July 29, 1905. 
TUB QARDBNING WORLD 
995 
hole with an inch of smaller ones oh top of 
this, then a few pieces of fibrous turf, and 
about two tablespoonfuls of soot after the 
former has been rammed quite firm with the 
potting stick. Good fibrous loam, with a 6in. 
potful of soot and bone meal respectively to 
every four bushels of the former, will be found 
a suitable compost. In potting disentangle 
the roots a bit at the bottom, and keep the 
crown of the plant three-quarters of an inch 
below the rim so as to allow for water, and 
make the soil quite firm with the potting stick 
all round the little ball of roots, and stand in 
the full sun, either on rafts of wood or a layer 
of ashes, standing nearly a pot thick for the 
present, and water each one with a rose can as 
often as they become dry, not overdoing it for 
the first fortnight. 
Orchard House. — Peaches, Nectarines, 
Plums, etc., growing in pots require a deal of 
feeding as the fruit swells up. Any neglect 
in this respect will soon show itself in small 
fruits, and so, too, will overcropping, both of 
wliich must be guarded against. Continue 
to pinch laterals and cut out entirely any 
wood not required for another season, and as 
soon as ripening commences withhold stimu¬ 
lants as well as overhead syringing, especially 
with Nectarines, or splitting of the fruit will 
occur. 
Planting New Vineries may still be carried 
out, providing nice sturdy young canes be 
chosen, either in cut backs or eyes started in 
early spring. The borders need not be more 
than 2ft. in depth, with about 9in. of drain¬ 
age, the soil to be made very firm and of a 
fibrous though not too light nature. Merely 
disentangling a few roots that may have got 
curled around the drainage must suffice at 
this season, and give the plants a watering 
to settle the soil around the roots. Give air 
freely by day and close about 4 p.m., with a 
thorough bath from the syringe. These ought 
to make good headway by autumn, and the 
roots permeate well into the new soil. Do 
not stop the leader nor the laterals unless 
they crowd each other. Syringe about 6.30 
a.m. 
Outdoor Operations will be numerous at 
this date, requiring frequent attention, espe¬ 
cially Peach and Nectarine trees, these 
making free growth under the tropical 
weather just now. Regulate and secure this 
year's shoots to the wall or wire, remembering 
that space is necessary for each shoot’s 
development, and for exposing all fruit to the 
sun s action. Pinch off any curled leaves, 
and still apply quassia or other approved in¬ 
secticide to any mid-season and late trees 
that are molested, with aphis. The early- 
ripening varieties, such as Amsden June, 
Hale’s Early, and Waterloo, may be too far 
advanced for this to be done ; such trees must 
have drastic treatment as soon as the fruitsi 
are gathered. The former is fairly early 
With us, a dozen fruits having been gathered 
on St. Swithin’s Day. Attend to the root 
watering of such trees as advocated last week, 
and keep all sub-laterals removed in their 
early stages. Early-ripening Plums, such as 
Early Prolific, Czar, etc., should be netted 
from the feathered tribes, as those will be 
much esteemed for tarts, a change from the 
ordinary run of fruits of late. Continue to 
thin out Apples where placed too thickly, 
Using such varieties as Lord Suffield, Gros- 
venor, Pott’s Seedling, Peasgood’s Nonsuch, 
Duchess of Oldenburgh, and one or two others 
that mature early in the kitchen, and destroy 
all found with bored holes, and there will be 
many where spraying was neglected. 
James Mayne. 
Bicton Gardens, Devonshire. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Climbing Shrubs. — Nearly all varieties of 
these, in whatever position they are growing, 
will now require attention, as they have by 
this time made considerable growth, and un¬ 
less pruned and tied in as required they soon 
begin to assume an untidy appearance. 
Roses are among the most important sub¬ 
jects, and the long growths which are pro.- 
duced from the base of the plant should be 
tied in, but not pruned, as upon these depend 
the flowering display next season. The 
various kinds of Vines, Clematis, Loniceras, 
and the like should be tied in, and the 
weakest growths removed. The same applies 
to Ivies of sorts, and though one generally 
sees these used for clothing walls, they can 
be used with good effect on trellises, pillars, 
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the best novel device for saving labour, protecting 
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h______ J 
etc., and few things are more pleasing, espe¬ 
cially during the winter, than some of the 
variegated and golden-leaved forms. 
Insect pests are often largely in evidence at 
this time of year, particularly on the Roses, 
and steps must be taken to rid the plants of 
these by giving a thorough syringing occa¬ 
sionally with a good insecticide. If the 
weather is very bright this should be washed 
off next morning. 
The Rock Roses or Cistus are perhaps the 
most showy of flowering shrubs at the present 
time, and a representative collection gives 
much variety in form and colour. They are 
excellent for planting among large rock work, 
but several of the varieties are also valuable 
for interspersing with the other occupants of 
the shrubbery. As they are liable to be in¬ 
jured by frost in very severe weather it is 
advisable to give a slightly sheltered position, 
and in full sun. These require no pruning, 
and the best results on rockwork are obtained 
by letting them grow as they please. Some 
have very large flowers, while others are quite 
small, but a good selection will be found 
among the following:—C. ladaniferus, C. 
corbariensis, C. crispus, C. laurifolius, C. 
purpureus, and C. algarvensis. The last 
named is a very charming but uncommon 
shrub, carrying great quantities of yellow 
flowers with a purple blotch at the base of 
each petal, and though a small grower, is at 
the present time very showy. 
A. E. Thatcher. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Cool-growing Oncidinms. — There are 
several species of Oncidium that thrive excel¬ 
lently under cool or cool intermediate house 
temperature. Some of them are annually 
imported in large quantities, so that they are 
easily procured at a modest outlay. The 
flowers of the different species and natural 
hybrids of this genus vary very remarkably 
both in size and colour of the flowers. There 
are numerous methods under which the 
plants may be cultivated. They may be 
often found growing in greenhouses on a 
piece of rough bark or stump of wood, on 
rafts, in baskets and pots, while only last 
year I noted a large specimen of O. flexuosum 
covered in flower, grown, in a tub 3ft. in 
diameter, and exhibited by an enthusiastic 
pitman at one of the prominent shows in the 
North of England. They are in most cases 
profuse flowering plants, and it may be 
reasonably contended that the free-flowering 
characteristics of some of the species often 
lead to detrimental effects, especially where 
the plants have not been relieved of their 
flower spikes within a reasonable time of their 
having become expanded. 
The species suitable for cultivation in a 
temperature normally from 50 to 55 deg. in 
winter are the Brazilian section, which in¬ 
clude such well-known and popular species as 
O. concolor, O. crispum, O. curtum, 0. 
Forbesii, 0. Martinii, O. marshallianum, 
and others of this section. The whole of the 
above-mentioned varieties are best procured 
as imported plants. They may be cleaned of 
all dead and decaying matter about the roots 
and base of the plants. Select pots or 
shallow pans just sufficiently large to contain 
the plant comfortably. Fill to one-half with 
clean drainage. After placing the plant in 
the desired position, fill in the remaining 
space with a compost of chopped sphagnum 
moss and fibrous peat. A little leaf soil may 
be added with sufficient- rough sand or finely- 
broken crocks to render the whole porous. 
Press the compost firmly about the plants. 
They may be watered as soon as potting is 
completed. Rain water should always be 
used, for it will be found that with the use of 
hard water the moss rarely grows, and gene¬ 
rally commences to decay, and that destroys 
the remaining constituents of the potting 
compost. 
After this watering very little root moisture 
will be necessary until growth advances, 
when more liberal treatment is necessary up 
to the time that the flower scapes are ex¬ 
panded. After the plants pass out of flower 
they take a prolonged period of rest. Dur¬ 
ing this period they should be placed under 
the coolest and driest conditions possible to 
be afforded in the cool house. During the 
resting season only sufficient root moisture is 
necessary to retain the pseudo-bulbs in their 
normal state. 
O. tigrinum is another desirable and useful 
species that is frequently imported. It is a 
suitable subject to be cultivated under the 
