THE GARDENING WORLD 
511 
April 11, 1896. 
hundreds of different species and varieties to be 
found flourishing in his grounds. His thorough 
acquaintance with the habits and character of so 
many plants, gathered as they are from all parts of 
the world, is simply marvellous. 
Mr. Cuthbertson has been for a number of years a 
Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society, though 
the meetings and shows of the society have never been 
favoured, so far as we have observed, with any of 
his exhibits, distance, no doubt, standing in the 
way. 
We hope he may yet become a frequent exhibitor ; 
and we venture to say that when he does put in an 
appearance he will receive what we know he well 
deserves—a hearty welcome from bis brethren in the 
South. 
-• » « - > 
NOTES ON CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
The busy season is almost at hand, and growers of 
Chrysanthemums in any quantity will find they are 
a heavy task in themselves. However, a great help 
to success can always be found in following a few 
well-devised rules—that is, providing the main know¬ 
ledge is not wanting. Those who have kept their 
young plants in any house possessing a close atmos¬ 
phere have not started at the right end. An open 
position away from any shade is the place for them. 
A watchful eye should be kept on cats, hens, etc., to 
prevent them from getting among the plants, or 
some variety may be stopped or completely ruined 
before its time. Of course this is what the writer 
has to contend against. Plenty there are who would 
rather keep the frames tight than run any risk of 
such a fatality. This need not be. Wire trellis can 
now be bought at almost any price, according to the 
size of mesh, and this is no serious consideration. 
If the framework is just covered with wire the lights 
can be dispensed with, except in the case of wind 
and signs of frost. Ask any grower the difference 
between a cool-frame-struck Chrysanthemum and 
one rooted in the box in the stove with a sheet of 
glass over it, or, may be, in the propagating case. It 
will not do to indulge in practice like the following:— 
“ I think there is no frost to-night, and will risk 
my Mums," or a hundred chances to one you will 
be caught, and endless disappointments will be 
caused.— J. G. Pettinger, Strawberrv Dale Nursery, 
Harrogate. 
Early Pot Vines. —Directly the berries show signs 
of colouring, the giving of manure water must be 
only exercised with great caution, and before long 
should entirely cease. In order that the Grapes 
shall possess a high degree of flavour, it is necessary 
that they should be ripened in a dry atmosphere. 
The dampings down, which, hitherto, have been 
regularly given, should, therefore, be knocked off 
entirely. Only clear water should be applied to the 
roots, and this in very limited quantities, as the pro¬ 
cess of ripening goes on. At the same time, rather 
more air must be given, and the bottdm ventilators 
should be left open all night. 
Early Permanent Vinery. —The stoning period 
will now be over, and the berries will soon be com¬ 
mencing to turn colour. The most critical part of 
the year is, therefore, over with them, for any little 
carelessness or neglect when stoning is going on, is 
invariably productive of a great deal of harm. The 
temperature here should range from 65° to 70° by 
night, rising to 8o° by day. The house must be shut 
up fairly early in the afternoon, walls and passages 
receiving a thorough damping at the same time. The 
evaporating pans connected with the hot-water pipes 
may be kept filled with liquid manure. 
Succession Houses. —As soon as the vines in 
these houses are in flower, the atmosphere must be 
kept somewhat drier than usual. Go over the rods 
about the middle of the day and give them a smart 
tap or shake to assist pollination. It is very neces¬ 
sary to give the flowers some assistance of this kind, 
especially varieties that are naturally shy setters. 
The temperature should be kept up to about 65 s by 
night all through the flowering period, with a 
substantial rise during the day. 
Late Houses. —Here the work of tying down the 
young shoots will be actively in progress. The 
necessity for the same care as to the exercise of 
undue pressure upon the shoots as was touched upon 
when dealing with the tying down of the growths 
upon the earlier vines will be required here. When 
the bunches make their appearance, the work of 
thinning them out must be looked to—of course, 
leaving those for preference that are nearer to the 
main stem, in cases where two bunches are borne by 
the same shoot. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— The tying-in and 
regulation of the growths will need proper attention 
here, for nothing looks worse than to see Peach trees 
with the shoots twined in and out among the wires, 
and pressed hard against the glass, or wandering 
about at their own sweet will as it were. The trees 
must be gone over at intervals, and all shoots that 
are needed for succession trained in their proper 
places. Once the process of stoning is completed, a 
higher temperature than formerly may be main¬ 
tained. The thermometer should not be allowed to 
all below 6o° Fahr. by night and may rise to 75’ on 
bright sunny days. Plenty of air must be given in 
the forenoon especially, but the house should be shut 
up rather early in the day. The syringe, as a matter 
of course, must be plied vigorously night and morn¬ 
ing, soft water only being used. Should any further 
thinning of the fruit be required, it may be given 
now. It is, of course, not safe to give the final 
thinning until after stoning is completed, more 
especially in dealing with those trees which are 
known to have a tendency to thus prematurely drop 
their fruits. The amount of fruit that is ultimately 
left to ripen, must, of course, depend upon a number 
of conditions—for the particular purposes for which 
the fruit is destined, whether for show or ordinary 
consumption, and the character of the variety and 
vigour of the especial tree operated on, have all to be 
taken into account. Generally speaking, however, 
one fruit to each square foot of space is a fair crop, 
although this is subject to a great deal of modifi¬ 
cation in accordance with the requirements of the 
factors previously stated. 
Succession Houses. —In these, the fruit will be 
about the size of marbles, and the first thinning may 
accordingly be given. The tying-in of the growths 
which are to bear next year’s fruit must be com¬ 
menced early enough. If any of the shoots that were 
left at the last winter’s pruning for fruit bearers have 
not proved to be fertile, and are not needed to extend 
the branch, they may be cut back to the lower 
young shoot borne by them, or, in the case of this 
being absent, to within half an inch of their bases. 
A temperature of from 50° to 55 0 by night, rising to 
6o° or 65° by day, with air, will be quite sufficient 
here for the present. 
In the late houses, the trees must be carefully 
watched for the appearance of black fly, which in 
many establishments turns up in strong numbers at 
this time of the year. The best way to check it when it 
is only observed to be present on one or two branches 
is to dip the affected parts in a fairly strong solution 
of tobacco water. If it gets a hold, however, fumiga¬ 
tion must be promptly resorted to. Continue to re¬ 
move all unnecessary growths by degrees, and before 
they have attained any great size. 
Cherries. —The syringe should be started 
vigorously to work upon these as soon as the fruit is 
well set. This will knock off all the old blossoms 
and help to keep away the black fly which is so 
partial to them. It will not be advisable to do 
anything towards the thinning of the fruit, for 
Cherries under glass, be they grown never so 
carefully, are usually addicted to the practice of 
dropping their fruit when stoning. Keep the house 
in which the trees are growing perfectly cool, as 
Cherries cannot bear much forcing. At the same 
time cold draughts must be avoided very carefully. 
Cucumbers in Frames. —The present is a very 
favourable time for the making up of hot-beds upon 
which any cold frames that chance to be vacant 
may be placed for the accommodation of Cucumbers. 
Such hot-beds should not be less than 4 ft, in thick¬ 
ness, and if sufficient fermenting material is forth¬ 
coming, 5 ft. will be better than 4 ft. A barrow-load 
of good soil placed in the centre of each light will 
suffice for the present, a further top-dressing being 
given when the plants have become established. A 
couple of plants should be put in each light. One 
would be sufficient to fill the space ultimately, but 
the two yield quicker results. The plants should be 
stopped at the second leaf and the four shoots 
resulting trained to each of the four corners of the 
light. Careful shading during bright weather and a 
liberal supply of water at all times, combined with 
plenty of heat, are the essentials to successful 
Cucumber culture. Rollisson's Telegraph and 
Tender and True are both excellent sorts for frame 
work. 
Tomatos that have been utilised for winter fruiting 
may now be taken out of the house in which they 
have passed the winter. The house should then 
receive a thorough washing and cleaning so as to 
put things in readiness for the next batch. A number 
of strong young plants in 32-sized pots will have 
been the outcome of seed sown in the middle of 
February. These may now be potted on into 10-in. 
pots, a size which is quite large enough for all 
purposes. Drain the pots well, use a compost of 
equal parts of good loam and well-rotted manure, 
with river sand, and above all, pot firmly. The 
rammer, indeed, may be used almost ad. lib., without 
fear. Nothing tends so much to stocky, short- 
jointed growth as firm potting. For varieties, a 
selection may be made from the following :—Ham 
Green, Hathaway’s Excelsior, Frogmore Prolific, 
Duke of York, and Golden Queen.— A. S. G. 
Oncidiums. —Next to the Odontoglossums, these are 
the best and most beautiful Orchids grown. The 
treatment, too, in a great many cases, is similar to that 
afforded the Odontoglossums. There are nearly 300 
species, but as may be expected, quite two thirds of 
them are only known by description, and are rarely 
found in collections unless it is where botanical gems 
find a place. I shall, therefore, only treat of those 
showy kinds that are most generally grown. We 
all, I suppose, have our favourites; speaking for 
myself, I should certainly give O. macranthum the 
preference over all others. In this particular 
variety the combination of colours is, I think, some¬ 
thing grand. Another great thing in its favour is 
that it does not require much heat; there is no 
better place for the plants than'the cool house, and 
if they are placed close to the door so as to get a little 
extra air when it is opened and shut, so much the 
better. 
The compost should consist of peat and moss in 
equal parts. The pots may be of rather large 
dimensions, as being plants that make large fleshy 
roots, they do not do so well if too much confined; 
on this account the material should not be pressed 
too firmly about them. Keep the newly-potted 
plants in position with a neat stake. 
O. marshallianum is another beautiful Orchid 
which has become somewhat scarce in collections, 
through being subjected to too much heat on the one 
hand, and, on the other, being allowed to carry an 
enormous spike until the flowers fade. The best 
position during summer is undoubtedly the Odonto- 
glossum house, where it should be so placed that it 
gets all the light possible. Baskets or rafts are most 
suitable for it, with the usual compost. Then we 
have the pretty little O. concolor which requires 
similar treatment; and the beautiful O. varicosum 
Rogersii which, however, requires the temperature of 
the Cattleya house to winter in, whilst doing well 
enough when grown cool during the summer months. 
O. tigrinum is another splendid cool house Oncidium, 
but as it is still resting it can stand over till another 
time. 
O. ampliatum majus, now pushing spikes, is 
another that no one that has a stove can do without, 
if their aim is to cultivate all the finest Orchids ; but 
unless it can be afforded plenty of heat, it, like the 
fine O. lanceanum is always a source of trouble to 
the grower. They exist in an intermediate 
temperature, and that is about all. 
O. crispum is another handsofhe species, but one 
that is difficult to keep in good health for long. It is 
a free bloomer, and here, perhaps, is the cause of its 
soon dwindling away. Baskets or blocks suit this 
species best as it cannot stand much compost about 
the roots. The plants must have copious supplies of 
water at the root when growing, and at no time can 
they put up with being allowed to shrivel. A 
position near the glass in the Cattleya house is best 
for them at all seasons.— C. 
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