August 19, 1905. 
the gardening world 
lib 3 
year, too, when it could ill bo spared. Keep 
an eye to early ripening Apples, and do not 
allow thorn to drop if it can bo avoided. 
Lady Sudeley, Irish Peach, and Beauty of 
Bath, all being good at this date, neither 
keeping its flavour long, so should be used 
up as soon as ripe. Continue to plant out 
the necessary number of 'Strawberry plants, 
such going in well after the rains, and the 
hoe must not be laid aside as weeds will 
make another start now. Assist heavily- 
laden fruit trees with manurial or other 
waterings every few weeks while the weather 
keeps dry, and choice Pears will soon have 
to be netted or all will be pecked by tom¬ 
tits. Where it is only a few specimens they 
could be put in muslin bags, or, better still, 
small pieces of old net cut up and tied 
securely at the stem, as it is usually here 
they do the damage. James Mayne. 
Bicton Gardens, Devonshire. 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Schizanthus. —For making a bright dis¬ 
play in the greenhouse this annual is unsur¬ 
passed, and by making frequent sowings in 
batches throughout the spring and summer 
it is possible to have same in flower for several 
months of the year. The present time is op¬ 
portune for sowing seed for providing plants 
for an early spring display. Like most 
plants of annual duration, the Schizanthus 
resents disturbance of the roots ; therefore 
the seed should be sown in 60-sized pots and 
repotted into 48’s when large enough ; this 
size will be large enough to flower them in. 
llie compost should be rich and sandy, and 
sow a pinch of seed thinly in each pot. When 
large enough thin out the weakest, leaving 
those of the strongest. Aim at maintaining 
robust growth throughout by keeping near 
tile roof-glass and admitting air freely. 
Begonia G-loire de Lorraine.— This species 
and its varieties are almost indispensable for 
winter flowering, and, if not already done, 
the young plants should be shifted on into 
the pots in which they are to flower. A com¬ 
post I have found suit the plants best con¬ 
sists of equal parts good friable loam, leaf 
soil, and dried cow manure, adding a 
sprinkling of sand and bone-meal. A neat 
stake should be placed to the centre of each 
plant and encourage free growth in the lead¬ 
ing shoots. These plants should never be 
pinched. Shade lightly through the hottest 
part of the day, and keep the staging well 
s 3 ringed to create a humid atmosphere. 
Caladiums and Achiincnes.- —These should 
now be allowed to die down by gradually re¬ 
ducing the water supply. When the foliage 
has quite decayed, lay them on their sides 
m a warm, dry position in the stove or green¬ 
house. Although the corms require rest 
during winter they must not be allowed to 
become dust-dry, neither should they be sub¬ 
jected to a low temperature. 
Lily of the Valley.— If flowers are wanted 
by Christmas, or before, by forcing the 
crowns, some of the best Berlins should be 
procured and potted up as soon as possible, 
as by early potting the best results are 
achieved. pp yj 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Sophronitis grandiflora.— My aim, as far 
is possible, in compiling my notes “ Orchids 
or Amateurs,” has been to draw attention, 
irstly, to the most easily cultivated and the 
east expensive kinds of Orchids, suitable for 
ultivation by amateurs, and those whose space 
s limited ; secondly, I feel that the kinds 
hat will produce their flowers during the 
season of the year when there is practically 
nothing attractive in the outside garden will 
prove of the greatest interest, as well as the 
most acceptable to the cultivators. I have no 
hesitation whatever in recommending 
Sophronitis grandiflora as being one of the 
finest of the miniature growing cool house 
Orchids that produce their brilliant scarlet 
flowers in the dead of winter and through the 
early spring months. 
The plants may be procured as imported, or 
in an established condition, for a modest out¬ 
lay. They are best grown in clumps, that is 
to say, several plants massed together ; being 
of miniature structure, they are particularly 
adapted for cultivation in baskets or shallow 
pans. Thus they may he suspended near the 
roof glass, where they can display their 
flowers to' the best advantage when in bloom. 
General Conditions. — Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular paid 
contributors to The Gardening World, or other 
gardening journals, are debarred from entering, 
but occasional contributors may compete. The 
name and address of the competitor must appear 
on each article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right to re¬ 
produce, in any way, any article or photograph 
sent for competition. The conditions applying to 
each competition should be carefully read. 
WEEKLY PRIZES. 
A Prize of Ten Shillings will be given for 
the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propagation or 
cultivation of flowers, fruits or vegetables, 
eradication of pests, etc. The paragraph or 
article must not exceed a column, but value 
rather than length will be considered in making 
the award. Mark envelopes “ Competition,” and 
post not later than the Monday following date of 
issue. Entries received later than Tuesday 
first post will be left over until the following 
week. 
is necessary to retain the pseudo-bulbs and 
foliage in a plump state. About August they 
commence to emit new growths; as soon as 
these make their appearance, more liberal 
treatment may be given, and every encourage¬ 
ment afforded to aid the developing growth. 
The. flowers are produced immediately the 
leaf bursts, just when the growths are about 
half-developed. The flowers last several 
weeks in perfection ; their brilliant colour 
always seems to lend a warmth to the cheerless 
outside condition on entering the house. 
Liberal treatment must be afforded after the 
flowering season has passed until the growth 
reaches maturity. 
Small thrips and brown ‘scale are the worst 
insect posts. The former may be destroyed 
by fumigation or dipping, but the latter must 
be removed by carefully sponging the parts 
affected and removing all that may be 
observed.. 
There are many hybrids that have been pro¬ 
cured from the intercrossing of Sophronitis 
with other genera. In the majority of cases 
they have proved desirable additions, but I 
would not advise their cultivation in the 
majority of cases as likely to be a success with 
amateurs, even if they were sufficiently plenti¬ 
ful for the purpose. The easiest grown and 
probably the most useful of the whole of the 
bigeneric! hybrids of Sophronitis is Epiphroni- 
tis Veitchii, Raised from intercrossing Epiden- 
drum radicans and S. grandiflora. The 
growth resembles that of a miniature Epiden- 
drum, wliile the colour and size of the flower 
is about intermediate between that of the 
parents. It should be grown in a fairly light 
position in pots placed on the stage of the cool 
house, where they can procure fairly moist 
conditions about them at all seasons. The 
flowers are much more brilliant and finer when 
giown in this position than is the case where 
the plants are grown warmer. The plants 
may be procured for a reasonable outlay, and 
the compost mentioned above will be found 
suitable for their requirements. 
H. J. Chapman. 
-♦- 
The Pampas Grasses. 
OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
Two Prizes of Two Shillings and Six¬ 
pence each will be given for the best supple¬ 
mentary replies to questions asked in “ The G.W. 
Enquire Within ” column. These replies should 
be brief. 
A Prize of Five Shillings will be given for 
the best novel device for saving labour, protecting 
plants, or a garden utensil, which reaches us 
during any week. A rough sketch must accom¬ 
pany the brief description. 
_—_ J 
The pans should be. fvell drained, and a com¬ 
post of fibrous peat, two-thirds, to one of 
sphagnum moss, pressed moderately firm 
about the base. The best season to repot is 
immediately after flowering, when the new 
roots make their appearance. It is not ad¬ 
visable to repot too frequently ; unless the 
potting compost has got into an advanced 
stage of decay, or the plants have outgrown 
their pots, I would not advise repotting. The 
material should be annually examined, and 
any decayed material should then be removed 
and replaced with new' compost. They grow 
best under the same conditions as the Odon- 
toglossums, where a normal temperature of 
from 50 deg. to 55 deg. can he maintained 
throughout the year. 
The plants are practically at rest through 
the hottest months of the year. During the 
dormant season only sufficient root moisture 
( Cortaderia .) 
Hitherto we have been satisfied to speak of 
the Pampas Grasses under the name of 
Gynenum argenteum. Now we are told that 
none of the Grasses in cultivation under the 
Tu* me rt Gynenum are really Pampas Grasses. 
Jlr. Otto Stapf has been responsible for re¬ 
vising the group and bringing it into line 
wit i the facts of the case. A considerable 
number of names have been given to the plant 
in years past, but apparently without suffi¬ 
cient study, so that their position in scientific 
books cannot be maintained. As the specific 
nalt of the name was most closely connected 
with the plant in the minds of cultivators he 
Jms .retained it for the common Pampas Grass, 
winch fie names Cortaderia argentea. He 
lias placed four others in this genus, but two 
in he has onl y seen in the dried state. 
^ i o , em are described, however, in “ Flora 
and Sylva ” for July, and Mr. W. E. Gumble- 
ou, of Belgrove,. gives an additional amount 
° . , ~ rmatl ° n > elating Ids own experiences 
with G. Quila, which he has cultivated- for 
about twenty-five years since it was first in¬ 
troduced by Victor Lemoine, of Nancy. One 
feels greatly surprised that so little should 
have been known of this in gardens mne 
rally, seeing that this noted Irish grower 
addressed it m Latin, "Hail, most graceful 
and most beautiful queen of theOortaderias.” 
Ibis plant is also represented bv a wood-cut 
on page 173, showing the plant at Belgrove, 
