THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
March 29, 1913. 
WORK FOR THE WEEK. 
THE ORCHID HOUSES. 
IN THE WARM HOUSE.—Such plants as 
iEridcs, Vandas of the V. tricolor section, 
Saccolabiums, Rhynchostylis, and allied or¬ 
chids are now commencing to show signs of 
renewed vitality, and repotting or top dress¬ 
ing must be attended to. Plants that have 
lost their lower leaves become unsightly, 
and it is desirable, where this is the case, 
to turn the plants out of their pots. If they 
are watered a few hours previously the roots 
that have become attached to the sides of 
the pots are more easily removed than when 
the compost is in a dry state. After having 
shorten^ the stems to the desired lengfth, a 
stick sufficiently strong to hold it in position 
should be tied to the plant. The drainage 
used should be clean. After fixing the plant 
with the stick attached in the centre of the 
pot, work crocks about the base sufficient to 
secure it in position. As these orchids prac- 
ticallv derive their sustenance from the at¬ 
mosphere, live sphagnum moss, intermixed 
with charcoal and broken crocks, will be 
found ample for their potting material. T 
sphagnum should be well chopped and pressed 
moderately firm, and if mounded to the centre 
this adds to the good appearance of the work. 
Newly potted plants must be kept carefully 
shad^ from bright light and be allowed a 
temperature as even as possible with ample 
after flowering, and when resting must by 
no means be allowed to become dry. They 
will now be producing young growths, which 
may be taken as cuttings, while from the 
leaf axils they will also produce tuber-like 
growths, which, inserted in pans or small 
pots, will soon make nice plants. Given 
liberal treatment they will flower freely in 
48’s. Of this section, Ensign, Julius, Emily 
Clibrau, and Bank Hall Glory are worthy 
of cultivation for their fine display during 
the dull winter months. The compost we 
use for all the above begonias consists of 
two parts fibrous loam, ^one of leaf-mould, 
one of peat, and a little’silver sand, burnt 
earth, and dried cow manure. 
PLUMBAGO ROSEA—Tto beautiful sub¬ 
ject provides useful material for conserva¬ 
tories or house decoration, and its flowers 
may be utilised either for vases in rooms 
or for table decoration. It may be propa¬ 
gated by means of cuttings of the young 
growths, or by roots cut in pieces and in¬ 
serted, as is practised in the case of bouvar- 
dias. Our practice is to propagate a batch 
of young plants, which are eventually 
flowered in 48 s. EUving taken the required 
number of cuttings, a batch of the year-old 
plants are cut back, allowed to break, then 
shaken out, and put into eight-inch pots. 
temperature as even as possible with ample The points of both young and old plants 
moisture. In bright weather frequent damp- are pinched occasionally until October, when 
..-.j_:_* ai_- . _ -n_j a._ _ 
VANDA SANDERIANA is one of the most 
delightful species, but, unfortunately, the 
large plants that have been introduced dur¬ 
ing the last twenty-five or thirty years seem 
to have become “ small by degrees,” and one 
seldom sees a plant comparable with the large 
specimens exhibited and figured in years 
gone by. The difficulty of growing V. coeru- 
lea has been surmounted by Mr. Alexander 
and Mr. G. Hunter, and it is probable that 
similar treatment will also be found successful 
for V. Sanderiana. There can be no doubt 
that the hot, steamy atmosphere so generally 
practised and advocated has been the cause of 
failure. I have frequently noticed that the 
cooler conditions of the intermediate house 
^ve enabled the plants to keep their vigour 
for a wnsiderably longer period than has 
been the case under warmer conditions. 
VANDA TORES, V. Hookeri, and the hy¬ 
brid V. Miss Joaquin will also be showing 
signs of new growth, and the first-named is 
developing flower scapes. These should all 
have the full benefit of all available light, 
with ample heat and humidity. Whenever 
the outside conditions are favourable the 
plants may be freely syringed, and every en¬ 
couragement given to assist them to produce 
their flowers to the best advantage. The de¬ 
cayed moss on the surface of the compost 
may now be removed and new material be 
added.—H. J. Chapman. Oakwood Gardens. 
STOVE PLANTS. 
B. GLOIRE DE SCEAUX.-These plants, 
after flowering, are best reduced to about 
half their length and rested. We do not 
use stem growths for cuttings, preferring to 
wait for the strong sucker-like growths which 
are usually forthcoming by the middle of 
April. When three to four inches in 
length these are inserted singly in fiO’s, and 
left in the propagating frame until well 
rooted. They are then put into their 
flowering pots (large 32’s), and treated simi¬ 
larly to the above, and frequently fed after 
the pots have become filled with roots. 
Under these conditions they make fine pyra¬ 
midal specimens, about three feet in height, 
and flower wonderfully well after the ix>r- 
raine varieties have finished their season. 
SEMI-TUBEROUS VARIETIES. — These 
should have their growths left at full length 
those provided for begonias, and as they 
are gross feeders, when the pots are filled 
iwiith roots they recedvie occaisionlal top- 
dressings. 
THYRSICANTHUS RUTTLANS.—Having 
finished flowering, these may be cut back k) 
the hard wood, to induce them to break into 
growth that will provide cuttings.—H. 
Prime, Hatfield House Gardens. 
FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 
PEARS.—A goodly number of pot trees of 
these is most valuable, especially in the 
North, where good pears are not over plenti¬ 
ful. TTiey enjoy the best of food, and give 
excellent returns for liberal treatment, al¬ 
though many complain that fruits are diffi¬ 
cult to set under glass. They must not be 
coddled in any way while in blossom. Guard 
against undue excitement, neither must 
syringing be indulged in too liberally; at 
the same time a dry, parched atmosphere 
must be guarded against, as this weakens 
the flowers and causes the fruits to drop 
later. Attend to pinching and disbudding, 
and thin the blossom buds where placed too 
thickly. 
CHERRIES AND PLUMS.—The earliest 
of these which have finished stoning may 
have the temperature increased to 55 or 6() 
on mild nights with a corresponding rise 
during day for an hour or two with sun- 
heat, allowing the temperature to decline to 
60 or 55 deg. afterwards. Keep a sharp look¬ 
out for weevils, as these pests wilt soon 
damage both fruits and foliage if not de¬ 
tected. The best method to get rid of them 
is hand picking, curled leaves should be 
picked off as soon as seen and burnt, as fumi¬ 
gation has little, if any, effect on them. 
Later trees of these fruits must be brought 
on under identical treatment as regards tem¬ 
perature, free ventilation, syringing, and 
watering. If the weather is favourable, the 
houses freely ventilated, and the trees kept 
clean, insects will generally pollinate these 
late varieties. 
MELONS.—Where melons must be grown 
in pits heated with manure, now is a good 
time to commence operations. Fresh stable 
litter and equal parts of oak or beech leaves 
should be well mixed and turned over 
two or three times before making up the beds. 
Sow the seeds in 3in. pots, and by the tin- 
the plants are ready, violent heat will have 
subsided, and the ridges of compost will havA 
become thoroughly warmed through whAn 
planting may be carried out. Rich and ve^ 
light soils must be avoided, a« ramnant 
growth follows with but few fruits. M^ng 
cannot have too much sun and liaht- twn 
plants to a light are sufficient. Prace’moie 
soil firmly up to the plants as the root, 
appear, when in about fourteen or fifteen 
weeks ripe melons should be obtainable. 
CUCUMBERS. — Spring-sown plants will 
now be in full bearing, and will require at¬ 
tention almost daily in pinching, tying, and 
thinning of fruits. Nothing is more inju¬ 
rious to the crop than to neglect to thin the 
young shoot® and fruits when necessary 
AS the weather improves, and frames get 
cleared of bedding plants, they should be 
cleansed, and made ready for cucumbers, as 
recommended in a previous calendar.-^F. 
Jordan, Warter Priory, York. 
THE FLOWER CARDEN. 
ROSES.—There has been unusual activity 
among roses this season, and many rambiere 
have made young shoots several inches in 
length. Such unseasonable growth is not 
at all satisfactory, as it is liable to damage 
from cold winds and frosts, which cannot 
help but have a serious effect on flowering. 
Fortunately, with hybrid teas, teas, and per- 
petuals, this premature growth is checked 
by pruning, as, usually, the buds nearest 
the tips of the shoots are the first to become 
active, while those close to the base remain 
more or less dormant after the shoots 
have been cut back in pruning. If the opera¬ 
tion has been deferred until about the pre¬ 
sent time there is not much fear of the young 
growths becoming damaged. When pruning, 
one has to be guided by the habit of each 
variety; in the first place all weak and dead 
wood should be cut out entirely, then shorten 
back the stronger shoots to four or five sound 
buds. This will be found to suit most varie¬ 
ties of hybrid teas and perpetuals, also some 
of the stronger-growing teas, while others 
of this latter class, which are not so robust 
in habit, will not require such hard pruning. 
A dressing of rose manure lightly forked into 
the surface of the beds and borders after 
pruning will prove most beneficial, and the 
dressing should be repeated several times 
during the season. In many districts attacks 
of mildew are most detrimental to successful 
rose growing, but by spraying at intervals of 
a w’eek to ten days, from the beginning of 
April throughout the season, with a 
obtained by dissolving one ounce of sulphide 
of potassium in three gallons of water, the 
effect of such attacks will be reduced to a 
minimum. 
BAMBOOS.—These graceful subjects aw 
usually planted in the vicinity of water, ana 
in bog gardens, where they always produce 
a pleasing and sub-tropical effect, their green 
foliage imparting a freshness to the su^ 
roundings, especially valuable through tne 
dull months of winter, when the majority oi 
their neighbours are devoid of folia^- H is 
well known that it is not a necessity to 
a pond or lake before one can grow bamlXK^i 
as these will thrive in any deep, rich » 
and when once established require very litw 
attention beyond giving them a good muicn- 
ing of cow manure annually in 
The selection of sites calls for a little 
ment. They are quite at home in 
land part of the pleasure grounds, if sne- 
tered from the north and east winds, 
no time should bamboos be planted in 
and exposed positions, for although tne 
hardiness may ensure their existenc^m s 
places they are never effective. The n 
few weeks is a suitable season 
and moving bamboos. When dealing 
soil of a heavy nature add plenty of le • 
mould, as in this they will root 
soon ^come established. During the 
season after planting they will require 
attention in not, dry weather; a 
them to lack moisture at the roots, ww 
giraying once a day will assist them, a* 
Field, ^Wych Cross Place Gardens. 
