December 17, 1&98. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
247 
and Campanula pyramidalis alba were in marked 
contrast to the inevitable Chrysanthemums, which 
occupied the high central staging. Ewen Cameron 
is a popular single variety of excellent dwarf habit, 
producing a great quantity of large white flowers. 
Chrysanthemum Maggie Blenkiron is a golden- 
bronze variety on which a brilliant crimson sport 
has made its appearance, and will be propagated to 
fix it as a new variety. 
The stove contains fine plants of the variegated 
Pineapple, richly coloured, large and well grown 
plants of Maranta sanderiana, Anthurium crystalli- 
num, Crotons, and other fine foliage subjects. Alla- 
manda Hendersonii covers a large part of the roof 
and flowers for nine out of the twelve months of the 
year. Orchids take their place here, and include 
Saccolabium giganteum in baskets suspended from 
the roof and already showing for flower. Dendro- 
bium Phalaenopsis schroderianum and Cypripedh;m 
Morganiae in bloom show that the gardener under¬ 
stands them. The latter carried three large and 
fully expanded blooms on a scape. 
-g — 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By the Editor. 
Autumn flowering Dendrobium nobile.—Mr. 
Geo. Russell, The Gardens, Redlands, Glasgow, 
sends us some trusses of a variety of Dendro¬ 
bium nobile which appears to flower regularly 
in autumn, as it was mentioned in our pages 
in a report of The Gardens, Williamswood, 
Kennishead, Glasgow, last year. Mr. Harry 
Reid, the gardener there, sent them to Mr. 
Russell to show how regularly the variety flowers in 
autumn without having been subjected to forcing 
in any way. The collection of Orchids at Williams¬ 
wood is both extensive and fine. With that above- 
mentioned and other varieties of D. nobile, Mr. Reid 
is able to keep up a succession of flowers till June, 
thus covering a period of eight out of twelve months 
in the year with one species alone. The atmosphere 
at Williamswood is much clearer than that at Red¬ 
lands,not far from the banks of the Kelvin, and quite 
within the radius of the smoke clouds of Glasgow, so 
that Mr. Russell of the latter establishment has no 
desire to see his plants of D. nobile in bloom till the 
month of March. 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
First-class Certificates were awarded to the two 
undermentioned Chrysanthemums by the Floral 
Committee of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
on the 6th inst.:— 
Red L. Canning. —That fine late white variety 
L. Canning is well known, and the form under notice 
has been named Red L. Canning owing to its simi¬ 
larity of growth and habit. The flowers, however, 
are stiffer, and not nearly so fine, or so freely pro¬ 
duced. The colour may be described as dull bronzy- 
red. For late work the variety should prove useful. 
Mr. A. Felgate, Kersham, Surrey. 
Madame R. Cadbury. —This is one of the finest 
varieties of the season, and if it preserves its late- 
flowering character it will have nothing to touch it 
on the show-board at the December shows. The 
blooms are pure white, and both in size and build 
bear a close resemblance to the earlier variety, Emily 
Silsbury, but the tips of the florets are more 
upturned, and the florets themselves are broader and 
more massive than in the latter variety. It is claimed 
also for Madame R. Cadbury that it is much easier 
to grow than Emily Silsbury. Mr. H. Weeks, 
gardener to Lady Byron, Thrumpton Hall, Derby. 
---~«®»- 
TUB Drclilfl Brower’s Calendar. 
East India House- —The Phalaenopses promise to 
make a grand display early in the new year, should 
the weather continue favourable. The spikes are not 
only plentiful, but are exceptionally strong, so much 
so that it may be advisable to relieve some of the 
smaller plants by removing one or two of the 
branches; the remaining flowers will be all the 
better for it, as well as the plants. 
The temperature of this division should be kept as 
even as possible, and should not go below 65°, any 
undue fluctuations being the chief cause of failure 
with this beautiful family. Ventilate judiciously, 
admitting air in small quantities by means of the 
openings close to the hot-water pipes, so that it may 
become warm before reaching the plants. Do what 
watering is necessary in the morning, so that by 
night the house may become moderately dry. 
Insects. —During the winter months there is 
always a danger of insect pests, to which almost all 
Orchids are heirs,increasing rapidly,if not well looked 
after, thrips, perhaps, being the most troublesome. 
Especially is this the case when hard forcing has to 
be resorted to. They attack the undersides of the 
Phalaenopsis leaves, and will soon do a lot of 
damage. The X L All vaporising Fumigator, how¬ 
ever, does its work so well that a thrippy leaf now 
is quite a rarity where the insecticide is used. 
Cockroaches. —This is another dangerous enemy 
the gardener has to contend with, and is not so easily 
got rid of. The stoke hole is a happy hunting 
ground for them, and as the warm division is nearest 
to it, there is always a danger of iheir getting into 
the houses. We have used all kinds of preparations, 
but must give preference to Penny’s Magic Beetle 
Paste. Put a little about on squares of glass, which 
are provided with each pot, and place some pans of 
water about for them to drink after eating the 
paste. You will find them all cleared off in a very 
short time. 
White Scale. —This is a troublesome customer, 
which generally attacks plants that are weakly. 
As yet we have not found any other means of getting 
rid of them than the old method of sponging with 
soft soap and water. There are, I know, stronger 
preparations, but for Orchids we fight shy of them, 
and are, at least in this respect, content to be con¬ 
sidered old fashioned. 
Brown Scale. —This is much easier to deal with, 
because it does not get down into the close-fitting 
bracts, as does the white kind. Its presence is soon 
discerned by the glossy and sticky substance on the 
foliage immediately underneath, which is more diffi¬ 
cult to remove than the scale itself. 
As there is a general suspension of potting opera¬ 
tions during the winter months, attention should be 
paid to the eradication of any of the above-mentioned 
pests, for there are not many of us that can boast of a 
collection absolutely free from insects of some kind 
or other.— C. 
TIE PUNT HOUSES. 
Pits and Frames. 
This department has a very vital influence upon the 
fortunes of the conservatory and the other show 
houses, and at no season of the year is there stagna¬ 
tion as far as work is concerned. Just now the 
forcing of the numerous subjects that are required 
for furnishing purposes is occupying a good deal of 
attention, for things move very slowly just now, and 
the gardener has to calculate very closely the time 
required for the various subjects concerned. 
Owing to the continued mildness of the weather 
many subjects are still in unheated pits and frames 
that are usually ere this consigned to safer quarters. 
A sharp look-out must be kept upon these, and 
the frames in which they are housed warmly 
covered up whenever there is the least sign of frost. 
Bedding Plants. —Give plenty of air to these, 
and be very careful with the watering-can. The 
soil may appear to be quite dry, but this will not 
matter; it is far better for it to be thus than wet, 
for the roots are not very active just now, and stag¬ 
nant soil means rotten roots, Give as much atten¬ 
tion as time will permit to the picking off of dead 
leaves and the removal of youDg flower buds, but 
special care is necessary in the case of cuttings to 
see that they are not so clumsily handled as to 
loosen their hold of the soil. Such delicately-con- 
stitutioned zonal Pelargoniums as Robert Fish, 
Creed's Seedling, Mr. Henry Cox, Mrs. Pollock, 
and Crystal Palace Gem should be removed to a 
warm pit, for they need a little heat to keep them 
growing through the winter. If left in a cold,damp pit 
or frame the proportion of deaths is sure to be heavy, 
and some little trouble may be occasioned in working 
up a big enough stock by planting-out time. 
Chrysanthemums. —The process of getting in the 
cuttings is now one of the most engrossing. The 
year has been prolific of novelties, which the ardent 
Chrysanthemiste will have a try to squeeze into the 
collection. This means one of three things—the 
collection must be increased, some old varieties 
must be discarded to make room for the new, or 
fewer plants of certain sorts must be grown. In 
most gardens the collections have already reached 
their limit with regard to size, and it is questionable 
policy to reduce the numbers of well-proven and 
valuable sorts for novelties of whose behaviour little 
is known. It means, therefore, that the list of varie¬ 
ties must be looked over and pruned very carefully, 
the less useful sorts being sent to the rubbish heap. 
The striking of the cuttings is not as a rule a 
difficult matter. The most successful method is to 
strike in a cool house, and not in heat as formerly. 
A capital plan is to place a number of headlights, 
like those used for covering Cauliflowers, on the 
stage in a greenhouse, standing these on boards or 
slates, and putting in a layer of about 4 in. of fine 
coal ashes for plunging purposes. The cuttings 
should be inserted singly in sandy soil in small 
thumb pots, the pots being plunged to the rims in 
the ashes. Keep the frames quite close for a few 
days, and then admit a little air, gradually increas¬ 
ing it as the cuttings can stand it. Be careful not 
to over-water, and remove instantly any cuttings 
that show signs of damping. CuttiDgs treated like 
this invariably do better than those struck in heat, 
for they make sturdier, closer-jointed plants. A list 
of varieties grown and the number of cuttings of 
each sort inserted should be kept, so that it can be 
told at a glance how matters stand with regard to 
any particular variety. 
Mignonette. —Plants that were potted up about 
the middle of November into 10-inch pots in order to 
make specimen bush plants must still have all the 
flowers picked off them as fast as they make their 
appearance. The [plants that have resulted from 
seed sown in 32's and 48’s in September as a suc¬ 
cession to that sown about the middle of August, 
should now be finally thinned down to three to a pot 
if this has not already been done. They do not 
require to be coddled, but should be allowed to come 
along quite naturally. A cold frame will suit them 
well enough, whilst the specimen plants will do 
better in a gentle heat, such as that afforded by a 
vinery just started. 
The Forcing Houses are the centre of activity, 
for here relays of Lilac, Staphyleas, Deutzias, 
Spiraeas, Azaleas, Lilies of the Valley, and Dutch 
bulbs of all descriptions must constantly be brought, 
the plants that have commenced to open their flower 
being taken off to the conservatory, after the neces¬ 
sary staking and tying have been done. As a rule 
about ten days should elapse between the intro¬ 
duction to heat of each batch of Hyacinths and 
Tulips. 
The frozen crowns of Lily of the Valley will be 
found to force more expeditiously than those which 
have not been subjected to the experience. Where 
table decoration is one of the most important of the 
gardener’s tasks it will be well to take advantage of 
the grand decorative qualities of the " Lily ” in other 
ways than simply growing the crowns on in ordinary 
pots Fancy wire cages and baskets are easily ob¬ 
tained. By lining these with moss and filling them 
with cocoanut fibre refuse to receive the crown some 
very handsome and comparatively uncommon 
objects may be obtained, for no matter at what angle 
the crowns are put in they will flower and produce a 
fine effect. 
Cyclamen and Primulas that are now throwing 
up their flowers freely will benefit by occasional sup¬ 
plies of weak liquid manure, but heavy feeding 
should not be attempted, for providing fairly rich soil 
was used for potting the plants should yet have good 
store of food from which to draw. 
Violets. —The plants in the frames should be 
aired freely whenever the thermometer is above 
freezing point. If the day be wet the lights should 
be blocked up at the back, for it is a mistake to keep 
the plants coddled up on the pretence of excluding 
the wet. Plants in 32 pots may be given a gentle 
heat, but the stimulus should not be too strong other¬ 
wise the buds will drop. A night temperature of 
from 48° to 50° will be the maximum.— A. S. G. 
