316 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
April 16, 1904. 
The Flower Garden. 
At the present time', when spring flowering plants of various 
kinds are making the garden gay, it is well to make a few 
notes for future use. Among the earliest to flower are the 
Scillasi and Chionodoxas. There are few prettier things when 
in. flower than the little bluei-flowereid Scilla sibirica; from 
the middle of March well into April and later in. more northern 
localities this little gem unfolds its flowers and is admirably 
suited for grouping towards the. margins of shrubberies or 
for carpeiting beds of deciduous shrubs. Scilla bifolia is of 
somewhat larger growth and flowers a little earlier than, the 
former; it should be accorded rather warmer positions in 
light soil; the: flowers are dark blue and borne: in racemes. 
The Chionodoxas; flower somewhat later than the early 
Scillas and .should be used freely in the flower garden for 
spring effect. They are not particular as regards soil, but do 
not succeed in the grass. Many bare, unsightly places under 
trees, in. the fronts of shrubberies:, etc:, may be made beauti¬ 
ful in spring by the free use: of these early flowering bulbous 
plants. Chionodoxa Luciliae is thei best-known specie® and is 
making a. fine show at present; the flowers are borne in 
racemes about 6 in. high, and continue in bloom for a, con¬ 
siderable time. 
For positions: similar' to the above the alpine Anemones, 
A. apeonina and A. blanda, will be found very useful. The 
former has bright blue flowers, and is: making quite a show 
at present. The: latter blooms a little earlier than. A. a,pen- 
nina, and has: flowers of darker blue and somewhat larger. 
These Anemones will flourish in any average garden, soil and 
increase in beauty yearly. They, in, conjunction, with the 
Scillas and Chionodoxas, should be planted in early autumn 
for spring flowering. 
The preparation of summer bedding plants; must, now be 
well in hand. Advantage should be taken of fine weather to 
admit, abundance of air to Pelargoniums', Calceolarias, Fuch¬ 
sias, etc, coming on in frame®. Dahlia cuttings, when well 
rooted and growing freely, should be gradually inured to 
cooler quarters to. ensure having short-jointed, firm plants at, 
bedding time. Seeds of all plants: raised annually by this 
method should be; sown, as, soon as possible. Strict attention 
should bei given to pricking off seedlings of 'such things as 
Zinnia, elegansi, which, if allowed to, become drawn and starved, 
will be practically useleis®. B. W. J. 
Among the Orchids. 
Odontog'lossrans, —“The cool Orchid house will be the moist, 
attractive division at, the present season, and as the flowers 
are so; durable after they have expanded the display will be 
extended for several weeks to come. There is, perhaps, no. 
genus, of Orchids that has: a greater strain to bear during the 
period that, the: flotWer-sca,pe take® in. developing, the expanding 
of the: blossoms, and the: durability of the flowers after they 
are expanded. It is rarely indeed that we find a pseudo-bulb 
which will not indicate in some manner the stress; that ha,s been 
placed upon it, even if the flowers are cut within a reasonable 
period of their expanding. In some cases no. material injury 
may be effected ; all will depend on, the' state the: roots are 
in, at the time the -flower-scapes are removed. If the new roots 
are actively working in the potting compost, such plants soon, 
regain their normal state. 
On the other hand, some plants emit their new roots; much 
earlier and have practically finished before the: flower-sica.pe® 
make their appearance. Under such condition®, it often takes 
months before they even, commence to plump-, and it is with 
plants: in this state one has to be most careful with, or the 
result will be a, diminished growth the following season. I 
always endeavour a® far as I possibly can to place plants in 
the latter state in the coolest and, if possible, the most moist 
situation in the bouse. This will aid them a little during the 
hot season in preventing as far a® possible any further cause 
of shrivelling. With the above remarks I need not dwell on 
the desirability of removing the flower-scapes from the plants 
within, a, reasonable jreriod after they have expanded; but I 
would point out that, if the scape® are cut before the flowers are 
properly open., they will not last anything like the time for 
cut-flower purpose® that the more expanded ones do. This 
will be found a, great consideration where Orchid flowers are in 
demand. 
Repotting.— Owing to. the Odontoglossums flowering as 
they do at various seasons of the year, it is impossible to 
attend to all the repotting requirements of the plants at any 
one particular season. The end of August, and early weeks of 
September are a time when most of the plants have advanced 
their growth to the rooting stage; and therefore a general re¬ 
potting is recommended at that season, but the exceptions are 
the plants in flower or developing their flower-scapes, and it is 
these exceptions that have to be dealt with at a, future season. 
I have often stated in the note® to The Gardening World 
that the proper season to repot cool-house Orchids is when 
the new roots are appearing, irrespective of season. Provided 
suitable conditions are afforded, I still hold that advice to be 
good. But where a position exposed to the full glare of a 
summer sun has to be contended with, it is not the most de¬ 
sirable conditions to have plant® under that have recently 
been disturbed at the: roots. I would, therefore, advocate that 
any repotting that can be done at the present time should be 
proceeded with ; this will enable the roots to get hold of the 
potting compost before the: hot weather sets in. 
Any decayed or sour moss on the surface of any of the plants 
may be now removed and replaced with new growing material. 
The compost. I find suitable consists of one part Oak or Beech 
leaves, one sphagnum moss, and the remaining portion made up 
of fibrous peat with sufficient rough sand added to render the 
whole porous. Bracken roots should be used instead of crocks 
for drainage; filled to about one-half the depth of the pot. 
Hardy Fruit 
Plums.— Wall tree® promise well for .a full crop, and in cold 
districts repay for some sort of protection, either in the way of 
fish netting or Spruce boughs, to be removed immediately 
they have passed out of flower. Standard and bush trees in 
the, open; also Damsons, are full of flower, and unless the 
weather sets in. ,a,s last April good crops: of fruit should be 
recorded later in the season. 
Apricots in this, district, at least in these gardens, will not 
be over-burdened with fruit, the: blossom being very meagre on 
most, of our trees; although growing on a southern, aspect. 
As with the Plum, the protecting material should not be kept 
on, long after the young shoots are capable of affording pro¬ 
tection to the young fruit; we make it a practice to remove 
the nets first, allowing the glass coping to remain for another 
week or ten days. Keep the surface soil frequently stirred 
and do not crop within 3 ft. to 4 ft. of the stems of the trees 
unless it be a few Radish or Mustard and Cress. 
Apples.—Most varieties: are full of flower, and though many 
growers advocate a, thinning of the blossoms where crowded, 
I consider it is much the wisest plan to defer it, until the fruits 
are: formed, considering the: havoc played of late years by the 
Apple Blossom Weevil (Anthonomus pom arum) which makes 
its way up the trees thei first few warm days of spring; and 
much, may and should be done by frequent, examination of the 
smaller trees-, at any rate, squeezing the depredator between 
the finger and thumb; as it can easily be detected where it 
ha® been at work by the withering of the petals before they 
