220 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 18, 1905. 
tlie shape of the flowers, and to some extent their markings, 
hut those who would understand the real beauty of the species 
must see it in its live state, with its beautiful combination of 
colours. The photograph shows a pan which bloomed in the 
Alpine House at Kew, but we also had a pot of plants in full 
bloom from Mr. G. Eeuthe, Foxhill Hardy Plant Nursery, 
Keston, Kent. _ _ 
Fruit Growing in British Columbia. 
At the general meeting of Fellows of the K.H.S. on the 28th 
ult., Sir Albert Rollit, M.P., occupied the chair, and a lecture 
was delivered by the Hon. J. H. Turner, Agent-General for 
British Columbia, on fruit-growing in that colony, whose re¬ 
marks were illustrated by a magnificent series of photographic 
lantern-slides specially made for that occasion. 
In the course of liis remarks, Mr. Turner pointed out that 
up to about 1890 the colony was only known on account of its 
mines and timber, although the early settlers under the 
Hudson Bay Company had planted gardens and orchards half 
a centuiy previously. About ten years agO', however, practi¬ 
cal fruit-growers, becoming impressed with the suitability of 
both soil and climate for fruit-growing, made experiments in 
that direction with good results. The Government, too, are 
doing everything possible to aid the industry. Inspectors 
have been appointed at every port to prevent the introduction 
of woolly aphis, codlin moth, and other pests, which have been 
the cause of heavy losses to the fruit-growers of several of the 
United States. 
Thousands of boxes of imported Apples had been refused 
admission, and large quantities of affected fruit-trees 
thoroughly fumigated or destroyed. Other inspectors went at 
the same time through the province', examining all the fruit- 
trees, who' had power to order a thorough course of spraying, 
and in especially bad cases to- have the trees cut down and 
burnt; and although numerous complaints were made to the 
Government of the hardships thus caused, the course had been 
persisted in, with the result that British Columbian orchards 
and British Columbian fruit are now practically free from 
insect pests. 
The growers in the United States had formerly been in the 
habit of dumping their surplus crops into British Columbia and 
selling at almost any price there, so as to keep up the price 
in their own market before the British Coluiubian growers 
had advanced far enough to supply all their own requirements. 
But' the Dominion Government imposed a duty on the im¬ 
ported fruit, which had a most encouraging result on the fruib 
growers, who in a very few years had so far advanced as to 
produce not only home-grown fruit much better than the im¬ 
ported article, but also in sufficient quantities to export the 
surplus to those great wheat countries where fruit is not grown, 
so that the exports, which in 1902 were under 2,000 tons by 
1904 had risen to over 3,000 tons, and the acreage is being 
rapidly increased. 
He pointed out that although the present orchards are. 
generalty situated on the lower lands near rivers and lakes on 
account of the richness of the soil, there were also large level 
beaches of glacial formation which are eminently adapted for 
producing the finest fruit at a higher elevation. The Govern¬ 
ment system of instruction in the grading and packing of fruit 
was described, by which only one quality was [tacked in one 
box, and he added that the system of Government marks in¬ 
dicating the grade of the contents of the boxes, which had 
already been so successful in the case of Canadian wheat, flour, 
etc., was now in operation with regard to fruit, as well, so 
that the package could be sold by mark without opening. He 
stated that besides Apples, Pears and Peaches, Melons, 
Tornados, Grapes, Cherries, Strawberries. Prunes and Plums 
had all proved suitable crops for British Columbia. 
Dr. Ramsay and his Garden. —At a recent meeting of the 
Torquay Gardens Association, of which Dr. R. H. Ramsay is 
president, he gave an account of his garden, which he had been 
developing for the past thirty-three years. The doctor must be 
a great enthusiast, seeing that he is eighty years of age. 
Stove Amaryllis. 
These gorgeous flowers seem to be veiy much neglected at 
the present day. This is a great pity, as with a little care we 
may have them in bloom for a fairly long season. Of cour-e, 
the named varieties are rather prohibitive in price, but really 
fine seedlings are quite as satisfactory for decorative purposes, 
and may be had at reasonable rates. It. is rather a slow 
process raising one’s own seedlings, but all the same it is well 
worth having a fresh lot coining on, so that we can do away 
with the poorer varieties, and gradually build up a fine col¬ 
lection. 
I will not enter into details regarding the raising of seed¬ 
lings, but rather confine my remarks to the culture of the 
plant. The diy bulbs should be placed in small pots, using 
good fibrous loam, a little rough peat, sweet leaf-mould, and 
sharp sand. Care must be taken not to overwater until well 
rooted, or basal rot may set in, and the bulb be lost altogether. 
Do not more than half cover the bulb, and pot rather loosely. 
As soon as well rooted, transfer to larger pots, using the same 
compost, with the addition of some Musliroom-bed manure, 
and a sprinkling of any good artificial manure. Heie let me 
utter a warning against the use of large pots for Amaryllis. 
The finest collection it ever was my fortune to see were 
grown entirely in 5-in. pots. A 6-in. pot is therefore ample 
for the largest bulbs. A temperature between 60 deg. and 
70 deg. is just what is wanted, and after the plants are well 
rooted, ample supplies of water are necessary. Twice a week 
during the grooving season they should get weak doses of liquid 
manure. Soot-water, too, is excellent at a time, while Ichtl.e- 
mic guano used in liquid form is most beneficial. 
Allow to grow on in the stove until they have made full 
growth, when they should be removed to a lower tempeiatuie 
and placed on a stage in the full sun, attending them carefully 
■with water, and a gentle dewing overhead in the evening with 
the syringe will help them wonderfully. After the foliage 
begins to change colour lessen the supply of water, but. unless 
you court disaster, never allow to become dust dry. I believe 
that this drying-off business is in most cases the actual or mail, 
cause of failure. The foliage having died down, place the pots 
under the stage in an intermediate house. W hen you notice 
signs of fresh growth, introduce once more to stove tempera¬ 
ture, and very soon the flower spikes will begin to push up. 
As soon as the flower opens, remove to cooler quarters, and the 
blooms will last for nearly three weeks. When the flowers 
fade, return to stove to finish growth, and top-dress with goo 
soil. Do not repot, as all the Amaryllis really requires can 
be supplied in liquid form during the growing season. I hope 
these few plain hints may induce some to give these gloriom 
Q C. Blair. 
Roof Gardens in Japan. 
Roof gardening, as understood in this country, consists ii 
lie cultivation of plants in boxes and tubs, to be stood on the 
■oof of a house. Slightly different is the planting of House 
eeks on walls and house-tops in various parts of England am 
Scotland. The Japanese have still another form of it, a. 
■ecorded by the “ Morning Leader.' 
The cottages an 
touiueu j - J- 
hatched with straw, and a very large number of them an 
overed with plants of Iris tectorum, the house-top Iris. 
It is explained that these thatched roofs must have a ndg (i 
if some kind to throw off the water. For this purpose the; 
ind that the densely interlacing roots of this Iris answer tin 
impose admirably. High winds are prevalent n 
iapan, and to prevent the thatch from being torn off the; 
dso use split Bamboo in the form of lathes or strings secuiel; 
ied into the thatch. The Iris flowers very freely, and r 
uglily ornamental, so that it may be regarded from an aesthe 
ic as well as an economic point of view. Some of tin 
ottagers also plant Liliurn elegans and the Day Lily (Hemem 
•allis) in association with the Iris. A Japanese catalogui 
idvocates the planting of the Iris on cottage roofs in Grefi 
Iritain and Ireland. The climate of the south and west n 
aid to be suitable for its welfare. We may say that tin 
ilant is cultivated in the ordinary way at Kew. 
