412 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
May 20, 1905. 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Temperatures.—The welcome change in the weather will 
allow of maintaining more natural conditions in the various 
structures by admitting more air and reducing the fire-lieat. 
Owing to the prevalence of cold, sunless weather for some 
weeks past, unremitting attention has been necessary to main¬ 
tain the proper temperatures that the various exotic plants 
require to ensure healthy growth. Having this fact in view, 
it will be obvious that now with more* favourable conditions 
prevailing outside, abundance of warm air should be' admitted, 
of course having regard to the requirements of the various 
plants grown. The stove containing a general collection of 
decorative plants may now be kept at 70 to 75 deg. in the day, 
with some air- admitted through the top ventilators. Close 
and syringe about' -3 p.rrr., and on sunny days this will run up 
the temperature to 1 80 or 85 deg. On dull days start the fire 
early in the afternoon, and close at 2.30. 
The greenhouse and conservatory should no w be kept as cool 
as possible, merely applying a. little fire-heat in the forenoon, 
when the ventilators are open, to dispel damp arising from the 
application of water to the' roots of the 1 plants growing therein. 
On fine, nrild nights, when cold rains or frosts do. not threaten, 
a little top-air may with advantage be left on rill night. Except¬ 
ing in low-lying, cold districts there will be no necessity to 
cover frames or pits at night unless any contain tender plants 
recently brought out from warm houses; the glass lights 
placed on and closed last thing will keep out the frosts we are 
now likely to experience. 
Chrysanthemums---These may now be placed in their 
summer quarters. Assuming that the large-bloonring kinds 
are now well established in 6-in. pots, as they should be, they 
may receive the final shift-into 1 those of 10 in. diameter, using 
rich loamy soil in a lumpy state. Good compost for this pot¬ 
ting consists of two parts fibrous loam, one leaf-soil, one 
decayed farmyard manure, adding a few shovelfuls of wood- 
ashes, sand, and crushed charcoal, with a sprinkling of soot, 
bone-meal and Clay’s fertilisers In potting, ram fairly firm to 
ensure solid, short-jointed growth, and leave sufficient space 
for one or two top-dressings later on. Place the plants in a 
sunny position, and after - fixing a neat stake to each and tying 
the main stem thereto, tie the stakes firmly to' wires strained 
to posts. Repot or plant out the buslr plants that are grown 
for - . providing flowers for various decorative purposes. A 
somewhat poorer soil will answer for these. 
Cyclamen persicum.' —The young plants raised from seed 
sown last August should now be ready for transferring to' their 
flowering pots, viz., 6-in. Golden rules to' observe in the culture 
of these invaluable plants are to maintain steady, unchecked 
growth from start to finish, to closely watch for insects, and to 
keep them near the light at all times. A good compost for 
this final potting consists of about equal parts loam, flaky 
leaf-soil, and old Mushroom-bed manure, with the addition of 
sharp sand or road-grit, a little wood ashes,- and a sprinkling 
of bone-meal. Pass this through a coarse sieve, or if time 
allows', break up the loam with the hand and riddle the re¬ 
mainder through a -|-in. sieve. If not already removed from 
shelves in warm houses no time should be lost in so doing. 
They will now do best on a coal-ash bed in a pit or frame, 
always keeping them near the roof-glass. 
Gardenias.—It is useless to attempt the cultivation of these 
unless plenty of heat and moisture can be afforded them 
throughout their season of growth. Some gardeners grow and 
flower Gardenias in pots throughout and with excellent results ; 
whilst others having heated pits at disposal plant them out. 
I prefer the latter method where large quantities of flowers 
are required in autumn and early winter. For maintaining an 
almost unbroken succession of flowers pot culture is best, as 
the time they are wanted to flower can be better regulated. 
Cuttings of the half-ripened shoots root readily at this time. 
It is good practice to insert large pieces containing several 
shoots, and if these are dibbled into peaty soil and plunged in 
a strong heat well charged with humidity, then potted and 
grown on freely, they will make fine plants next autumn. As 
these become established in their flowering pots inure to rather 
cooler quarters, and keep near the light to ensure mature wood 
for flowering. K. M. 
Fruit Under Glass. 
Peaches. — The earliest forced trees in borders will be on 
tiie point of ripening their fruits, and should be afforded a 
greater amount of air on all favourable occasions, leaving a 
little on during mild nights; 1 say mild nights, because the 
iirst ten days of May were noted for keen winds, and the ther¬ 
mometer down to 30 deg., or 2 deg. of frost several mornings. 
Expose the fruits to the sun as much as possible, and keep the 
syringe at bay, merely damping the borders, etc., twice or 
thrice daily, examining the fruits each morning, plucking 
only those that part freely from the tree, care being taken that 
they are not bruised in the operation, and laying the fruit on 
sheets of cotton-wool or wood-wool, clear of each other. 
Nectarines nearing the ripening stage resent the syringe, even 
more than do Peaches, and are liable to crack if wetted much 
overhead. See that the borders do not lack moisture, espe¬ 
cially trees that are not quite so forward : the mulch may 
appear moist enough, while underneath may be on the dry 
side. Diluted manure-water may be given such trees, but 
clear - water only when on the verge of ripening. Succession 
h - ses require constant attention in exposing fruits, tying in 
shoots for next year’s supply, pinching at the first leaf" all 
sub-laterals, and thoroughly syringing the foliage morning 
and noon now the bright weather is with us. These' trees! 
too, v ili need abundance of root waterings, whether in pots 
or bor ders, to assist in swelling the fruits, and where such 
is not objectionable, a mulch of partly decayed manure, may, 
with advantage,_ be given trees planted out, while those in 
pots should receive fresh horse droppings mixed with a little 
lumpy loam and bone-meal. The temperature for Peach 
houses may stand somewhere near 60 deg. at 6 a.m. advanc¬ 
ing to 80 deg., with sun heat, towards 11 a.m., closing the 
structure from 3.15 to 4 p.m. according to position, those 
inclined to westward being the latest to be attended to. Should 
black aphis appear, fumigate in the evening when the foliage 
is dry and thoroughly syringe overhead next morning, while 
tor red spider soap-suds from the laundiy are a capital remedv, 
juu ung it well up under the foliage, where this pest usually 
xluusu. 
-Tvictiiy amateurs go m tor tins kmd c 
structure either heated or unheated, to suit their convenient 
and excellent fruits are secured, such as Peaches, Apricot; 
turns, Pears, Cherries, and in some instances Apples Sonu 
times the trees are planted out, in others all grown in pots an 
it is to these latter that I desire to draw attention. In th 
hrst place unremitting attention is required from the tin; 
the trees show signs of growth, towards the end of FebrUar 
up to the time the leaves begin to fall, but speciallv so froi 
early spring onwards. Perhaps the life of a tree depenc 
moie upon the water supply than anything else, and an 
inattention m.this respect quickly shows itself. Each trt 
must be examined several times daily during bright weatln 
and water applied when necessary.. Neither must the ove 
head syringing or hosing be neglected after the flowers ai 
set, and nearly all will have done by now. Pinching of ti: 
s congest shoots, too,'must claim attention, nipping~out tt 
p'um at t ie fourth or fifth leaf, while entire removal of man 
shoots is essential, as with planted out trees. Not only Peat 
and -Nectarine trees, Apricots and Plums must come in tl 
same . category, or much overcrowding will result. The ai 
0 1 ie uultn-ator should be to encourage spur growths, wiiic 
