THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 9, 1908. 
318 
with. Whilst air should be freelliy admitted 
during the warmth of the day, anything 
like draughts should be carefully avoided, 
and the more tender subjects shaded during 
hot weather. Occasional syringing wiLl 
prove beneficial, as it not only assists the 
growth of the plants, Ibut tends to keep down 
the insect pests. Seed may yet be sown of 
such things as Balsams, Petunias, Rho- 
danthes and Celosias, for plants to yield a 
succession of blossom during the summer 
and autumn months; and any seedlings or 
rooted cuttings should be potted on as neces¬ 
sary to prevent their growing “ leggy,” as 
if this occurs, no amount of after labour 
will rectify the damage done. 
Propagation of Poinsettias. 
These may now be increased by means of 
cuttings or points taken about three inches 
long from the tips of the shoots, which 
should be inserted singly in simaLl pots of 
sandy soil. This is a far better plan than 
placing several together in larger pots or 
pans, as in the latter case the roots inter¬ 
twine, and when it becomes necessary to 
remove the young plants they are very liable 
to get bruised during the operation and 
suffer greatly from the resultant bleeding. 
When active growth commences they should 
be placed as near the glass as possible, 
and duirrfrg the summer time there is no 
better place for them than an old used-up 
hotbed, if one is available. The pots should 
be lowered as the plants grow, always keep¬ 
ing the tops directly funder the lights. Olid 
plants require rich treatment in the way of 
soil. Two parts turfy loam, one part of 
leaf moulld and one part of old cow dung 
is a suitable compost, and when the terminal 
bracts or flower heads appear a judicious 
feeding with liquid manure and a little 
more warmth will soon cause them to ex¬ 
pand. 
Hanging Baskets. 
These form quite an important feature in 
the summer decoration of both greenhouse 
and conservatory, and there is such a wide 
range of suitable plants to choose from that 
the amateur is often perplexed to know 
which to select and which to reject. 
Amongst the foliage plants there is the 
popular Asparagus Sprengeri, the Trades- 
oamtias an variety, and Panioum variegatum 
(both of which tnay now be rapidly propa¬ 
gated by means of cuttings), whilst a basket 
well-hi led with the graceful Ladder fern, 
although it cannot withstand draughts, >s 
always charming in a shady situation. 
Then, too, there is that homely old favourite, 
Saxifraga sarmentosa, more generally 
known, perhaps, as Mother of Thousands, 
which may be quickly increased by pegging 
down the off-shoots it so liberally produces. 
Of flowering plants, too, there is an infinite 
variety, and whilst the Ivy-leaved Gera¬ 
niums always find a place, amateurs do not 
seem to make sufficient use of the beautiful 
Adhimenes in this respect, and they, to my 
mind, are the basket plants pair excellence. 
Cucumbers in the Greenhouse. 
■Seedling Cucumbers should be potted on 
as necessary, as if they are allowed to be¬ 
come pot-bound they not only receive a check 
to their growth, but are more liable to suffer 
from the attacks of such insect pests as red 
spider, green fly, or worse stilll, the dreaded 
thirips. The former can be got rid of by 
fumigating, (whilst soapsuds is a homely but 
effective remedy for the other, and can be 
rinsed off later by syringing. Forward 
plants which it is intended to fruit in the 
greenhouse, whether in pots or in the bor¬ 
der, should be stopped or pinched to induce 
the formation of lateral growths, and the 
trellis or wires upon which they are trained 
should be at least twelve inches from the 
glass. Plenty of ventilation must be ad¬ 
mitted as the weather becomes warmer, but 
draughts should be carefully excluded, and 
when syringing the water used should be 
about the same temperature as the house, 
upon no account using cold tap or well 
water. 
Two parte decayed turf, broken into small 
pieces and incorporated with one port of 
well-rotted short isdaible manure is a suit¬ 
able compost for 'Cucumbers, but where they 
are grown in pots a liberal feeding with 
some reliable liquid fertiliser will be neces¬ 
sary when the fruit is forming. If it is 
decided to grow them outside in frames, the 
latter should (if not already done) be pre¬ 
pared at once for the reception of the young 
plants, which may be placed In their per¬ 
manent positions any time during the pre¬ 
sent month. 
Dielytra spectabiiis. 
To my mind one of the most graceful 
plants at present flowering in the cool green¬ 
house is D.ielytra spedtabilis, otherwise 
known as Bleeding Heart; and to see a wall- 
grown pot specimen laden with its dainty 
pendulous blossoms thrown well above its 
handsome foliage, one would scarcely think 
it was quit© a hardy plant. Yet this is so, 
although it attains a state of greater per¬ 
fection when grown in pots in the genial 
atmosphere of the house, where its tender 
shoots are not subjected to the rude buffet- 
lngs of our early spring weather. The 
roots, if lifted in autumn and plunged in 
ashes outside, may be 'brought into the 
greenhouse at intervals, and will then pro- 
wide a grand succession of handsome plants 
lasting until midsummer. After flowering 
they may ibe simply turned out of the pots 
and placed in any spare corner of the 
kitchen garden until the time comes to raise 
them again in tlhe autumn, although it is 
better, perhaps, to have two batches, for use 
in alternate seasons. Both D. spectabiiis 
(pink) and D. spectabiiis allba (white) are 
indeed worthy of a place in every amateur’s 
greenhouse. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Coelogyne cristata. 
This is one of the most papular Orchids 
amongst amateurs; its traotabiflity to cul¬ 
ture renders it one of the best, where facili¬ 
ties are limited for the cultivation of Or¬ 
chids. We may find it growing among stove 
plants, and in the various temperatures be¬ 
tween this and the cool house treatment of 
Orchids. It is really best suited when 
grown in an intermediate house, where a 
normal temperature of from 55 to 60 degrees 
may Ibe maintained throughout the year. 
It may either be treated as a hanging plant 
and grown in pans or baskets or in the or¬ 
dinary way, in pots on the staging. When 
in a small state, perhaps, the plants are best 
grown in a' suspended position,, but for large 
specimens pots are desirable. The different 
varieties of 'C. cristata, with the exception 
of C. c. alba,, are now fairly plentiful, and 
aTe thus procurable for a modest outlayWell 
within the reach of the humblest amateur. 
They are distinctly winter or spring flower¬ 
ing plants, the conditions under which the 
plants are grown effecting the season at 
which the flowers are produced. When re¬ 
quired for January and February, stove con¬ 
ditions are necessary throughout the year. 
March, April and May are the months of 
flowering when grown under cooler treat¬ 
ment. 
Repotting;. 
These are a class of plants that resent re¬ 
potting, and if a proper durable compost is 
used, when repotting is necessary, the plants 
will remain in the same receptacles for 
several seasons without disturbing, with the 
exception of annual top dressing and re¬ 
moval of dead matter from the surface. 
Where plants are allowed to remain too long 
without repotting, there is always a danger 
of their becoming starved, with the result 
that we find the plants making diminished 
pseudo-bulbs with undue loss of foliage. 
Where plants require repotting, carefully 
turn them out of the pots and remove the 
whole of the decayed potting compost. 
Where plants have 'been growing for same 
time in the same pot, they will have become 
more or less matted together. It is well, 
therefore, when repotting, to separate the 
several leaders; this having been done, we 
are able to ascertain which of the back 
pseudo-bulbs may be disposed of. I consider 
that when dealing with plants that have a 
number of 'back ipseudo-bulbs, without roots 
or leaves, they are practically useless, and 
I think .depend and draw what support they 
get from the newer growths, thus being a 
drain rather than a support to the plants. 
Three or four pseudo-bulbs is ample behind 
the new growth, so that all back bulbs, 
leafed or not, should be removed behind 
these. It is not necessary to throw away 
bul'bs thus removed, if potted up or laid out 
on a bed of sphagnum they generally pro¬ 
duce new growths after a time, so that the 
stock may 'be thus increased where desirable. 
In .repotting the pots used should be clean 
and filled to two-thirds their depth with 
broken orocks. 
Compost. 
The potting compost should consist of 
equal parts of fibrous loam, peat and 
chopped sphagnum moss with sufficient 
broken crocks or sand added to render the 
compost porous. It is not desirable to bury 
the pseudo-bulbs, and in the case of C. c. 
al'ba, where the rhizome between each -bulb is 
considerably extended, it is not an easy 
matter to secure the separate pieces in posi¬ 
tion. lit is 'best to make a mound in the 
centre of the pots with the compost pressed 
moderately firm. Then have some wire or 
wood pegs ready so that the plants may be 
secured in a desirable position until they 
become rooted in the fresh potting compost. 
Water with rain water as soon as the plants 
are repotted, wetting the compost through. 
The plants should be shaded from strong 
light and the atmosphere kept moist about 
them. Spraying overhead will also be 'bene¬ 
ficial, but care must be observed not to permit 
the compost to get into a saturated condition. 
H. J. Chapman. 
-f+4- 
Crawley Association. 
Mr. Henry Hemsley, joint hon. secre¬ 
tary of the Crawley and District Gar¬ 
deners’ Mutual Improvement Association, 
informs us that this year’s exhibition will 
be held at I field Lodge, Crawley, on July 
22nd. This Association is, we are pleased 
to hear, making splendid progress. The 
membership is now nearly 100, and the 
income about ,£120. 
Birds as Botanists. 
“ The American Botanist ” mentions in¬ 
stances in which birds of prey have been 
known to decorate their nests with various 
plants in a fresh condition. Branches of 
green Laurel have been found in the nest, 
of the golden eagle, and when these were 
taken away others were brought to replace 
them. The osprey is also stated to carry 
fresh Seaweed to its nest, while the her¬ 
ring gull carried grass and other green 
materials to its nest. The red-tailed 
hawk has used live sprays of Hemlock, 
which we presume would be Tsuga cana¬ 
densis or some of its congeners, not the 
herb known as Hemlock. 
