133 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
February 18. 1905. 
the boxes to within a \ in. of the rims; press the soil firmly 
with the fingers, but do not beat down. Insert the cuttings 
about 2 in. apart, give a good watering through a fine rose, and 
place the boxes into a cold frame. Keep close for a week or 
two, and shade if the sun should be bright. It will be found 
that cuttings so treated will root in about ten days, when 
shading should be discontinued, and air gradually admitted, 
Keep near the glass, and when growth begins give air on all 
favourable occasions. In order to make bushy plants pinch 
the tops; a second pinching may be required before planting 
out. 
By the end of March the sashes should be entirely removed 
when the weather will admit of it. Plant out about the last- 
week of April, where cut flowers are much in request in the 
autumn, or for keeping up an interesting display in the garden 
until the severe frosts of winter makes that impossible. 
There is nothing that I know so useful, and at the same 
time inexpensive, as a good collection of autumn flowering 
Chrysanthemums. The varieties now are numerous, and of 
almost every shade, and vary in height from 6 in. to 4 ft. 
They adapt themselves to any style of gardening, and will 
succeed anywhere with liberal treatment and attention to 
tying up to stakes or wires during summer. 
The varieties we find most useful are Madame Marie Masse 
and its sports ; Mrs. Baird, a charming light pink ; Kalph 
Curtis, Rabbie Burns, and Horace Martin. A splendid yellow 
pompon is C'raigmiller. Carrie is also a good yellow. Mrs. 
Selby, also a pompon, is a pretty pink. The best crimsons 
are Goacher’s Crimson and Crimson Queen. For whites 
Market White and Mytchetts White are very fine. Mabel 
Goacher is a good single white. Louis Lemaire and Henri 
Avon are splendid rosy-bronze and salmon varieties. The two 
last, though not- bushy, are very effective when alternated 
with Salvia Horminum violacea. R. K. Davidson. 
Keppoeh. , 
Some Useful Orchids. 
The undermentioned will be found, not only very useful, but 
also what we might term “ easier grown.” Where there is 
no adequate means for growing a collection of Orchids,- they 
may be cultivated advantageously in other plant houses. In 
choosing them I also consider their fitness for cutting purposes. 
The Calanthes.—These will now be at rest. Generally they 
commence to grow in February, and when the young growths 
are about 1 in. in length, they should be repotted. Two of 
last year’s bulbs may be placed together in a 64 in. pot, the 
old roots having been cut away close to the base of the bulbs. 
Rich fibrous loam, peat and sharp sand, with a complement 
of old cow manure and partly decayed leaves, is a favourable 
compost to produce large flower spikes, and well-developed 
bulbs. They desire a good heat while growing and shade from 
direct sunshine, and should be rested in a temperature of 
55 deg. Two good forms are C. Regnieri and C. Yeitchii. 
Coelogyne cristata is remarkably easily grown. An inter¬ 
mediate house serves its purpose. Although when the bulbs 
are matured they require a rest, they should always have suffi¬ 
cient water given them to keep them plump and the foliage 
green. When potting, partially decayed leaves, from which 
the dirt has been washed, may be used together with sphag¬ 
num, peat, and charcoal. There are many fine varieties, but 
alba is noteworthy by its being pure white. 
Cypripediums.— People, sometimes forgetting—or other¬ 
wise—that these, like so many other species, are “ terrestrial 
or ground Orchids, pot them in so light a compost that they 
are only able to keep their feeble bodies together, and cer¬ 
tainly never contain strength to flower well. Bearing the 
fact in mind also that they are “evergreen,” fibrous turf, 
leaves as above, sphagnum and charcoal may constitute the 
nutriment. Much good is derived from laying some 4 in. 
bones on the top of the crocks. C. insigne may be watered 
with weak liquid cow manure during the growing period ; this 
species will stand a cool temperature well, and is exceptionally 
useful for cut flowers. Two magnificent forms are C. spieeria- 
num and C. Boxalli. 
Dendrobiums. —I believe there are about 300 species of 
Dendrobiums, but the following are certainly three of the 
best, D. Phalaenopsis deserves a place in every garden. 
The flowers, ranging from white to deep purple, and growing 
in natural sprays, last a very long time. It requires a warm 
house all the year round, resting being mainly assisted by the 
withholding of water. It- does exceedingly well in baskets, 
and stands much sunshine. D. nobile and D. wardianuru 
are well known, and justly so. Their growing and resting 
seasons should be very distinctive. They require to be grown 
quickly in much heat and moisture, and allowed a long and 
cool season to gradually ripen their bulbs. In this fashion 
they make monstrous growths, and afterwards flower freelv 
when given again the warmth of the intermediate house. 
Being “ epiphytes,” they get all the required nourishment 
from peat, sphagnum, and the moisture of the air. They are 
very useful for making button-holes and ladies’ sprays ; nothin™ 
looks more superb than either, or both together, with Lilv of 
the Valley intervening. „ James P. Dickson. 
Ismene calathina. 
The above plant, which, by the way, is allied to the Pan¬ 
cratium, is one of the most useful and beautiful of white- 
flowered stove plants. Bulbs which have been rested during 
the winter months may now be shaken out and started into 
growth. A suitable compost to grow them in should consist 
of two parts fibrous loam, one part leaf-soil, and one part old 
hotbed manure, with a liberal addition of 4-in. charcoal and 
sand. Clean, well-drained pots should be ready and should be 
of different sizes, according to the size of the bulbs. Pot 
firmly, and keep the apex of the bulb level with the surface of 
the soil, and give a sprinkling of sand to finish it off. Give 
a good watering, and place the plants in a house with a tem¬ 
perature of about 60 deg., allowing a rise by sun-heat. 
Water very carefully until the pots become full of roots, but- 
keep the stage well damped with the syringe, and also give a 
sprinkling overhead on warm, sunny days to encourage growth. 
Ismenes are quick-rooting plants, having large, white, fleshy 
roots, and if good results are expected, should not be allowed 
to become potbound, or, as far as my experience goes with 
them, they will not flower. Therefore I would recommend 
them to have plenty of pot-room, and when the roots have 
reached the crocks give them a shift into a larger sized pot, 
taking care not- to injure the roots in doing so. A slightly 
rougher compost may be used for the last potting, with the 
addition of a little good fertiliser. Do not confine the plants 
to a close atmosphere, but give air on favourable occasions, or 
they will become weak and drawn and will not throw such fine 
flower-spikes. 
Diluted manure-water may be given with advantage about 
twice a week, and occasionally a sprinkling of artificial manure 
will be very beneficial. When the flowers begin to open re¬ 
move the plants to a cool, diy greenhouse, and give clear 
water. The plants last a considerable time in flower when 
allowed to grow under cool conditions at- the finish, and are 
much more scented than when grown in strong heat-. After 
they have finished flowering cut off the flower-spike and stand 
the plants where they can be well looked after. They should 
still be fed lightly, as this will help them to develop new bulbs 
and offsets. As the foliage turns yellow gradually withhold 
water, and eventually dry them off altogether. The pots may 
be laid on their sides under the greenhouse stage during the 
winter, providing it- is not too wet. R. Thatcher. 
Wisto-w Gardens, Leicester. 
Foreign Fruits for the Prince of Wales. —Some time ago 
an exhibition of Colonial products was held in St. George’s Hall, 
Liverpool. A collection of choice West Indian fruits was for¬ 
warded to the Prince and Princess of Wales by Mr. Thomas 
Dowd, of Moortields, who is the agent for the Imperial Direct 
West Indian Mail Service. He has since received an acknow¬ 
ledgment cf acceptance from their Royal Highnesses. 
