952 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 16, 1905. 
OUR . . . 
Northern Gardens. 
at the different seasons of the year. I find 
that a cool position of the Odontoglossum 
house suits them best through the summer, 
during the growing season especially. A few 
weeks before the flowers expand, the plants 
are benefitted by their removal to slightly 
warmer conditions. The temperature of the 
Cattleya house, where there is ample light 
obtainable, will increase texture, size, and 
colour of the flowers. The plants, are annually 
imported during the spring months of the 
year, and are procurable for a modest out¬ 
lay ; even established plants in flower are 
by no means expensive. 
Odontoglossums are at the present time 
the most popular Orchids in cultivation. 
Not only do amateurs bestow special atten¬ 
tion to, the cultivation of O. crispum, but 
there are also many, whose special interest 
is to produce cut flowers for market pur¬ 
poses, who find their cultivation a great 
acquisition. At one time—only a. short time 
ago—we were practically dependent on culti¬ 
vators of Orchids on the Continent for the 
supply of Odontoglossums for the cut-flower 
trade. So extensive has our home production 
become that we have practically driven foreign 
competition out of our markets. To secure 
the greater amount of O. crispum flowers at 
a time which is termed by horticulturists 
“ out of season ”—that is to say, at any other 
season but that in which the bulk of this 
species usually flower—affords a great advan¬ 
tage both to the market grower and to those 
who have a great demand for cut flowers. In 
the autumn and early spring there is usually 
the greatest demand, and the plants now pro¬ 
ducing their flower scapes should be carefully 
watched. 
Slugs and small shell snails are particu¬ 
larly troublesome during the long nights, and 
Orchids should have every protection avail¬ 
able. A piece of cotton-wool carefully wrapped 
about the base of the scapes serves as an 
obstacle to climbing. Small patches of bran 
or brewers’ grains placed about the stage 
and near their haunts form a good feeding- 
ground, from which they may be gathered 
and destroyed by the aid of a lamp, both at 
evening and at the early morning. 
H. J. Chapman. 
Letters TO THE Editor. 
Nicotian a Sanderae, 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,— Having grown the above novelty last 
season I would beg to give you my opinion of 
it. In colour it leaves something to be desired ; 
some plants show flowers of a rich crimson, 
but a great many lack brightness, but I expect 
selection will put that right in time. 
Another drawback is its flagging during the 
warmest hours of the day in summer—a 
characteristic it inherits from one of its parents, 
N. affinis. It is as an autumn plant that it 
tells ; during the months of August and Sep¬ 
tember it was one solid mass of bloom. It 
should be grown in groups, as isolated plants 
have a weedy appearance. As a plant for 
groups in herbaceous borders, etc., it will be 
most useful, being a most persistent bloomer, 
and not at all fastidious as to soil, a light soil 
suiting it best, as in heavy soil it grows too 
rampantly. 
On the whole I consider it one of the most 
useful plants introduced in recent years. 
D. C. 
Flower Garden and 
Pleasure Ground. 
Rhododendrons. —Where old plants, either 
growing as specimens or in clumps, are becom¬ 
ing exhausted, they will be greatly benefited 
by getting a top-dressing ; cow manure suits 
them best, but failing this, stable manure, or 
even half-decayed .leaves, can be used. Such 
a mulching serves the double purpose of a fer¬ 
tiliser and serves to keep the roots cool "and 
moist during, the summer months, a very- 
necessary condition in the successful cultiva¬ 
tion of Rhododendrons. 
Aster ericoides. —-Allow me to draw atten¬ 
tion to this Aster, and recommend it as a late- 
flowering plant in our northern regions.. Not¬ 
withstanding the severe autumn weather we 
have experienced, it has been in grand feather 
here in Midlothian right into December, 
brightening up the herbaceous borderland 
proving very attractive in the drawing-room. 
Lawns. —If the lawns are swept and rolled 
occasionally it will materially benefit them, 
and improve the appearance of the grounds, 
especially if the gravel gets a turn with the 
rake from time to time. 
Conservatory and Greenhouse. 
Chrysanthemums.— In my notes on these 
last week I promised to name a few desirable 
singles, and in doing so I shall confine my re¬ 
marks to varieties well known to me. In 
whites Mary Anderson is still one of the 
most desirable sorts, being, I think, perfect 
of its type ; moreover, it stands well in a cut 
state. Purity is another fine variety, with its 
pure white petals slightly incurved at the tips. 
Earlswood Beauty is hardly so pure, but it is 
a good late variety, keeping with cool treat¬ 
ment up to the New Year. Sheila and Wynd- 
liam are also both good yellows. Miss A. 
Holden, straw colour, like Mary Anderson, 
from which it isi a sport, needs no further com¬ 
mendation. Miss Lorna Bunyard is a rich 
golden yellow, with nice stiff stems ; Mrs. 
Norris and Pretoria are both excellent yellows. 
Pinks: Emily Wells is a good old sort, but 
better still is F. W. Smith, whilst Edith 
Pagraan and Gladys Hemsley are fine large- 
flowering roots, especially if partially dis¬ 
budded. Mary Richardson is a lovely reddish 
salmon early sort. 
Cinerarias. —These are now developing fast, 
and should have the assistance of some stimu¬ 
lant twice' a week. See that they do not 
suffer from want of water ; ventilate freely, 
but avoid cutting draughts. Both these and 
Calceolarias must be watched closely for green 
fly, and vaporised or fumigated on the first 
appearance of the pest. C. C. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Forcing Asparagus. —This is by no means 
a satisfactory vegetable to force, and in most 
cases it must be admitted that “ the game 
hardly pays the candle.” However, any 
change from the ordinary winter vegetables 
is always welcome, and it is good practice, 
where facilities exist, to now make a start 
with the forcing of Asparagus. Fairly good 
results may be had by using an ordinary hot- 
W V ■ . . 
bed, but as this entails a good deal of extra 
labour, a low pit, heated with liot-water pipes, 
is much bettor. Not only is 1 labour lightened 
by this latter method, but we are the better 
able toi defy bad or changeable weather. The 
actual planting of the Asparagus roots is a 
simple matter. Whichever method of heating 
may be used, the roots should be packed fairly 
close, and a quantity of light soil or leaf- 
mould well worked in amongst them. Em¬ 
ploy only strong crowns, and on no account 
use too much heat. Start with a top heat of 
about 55 degrees, which may be increased 
5 degrees after the crowns show through the 
soil, while a bottom heat of about 75 degrees 
should be ample. 
Water only as required, using tepid water, 
and if a pit is used keep a nice moist atmos¬ 
phere. 
Tomato?.— Last week I said a few words on 
autumn-sown plants. I will now advise the 
sowing of a pinch, of seed of some early 
variety. Where a nice well-heated house is at 
command, and where every attention can be 
given, the plants from this sowing will ripen 
■ fruit at least a fortnight m advance of the 
January sowing. The seed should, be sown 
very thinly in well-drained 4-inch pots of very 
light soil. Place in strong heat until the seed 
merely shows through the surface. Immedi¬ 
ately the seedlings are visible remove to a 
shelf as near the glass as possible. This is 
most important at this time of year, as the 
young see flings SO' quickly get drawn, and 
therefore useless. As soon as they are strong 
enough to handle, prick off into small pots, 
using very porous soil, and taking great care 
not to> bruise the tender stems. Water very 
gently with tepid water and return to the 
shelf near* the glass. Constant watchfulness 
is necessary to guard against any check, either 
by over or under watering. See also that cold 
draughts of air never strike the little plants, 
or failure is certain. As the plants progress 
gradually reduce the temperature, for strong, 
moist heat only causes a soft, long-jointed 
growth, that can never carry good crops of 
early fruit. C. Blair. 
Preston, Linlithgow. 
- • - 
Potato Experiments. 
Air. II. L. Brierly, of King’s Newnliam, has 
this year carried out some elaborate Potato 
trials. Over fifty different varieties were 
tested, the seed being mainly Scotch and 
Irish. Among the first earlies Sir John 
Llewellyn headed the list for weight (7 tons 
11 cwt. per acre), the produce being also of 
very good marketable! quality. Niven’s Pre¬ 
mier (15 tons) was at the top of the second 
earlies, and of the maincrops the best yielder 
was Niven's Table Talk (16 tons 16 cwt.) 
Mr. Brierly's notes on the result are very 
interesting. “Although,” he says, “very 
little disease (Phytophtliora infestans) was 
found in the first and second earlies, all the 
maincrops, with the exception of Discovery, 
were more or less affected. The chief object 
of the experiment was to' find out what to 1 grow 
another year, but it is a fact that the more 
one experiments the less one knows what to 
grow.” Thus, he found Evergood of excellent 
