April 1 1908 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
irene 
Foroina Linac PLants with Warm 
Warer.—A new method of getting lilac 
plants into bloom in quick time is given 
in ‘Die Gartenwelt’ of Dec 14, 1907, 
which when hetter understood will take 
the place of etherisation. An example of 
the variety, Marie Legraye, that at the 
beginning of November was immersed in 
water for ten hours at a temperature of 
95 degrees Fahrenheit, flowered in three 
weexs. Plants that were immersed for 
the same length of time in water at a 
temperature of 113 Fahrenheit showed, 
when taken out. a browning of the bud 
envelopes, developed slower at the first 
than the first-nuamtd plants, but came on 
rapicly when the pots were stood in a 
temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit, 
whilst a water warmth of 77 degrees 
Fahrenheit exerted no influenee what- 
ever on another plant subjected to it, as 
regarded its abillty to force. It appears 
that for forcing purposes the most suit- 
able temperature of the water lies between 
95 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and that 
there is no necessity to keep to any 
special degree of warmth within this 
range. therisation of Marie Legraye 
did not prove so quick in action on the 
plants as the warm water method, but it 
had a great advantage over plants not 
specially prepared. The warm water 
exerted even greater influence on early 
blooming in the case of the variety 
Charles X. 
PropacatTine Crortons. --- Everybody 
understands the necessity of bottom heat 
in the rooting of hard-wooded plants 
such as crotons, but beginners may not 
be equally aware that in like degree heat 
is required to aid these plants in their 
endeavour to establish themselves in the 
soil in which they have been potted, when 
sufficiently rooted for that operation, 
Very often a yreat many cuttings that 
have been successfully rooted s..ccumb 
very soon after being potted, when they 
are placed ona light, airy bench where 
neither sufficient moisture nor bottom 
heat was available for the stimulation of 
increased root action and the retention 
of foliage. All tender plants on being 
potted out of the cutting bench are more 
likely to thrive without check if they are, 
when potted, placed over a gentle bsttom 
heat and sufficient shade afforded them 
until they aro fairly well established. An 
ideal method of procedure is to put them 
in an enclosed glass case, or frame. until 
they are in such a Conditicn that they 
will proceed to grow without fear of 
injury. When crotons are needed for 
outdoor bedding, the stock from which 
cuttings have been taken can be utilised 
‘for filling in, if there is a likelihood of 
searcity of plants for that purpose. 
Mossing the tops of crotous is a satisfac 
tory method of obtaining well-furnished 
specimen plants without having to wait 
for like results from rooted cuttings. 
There should be no undue haste in sever- 
ing the tups. 
CakE OF SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS.— When 
seeds germinate readily and uniformly it 
is to be regarded a testimonial to the seed 
firm's rectitude rather than to the skill of 
the grower. All good seeds, if conditions 
of moisture and temperature are right, 
will sprout anywhere, however placed. 
But when these sprouts are destined to 
‘develop into good plants more is required 
for the attainment of success with seeds. 
lf the firming of soil in the potting of 
plants is considered essential for the pro- 
motion of a vigorous normal growth, it is 
a point of still greater importance in the 
starting of seeds. After the boxes are 
filled with the soil and this is levelled so 
as to form an even, smooth surface, sow 
the seed, care being had to scatter it 
evenly and not too thickly, and then with 
a piece of smooth wood, heavy and ex- 
pressly made for the purpose, press all 
down quite firmly, so that after this is 
done the surface is again perfectly even 
and smooth but over half an inch lower 
than before. Now the box is watered 
and if this is done with any sort of care 
not a grain of even the smallest kind of 
seeds will be displaced, pressed into the 
soil as it is by the stream issuing from 
the rose of a properly made watering can. 
This is a way of doing that for a quarter 
of a century has never missed success in 
the raising of seedlings from good seeds, 
All the many failures with seeds are 
owing more to faultiness in doing things 
‘right at the outset than to bad seeds, 
wrong kind of soil or after treatment. 
lection of orchids, the beginner will do 
well to start with the varieties that find 
thier natiue habitat in Queensland. The 
purple varieties from North Queensland 
are fairly common in Brisbane, yet how 
few people make them do well. I saw 
some quite recently on a friend’s verandah 
post—-upside down, ticd loosely, and in 
such a position that they never got any 
moisture from dew orrain Little wonder 
that they did not succeed with him. The 
two purple varieties referred to are Den- 
drobium bigibbum and Dendrobium pha 
Isnopsis. ‘They are obtainable at Cook- 
town and other far northern ports very 
cheaply. and if given an easterly aspect, 
with shelter from our westerly winds, 
they do remarkably well. They can be 
grown on frangipanni or other trees, but 
do equally well on hardwood blocks, pro- 
vided a little peat or moss is attached 
firmly to them with copper wire. In 
fixing on the plants see that they are 
firmly tied, otherwise the young roots 
may be injured should the plants sway 
about. During the warm weather, when 
the plants are growing, they should be 
watered daily, After they have bloomed 
(which is in the autumn) water should be 
gradually withheld, and during the winter, 
which is their resting seoson, very little 
water should be given—just sufficient, in 
fact, to prevent shrivelling Another 
lovely purple orchid from the far north 
is Dendrobium superbiens, but this is 
not so plentiful nor so cheap as ihe other 
varieties. Dendrobium undulatum is fairly 
plentiful about the Cairns district, and 
does splendidly around Brisbane out- 
side. It has a robust habit, the stems or 
pseudo bulbs attaining a height of 8 or 
10 feet. The flowers, which vary a lot, 
are in color of various shades of a beauti- 
ful golden brown. and, as the name indi- 
cates, are very much twisted and crinkled, 
This variety throws a fine spray of flowers, 
bearing up to twenty on a flower spike, 
and is au excellent variety for ladies’ 
sprays. It should be given plenty of 
moisture and sunshine. If grown in a 
shidy bush-house, it does not flower 
freely. Dendrobium canaliculatum, so 
named on xccount of the canal-shaped 
leaf, has a pseudo bulb not unlike an 
onion. It is fairly plentiful in the Mackay 
district, where it grows on the ti-trees— 
particular on the sea-shore—exposed to 
the sun. It has a lovely flower, white 
with a prettily marked purple and orange 
lip, and has a very sweet perfume. This 
should be given a sunny position also. 
Dendrobium Kingianum is another fav- 
orite orchid with beginners. It is obtain- 
able on most of the mountains near 
Brisbane, but more particularly on the 
Main Range, It grows on moss-covered 
rocks, and during the spring months its 
beautiful pale-pink, dark-pink, and light- 
purple flowers are a sight worth behold- 
ing. It likes a shady position, and grows 
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