July 25, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
633 
a pair of garden shears cannot be too strongly condemned, and 
should be resorted to only in the case of very common kinds. 
A good sharp pruning-knife and a pair of secateurs are the best 
tools one can have. 
The various thorns may now be lightly cut back, also such 
things as Syringas, Philadelphus, Lilacs, etc. Many sorts of 
hedges may also be clipped, including Holly, Privet, Thorn, 
and Yew. 
Care should be taken of the leaders of shrubs now, and when 
these are thin and liable to get broken by birds a stick should 
be placed to it, which will reach just above the top of the 
leader, and if this is sharply pointed it will prevent any damage 
beino- done. Pay attention to the ties, and loosen them if 
necessary, for at this season the stems are swelling quickly, 
and irreparable injury is often caused in this way. 
A. E. Thatcher. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree, Herts. 
Among the Orchids. 
Spathoglottis.— This interesting genus of plants are natives 
of a large area, stretching from Northern India and China, 
through the East Indies and the Malayan Archipelago, as far 
as the New Caledonian Islands. There are about a dozen 
which have been introduced to cultivation. The bpst of these 
are S. aurea, S'. Fortunei, S. Vieillardii. These species thrive 
well in the conditions of the ordinary plant stove, or in a moist 
position of the East Indian house. The plants do best in deep 
pans, the potting compost consisting of good yellow^ loam, 
fibrous peat, and leaf soil in about equal proportions. To this 
must be added sufficient rough sand to render the compost 
open and porous, as during the growing season the plants will 
require an abundant supply of root moisture. 
The best time to repot the plants is when the new growths 
commence to show—that is, immediately after the flowering 
season has passed. Make the compost firm about the bulbs, 
and cover with a layer of chopped sphagnum. This will 
greatly add to the appearance of the plants. Throughout the 
growing season ample root moisture must be afforded, and a 
highly humid state of the atmosphere maintained. When 
growth is completed drier conditions may be afforded, but the 
plants must not be removed from the warm division while 
resting. 
The hybrid Spathoglottis aureo-Vieillardii raised by Messrs. 
J. Veitch and Sons, and also by Mr. Young in Sir F. Wigan’s 
collection, is a very fine addition to this section of plants, com¬ 
bining the intermediate characteristics of the parents indi¬ 
cated in the name. It is of good constitution, and does well 
under the conditions mentioned above. 
The Cool House.—In this division the greatest difficulty will 
be keeping the temperature within reasonable bounds. In 
very hot weather it is always somewhat trying to some of the 
plants in this division, the warm, diy conditions being any¬ 
thing but that afforded in the climatic conditions of their 
native habitats. Perhaps there are none suffer to' a greater 
.extent than the miniature-growing species of Masdeva.llia, It 
is the dry conditions of the atmosphere rather than the extra 
degrees of heat that these tiny subjects are affected by. If a 
position where a cold frame could be allotted to these plants 
under the shadow of overhanging trees can be provided from 
the end of May to the last week in August, the plants are bene¬ 
fited by such conditions, but it is rarely such a position can 
be afforded, and one has to accommodate oneself to facilities 
at hand. 
I always feel it advisable to get the lower ventilators open 
as early as possible in the morning, and the blinds down as 
soon as the sun’s rays reach the plants. Do not open the roof 
ventilators more than can be possibly helped. Immediately 
these are opened it affords a means of escape for the moisture 
in the atmosphere, and the most desirable conditions to be 
retained are thus permitted to. escape, and the inside condi¬ 
tions are thus rendered the more unsuitable for the plants. 
If the blinds are raised well off the glass, so that a current of 
air may pass freely between the blinds and glass, it helps very 
considerably to keep down the temperature inside the houses. 
This division should be damped freely several times a day, and 
in bright weather a light spray with the syringe over the 
plants will considerably aid in keeping the atmosphere charged 
with moisture. H. J. 
Hardy Fruit. 
Strawberries.—Where it is contemplated planting new 
quarters, and the requisite stock has to be worked up at borne, 
my remarks on “ layering ” in the calendar for July 4th need 
not be repeated; suffice it to say, the earlier it is done the 
bebtei, the plants to be put out in a few weeks’ time. Old 
plantations of this fruit do not pay to stand over three years; 
much heavier crops are taken from plants that have been 
forced and planted out as advised in a previous calendar than 
from those treated as an annual, though doubtless earlier and 
probably finer fruits are got from the latter when given a 
warm border and set out early in August. 
In the meantime set about preparing the piece of ground, 
plenty of which will now be available after early Peas, Beans, or 
Potatos have been cleared off. Trench or double-dig the plot, 
working in a good dressing of decayed manure, especially on 
light soils; those more of a retentive nature may have—in 
fact, it is desirable—to work in manure of a strawy or less 
rotten material. The bulk of the crop will have been cleared 
ere this, and plants to be retained should have all mulch re¬ 
moved, the runners and a few of the older leaves cut off with 
a sharp knife and cleared away; then ply the flat hoe between 
the plants, so that sun and air may aerate the soil. Keep the 
runners, also flower spikes, cut away from planted-out forced 
plants, so as to throw all the energy of the plant into building 
up stout crowns for next year’s fruiting, and stir the soil 
frequently with the hoe. 
Apples in this locality are very partial. Some trees, espe- 
cially cider varieties, are loaded with fruit, but with the better 
sorts a thin bearing appears to be the order. Bush and espa¬ 
lier trees in the garden here are very promising, such as Lord 
Grosvenor and Lord Suffield, Lane’s Prince Albert, Ecklinville, 
Tom Putt, Frogmore Prolific, Peasgood’s, Wealthy, Bramley’s 
Seedling, Kerry Pippin, Lady Sudeley, King Pippin, American 
Mother, and a few others. These have been thinned out where 
clustered together, as one good fruit is far before half-a-dozen 
small or inferior ones. Where exhibition fruits are required 
and labour at command, the trees would feel the benefit of 
a few applications of tank water, first pricking up the surface 
of the soil with a fork, so that it may reach the roots instead 
of running off to other quarters, which it would do where the 
surface is caked over. 
Budding.—The end of July and the month of August is the 
usual time for performing this, and in moist weather for pre¬ 
ference. Mature buds are oftener found on medium-sized 
shoots of this season’s growth, choosing the bud on half-ripe 
wood, which should be plump, but not over-ripe, and wood buds 
are; easily distinguished as being thin and long. These may 
have most of the leaf cut away, just leaving enough to handle 
when inserting the bud, and the shoots should be stood in a 
can of water and taken out as required. Raffia, as a tying 
material, should be at hand, and in cutting out a bud com¬ 
mence about, an inch below the leaf stalk, extending the cut 
rather more than half an inch beyond, when the bud will be 
in the centre, having a thin slice of bark and wood at the back, 
the latter of which must be removed by the haft of the budding 
knife, avoiding bending or bruising the bark in any way, and 
make sure the bud looks plump after this removal, and that 
no hole is made at the back ; if so, discard it, and cut out a 
fresh one. Next tackle the stock by cutting a slip .an, inch in 
length with a cross-cut at the top thus, T merely cutting to 
the bark; then raise the bark from the wood at the angle on 
both sides of the T with the haft, of the knife, so' that the bud 
may easily slip down to the bottom of the perpendicular cut. 
The cross cut of the bud and the stock should fit exactly before 
