THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
FEBBtJABT 15, 
WORK FOR THE WEEK. 
THE ORCHID HOUSES. 
CVMIHDIUMS.—different species and 
tb© many hybrids now in cultivation have 
made cymbidiums not only attractive, but 
exceedingly useful, for cultivation generally 
in gardens. There certainly are no or^idTs 
more servnceable in cool ferneries and con¬ 
servatories; not only are the flowers attrac¬ 
tive and in most cases exceedingly durable, 
but the foliage when the plants are^out of 
flower is usually elegant. C. Tracyanum, C. 
few days when ^owth is acUve, takinsr 
the cuttings with a heel, inserting 
singly an small pots, and placing them i»“ 
propagating pit, having a m^crate uV 
perature, where they will soon taki r^' 
When weU rootedi the young plante mni^ 
potted into 48-sized pots, and in the^ ?!.^ 
mil be of a useful 8^ for planting ont^2 
the end of May. ^Ivia patens c^al» t 
«ame mann« 
iiuwtfr 18 usually eiegani. c. 1 racy anum 
Mastersi, and C. Winneanum will have 
cently flowered, and, as new roots will be 
found to be active, any repotting necessary 
may be attended to at this period. We find 
the plants do well in a compost of equal por¬ 
tions of fibrous yellow loam, peat, and sphag- 
--- broken crocks 
hum moss, with sufficient____ 
or charcoal, added to render the compost 
porous. Press the compost moderately firm, 
and water as soon as repotting is completed. 
Protect the plants from strong light for a 
few weeks, and if the outside conditions are 
favourable spray them overhead; be careful 
not to over-wator at first, but after the plants 
have Income rooted into the fresh compost 
more liberal treatment may be given. Most 
of the species and hybrids will be developing 
tWir flower scapes, and these must now have 
abundance of root moisture, and should not, 
under any consideration, be permitted to be¬ 
come dry. In fact, thoroughly established 
plants should at all seasons be afforded an 
ample supply of root moisture. With the 
e.xception. perhaps, of C. eburneam, the whole 
of the ^mbidiums may be grown in a cool 
intermediate house, where tne normal tem¬ 
perature in winter is about 55 degrees. C 
ebumeum requires slightly warmer condi¬ 
tions, and should at all seasons have ample 
atmospheric moisture. 
SOPH I 
tifu 
RONins OH-VNOIFliORA. — Dur- 
^ the pa«t week importations of this lean- 
ul wintcr-flowering orchid have been dis- 
tributed, and, although it may be somewhat 
outclassed in point of size by the hybrids 
that have been derived from it, none of its 
offspring can ^ compared to it in vigorous 
constitution, bnllmnce, and free-flowering 
characteristics There is nothing more 
cheery in onr houses than well-grown plants 
freely flowering in the depth of winter Thev 
are best grown several together in shallow 
pans, so that they may be suapended near 
the roof glass; see that the pans are well 
drained, and us® a compost of peat, os. 
mnnda fibre and chopped sphagnum moss, 
pressed moderately firm. Establiahed plan*; 
that require repotting are best attended to 
immediately they pass out of flower. Tlie 
flowers arc produced with the advancing 
growth and the new roots make their ai^ 
pearance almost immediately after the i)'.ints 
finish flowering. They do best in the cool 
intermediate temperature.—H. J. Cha“m\n 
O akwood Gardens. 
APHELANDRA EOEZLI.—This is a very 
pretty winter-flowering stove plant. To ob- 
^in bushy plants it is neoeesa^, after flower¬ 
ing, to remove the flower spikes, and when 
growth commcTices reduce the old ball, pot 
ting up in a mixture of two parts light, 
fibrous loam to one part each of peat and 
sand. Syringe occasionally, but water care¬ 
fully until well rooted, when, if necessary 
they may be shifted into larger pots. It 
may be propagated by means of cuttings taken 
from the young growths, or by seeds; one- 
year seedlings in small pots make useful 
plants, each carrying one spike of orange- 
scarlet flowers. 
FRANCISEAS.—These are very pretty 
Stove evergreen, flowering shrubs. After 
flowering the plants, which will grow to a 
large size, should be placed in a stove tem¬ 
perature, syringed frequently, and kept 
moist at the root. When growth oommenioes 
necessary repotting or top-dressing may re¬ 
ceive attention. When growing freely they 
should be pinched occasionally to secure nice 
shapely examples, and when growth is 
finished, place them in cooler quarters, and 
give rather Jess water until required to 
flower, when they may again be transferred 
to a warmer house. CutSings of the young 
wood with a slight heel will root readily. 
STOVE CLIMBERS.—Where the rafters 
or trellisings in the stove are covered with 
clirnbing plants, growth will now be fairly 
active, and from the first good growths, 
just sufficient to cover the space, should be 
selected, removing superfluous and weakly 
growth at once. This applies especdally to 
such plants as stephanotis, i^maeas, diplade- 
nias, Hexacentris myeoremsis (TTiunbergia), 
and Ciseus disooJor. W’^here mealy bug or 
scale exists, especial care must be taken to 
keep the plants clean, or they will neces¬ 
sarily be robbed of their health and beauty. 
H. Prime, Hatfield House Gardens. 
whenever it is dMirable to increase the st^ 
of this useful bedding plant. 
LAWM wfll now require renewed atten- 
tion; the wet, mild weather experienced » 
far tirbugh the present winter h^ been e“ 
ceptionally favourable to the growth of mo«i 
and weeds amon^ the graes, and steps murt 
be taken to eradacate these. A good faWmr 
With a fine-toothed iron rake will remove a 
great deal of the moss, and this prooeas 
should be followed up with a good top^ress. 
mg of wood ashes and soot, which will en 
courage a healthy growth.of grass and prove 
detrimental to the moss. Weeds can be re¬ 
moved by grubbing, and this method is 
most satisfactory one when dealing with 
deep-rooting kinds. Lawn sand is effective i 
in getting rid of small weeds if applied dur. ^ 
mg warm, dry weather later in the season * 
T. B. Field, Wych Cross Place Gardens 
STOVE PLANTS. 
DRAC.®NAS.—These should have been 
kept somewhat drier at the roots during 
winter, or probably some of the roots will 
be found in a decayed condition, and the 
lower foliage consequently lost. Leggy 
plants may be used for propagation by ring- 
mg. similarly to crotons. Useful plants mav 
TO repotted, a good drainage b^ng essen. 
tial, and a suitable compost consists of two 
parts peat to one of fibrous loam, with 
plenty of sand. Use the syringe whenever 
the weather permits to maintain a moist at¬ 
mosphere. They may also be propagated by 
inserting pieces of the stem containing ge^e- 
raJ ey^, or by inserHng the tuberous roots 
taken^from those potted in pans containino- 
a sandy soU, plunging them in the propagat! 
mg frame until growing freely. 
THE FLOWER CARDEN. 
SEEDS of many subjects which are used 
for the flower garden during the summer 
months should now be sown. Among these are 
lobelias, antirrhinums, nicotianas, salvias 
ageratums, pyrethrum, salpiglossis, petunias* 
verbenas, fibrous-rooted begonias, otc.- These 
should be sown thinly in pans or shallow 
boxes, and afterwards placed in a house or 
pit where a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees 
18 maintained; here germination will quickly 
take place, providing due attention is given 
to watering and shading, the latter a most 
important matter in raising seeds success¬ 
fully, but. one not often fully regarded by 
inexperienced and careless hands. Soil con¬ 
taining the seeds should be kept moist dur- 
germination, and also well 
snaded in bright weather; pieces of glass laid 
over the pans and boxes cneck evaporation, 
and support the paper or other material 
used for shading purposes. As soon as the 
seedlmgs appear they should be given a light 
^owtion near the glass, and belcept a trifle 
FRUITS UNDER CLASS. 
FIGS.—Pot trees that have been subjected 
to a steady bottom heat of 75 to 80 degrees 
will, in most cases, have fully develop^ ] 
their foliage, and the embryo fruits should I 
be swelling freely. As the days lengthen * 
we can reckon on more sunlight, and more 
moisture may be afforded in the shape of 
damping and syringing. To prevent fruit 
dropping, see that tbe trees are nevet 
allowed to feel the pinch of dryness at the 
roots. From healthy trees remove all super¬ 
fluous and ill-shaped fruits before the flower.? 
open, as by this means dropping of fruits ifl 
reduced to a minimum. Pinch the shoots 
at the fourth or fifth leaf to guard against 
overcrowding. Plan’^ed-out trees should, as 
far as possible, be grown on the extension 
system, and the superfluous wood removed in 
the winter. As soon as the fruits begin to 
swell increase the night temperature to 65 
or ^ degrees, allowing a day temperature j 
of 85 degrees or more with sunheat. LiberaM 
supplies of liquid and artificial manures may : 
be given to pot trees, and those in shallow] 
borders, but guard against encouraging gro^ 
growth, which is not conducive to fruit 
production. Keep later trees quiet for 
other month. 
EARLY VINES.—The recent sei 
weather witb cold easterly winds has made 
it necessary to bestow extra care and atten¬ 
tion in the ventilation of early vineries. A, 
little air should, however, be admitted earlyl 
in the day and at night if possible, in ordtf 
to encourage a strong, healthy 
and to carry off excessive moisture. Libei^ 
ally feed, and take advantage of bright da;^ 
to forward the crops of pot vines, as^ 
as early permanent vines, but do not ins^ 
on too high a night temperature during cold 
nights; be oonient with 63 to 65 degrees, 
and give 5 degrees more in mild weather. 
^ damping is de- 
^cted tne seedlmgs m the affected pan should 
TV WIAU, ao mia iH>urS< 
checking the trouble. 
practice of raising 
dahlias annually for planting out is adopted^ 
preparations must be now made to obtain 
^ttings. The old roots which have been 
stored away since autumn should be ex- 
decaying parts, and 
These 
"P growths suitable for cut- 
TilnS’ in a warm house and kept 
Sill prevent the growths becoming un- 
lialff spindly give them as^uch 
light as possible. Look over the stools every 
MIDSEASON VINES.—Disbud these 
soon as they become ready, and keep the 
shoots clear of the glass, but do net trouble 
about getting the shoots into position, ^ 
later, when the vines are in flower, 
may be tied down without much fear J" 
jnry. Remove all surplus bunches, 
all free-setting varieties as soon as pos«h 
rjttend to stopping and pinching, alwaw 
bearing in mind that good, healthy l^avei 
are preferable to la'^eral growths. 
later houses which oonitain mixed varieti^ 
to obtain ripe grapes during July ^ 
August. 
YOUNG VINES.—There is still tune 
put in vine eyes where young vines 
required for planting in June or July, 
the present crop is cleared. Select h 
from wood that is firm and well ripenea. 
F. Jordan, Warter Priory Gardens. 
