353 
May 25, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
ian those usually maintained in the Cat- 
Leya house. In fact, where a house can be 
xclusively devoted to their cultivation, 
iey may be exposed to the full rays of the 
an during the summer season, ample ven- 
.lation being provided. Summer being the 
ctive season of growth, where even a por- 
ion of a house can be devoted to their cul- 
ure, facilities should be afforded to admit 
,lenty of strong light. 
'entilation and Watering. 
The plants require at this time an abun- 
lance of moisture both at the roots and in 
he atmosphere, and should not be permitted 
0 remain long in a dry state. Where a 
jouse is given over to their cultivation, the 
loors, staging, etc., should be damped early 
n the morning as soon as the temperature 
las risen to the normal degree', and with 
jright conditions outside the plants may be . 
freely syringed overhead from the end of 
April until the ' beginning of October. 
Ample ventilation should be supplied dur¬ 
ing the morning and the ventilators closed 
early in the afternoon, damping and freely 
syringing the plants overhead and permit¬ 
ting the sun to raise the temperature to 100 
degrees. Then after the moisture has become 
distilled a little the house may again be ven¬ 
tilated in the evening, when a little arti¬ 
ficial heat will at all times be beneficial. It 
will be found that where the plants can be 
grown thus exposed to plenty of light they 
always produce their flowers more freely and 
are finer in quality after they have ex¬ 
panded. 
Potting Compost. 
The plants are best grown in baskets or 
shallow pans, with plenty of drainage, as 
too great a depth of potting compost should 
be avoided. A compost consisting of about 
equal portions of fibrous peat and sphagnum 
moss is the most durable and suitable. The 
plants do not require annual repotting ; in 
fact the less they are disturbed the better, 
but owing to the exceedingly dry condition 
to which the plants are subjected, immedi¬ 
ately the flowers have been removed, the 
moss usually dies on the surface,, and top¬ 
dressing is usually annually required. 
Repotting. 
The best time to attend to any repotting is 
when the last made growth commences to 
emit new roots from its base, this being 
usually about the months of April and May. 
When plants are repotted at this stage the 
new roots get hold of the potting compost 
and become re-established with the least pos¬ 
sible chance of harm. After repotting shade 
from strong sunlight until they have become 
established, and keep the atmosphere moist 
about them, thus providing every encourage¬ 
ment to hasten root action. 
Temperature. 
The normal temperature of the house may 
be from 60 to 65 degrees during the day and 
from 55 to 60 degrees at night during the 
growing season, and until the flower scapes 
are removed, from 50 to 55 degrees being 
ample for the resting season, when the at¬ 
mosphere as well as the root moisture should 
be reduced to its lowest minimum. Only 
sufficient root moisture is necessary during 
the dormant season to keep the pseudo-bulbs 
and foliage in a plump state. 
H. J. Chapman. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
Genistas or Cytisuses. 
Plants which were cut back as advised 
about three weeks ago will now be breaking 
into growth, and should be considered with 
regard to repotting. Young plants which it 
is wished to grow into specimens may be re¬ 
potted each year, but older plants will go on, 
year after year, in the same sized pots if af¬ 
forded an annual top-dressing. I have 
grown plants in this way which were over 
ten years old, and still in only 6in. pots. 
Such specimens make but little annual 
growth, but they flower amazingly. The 
flower racemes are, however, short, and if 
one wants flue racemes an annual potting is 
best. Use peat and sand where possible, 
adding a fourth part of fibrous loam if the 
peat is spongy. Keep the plants well 
syringed after potting, and stand them out 
of doors when growth is finished. 
Shading. 
The fearfully hot weather which charac¬ 
terised the second week of May caused a rush 
to be made for the shading materials, as even 
hardened plants suffered in the sudden 
change from cold to heat. I am greatly 
against permanent shading on greenhouses, 
as it does a great deal of harm. If the house 
is such that roller blinds cannot be fitted, I 
would strongly advise that Summer Cloud 
be painted on the glass. This looks well, 
feels cool, and is transparent in hot weather. 
A length of tiffany fastened to two poles 
makes a splendid blind for a low pitched 
house, and can be rolled up at will; but 
blinds should not be used until the sun 
reaches the house, and should be rolled up 
as soon as the sun loses power. 
Watering and Damping Down. 
These operations are closely allied to shad¬ 
ing, the sun which makes the shade desirable 
Nothing teaches -patience like a gar¬ 
den. All have to wait for the fruits 
of the earth. You may go round and 
watch the opening bud from day to 
day; but it takes its own time, and 
you cannot urge it on faster than it 
will. If forced it is only torn to 
pieces. All the best results of a gar¬ 
den, like those of life, are slowly but 
regularly progressive. Each year does 
a work that nothing but a year can 
do. “ Learn to labour and to wait,” 
is one of the best lessons of a garden. 
All that is good takes time, and comes 
only by growth. 
} 
also increasing the needs of the plants in the 
way of moisture. In watering, the wisdom 
of not letting down the blinds too early will 
be perceived. When the blinds are used too 
early or too late the surface soil in the pots 
does not dry out, and consequently it is diffi¬ 
cult to tell which plants require water; if 
the sun reaches the plants for a few minutes, 
all doubt on this point is dispelled, and 
watering can be quickly and efficiently done. 
A plant which has any appearance of being 
dry should be watered at this season, as 
little harm can be done, unless the plant has 
recently been shifted into a much larger pot. 
Watering finished, all the plants not in 
flower should be well syringed, taking care 
that the undersides of the foliage get their 
share of moisture. Then throw water on the 
floor and under the stages, and let down the 
blinds, and you should be able to see that 
the plants have grown on next entering the 
house. 
Pot Roses. 
As these finish flowering they mav be 
placed out cif doors. First free them from 
red spider by deluging the foliage forciblv 
with cold water, and cut away cleanly all 
weak, .puny shoots which interfere with bet¬ 
ter ones. Place the plants in a semi-shady 
spot for a few days after turning them out, 
and then plunge the pots in ashes to their 
brims, in an open, sunny position. Con¬ 
tinue to well water them, and also give a 
lictle liquid manure to assist any backward 
growth. Climbing Roses in tit® house may 
be pruned immediately flowering is finished, 
and encouraged to grow again. 
Early Tomatos. 
As the early Tomatos come into fruit they 
should be top-dressed. I prefer good fibrous 
loam —not too much of it — for this dressing, 
to which has been added a little artificial 
manure. A small handful of bone flour to 
a loin, pot works wonders with the plants 
and fruits later, but it is such fine stuff that 
it should not be dusted on the soil in the 
pots direct, or much will be lost. Olay’s 
Fertiliser is a first-rate Tomato manure, and 
Ichthemic Guano is greatly esteemed by 
trade growers. 
Planting Out Cyclamens. 
If there is a nice shady border of open, 
sandy soil in the garden, by all means plant 
out the Cyclamens for the summer, instead 
df keeping them in pots. Ordinary garden 
soil should have coarse sand and well de¬ 
cayed leafmould worked into it before plant¬ 
ing. Plant the corms so that their surface is 
about level with that of the soil, and give a 
good watering. This should cause the soil 
to settle down below the crown of the corm, 
an important matter, as otherwise the flower 
and leaf buds would decay. Summer culture 
will consist of keeping the soil stirred and 
free from weeds, and in sprinkling the 
corms with a rosed can in the evenings of 
hot days. 
Peaches. 
As soon as the fruit has set the trees 
should be vigorously syringed to clear away 
all dead blooms. If green flv has increased 
while the trees have been kept dry for flower¬ 
ing, give two light fumigations on succes¬ 
sive evenings, ventilating and syringing the 
house early the next morning. Syringing 
should now be done regularly twice a day, 
unless the weather turn wet and cold. Keep 
the borders thoroughly moist always now, 
and do not be deceived by a few inches of 
wet surface soil. A good soaking of liquid 
manure now will help the fruits to swell. 
Superfluous ones should be rubbed off early, 
but leave a few extra until after the stoning 
period. 
“ Sunnyside.” 
- f+4 - 
R.H.S_Hyacinth Prizes, 1908. 
The Royal Dutch Bulb Growers’ Society 
at Haarlem have offered to present, and 
the Royal Horticultural Society have ac¬ 
cepted, the undermentioned prizes for 
forced Hyacinths, to be competed for at 
the R.H.S. show at Vincent Square, West¬ 
minster 1 , on Tuesday, March 31, 1908. 
Each bulb must be in a separate pot (size 
optional 1 ), and all must have been forced 
entirely in Great Britain or Ireland. No 
exhibit may contain more than two speci¬ 
mens of any one variety, and no exhibitor 
mav exhibit in more than one class. Divi¬ 
sion I., for amateurs and gentlemen’s 
gardeners.—Class 3: 18 Hyacinths; first 
prize, ,£8 8s. ; 2nd, £4 4s. Class 4: 12 
Hvacinths ; first prize, £6 6s. ; 2nd, £3 3s. 
Class q : 6 Hyacinths: first prize, /j4 4s. ; 
2nd, £2 2S. Division II., for nurserymen. 
— Class 6: 24 Hyacinths; first prize. ^8 
8s. ; 2nd, ^4 4s. Class 7: 18 Hyacinths; 
first prize, £6 6s. ; 2nd. £3 3s. Class 8 : 
12 Hyacinths; first prize, ^(4 4s.; 2nd, 
£2 2S. 
