June 6, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
4-83 
Attend to the staking and tying of herbaceous plants, and, 
should the weather continue tine and warm, many will be 
o-reatly benefited if given a good soaking of water, as already 
heavy ground is cracking and becoming very dry on the surface. 
Mulching will greatly assist many plants, such as Trito-mas, to 
come through a dry summer all right, and, wherever possible, 
this should be done, half-decayed manure being as good as 
anything, retaining the moisture and feeding the plants. 
Herbaceous Lobelias.— Though these are quite hardy, and 
can be left out all the winter in many districts, it is best in 
wet, cold parts to take them up and place in boxes in the 
autumn. Plants which have been so treated should now be 
planted out in some fairly good soil, and place a neat stake to 
each. For bedding these are very fine, and last a long way 
into the autumn. A. E. Thatcher. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Fruit under Glass. 
Pin.es. —The almost cloudless weather since the 17th of last 
month has rendered tire heat unnecessary throughout the day ; 
just a little at night to keep the structures falling below 60 
for the young plants and 68 to 70 degrees for fruiters and suc- 
cpsional plants is all that has been required. Ventilate 
betimes now the sun has more power, and before the tempera¬ 
tures are advanced more than 10 degrees higher than the figures 
.riven above-. Keep a maximum heat of 85 degrees for fruiting 
plants from about 11 a.m. up to 3.30 p.m., when close, with 
abundance of moisture between the plants, and a light dew 
overhead will benefit most of the stock, less for fruiters, or the 
crown is liable to- increase- at the expense of the fruit. 
Examine the plants twice weekly, and only apply water when 
found necessary. Those with fruit swelling may have weak 
doses o-f guano water or farmyard drainings, warmed to a degree 
of 75 deg., pouring this into the axils of the leaves ; but as soon 
as ripening begins clear water only should be given ; in fact, 
plants plunged in moist material seldom require any water at 
the root after once they begin to- colour. Succession plants 
require plenty of heat and moisture, and remove all suckers 
except one, or at the- most two, to a plant, and should anx 
young plants require more root space, shift into larger pots at 
once, warming the soil first, and potting quite- firm. A thin 
shade should be given from 10 a.in. up to 2.30 or 3 p.m. Take 
off young stock as so-on as large enough, and pot up into- 5 or 
6 inch pots, plunging in bottom heat. This is far better than 
potting up a given number twice or so during the year, as they 
form more of a succession. 
Figs. — Those in pots swelling their second crop must be well 
supplied with root waterings. Drainings from the farmyard 
is a capital stimulant when used carefully, and a little thiown 
about the paths of an afternoon at closing time has a most- 
invigorating effect and tends to keep red spider at bay. . Pot. 
trees started early in the year, and the fruit nearing the ripen¬ 
ing stage should not be syringed overhead, or the fruits dec-ax 
at the apex, and very quickly. Trees in borders require abun¬ 
dance of xvater, specially so- xvhen enclosed in brick pits, and 
to be well syringed twice daily on fine days, and keep the 
growth tied down to- the trellis. W here fruits of the second 
crop of figs are thickly studded, it may be necessary to reduce 
the number, leaving those nearest the base, and pinch the points 
of all extra vigorous shoots. A day temperature of 80 to 85 
degrees, with sun heat, advancing to 90, will be none too high 
for an hour or so after closing time, xvhicli should be from 
3 to 4 p.m. Push on unheated houses with abundance of 
moisture at the root, also- overhead, husbanding all the sun pos¬ 
sible after 4 p.m. 
Melons. — The earliest crop xvill have been cleared in many 
instances, and the house replanted after being well washed 
dc.xvn, the exhausted soil replaced with lumpy maiden loam, xvith 
a little bone meal added, and made very firm. Support succes¬ 
sion crops before the vine gets crippled with the weight of the 
fruit. Feed liberally, and afford a light top-dressing of. the 
same sort of soil, as the roots appear on the surface. Sow 
about, every third week up to the end of July for succession. 
Bicton, Devonshire. James Mayne. 
Among the Orchids. 
Hybrid Cattleyas. — The hybrid Cattleyas and Laeliocatt- 
leyas derived from the nfluenceof C. lawrenceana, foim a most 
desirable and useful class of plants, which co-me into- flower early 
in the season, before the bulk of the- summer flowering members 
of the- Cattleya house expand. They are most attractive, and, 
moreover, being among the ea.sie-st to manage, renders them all 
the more acceptable to general culture. Immediately the 
flowering season is done the plants commence to emir, new 
roots and produce their young growths. I advocate repotting, 
as a rule, when the plants emit their roots q-n completion of 
growth ; but it often happens that the potting compost may lie 
in good condition in the autumn, yet xvhen spring arrives the 
sphagnum moss on the surface xvill have died during the dry 
state necessary in which to retain the plants- during the winter 
or resting -season. 
Although the plants may not require repotting, the dead and 
decaying moss should be- removed from the surface, or decom¬ 
position helped by a more liberal supply of xvater through the 
growing season xvill so-on extend to the remaining compost, and 
cause the whole to become unsuitable to the benefit of the 
plants. In top-dressing with sphagnum, especially where leaf- 
soil is used in the potting compost, it should not be too finely 
chopped, or it wall be a long time before it commences to- gro-w, 
and unless it is made fairly firm it can never be induced to 
groxv. It is, if only for appearance- sake, desirable that the 
sphagnum should be in-a growing state during the active season 
of growth. 
Other kinds of hybrid Cattleyas, LaeliaS and Laeliocattleyas, 
xvill now be emitting nexv growths ; they should, therefore, be 
attended to for any top-dressing or repotting requirements that 
may be necessary, and more liberal treatment should be given. 
General Remarks. — The summer temperatures in the dif¬ 
ferent divisions of the Orchid houses must now -be maintained. 
The atmospheric mo-isture should also- be at the maximum 
xvhenever the outside conditions are favourable. In bright, 
warm xveather the floors, stagings, and xvalls should be damped 
two or three times during the day. The houses should he 
closed for the final damping in the warm divisions sufficiently 
early to allow the temperatures to run up to the maximum 
degree. In the Cattleya and Dendrobium houses the roof 
blinds should be taken up ,a,s soon as there is no danger of the 
foliage becoming scorched. 
The Sun Heat. —To use the- natural heat provided by the 
sun’s rays is one of the principal items necessary to the success¬ 
ful cultivation of our warm-growing Orchids. With the short 
summers we have been provided xv T ith of late years it has 
become difficult to thoroughly mature the growth o-f our plants, 
without which it is- impossible to be- successful xvith our culti¬ 
vated plants. Those of us who know the difficulty of Orchid 
culture in suburban districts will have learnt- the desirability of 
using this item to the utmost. It xvill be fc-und to produce far 
better results if xve use natural heat instead of having to re-sort 
to the assistance of artificial heat, xvhich can only develop 
weaklx T Growths and produce insect pests when used to extremes. 
H J. 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Gloxinias.—The early-started plants xvill no-xv he commenc¬ 
ing to- flower, and if they still remain in a, xvarm, moist atmo¬ 
sphere, as recommended for growing them, their removal to a 
cooler and drier structure is advised. A warm greenhouse or 
conservatory xvill suit the plants for the flowering period, pro*- 
vided t-hey are not placed in a direct draught or in a sunny 
spot. 
