860 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 11, 1905. 
The Flower Garden. 
Protecting Cuttings, Stock Plants, etc.— 
While the rule should always be to avoid 
coddling as much as possible, yet with the ap¬ 
proach of severe weather it is essential to be 
prepared. Only in well-equipped gardens of 
considerable size are heated frames to be 
found, but the simple unheated form is capable 
of wonderful results if accorded some protec¬ 
tion. Covering with Archangel mats is a 
common practice, and it is wonderful the 
amount of frost they will keep out. Another 
kind, known as St. Petersburgs, find con¬ 
siderable favour, and are slightly cheaper than 
the former, and also narrower, so that the dif¬ 
ference in cost is not much. Both may be ob¬ 
tained from dealers advertising in the horti¬ 
cultural papers weekly. In severe weather we 
have seen straw, hay, leaves, and litter spread 
over cold frames, and although rather untidy, 
yet such material is effective. 
There is a kind of transparent paper sold 
which is also an eSective covering, and has the 
advantage of allowing a considerable amount 
of light to pass through. This is used exten¬ 
sively in some establishments in place of ordi¬ 
nary lights, and is easily removed whenever 
a spell of mild weather occurs. This latter 
material is especially useful for covering such 
things as Carnations, which detest anything 
like a “ muggy ” atmosphere. In some 
country districts mats made of reeds or long 
straw are in use, and prove quite as effective 
as more expensive material. Although it 
should be the rule to remove the coverings as 
often as possible to admit light, yet when 
there is a suspicion of frost having gained 
access during the night it is better to leare 
the coverings until the day lias advanced some¬ 
what, or if hard frost continues all day, leave 
the coverings on. It often happens that a 
hard frosty night is followed by a bright sunny 
day, and to expose frozen plants to the sun is 
fatal. The only hope for such is to allow them 
to thaw very gradually. 
Fuchsias. —Failure in keeping Fuchsias 
through the winter is very often due to drying 
off too severely and too suddenly. As the 
plants are lifted from the open, they should be 
potted or boxed, making the soil quite firm. 
A good watering should then be given, after 
which they may be treated like Geraniums, 
applying water on a bright day once or twice 
during winter. In this way a greater number 
will break freely in spring. B. W. J. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Asparagus. —Unless already done, the old 
growths should be cut close to the ground with 
a pair of hedge shears, and the beds 
thoroughly cleared of all weeds and rubbish, 
which should be burnt on a vacant piece of 
ground; and take the earliest opportunity 
when the ground is in a fit condition for wheel¬ 
ing on to give a good coating of half-decayed 
farmyard manure, and later on this should be 
covered with soil taken from the alleys. As¬ 
paragus, fortunately, is one of the most easy 
Vegetables to force, and it can be brought on 
under various conditions. Where facilities 
exist, the best place at this season is a low 
forcing-house. The bed should be filled with 
mild fermenting material, consisting chiefly of 
fresh fallen leaves, Oak, Beech, or Spanish 
Chestnut for choice. These should be made 
very firm, but care taken to allow the 
strongest heat to escape before placing the 
roots thereon. When it is considered safe to 
do so, put about 4 in. of fairly light soil on the 
leaves. Lift the roots and plant immediately, 
and cover to the depth of 2in. or 3in. with 
the same kind of material. Give a thorough 
watering in, and maintain a temperature of 
55 to 60 deg. Keep a moist atmosphere, 
syringing the beds twice daily with tepid 
water. Though giving more trouble, excellent 
results will follow by making hotbeds and 
using portable frames. Add fresh lining as 
required, and cover the glass every night. It 
may also be grown, though not so satisfac¬ 
torily, in heated pits and under the stages of 
intermediate houses.. 
Broccoli.- —This is generally in splendid con¬ 
dition this season, and only in the more 
favoured parts of the country will it be safe to 
risk the crop without affording it some protec¬ 
tion I know of no better practice, and 
always adopt that known as layering, which 
means taking out a good trench and heeling 
over the heads, leaning them towards the 
north, and burying the stems firmly with soil 
taken from the trenches quite up to the heart 
of the plant. This gives the desired check, 
and practically renders them safe during all 
ordinary winters. Only when the glass shows 
any signs of approaching zero will it be neces¬ 
sary to add further protecting material, when 
a little Fem or dry litter should be placed 
over each head. 
Autumn-sown Onions. —Now is a capital 
time, especially so on light land, for trans¬ 
planting these when extra large bulbs are re¬ 
quired. The ground should be well trenched 
and heavily manured. Plant firmly, and allow 
a distance of 15in. between the rows and lit. 
from plant to plant. E. Beckett. 
Aldenliam House Gardens, Elstree. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Yew Hedges. —In almost every garden 
where hedges have to be planted the common 
Yew is a favourite plant for the purpose, and 
many fine examples are to be seen of what can 
be done with it either when grown as a square 
hedge or clipped into various shapes. It is 
also" excellent for giving protection, and is 
largely used for planting round gardens of 
Boses, Paeonies, and the like, which need to 
be sheltered from cold and rough winds; and 
in such a position it is very ornamental if 
kept well clipped and in a vigorous condition. 
To keep them in a healthy state it is necessary 
to occasionally give a good top-dressing, and 
the present is a suitable time to apply this. 
An excellent compost would consist of well- 
seasoned fibrous loam and decayed leaf soil 
thoroughly mixed together, and, if possible, 
some well-decayed cow manure freely incor¬ 
porated with it, or a good dressing of this 
alone will prove most beneficial. This should 
be applied liberally over the surface of the 
soil, but not forked in, as Yews have masses 
of fibrous roots close to the surface. Good 
soakings of manure and clean water should 
also be given occasionally, as these hedges 
grow so thickly that rain water is often un¬ 
able to get through, and with old hedges 
especially it is advisable to give a thorough 
watering when the top-dressing is applied. 
The recent heavy rains have been much ap¬ 
preciated by all trees and shrubs, as the sur¬ 
face soil had become exceedingly dry, and 
thus prevented any removals, but this can 
now be proceeded with, and as much as pos¬ 
sible should be accomplished before the winter 
sets in, so that they have a chance of becoming 
settled. It should be seen that plenty of pro¬ 
tecting material is at hand for choice shrubs, 
Roses fete., for use when required, as it seems 
quite likely that we may experience a sharp 
winter At all events, it is well to be pre¬ 
pared. A. E. Thatcher. 
Aldenliam House Gardens, Elstree. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Selecting Winter-flowering Orchids.— 
The present is a very good time to make selec¬ 
tions of desirable kinds that will be suitable for 
giving a display of flowering plants throughout 
the dull winter months of the year. I have on 
previous occasions pointed out the desirability 
of devoting attention by amateur Orchid 
growers, and those with limited space, to 
particular kinds of Orchids that flower at the 
winter season. There are usually plenty of 
interesting subjects flowering in the outside 
garden during the spring and summer months, 
and any plants flowering inside during that 
season are not so much appreciated as is the 
case when the bare outside garden makes the 
indoor subjects most attractive. I would also 
point out again that many of the most durable 
and useful of the winter-flowering kinds can be 
cultivated with very little heating accommoda¬ 
tion, and also may be procured for a modest 
outlay. 
Perhaps the most useful and easily cultivated 
of all Orchids are Oypripediums. There are 
certainly none more desirable, for they not only 
last for months in good condition, but if cut 
and used for decorative purposes in the house 
they last several weeks in perfection. In mak¬ 
ing a s-lection of these some idea as to rotation 
flowering kinds may be of advantage, so that 
plants may be selected that will afford a display 
of flowers from October until .March. The first 
to flower is C. Chariesworthii ; the flowers 
expand often in September and October. C. 
spicerianum follows it very closely and is one 
of the best of the winter-flowering species. C. 
insigne has become one of the most popular 
Orchids in cultivation. It is only a few years 
ago Orchid specialists discarded this species as 
unworthy of consideration, but a* few enthusi¬ 
astic lovers of the slipper Orchid demonstrated 
the utility of the plant not only for amateurs 
but also for the cut flower trade by exhibitions 
at the prominent shows. They soon became so 
much sought after, and so great was the 
demand, that fresh importations were sought 
after and introduced, large quantities of these 
plants being evidently from anew district from 
that where previous importations had been 
collected. In these newly imported plants, 
came such remarkable variation that the plant? 
immediately became and have continued to.be. 
the most fascinating of our winter-flowerinp 
Orchids. I am well aware that many expensive 
kinds are included among them, but in the 
majority of cases they are procurable for an 
