October 24, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
119 
growths from sudden checks and snow storms that 
may now occur. Good strong transplanted roots 
may also be lifted with balls and put into 32 and 24 
sized pots, potting them firmly and placing them 
behind a north wall for a fortnight to get established 
when they may be placed in any cool house until the 
crop is used. After this the pots can be introduced 
into gentle warmth and a useful spring crop will be 
obtained. 
Spinach.-— It will be necessary to pass the hoe 
through this crop on every favourable occasion, to 
keep the surface open, as any approach to a pasty 
condition of the ground is very detrimental to this 
plant, and soon causes canker at the collar, or the 
plants assume a sickly yellow colour from which 
they seldom recover at this season of the year. All 
yellow leaves should be picked off as soon as 
possible to prevent the best leaves from becoming 
affected. 
Forcing Vegetables. —Preparations for intro¬ 
ducing several crops into warmth may now be made. 
Seakale for the earliest lot, should be lifted and 
placed in a cool position under a wall. This will 
give the roots a check, and make them more sus¬ 
ceptible to the influence of a gentle heat when 
forcing commences. Asparagus intended for forcing 
should have the tops removed to throw the strength 
of any root action left into the crowns of the plants. 
Succession crops of Dwarf Beans must be sown at 
intervals, according to the accommodation there is 
for carrying them through. Some well-ripened seed 
of Ash-leaf Potatos may be started and grown in 
xo-inch pots. Good drainage should be given, and 
about four inches of soil in the bottom of the pots 
will be sufficient for a start, earthing up as the 
growth advances. A moderate temperature will be 
sufficient for a month after planting, but when six 
inches of growth has been made, extra warmth both 
at the roots and tops, will be an advantage. A few 
roots of Chicory can be introduced into any dark, 
warm place to assist in helping fill the salad bowl. 
These are best placed in large pots, six or so of 
roots in each pot. All the green leaves on the 
plants must be removed previously to introducing 
them, when the whole force will be centred in the 
new growths from the crown.— J. R. 
THE ORCHID HOUSES. 
East India House. —To the dull, wet and foggy 
weather, which generally obtains during October and 
November, following on a bright summer, may I 
think be traced many diseases to which Orchids 
under cultivation are subject. Especially do I 
think this is the case with Phalaenopsis. Every 
thing has been favourable to luxuriant growth of the 
sphagnum moss, as the temperature can be kept 
up to the necessary height without having recourse 
to much firing. The atmosphere is naturally loaded 
to a greater extent with moisture than is requisite if 
you are to induce them to take a slight rest and keep 
them free from spot which soon makes its appearance 
with a low temperature, and a house charged with 
moisture during the dark days of November. 
Where the moss has grown to such an extent that 
it reaches well up to the bottom leaves, it will be 
best if you go over such plants with a pair of shears, 
or a better plan still, perhaps, is to gently press the 
moss down and sprinkle some bits of crocks, which 
have been broken up fine, on the surface. This 
keeps it in position and well away from the collar of 
the plants. 
Syringing. —Great care should now be exercised 
in all divisions, during dull and mild weather; very 
little will be required, but should it set in cold and 
frosty, and the heating of the pipes becomes greater, 
it will be necessary to damp the walls and paths 
more often, to, in some degree, counteract the drying 
and trying influences caused by such heating. With 
the approach of frost, all plants that are hanging 
from the roof should be lowered until they are quite 
a foot away from the glass. You only have to put 
your hand up near the glass during a cold night to 
find out the importance of this suggestion. The 
temperature should range from 65° to 68° at night 
with a rise of a few degrees during the day. What 
air is given should reach them through the bottom 
ventilators provided for that purpose immediately 
opposite the hot-water pipes. 
Cattleya House. —Vanda caerulea helps to make 
this house gay during the dull season. It is gener¬ 
ally admitted that this fine species does not require 
so much heat as do some kinds, yet I cannot help 
thinking but that we go a little too far sometimes in 
this cool treatment of a great many Orchids. I 
believe it is a fact that frost is not unknown in the 
Iihasya Mountains, but the low temperature is of 
such short duration that no harm is done. A close, 
stuffy atmosphere is, I believe, death to them ; 
plenty of heat with a constantly changing air is what 
they seem to delight in best ; and where this can be 
afforded they make short sturdy growths which 
rarely, if ever, fail to produce plenty of flowers.—C. 
FRUIT UNDER GLASS. 
Peach-houses. —In the majority of establish¬ 
ments the term Peach-house is rather a misnomer at 
this season of the year, for the inevitable Chrysan¬ 
themums are rather more in evidence than anytning 
else, and the “ Mummist ” is apt to bewail the 
tendency of the Peach-trees to hold their leaves to 
the detriment of his beloved plants. It will not do 
however, to rob Peter to pay Paul, and the leaves 
must on no account be forced off the trees, but left 
to fall naturally. If a judicious thinning out of the 
growths was given after the fruit was gathered it 
will have served not only to give the shoots that 
were left a better chance to finish off properly, but 
the Chrysanthemums will now feel the benefit of the 
increased light. Lights that were taken bodily off 
the house towards the close of the summer will now 
have been put back in their places where the houses 
have been filled with other plants, but plenty of air 
should still be given by opening the ventilators as 
widely as possible during favourable days. 
Late Houses, which have nothing in them 
besides the trees, may have a good washing with the 
syringe during the forthcoming week if the weather 
proves bright, but after the expiration of the month, 
fine days will most likely be conspicuous by their 
absence and there will be little opportunity of using the 
syringe. Fallen leaves will require to be swept up 
every day if the houses are to be kept tidy. 
Melons. —Late crops of these are not always 
satisfactory. The fruit is usually wanting more or 
less in flavour—this season it has been more rather 
than less, for October has been a comparatively sun¬ 
less month. It will not be possible to give much 
air now, and advantage must be taken of every 
glimpse of sun to keep the temperature of the house 
up, whilst fire-beat will have to be freely indulged 
in. Less water will be required than formerly. As 
soon as the fruits have got well advanced they may 
be induced to ripen quickly by cutting the greater 
portion of the haulm away, and keeping the 
atmosphere dry. Even a few small fruits will add 
to the appearance of the dessert. 
Figs. —Here also the fruit is deteriorating greatly 
in flavour, and soon will not be worth eating. The 
water supply may be diminished to a great extent, 
and more fire-heat applied. A temperature of 5 o° 
to 65° Fahr., rising to 70° or 75 0 with sun-heat, 
should be maintained if possible. 
Figs in Pots. —These will now be fast losing 
their leaves—some have already parted with them— 
and they must be allowed to sink gradually to rest. 
Very little, if any, water will be needed, and the 
plants should be placed in an unheated house or a 
shed, where they may remain until they are wanted 
for forcing. 
Vines. —We have now got to the end, as it were, 
of the season, and soon another one will begiD, for 
where early grapes are in request, the fag end of the 
year sees something more than a start made. 
Indeed, to all intents and purposes, November may 
be looked upon as the first month of the forcing 
year. 
Pot Vines. —These are usually depended upon to 
supply the first and earliest crop, as most gardeners 
dislike to subject their permanently planted vineries 
to the great strain of early forcing, as to do this 
would materially shorten their term of fruitfulness. 
The first lot of pot Vines are generally introduced 
into heat about the middle of November. Accord¬ 
ingly preparations for getting the house in readiness 
may be set on foot without delay. If the fermenting 
material used last season has been allowed to remain, 
it should now be cleared out. The walls and wood¬ 
work should be washed at the same time, and if it is 
feared that mealy bug is secreted in the corners they 
should be gone over with a long haired brush dipped 
inneat petroleum. Fermenting material may like¬ 
wise be got in readiness for use when required. It 
should consist in staple of leaves, as these give a 
lasting heat. All material used for making up beds 
should be turned twice or thrice, and shaken out 
thoroughly at each turning before being used. 
The Early Permanent Vinery will now be 
ready for pruning, and this should be seen to in the 
course of the next week or two, so as to give an 
opportunity of getting the necessary cleaning seen to 
in good time. 
Late Vineries, in which the grapes are still 
hanging will need a good deal of careful attention 
during such damp weather as we have been having of 
late. A sharp eye must be kept upon bad berries, for 
decay spreads with excessive rapidity now. A tem¬ 
perature of 6o° Fahr. by night, and 70° by day, 
should be given, with plenty of air to carry off 
exhalations, which, if pent up would prove injurious. 
It will do no good to leave the bunches on the vines 
for very much longer, for after the beginning of 
November we have found that the Grapes keep 
better in bottles than they do if left upon the canes, 
and the vines themselves must surely benefit from 
being relieved of their load. 
--— 
Falling leaves form the one engrossing topic in this 
department now. The glories of highly-coloured 
foliage have not been so lavishly meted out to us 
this year, owing to the wet autumn, but the abundance 
of berries helps to make up for this, for Hollies, 
Aucubas, Thorns, etc., are making a brave show with 
their brilliantly-hued fruits. 
Gynerium argenteum. —There is no more beau¬ 
tiful object in the autumn months than a good clump 
of the well-known Pampas Grass, bearing a few of 
the waving silver plumes. It seems a pity to rob 
the flower garden of such an ornament, but if these 
graceful panicles are expected to be of any service 
for indoor decoration presently, they must not be left 
out until the rain and the wind have worked their 
will upon them. Choose a fine day and cut some of 
them now. Of course if a few can be left so much 
the better. 
Clematis Vitalba. —A few nice sprays of this 
beautiful Clematis, with its masses of feathery 
stigmas, come in very handy for decorative purposes 
at Christmas time, and it will be well worth while 
to cut a supply of them at once before they are 
totally spoiled. 
Hyacinths. —These are at once some of the most 
useful, as well as the most popular, bulbs for spring 
flowering, and their planting may now be proceeded 
with. The summer inmates of the beds should be 
turned out of them without delay, as they have now 
outlived their usefulness. Almost any garden soil will 
suit Hyacinths, although, if it is very heavy, an 
addition of leaf soil and sand, or even sandy peat, 
will be of value. About 8 in. of space each way 
should be allowed good bulbs, and they may be 
buried 4 in. deep. 
The particular system of planting to be adopted 
must have been well thought out beforehand. Very 
little can be said for the practice of leaving the 
making of such arrangements until the last minute, 
to be decided, it may be, by chance. Certainly the 
most effective method of employing Hyacinths is to 
plant in masses of one colour. The flower beds, 
however, must not be too large, otherwise the 
general appearance will be flat and far from pleasing. 
Where a number of small beds have been cut out to 
a design upon the grass, or even laid out with gravel 
paths, an excellent opportunity occurs, for the 
masses of each colour are large enough to show up 
strongly, but not so large as to appear monotonous. 
Beds cut out in grass, too, have the advantage of 
the soft green hue of the latter to act as a foil to the 
brilliant colour of the flowers, for which their own 
foliage is not sufficient, as by the time the Hyacinths 
are in bloom the grass is waking to life beneath the 
genial touch of spring. 
Ribbon Borders may also be brought into play 
for the advocacy of another system of planting, which 
also has its votaries, viz , that of planting in long 
curving lines. The narrow borderings to shrubberies 
close to the mansion answer well to this kind of treat¬ 
ment. It may be necessary to remark, however, 
that strong bulbs of tall and vigorous varieties should 
only be employed in such a case. Miniature bulbs 
may look well enough in other positions, but in such 
a one as this they are absolutely lost, as they are 
dwarfed into insignificance by the toweriDg shrubs 
behind them.— A. S. C. 
