September 7, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
591 
benefit. Keep the air as dry and buoyant 
as possible, turning on a little heat at night 
in order to allow the top ventilator to be 
opened without unduly lowering the tem¬ 
perature. Keeping the soil on the dry side 
will also assist ripening. 
Potting Cinerarias. 
There is always a lot of potting to be 
done at this season, more especially when 
plants are planted out in the garden for 
the summer, and it is wise, therefore, to 
push on the final potting of the Cinerarias 
as soon as the plants are at all ready. 
Cinerarias resent being pot-bound more than 
almost any plant, and soon start to turn 
yellow at the leaves and throw up a flower 
spike; such plants are useless. Shift them 
on before any signs of yellowing or flower 
spikes occur, and do not be afraid to put 
a few extra good specimens in 8 in. pots; 
if pinched later on these will make splendid 
plants. Six-inch pots are the most general ly 
useful size, but a few plants in 4 in. and 
5 in. pots come in handy for vases in rooms. 
Use the best fibrous loam, with half its bulk 
of leaf mould and some coarse sand, and 
pot firmly, leaving plenty of room for water. 
Look out for greenfly on the undersides of 
the leaves. 
Planted-Out Bouvardlas. 
These should, be the first of the outdoor 
plants to lift and pot, and they should now 
be prepared. Take a sharp, clean spade, 
and carefully but firmly thrust it in all 
round the plants, at such a distance from 
each as is likely to secure a ball of roots 
and soil sufficient to fill a 5 in., 6 in., or 
8 in. pot, as the case may be. The spade 
should go in deep enough, to cut through 
all straggling roots belonging to the plants. 
Follow this cutting with a good soaking 
from watercan or hose, and leave the plants 
for a while to recover before potting them 
up. 
Amaryllises Outdoors. 
These can do no further good outdoors, 
and may go in at once. Clean away all 
dead foliage, remove weeds and moss from 
the surface soil, and well wash the pots. 
They may then be laid on their sides, tier 
upon tier,' under the greenhouse stage to 
complete their rest. On no account should 
the pots be stood upright beneath the stage, 
or drip, caused in watering the plants on 
the stage, will probably rot the Amaryllis 
bulbs. 
Feeding' Chrysanthemums. 
These like plenty of good and varied food 
at this season, but weak and often should 
be the rule always. Start a new food at 
half the advised strength and give it at 
every watering rather .than start off at full 
strength. Above all. be very careful w : T 
manure after the flowers are about half 
open. I have known many a good lot of 
flowers develop black and decayed centres 
through over-feeding when the blooms were 
opening. If the surface soil has got worn 
away by rains, or by the water from the pot, 
lay on a few pieces of turf now to protect 
the roots, and also give a new, and quite 
safe, feeding ground. Turn the pots round 
occasionallv to rub off .any roots which have 
found their wav out through the drainage 
hole. House all plants with flowers suffi¬ 
ciently advanced to be damaged by rain. 
Potting Van Thol Tulips. 
These bright little Tulips are so very 
acceptable in the dull days of winter, that 
I strongly advice everyone to grow a good 
batch. They give practically no trouble, 
last well, and are excellent for cutting. 
About six bulbs should be allowed to each 
5 in. pot, as it does not pay to give them 
too much room. Pot them so that their noses 
just peep through the soil, and leave plenty 
of room for watering. If the soil is at all 
dry, water after potting, allow to drain, and 
then stand the pots in an open spot; if early 
flowers are wanted, the pots may be ranged 
along near the greenhouse or stokehole wall. 
In any case, they should be covered with a 
6 in. layer of sifted coal ashes, and left 
for a month to form roots. 
Sunnyside. 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
Coolhouse Orchids. 
The genus Masdevallia has become one 
of the most neglected of all Orchids in cul¬ 
tivation ; this is to be regretted, not only 
from the fact that the species included are, 
perhaps, nearly the largest in numbers of 
any genus of the Orchid family, and in 
addition to this they include some of the 
most beautifully coloured tints in the floral 
world, while others make most interesting 
subjects for botanical study. They are par¬ 
ticularly worthy of every attention by ama¬ 
teurs, and should have a place wherever 
ccol Orchids can be successfully cultivated. 
With but few exceptions they are found 
growing in their native habitat at high alti¬ 
tudes, and therefore require a normal tem¬ 
perature of about 50 degrees in winter. They 
will grow" successfully with even a lower 
degree of temperature ; in cold weather the 
thermometer may read as low as 40 degrees, 
but giving 50 degrees is what may be con¬ 
sidered the usual night temperature, with 
ordinary conditions’ prevailing outside. 
One is frequently asked the question as 
to what Orchids will succeed in a house 
with a northern aspect. Some of the finest 
specimens I have ever seen of the robust- 
growing section of Masdevallias, were, and 
are still, being grown in a north aspect 
house. They are particularly shade-loving 
plants, although they may be successfully 
grown with the Odontoglossums ; but if a 
house can be devoted to their culture they 
may be treated to more humidity in the at¬ 
mosphere during the growing season, and 
are, in my opinion, then better cultivated. 
Those who are in possession of a cool fer¬ 
nery where the above winter conditions can 
be maintained will find that most of the 
Masdevallias may be grown under these 
same conditions and may be treated in every 
way similar to that found to be successful 
in the culture of the Ferns. 
The Masdevallias may be cultivated either 
in pots, baskets or shallow pans. The ro¬ 
bust-growing sections with the exception of 
the M. Chimaera section should all be 
grown in pots, filled to two-thirds their 
depth with drainage and using a compost 
of about equal portions of fibrous peat and 
chopped sphagnum moss. A few dry leaves 
chopped and intermixed with the- compost 
is beneficial, and sufficient sand or broken 
crocks should be added to render the whole 
porous. The 'best time to repot the robust 
kinds is about the first ox second week in 
\Maclaren and Sons. 
September. At this season growth is practi¬ 
cally completed, and the roots are active; 
they are thus enabled to become again re¬ 
established in the new potting compost, with 
the least risk of injury. 
The M. Chimaera section are as attrac¬ 
tive almost in their quaint characteristics 
as the other sections are in the beauty of 
their flowers. They are best suited when- 
grown in baskets, as the flower scapes usu¬ 
ally are emitted from the base of the 
growths, and they- frequently take a down¬ 
ward course, piercing the potting compost 
and appearing again at the bottom or sides 
between the bars of the basket. The bas¬ 
kets must thus be carefully drained to per¬ 
mit of the exit of the flower scapes. Some 
of the plants of. the so-called Chimaera 
group should be included in every collec¬ 
tion. Thev will stand a temperature of 
“'What are you doin' up the tree, hoy ? Stealin' my apples?” 
“ Stealin'! Pm no' stealin ’ your apples. The wind blew them down 
and l was up stichin' them on again." 
