8 4 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
February 6, 1909. 
Rhubarb and Seakale. 
Cover a few more roots with hotbed ma¬ 
terial. Do not lift the roots now except 
where it is absolutely necessary. 
Artichokes and Horseradish. 
Prepare ground for the planting of Jerusa¬ 
lem Artichokes and Horseradish. The soil 
should be deeply dug and enriched with 
manure if it is poor in quality. 
Foxglove. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
“ February.” 
The shortest month, ’tis true, but almost, 
if not quite, the busiest for the gardener, 
whether amateur or professional, at least 
where the greenhouse is concerned. City 
men, or those whose days are occupied else¬ 
where, will have all their work cut out to 
keep pace with the many important opera¬ 
tions now demanding attention. 
First and foremost is the propagating of 
the many soft-wood plants, including those 
intended for bedding-out purposes, and where 
the garden is a large one this is quite a for¬ 
midable task. The best means of quickly 
striking these cuttings is undoubtedly a pro¬ 
pagating frame placed over the hot water 
pipes, but, failing this, a properly-made hot¬ 
bed is very useful, and such must be well 
constructed, as, although great heat may 
not be necessary, it is essential that it be 
steady and lasting, and in this lays to a 
great measure the secret of success. Some 
of the plants, too, will require repotting, 
and it is most important that pressure of 
other work should not cause neglect in this, 
for such things as Calceolarias, Cinerarias, 
and many others, if allowed to become pot- 
bound, will throw up their flower-stalks pre¬ 
maturely, and good specimens are out of the 
question. 
A Fine Half-hardy Annual. 
The half-hardy annuals play a very im¬ 
portant part in the summer and autumn 
decoration of the greenhouse and conserva¬ 
tory, and a good deal depends upon getting 
the first batches early. 
All the Alonsoas are beautiful, but the 
variety designated “ Brilliant ” is particu¬ 
larly so, and a sowing made now will 
yield a profusion of lovely scarlet flowers 
by midsummer. The seed should be sown 
thinly in pots or pans previously well 
crocked to ensure a thorough drainage; any 
light, leafy soil will suffice, providing one- 
fifth part of silver sand is added. Saturate 
the soil well before sowing, and do not bury 
the seeds deeply, then, if the pan is covered 
with a sheet of glass (which must be wiped 
dry occasionally) the tiny seedlings will soon 
appear above the surface. The covering 
may then be gradually removed, more light 
admitted, and the plantlets, when large 
enough to handle, may be pricked out into 
boxes, or singly into small pots if preferred. 
Treatment of Passion-Flowers. 
Of course Passion-flowers in the open 
should not be cut back for some weeks, but 
many amateurs grow Them under glass, and 
whether in greenhouse or warm conserva¬ 
tory they may receive attention now in the 
matter of pruning. 
This operation, however, needs a little 
discretion, and one must be guided by cir¬ 
cumstances to a certain extent. If the plant 
is a young one and there is space to be 
covered, the strongest shoots should be 
trained in the desired direction and merely 
shortened, but well-established plants may 
be more severely treated. Thin out first all 
weakly or superfluous growths, and shorten 
' be young shoots back to within a few buds 
iron their base. These buds will then grow 
out more strongly, and each one will de¬ 
velop into a fine flowering shoot. More 
water may now be given, and the quantity 
of course increased as the new wood forms. 
Dividing: Nephrolepis. 
There are several forms of the beautiful 
Ladder-Fern, and all are lovely. Of course, 
the warmer the conditions under which they 
are kept the sooner they make specimen 
plants, but when overcrowded they should 
be divided, and this should be done when 
they re-start into active growth after being 
rested, as at that time the roots more readily 
take a hold upon the new soil. Many ama¬ 
teurs seem to err in the matter of compost 
used for potting Ferns, leaf-mould only be¬ 
ing very often utilised. For young plants 
or seedlings, a mixture of leaf-mould or 
peat is quite the correct thing, but large 
plants like something more substantial, and 
some good sound turfy loam, with about 
one-third fibrous peat and silver sand, will 
keep them in good condition for a consider¬ 
able time. 
When they have been re-potted, it is ad¬ 
visable to keep them rather close and warm 
for a time, until, in fact, they have become 
accustomed to the change. 
Sowing: Cannas. 
The Cannas, or Indian Shot, as they are 
popularly called, owing to the hardness of 
the seed, are so useful that few can afford 
to dispense with them. Even for their 
varied foliage, apart from their fine Gladi¬ 
oli-like flowers, they are well worth culti¬ 
vating. Sown early, they will bloom the 
same year, but anent the sowing there are 
points to be noted. First of all, the seed 
must be prepared by filing through a portion 
of the very hard skin, although a good al¬ 
ternative is to rub it away on a flat stone ; 
either of these methods being preferable to 
cutting a slit with a knife, which, if not 
most carefully done, is liable to damage the 
germ. Then, if the seeds are well soaked 
for several hours in luke-warm water, they 
will be quite ready for inserting, and a 
steady, moist bottom heat should bring many 
of them up in about five or six days. 
“ Lady Gay ” in the Conservatory. 
Just now one often has the opportunity 
of purchasing, either at nursery clearance 
sales or at auction, bundles, each containing 
some half-dozen rambling Roses at much be¬ 
low catalogue price. If this occurs, do not 
let the chance slip by, for Ramblers or 
Wichuraianas (and especially the dainty 
shell-pink Lady Gay),, if potted up into 
42’s and plunged outside in manure and 
ashes, may be taken later on, when in bud, 
into the conservatory to open their lovely 
blossoms, and if artistically trained, at once 
excite everybody’s attention and admiration. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Scphronitis grandiflora. 
There is not a more charming subiect 
among Orchids of miniature structure than 
this midwinter flowering species. Where 
plants are well cultivated, there is very little 
difficulty about their flowering, providing the 
outside atmosphere is free from fog or the 
poisonous gases generally met with in the 
neighbourhood of large towns, and in smoky 
manufacturing districts. Under such con¬ 
ditions all plant life suffers to a greater or 
lesser degree. The obstruction of light in 
such districts tells on the colour of the 
flowers, as well as diminishing the size of 
the individual blooms, but even with small 
flowers, the plants seem to add warmth and 
brightness to the surroundings, that is almost 
felt, when one enters a house in which they 
are grown The miniature structure of the 
plants will indicate that they are best suited 
fo; shallow pan or basket" culture, where 
they may be suspended near the roof glass, 
and where also they are enabled to display 
their attractive flowers to the best advantage. 
S. grandiflora is partly a cool house plant, 
and may be grown satisfactorily in a §pan 
roof Odontoglossum house, or even with the 
cool winter flowering 'Cypripediums. For 
those who are situated in the immediate 
neighbourhood of London and other large 
towns, I may say that when I had to grow 
this species in well-nigh a central position 
of London, I found a considerable difference 
could be obtained, in the size and substance 
of the flowers, by removing them from the 
cool house and placing them at the cool end 
of the Cattleya house. This should be done 
immediately the leaf growth has sufficientlv 
unfolded to display the flower bud. Th e 
plants should here remain suspended in a 
light portion of the house, until the flowers 
have become fully expanded, after which if 
they are removed to the cool divisions, the 
flowers will last in perfection for several 
weeks. 
The plants being annually imported in 
large quantities are procurable Tor a modest 
outlay. As above stated they should be 
grown in well-drained pans or baskets. 
These should have neat handles affixed for 
suspending purposes. The potting compost 
may be practically the same as that used for 
the Odontoglossums, about equal portions of 
fibrous peat and finely chopped sphagnum 
moss, with a few broken oak or ,beech leaves 
intermixed, and sufficient broken crocks or 
silver sand added to render the compost 
porous. Repotting is best attended to when 
the plants are in an active rooting condition, 
but should net be done just previously to 
flowering. They are practically autumn and 
winter growing plants, and during the active 
season of growth, they require liberal root 
moisture; indeed at no season of the year 
should they be permitted to suffer from want 
of . moisture, for if they become at all 
shrivelled it is a very difficult matter to in¬ 
duce them to regain their normal state. 
Insect pests such as small scale and thrips 
are sometimes troublesome, but where the 
plants are kept under constant observation, 
these may be easily held in check, without 
serious damage being done. There are two 
or three varieties of S. grandiflora but none 
are preferable to the type. There are two 
other species in S. cernua and S. violacea, 
and these, with the exception of being grown 
a few degrees warmer, may be treated as 
advised for S. grandiflora. 
H. J. Chapman. 
-- 
Mauve-Coloured Flowers. 
French mauve Lilac, forced for ship¬ 
ment to the London markets during the 
present month realised the remarkable 
price of 48s. and 60s. a dozen bunches 
■wholesale, says “The Times'.” Hitherto 
white forced French Lilac has domin¬ 
ated the spring flower trade. The 
demand for mauve Lilac so far exceeds 
the supply, for, in London alone, florists 
are able to dispose of all the present ship¬ 
ments. For indoor table decoration 
mauve forced Lilac will b.e particularly 
popular during the present season. Im¬ 
porters say that the high prices realised 
speak well for the future of the spring 
flower trade in London. Mauve Violets 
from the South of France are also com¬ 
manding similar prices to those Quoted 
for mauve forced Lilac. Sixty shillings 
a dozen bouauets for these Violets can 
verv seldom be depended upon in the 
markets. Never before have mauve- 
coloured flowers met with such apprecia¬ 
tion. 
