January 16, 1909. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
33 
, t washed over and cleaned, and B the sown under glass either in boxes or on beds 
ition not limewashed. The lime gets 
Aihed off with rains eventually, but it 
ckly kills the moss. 
Vails often get covered in places with 
uss, and a stronger mixture of lime and 
jtec should be used for its removal. 
Fining Fruit Trees. 
Continue the pruning of both wall and 
chard trees whenever the weather is open. 
I you wish to extend the growth of the 
us, leave the leading shoots about one foot 
l'g, the unripe ends being thus removed. 
\iere there are a number of short, weakly 
c)ots growing from the spurs, remove them 
ig. j. Make broad, not narrow, drills for 
Pea seeds, as here shown. 
together, but on the strong shoot growing 
om the same spur leave two or three buds, 
should not be forgotten that Peaches and 
xtarfhes bear blossom, and fruit, on the 
ring wood made during 1908, so that 
fficient should be laid in to ensure a full 
op this year. If the young shoots are 
out four inches apart, they will do nicely. 
trdon Fruit Trees. 
These trees are very valuable in all kinds 
gardens, but in those of limited space, 
pecially so. The novice should purchase 
d plant three-year-old specimens ; he will 
en see how the training should be done, 
ore experienced growers may content them- 
Ives with maiden trees—those of one-year’s 
owth—and train them to form cordons 
itable for different positions. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
in frames. 
Prepare the Onion Bed. 
I am in favour of early sowing where 
the soil is an suitable condition. So I ad¬ 
vise that rough ground be forked over at 
once, but left in a lumpy state until Feb¬ 
ruary, when I will give hints on sowing 
the seeds. 
Foxglove. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
Real Winter Weather. 
At the time of writing these notes we have 
struck a patch of real winter weather, as 
our American cousins would put it. The 
snow is falling heavily and the frost is one 
of the most severe for quite a number of 
years, so woe betide the unfortunate amateur 
whom this state of things finds unprepared. 
The snow must be swept from the roofs 
of greenhouse and conservatory each day, 
for it is essential at this time of the year 
that all possible light should be admitted 
to the plants, and the temperature to be 
maintained should be about 43 degs. for 
ordinary purposes, varying slightly, of 
course, with the hardiness or otherwise of 
the plants grown. Watering should be in¬ 
dulged in only where it is absolutely neces¬ 
sary,' and that invariably before noon, all 
superfluous moisture being immediately 
wiped up from the stagings and floor, every¬ 
thing about the structure being kept, in 
fact, as dry as possible. In severe frosts 
like the present, mats may be fastened on 
the roof, over-lapping the eaves for some 
little distance, this will keep a great amount 
of cold out, and even the summer blinds if 
unrolled at night will assist in keeping all 
things snug and warm. 
Repotting; Amaryllis. 
These are, without a doubt, the most gor¬ 
geous of all our bulbous flowering plants, 
and the present is a good time to repot them, 
or to purchase and start new bulbs. 
Two .parts rich fibrous loam to one of 
leaf-mould and sand is a suitable compost, 
and each bulb may be inserted singly in a 
five or six-inch pot, which should previously 
be well “crocked ” to ensure thorough drain¬ 
age. When potted it is a good plan to 
place them in ashes or fibre upon the stag¬ 
ing, or, if a little gentle bottom-heat is 
available, it will induce them to make a 
more rapid start, but in either case little or 
no water should be given to them until signs 
of active top-growth are apparent, there will 
then be no fear of the bulbs rotting. 
Dund-Seeded Peas. 
Seeds of early varieties should now be 
wn in broad, flat-bottomed drills as shown 
1 ig. 3. The round-seeded varieties are 
e earliest and the best to grow at this 
ason. Do not put in any manure in the 
'ills, but dig it into the soil generally and 
en the plants will get most benefit from 
If the soil be naturally wet, and cold, 
>tted manure may be put in for the seeds 
be sown upon; they would decay in the 
lil. 
Drop the seeds in the drill carefully 
|'out three inches apart. You should select 
nice warm border for the early Pea crop. 
ore Early Crops. 
Summer Spinach may be sown in drills 
ider fruit tiees. For many years I grew 
jy early Spinach under two or three rows 
Filbert bushes and the crop was never 
disappointing one. These early sowings 
e always risky and so it is wise to put 
the seeds.more thickly than in spring, as 
jte can easily thin out surplus plants. 
! A few more seeds of Radishes, Lettuces 
pd some of early Cauliflowers should be 
Starting Fuchsias for Cuttings. 
The old stock plants have been enjoying 
a well-earned rest, and a few, at any rate, • 
may now be brought forward from their 
winter quarters. If any leaves still adhere 
they should be shaken off, and as a safe¬ 
guard, the entire plant may be dipped 
bodily, if not too large, into a solution of 
some reliable insecticide, in order to entirely 
destroy any lurking insect pests that might 
otherwise soon become troublesome. When 
cleaned up the plants may be taken to the 
warmest end of the greenhouse, where a 
little gentle heat and an occasional syring¬ 
ing will soon induce them to start into 
growth, at which stage plenty of light is 
advisable, so that the young shoots, from 
which the crop of cuttings will be soon 
selected, may' be sturdy and strong. 
Cyclamen. 
The sowing of Cyclamen seed was advised 
late in October, but if overlooked then, may 
be sown now, but; of course, will flower 
later than if autumn sown. There are some 
amateurs, however, who prefer to purchase 
readv-grown plants just coming into bloom. 
or dormant bulbs. This being so, a word as 
regards their treatment may prove accept¬ 
able. 
Loose potting is essential to their welfare, 
the bulb being merely pressed into the soil, 
which should not quite cover it, or later on 
the compost, lodging between the flower 
stalks, may cause them to rot or damp off, 
with, of course, disastrous results. Some 
amount of care too is necessary when water¬ 
ing, as if any superfluous moisture is al¬ 
lowed to remain in the crown of the plant 
it will often have a like effect, and it is a 
good plan to lightly stir the top-soil occa¬ 
sionally, so that the water is the more 
quickly absorbed. Some of the choice- 
named varieties, such as White Swan, Crim¬ 
son Queen, etc., are indeed superb, and if 
buying dormant bulbs, it is really worth the 
while to pay the extra cost and obtain the 
best. 
Useful Foliage Plants. 
Palms and the like are indispensable at 
this time of the year for greenhouse and 
conservatory decoration, and for removal in¬ 
doors are eminently more suitable than the 
great majority of flowering plants. They 
are never out of season, but alas ! ."ire often 
ruined either through ignorance or neglect. 
This was brought forcibly to my mind 
recently on being asked to prescribe for 
what had at one time, been a fine specimen 
of Aspidistra lurida variegata, but which, 
owing to improper treatment, presented a 
very woe-begone appearance. It was the 
old story of ineffective drainage and water¬ 
logged roots, the pot having stood in a deep 
saucer, which was never emptied of the 
superfluous water. Although not quite the 
proper time for repotting, there was no 
alternative, and many of the lower roots, 
being badly diseased, were removed during 
the operation. When watering, do so thor¬ 
oughly, but always allow the pot to drain 
well before replacing it in the saucer or 
pan, whilst syringing or sponging the leaves 
with tepid rain-water will refreshen the 
plants greatly. 
Early and Crisp. 
The little curly Cabbage Lettuces are 
easily and quickly grown in any ordinary 
greenhouse, and seed may be sown now. The 
seedlings should be pricked off as soon as 
large enough to handle into boxes, those 
used for Tomatos will answer admirably, 
and the soil even need not be changed, only 
stirred over and a dressing of dried cow- 
manure added. Plenty of room, five or six 
inches between each plant, should be al¬ 
lowed, and if the house be a cool one, over¬ 
watering is liable to cause them to rot off 
at the collar. About nine weeks from sow¬ 
ing they should be fit to cut. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
The Odontoglossums. 
From an enquiry that has been made, I 
am led to think that the general conditions 
and treatment of the whole of the coolhouse 
Odontoglossums is the information that is 
asked for and not any one individual species 
of the genus. In the successful cultivation 
of Odontoglossums a great deal depends on 
the aspect and. construction of the houses in 
which the plants have to be grown. I con¬ 
sider houses with a southern aspect or even 
span-roofed houses built east and west quite 
a mistake. Here, during the summer, the 
plants are subjected to the full force of the 
sun’s rays, and however well ventilated and 
shaded, the plants are injuriously affected 
by the extreme heat. Lean-to houses with 
northern or western aspects or span-roofed 
houses built north and south are, in my' 
opinion, more suitable for the purpose, such 
