742 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 28, 1908 
with soil. The stake A should be long 
enough to reach right up to the branches 
after it is firmly driven into the ground. 
Two bands of straw or strips of cloth should 
be wrapped round the stem to prevent the 
bark being damaged by the tarred twine 
with which the tree is made secure to the 
stake. 
Raspberries. 
These may be planted. Where the canes 
are to be trained to horizontal wires, it is 
better to loosely fasten them now and so 
allow the roots to settle down in the soil. 
Old stakes must be renewed. Very strong 
ones are not necessary, but they should be 
long enough to be firmly fixed in the ground. 
Bush Fruits. 
Young bushes of Red and White Currants 
which are growing very strongly should be 
lifted and replanted, but before the re¬ 
planting is done cut off the ends of any 
long, fibreless roots. This treatment is bene¬ 
ficial as heavier crops of berries are borne 
bv such trees afterwards while they are in a 
young state. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Forcing 1 Rhubarb. 
If you intend to force Rhubarb under hot¬ 
beds no time should be lost in getting the 
material together for the purpose. Leaves 
and litter mixed or leaves alone where they 
are plentiful should be used. 
Rhubarb pots, deep boxes or tubs may 
be utilised for placing over the roots and 
crowns. Do not tread down the heating 
Fig. 3. Commence to force Rhubarb now 
under hotbeds; A shows a deep box; B, the 
hotbed; C, Rhubarb crowns under box; D, 
ventilating shaft to allow rank steam to 
escape. 
material, but allow it to settle gradually. 
At first the heat will be strong, and to avoid 
having the young sticks spoiled by the rank 
gases, leave a hole in the top of the box 
and fix a wisp of straw immediately above 
it A shows the box, B the hctbed, C the 
crowns of Rhubarb and D the wisp of 
straight straw through which the gas can 
escape. 
Blind Cabbages. 
On the first dry day of the week carefully 
examine the autumn-planted Cabbages and 
pull up any that are blind, replacing them 
at once with good plants. Make the soil 
firm arouna the roots and give water to those 
newly planted. 
Parsnips. 
Where the soil is of a light nature it will 
not be necessary to lift and store Parsnips. 
But. you should clear away any decaying 
leaves from the bed. After lifting a few 
roots for use dig up the soil and leave it 
lumpy on the surface, and not in a trodden 
condition. 
Carrots. 
If there are any still in the ground, lift 
and store them all at once. 
Foxglove. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
General Work. 
Successive batches of Roman and other 
I-Iyacinths, Tulips and Narcissi of sorts, 
should be brought in from the plunging 
beds, and after being gradually accustomed 
to the change of atmosphere, placed in gentle 
heat. Treated in this way they should be 
iu time for the festive season, when blos¬ 
soms of every description are in such great 
demand. It must be remembered that they 
are much better if brought on slowly than 
when forced too rapidly into bloom ; the 
flowers have greater substance, the foliage 
is a more natural colour, and the plants 
generally are stronger and sturdier. 
Where the Hyacinths and Tulips have 
been grown in boxes the advantages of that 
method will now be apparent, for they may 
be sorted out according to their different 
stages of growth, and potted up accordingly, 
some of the most forward being placed in 
fancy pots or bowls containing damp moss 
or fibre to be used for table decorations. 
Watering at this season requires a good 
deal of discretion. Arum Lilies being 
grown for early bloom will need liberal 
doses, whilst the peat-loving Ericas or 
Heaths should be kept fairly moist, though 
not saturated, at the roots. Rain water 
should always be used, and if a cistern is 
sunk -inside the greenhouse and the water 
from the roof conducted thither, it will in¬ 
sure a supply at something approaching 
the required temperature 
Greenhouse Grapes. 
Most amateurs like to grow one or more 
Grape Vines in the greenhouse, and the well- 
known Black Hamburg is generally chosen. 
Indeed, there is no more suitable variety for 
glowing under these conditions, for it 
thrives well and produces good fruit in 
fair quantity if properly treated, arid the 
little artificial heat necessary for the other 
greenhouse plants during winter and early 
spring is all-sufficient for its welfare. By 
this time the Grapes will be gathered in, 
and the rods cleared of their foliage, and, in 
order to induce the-wood to ripen rapidly 
plenty of ventilation is necessary, together 
with a gradually reduced water supply, for 
most plants require a period of rest and 
Grape Vines are no exception to the rule. 
Pruning and Cleaning. 
Pruning the Vines is a necessary operation 
that may be carried out at any time whilst 
they are at rest, but beware of leaving it 
too late, for if deferred till the sap com¬ 
mences to rise the dreaded “ bleeding ” may 
result, with disastrous effects. If only for 
this reason, then, coupled with a desire for 
tidiness and neatness, it may be done as soon 
as possible, cutting back the lateral shoots 
(whether they have borne fruit or not) to 
about two eyes from the base. At the same 
time the rods may be cleaned, and if insects- 
are at all troublesome, washed in a solution 
of caibolic soap and sulphur, removing at 
the same time any loose bark from the main 
stem. 
Petting Up Liliums. 
Enormous quantities of Lilium bulbs are 
now reaching this country, mostly from 
Japan, and the amateur will do well to pur¬ 
chase a selection as soon as possible, for, 
naturally enough, they do not improve by 
being kept out of the soil and in a dry state 
for a longer time than is necessary. If, 
when received, they present a dry and 
withered appearance, place them without de¬ 
lay in damp fibre or sand till plumpness is 
restored, then pot them up immediately. 
Old home-grown bulbs, too, which have 
flowered and rendered good service during 
the past season ma}^ also be taken in hand. 
By now, of course, the tops, having 
withered, have been cut off, and as no water 
has been given for some time, the soil 111 | 
be quite dry. Shake out the bulbs (reshi-1 
ing any small bulblets for separate t: .t- 
ment), and having sorted them accordin [to 1 
size and variety, repot them with care, ei er 4 
singly or two or three together in eighi br 
ten-inch pots. 
These should be previously well was d, 
and over a layer of “crocks” a little ijss 
should be placed to prevent the soil b ig 
washed through. A good compost er ' 
Liliums is as follows:—Gee-half saljfM 
loam, one-fourth peat and leaf-mould, id 
one-fourth well-rotted manure and s. ± , 
Half-fill the flower pots with soil and p ;e 
the bulbs thereon, a sprinkle of clean ,d 
between them and the compost will pre it 
rotting. Leave the crowns of the bulbs c ir 
and the remaining space in the pots ma ie I 
filled up as growth proceeds: Plunge . a 
cold frame or other frost-proof place for le 
winter, unless they are required for e y 
fcicing, in which case they may be broi it 
into warmer quarters as soon as plent; ,f i 
root-growth has been made and the tops < 1 - J 
mence to push up 
Propagating Lapagerias. 
Lapagerias are without doubt amongst ie . 
finest of all greenhouse climbers and v ;n . 
trained under the roof their beautiful 1 - | 
dant blossoms show off to the greatest 1- I 
vantage. Where more plants are des d j 
they may be obtained by means of layei g 3 
the strong firm shoots of existing plants :o ] 
boxes or pots containing sandy loam, p t, ] 
and silver sand in equal parts. The > I 
fessional, to whom numbers are the c ;f 1 
consideration, places the parent plant in ie i 
centre of a specially prepared bed, and p ;s 
the shoots all around, but for the ama ir 1 
the other way is far preferable, but he nd 
be in no hurry, however, for it is a sw ; 
process. Given a medium temperature a 
a fair amount of moisture they will rcc n I 
time, and should be carefully exami d . 
periodically, and severed from the old s' k 
when fit, leaving them undisturbed, howe 1 , : 
for a few days before potting them up. 
G. A. 1 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Winter Treatment of Orchids. 
In the warm divisions, that is to say, e 
stove and intermediate house, Orchids e 
mostly in a dormant state, and it is at ■ s 
season that the greatest care is needed 0 
preserve them in good health and in qh 
a condition as may best conduce to the 1 - 
ture well-being of the plants. It is a ma r 
of great difficulty to lay down any b d 
and fast lines as to how plants should >e 
treated during the dormant or rest g 
season, because .there are so many ;d 
varied circumstances to be brought unf 
consideration. The situation, conditi.is 
under which the plants are grown, e 
atmospheric conditions, and, above all, ],t- 
haps, the structural facilities afforded r 
the cultivation of the plants, must be je 
first consideration, so that one may sugot 
particular treatment .and conditions. At 
all it must be left to those best acquaint 
with the before-mentioned difficulties, c 
use their own discretion as to how far :.>■ 
particular advice may be applied to tl r 
own case. _ ; 
There is one general principle, howeu, 
which I think may be safely applied 0 
plants in a dormant state, that of supplyIg 
root moisture. 1 consider that there is ie 
greatest difficulty in getting those in cha e 
of Orchids to properly comprehend the fit 
as to when a plant is dry. It is not su - 
cient to ascertain that the surface of ? 
potting compost is dry, one must be satisfp 
that root moisture is necessary. In map' 
houses in which Orchids are grown thereis 
