September 26, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
615 
cheapest of all winter and early spring- 
flowering subjects, and, by a carefully regu¬ 
lated series of pottings, may be had in bloom 
throughout the entire dull season. When 
any difficulty occurs in obtaining suitable pot¬ 
ting compost for bulbs, oocoanut fibre refuse 
should be tried; it will be found that nearly 
all of them will do admirably in it. Lilies- 
of-ithe-Valley, too, treated thus, leave no¬ 
thing to be desired, although many growers 
prefer to mix some of the fibre with the soil. 
Autumn-struck Coleus. 
The magnificent colourings obtainable in 
these fine foliage plants make them well 
worthy of culture, and to obtain large speci¬ 
mens next summer it is better to commence 
operations at the present time. From the 
choicest plants cuttings should be selected 
from the side-shoots, being severed imme¬ 
diately below a joint. They will strike 
readily in pans or pots containing leaf- 
mould and silver sand in equal parts, and 
when well-rooted should be potted off singly, 
adding peat and loam to the original com¬ 
post. Grow on near the glass throughout the 
winter in a temperature of fifty to sixty 
degrees, shifting into larger pots in March. 
Potting Hippeastrums. 
Though generally looked upon as stove 
plants.there arestrains which are quite easily 
grown in the ordinary amateur’s greenhouse, 
and no time should be lost in obtaining some 
dormant bulbs. An eight-inch pot is suit¬ 
able for one of good size, whilst three 
placed together in a receptacle of ten-inch 
dimensions make a fine display. The pots 
should be well-drained with crocks, and the 
compost should consist of two-thirds of rich 
fibrous loam, the remaining third being leaf- 
mould, peat and coarse sand in equal parts. 
The bulbs should be but half covered with 
soil, and if the latter is moist at the time 
no further watering will be necessary until 
active growth commences, especially if the 
pots be plunged, although a light syringing 
may be indulged in otherwise if the surface 
appears dry. 
Cinerarias from the Frames. 
It is better that these indispensable plants 
should receive their final potting before 
being removed to the greenhouse, whither 
they must be taken on the first signs of real 
frost. Give them a good rich compost, and 
keep a sharp look out for greenfly, which 
often take up their abode on the underside 
of -the leaves. Before housing the plants, it 
is a good plan to place the pots on their sides 
and syringe the foliage thoroughly, both 
’ top and bottom, with some reliable insecti¬ 
cide. The late-sown Primulas are also amen¬ 
able to similar treatment. 
Black Hamburgh Grapes, 
This is undoubtedly the amateur’s Grape¬ 
vine par excellence, and if properly treated 
the bunches of swelling berries will now 
prove very gratifying to the grower. All 
the light and sunshine available must be 
admitted to the clusters, and with this end 
in view, all useless growths and superfluous 
shoots should be removed, whilst a careful 
examination of the fruits may reveal some 
decaying ones. These should be instantly re¬ 
moved with the scissors, as if permitted to 
remain whole bunches may very soon become 
affected. When gathered, the Grapes may 
be kept for some time in a fresh state by 
inserting the Stalk'S (which should be cut 
fairly long for the purpose) in narrow¬ 
necked battles containing water. 
After the vines are stripped they will 
greatly benefit by a thorough syringing to 
rid them of all insect pests, but on no ac¬ 
count must this be indulged in whilst the 
bunches are hanging, or the fruit will be 
disfigured and spoiled. 
Treatment of Pelargoniums. 
If the pruning back of the-regal Pelar¬ 
goniums was duly attended to early in Au- 
- 
gust, as advised in these columns, fresh 
growths will now be in evidence, and the 
plants should be shaken out of the pots con¬ 
taining them, and, after breaking up the ball 
of earth, cut back with a sharp knife all the 
longer''and more straggling roots. 
This done, repot them in receptacles a size 
or two smaller than those from which the}' 
were taken, using good fibrous loam with the 
addition of a little old manure and silver 
sand for a patting compost. Be sure and 
press the soil firmly around the roots ; light 
potting means rank foliage and few flowers. 
After this treatment it is better to keep them 
rather close for a time, to give them a start, 
a light syringing occasionally being all the 
moisture required for the present. Any late- 
flowering specimens that were not cut back 
with the main batch should be attended to 
without delay, the removed portions being 
utilised as cuttings. 
Lobelia from Seed. 
Anyo-ne desirous of doing so may easily 
raise a good stock of Lobelias from seed, 
and where little heat is available it is as 
well to sow soon in order to obtain a supply 
of forward plants for next season’s use. The 
seed should, be sown thinly in boxes, and 
merely pressed into, and not covered by the 
soil, which, by the bye, should be light and 
fairly rich. Use a fine-rosed can for water¬ 
ing, and place a sheet of glass over the box 
to assist the seeds to germinate, after which 
it must be removed and the seedlings gradu¬ 
ally brought to the light. Prick them off 
into other boxes as necessary, wintering 
them on a dry, cool shelf near the glass. 
G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs, 
Deciduous Dendrobiums. 
Several of the species and the early-flower¬ 
ing hybrid Dendrobiums belonging to this 
section will now have matured, or are about 
completing their growths. I am often asked 
by amateurs how they may ascertain for 
themselves the completion of growth in 
pseudo-bulbs. In the case of the deciduous 
section of Dendro-biurns the best way to de¬ 
fine the completion of growth is when the 
two leaves of the apex of the growth open 
out so that the pse-udo-bulb may be clearly- 
seen at the base o-f the leaves. It is when 
the plants reach this stage that the greatest 
care is needed in their treatment. If liberal 
treatment and fair growing conditions are 
afforded the plants after the completion of 
the growth, there is generally a tendency to 
encourage secondary growth, c ■ ’ g away 
from the base of the newiy-madt ’do- 
bul-b. This is altogether undesiral - with 
the exception of one or two cases. - "n 
in the case of D. wardianum L - - n 
encouragement should be given towai lL ad¬ 
vancing such growths. I find it a good 
plan to keep the plants in the same house 
for a time after growth is completed, but 
they should only be given sufficient root 
moisture to retain the pseudo-bulbs in a nor¬ 
mal plump state. Where growth is com¬ 
pleted, the plants should have every advan¬ 
tage obtainable from the available light. 
The success or failure in producing satisfac¬ 
tory flowering results and the future well¬ 
being of the "plants depends to a_ great ex_ 
tent on the proper maturing and ripening of 
the growths. The barbarous system of 
placing plants in cool conditions immediately 
growth is completed, is not one I would ad¬ 
vocate. It is quite time enough to place 
plants under strict resting conditions after 
their foliage has been cast, and then it 
should only be done by degrees or there may 
be undesirable checks, which may not be 
immediately apparent. Every care must be 
taken to see that the pseudo-bulbs are re 
tained in a plump state throughout the rest¬ 
ing period. 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis. 
This is one of the most beautiful and 
useful of autumn-flowering Orchids, and 
should find a place in every garden possess¬ 
ing stove house accommodation. 1 would 
recommend this species to be grown in quan¬ 
tity where there is a demand for cut flowers 
throughout the autumn months; in fact 
where grown in quantities flowers may be 
had practically throughout the winter 
months. The graceful habit of the flower 
scape combined with the varied and attrac¬ 
tive shades of colour, render this species one 
of the most serviceable for cut flower work. 
They are also exceedingly useful for ar¬ 
ranging among groups of plants for decora¬ 
tive effect and for exhibition purposes. I 
find it a good plan to remove the plants to 
a cool intermediate house temperature as 
soon as the flower buds have expanded ; with 
the cooler and slightly drier conditions thus 
afforded the flowers will last a long time in 
perfection. The plants should be trans¬ 
ferred again to the stove as soon as the 
flowers have been removed, only sufficient 
water being then necessary to keep the 
pseudo-bulbs plump. 
H. J. Chapman. 
--- 
Strawberry 
Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury. 
With all the new kinds, it is doubtful 
if this old kind is surpassed for earliness 
and cropping in many soils. 
For early work in pots I am convinced 
it is the most reliable kind on light soils. 
In the early part of April I saw at Frim- 
ley Park, Surrey, a fine batch of this in 
six-inch pots with from 10 to 12 large 
fruits on a pot, then nearly ripe. The 
colour was very fine. Royal Sovereign, 
by its side, was not so satisfactory. Mr. 
Rogers told me he found no kind equal 
to V. H. de Thury for early pot work. 
He had tried most of the new-comers, but 
never depended on them, relying on his 
old favourite. 
I remember, the late Mr. \\ ildsmith had 
the same high opinion of it, Heckfield 
having the same kind of soil as Frimley 
Park. I found it the same on the hot, 
dry soil of North Hants. In the open 
ground in all these places it was a grand 
cropper, with a fine, constitution. Some 
object to it on account of size, but this is 
readily overcome by thinning. From 
being such a prodigious cropper many of 
the fruits would naturally be small. 
Those who want a quantity for preserv¬ 
ing should grow this old kind. I have 
found cooks most satisfied with it for 
this purpose. 
Few things are more capricious than 
Strawberries, and the main thing is to find 
a sort that suits your soil and purpose, 
and stick to it. No one really wants many 
kinds. Two or three is quite enough. 
To retain their vigour it is wise to obtain 
fresh runners from another soil and 
localitv. Of equal importance is to layer 
only from plants that are fertile. _ All 
sorts are apt to runout to a condition of 
barren plants. 
Con. 
-- 
Blackberries are plentiful this year 
but they are late owing to lack of sun¬ 
shine. 
