406 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
Mat 31, ^ 
WORK FOR THE WEEK. 
THE ORCHID HOUSES, 
CYMBIDIUMS.—Plants of C. Lowiauum, 
which have been recently in flower, and 
these plants that still retain their flower 
scapes should have attention, for any re¬ 
potting that may be necessary should be done 
L soon as the flower scapes have been re- 
moved. Most cymbidiums, and C. Lowianum 
in particular, should not be disturbed at the 
roots more frequently than is absolutely 
necessary. About every third year will bg 
ample. This being the case, some considera¬ 
tion should be given to the quality of the 
potting compost, as only materials of a last¬ 
ing character ^ould be used. We find a 
compost consisting of equal portions of 
fibrous loam and peat, with sufficient silver 
sand and finely-broken crocks to render the 
compost porous, the most suitable. This 
should be firmly pressed, and the surface be 
covered with a layer of chopped sphagnum 
moss which will add to the appearance of the 
plant when in full growth. The size of the 
pots should be proportionate to the vigour 
and size of the plan^. Ample drainage is 
necessary, as, in addition to the plants re¬ 
maining in the same pot for a long period, 
they require a liberal supply of root moisture 
during the greater part of the year. Fresh- 
potted plants must be carefully shaded from 
direct sunshine and bright light after repot¬ 
ting. The atmosphere should also be main¬ 
tained in a humid state, and they will be 
benefited by a syringing overhead, whenever 
the outside conditions are favourable. Other 
species that have recently been in flower, or 
are passing out of bloom, may also receive 
attention. The hybrids are too numerous to 
enumerate, but they are now so plentifully 
distributed in collections and gardens gene¬ 
rally that the merits of the different kinds 
for decorative and hou^ furnishing effects 
will be understood. Finely-flowered plants 
of C. Lowianum and ite hybrids are most 
useful, the lasting qualities of the flowers, 
even when cut, rendering them in every way 
desirable. 
LYCASTE BIPPEI, L. plana, L. aroma- 
tica, and other late spring-flowering kinds 
must also have attention. If the plants have 
been rested in a cool, reasonably-dry atmo¬ 
sphere, they will now be producing their 
flower buds These also should not be dis¬ 
turbed by being repotted more frequently 
than is absolutely necessary. Any repotting 
required should be done before the new 
growth is fat advanced, for if left until 
after flowering, it is not beneficial. The new 
growth will then have beconrie so far ad¬ 
vanced as to incur the risk of it receiving a 
check.— H. J. Chapman, Oakwood Gardens. 
CONSERVATORY AND GREEN¬ 
HOUSE. 
CALCEOLAEIAS.—Seeds should be sown 
now for raising plants for flowering next 
year. To grow calceolarias to a high degree 
of perfection they must not experience a 
severe check, therefore, sow the seeds thinly, 
so that when the young plants are lifted it 
may be done without disturbing the roots to 
any great extent. Sow in shallow pans filled 
witih finely-sifted soil, made fairly firm. The 
compost should be composed of loam, leaf- 
soil, and sand. Place the pans in a cool, 
moist part of the greenhouse, and keep them 
shaded and covered with a sheet of glass till 
the seedlings are through. When large enough 
pot them singly, using thumb pots, and 
keep them in a cool house, and shade them at 
all times from bright sun. Shift them on 
before the roots become pot-bound. and grow 
them under cool conditions at all times. Cal¬ 
ceolarias Ciibrani and Yeitchi make a pleas¬ 
ing contrast to the. larg^flowered kinds, and 
are likely to become quite as popular when 
better known. The plants should be lightly 
fumigated occasionally to keep them free 
from aphis. 
PELAKGONIUMS.—The plants for win¬ 
ter flowering may now be placed out of doors 
in an exposed situation. Attend to the shop¬ 
ping of the growths regularly, so as to en¬ 
courage a dwarf, bushy habit. hen well 
rooted they must be supplied with liquid 
manure and soot water, supplementing this 
occasionaUy with Clay’s Fertilizer, which is 
admirably adapted to their requirements. 
Basket? may now be made up of ivy-leaved 
pelargoniums, these l^ing very useful for 
the conservatory during the late summer 
and autumn months. 
CYCLAMEN. — The young plants should 
now be sufficiently advanced to receive their 
final shift, which should be into Sin. pots. 
The compost must be carefully prepared, and 
be neither too wet or too dry when used. 
Good fibrous loam, leaf-soil, which has rotted 
naturally, a little dried sheep manure, and old 
brick rubble, finely broken up, form an excel¬ 
lent rooting medium for these. Brick rubble 
is also of much value as drainage for the 
pots, as the roots quickly take possession of 
it. The pots should he phinged to their 
rims in ashes near to the glass in cold 
frames. They must he carefully watered for 
some weeks after potting, and spray^ with 
rain-water several times daily during hot 
weather. Shade from bright sun, and ven¬ 
tilate the frames carefully, especially when 
cold winds prevail. Later on, when the 
plants are well established, the lights may 
be entirely removed in the evening, when 
the weather is warm.—E. Harriss, Lockinge 
Park Gardens. 
HARDY FRUITS. 
MORELLO CHERRIES.—The manage¬ 
ment of trees when trained fanshape is very 
similar to that pursued with the peach and 
nectarine, and to procure regular crops of 
large fruits, every attention must be given 
at the right time. At present the branches 
are a mass of strong bloom, which promises 
well, should the weather prove favourable 
for a heavy crop when sufficiently advanced. 
Disbudding of the superfluous shoots, and 
selecting next year’s fruiting wood, must be 
sedulously carried out, and all main leaders 
will need to be neatly secured to the walls 
or wires before they are injured by winds. 
Endeavour, as far as possible, to keep the 
walls clothed with, healthy, fruitful wood, 
nothing being more unsightly and unprofit¬ 
able than long, bare branches with only a 
few fruiting shoots a/t the top. To replace 
these there should always be ample new wood 
springing up from the base, forming, as it 
were, a continual succession of healthy 
branches. Kee^p the foliage and tips of the 
young shoo'ts free from black aphis and other 
in^ct pests, so that the growth may not be 
TREES that were late planted 
should be watched carefully, and watered 
if needed, nothing being more harmful 
to late-planted trees than dryness at a 
time when new growth is being made. Keep 
a watchful eye on the new growths, and train 
them as desired to form welLbaJanced heads. 
Orchard trees must not be overlooked, and, 
if necessary, mulch early to encourage free 
growth, and the same remarks apply to trees 
that were lifted and root-pruned late in 
spring. Examine the soil about the base of 
the stems, and, if parted from the tree, 
slightly lighten the surface, and then tread 
the soil firmly. Keep all ti^ in good order 
to protect the bark from injury, and see 
that all the trees are correctly labelled. 
GRAFTS.—Examine carefully those grafts 
which have taken and are growing away 
freely, and. if the binding material is found 
to be too tight, remove it, and, if n^essary, 
rebind with damp raffia. Damp at intervals 
the clay on late-grafted stocks, and fill up 
any cracks whijen hjave occurred. Make 
secure against storms the grafts that have 
taken, and where the binding material has 
been removed, or they may be blown off. 
Horizontally-trained pear trees, on which 
the grafts have failed to take, should have 
fresh young wood laid in, and at the proper 
time be budded. This I have practised with 
good results. Spray the leaves of pears and 
apples, if attacked by leaf fungus (Ento- 
mosporium maculatum) with Bordeaux mix¬ 
ture, or some other approved, safe, and re¬ 
liable mixture recommended for that pur¬ 
pose.—^H. Markham, Wrotham Park, Barnet. 
ANSWERS TO 
CORRESPONDENTS. 
GREEN-HEARTED EANUNfTiT rc 
G. B., Dublin : Please let 
your columns why the ranunculuses 
have green hearts.—All highly-bredlH 
flowers have a tendency to revert to theZ 
cestral type, and, remembering that petalS 
flowers are but specially-formed and 
leaves, it is easy to see that the green3 
in the centre of the ranunculus bloo£Z 
evidence of this power of reversion, h 2 
case a very rich soil, and especially ftM 
able conditions, followed by some check, mk 
as changing temperature, may have ca«i 
the flower to take the easier course, andfu. 
duce green, instead of coloured petals * 
centre. 
INJURED VINE LEAVES.-J. B., Jm 
ton: Kindly refer to an answer concen 
vine leaves, that appears in this columi. 
GOOSEBERRY MILDEW.—\V. A.: I 
close some gooseberry shoots that aie bi 
infested with green aphis, but have iIl _ 
white fungoid growth on them. Is t^li|v 
American Gooseberry Mildew ?—^Yes, 
gus on the shoots is American ^ 
Mildew, a disease that must be a 
fled to the County Council (offio 
Road, Kingston), who will send i 
and instruct you how to proceed, 
YELLOW VINE LEAVES.-E., 8# 
Wales: I enclose some vitae leaves thi» 
sh)cwing signs of turning yellow. The dip 
from which they came havte been pkiltf 
about ten years, in an outside border ^ 
is entirely above the ground level, 
concrete base. The vines show pie 
fruit, and I am now thinning the bi 
It is chiefly at the top of the vines, 
one end of the bouise, that the leaves 
yellowish. I shall ^ ^ 
gest the cause and remedy.—The 
rather thin in texture, and suggest tiwtti 
o close durui 
flsequently the 1 
have suffered during the rwent 1 
weather, being unable to stand the 1 
sunshine. The top of the house would 
ally be the hottest, and so the upper 
would suffer most in the event o? ^ 
ventilation. iPrChably the • 
vinery in relation to ^her 
has aonw-thing to do with the tr^k. » 
instance, i’f the su,n does not dir^iT ^ 
the house until it has risen 
sudden brilliance and heat are lik^y ^ 
very troublesome unless one is p 
alert. In the light oi 
think if you make a careful 
house and surroundings, you 
where the difficulty lios. We 
to be careful not to w tht^ 
pecially those that are weakened oy 
lowing of the leaves. r tt Cfc** 
CUBE FOR WIREWORM^J- 
terfield: I shall be very 
assist me m what is proving 
difficulty. Two years ago I 
this garden, the ^i^und nee**.** 
rough grass field. The gr j ^ 
vegetables was tre^hed, 
buried, and plenty °5J“^rt\irewonii*. 
the eoU badly .S^out and W 
aU that were seen were pM>k^®“^ ^ Brw 
The ground was 
sprouts, cauliflowers, an , ^ 
tL crops were „Cnd 
planted. Last winter *^^j,essing 
well dug, and given » ^^^“and 
afterwards soot was ^ 
Notwithstanding all p^»«-SI 
seem as numerous as ever. 
in pots, and or eight^ 
away, and I have ^ j^^h 
worms at the 
Cabbages are ^rved the year »JS 
peas are not 1**™^ complet*'? 
bed of onions was also ^f^yer a”** 
by the pest, "jy.® any !>«'? 
will be very grateful f 
afford ns in “f^etle! a 
the larva of the The 
beetle about half an inch ion. 
