September 15 1900. 
r HE GARDENING WORLD. 
43 
A BEAUTIFUL CONSERVATORY. 
In the lale part of autumn, when shivery winds 
“ sough ” through the naked trees and bend and 
batter the few remaining hardy flowers in the beds 
and open borders, in those days when an easy chair 
before a glowing fire represents the acme of bliss, 
there can yet be had in the domain of the garden 
sights of much cheerfulness and satisfying beauty. 
For autumn and early winter are the seasons when 
the bright and varied flowers of the Chrysanth¬ 
emums most welcomely unfold. And we are forced, 
in this case, to adopt the best of all systems of 
staging or arranging plants, that is, the massing of 
one genus of plants by themselves. In the accom¬ 
panying illustration (chosen from competitive photo¬ 
graphs, and placed at our disposal by Mr. Owen 
Greening, hon. sec. of the "One and All" Flower 
Show, held in the middle of August), we see how 
well foliage plants can be effectively employed with 
flowering plants. The photograph represents one 
of the conservatories of Mrs. J. Fielden, Dolroyd 
Castle, Todmorden, Lancs., to whom Mr. W. 
Morgan is gardener. Of course, in smaller houses 
one could not employ such large plants, yet in many 
cases the verdure of the Tree Ferns and Palms 
crimson; I. viridiflora, blue ; I. Wonder, rosy-pink, 
very pleasing ; I. nitens, bright magenta, very free ; 
I. Prince of Orange, brilliant orange-yellow; I. 
praestans, deep rosy-crimson ; I. Conqueror, a hand¬ 
some glowing yellow; and I. donatello, a bright 
cochineal coloured variety. Any of these do well in 
pots.— D. 
- - «*» - 
PEAS, &c. 
I am glad that Mr. Carmichael is cognizant of the 
excellence of Pea Gradus. Some years ago, 
when I gave it a trial as an early Pea, I wrote 
favourably of Gradus, and have sown it, along with 
others, for a first crop. It has each season held its 
own, but I am not quite prepared, like friend Car¬ 
michael, to assert that it is " the best Pea in cultiva¬ 
tion." We know how varied are the properties of 
Peas (and most vegetables) when cultivated on 
different soils and under other circumstances. Light 
soil, damp ground, and positions low and high, make 
a wide difference in the productiveness and quality of 
vegetables. How easily I could at present prove 
my statement by a report of our Peas, Celery, 
Broccoli, Cabbages, and especially Onions. I grow 
SEASONABLE HINTS. 
Carnations. —Layers and cuttings of Malmaison 
Carnations should now be potted into small 5-in. 
pots; the 4^-in. size is best. Use a compost of good 
yellow loam if it can be obtained. It is now time to 
remove winter-flowering Carnations, which may be 
standing outside, into cold frames or greenhouses. 
Primula floribunda. —The earliest batch of this 
pretty yellow-flowered species is just coming into 
bloom. If these early plants are in 3-in. pots (which 
is a common size), and are fairly well rooted, it will 
not retard them now if they receive a shift into 4^-in. 
or 5-in. pots in a compost of two parts each of loam 
and leaf mould, and one part sand. This shift will 
carry the plants through in good condition till the 
spring. This little Primula must be watered 
thoughtfully. The method of " slapping in ” water 
over foliage and all, practised by so many unsym. 
pathetic cultivators, will prove disastrous with this 
subject. It will be quite happy on any greenhouse 
stage during winter. Other greenhouse Primulas, as 
P. obconica and P. sinensis, should^ be placed on 
greenhouse shelves. 
Stocks of the Emperor or Intermediate sections, 
also of the Brompton varieties, may be sown in pans 
The Conservatory, Dolroyd Castle, Todmorden, Lancs. 
could with advantag'6 and propriety be interspersed 
or employed as a background along with the bright 
colours of flowering plants. The figure in the fore¬ 
ground shows Mr. Morgan. 
IXIAS IN THE OPEN AIR. 
It is only the men of the southern counties who can 
with safety attempt to grow Ixias in the open air ; at 
least any endeavours which may have been 
made in the north have not been chronicled 
to my knowledge. The plant is a native of the 
warmer regions of South Africa and grows in the 
sandy soil of the fertile stretches beside other genera 
of Cape bulbs. In Britain the warmest borders, 
with specially made beds of sandy and well drained 
loamy soil, have to be selected. Enrich such soil 
and work it deeply. The bulbs are planted in 
autumn when the other bulbs are being put in, 
placing them about 6 in. deep A surface protection 
may be given, but this is not absolutely necessary. 
In the ordinary course of things they ought to 
provide a showy batch of bloom during June and 
July. Seen in good condition in masses, they are 
very beautiful. The following are a few varieties 
which were noted doing well in Messrs. Barr & Son’s 
nursery at Long Ditton,Surrey : Ixia vulcan, reddish- 
some Peas of hardier constitution than Gradus, but 
put much value on it as an early and late one. It is 
an old practice to sow a good early Pea, say about 
the beginning or middle of July, to succeed the late 
varieties, such as Ne Plus Ultra, Veitch’s Perfection, 
Downie’s Amateur and others Amateur is a capital 
late Pea. Some years ago I wrote about this Pea 
in The Gardening World, and have not since then 
seen such a crop of Peas anywhere than I witnessed 
in Downie’s Beech-hill nurseries. This was in 
November. The crop was protected with nets and 
other material against frost. The plants were 
loaded with large, well-filled pods, as green as grass. 
Veitch’s Autocrat and Chelsonian have done capi¬ 
tally on our heavy soil during the last season. There 
is another item which Mr. Carmichael refers to in 
his note, viz., the wide circulation of The Gardening 
World— and so it should, as it takes note of matters 
in districts wide apart, which interests every class of 
practical gardeners. What may be the correct thing 
in the south-east and west of England is not always 
what suits the midlands, north of England and Scot¬ 
land.— M. Temple, Canon, N.B. 
Cypripedium spectabile, also called the Mocassin 
Flower, is " Queen of the bog garden.” 
to be potted on later as pot plants for spring flower¬ 
ing. Winter them in a pit or cool house, keeping 
them in good light. Batches which were sown as 
recommended in an earlier issue may be planted in 
the open border so soon as convenient. 
Violets in frames and pots should be kept free 
from leaves, and ought to have dead and dying 
leaves removed. Do not water much at any time. 
Propagation of Bedding Plants should be 
brought to a finish. This is meant to include 
bedding Pelargoniums, Coleus, Pansies, Violas, 
Calceolarias, Nepeta, Mesembryanthemum, 
Heliotropium, and Ageratums. Salvias may be 
lifted and stored like Dahlias. Lobelia Queen 
Victoria should be boxed and kept on the dry 
side in a cool house. Lobelia of the edging 
type may be potted into 3 in. or 4-in. pots, 
placed on greenhouse shelves, and must be 
very carefully watered and otherwise attended, 
else it will damp off. Bedding Fuchsias may be 
potted or boxed. Verbenas and most of the annual 
bedding plants are best raised from seeds sown in 
March. 
Dutch Bulbs should be potted up and placed in 
cold frames or out in the open, covered over with 
sifted ashes. Prepare potting soils ready for 
housing before bad weather comes upon you. Have 
a goodly supply of besoms to meet demands when 
the leaves fall.— K. 
