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THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 11, 1905. 
Fruit Under Glass. 
Melons. —To grow and thoroughly ripen the best fruit a 
rather strong loam is necessary, adding a little wood ashes, 
bone meal and powdered mortar refuse; and whether the 
plants are grown and fruited in pots or set out on hillocks, the 
compost must be made very firm, as Melons are not nearly as 
satisfactory when allowed a loose root-run. The calendar for 
January 14th gave full instructions as to sowing the seed, 
cleansing and preparation of the house so that all may be 
ready by the time the seedlings would be ready to set out, 
which, if sown the third week in that month, are quite fit to 
transplant to their permanent quarters. It is a fatal mistake 
to let them get pobbound, and if the structure cannot be got 
ready in time, the little plants should be transferred into 5-in. 
or 54-in. pots and not set' out until the roots are working down 
by the side of the pots, so as not to disturb the ball more 
than is necessary. For pot-work those- measuring 12 in. or 
14 in. in diameter are the best, which need carefully draining, 
and a layer of grassy turves over the crocks before putting in 
the soil, which should be brought up to- within 2J in. of the 
rim of the pot, which will allow for a top-dressing as the roots 
appear on the surface. When pots are used they should be 
stood on tiers of brick resting on the bottom of the pit, so 
that the bottom heat can ascend around the pot, and also 
prevent it from subsiding. Those set out on hillocks or ridges 
should have fresh-cut turves 3 in. thick placed along the entire 
length of pit where the soil has to be put, making about 9 in. 
in all, and filming all when fairly dry with a brickbat. The 
surface of the bed or pot when ready to plant should not be 
more than 15 in. from the glass roof. Do not plant until the 
soil has been in the house twenty-four hours, and afford no 
water for a few days, which can be managed if the plants are 
fairly moist at setting out. A light dewing from the syringe 
twice in favourable weather will meet their requirements, but 
those in pots will need more water than those on a border. 
Secure each plant to a neat stake, and maintain a night tem¬ 
perature of 65 to 70 deg., advancing to 80 or 85 deg. with 
the sun, admitting air cautiously for the present. The dis¬ 
tance uetween each plant depends upon the mode of culture. 
Cordons—that is, those grown on single bines—require 12 in. 
to 15 in., while those that are stopped and three growths 
trained up should be set out 2 ft. apart. To keep up a supjily 
sow seeds about every three weeks in 3-in. pots. 
Peaches.— The early forcing of this fruit entails much 
labour as well as anxiety to the gardener. A hio-fi nio-ht tem¬ 
perature must be strictly avoided. Aphis soon spread's if once 
allow ed a footing, and is most difficult to eradicate. Dryness 
of the borders or pots is another evil that cannot be too often 
impressed upon the memory of young gardeners, either one of 
which, if overlooked for long, spells ruin to the crop as -well 
as to the trees. November or early December started trees will 
have passed out of flower ere this, and diminution of the shoots 
begun in many instances ; but judgment is required here, as 
too many removed at one time is likely to give a, check to 
the tree, and may end in many of the tiny fruits dropping off. 
The proper and decidedly the safest way is to extend the dis¬ 
budding into the third or even fourth week, removing a few 
at a time, those on the under side of the fruiting wood dis¬ 
pensed with first, reserving three or four on the upper side, 
one of these being at the base to form the next season’s fruit¬ 
ing branch. Where there is space allow the leading point to 
extend ; if not, it may be pinched at the fourth leaf later on, 
and the temperatures given a month since are applicable still. 
Trees mat have set thickly may be relieved of ill-placed fruit, 
doing this gradually as with the shoots, the final thinniim 
taking place after stoning. 
Pines. — A batch of Queens should now be stalled, and if 
the instructions given the last day of the old year were acted 
upon all will be ready for the reception of the pots. Choose 
plants that have been well rested and that show a kind of 
rosette of leaves in the centre ; remove inert soil, and top- 
dress with warm fibrous loam and a small quantity of bone 
meal, firming it well, especially around the collar. Plunge the 
pots to the rim 2 ft. apart, the second row to come in between 
the other pots, thus allowing more space for the tops; the 
bottom heat ought not to exceed 85 deg. ; if it does, draw 
aside the plunging material for a few days, when the excessive 
heat will escape. If dry, give the plants a thorough soakino- 
with water warmed to SO deg., affording weak guano water the 
next time water is required. Maintain a night temperature 
of 68 or 70 deg., and syringe between the pots once or twice 
daily, affording but little ventilation and avoiding cold winds ; 
better allow the thermometer to register 90 deg. than to admit 
draughts. The evaporating troughs may again be brought 
into use, half-filling with manure-water, the other half beiim 
clear. 
Vine Eyes. — These ought to be inserted by now either in 
small pots or square pieces of turves, and plunged in a bottom 
heat of 80 deg. It is not the strongest wood that makes the 
best for propagation, medium-sized pieces coming away more 
kindly, and making just as good canes by the end of summer. 
Bicton, Devonshire. James Mayne. 
Among the Orchids. 
Sowing Seed. — In some districts where the atmospheric 
conditions are such that there is little actinity in the’liofit 
during the late autumn and winter months of the year, veiy 
little advantage is derived from sowing Orchid seed in the late 
summer and early autumn months. Seedlings that germinate 
even so early as the month of August make very little progress 
during the winter months, and they are always- a source of 
anxiety to those in charge of them; even with the best 
facilities at command it is no easy matter to retain the surface 
in a desirable or suitable condition to the requirements of the 
plants in a tender state. I have found far the best system is 
to hold over sowing the seed until the turn of the days, except¬ 
ing in the case of Cypripediums and the terrestrial Orchids 
generally. Taking a long time to germinate in most cases, 
seeds of this class of Orchid should be sown as soon as ripe, 
the epiphytal kinds may now be sown without delay. 
There aie several methods of seed sowing, and I would advise 
those who have not derived satisfaction in their experiments at 
raising seedlings to tiy various methods. There is generally 
ample seed m the epiphytal Orchid pods to try any amount of 
methods m sowing. It is certainly a. great mistake to sow 
seed too thick. The system generally adopted now as a seed¬ 
bed for Cattleyas, Laelias, Sophronitis, Epidendrums, etc., is 
to procure a piece of coarse canvas, unbleached calico, or, 
better still, wash big silk if it can be procured. Cut a circular 
piece about an inch wider than the pot or pan in which it is 
proposed to sow the seed. Then fill the pot full of chopped 
sphagnum moss, get the cloth in one hand and the pot in the 
other; hold the cloth firmly over the rim of the pot and turn 
upside down ; as the moss falls into the cloth press it firmly 
together and return it into the pot, pressing down the sides 
sufficiently to form a mound in the centre. Water with tepid 
rain-water, and the surface is ready to receive the seed. 
Auol liti \ eij good plan is to tua-ke up pans of chopped 
blacken roots, fine peat, and a little sphagnum : press to an 
eien surface just beneath the rim of the pot; after watering 
the bed is ready to receive the seed. Where there is a diffi¬ 
culty with the above methods, procure a scaffold-pole or dried 
white deal, cutting out a circular piece about an inch thick; 
leax e the surface rough sawn, and bore a hole in the centre to 
permit proper drainage. Soak the pieces in rain-water for a 
dux oi txxo before they are required for use, then plunge in a 
well-drained pot, fix the block in position by pressing spliag- 
