408 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 24, 1900. 
its season of fl->\*erins? i aKo entirely controlleri by 
the role of cultU'e It c n be flowered now, as it is 
doing, or, in a cooler house than- that of the 
CaitUyas, it may he heid bat k til April. S en at 
its best, it may be regarded as a very pretty and 
conspicuous epiphytal Orchid. 
Dendrobium barbatulum.—This is by no 
means a common Dendrobe, but a well flowered 
specimen turned up at the Dtill Hall on the t3th 
inst., from Messrs. Heath & Son, of Cheltenham. 
The pseudobulbs are delicate, and less than fifteen 
inches high. Oa this occasion the plants were grown 
in pots. The leaves are only seen on the young 
shoots, and are lanceolate accumiDate in form. The 
racemes of white, closely-set fl 'wers spring laterally, 
and have drooping peduncles In general appear¬ 
ance, the raceme reminds one of a short spray of 
Bride’s Wreath (Francoa racemosa), each flower 
being, of course, considerably larger. The plant is 
frequently confounded with D. fytchianum, but 
differs in having less orbicular petals, and the throat 
bearded with yellow, instead of rosy, hairs. The 
plant is a very handsome bloomer. 
Vanda caerulea—In Gardening (American), of 
February ist, appears a splendid illustration of a 
capital specimen of this fine Orchid, carrying 335 
flowers. The plant, even at that, had been divided 
and repotted this season, so that it has done wonder¬ 
fully well. It was grown in an East India house 
with plenty of moisture and ample drainage. Sphag¬ 
num is almost entirely used in the potting. 
— ,B. ——- 
BEDDING PELARGONIUMS. 
Assuming these are in store pots or boxes, the time 
has arrived when they must be taken in hand to get 
nice stocky plants by the middle of May. First 
give them a thorough soaking to moisten the soil 
throughout, because the young plants, as they are 
shaken out, retain their roots much better than when 
the soil is hard and dry. Usually these are potted 
up singly in 6o's, or two or three in a larger pot. 
Instead of this, get small pieces of turf 3J in. square, 
§ in. thick, slightly scooped out in centre, placing 
young plant in turf, adding a little fine sandy soil, 
squeezing all together. Then, with a fioe strand of 
raffia, tie securely, and plant out in cold pit that has 
six inches of light soil, placing them four inches 
asunder, keeping close for ten days, whan air must 
be given. Later on remove light dally, as with pot 
plants. I admit this plan takes longer than potting 
them ; but on wet days or hard frosty weather the out¬ 
side men are given this work, so we do not feel the 
pinch, and it lessees the potaccouDt, no mean item 
when several t housand have to be done. Besides, 1 hey 
do not require quarter the amount of water as if in 
pots, nor the labour in moving from house to house, 
etc. I claim nothing new about this, as it has been 
carried out here for a number ofyears, giving every 
satisfaction.— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
--.- 
SELFSOWN WALLFLOWER. 
I quite agree with the statement on p. 356 that a 
Wallflower artificially planted “ retains the planted- 
out look to the end of its days." This is more par¬ 
ticularly the case when the blossom is as described 
by Thomson—" The yellow Wallflower, stained with 
iron brown.” Even when it grows in the vicinity of 
gardens, from which it has recently escaped, and 
mounted the walls, perhaps, the hand of the culti¬ 
vator is still evident in the mahogany hue of the 
flowers. I have seen it on old castle walls, however, 
and on low-browed beetling crags, where it may 
have existed for centuries, and reverted to the 
original > r savage state, for the flowers were yellow. 
Under such circumstances the Wallflower rises 
immensely in the estimation of one who is capable 
of distinguishing between the wild and the domesti¬ 
cated herb. Nature sows broadcast and informally ; 
whereas mau sows in lines, beds, or borders, that 
bear the evidence of design on their faces. The 
pleasure of gathering beautiful flowers, which one 
has neither sown, planted nor tended, is tenfold 
greater than when they can be culled in unlimited 
quantity from the carefully prepared and tended 
garden b:rder; but alas! for the thought it can 
seldom be gratified in the case of Wallflowers. As 
I stood under the grey, old, stony walls of Stirling 
Castle, in the dawn of a late spring morning, 
amidst a steady and heavy down-pour of rain, my 
curiosity was greatly aroused by the presence of 
densely flowered, stocky bushes of something beating 
golden bl- ssom. Though far beyond my reach, yet 
not beyond my ken, it took some steady and pro¬ 
longed g zing and some cogitation before I could 
satisfy myself as to the identity of the wilding. The 
rich yellow hue of the flowers, and their distance 
from the eye deceived me as to their affinity for a 
time, and certainly lent " enchantment to the view ; " 
but their handsome appearance, and truly untended 
freedom, not to say wildness, more than repaid the 
discomfort of being abroad so early on a dripping, 
cold morning.— J. Mac I. 
° 1 - —- 
PRUNU^ SINENSIS FLORE PLENO. 
For greenhouse decoration the above named plant is 
one of our best for the spring months. Prunus 
sinensis fl. pi., a variety of wild Plum, is very well 
adapted for pot culture, shoots of last year’s growth, 
iS in. long, being laden with double, snow-white 
flowers. It requires the same treatment as the 
Deutzia throughout the most of the year. After 
flowering prune it hard back, leaving eight or ten 
young shoots, which will be next year’s flowering 
shoots. Plunge the plants outside in the month of 
June. Keep them well watered till the end of 
September, when you can remove them to a cold 
frame. They can be kept in the frame till the first 
month of the year. Shift them to the greenhouse as 
required after that time. If plunged in bottom heat 
the buds will bteak away more rapidly. Young 
shoots will strike freely under a bell-glass. There 
are many other species of wild Plum, but not so 
suitable as the one mentioned for the greenhouse.— 
Adam V. Main, Arthurlee Gardens, Barrhead. 
A MEALY BUG - INFESTED VINERY 
AND ITS SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT. 
My experience in above may be useful to some of 
your readers. First I will describe the state the 
Vines were in on coming here as gardener two years 
last summer. Nearly every bunch and every leaf 
was smothered with the pest. There was scarcely a 
bunch fit for the table. I suggested clearing out 
and planting young Vines. My employer not sanc¬ 
tioning this, all I had to depend upon was winter 
dressing, which was done in the following manner:— 
The rods were taken down and all loose bark re¬ 
moved ; the spurs scraped with a blunt knife; a box 
of Gishurst’s Compound was dissolved in a bucket 
of hot water ; into another bucket of water I put 
about a quart of the solution; and with a good 
scrubbing brush gave them a thorough soaking, using 
the end of the brush. When all were washed I 
painted with a mixture of 1 lb. each of lime and soot 
mixed with the strong Gishurst’s solution, and made 
the required thickness with clay. I next washed all 
paint and glass, usmg Gishurst’s in water, carefully 
removing every bit of old string used in tying, as in¬ 
side the knots is a favourite hiding place for a nest 
of eggs. I lime-washed all walls, mixing ^ lb. of 
flour of sulphur in each bucket of lime. Last season 
I had an increase of seventy bunches of clean 
Grapes.— G. B., Mona Cottage, Holheach. 
-- 
ORCHIDS IN FERNERIES. 
Ferneries are often more suirable for some Orchids 
than are many an orthodox Orchid house, as the 
shade and moisture needful for Ferns are most bene¬ 
ficial to Orchids. In-many ferneries there is a peat- 
covered wall planted with Ferns, &c. On such a 
wall the Orchid roots have a larger area to ramble 
Over, and are less exposed to injury In planting, any 
sour peat or soil should be tak-n out and the plants 
firmly fixed by the a d of crocks, bits of Tree Fern 
steins, &c. In many cases it will be found necessary 
to tie in the roots and often the upper parts with fine 
brass wire, so as to give the plants perfect stability. 
Careful selection of Orchids is essential, as Dendro- 
biums, Cattleyjs, Laelias, and others require more 
sun and light than an ordinary fernery gives, in 
order that their pseudo-bulbs may ripen and flower 
satisfactorily. The Orchids most suitable for the 
above are established plants of Brassavola, a free- 
flowering genus with whitish, long-lasting flowers. 
B. grandiflora is the best, but B. cordata, B. nodosa, 
B Perrinii, &c., are equally useful. Epidendrums of 
the reed-like section, such as E. radicans and E. 
obrienanium, are quick growing, and produce their 
scarlet flowers in all seasons. The foregoing re¬ 
quire a warm house, and plants of Rex Begonias, 
Panicum, Tradescantias, &c., may be added to give 
variety. In a cool house Aerides vandarum may be 
grown in a similar manner .—David S. Fish. 
THUNIA MARSHALLIANA. 
This species of Orchid is not nearly so popular as 
it deserves to be, considering it is fairly easy to cul¬ 
tivate. It is also a very handsome Orchid, in fact 
far more so than several other genera of the 
Orchidacae family. Many gardeners who fail to grow 
some of the more widely-known Orchids satisfac¬ 
torily might take this one in hand with a greater 
prospect of success. It is a native of the East 
Indies, and is usually grown in what is termed the 
" East Indian ” house. Gardeners not possessing 
such a structure in their range of glasshouses may 
cultivate it in an ordinary plant stove, providing it 
is given a little shade from the sun. Any time from 
now—as fresh growth is observed—the Thunia may 
be repotted. A suitable compost is some fibrous 
loam, a little peat, some broken cow manure, a 
sprinkling of sand, and a few finely broken crocks or 
pieces of charcoal to keep the whole porous and 
sweet. Until the new growths have made a little 
headway in the fresh compost it well be as well not 
to place the plants in the temperature already 
advised, but in a slightly cooler one, so that growth 
will not be too rapidly excited. This Thunia 
generally blooms about June or July, bearing 
beautiful trusses of white and yellow flowers, which 
proceed from the apex of the newly-made pseudo¬ 
bulbs, which are clothed with elegant green foliage. 
C. Turner. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Chrysanthemum culture is in England brought to 
a high degree of perfection, and no Englishman need 
go out of bis country to learn how to grow these 
beautiful plants, but in Bavaria the only use which is 
made of them is to decorate the cemeteries at All 
Saints’ Day. Small flowered and single varieties are 
grown for this purpose in 5 in. or 6 in. pots. The 
plants are obtained in the following manner, and, 
when fully grown are only 1 ft. high About the 
end of July cuttings are made from the plants of the 
previous year, which have been planted out in 
spring. Strong hard cuttings are selected and 
planted, three or four in one pot. The pots are 
placed in frames and shaded till rooted, after which 
the plants are hardened ofl, affording water, and 
giving them more rcom when required. When the 
cold weather comes they are again sheltered, and 
remain so till they flower. The small plants look 
really very pretty, and could be used for room de¬ 
coration, in many places where the larger plants 
are unsuitable. One hundred plants cost from 
20/- to 30/-. The perennial Asters are treated in the 
same way, but here the cuttings are made towards 
the end of June, and the pots only 3 in. or 4 in. in 
diameter. I was really astonished when I first saw 
the small plants quite blue with flowers. Stevia 
lindleyana and Solidagos (Golden Rod) I have seen 
treated in the same way.— G. Van Overberghc, 
Pilgersheimerstrasse 30/of, Munclien, Giesing. 
-- 
THE MARKET GARDENER AS AN 
EXAMPLE. 
To those with unlimited space at their disposal, who 
can for comparison's sake plant varieties indiscrimi¬ 
nately, this does not appeal. But to the villa gar¬ 
dener and others similarly situated the market gar¬ 
dener's choice in varieties may be safely relied upon. 
He it is who caters for the, by no means a conserva¬ 
tive, public’s tastes and fancies, unlike his more 
favoured brother (?), the private gardener, who has 
only to satisfy the desires of two or three individuals, 
however capricious. 
As to his views on suitable varieties of Straw¬ 
berries, I will only allude to those entertained by 
growers in Midlothian. Keen's Seedling, the 
favourite of days gone by, has, in his opinion, 
deteriorated to such an extent that it is scarcely 
worthy of consideration To illustrate this fact it is 
only necessary to mention that less than twenty 
years ago in the market the variety ruled supreme; 
whilst at the present day twelve pint measures 
