268 
CHE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 24, 1909. 
enemies’ presence remains undetected, and 
more especially if the plants be of a tender 
or succulent nature. If that pest, the mealy¬ 
bug, takes up his abode on the various hard- 
wooded subjects, there is no better remedy 
than a judicious use of the homely paraffin, 
but great care must be taken .to avoid spill¬ 
ing the liquid over the foliage, which would 
be permanently injured thereby. 
The house should be ventilated as early 
in the day as the weather permits to allow 
the foliage of the various plants to dry 
after watering, ere the direct rays of the 
sun strike them through the glass, whilst 
the training and arranging of all climbing 
and pillar plants must be continued as they 
make growth, for once they ge.t out of hand 
it is very troublesome and in some cases al¬ 
most impossible to again obtain command, 
at least, without very drastic measures being 
taken. 
Where vines are used as roof plants in a 
mixed house the heavy leaves must not be 
allowed to obstruct an undue amount of 
light, or it will prove very detrimental to- 
the general welfare of the plants beneath. 
Amongst the Cacti. 
These interesting plants may be repotted 
as occasion demands, although it is an ac¬ 
knowledged fact that most varieties at any 
rate of this curious family, flower with more 
certainty if kept somewhat confined at the 
roots, this being particularly marked in the 
case of the ever-popular Phyllocactus, and 
quite large plants may be kept in good con¬ 
dition in pots of five-inch dimensions. 
Many gardeners differ as to the best soil 
to be used, but a compost comprising three 
parts of good loam to one part each of dried 
cow manure, wood ashes and brick rubble, 
will be found to suit them well, and, with 
favourable treatment, induce them to pro¬ 
duce their gorgeous blossoms in due season. 
Full exposure to the sun and discretion in 
the use of the watering-pot is, of course, 
essential to their successful culture. 
Propagating Salvia splendens. 
This beautiful and brilliant-flowering 
Sage is indispensable to all who desire to 
have a show of blossom during the winter 
months when flowers are scarce, and ama¬ 
teurs who have neglected to do so should 
lose no time in taking crititings from the old 
plaints. 
These may be inserted singly in “thumbs” 
or “ small sixties,” or, if it is desired to 
economise space, seven or eight may be 
placed around the sides of a six-inch pot, 
which should be well crocked and filled 
with clean sandy compost. If the pots are 
then stood on fibre and coveted with a hand- 
light to prevent undue evaporation and en¬ 
sure an even temperature, no great heat is 
required, and they will strike readily at 
this time of the year in a cool house. 
When well rooted they should be carefully 
removed, without damage to the tender root¬ 
lets, and placed singly into three-inch pots, 
where, by constant spiaying and partial 
shading, they may be induced to make free 
growth, being shifted on again ere they be¬ 
come potbound, adding about one-fourth 
part of well-decayed manure to the compost. 
‘■'Ringing” the Rubber Plant. 
F icus 'elas.tica is one of those fine accom¬ 
modating foliage plants that does well 
either in stove or greenhouse— or even in a 
window—although when used as a room 
plant it is very apt, after a time, to cast 
its lower leaves. This is attributable to 
various causes, such as rapid variations of 
temperature or injudicious watering, but 
when this occurs they may be taken in hand 
and literally given a new lease of life by 
“ringing” or “ stem-rooting.” The former 
operation consists of making a clean cut 
just through the bark completely round the 
stem, whilst in the latter (in my opinion the 
better method) an upward incision is made 
about halfway through, and the slit wedged 
open with a small piece of crock. Then, 
having divided a five-inch pot lengthways, 
place the halves around the stem, binding 
them together' firmly with wire. 
.Fill the pot with a mixture of loam, peat, 
leaf mould and sand, with a preponderance 
of the latter enveloping the wounded por¬ 
tion, then fix firmly into position and keep 
nicely moist for about eight weeks, when 
the necessary rooting will take place. 
The stem may then be cut through be¬ 
neath the pot, which, the wire being cut, 
may be removed without breaking the ball 
o-f soil, and a sound one substituted. 
Amarantus tricolor. 
If a gentle hoitbed is available, there is 
no better place in which to start seed of this 
fine foliage plant, which rivals even the 
Coleus in beauty, its variegated red, green 
and yellow leaves rendering it almost in¬ 
valuable for conservatory decoration. The 
usual light sandy soil used for raising seed¬ 
lings will answer the purpose, and the tiny 
plants should be thinned out immediately 
they are large enough to handle. When 
three or four leaves have been made they 
may be potted off singly and freely encour¬ 
aged to make rapid growth by keeping the 
atmosphere moist about them, whilst on no 
account must they be allowed to become pot- 
bound. 
Pretty Climbers. 
Passion Flowers may be quite easily raised 
from seed, but care must be taken when 
transplanting not to break the slender, 
straight rootlets that seem to strike down to 
the very boktom of the seed-pan or pot. 
When growing they require liberal treat¬ 
ment, and do better, perhaps, if planted out, 
but, nevertheless, they may be successfully 
managed in large pots. Thorough drainage 
is essential and the soil must be fairly light 
and rich, as the roots delight in a free run. 
Established plants will now require abun¬ 
dance of water, and look more graceful if 
allowed to ramble almost at will, instead 
of being closely tied in Few varieties are 
so beautiful as the dainty white Constance 
Elliott, and, if well grown, it is not very 
liable to insect attacks. G. A. F. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Cochliodas. 
Three of the four species of this genus 
which are at the present time" in cultivation 
are best known in gardens as Mesospinidium. 
These comprise C. rosea, C. ■ sanguinea, C. 
vulcanica, and its variety, C.v. grandiflora. 
They produce racemose scapes of flowers of 
rosy pink colour in the spring and early sum¬ 
mer. They are closely allied to the Odonto- 
glossum, and succeed well grown in the cool 
Orchid house, under the same conditions as 
those which meet the requirements df Odou- 
toglossums, Masdevallias, etc. 
Potting requirements are best attended to 
when the new roots make their appearance at 
the base of the recently developed or develop¬ 
ing growth, usually about the months of Sep¬ 
tember and October. They may thus be re¬ 
potted at or about the time that the Odon-to- 
glossums are potted. The compost may ern- 
sist of about equal portions of fibrous peat 
and chopped Sphagnum moss, to which a 
little coarse silver sand may be added. If the 
grower has had experience with Orchids in 
leaf-soil, about one-third of partly-decayed 
Oak or Beech leaves may be included with 
advantage. I would again point out that un¬ 
less experience has been acquired with the 
treatment of Orchids, even with a very small 
proportion of the ingredient in the compost 
there is considerable risk. I am not in the 
least blaming the material; it is the treat¬ 
ment that is at fault. The pots used should 
be just sufficiently large to contain the plants 
comfortably, and filled to one-half their 
depth with chopped bracken roots. 
When potting is complete, water with rain 
water poured through a moderately coarse 
rose on the water-can, thoroughly wetting the 
compost through. After this, only sufficient 
water will be necessary to keep the surface 
moist and the plants m a growing state until 
the roots again become re-established in the 
potting compost, when more liberal treatment 
may be given. 
C. noetzliana is by far the finest species in 
the genus; its racemes of scarlet and blue 
flowers are most attractive and useful either 
for cutting purposes or for exhibition. Sfiice 
it has been used for hybridisation purposes, 
and has been found to cross readily with 
Odontoglossums, it has been much sought 
after, and will in the neat future produce, 
I may safely predict, many desirable and 
useful bi-generic hybrids. Its dwarf struc¬ 
ture renders it a suitable subject for cultiva¬ 
tion in shallow pans, but it will be found 
to do- equally well in pots. Undoubtedly 
this species thrives in a mixture of leaf-soil, 
however small the proportion in the potting 
compost, although I consider that the condi¬ 
tions under which the plants are grown have 
perhaps as much to do with its successful 
cultivation as anything. A moist position is 
essential during its active growing season, 
and reasonable shade until growth is ma¬ 
tured. 
It is rarely that plants are found to grow 
in a satisfactory manner suspended near the 
the roof glass, where they are obtaining full 
benefits of even the shady conditions that are 
usually provided in oool Orchid houses. I 
find it quite soon enough to place the plants 
in a light position when they commence to 
show their flower scapes. During the hot 
summer, after the plants have passed out of 
flower, frequent spraying with the syringe 
is beneficial, and very little water will be 
required. Repotting should not be done more 
than is absolutely necessary, the roots being 
small and tufted; if good potting material 
is used -it will remain in good condition for 
two 'or three years. The surface moss may 
require annual replenishing, but when this 
is done care should be observed not to dis¬ 
turb the roots more than is necessary. 
-- 
Pear Jules d’Airoles. 
There are two Pears of the above name 
on the Continent so that it is necessary 
to put the name of the raiser after each 
in order to distinguish them. The name 
of this one should, therefore, be written 
Jules d'Airoles (Leon LeclercJ. The origi¬ 
nal tree of this first fruited in 1S52 and 
was raised by the celebrated pomologist 
whose name follows that of the Pear. 
The other variety was raised by M. X. 
Gregoire, and this variety first saw the 
light in 1857. Both are large Pears of 
good quality. The Revue de ^Horticul¬ 
ture Beige gives a coloured plate of the 
variety under notice. The fruits are very 
large, obconical, -elongated, rather sud¬ 
denly narrowed below the middle and the 
stalk, about 1 in. long, is inserted in a 
small cavity. The eye is large, more or 
less irregular and surrounded by more or 
less pronounced prominences. The flesh 
is creamy white, melting, buttery, very 
juicy, sugary, slightly acidulated and de¬ 
liciously aromatic. Its best quality is 
only attained when fully matured. It 
commences to ripen in November and 
continues till well into December. The 
skin is clear vellow, shaded with green, 
and more or less coloured towards the 
stalk with brownish red. It is a produc¬ 
tive tree when grafted upon the Quince 
and grown in the form of a pyramid. 
