July 18, 1908. 
47 6 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
once a year, as prevention is better than 
cure, and this little precaution may save 
endless trouble during the wet months. If 
before painting the woodwork is thoroughly 
washed with soap and water, one coating 
will render it as bright and clean as two 
applications put on over the dirt. 
Where gravel or shingle is used on the 
stagings it sometimes becomes dirty, and the 
greeny-black adhesive matter may be re¬ 
moved by well rinsing the pebbles through 
a sieve or other receptacle. When removing 
the plants for this purpose it will make a 
welcome change if they are replaced in a 
different order; in fact a constant re¬ 
arrangement adds a great charm to the 
greenhouse or conservatory, besides being 
greatly beneficial to the growth of the 
plants. 
Greenhouse Roses. 
Well-established climbing Roses (which 
yielded their blooms ere the outdoor garden 
commenced to give its present generous dis¬ 
play) should have been pruned back after 
flowering, and will now benefit if slightly 
shaded during the sunny hours, and free 
ventilation both night and day will conduce 
to sturdiness in the new growths now push¬ 
ing forward. Pot Roses, of course, should 
ere now have been cut back and plunged out- 
of-dooTs to make and ripen new wood for 
another season’s blooming. Partial shade 
and constant syringing is necessary, and 
watering must on no account be neglected. 
Re-potting, too, may now be carried out if 
necessary, the old soil being replaced with a 
mixture of old turfy loam and wood ashes, 
the whole being well firmed with the pot- 
ting-stick, and any long straggling roots 
may be shortened at the same time. 
Streptocarpus from Seed. 
These beautiful flowers have been so 
greatly improved during the last few years 
that no greenhouse lover can afford to dis¬ 
pense with them altogether. A great point in 
their favour is that, unlike the majority of 
plants, they do not demand a situation near 
the glass, but even when grown some dis¬ 
tance from the light still retain their dwarf 
habit. If seed has been sown, say in 
January, the resultant plants will bloom this 
year, but a good plan is to sow a batch of 
seed during the present month for flowering 
early another season, and moreover no arti¬ 
ficial heat will now be necessary. In pans 
or pots containing a compost of loam, leaf 
mould, and silver sand in equal quantities, 
sow the seed, scattering it very thinly and 
covering lightly with a sprinkling cf the 
finer soil. Place a piece of clouded glass 
over the pan (which should be kept in a 
somewhat shaded position on the staging), 
and remove it daily to wipe off any super¬ 
fluous moisture. This greatly assists in ger¬ 
mination, and when the seedlings are large 
enough to handle prick them off into other 
pans or boxes, preparatory to potting them, 
when a slightly different compost containing 
peat should be used. 
Propagating- Lemon Plants. 
The fragrant Lemon plant, Lippia cit- 
riodora, may now be increased by cuttings 
taken in the usual way, which should be 
inserted singly in pots of sandy soil, and 
placed under a bell-glass. Treated thus 
they will soon commence to grow (which, of 
course, is a sure sign that they have rooted), 
and then the main shoot should be shortened 
to induce the formation of side-growths and 
ensrtre bushy plants. Examine carefully 
the underside of the leaves of old plants for 
the dreaded thrips, for it is there that they 
take refuge; and be sure that thorough 
drainage is provided, as stagnation at the 
roots or excess of moisture in the soil causes 
the striking foliage to become black and dis¬ 
figured. 
Tacsonias and Passion Flowers. 
Rooted cuttings of these beautiful green¬ 
house climbers taken in the spring will now 
be ready for shifting from the small pots 
in which they were struck. Give them a 
good shift into soil consisting chiefly of 
sound loam, with the addition of peat and 
silver sand, say one-third. Allow them mere 
air, and they will make very rapid growth, 
and by the end of the summer will te large 
enough to place in their permanent pets or 
tubs, or to plant out in the border, which 
I consider to- be the better way. Established 
plants will at the present time require con¬ 
stant attention, or their luxuriant growths 
will become entangled and overcrowded. 
Cut the weaker shoots right away, and in 
tying up those that remain, leave the ends 
free, as a far more graceful effect is ob¬ 
tained by allowing the extremities to drcop 
quite naturally from their support. Plants 
that have done flowering may have their 
main shoots shortened if necessary, for in 
a small house those things, though beauti¬ 
ful, cannot be allowed to take up too much 
roof-space. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Ventilation and Spraying-. 
The remarkable period of hot, dry weather 
we have been and are still experiencing in 
the North of England, has proved most ac¬ 
ceptable to the warm section of our Orchids. 
The bright sunlight has afforded every op¬ 
portunity to the cultivator to give his plants 
every encouragement, in assisting them to 
develop their growth. It is seldom we get a 
summer season that has offered such Oppor¬ 
tunities for ventilation. There can te no 
doubt that when the outside conditions are 
favourable the discreet use of the ventila¬ 
tors assists the developing growths by en¬ 
abling them to harden and ripen as they 
grow. 
The moisture in the atmosphere is also an 
advantage. Where plants can be sprayed or 
lightly syringed overhead once or twice a 
day there will be found a considerable dif¬ 
ference in the endeavours to keep what gar¬ 
deners call a growing atmosphere. Perhaps 
this will be more apparent among the cool 
house section than in the warmer division. 
It is surprising what a difference a satu¬ 
rated atmosphere makes. I remarked a dif¬ 
ference of 15 degrees between the outside 
shade temperature and that of the Odonto- 
glossum house a few days ago, simply by 
shading, the discreet use of the lower ven¬ 
tilators, and damping. This is what this 
section of plants requires, and if supplied 
at this season of the year the cool house 
section of our houses do not suffer to any 
great extent from the effects of the hot 
weather. I also find that a gentle spraying 
from the syringe, overhead, once or twice a 
day, is beneficial, but when syringing over¬ 
head it should be done sufficiently early in 
the day to permit of the foliage becoming 
dry before nightfall. Night ventilation 
may now be safely recommended for the 
warm divisions ; by discreet use of the roof 
ventilators on the leeward side of the house 
we prevent the possibility of stagnant and 
undesirable conditions of the atmosphere. 
Roof ventilation should be taken off before 
damping in the mornings, and the lower ven¬ 
tilators be brought into use instead. Except 
for a few hours in the middle of the day 
in very hot weather I would not advise the 
use of top ventilation. 
Watering. 
Watering must also now be carefully at¬ 
tended to. Where the plants are in small 
pots, and in case of seedlings especially, the 
plants should be looked over once or twice 
daily to see that they are not becoming dry 
at the roots and remaining so for any length 
of time. 
In6ect Pests. 
The dry conditions outside are naturally 
favourable to insect life. If we examine the 
hardy trees or the plants in the herbaceous 
borders we find them covered with black 
thrips, which are being constantly blown 
from their positions on the plants by the 
wind through the open ventilators. Our 
plants are thus liable to become infested by 
these pests, so that careful observation is 
necessary and means must be at once taken 
for their destruction. Frequent and regular 
spraying overhead with XL All wash, used 
as advised in instructions, and occasionally 
fumigating with the vapouriser made by the 
same firm, will effectually keep these pests 
in check. 
H. J. Chapman. 
-t-M-- 
On Making Cuttings. 
One of the most simple, as well as most 
rapid, methods of propagating plants is 
by cuttings. Almost all plants, not being 
annuals, lend themselves readily to this 
manner of increase, more especially those 
general favourites called “ bedding out" 
plants, such as Geraniums, Fuchsias, 
Roses, etc. All these will strike, that is, 
take root, in the open garden during sum¬ 
mer; Geraniums in the full blaze of the 
sun, the -others in a situation where some 
shade is afforded by shrubs or artificial 
shelter. A cutting may be made of almost 
any length, and it should be inserted at 
least one-third—half is best—of its own 
length in the soil, which should be rich, 
light, and porous. The earth must be 
pressed firmly around that part of the cut¬ 
ting which is beneath the soil. Should 
the season prove very dry, the cuttings 
will require to be watered. As already 
said, there is no limit to the length of a 
cutting, but plump, firm pieces from 4 to 
5 inches long are preferable, as likely to 
form more shrubby compact growths. It 
is scarcely necessary to add that cuttings 
are in all cases taken from parts of the 
plants other than the main stem, although 
in the case of a plant being accidentally 
broken off even the main stem may then 
be cut into lengths and struck. When 
struck in pots, -the cuttings should be 
disposed in a circle close against (he inner 
side of the pot and the soil well pressed 
up against them. 
D. Sparkes. 
-H4- 
Webb and Sons at the Franco-British Ex¬ 
hibition. 
At a three days’ horticultural show 
opened at the Franco-British Exhibition 
on June 24th, Messrs. E. Webb and Sons, 
of the Royal Seed Establishment, Words- 
ley, Stourbridge, were awarded a large 
gold medal for an exhibit of vegetables 
and fruit, consisting of Peas, Melons, Cu¬ 
cumbers, Tomatos, etc., which occupied 
a space of 200 square feet. A first prize 
in the open class for 12 varieties of vege¬ 
tables and Silver Gilt Medal were also 
wbn by the produce of Messrs. Webb and 
Sons seeds. 
The Gnat. 
The English gnat, which is a mos¬ 
quito, has increased in England of late 
years. It is only the females which 
attack human beings. The male is 
known by an ornament, not unlike what 
are called Prince of Wales’s feathers, 
which protrudes from the insect’s head. 
