314 
Jan. 17th, 1885. 
too cool and airy to allow them to open their flowers 
to perfection. But it must be borne in mind, after 
the flowering is over, that those which have been 
placed in heat should not then be returned to cool 
quarters, but be kept growing on in a suitable tempera¬ 
ture, till the advance of the season has rendered their 
old quarters congenial to their requirements. 
The plants may be potted just as they are starting 
into growth, or after the growth is completed and 
ripened. The former time is the best, but it is some¬ 
times more convenient to perform the operation at the 
latter period. Epiphyllums do not require much pot- 
room, nor do they like to be disturbed at the roots. 
Once in two or three years is quite often enough to 
repot them. Various composts are used to grow them 
in by different cultivators, some using a large 
percentage of lime rubble, but I fail to see the 
advantage of so much of this, if the pots are well 
drained in the following manner :—Prepare the 
broken crocks by passing them, first through the inch 
sieve, next through the half-inch and then the quarter- 
inch sieve. The crocks that are left in each sieve after 
the smaller ones have passed through to the next will 
form the three sizes for crocking. Place the largest 
at the bottom of the pot, the next size over them, 
and the smallest on the top, with a little rough peat 
over the whole, to keep the soil from getting among 
the drainage. , If the pots are crocked in the above 
manner, the following compost will be found to 
suit the plants :—Three parts turfy loam, to one of 
peat, one of leaf soil, one of lime rubble, and plenty 
of sharp sand. No manure will be required if the 
plants receive an occasional application of liquid 
manure, while they are making their growth. 
Prom the time they have completed their growth 
till they begin to grow again they should be kept 
rather dry at the roots, but at no time should they be 
kept dry enough to cause them to shrivel. Epiphyllums 
are generally propagated by grafting, to which I shall 
presently allude, but it is a good plan to put in a batch 
of cuttings, which should be taken while they are 
making their growth, with a portion of firm wood at 
the base, inserted in small 60’s and placed in a 
warm moist house, and when rooted potted on as 
required. They will then make nice useful plants for 
placing in positions where their flowers can droop 
over the sides of stages or be suspended in baskets. 
Grafting can be performed at any time, provided 
the plants from which the grafts are taken and those 
used for stocks are placed in heat a week or ten days 
before that operation is performed, which, after all, is a 
most simple one, the chief essential to success being to 
have a sharp knife that will make a clean cut. There are 
various modes of grafting, but for this purpose I have 
found crown and saddle grafting the best—the former 
to be adopted for the larger, and the latter for the 
smaller shoots. Crown grafting is performed in this 
way: First cut the stock down to the required height, 
then make a split in the centre about an inch in 
length, and remove a small slice on either side of the 
split so that the stock is of the right form to receive 
the wedge-shaped graft. Next select a small shoot for 
the scion with two or three joints, giving preference to 
those shoots that are firm at the base, as it will be 
found that the central rib contains more woody matter 
than do soft shoots, and there is no danger of their 
shrivelling before the union is effected. All the pre¬ 
paration that these shoots require is to take a slice off 
each side of their central rib so as to make them 
wedge-shaped; fit them into the prepared stocks and 
bind uj> carefully but firmly with soft matting, then 
tie some damp moss over the part that has been 
worked, and the operation is completed. 
For saddle grafting the stock should be cut into the 
shape of a wedge, and the mid rib of the scion slit 
and fitted on to the stock, and tied up with matting 
and moss as in the other case. The moss should be 
kept damp with the syringe till the grafts begin to 
grow, when it should be removed. The best stock to 
use is the Pereskia, but they will do very well grafted 
on Cactus speeiosissimus. 
Training may be carried out in many ways to suit 
the fancy of the cultivator and the purposes for which 
the plants are required. They are very useful when 
grafted on stems from 6 ins. to 2 ft. in height, and 
trained to umbrella-shaped trellises ; treated in this 
way then- flowers show off to advantage when seen 
studding the surface of the trellis and drooping in rich 
clusters around. Another good plan is to graft the 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
stocks at several places up the stems, putting a 
pyramidal-shaped trellis over them, to train the 
shoots to as they extend. They also make useful 
plants when grown from one graft, worked on stocks 
of various heights, and allowed to grow on without 
any training. I would advise any one who has a few 
plants of either of the stocks above mentioned to get 
them into heat at once and treat them in the way 
described, and I am confident they will be well repaid 
for their trouble when they have grown the plants 
into a good flowering size.— H. Dunkin. 
- - - 
THE OLDFIELD NURSERIES, 
ALTRINCHAM. 
The Oldfield Nurseries of Messrs. William Clibran 
& Son are situated on the south side of Manchester, 
sufficiently far away to escape the smoke and injurious 
vapours of the cotton metropolis, and yet near enough 
to be easily reached by road or rail. Altrincham and 
Bowdon have long enjoyed the reputation of being 
situated in one of the most healthy and delightful 
districts in the vicinity, and certainly the size and 
vigour of the fine old trees in Dunham Park is a 
standing proof of the reputation being well deserved. 
In such a locality these nurseries are placed, not all 
in one spot, for additions have continually been made, 
and fresh situations secured as the need for such 
extensions has arisen. The glass erections are at 
the original Oldfield Nursery, where in former days 
a small number sufficed, but fresh ranges are now 
being put up, as it is found that the demand for 
cut flowers and soft wooded stuff, together with the 
ordinary run of stove and greenhouse plants, ferns, 
&c., is so great that every season the houses are 
found unable to meet the requirements of the 
business. 
The number of flowering plants raised and distri¬ 
buted in the course of a single season is immense, 
and now that a new business house has been opened 
in Market Street, Manchester, where all kinds of cut 
flowers may be obtained, extra care and attention are 
required to keep this branch well stocked with choice 
things. The houses at the present time are filled with 
plants in a waiting condition, as it were, but in a 
very short time every one will have to contribute 
largely to the increase of the spring and summer 
stock. On the roofs of some of them we observed 
good plants of Lapagerias, and in others, again, the 
same plant is being layered for young stock. Of 
Stephanotis floribunda and Jasminum graeillimum, 
the pure white flowers are in great demand. Ipomoea 
Thompsoni, Thunbergia Harrisii, Dipladenias, &c., 
are also grown largely for cut-flower purposes. Of 
Roses, a large stock of Teas are grown in pots. 
Marechal Niel, with rods from 12 ft. to 15 ft. long, 
is seen in fine health and condition; and a very 
large number of hybrid perpetuals are grown every 
season and easily disposed of. Small ferns are also 
raised by the thousand, Adiantum euneatum and 
A. Williamsii being two of the most popular. Another 
useful plant for producing white flowers is Rubus 
coronarius flora-plena, and it is very easily managed 
in a greenhouse if care be taken to keep the shoots 
well tied out. 
The beautiful greenhouse hybrid Rhododendrons 
are grown in quantities, as also are the forms known 
as Davies’ varieties, which bear, large sweet-scented, 
and mostly pure white flowers. Of Chrysanthemums 
about a thousand sorts are grown, two hundred of 
them being Japanese varieties. A number of new 
sorts from America are just now on their trial, and 
several have proved to be exceptionally good. Double- 
flowered Zonal Pelargoniums are also grown in 
quantities, and the two sorts most in request are F. 
V. Raspail and W. E. Gladstone. Among bedding 
Pelargoniums, Chelsea Gem is largely grown, also 
other sorts in quantity. Among plants seldom seen 
mention may be made of the following, which are 
grown largely and well: Linum trigynum, Clematis 
indivisa lobata, Hibbertia dentata, Bignonia jas- 
minoides rosea, Clematis Billardierii, Acacia pubeseens, 
A. affinis, A. Riceana, A. grandis, and A. longifolia 
magnifica. 
Large stocks of young Palms are raised every 
season, Kenteas and Cocos being chiefly in request, 
also Pandanus utilis, and Euterpe edulis. Of Spiraea 
japonica about fifty thousand clumps are forced 
every season, and of Lily of the Valley an immense 
stock of single crowns are used. On Christmas Day 
hundreds of spikes were ready for cutting, and all 
through the season they will be produced in quantities. 
Solanums, Cyclamens, Show Pelargoniums and 
Primulas have each one or more large low houses set 
apart for their special culture, and are in grand con¬ 
dition. The strain of Primula grown here is noted for 
its fine size, substance, colour, and form. Cinerarias 
and Calceolarias are done by thousands, and the former 
are just now coming into flower. Bouvardias, Tree 
Carnations, Heliotropes, and Begonias of the tuberous- 
rooted section, are also a great feature here. 
The grounds outside are not quite so interesting 
just at present, but the large stock of herbaceous and 
alpine plants will, in their season, afford much beauty 
and interest. The Phloxes, Delphiniums, Penstemons, 
Irises, &c., are of the choicest forms, being in great 
demand. Space will not allow of further enumeration, 
but sufficient has been said, I think, to give an idea 
of the extent and character of the business carried 
on by the Messrs. Clibran.—IT. Sican, Fallowfield. 
sf JTaltaa 
Seasonable Work in the Plant-houses.—All 
the different sections of Pelargoniums should have 
attention now. The early flowering French varieties 
will want tying out, and where the pots are well filled 
with roots they should be supplied with manure water, 
say, once a week, and later on a little oftener. In 
potting on any for later blooming the addition of a 
little horn-manure will be found very beneficial. The 
Cape species should now be potted into their flowering- 
pots, but the compost for these should not be too rich 
or they will make too much growth, and will not flower 
so freely. To flower these successfully it is also neces¬ 
sary that they should be grown fully exposed to the 
sun, and those with the thick fleshy stems should be 
watered very sparingly. The ivy-leaved sorts (any old 
plants that are to be grown on) should be shaken out 
and potted back into smaller pots where necessary. 
The same compost as used for the French varieties 
will suit these very well. After they are potted they 
will root and start into growth more freely if they are 
placed in a house that is kept close, and at rather a 
higher temperature than the ordinary greenhouse. 
Cuttings that were rooted in the autumn should also 
be potted off as early as possible. The single white 
varieties of the ivy-leaved Pelargoniums are very nice 
for window-box work, and where extra stock for this 
purpose is required, cuttings put in now and grown on 
in heat will make nice plants for the purpose. 
Autumn-struck cuttings of Zonal varieties should be 
potted off as soon as opportunity will allow, and if 
grown on in a warm house or pit, as close to the glass 
as possible, will make nice plants for early flowering 
in pots. 
->£-<- 
Turves and Moss v. Pots.—Mr. H. Dunkin's 
instructive note on the advantages of growing young 
bedding Pelargoniums in turves in preference to pots is 
to the point, but, as Mr. Gilbert says at p. 283, it is not 
every gardener who can procure the tough fibrous turf 
which he so well describes, and if he can it is generally 
put to a different purpose than growing bedding 
Pelargoniums in. I think that if I were to attempt 
to claim advantages for pots as compared with moss 
(the turves I have never had at my disposal) they 
would far outweigh those that can be claimed for 
mossing. In the spring, when the bulk of this work 
is performed, all who have had to assist in the 
preparation of the plants for a large flower-garden 
are aware of the shifting and changing about from 
place to place that is necessary, first to- ensure a start 
in root action after being disturbed, and next to 
gradually harden them until they will eventually 
stand out-of-doors. This has to be performed often 
with very moderate conveniences, and it is often the 
case that positions can be found for pots where boxes 
would not stand. With regard to putting crocks in 
pots for bedding plants that are not to stand in the 
same more than a few weeks, I would say, Why use 
them at all, while a handful of the roughest of the 
compost will suffice if the pots do not stand on flat 
boards or soil, in which case they might become water- 
