i86 
THE GARDENING WORLD . March 14, 1908. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
Grape Vines. 
Grape Vines will now be in various stages 
of development, according to the amount of 
heat given. Those which are in flower must 
have the bunches shaken each day when the 
air of the house is nicely dry ; some growers 
pinch out the point of the shoot when two 
good leaves have formed beyond the bunch 
of Grapes, but this is a somewhat arbitrary 
proceeding, and the better way is not to stop 
the shoot until the space it has to fill is all 
but filled. 'Thus, four or even six leaves 
are not too many to leave beyond a bunch 
if there is plenty of room for them. Later 
Vines should have obviously weak and super¬ 
fluous shoots removed while they are quite 
small, but on no account should the shoots 
on each spur be reduced to one only thus 
early, even if the one selected bears a.bunch 
of embryo Grapes. Far better retain two 
shoots per spur for a time, then,if one breaks 
in tying down, the reserve shoot can take 
its place, and thus avoid a blank. 
The Main drop of Tomatos. 
The present time is, in my experience, the 
best of the whole year at which to sow the 
main crop of Tomatos, either for indoors 
or out. Carter’s Sunrise has proved itself 
such a marvellous cropper, both under glass 
and in the open, that I strongly advise all 
those who have not yet given it a trial to 
do so. The seeds should be sown m a well- 
drained pan or pot, and as they are large, 
they should be placed in position singly, 
about half an inch apart. Stand the pan 
in a light part of the house, and do not give 
more water than is absolutely necessary. The 
seedlings should be pricked off singly into 
small pots as soon as they have made a third, 
or true, leaf, keeping them well down in 
the soil, and potting quite firmly. 
Strawberries in Pots. 
A few pots brought in now will almost 
grow themselves ; that is, compared with the 
work involved in the growing of those 
guinea-a-pounders mentioned in “G.W.” 
recently. The soil should be well pressed 
down round the sides of the pots if frost 
has loosened it at all, and a little fresh 
compost may also be added. Stand the pots 
on a light and warm shelf where they are 
not exposed to direct cold draughts, and 
give them an abundance of water at all 
times. Earlier plants should have their 
fruits reduced in number, for a few fine 
berries are always more appreciated than 
many little ones. 
Azaleas after Flowering. 
These plants are often very unfortunate in 
that their owners lose interest in them after 
they have finished flowering. Instead of 
this, they should have increased attention if 
a good crop of flowers is to be forthcoming 
next year. Move them into the warmest 
part of the greenhouse, and keep them well 
syringed until they have almost finished 
making their new growth, then gradually 
aocustom them to outdoor conditions, and 
summer, them in the open air. If any need 
repotting, do the work as soon as the new 
shoots commence to grow. 
Sowing Eucalyptus Seeds. 
The Eucalyptus is such a distinctive plant, 
either in the greenhouse or the flower gar¬ 
den, that everybody should give it a trial. 
In the cold greenhouse it is especially valu¬ 
able, for it remains green and attractive all 
the winter without fire heat. The seeds are 
best sown singly in small pots ; or put two 
seeds in each pot and throw away the weakest 
seedling. Any light soil and situation in 
the. greenhouse will do for the seeds, as they 
are very good natured. The young plants 
should be grown along rapidly by frequent 
repottings, and not allowed to become pot- 
bound in their early stages. A good plan 
to follow with them is to plunge the pots 
in the lawn at the end of May, and leave 
them out of doors all the summer; of course, 
watering them as required. In the autumn 
they can be removed to the greenhouse, 
where they will be found very acceptable all 
the winter. 
Shading the Greenhouse. 
A little shade at this season is decidedly 
beneficial to many plants, more particularly 
seedlings, potted off cuttings, and plants in 
flower. But it is a great mistake to run 
down the blinds directly the sun shines, and 
leave them down for hours together. Far 
better reserve a portion of the house for 
plants that need shading, and shade only 
that part by some local means, such as a 
mat or two, or even a newspaper inside the 
house. Too much shade draws the plants 
up tall and straggly, and so weakens them 
that they never give satisfactory results. 
Marguerite Carnations. 
The value of these becomes more and more 
recognised as the years roll on, but there 
are still many greenhouse owners who do 
not appreciate them at their full worth. They 
give a little trouble if grown entirely in 
pots, but if planted out after they have 
grown to a fair size, and potted up to flower 
in autumn, they are exceedingly easy to 
manage. Seeds should be sown now, the 
seedlings pricked off into pans early, next 
transferred to small pots, and thence put 
in the open garden at the end of May. A 
sunny spot and good soil are needed to ob¬ 
tain the best returns. 
Bulbs after Forcing. 
There is no room for flowered-out bulbs 
now in the greenhouse, and all such should 
be got into a cold frame at once. If frame 
room is scarce, turn them out of their pots 
and pack them .as closely together as possi¬ 
ble. They are only of value for planting 
out to give cut flowers another year, so that 
this treatment is quite gcod enough for 
them. Of course, these remarks only apply 
to what are known as Dutch bulbs, i.e., Daf¬ 
fodils, Tulips, Crocuses, Hyacinths, etc. 
Sl'NNYSIDE. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Deciduous Demdrobiums. 
Amateurs in possession of a stove house 
might at the present season have their at¬ 
tention drawn to the species .and hybrids be¬ 
longing to this class of Dendrobiums. The 
present, being the season when the plants 
may be seen in flower, affords a good op¬ 
portunity of making suitable selections. As 
they practically .all need the same condi¬ 
tions under which to grow, those who are 
successful in growing one or more of this 
ckass may depend that the same success 
may be obtained with others, when afforded 
like treatment. In prominent Orchid, places 
Dendrobiums are out of favour and little 
attention is paid at the present time to their 
cultivation. As usually follows the result 
of Orchidists discarding the cultivation of 
certain classes of Orchids, amateurs reap 
the benefit of being .able to secure plants for 
a reasonable outlay, so that a good collec¬ 
tion of these desirable plants can be pro¬ 
cured at a price well' within the reach of 
the most modest cultivator. 
Do Not Unduly Excite Growth. 
I advised some time ago that unless plants 
were required for early flowering, they 
should be permitted to come on of their 
own accord, giving ,a little more warmth 
and moisture, just sufficient to encourage 
but not to excite growth of the flower buds, 
until such time as the buds themselves could 
be distinctly seen. When the plants have 
reached this stage, which should be abou 
now, more liberal treatment may be given 
Afford all the available light that may-lx 
safely done without the risk of scorching 
and by placing the plants in a positior 
within reasonable distance of the roof glass 
the colour and general quality of the flowen 
will be improved after the flowers have be 
oome fully expanded. 
Using Plants for Decorative Purposes. 
If the plants are placed in a cooler, drie 
house, out of the reach of direct draughts 
the flowers last a long time in perfection 
We use the plants when in flower for cr 
dinary decorative purposes in the house a 
well as the flowers for cut flower purposes 
Plants' before being put under cooler treat 
ment should have some of the moistun 
dried from .the potting compost and on no ac 
count should they be used for decorativ. 
purposes when the compost is in a saturate< 
condition. Little or no harm is done wbei 
the compost Is in a dry state, but when we 
the least cold is sufficient to cause a chec 
great enough to destroy all roots in th 
compost. T'he same remark will apply to, i 
wet, all kinds of plants with pseudo-bulbs 
such as will retain moisture sufficient for , 
considerable period. This fact should alway 
be borne in mind when plants are requirei 
for exhibition purposes. 
Repotting Requirements. 
As these plants pass out of flower th 
new growth will be found to grow rapidh 
as soon as the new roots make their appeal 
ance from the base of these advancin 
growth any repotting requirements nece; 
sary may be'attended to. It will often b 
found that during the resting season th 
sphagnum moss on the surface of the pottin 
compost will have died. It does not alway 
follow that under such circumstances plant 
must necessarily be repotted. Where th 
plants are in good condition and the pottin 
compost in a good state of preservation, an 
dead matter on the surface may be remove, 
and replaced with fresh material. Whe 
repotting give ample drainage and avoi 
any great bulk of potting material about th 
roots of the plants. Equal portions o 
chopped green sphagnum moss and fibrou 
peat intermixed with coarse sand is th 
most suitable potting compost. 
H. J. Chapman. 
-- 
TRADE NOTICE. 
New Folding House Steps. 
Heathman’s lattice steps have bee 
well known for many years, but had th 
disadvantage of being 6 inches thick whe 
closed, and it is an item of public ii 
terest to record the fact of a great in 
provement having been effected to enabl 
them to fold up so that the closed thici 
ness is now only 2§ inches. The sy 
tem of construction combines very ligl 
weight with great strength, and it is 
boon to shippers to save freight by ti 
close packing of (hese steps. They ai 
also made without the supporting legs i 
close to only inches thick and open '■ 
6 inches width of tread, which is vei 
comfortable for the feet of the users. Tl 
works of Heathman and Co. at ParsoD 
Green, London, S.W., are again heir 
enlarged to meet the increasing demar 
for this firm’s clever inventions. 
-- 
Coltsfoot in London. 
Any space, says a morning paper, whic 
could by any possibility hold a seed, 
left empty in London, means so mar 
square yards of Coltsfoot within si 
months. . • j 
