January 12, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
the satisfaction of every honest-minded specimen of 
humanity ? 
Good garden produce is more appreciated at 
present than it has been at any previous period of 
the world’s history, excepting, perhaps, those earliest 
days when our greatest grandfather roamed sinlessly 
serene in Eden’s weedless garden, feasting his eyes 
on the taintless beauties o r a pure creation. Let us 
not blame the first good gardener that he did sin, 
while we are immeasurably more sinful with 
infinitely less temptation. Now those who have 
£ s. d. as their main hobby cannot embark on a 
safer craft than gardening.— Henry H. Gibson, The 
Gardens, Glencairn, Belfast. 
CALANTHE VEITCHII. 
The above is not grown nearly as much as its 
merits deserve, considering what a useful subject it 
is for supplying cut flowers in mid-winter. A house 
or pit that commands a temperature from 65° to 85° 
during the early spring and summer months while 
making its growth and forming its pseudo-bulbs, 
which yield the flower spikes, will grow it a treat. 
With us just now they are found most useful, and 
continue in good condition to the end of the month 
if kept in a temperature not much below 6o°, and dry 
overhead as well as at that of the root. After passing 
out of flower the pots can be stacked on their sides 
or shaken out and the pseudo-bulbs put in boxes 
with a little leaf soil around them. 
They should be potted up before growth has much 
advanced, or the latter may get crippled in the 
operation, as they are so tender, using pots from 
5 % in. to 7 in. in diameter, half full of clean crocks. 
The compost they delight in is fibrous loam and 
peat with a little leaf mould, coarse sand, and dry 
cow manure finely sifted. One to, six bulbs can be 
placed in the pots, according to size, and should be 
kept below the rim of the pot, as they delight in 
abundance of water when once established, and 
diluted manure water from the cow shed when the 
pots are filled with roots, lightly shaded from the 
sun during their growth, say up to early in Septem¬ 
ber, when it should be gradually lessened, and 
discontinued the third week. Keep near the 
glass and moist at the roots until a dozen or so 
flowers are expanded, when treat as indicated above. 
They are easily increased by choosing the healthiest 
and finest two-year-old bulbs, placing them in pans 
or boxes with the potted up stock, potting them into 
4-in. pots as soon as you perceive new growth, and 
treat as before mentioned 
We have some carrying as many as twenty-four 
flowers on a spike from bulbs made from old growths 
started in March last. We never treated them like 
this before, Out generally put three or four into a 
5j-in. pot, when some only would carry a flower 
spike, and have twelve to fifteen blooms on a spike, 
while all those we potted up singly have flowered, 
varying from eighteen to twenty-four flowers on each 
spike.— J. M., Bicton. 
•I« 
BEGONIA GLOIRE DE LORRAINE. 
I send you per post two photographs of Begonia 
Gloire de Lorraine, just to show how they compare 
with those figured in last week’s issue of The Gar¬ 
dening World. Owing to the great want of sun 
this season the plants generally are far behind those 
of the season 1899. Mr. Chaplin, St. Leonard’s, 
had the photographs (sent you) taken on December 
14th last, and the plants are all from leaves put in 
some time in January last. The measurements of 
three which I took are as follows Height from top 
of pot 28 in., breadth through centre of plant 26 in., 
others 29 x 24 in. and 25 x 27 in. respectively, all 
grown in 5 in. and 6 in. pots.— W. Dich. 
[The photograph of the single plant sent showed 
a healthy and sturdy growth made from a leaf dur¬ 
ing eleven and a half months as above stated by our 
correspondent. The flowers were much less numer¬ 
ous, however, than those represented by our illustra¬ 
tions on p. 281. The unusually wet season and lack 
of sunshine in Scotland last year may account for 
the smaller quantity of flowers. The plants from 
Broughty Ferry, in the neighbourhood of Dundee, 
were well flowered, however. The question arises 
whether plants raised from cuttings flower more 
freely than those from leaves. Possibly some of our 
correspondents might enlighten us on this matter. 
Some other points would have to be considered as 
pertinent to the question, namely, whether the 
311 
manures or manure water supplied the plants have 
the effect of causing a vigorous growth to the dis¬ 
advantage of flower production, or whether an 
excessively high temperature and a small amount of 
ventilation have contributed to the same cause. It 
might be that these strongly grown plants would 
flower more profusely later on when getting more 
pot bound, and the side branches are more de¬ 
veloped. Another photograph represented a house¬ 
ful of large plants, which appeared profusely 
bloomed in the mass. For market work in 5-in. and 
6-in. pots they are certainly wonderful at this 
season of the year, and more than anyone could have 
expected relatively a few years ago.—E d.] 
MANIPULATING SOIL FOR PLANTS. 
When preparing soil for potting plants it is often 
recommended by writers to " keep the soil lumpy.” 
In certain cases the advice may be correct enough ; 
but what do we often see after such soil has been 
some time in the pots ? These lumps have become a 
consolidated mass, through which water can hardly 
percolate, often sour and injurious to plant life, when 
the fibre is gone by decay, there being nothing such 
as sand, charcoal or other material to maintain open 
healthy matter in which roots can run freely. If soil 
is thoroughly chopped and separated, allowing all 
opening material to remain, mixing it thoroughly 
with sand (if such does not form a component part of 
the compost), or whatever else is required, the whole 
can be rammed as firm as desirable with a free 
course for water remaining. 
It is not uncommon to see Orchids suffering, and, 
when an examination of the roots has been made, 
they may be found perishing in this “ lumpy ” soil- 
soil which appeared to be the right sort when potting 
was performed, but all fibre gone and the lumps 
become consolidated. We have seen such with un¬ 
pleasant effluvia. If the solid part had been removed 
at first, and the fibre only left, matters would have 
been very different. How often Heaths and New 
Holland plants are found suffering in such soil, 
lumps being left in which there was no sand and 
all have become close and sour. To illustrate this 
I might take (from scores) one case which will show 
the fallacy of '‘lumps” with fibre but nothing to 
meet the requirements of the case when fibre was 
decayed. A nurseryman (now removed from us) 
could not get his manager to leave the soil in which 
a choice collection of Heaths were grown, in huge 
lumps. There was no sand in the soil, but plenty 
added along with charcoal. The lumps in due time 
became consolidated, and the plants went wrong. 
It was found that the roots did not penetrate the 
unbroken soil. The manager being thwarted, in 
fact disgraced, left his post, and went where he could 
manipulate his soil as experience suggested, success 
became complete. When I lived at Clapton, in 
Messrs. Low's nurseries, I had a daily duty in pre¬ 
paring soil. The order was chop it thoroughly, and 
mix it thoroughly. — M. Temple, Canon, N.B. 
The Forcing House.— Plants that are ordinarily 
hardy, such as German Irises, Dielytra spectabilis, 
Moutan and herbaceous Paeonies, Crimson Rambler 
Roses, Spiraeas, and many other plants that will 
occur to mind, can be lifted about the end of this 
month and may be potted. After having become 
settled in their pots they should be inured to a tem¬ 
perature of 62° or so, and must be allowed abun¬ 
dance of both light and moisture. They will gently 
start into growth, and if carefully treated they flower 
by the middle of March, coming in as a very wel¬ 
come and useful adjunct at that time. The bulbs 
for forcing must be brought into a temperature of 
65° as they are required. Indian Azaleas are also 
being brought forward. 
The Stove. —The warm house structures are at 
this season in a state of confusion, for as a rule it is 
now that the plants are thoroughly cleansed, top- 
dressed, or repotted, and the houses have to be 
washed. As much light as possible must be secured 
so that the outside of the glass will also be all 
the better for a washing. Paraffin emulsion should 
be liberally used when the houses are being washed 
and syringed. This solution is invaluable as a cheap 
and effective remedy against bug, red spider, &c., 
that may be lurkiDg in un-get-at-able places where 
the brushes do not penetrate. The walls should be 
lime-washed, and the stages should likewise be 
washed with hot lime water. The gravel or ashes 
should be washed and riddled before being again 
spread upon the stages. No one should use ashes 
who can possibly get yellow gravel or Derbyshire 
spar. 
The houses themselves should be structures of 
beauty, and certainly everything within them should 
add to their effectiveness. Thus the colour of the 
paint used for the stages should be considered ; the 
stage covering, as I have just hinted, should not be 
of common refuse like coal ashes, neither should 
they be bare wooden boards. Nothing beats slate 
or iron stages covered with small amber or yellow 
gravel. Then the class of plants ought to be as 
select, as beautiful, as interesting, and as varied as 
possible. Too often we see the same old-fashioned 
plants—and grown anyhow—in places where very 
much finer plants of a later introduction could very 
well be substantiated. But old favourites must not 
all be abolished, even if they do happen to be behind 
the times. The great thing is to grow them to per¬ 
fection, and to arrange them with true skill and 
care. 
The watering at this time demands extra thought. 
Nearly all plants should be kept on the dry side. 
The Begonias, Poinsettias, Euphorbia jacquiniae- 
flora, Daedalacanthus nervosus, Ixoras, Ipomoea 
Horsfalliae, Reinwardtias, and a few other special 
plants are the chief of those now in flower. Seeds 
of the beautiful Exacum macranthum should be 
ordered. 
Greenhouse plants demand a deal of attention 
in the variety of their needs. Where a little heat is 
kept on the pipes the top ventilators should at least 
be kept open an inch or two. Cinerarias coming 
into bloom delight in having nourishment. A hand¬ 
ful of any of the well known guanos or fertilisers to 
a gallon of water should be afforded. They should 
be worked through the fingers and should not be 
merely thrown into the water. Carnations are kept 
on the dry side. They should be occasionally 
syringed or immersed in a solution as advised at an 
earlier date. Young Carnations should be grown on 
in light, cool frames free from draughts, drip, and 
frost. Border Carnations in pots will require all the 
air it is possible to give them, so loDg as the mild 
weather lasts. Keep fallen leaves removed from 
around them. 
Primulas should be treated the same as Cyclamen, 
Zonals, and Cinerarias. Sowings may be made of 
the first and last named. Hard-wooded plants, more 
especially those in flower, such as Ericas and 
Epacris, require to be regularly watered. A tempera¬ 
ture of 55° up to 6o° will suit them well. Carex 
briinnea variegata, a useful greenhouse Grass, and 
Scirpus (Isolepis) gracilis, may both be divided for 
increase of stock. Cyperus alternifolius variegatus 
is very useful as a decorative plant either for the 
greenhouse or stove. The greenhouse, however, is 
the better house, as more refined subjects require 
the space in the stove. This plant may also be 
propagated ; and this can best be accomplished by 
using the tassel-like flower heads, pieces of which 
are cut close off, and are inserted in damp sand, and 
placed under bell glasses in propagating pits. The 
Chrysanthemums, one may say, are quite over for 
another season. A few still remain, but these are 
also faded. Numbers of the cuttings are rooted and 
should be potted into thumb pots. Callas may be 
encouraged to come on by feeding if the pots are 
filled with roots. Young Abutilons in need of a 
shift should not be denied it. They should be kept 
moving, and should not be pinched. They will 
branch naturally, but may require to be staked. 
The Red Currant Tomato is a very ornamental 
greenhouse subject for the later months of the year. 
Seeds should not be forgotten when the list is being 
made out. They may be sown any time from the 
present. Young Fuchsias must not be topped, but, 
like the Abutilons, should be grown od, being placed 
on a high shelf in a house with a temperature rang¬ 
ing between 55 0 and 6o° F. They should be 
frequently potted. Tuberous Begonias may be sown 
immediately. The matured tubers should be looked 
out, and by the end of this month the soundest 
should be potted up for an immediate start. Margue¬ 
rites are in flower, but may be left alone till March, 
when they can be cut back. Seeds of Bouvardias 
for next season’s work will soon have to be sown, or 
cuttings maybe taken in March. — J. H. D. 
