uigusfc 6, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
627 
aisne the trees daily, gathering any that part, freely from the 
tj 3 , using great care, as the fruits are easily damaged. We 
Ij, e -had to net our trees some years, the thrushes and black- 
pis going for them wholesale long ere one can gather them 
ajripet. 
Jarly Plums, such as Early Favourite, Early Prolific, Or- 
1 , QS< and the Czar, must either be netted or gathered as soon 
a ripe. The former was ripe with us ten da.ysi ago 1 , on an 
e t wall, and is a great cropper. Although not a large fruit, 
i omes in useful for tarts now the bulk of the Raspberries are 
0 ,r. Wasps are getting numerous, therefore search within 
n nile radius of the garden and pour half a pint of tar into 
t dr holes towards dusk when they are all in—a cheap and 
Je remedy. James Mayne. 
Bicton, Devonshire. 
Among the Orchids. 
The Cattleya House. — If there is one season of the year 
Len. there is a scarcity of bloom more than, another, one would 
turally point to the months of July and August as the 
ost pronounced in this respect, for, with the exception, of 
ittleya Warscewiczii, there is little else to attract attention 
Qoog the species until the Laelia pumila section comes in. 
here it is desirable to retain a succession of flower through- 
it the season one has to turn to the hybrids. Among these 
3 find several of the older and best-known: crosses, such as 
lelioeattleya oallistoglossa, Lc. bletohleyensis, X»c. Harold- 
na, Cattleya. Harold, and C. Lord Rothschild, while the more 
■cently produced hybrids from Laelia digbyana are all of the 
rge-flowered class, and are therefore worthy of every com 
deration. The two first-mentioned possess robust constitu- 
O'Di, and where properly treated rarely fail to produce satis- 
tetory results, and nothing can be desired in the chaste and 
legant qualities of the individual flowers. This class of 
ybrids has filled a blank in the cycle of successive flowering 
lants in the Cattleya. house. They have been extensively 
used by hybridists- both in. this country and abroad, soi that, 
ith the exception of specialities in variety, they are pro- 
urable for a modest outlay; and as is the case with most 
arden-ra.ised hybrids, they are far more satisfactory plants to 
leal with than is found to be the case in the cultivation of 
nost of the imported species. 
In this division., where so many plants have their pseudo- 
mlbs practically developed, every assistance must, be afforded 
o enable the plants to ripen their growths, and at the same 
1 ime to prevent as far as possible the plants from restarting 
nto growth, which they sometimes do before the preceding 
growths have scarcely reached maturity. Early-flowering 
-arieties of C. Warscewiczii (gigas) and C. dowiana are in. par- 
icular liable to restart into growth. I have found it ad- 
dsable to remove such plants to a. more aiiy and drier position, 
vhere the temperature may be sufficiently reduced to 1 prevent 
is far as possible any attempt at secondary growth. In case 
such growth has already become well advanced, it is desirable 
io render eveiy assistance, even by putting the plants in a. 
manner division, to enable them to 1 make up their growth 
before the winter season sets in. 
Oncidium macranthum. —It has been several times stated 
that there are no other Orchids that derive greater benefits 
than the Oncidiums from the inclusion of leaf-soil in the pot¬ 
ting compost. There can be no two opinions as to the remarks 
being applicable to 0. macranthum. I do not know of a single 
instance where there has been a failure since the compost was 
adopted, whereas in the orthodox method of Orchid culture we 
used to consider it anything but an easy subject to deal with, 
end we often had to wait, a year or two after a plant had 
flowered before it was sufficiently vigorous to enable it to pro¬ 
duce another flower-scape. The whole character of the plant 
has become so altered that one need not hesitate in recom¬ 
mending it as not only one of the most beautiful, but also 
one of the most desirable plants for cool-house cultivation. 
Producing its flowers at the 1 present season, when Orchid flowers 
are scarce, renders it one of the most useful plants for ex¬ 
hibition purposes and for decorative work. I would advise 
annual repotting as soon as the plants pass out of flower, tiring 
leaf-soil to the extent of one-third, with a little fibrous peat 
and the remainder of chopped sphagnum moss and rough sand. 
H. J. 
The Flower Garden. 
Hollyhocks. — These stately plants are usually grown in 
groups in the herbaceous border, where their handsome spikes 
of single or double flowers are much admired and constitute a 
welcome feature in July and August. In the flower garden, 
however, where large beds 1 have to be filled, Hollyhocks may 
be introduced with good effect, and the best method of pro¬ 
pagation for this purpose is to raise young plants from seeds 
annually. During the next week or so is a suitable time to 
sow seeds, and this may be done either ini a bed out of doors 
or in boxes. When the seedlings are large enough, they may 
be potted into small 48’s, using a normal compost of loam, 
leaf-soil and sand. The young plants may be wintered in a 
cold frame, affording plenty of light and air in good weather, 
avoiding the application of too much water. In April or early 
May the plants may be transferred to the bedsl ini which they 
are" to> flower. Probably for the flower garden proper the 
double varieties will be found most, suitable, and these may be 
had in. distinct colours 1 —crimson,, pink, white, etc. The single 
Hollyhocks are also worthy a, place in the garden, where large 
groups have to be; formed, and as wild garden plants they will 
be found very effective. 
Gladioli.—Few florists’ flowers have improved so much in 
recent years as the Gladioli; the beautiful varieties of G. gan- 
davensis, Lemoined, Childsii, nancieanusi, etc., carry the flower¬ 
ing season far into the autumn. Perhaps the finest Gladiolus 
a,t present in cultivation is G. Princeps, a magnificent, variety, 
with scarlet flowers of large size. _ To extend the flowering 
season, over as long a period as possible, several of the specie® 
may be grown with advantage. 
G. byzantinus, a specie® with red flowers, produced in, June, 
will" be found useful; G. cardinalis, with scarlet flowers: pro¬ 
duced in July and August, is worthy of extended cultivation. 
G seio-etum, with rose-coloured flowers, is also a, worthy addition 
to the list; the three latter are useful for planting among low- 
o-rowing shrubsi where the soil Is! well drained, as m such a 
pcoition the conns may be left in the ground, where they will 
continue to throw up shoots annually. The smaller-growing 
kinds of the Colville! type are also charming out of doors, 
though more often seen in, pots. G. colvillei alba,, better known 
as The Pride, needs' no description, but is far too seldom seen 
out of doors, and the same may be said of others, as Flushing 
ride, etc., of the same type. 
Begonia Count Zeppelin is one of the best scarlet-flowered 
eiddino- Begonia® we have ; though belonging to the tuberous- 
roted section, this variety is quite distinct, _ in habit from 
ie common forms. The leaves are comparatively small and 
o not rise more than 6 in. or 8 in. from the ground, while 
ie i double flowers are produced in abundance well above the 
?avesi; at the present time a bed of this variety isa gowm? 
The Bee Oechis.— Mr. F. J. Ames, in the “ Daily Express ” 
iavs; _“I S ee there is mention of the great profusion of the 
Bee Orchis in the Forest of St. Germ am. There are many 
housands of our countrymen who have never seen this beautiful 
lower, and, if shown it, would hardly believe it is a native of 
5n°-land ; yet it grows in abundance in certain localities, though 
f its habitat were published it would probably, on account of 
ts beauty, soon become extinct through the attempted transfer 
,f it to hack gardens. Most text-books speak of its growing on 
■balk. It is, however, also found growing m heavy clay 
districts.” 
