Jovember 28, 1908. 
nle atmospheric moisture retained to pro- 
. the necessary sustenance to maintain 
plants in a normal plump state, while 
nther cases the drying conditions are such 
h frequent applications of root moisture 
ir necessary, but I think that there is a 
Jral agreement that plants in a dormant 
’ L should only have sufficient root 11101s- 
' T to retain the pseudo-bulbs and foliage 
, u normal plump state and that every 
f'litv must be applied to prevent as far 
possible any tendency to premature 
> vvth Upon the proper ripening and 
; ; n (! of the plants depends their future 
1-1 being. It is thus the season when the 
,-nest care is necessary to provide the 
u tment and conditions necessary to pro- 
1 e these desirable results. 
T* Cool House. 
here can be no doubt that a great deal 
0 the failure in. growing the Odontoglos- 
< is satisfactorily in the past may be traced 
t. the winter treatment of the plants., it 
vs considered a few years ago that a win- 
1. temperature of 40 to 45 degs. was ample 
f the successful cultivation of Odonto- 
c-ssums in winter. I consider that the 
U m al conditions of the Odontoglossum 
lise during winter should be from 53 to 
- decrees. It is only reasonable to expect 
in it is at the season of the year when 
t v are in the most active state of growth 
tit the greatest encouragement is necessary 
1 induce them to properly develop such 
,jwth. Now as the Odontoglossums or the 
lk of them are in full growth during the 
ide of the winter months it is at this 
iiod that the greatest encouragement is 
cessarv, and to give a low temperature at 
ch a stage of growth can only result in 
e production of stunted and dwarfed 
owth, which cannot possibly produce the 
st results. The atmospheric moisture must 
governed by the outside conditions, but 
e plants should not be permitted to remain 
a dry state at the roots for any prolonged 
.riod/ H. J. Chapman. 
-- 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
743 
SrjqaireHJ)itffiriA 
Address : The Editor, The Gardening 
World, 37 and 38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
The Editor invites enquiries, which may 
cover any branch of gardening. Questions 
should be as brief as -possible and written on 
one side of the paper only; a separate sheet 
of paper should be used for each question. 
Replies cannot be sent by post. 
Garden Plans .—Gardeners who would make 
the best use of this column are invited to 
prepare and forward to us a rough outline 
drawing or flan of tlieir gardens, indicating 
the position of beds and lawns, the charac¬ 
ter and height of the fence or wall, posi¬ 
tion of vegetable garden, orchard, elc. The 
north side of the garden and any over- 
shadowing buildings should be denoted. It 
should also be stated whether the garden is 
flat or on a declivity, and all large trees 
should be marked. Particulars of the na¬ 
ture of the soil will also help us to give 
satisfactory replies. When such plans are 
received they will be carefully filed, with 
the name and address of the sender, and 
will be consulted by the Editor whenever an 
enquiry is sent. 
, TUw HUtfvoi oi XuWwo, 
Take some rough, that is, non-glazed 
artes de visite, \A rite upon them with 
irne very good black ink the inscription 
esired. It is necessary to use for this 
urpose a good round pen or a piece ol 
■ood cut thin and flat at the poim. 
Chen the writing is thoroughly dry, 
•lace the cards for an hour in a flat dish 
ontaining some oil. For this purpose 
he remains of oil from boxes of ^ ai " 
lines can verv well be used. V\ hen 
aken out of the oil bath the tickets are 
Iried and wiped. Thus prepared and 
ixed by the aid of a carpet nail to a 
mall strip of wood, these cards brave 
he worst weather, and the writing re¬ 
mains clear for two or three years, ac- 
rording to the quality of the cards which 
rave been used. 
There can also be used some white 
ivooden labels covered with some white 
lead, and which are written upon 
with an indelible ink. Unpainted wood 
slips can aLso be used if they have pre- 
viouslv been steeped for several days in 
a bath of sulphate of copper. 
♦ 4 - 4 -- 
he Genus Allium. 
Vegetables of the genus Allium such 
s Onions, Garlic, Leeks, etc., contain 
ulphur, which renders them of great 
itility in assisting that important and at 
imes troublesome organ, the liver. 
STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 
3406. Preserving Salvia patens. 
Last summer I had a bed of Salvia patens 
and Verbena venosa that made a fine con¬ 
trast when in Bloom. I would like to pre¬ 
serve them to plant out another year if pos¬ 
sible.- They do not seem to be annuals, but 
have lost most of their leaves and do not 
seem to be hardy. 1 have no greenhouse or 
frame. Can they be preserved in any other 
way? (W. Riley, Lines.) 
As the Verbena is so easily raised from 
seed by sowing the same in March, it is 
hardly worth wh’le trying to preserve old 
plants, especially as you have, no conveni¬ 
ence for them. The Salvia has tuberous 
roots and for convenience’ sake you could 
lift and pot the roots in a light soil. Stand 
the pots in some cool, frost-proof room or 
cellar until spring. Then before the pi 3 - 11 * 53 
have made much growth they should be 
stood in a sunny window, watered and kept 
avowing slowly until the weather becomes 
sufficiently mild to plant them out at the 
end of May. 
3407. Cobaea Lifted from the Open. 
Last summer I had a fine plant of Cobaea 
planted against a wall and trained to a 
wooden trellis. It grew well and flowered. 
A fortnight ago I lifted it and potted it up 
with the object of getting a large plant next 
3-ear. Being very bulk}' I cut it hard back, 
but since then the remaining leaves have 
been withering up as if the plant were 
dying. Can I do anything to preserve it. 
T have only a cold frame. (T. Thornton, 
Bucks.) 
The Cobaea is really a greenhouse plant 
and you could scarcely expect to preserve 
it through the winter in a cold frame it 
we have any severe frost during the win¬ 
ter. There was just a possibility of your 
being able to preserve it if you had cut it 
back about-the middle of September before 
lifting it. It would then have commenced 
pushing out shoots again and that would 
have been the best time to lift it and pot 
it, using the smallest pot that you could con- 
veniently get the roots into. It could then 
have been stood in a cold frame, kept close 
Ter a few days and afterwards ventilated 
freely like a greenhouse. In the event of 
severe frost it" could be taken into a room 
from which frost is just kept out, returning 
it again to the frame when the weather gets 
mild. It is scarcely worth while going to 
much trouble with them, as you can get 
good plants so cheaply in spring. An old 
or a big plant would, of course, cover a 
greater amount of space and flower eailier. 
3408. Plants for Unheated Green¬ 
house. 
Having an unheated greenhouse and being 
a bit of a novice at this sort of work I 
should be glad if you would tell me the 
names of a few plants that would be likely 
to succeed during winter without heat. As 
I have lately come into the house, I could 
not rear'plants from seed, but would like 
something to give the greenhouse a fresh 
appearance for a start. (R. Andrew s, 
Dorset. ) 
If you could get some healthy plants ot 
Wallflower of a compact and bushy nature 
you could pot them up firmly and place them 
in the greenhouse. Brompton and Last 
Lothian Stocks you would probably be able 
to get in small pets. If they are not very 
large the best plan would be to retain them 
in the small pots until January or the be¬ 
ginning of February, when you could give 
them a shift to encourage more growth. If 
the plants are well advanced to the flowering 
stage you could use your discretion if they 
require a shift at the' present time. Forget- 
nie-Nofs might also be potted up. Hardy 
Feins of an evergreen character would give 
you greenery at the present time and might 
include Polystichum angulare or any of its 
varieties, Pteris cretica and P. c. cristata. 
You must not forget that you can still pot 
bulbs for growing in a cool house, includ¬ 
ing Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, Crocuses 
and Scilla sibirica. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
3409. A Dozen Annuals. 
Will you please give me the names of 
one dozen annuals to be sown in seed pans 
and planted out in May? I should like 
seme of them yellow, so that I could use 
them as cut flowers for the table. (E. Pear¬ 
son. Derbyshire.) 
The plants we have selected are chiefly 
half-hardv annuals which are sown in a 
temperature as nearly to 60 degs. as pos¬ 
sible in spring, but placed under cooler 
conditions as soon .as they have germinated. 
They are then transplanted from the pans 
into boxes, giving about iJ, in. to 2 in. 
between the plants. Towards the end of 
May you can give them more ventilation to 
harden them off and have them planted out. 
The species that would give you yellow 
