February 2, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
359 
cases the temperature must be governed by the 
weather, as no hard or fast rule can be laid down 
regarding it, no absolute standard can be kept up, as 
to do so means waste of fuel and direct injury to the 
plants. 
Allamandas. —These beautiful stove plants are 
among the most freely growing, stove flowering 
subjects we have, and when they are in anything like 
health make a lot of wood during the season. If 
they have not already been pruned, no time must be 
lost in attending to them. They should be cut back 
to within one or two joints of the previous season s 
wood. If young plants are desired, the tops of the 
prunings, comprising three or four joints, may be 
put in as cuttings. Insert them singly in thumb-pots, 
pressing the compost, which should be very light in 
character, as firmly round them as possible. The 
pots may be plunged in a brisk bottom heat of from 
75° to 8o° Fahr., a few weeks’ time being sufficient 
to cause them to send out roots, the tops bursting 
into growth at the same time. Allamandas need to be 
kept well on the dry side during the winter months, 
and no water should be given plants which have been 
pruned until growth commences, when it must be 
cautiously applied. 
Poinsettias.— Old plants of these which are past 
their beauty should be cut down without delay, and 
removed to a cooler house to rest awhile. Other 
plants which were cut down earlier may be given 
water and induced to break into growths which will 
be required for cuttings later on. 
Potting.— This may be commenced now as soon 
as thought fit, supposing a plentiful supply of suit¬ 
able soil, clean pots, etc., to be in readiness. The 
larger specimens may be operated on first of all, 
whilst any plants which have been pruned or headed 
back should remain until they commence to start 
into fresh growth before being touched. 
Palms.— These are some of the most important 
of our stove foliage plants, a fact not greatly to be 
wondered at when we consider their gracefulness of 
habit, their robust constitution, and the easiness 
with which they may be cultivated. In potting them 
it is important that as small pots as practicable 
should be used, as they invariably do better thus, 
and their usefulness as decorative plants for the 
dinner table or for kindred purposes is greatly in¬ 
creased. The compost should consist of two parts 
of good loam to one of peat, with plenty of sharp 
sand. Do not mutilate the roots any more than is un¬ 
avoidable when shifting ; press the soil down firmly 
around them, but do not fill the pots too full. They 
require plenty of water at all times, and space must 
therefore be left so that a sufficient quantity may be 
readily administered. 
Greenhouse and Cool Conservatory. 
As the sun acquires power, a watchful eye must be 
kept upon the temperature, and air must be admitted 
soon enough in the morning, or the thermometer may 
run up higher than is desirable, the effect of the too 
high temperature being to shorten the life of many 
of the flowers. The house should be looking gay 
and bright, as there are numbers of plants which, 
by a little judicious forcing, may be had in bloom at 
this season. 
Cyclamens. —These fine old favourites are a host 
in themselves, and their beautifully mottled leaves 
and brilliantly coloured flowers are always admired. 
Occasional doses of weak liquid manure may be 
given them, with an eye to assist them in the pro¬ 
duction of flowers. Any particularly fine blooms of 
these as well as of any good Primulas should be 
marked, so as to save the seed for future occasions. 
A small peg should be placed in the pot of such 
whose seed it is desired to save, as pencil marks upon 
the pots themselves are not to be depended upon, 
being extremely liable to be rubbed out. 
Camellias.— The sponging of the leaves of the 
late blooming plants of these must no longer be 
delayed, or it will be attended with great danger to 
the rapidly swelling buds. Attend carefully to the 
water supply, especially of those coming into bloom. 
Occasional application of liquid manure will benefit 
these latter considerably. 
BouvARDias that are past their flowering season 
may be cut down and removed to a vacant pit or frame 
to rest. Here they will need but little, if any, water 
for some time. Other plants which bloomed earlier 
and which were cut down a few weeks ago may be 
introduced into a gentle heat to furnish cuttings 
when required. 
Richardias. —These are frequently attacked 
during the spring months by the little pest green¬ 
fly, which greatly disfigures the leaves and often the 
flowers of the plant. Affected specimens may be 
carefully sponged, or if they have no flowers open 
upon them, may be removed and placed for a few 
hours in any pit or frame that is being fumigated. 
Pits and Frames. 
Continue to remove plants which have been forced 
to the show house as they come into bloom, filling 
their places with others which are to receive like 
attentions. The latest batches of Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Crocuses, etc., should be kept as cool as possible 
and allowed to come on naturally. The covering 
material must be taken off all pits and frames as 
early in the day as the state of the weather will 
permit so as to allow their inmates to get the benefit 
of all the light possible. Air must, however, be 
carefully administered during severe weather, 
especially to frames into which it is suspected that 
the frost has penetrated. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias.— Attend to the 
spacing out of these as the plants increase in size, 
and where a shift into larger pots is necessary it may 
be given as soon as desired. A compost of two-thirds 
of good fibrous loam to one of leaf mould, enough 
sand being added to add porosity to the soil, will 
answer admirably. The great enemy of the herba¬ 
ceous Calceolaria is green-fly, and light fumigations 
should be given before it becomes very bad. 
Fuchsias. —Plants that have been pruned and 
placed in a gentle heat to induce them to break into 
growth may, as soon as they have started well, be 
knocked out of their pots, as much of the old soil 
shaken from them as possible, and repotted into a 
smaller size. This will cause them to make roots 
freely, and will insure the possession of strong 
healthy plants. 
Bedding Stuff. —In many establishments it is 
the usual practice to save the old plants of bedding 
Pelargoniums and pot them roughly up upon the 
approach of winter. No matter how carefully they 
are treated, however, parts of them are sure to damp 
off. These affected portions should now be care¬ 
fully removed by means of a sharp knife, and a little 
increase of temperature given, to cause them to 
break away. The propagation of Verbenas, Lobelias, 
Ageratums, etc., must be proceeded with. As soon 
as there are sufficient cuttings upon the plants to 
form a nice little batch they should be inserted with¬ 
out delay, and the cutting pots plunged in a hot-bed 
or propagating frame as recommended in a previous 
calendar. 
Dahlias. —The roots of any new or rare varieties 
of which it is desired to increase the stock may be 
laid in boxes and covered roughly with soil, after¬ 
wards placing them in a warm pit. In such a 
situation they will soon start into growth. The cut¬ 
tings shonld be taken when abomt three inches in 
length, potted up singly into small pots and plunged 
in a brisk bottom heat.— A. S. G. 
* 
Cattleya House. —Leptotes bicolor, although not 
so attractive as are most of the Brazilian Orchids, 
is nevertheless valuable on account of its flowering 
during the winter months. Another recommendation 
is that it takes up but very little room, and is of easy 
culture under various conditions. No wonder, there¬ 
fore, that it is popular with most amateurs. It does 
well either when grown on blocks or in baskets, and 
very little material about their roots is required, but 
good peat and live moss should always be used. 
Being a short habited plant, with almost terete 
foliage, it naturally requires plenty of light and air, 
and no better place can be found for them than a 
position side by side with the white forms of Laelia 
anceps, which require plenty of sun to make them 
flower. During growth they require plenty of 
moisture at the roots, but during the resting season, 
very little water will be needed, as the nature of 
their growth enables them to keep plump a very long 
time without any moisture being directly afforded to 
them. Indeed, to keep them wet at all times of the 
year would mean bad health and perhaps ultimate 
decay. No one can do without rest, and if you 
study Orchids, or plants generally, closely you will 
find that their likes and dislikes very much resemble 
our own. 
Cool House.— Odontoglossum Hallii, now in 
flower, is one of the finest of the brown section, and 
very easy to grow, too, if given anything like a chance. 
It does very well in the same house as the O. 
crispums are grown in, but it requires a little more 
shade to be at home. The leaves are longer and 
more flimsy; the bulbs, too, are large and sappy, 
which to me seems to point to a shady position with 
plenty of moisture until the spikes appear, when the 
shading may be less and the atmosphere drier. 
When well grown they produce strong branching 
spikes 3 ft. and 4 ft. long, with two to three dozen 
handsome flowers. Imparted plants do not perhaps 
establish themselves quite as easily as the O. 
crispums, or make such large bulbs the first season, 
but the second year they seem to fairly jump, and 
make bulbs large enough to produce good strong 
scapes. 
Odontoglossum luteo purpureum. —This, like 
the preceding Odontoglossum, should be in every 
collection, and it requires similar treatment. Good 
fibrous peat and live sphagnum moss in about equal 
parts, with bits of crock inserted here and there as 
the potting proceeds, is all it requires to grow in, 
but when carrying large spikes of bloom a little 
stimulant in the way of weak manure water will be 
beneficial.— C. 
--j*- 
Seasonable Work. 
While the frost continues, press forward with get¬ 
ting manure out on to all vacant ground, in order 
that less time may be needed for such work when 
the frost breaks, for should this weather continue 
much longer, there will be many arrears that will 
require attention. Those who took the precaution 
to have a good stock of all kinds of roots such as 
Rhubarb, Asparagus, Seakale and Chicory lifted and 
got under cover, or the ground covered with litter to 
exclude the frost, will have no difficulty in drawing 
supplies to take the place of those that have become 
exhausted, or keepmg them up should the present 
severe weather continue a week or two longer. 
With from eighteen to twenty degrees of frost each 
night growth outside is at a standstill, therefore 
forced vegetables will bs in greater demand, and as 
these do not grow so freely in such weather as we 
have been experiencing, every attention must be paid 
to them in order that growth may not in any way 
receive a check. 
Potatos growing in heated pits will be greatly 
benefited by having the lights covered at nights to 
keep the frost from the glass. It is astonishing what 
a difference in the inside temperature is made by a 
slight covering. Asparagus should have all the 
light possible, otherwise it will not be tender. 
Therefore any covering put over the glass to exclude 
frost should be removed early in the morning. It is 
not often we have the weather so severe at such a 
late period, and many no doubt are ill-prepared, for 
a continuation, we may, however, have another 
weak or two, and if so, much work will be delayed. 
Peas should be sown in a gentle heat to briDg 
them forward, and when well through the soil, 
be removed to a cold frame or late peach house to 
harden off. 
Cauliflower that were sown about the middle of 
last month will be large enough tor pricking off and 
this should be looked to, for if allowed to remain in 
the seed pans damping is often the result. French 
Baans will need constant attention this severe 
weather, for owing to the pipes having to be raised 
to a greater heat to keep up the requisite degree of 
warmth, red spider will make its appearance unless 
kept in check by syringing. Make other sowings of 
thase to prevent any gaps in the supplies; as the 
weather will soon be getting warmer it will not be 
necessary to make such large sowings as the pods 
will set more freely. 
A sowing may be made of Tomitos for an early 
supply ; but where room is limited, and there is any 
possibility of the plants getting drawn before being 
planted it would be much better to defer sowing for 
another week or two. Plants already up should be 
kept near the glass to prevent spindly growth. 
When potting or planting make the soil firm round 
the roots, as this will in a great measure cause 
robustness by making the plants short-jointed. 
—Kitchen Gardeney. 
