8 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 2, 1909. 
growth, or shoot buds and should be cut off. 
There will be plenty of growth buds on 
other parts of the branch. 
Trees Arriving During Frosty tt'eather. 
Fruit trees are delivered sometimes while 
Fig. 2 shows how to -prune a branch and a 
spur of an Apple tree; A, a main branch , 
B, young one to be cut of; C, this also; 
D, fruit buds. E shows the - spur; F, fruit' 
buds; G, leaf buds. 
frost prevails. They are securely packed as 
a, rule, but the inexperienced gardener 
should not unpack them at such a time, but 
hastily get the root portion buried in a 
sheltered part of the garden; fill in the soil 
firmly around the roots and when the thaw 
commences saturate the soil with water. 
Two days after the frost has gone take out 
the bundles and plant the trees. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Parsnips in Beds. 
It is only where Parsnips are grown ; n 
naturally moist soil that it is necessary to 
lift , and store the roots as the latter keep 
better in the beds where dry soil obtains. 
But if frosts occur you should lightly 
cover the beds with dry straw, and also at 
once examine the crowns of the roots, re¬ 
moving any decaying - portions of leaves 
found there, otherwise the whole root will 
soon be spoiled. Remove the covering ma¬ 
terial in fine weather. 
Dwarf Beans 
Where there are forcing pits available 
sow some seeds of Dwarf Beans in 7 in. 
flower pots as shown at A in Fig. 3. The 
compost, B, should about three-parts fill the 
pot, thus leaving room for more soil in due 
course. Use good fibrous lram arid some 
well-rotted manure. Very early forcing 
Yarieties should be sown. 
Com pos ts. 
Suitable composes should now be got ready 
for sowing seeds of early vegetables in both 
boxes and rough frames. The different 
kinds of vegetables to be raised thus are 
Carrots, Turnips, Brussels Sprouts, Cauli¬ 
flowers, Lettuces, Radishes, Leeks and Cu¬ 
cumbers. Mere details in connection with 
the cultivation ctf these will duly appear. 
Forcing Beds. 
l’ut on linings of littery manure to keep 
up the heat in these beds. 
Foxglove. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
T In 3 fJew Year - . 
With the advent of the New Year we shall 
bs looking forward eagerly to longer and 
brighter days; coiner perhaps, but even 
this is not so much to be dreaded as the 
damp muggy weather which usually pre¬ 
cedes Christmas. In a few weeks time the 
pleasant task of propagating the various 
soft-wooded plants will commence, and it 
behoves us to have, everything in readiness ; 
clean pots and pans, soils, and labels, the 
preparation of which, together with the re¬ 
arrangement of the plants, and general 
tidying up, will occupy most of the 
amateur’s snare minutes. 
Watering, at this time of the year must 
be done with discretion, especially with 
such things as Primulas, Camellias, etc. 
Ventilating and stoking also require some 
amount of care, for although fresh aiir is 
necessary for the plants as for ourselves, it 
would be folly - indeed to admit a cold, 
biting, frost-laden wind into-the structure, 
whilst heating, if overdone, is liable to in¬ 
duce many of the plants to make premature 
. and weakly growth. 
Potted Violets. 
This is the season when even, the humblest 
flower receives its full amount of apprecia¬ 
tion, and at no time does the simple fragrant 
Violet seem half so sweet, to my mind, as 
when flowering bravely on in the green¬ 
house, whilst the outside conditions are the 
reverse of genial. But whichever variety is 
chosen (and there are few to beat that grand 
old favourite The Czar, or the beautiful 
double white Bellede Gh.aten.ay), they must 
be previously prepared by raising and pat¬ 
ting the roots in early autumn, using good 
rich leafy soil, and keeping the pots in a 
cold-frame till required. 
Fine clumps may be had in five-inch pots, 
and if due attention be paid to watering, 
and a light airy position be allotted to 
them, a goodly number of flowers, so useful 
for buttonholes, will result, whilst a little 
diluted manure _ w^ter will help them con¬ 
siderably. 
Libortia floribunda. 
For either cool greenhouse or conserva¬ 
tory, this . is a winter-flowering subject of 
great merit, noT does it require much fire- 
heat to bring it to perfection. It is one of 
those useful plants which may be placed out¬ 
side diming the summer months and brought 
in during the autumn, when, providing due 
attention be paid to watering and feeding, 
it will produce its brilliant flowers in abun¬ 
dance throughout the winter. It resents 
mean treatment, however, by shedding its 
leaves, thus rendering itself bare and un¬ 
sightly. Weak - liquid manure and soot- 
water about every fourth day will keep them 
in good form, alternated, of course, with 
dear watering ns occasion demands. 
Beautiful “ Cape Primroses.” 
No sooner have the New' Year seeds ar¬ 
rived from the nurseryman, than the packet 
labelled “ Streptocarpus ” should be opene. 
and a sowing made without delay, for the 
are so very slow growing during the earn, 
stages of their existence, that if thev are 
bloom the first season (which they will c 
if sown early), one cannot be too soon wii 
them. 
The time is at hand too, when the ci 
plants must be looked to, and any special 
piized sorts may be divided as soon as the 
show evidence .of active growth, but th 
should be done carefully in order to avoij 
-damaging the roots more than necessary, f, 
they will resent anything approaching roug 
treatment. After division, the plants shcii. 
be kept somewhat close till they ha 
thoroughly recovered from the disturbance 
Starting Early Achimenes. 
Those amateurs who are fortunate enous 
to possess a warm greenhouse, may start 
few early Achimenes at the first opportunit 
although of course -the main batch will i 
retained for a time. For this purpoe'it 
well to select those which, flowering ear 
last year, were dried off during Septemt 
or thereabouts, and an examination of the 
will, perhaps, find some already showii 
signs of restarting. Insert the tubers 
boxes or shallow pans containing leaf-mom 
and silverssand, then, if placed in goc 
bottom heat, and kept fairly moist, although 
not wet, they will soon push forward ar 
may be transplanted into pots when aboi 
one inch of top-growth has been made, ad 
ing loam, peat and some finely-powdert 
cow manure to the compost. 
The Bedding Geraniums. 
One of the most useful purposes to whir 
the greenhouse is put is undoubted! v xheca: 
of the bedding-out stuff during the winte 
Geraniums especially, are propagated : 
great numbers by most amateurs in tl 
autumn, and it is the custom of many - 
insert the cuttings somewhat closely t 
gether in boxes. Such cuttings, havin 
well rooted, are now growing, slowly it 
true if the house is a cool one, and, if a' 
lowed to remain, there is a danger of the¬ 
becoming drawn and weakly. They shoul 
therefore be potted up singly, if this b; 
not alread}'- been done, and placed on 
light airy shelf near the glass, where tht 
can be easily looked over occasionally. Gi\ 
them very little water, and pick off any dea 
leaves, whilst if signs of decay become man 
fest, the plant should be cut down do; 
.above a sound mint. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Plants foe a Succession of Flowers. 
With the commencement of the new yeaj 
some little consideration is necessary, to < 
able us to provide a succession of flowerini 
plants. There are many kinds which am 
teurs can grow, that at the present tin 
are in bud or showing their flower scape 
so that with a little discreet judgment, th 
plants may be so' treated that they will pr< 
vide us with their flowers as require - 
At the present time there are the la 
flowering winter kinds of Cypripedium 
such as C. Calypso, C. Lathamianum in 1 
varied forms, C. nitens, C. godseffianur 
C Geres, which is also varied in its chaj 
aeteristics, but all are worthy of attention 
These are practically all the hybrids' will 
C. Bcxallii and C. villosum blood in the ( 
veins, which produce their flowers throne: 
the winter and early spring months. Tl: 
South American section of the so-calle: 
Slipper Orchids such as Selenipediir; 
Schlimii, C.- longifolium, C. lindleyanvr - 
and the numerous hybrids, the most proi. 
iuent among these being S. leucerrhochn 
S. calurum, S. cardinale and numeron 
