January 21, 1899. THE GARDENING WORLD 
the culture of cool stuff, as during the middle of some 
days fire-heat can be dispensed with altogether. We 
draw the fires for a couple or three hours; this, we 
find, is much better than putting on dust and putting 
in the damper; as by the latter process there is a 
danger of the sulphurous fumes getting into the 
houses instead of going up the chimney. Especially 
is this the case when the boiler is close to the house. 
Potting. —It is early, perhaps, to start pottiDg 
Orchids of any kind; Dut when there is a great 
quantity to get through, one has to look forward a 
bit or he would never get it done. We have a great 
number of Odontoglossums that were not repotted 
in September, which we shall run through now. 
These were mostly imported plants during the past 
season, and which are making up their first growths in 
this country. As is often the case, several of the 
back bulbs require cutting away, being rotten. This 
necessitates potting them back, perhaps, i_to 
smaller pots. A small quantity of fresh and sweet 
material for the new roots to work into is as essential 
as are fresh air and moisture. 
We have potted plants of O. crispum in all stages 
of growth and at all seasons of the year, and find 
that with care it can be done at any time without 
any harm to the plants, providing they are in good 
health ; indeed, this is the only sure means of keep¬ 
ing them in good condition. 
Cattleya House.— Just now this division is gay 
with theMesican Laelias. We have just now in flower 
L. Anceps chamberlainiana, L. a. amesiana, L. a. 
Dawsonii, L, a. sanderiana, L. a. Stella, L. a. 
williamsiana, and L. a. hilliana, besides numerous 
varieties of the type. As they begin to root imme¬ 
diately after the flowers are cut, they will receive 
attention as regards fresh material. Good peat and 
moss in equal parts is what they like.— C. 
-4.- 
Kitctien Garden calendar. 
Owing to the wet weather of the last few weeks, it 
has been almost impossible in low-lying places to get 
on the ground to do any kind of work ; indeed, in 
many districts where the soil is heavy it would be 
folly to attempt to do so. It is seldom that the 
month of January has been so wet, and in many 
places it will be some time before the ground is in a 
fit state to get upon, owing to its flooded condition. 
As such is the case, all work pertaining to the kitchen 
garden, such as the trimming of hedges, re-gravelling 
of walks, planting box edgings, etc., should be 
pushed forward, so that when the soil is dry planting 
and sowing may not be delayed. 
Peas may now be sown in pots for planting out 
in March or April. We prefer sowing them thus, as 
pots are more portable than anything else, and if 
large 6o's are used without any crocks being put at 
the bottom there will be sufficient soil in them to 
support the plants until it is safe to transfer them to 
the open ground. It is a great mistake to sow the 
seed too thickly, as by doing so the plants often suffer 
before they can be planted out. When this happens 
the crop is never so satisfactory. About nine seeds 
placed evenly in the soil will be ample. At this rate 
a pint of seed will be sufficient to sow a row from 
60 ft. to 70 ft. long. On no account should the 
plants be hurried forward, for the more sturdy they 
can be grown the better. In warm, dry districts 
where the soil is sandy, and where the water passes 
through freely as it falls, Peas may be sown in the 
open ground with advantage ; for by getting the seed 
in early the soil becomes settled down again before 
dry weather sets in, which is a great advantage 
during a dry season. Peas growing in houses will 
now be forward enough to have small stakes put to 
them. There is always an advantage in sticking 
them early, as the first tendrils take hold of the 
spray boughs which keep them in a perpendicular 
position. 
Carrots on hot-beds during such weather as we 
have been favoured with of late, will need more 
than ordinary attention, for slugs will be very try¬ 
ing, and unless these are kept under the small 
plants will soon disappear. In favoured situations 
on light soils a sowing may be made on a warm 
border. It is, however, useless to attempt this 
where the ground is heavy and holds the moisture to 
any considerable, extent. 
Potatos in frames will now be pushing forward, 
and must have all the light and air possible. Where 
they are forward enough for earthing, have the soil 
previously warmed, and choose a fine day, if 
possible, for the work, that the temperature of the 
house or pit may not be lowered more than can be 
avoided. Prepare other sets that they may be had 
in readiness for planting as the beds are ready. 
Cucumbers that were sown in the last month will 
now be ready for planting. In order to be successful 
with these it is necessary that sufficient heat be 
at command, to keep up the requisite temperature 
without overheating the pipes. Where this is not 
to be had, grow the plants on for a time in larger 
pots before planting them out; then if a slight hot¬ 
bed can be made to give them a start they will grow 
much more satisfactorily than if planted out when 
small with only just sufficient heat to keep the plants 
alive. 
French Beans that are in flower must be care¬ 
fully watched this weather, or damping will be the 
result. Seakale and Rhubarb should be pushed for¬ 
ward in a temperature about 55°. When a greater 
heat is employed the produce is never so good or so 
tender. For this reason due allowance must be 
made for them to have time to grow, otherwise there 
are sure to be blanks. Continue to put in Endive, 
Chicory, and such like for blanching, and make 
small sowings of Mustard and Cress at short inter¬ 
vals, according to the demand. Radishes and other 
small salads should be so wn on hot-beds, that there 
be no blanks.— K. G. 
- — F »- 
Pits and Frames. 
The period of stagnation in the supply department 
is very short, for there are numbers of things with 
which it is necessary to make an early start in order 
to have them in full bloom betimes. 
Propagating Bedding Plants. —In most estab¬ 
lishments some amount of spring propagation of 
beddmg stuff has to be done, for it is not always 
possible to work up the stock sufficiently in the 
autumn, and there are subsequent deaths to reckon 
with, and these are sure to occur to some extent even 
in favourable winters like the present. Zonal Pel¬ 
argoniums may have their tops taken off at once and 
put in as cuttings. Shallow boxes are the most 
economical of room, for the cuttings can be put in 
quite thickly as they will be transferred to pots as 
soon as they have rooted. The beheaded, autumn 
struck cuttings should be placed in a gentle heat, and 
thus it will be advisable to shift them to alight, airy 
pit, where they will obtain the stimulus required to 
enable them to break, but will not be coddled enough 
to make them drawn and spindly. The stock plants 
of Alternautheras, Irisines, Coleuses, Heliotropes 
and Verbenas may all be introduced into heat. The 
best place for them is a shelf near the glass. As 
soon as the plants have begun to move a bit take off 
the tops and put them in for cuttings, and insert 
succeeding batches as fast as they can be obtained. 
Propagation by cuttings is still the favourite method 
for Lobelias in not a few establishments, where a great 
deal of importance is attached to special strains. 
Lobelias, however, come true enough and freely 
enough fromseed, sown at the end of February and the 
beginning of March. There will probably be a few 
rogues even from the most carefully selected seed, 
but for general practical purposes seed raising is 
economical, inasmuch as it does away with the 
keeping of a stock through the winter, and Lobelias 
are not infrequently very curious things to winter 
well, as they are so very liable to damp off. 
Achimenes. — An early batch of these handsome 
Gesneraceous plants should be started without delay. 
Knock the old plants out of their pots, and pick out 
the tubercles from the soil, which being dry will 
fall easily to pieces. Make up a number of 42 
and 48 pots, draining them well, and filling 
them three-fourths full of soil. The latter may 
consist of one-third loam, one-third peat, and one- 
third leaf soil, with a liberal addition of sand, for 
Achimenes love a light and rich soil. Cover the 
tubercles with about an inch of soil, make it fairly 
firm with the fingers, and transfer the pots to a shelf 
in a warm house. Water carefully; be sure not to 
give too much or the soil will become sour and the 
plants will be poor and stunted. 
Cyclamen.—M ake another sowing of seed to 
32f 
afford a successional batch of plants to those raised 
from the autumn sowing. The soil may consist of 
equal parts of loam and leaf-mould with silver sand. 
Pans are preferable to pots. Drain them well, make 
the soil fairly firm, sow the seed thinly and cover it 
with not more than a quarter of an inch of soil. 
Cover the seed pans each with a sheet of glass and 
place them in a light pit with a temperature of about 
60 Fahr. Attend closely to the autumn raised 
seedlings, now in thumb pots, andsee that they are not 
allowed to lack water; also that the air of the house 
does not become harsh and arid. 
Dahlias. —Where it is desired to increase the 
stock of new varieties, or such as are in particular 
request, old roots should be placed in heat forthwith. 
If there are only a few roots they may be placed in 
boxes, and covered with light soil. If there are a 
good many of them it will be the most expeditious 
plan to lay the plants closely together on the stage, 
and to cover them with soil there. An occasional 
sprinkle with the syringe will keep them going for a 
while. 
Fuchsias. —Young Fuchsias never come in amiss, 
even when there is plenty of old plants. Flowering 
later in the season than the latter, they keep up the 
succession, and for decorative purposes they are ex¬ 
ceedingly useful. One or two plants of each sort 
should be picked out from their winter quarters, 
pruned slightly by cutting off the tips of the shoots, 
and the plants placed in the forcing pit. A few 
heavy waterings will reduce the soil to something 
like moisture, but there should be no hurry to do 
this, as it is too sudden a transition from very dry 
to very wet. It is far better to moisten the ball 
gradually, and to keep the syringe briskly at work 
amongst the wood. The buds will soon break under 
such treatment, and cuttings in plenty will be forth¬ 
coming. Take these off with a heel, insert them in 
very sandy soil, and place them in the propagating 
frame. They will be rooted in a few weeks, and 
with a long season of growth in front of them will 
make good plants by the middle of the summer.-— 
A. S. G. 
--i—- 
(Meanings ftmn fl|e Dmrlfr 
of Sc mxt$. 
The Mycetozoa, and some Questions which 
they Suggest.—Sir Edward Fry and Miss Agnes 
Fry contribute to the January issue of Knowledge an 
article on some living things which nobody, as yet, 
can with certainty classify as either plants or animals. 
Some intimates of these strange " beings " try to get 
over the difficulty by inventing pet names, and call 
them "myxos,” or •' myxies,” and, on the whole, 
we incline to adopt the latter word. It is short, 
and it rhymes with " pixies.” 
In the series of changes through which these 
organisms pass we get •• an inkling of the difficulty 
which naturalists have felt in assigning myxies 
either to the animal or the vegetable kingdom ; their 
locomotion and rapacious youth seem to shut them 
out from the plams ; their stationary condition and 
their production of sporangia from the animal world. 
A very curious fact which distinguishes these living 
things broadly from ail other known organisms is 
1 the phenomenon of the union of a large number of 
individual swarm spores into a new and larger 
individual which carries forward the course of life ” 
—a sort of unlimited company for the reproduction 
of life forms. 
An organism which commences life in the simple 
form of a piece of protoplasm, in many cases pro¬ 
duces cell walls, and rests in these, and thus builds 
a home for itself in which it lives and labours. " But 
in the case of the Myxomycetes this does not occur, 
or occurs ODly very exceptionally, and all the actions 
which these organisms perform, and all the beauti¬ 
ful forms which they assume, are reached without 
ever forming a cell wall or constituting a true cell, 
except in the spore itself. In these actions and in 
these forms we see the capacities of simple and 
naked protoplasm The extreme simplicity of the 
mechanism seems to bring to the mind more power¬ 
fully the inherent powers of the worker.” 
- —— 
Jamaica Oranges and Bananas, : n fine condition, 
reached London the other week. 
