,—A good breadth of winter Spinach 
should be got in during the next week The ground 
for this crop should be rather light, and a good 
dressing of soot and well decayed manure will be a 
great advantage in keeping the plants in good growth 
and colour. The ground should be deeply dug, and 
the soot and manure thoroughly blended as the 
digging proceeds. Sow in drills about 14 in. apart, 
and soak the seed a few hours before sowing to 
ensure a more even germination. Another sowing 
should be made a fortnight later. 
Endive. — A last sowing of Green Curled and 
Batavian may be made now to stand the winter. 
Plant out from earlier beds as land becomes vacant, 
and tie up the earliest as soon as they are fit for 
blanching. 
Celery.— The season has been a trying one for 
this crop, but the earliest planted ought now to be fit 
for the final earthing up. A good soaking of manure 
water should be given to the roots previous to the 
operation; and if the ground on each side the rows 
is dressed with a good sprinkling of fresh lime and 
this well mixed with the soil when earthing up, it 
will greatly assist in getting clean growth, free from 
canker and the ravages of slugs. Later crops must 
be well attended with water, and light earthings up 
after a good watering will help to retain the moisture 
at the roots. Where the grub is troublesome the 
worst foliage should be removed and the other 
should be looked over carefully, crushing the grubs 
with the finger and thumbs. 
Tomatos. — Where these have been properly 
attended in the matter of thinning and watering, good 
crops of fruit are the result. Nothing will be gained 
by allowing them to make further growth, as fruit 
set after this date will have but a short season for 
swelling, and the ripening process will have to be 
finished under glass. Stop the plants just beyond a 
good raceme of flowers, and rynove all growths that 
shade the clusters of fruit now swelling. Feed the 
plants with liquid manure and remove all fruits that 
are colouring as this will greatly assist the later fruits 
to swell rapidly. 
Coleworts.— Advantage should be taken of every 
favourable opportunity to get out this crop. Any 
rough ground not likely to be wanted for choicer 
crops, such as Lettuces, should be filled up with Cole- 
worts, as they soon turn into use, and the ground is 
free again for digging and trenching duriDg the late 
winter months. 
Carrots. —A bed of early Horn sown on a warm 
border at this season often proves very useful during 
the winter and spring months. A sowing of Turnips 
may also be made, as with a favourable autumn nice 
roots will be formed, and, should the winter not 
prove very severe, they will retain their freshness 
for some time before running to seed in spring.— 
J. R. 
