August 12, 1905. 
THE OAR DEN! NO WORLD . 
The ORANGE 
And ITS RELATIONS: 
DECORATIVE USES. 
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS. 
The Orange, as it is commonly called, 
oimlit to be a far more useful plant in this 
country than what it really is. It is a great 
pity they have been so neglected of late 
years, though curious to note that, although 
Orange blossom has lost none of its charms 
for the fair sex of this country, the plant 
lias lost favour with the cultivator, the result 
being large quantities of flower imported 
from foreign countries, which is certainly a 
black mark against English horticulturists. 
What could be more pleasing to a bride than 
to wear some home-grown Orange blossom 
on her wedding day ? 
They make excellent plants for house de¬ 
corating, their flowers tilling the house with 
delicious perfume, or when they are in fruit 
they look so beautiful by lamplight, their 
rich, golden fruits hanging in bold contrast 
to the deep green foliage. In the conserva¬ 
tory they give a splendid effect. Large 
plants that are grown in tubs should be stood 
out. on the ten-ace (luring the summer- 
months, taking the place of common plants, 
of which there are generally far too many. 
In cultivation the Orange prefers a 
generous treatment. A compost consisting 
of rich, turfy loam, leaf mould, and well- 
decayed manure is best suited for their 
healthy development, and must be well 
mixed, adding some coarse sand. It must 
be used in a fairly rough state ; as the plants 
thrive best in open, porous soil thorough 
drainage is essential. The best’ time for 
potting is when they commence to grow, or 
after they have finished flowering, being care¬ 
ful not to disturb any roots. The Orange- 
tree enjoys a liberal supply of water when 
growing, and it must be given copiously, 
although the soil must show signs of getting 
dry before it is given. An occasional appli¬ 
cation of liquid manure when in full growth 
will be found veiy beneficial. Let the plants 
The (Uapar^e^e laevigata). 
Improved varieties of the above splendid 
species are now very numerous, and it is 
difficult to make a selection when all are 
good. The Undermentioned dozen varieties 
were planted with many others here last 
' spring, and have flowered well considering 
the trying drought through which they have 
passed. The border was deeply dug and 
heavily manured, and except for an occa¬ 
sional soaking with the watering-can they 
have received no other attention : —Alaska, 
very dark purple, the reverse side of the falls 
being satin black ; Adzuma, pure white, very 
large ; Grandiflora, lilac suffused with 
purple; Fastuosa, violet; Samura, white, 
the largest bloom in the border ; Yulan, lilac 
and blue; Ruriban, white, striped blue; 
Yoritomo, gentian blue; Cherokee, skv-blue ; 
Francisco, white falls, standards lilac"; Santa 
Rosa, purple ; and Rosea, white, suffused 
rose, the outer edges being purple. These 
varieties have all the typical yellow throats 
of the species, and, as may be'imagined, are 
very conspicuous-flowers at the present time. 
For water-side planting no more effective 
plant could be named. In beds or borders 
• they are equally so, but when they are 
planted in these positions the soil should be 
trenched and heavily manured. 
H. Arnold. 
have abundance of light, except during very- 
hot weather, when, if under glass, they will 
need a light shading, or the leaves will burn, 
which spoils their appearance. The syringe 
may be freely used on them, except when 
in flower. To have large fruit on them 
they must be thinned severely, leaving only 
one” fruit at the tip of the strongest growths. 
Many amateurs think the Orange cannot be 
grown without a certain amount of heat; 
so long as a temperature of 40 degrees can 
be maintained through the winter months 
they will thrive freely enough, but they must 
be kept rather dry at the root when not 
growing. 
The most common and easiest to grow is 
Citrus Aurantrum (the sweet Orange) a free- 
growing tree, and producing large crops of 
rich golden fruit, which are too well known 
to need description. This is one of the best 
to grow for cut flower, being most deliciously 
fragrant. The fruit of tliis variety is largely 
imported from Lisbon and the Azores. 
C. Bergamia (the Bergamot Orange) bears 
a small pear-shaped fruit, and is also very 
free flowering. From this variety is made the 
essence called Bergamot oil. C. Bigaradia 
(the Seville Orange) is a very free grower, 
with broad leaves, fruit of a coarse nature 
and dark colour. Tliis variety is one of 
the best to grow in tubs, and is very showy 
when covered with large fruit. C. Limonum 
(tile Lemon) is of easy cultivation, and comes 
into bearing quite young ; the value of this 
fruit is too well known to need description. 
C. Medioa is the real Citron, and is a very 
thorny tree ; the leaves are a pale green, 
and the flowers incline to a purple colour. 
The fruit has a rough yellow rind, which is 
very fragrant. C. japonica is a much 
smaller kind, but bears an abundance of 
small fruit. This is an excellent variety to 
grow in small pots for table work, lasting in 
perfection for months. H. W. 
■LPOW TO STAKE HERBACEOUS 
& PLANTS. ■ _ . 
It is possible that many gardeners may 
use a similar device in dealing with their 
herbaceous plants, but the fact that I have 
never seen any who do so must be my excuse 
for presenting to the notice of Gardening 
World readers the method I have for years 
adopted in staking large clumps of her¬ 
baceous plants. 
Two stakes of length and strength in con¬ 
formity with the plant they have to support 
are driven in, one on each side of the 
plant, and just close enough to the plant to 
permit of foliage hiding the stakes. 
Then a length of wire, bent into a circle 
or hoop, is passed round the plant and 
stakes; the ends are then joined by the 
hooks bent on each for the purpose, and 
then drawn up the plant to the reqtiisite 
height, and finally secured to the stake on 
each side with tarred twine. 
This method keeps the plant perfectly 
secure, while still preserving the loose or 
natural growth of the plant, and obviates the 
bunched appearance so difficult to get rid 
of where plants are tied to one or more stakes 
with twine. The hoops can be raised to 
suit the future growth of the plants, and 
must, of course, be of different sizes to suit 
plants of different diameters. About No. 12 
gauge is a useful size of wire. G. F. 
645 
Philadelphus Coronarius. 
The common Mock Orange is a deciduous 
shrub, and grows to a height of from 6ft. to 
12 ft. It is to be found in most gardens, 
its free-flowering habit making it a popular 
favourite. The flowers are pure white, of a 
good size, and very fragrant. It flowers in 
the latter end of June and the first weeks of 
July, when most of our flowering shrubs are 
over. Ihe species P. coronarius is said to 
have been imported from Asia in 1596. There 
are several varieties of it, including a double- 
flowered one, P. c. flore pleno, a yellow¬ 
leaved one, P. c. aureus, also a North Ameri¬ 
can variety, P. c. speciosus. The species 
Philadelphus microphyllus, a native of 
Colorado, has been used largely in conjunc¬ 
tion with P. coronarius for the production of 
some fine hybrids, which have been named 
Lemoinei in the hybridist’s honour. 
The Mock Oranges flourish in ordinary 
good garden soil. They thrive best in a posi¬ 
tion where they are exposed to light and air. 
They require no pruning, but the older stems 
should be cut out after flowering. They 
should be increased by cuttings of ripened 
shoots in autumn, the more tender sorts in 
cold frames, or in the open ground for sorts 
like P. coronarius. Cuttings of soft shoots 
also root readily if put into a close propa¬ 
gating case in early summer. 
W. Davidson. 
^excellent BULB ANNUAL. 
The time is at hand 
for getting bulbs. 
Wliile summer flowers are in the height 
of their beauty we are reminded by the 
arrival of Sutton’s Bulb List that if homes 
are to be brightened in the dull days of 
winter and gardens filled with attractive 
flowers in the early months of the New Y T ear, 
preparations must be made within a few 
weeks from tliis date. Summer and autumn 
flowers are very largely the result of seeds 
sown in spring, and horticulturists are well 
aware that an immense selection is open to 
them. 
For winter and spring the choice of flowers 
from seeds alone is much more limited. 
Under glass we have Cyclamens, followed by 
numerous Primulas, and these by Cinerarias 
and Calceolarias, which carry on the interest 
to the month of May. In beds and borders 
there are white Arabis, purple Aubrietia, 
yellow Alyssum, and several fine strains of 
Wallflower. But for variety in form and 
colour we are really dependent on bulbous 
flowers, commencing with forcing Hyacinths, 
Narcissi, and Tulips, of which a long suc¬ 
cession can be brought indoors from pits and 
greenhouses with very little trouble and ex¬ 
pense ; and how surprisingly bright and 
attractive they are! Outdoors the Aconites 
first show their gilt spangles, closely fol¬ 
lowed by Snowdrops, Dog’s-tooth Violets, 
Scillas, Ohionodoxas, and a charming diver¬ 
sity of colour in Crocuses. These are suc¬ 
ceeded by early Tulips, a superb show of 
Daffodils and Narcissi, and great sheets of 
Hyacinths, unmatched the year through foi 
purity and brilliant colours. The late 
Tulips and noble clumps of Lilies claim 
attention until it is necessary to clear the 
ground for the usual summer bedders. 
Those who follow the guidance offered in 
Sutton’s Bulb Catalogue will experience no 
difficulty in securing a most welcome supplv 
of flowers from November to May. when they 
are of highest value. The descriptive lists 
