THE GARDE NINO WORLD . 
March 12, 1904. 
212 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Gloriosas. — To achieve success in, the culture of this lilia¬ 
ceous 'stove plant the bulbs should be accorded complete rest 
in a dry warm place ini winter and potted up at the present 
time and started into growth in a, moist temperature of about 
70 deg. Abundance of heat and humidity are essential until 
flowers are formed, when somewhat cooler and drier conditions 
will be best. The pots' must be efficiently drained and the 
compost consist of fibrous loam, peat, and flaky leaf-soil in 
about equal proportions', adding’ sufficient sand and small 
nodules of charcoal to insure porosity. Good flowering bulbs! 
should be about 6 in. in length, and these should be laid flat 
two or three in a 10-in. pot, and covered with 1-i in. of soil. 
The pots may be plunged in a hotbed 1 to hasten their starting, 
and when tire growths attain about 12-in. transfer to the stove 
beneath the trellis or pillar it is intended they should clothe. 
Avoid over-watering during the early stages of growth, and 
keep a sharp look out for slugs, which are very partial to the 
young succulent growths'. When the pots, become well tilled 
with healthy roots give plenty of water and an occasional appli¬ 
cation of manure. 
Aspidistras. —The present is a good time to divide and 
repot specimens of this invaluable room plant. We have no 
more useful subject than the Aspidistras, for the adornment of 
rooms in -the dwelling, as they withstand a long sojourn in 
them without injury. Established plants with several leaves 
may be divided into two or three and repotted in a compost of 
two parts, loam to one each of peat, and leaf-soil, with sand or 
read grit added 1 . Restart them into growth in a genial tem¬ 
perature of a,bout 65 deg., and when a few new leaves are 
developed upon each plant transfer to cooler quarters. Plants 
that are used in dwellings should be frequently sponged. 
Begonias. — The winter-flowering species and varieties, 
such as Gloire de Lorraine, will now be throwing. up 
cuttings from the basic of the plants that have 
recently done service, and no time should be lost in 
taking them and inserting round the sides of 3j-in. pots 
of peaty soil with which isi incorporated plenty of sharp 
silver sand. Plunge in, tliei propagating bed and keep;. close 
and shaded until roots are formed, them remove to a light 
shelf ini a warm house and pot on as required. The chief 
essentials to success in the culture of this class' of Begomiai are 
quick unchecked growth from the rooted cutting to the flower¬ 
ing stage, and never to take out the points of the leading 
shoots. Stout, cuttings should be selected, and if a, heel of 
the old wood can be taken with them so much the better. 
The Rex or ornamental foliaged kinds are of inestimable 
value, for growing where many plants fail, such as- under stages, 
in rockeries', or in pots intermixed with Ferns and other mois¬ 
ture and .shade-loving plant®. Propagation is: readily effected 
by the leaves. Take in, the left hand a partially-matured leaf 
and pass a keen-edged knife lightly across the midribs on, the 
under side 1 , then lay flat on a pan or box filled with light sandy 
soil, and after fixing them with pegs place in the propagatin'* 
house. A too close,and humid atmosphere is not recommended, 
as the leaves will decay, whilst on the other hand a dry airy 
medium will be inimical to the quick formation of roots. The 
happy medium should be struck a,s far as possible. 
General potting and top dressing of most kinds of stove and 
greenhouse plants will now be engaging attention, and each 
genus should b© taken, in hand and completed before proceed¬ 
ing with another. To economise time and facilitate the work 
at this busy season, the cultivator should carefully consider 
which plants require attention first, also to prepare a good 
heap of soil best suited to the kind of plants to be next 
potted, duly considering how much will be required, and what 
other batches of plants will do in the same compost. To carry 
out the work methodically and with despatch a considerable 
amount of forethought is required, such as washing, drying, 
and draining the various-sized pots required in, advance, main¬ 
taining a good supply of the various soils in the diy, washing 
and drying potsherds, sifting and breaking up and mixing the 
compost and warming it, before using, gathering moss from 
the woods for placing over the drainage, and many other details 
too numerous to dwell upon in these columns. K. M. 
Among the Orchids. 
Shading.—After the long period of dull weather, the foliage 
of Cypripediums, Cattleyas, Phams' and Odontoglossums will 
all be ini a more or less sappy state, and will be the more liable 
to. injury from the effects of bright sunshine than would have 
been the case under more favourable conditions'. It, is there¬ 
fore necessary to observe more than ordinary care to protect 
the foliage from becoming unsightly, while at the same time 
every consideration must be given to the proper maturing of 
the growths, or the result will be unsatisfactory flowering, and 
possibly premature growth. The roof blinds' should be fixed in 
position without delay, so that they are ready for use at any 
moment that they may be required. The lath roller- blinds 
are very durable, and if allowed to remain on the- roofs they 
are most useful if run, down on cold, windy nights, considerably 
minimising the fire-lreat requirements in maintaining the de¬ 
sired temperature. 
There isi one thing I would point out in their use—that- is, 
when the blinds are brought into* use later on ini the season, in 
tire mornings after the sun, has 1 effected a rise in temperature, 
it will be found that -the current of air passing between the 
blinds and the roof cools the glass very quickly, which causes 
the temperature of the houses to fall very rapidly. To coun¬ 
teract this it is Avedl to reduce the ventilation just before or 
immediately after the blinds) have been drawn over the roof. 
On account of their having the effect of diminishing tempera¬ 
ture in summer they cannot be considered so desirable on the 
warm divisions of our Orchid houses a.s- tire ordinary canvas¬ 
shading material. There is also a tendency to cause what is 
termed drawn growth; anything therefore that tends to weaken 
the. growth of such species as Cypripediums should be avoided. 
Whatever kind of shading material is adopted, it is desirable 
that the rollers should be carried on runners erected at least 
a foot above the glass, which will prevent to a, great extent 
the bagging of the blinds on the glass, and with it diminish the 
scorching heat on the glass in hot summer weather-. 
Calanthes. — Where the deciduous section of Calanthes, have 
been turned out of their* pots aard placed in boxe-s for conveni¬ 
ence of storage, many of them will be starting into 1 new 
growth; these 'should be looked over- to see that the psieudo- 
bulbs are standing in a, position that the growth may advance 
in the desired position. When doing this, if some damp 
sphagnum moss and rough sand is placed at the bottom of the 
boxes and the bulbs placed into, position on the moss', it, will 
form a medium on which the new roots may find support as 
soon, as they are emitted from the base of the newly-developing 
growth, from which they may be easily removed with the moss 
attached to tire roots and be potted up' ais desired at tire end of 
the present month. 
A great deal of trouble has been caused by tlr-e unsightly and 
unaccounted-for spotting of the flower-scapes just before they 
are ready to. expand, and in .some cases sooner*. I consider that 
if a. more porous compost is used when potting up the plants, 
it' will aid materially to the diminishing of the trouble. 
T lie heavy turfy loam that is so generally advised in the potting 
compost, ha® a tendency to retain- moisture too. long, and being 
wet at the roots, as well as the prevalence of shortening days, 
with, very little aid from sun-heat to. dry up. superabundant 
moisture about tire plants, has a, greater tendency to develop 
spotting than would be the case where a, lighter potting coin- 
