232 
December, 11, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Hints for Amateurs. 
THE GREENHOUSE, 
At this time of the year, and, in fact, right through 
the winter months, the amateur's greenhouse con¬ 
tains a more than usually heterogeneous collection 
of plants, which are brought into the glasshouses 
from all parts of the garden, and various corners of 
cold frames, where experience has taught they cannot 
be wintered with safety. Subjects which have done 
duty in the flower garden during the past summer 
often bulk largely in the arrangements. These may 
include specimen zonal and Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, 
Heliotropes, and Fuchsias ; also such foliage plants 
as Aralia Sieboldii, or such aquatics as the blue 
African Water Lily, Agapanthus umbellatus, whnh 
require a little protection to tide over the rigours of 
our winters. 
In addition to these there is often next year’s 
supply of recently struck cuttings of bedding plants 
to find room for somewhere or somehow. Hard 
wooded subjects like Azaleas, Camellias, and 
Acacias also claim a share, and often a good one, of 
the available space. 
Then, of course, there are bulbs of various kinds 
in pots and in different stages of growth which the 
owner is depending upon to produce a bit of bloom 
after the turn of the year. Usually a few Cinerarias, 
Cyclamen, and Primulas are included, together with 
a number of waifs, strajs, and nondescripts, repre¬ 
senting a fairly wide range of plant life, but all of 
which have some value in the owner’s eyes. 
To be able to accommodate such a host of unlike 
material in one house is, indeed, a task, and yet no 
power on earth will induce the every-day amateur to 
abate his pretentions or lessen his ccllection by a 
single plant, until, perhaps, in sheer desperation that 
plant solves the difficulty by dying, whilst others 
linger on in an abject and miserable condition. 
By dint of a systematic arrangement of the various 
elements of the collection, however, a good deal may 
be done to improve matters. Every greenhouse 
should be fitted with shelves in addition to the ordin¬ 
ary stages. These shelves may be constructed and 
fitted in such a way that they may be taken out 
during the summer or whenever they are not 
required. At this time of the year they are of the 
utmost service, and it is not too much to say that a 
house fitted with them renders double the service to 
one that is not supplied with this convenience. 
Now a word as to the general management of the 
greenhouse before we go on to deal with the special 
requirements of the most important subjects. A 
minimum temperature of 40° Fahr. by night during 
the winter will be found the most suitable During 
mild weather the glass may stand 2° cr 3 0 higher 
than this without any danger. The day temperature 
may rise from 5 0 to io° higher than the night tem¬ 
perature, but the latter rise will only take place 
during very bright sunny weather, when there 
is little or no wind. If we get continuous frosty 
weather during the next six weeks it is more than 
probable that therew would not be 5 0 difference 
between the night and day temperatures. The 
moral of all this is, therefore, that any figures which 
can be given cannot be taken as being absolute, but 
must be taken rather as the basis of treatment. 
Ventilation.—Many people run off with the idea 
that it is only in the warm weather that houses want 
airing, and they proceed to neglect entirely to venti¬ 
late their glasshouses any more than in the casual 
way of opening and shutting the door upon entry. 
This a great mistake, for the atmosphere of the house 
should be changed regularly. Of course, a properly 
constructed house is not air-tight, and the interstices 
between the laps of the glass act like a number of 
little ventilators, but, excepting in very severe 
weather, more than this is required. The side 
lights of most houses are movable, but these should 
be kept closed through the winter. The top or roof 
lights may be opened occasionally if the day be 
favourable, but in this case they should only be 
opened on the sunny side of the house. The bottom 
ventilators, on the other hand, must be freely usecU 
Here the air they admit passes over the hot-water 
pipes in its passage into the house, and becomes 
warmed in its journey, so that there is no danger of 
injury to the plants from direct contact with cold 
air. 
Watering.—This presents one of the most difficult 
problems for the amateur to tackle. It must be 
borne in mind that in the majority of cases the 
plants are in a comparative state of rest, and less 
water will be needed as a consequence. Then again, 
there will be less evaporation of water from the soil, 
as the air being at a low temperature cannot contain 
so much moisture as it does when it is warmer. 
Generally speaking, therefore, all plants may be kept 
drier during the winter than in the spring and 
summer. No plant should be watered because it 
may need water to-morrow. Wait until to-morrow 
in such a case. All watering should be done in the 
forenoons, and a bright day should be chosen if 
possible. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12 noon 
will be found the best time of the day for wielding 
the watering-can. The moisture will then, to a large 
extent, have become dissipated by nightfall. 
Now as to the disposition of the plants in the 
house; we will take the shelves first of all. Upon 
these may be placed any of the smaller plants that 
require to be brought up close to the glass, but 
which, at the same time, will not need to be watered 
very often. 
These conditions apply particularly to autumn- 
struck cuttings of the tender sorts of zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums which are to be used for bedding next year. 
Such varieties as Creed’s Seedling, Mrs. Pollock, 
Mrs Henry Cox, and Crystal Palace Gem like just 
such a situation as this. Before they are consigned 
to the shelves, if the cuttings are fairly well rooted, 
all the old leaves and any flower buds which may be 
showing themselves should be picked off. Very 
little water indeed will be required. Old plants 
which have been cut back may be gone over again 
with a sharp knife or pair of scissors, and any pieces 
that have damped off cut out. No water at all will 
be needed for several weeks to come. No matter if 
the soil does look jdry, it is fir better for it to be so 
than wet. 
Lobelia cuttings may also be placed on the 
shelves. Keep a special lookout for damp among 
these, although damp will be even a worse enemy 
amongst the old plants which were lifted and potted 
up at the end of October to furnish cuttings for 
stock next spring. 
Freesias are just now growing away freely. 
These will do well on a shelf, for they like plenty of 
light. The plants have now reached a size when 
staking will be necessary. For plants which are to 
be grown in the ordinary way, the quickest and 
easiest way to afford the necessary support is to 
insert about four small neat stakes from 6 in. to 8 in. 
in length around the sides of the pot, and pass a 
strand of raffia round them. Special plants may 
have a small stake placed to each of the strongest 
growths. A little weak guano manure may be given 
as soon as the flower scapes make their appearance. 
Keep a smart look-out for greenfly. 
Cinerarias—Until quite recently these plants 
have been accommodated in cold frames, but they 
should have now been brought into safer quarters. 
Group these together also, but try and manage so 
that they are not in close proximity to the hot-water 
pipes, oilstove, or whatever other heating apparatus 
is employed. Cinerarias do not like fire-heat, and 
thus if there is a part of the house cooler than 
another let them have it. If the plants are strong 
and healthy a fair amount of water will be needed, 
and a little weak farmyard manure may be given 
about once a week to the most forward plants. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias.—Of all the green¬ 
house plants which may be grown by amateurs 
possessing a little glass there is none more beautiful 
than the herbaceous Calceolarias. Visitors to the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s show in the Temple 
Gardens kriow full well what a lot of splendid Cal¬ 
ceolarias are staged there yearly. Such a sight as 
they present undoubtedly induces many people to 
make an attempt to grow them, but, unfortunately, 
there are many failures, and this usually from very 
simple causes. The most common mistake made is 
coddling the plants. A sojourn in a dry, warm house 
will most assuredly spoil the best plants, for they 
become drawn, etiolated weaklings that never subse¬ 
quently develop into good plants, no matter how 
well they may be treated in the spriDg. The winter 
months constitute the really critical time. A capital 
place for the plants now is a shelf near the glass, 
where they will get plenty of light. If possible 
place a layer of ashes half an inch or so in depth for 
the pots to rest on. This holds the moisture better. 
and is more kindly than the bare wood. In watering 
use cold, soft water if obtainable, but no liquid 
manure of any sort, for the plants are in a state of 
semi quiescence, and nothing should be done to 
unduly disturb them for the time being —Rex. 
-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page ” on the top of their letters. 
Rose for Pillar.— Y. wishes to plant a Rose to 
train up a series of short iron pillars connected with 
chains which run across the bottom of his garden. 
We should recommend the variety Flora as being the 
most suitable for the purpose. It is a very profuse 
flowerer, and resists the smoke remarkably well. 
Visitors to Kew will remember what splendid effects 
are produced each year at Kew by ibis pretty Rose. 
CoYering Tea Roses. — Rosa, Richmond, Yorks. We 
should certainly advise you to follow the example of 
your neighbour and cover your Tea Roses at once 
The winters in your locality are often severe, and the 
winds are especially keen and cold. Dry bracken 
will be found a cheap and efficient covering. 
Crested Cyclamen. — A. Marney sends blooms of 
Cyclamen which have a crest upon one of the petals. 
It is now a not uncommon occurrence to find 
crested Cyclamen, although they are of comparatively 
recent introduction. Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., of 
Bush Hill Park, Enfield, have given a good deal of 
attention to Cyclamen, and that pretty variety Bush 
Hill Pioneer is an excellent instance of crested petals. 
This variety is white, but the Messrs. Low have also 
pink and red crested forms. 
New Chrysanthemum. — W. Forbes. Write to any 
of the leading Chrysanthemum specialists, and send 
samples of the flowers. If the variety promises to be 
a good one you would then have no difficulty in dis¬ 
posing of the whole stock at a fair price. 
Cheap Chrysanthemums. —Amateur wishes to com¬ 
ment upoa the very low prices at which cuttings of lead¬ 
ing varieties of Chrysanthemums are offered in some 
quarters, and asks if the material is good, and if the 
vaiieties can be depended on as being true to name. 
We have no knowledge of the tradesmen alluded to, 
and consequently cannot speak definitely of the kind 
of stuff they supply, but the prices are certainly too 
low to expect much, for it is an expensive undertaking 
to keep up a large collection of varieties true to name, 
and in sufficient quantities to supply orders. 
Acacias for Greenhouse. —Please name three of 
the best Acacias for greenhouse .—C , Reading. 
Acacia armata, A. Drummondi, and A. riceanaare 
three of the handsomest and most serviceable. A. 
dealbata is also well worth growing. 
Specimen Plants of Mignonette — A. Marney. In 
order to obtain good specimens you must, for the 
present, keep all the flowers pinched out as fast as 
they show themselves. The growths must be tied 
neatly out to stakes so as to cover a large area. A 
night temperature of from 45 0 to 50° Fahr. will suit 
the plants admirably. 
Chrysanthemum Western King.—/. O .: This 
variety is of American origin, and was sent out by 
Mr. Nathan Smith, Adrian, Mich., U.S.A. We 
find that it has obtained a First-class Certificate in 
this country from the hands of the National Chrys¬ 
anthemum Society on October 28th, 1896. 
The Chinese Sacred, or Jos, Lily is a bulb of 
exceedingly easy culture, C. Mearns. In China and 
Japan it is grown in bowls filled with pebbles and 
water, and may be treated in the same way here. 
Soil, cocoanut fibre refuse, or Jadoo fibre, may be 
employed if desired. The temperature of a warm 
greenhouse suits it well. The bulbs each throw 
several flower scapes, each scape carrying a number 
of flowers. Occasionally some of the stronger 
bulbs produce ecormous quantities of flowers. The 
