146 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  15,  1900. 
Hushed  with  purple.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  rich  rose  (first-class 
certificate). 
Odontoglossum  crispuvi  Mundyanum  (N.  C.  Cookson). — This  is  a 
superb  variety ;  the  flower  is  round  and  the  organs  of  great  breadth 
and  substance.  The  colour  is  white  with  immense  chocolate  brown, 
there  being  also  blotches  of  similar  colour.  The  lip  is  fringed  wit^ 
red  brown  markings^first-class  certificate). 
Bhuharh  Daw's  Champion  (W.  Poupart). — This  is  a  variety  that 
must  become  immensely  popular  for  forcing  and  general  purposes 
(award  of  merit). 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Khubarb. 
Few  vegetables  force  more  readily  than  Rhubarb,  provided  strong, 
well  ripened  crowns  are  obtained  at  the  outset.  For  the  earliest  supply 
a  few  roots  should  be  lifted  and  placed  in  a  Mushroom  house,  warm 
pit,  or  even  a  cellar,  while  a  succession  may  be  maintained  by  forcing 
on  the  plantation  in  the  old  fashioned  way  with  tubs  packed  round 
with  fermenting  material,  composed  of  long  stable  litter  and  leaves. 
Where  the  roots  are  w'ell  established  large  quantities  of  stalks  will  be 
produced,  but  as  soon  as  the  crowns  show  signs  of  weakness  the  tubs 
and  forcing  material  must  be  removed,  and  the  ground  made  neat  and 
tidy  by  forking  between  the  rows. 
As  has  been  said,  the  forcing  of  Rhubarb  is  very  simple  where  good 
crowns  are  at  command,  and  to  produce  these  is  an  all-important 
operation.  The  position  of  the  Rhubarb  plantation  is  frequently 
in  an  out  of  the  way  situation,  shaded  by  trees.  Such  a  position 
is  altogether  unsuitable,  as  this  plant  revels  in  highly  cultivated  and 
properly  enriched  soil  ;  farmyard  manure  dug  in  during  the  autumn  is 
most  advantageous.  The  planting  should  be  left  until  the  early  part  of 
March,  then  stations  ought  to  be  made  2  feet  apart  and  sufficiently 
deep  to  avoid  crippling  the  roots  in  planting  ;  a  space  of  3  feet  between 
the  rows  must  be  allowed.  The  soil  should  be  well  worked  round  the 
roots,  the  crowns  being  just  buried ;  the  surface  may  then  be  afforded 
a  mulch  of  short  stable  manure,  which  can  be  forked  in  at  a  later  date. 
The  stalks  must  not  be  pulled  the  first  season,  as  this  weakens  the 
plants. 
Propagation  can  be  carried  out  either  by  division  of  the  roots  or  by 
procuring  seeds,  and  the  former,  I  think,  to  be  decidedly  preferable  to 
the  tedious  operation  of  raising  roots  from  seeds  to  form  plantations. 
The  varieties  usually  grown  in  gardens  are  Royal  Albert,  an  early 
one,  also  Paragon,  both  of  these  are  superb  colour,  and  Victoria,  an 
excellent  robust  growing  Rhubarb,  is  a  great  favourite  for  general 
purposes. — F.  W.  G. 
Early  Strawberries. 
To  obtain  good  runners  for  forcing,  young  stock  should  be  planted 
at  the  latter  end  of  August  or  the  beginning  of  September.  A  good 
plan  to  adopt  for  this  is  to  have  the  rows  alternately  2  feet  and  18  inches 
apart,  and  the  plants  in  the  rows  12  inches  asunder,  thus  giving 
plenty  of  room  when  layering  takes  place,  to  stand  the  pots  between 
the  rows  that  are  2  feet  apart,  while  the  others  will  answer  for 
watering.  During  the  growing  season  keep  the  border  free  from  weeds 
by  hoeing  between  the  rows  occasionally,  and  if  the  weather  become 
very  dry  an  occasional  watering  will  considerably  benefit  the  plants. 
Remove  the  flower  stems  as  they  appear,  and  any  plant  that  is  not 
showing  bud  should  be  plainly  marked,  and  if  on  a  second  inspection 
it  still  fails  to  flower  it  should  be  thrown  away. 
About  the  first  week  in  July  layering  must  commence,  and  prior  to 
this  all  preparations  should  have  been  made,  such  as  getting  the  com¬ 
post  ready  and  the  pots  cleaned.  The  soil  may  consist  of  loam,  Mush¬ 
room  bed  refuse,  and  a  little  lime.  Some  growers  prefer  layering 
in  the  fruiting  pots,  but  as  there  is  a  danger  of  the  soil  destitute  of 
roots  becoming  sour,  I  think  the  small  size  is  better.  The  pots 
must  stand  level  to  facilitate  watering  when  required,  and  the  runners 
should  be  secured  to  the  soil  in  the  pots,  either  by  pegging  or  a  small 
stone,  to  keep  them  in  place  until  roots  have  formed.  When  the  layers 
are  rooting  through  the  bottoms  of  the  pots,  they  should  be  detached 
from  the  old  plants  and  stood  in  a  rather  shady  place. 
When  this  stage  is  reached  preparations  must  be  made  for  putting 
the  plants  in  their  fruiting  pots.  They  can  be  potted  in  two  sizes, 
6  inch  for  the  earliest  ones  and  6  inch  for  the  later  varieties.  Have 
the  receptacles  thoroughly  cleansed  and  well  drained,  and  a  little 
soot  placed  on  top  of  the  crocks  to  prevent  worms  from  getting  into  the 
soil.  The  compost  must  be  prepared,  and  if  the  loam  is  in  any  way 
dry  it  should  be  thorCughly  watered  a  few  weeks  before  potting  com¬ 
mences.  The  mixture  may  consist  of  loam  cut  or  broken  into  pieces; 
Mushroom  bed  refuse,  a  little  lime,  some  suitable  fertiliser,  and  a  dash 
of  bonemeal  can  be  added.  Judgment  should  be  exercised  as  to  the 
quantity  of  Mushroom  bed  refuse,  as  the  loam  varies  so  much  in 
texture  that  exact  proportions  cannot  be  given. 
Let  the  potting  be  firm,  using  a  ranimer  to  attain  this  end,  and 
have  the  base  of  the  crowns  just  level  with  the  soil  when  finished. 
The  pots  should  be.filled  to  within  half  ah  inch  of  the  rims,  as  this  will 
leave  room  for  watering.  After  potting  the  plants  should  be  stood  in 
a  rather  shady  position  for  a  few  days,  to  give  them  a  better  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  make  fresh  roots  than  would  be  the  case  if  they  were  in  the 
full  sun  ;  also  give  each  one  a  thorough  watering.  A  good  place  to 
stand  the  pots  while  the  plants  are  growing  is  on  walks  where  they  can 
get  the  full  benefit  of  the  sun.  Watering  must  be  carefully  done,  only 
giving  to  those  that  require  it,  and  it  will  benefit  the  plants  if  they  are 
syringed  in  the  evenings  after  hot  days.  Remove  all  weeds  and  runners 
as  they  appear. 
The  plants  that  are  potted  for  the  earliest  forcing  should  have 
one  crown,  while  the  later  ones  may  have  two ;  all  surplus  crowns 
ought  to  be  removed  in  the  early  stages.  As  the  winter  begins  to 
appear  preparations  should  be  made  for  protecting  the  plants  against 
the  heavy  rains,  snow,  and  frost.  The  best  plan  to  adopt,  if  the  room 
can  be  spared,  is  to  stand  them  closely  together  in  frames,  where  the 
lights  can  be  taken  off  or  put  on  at  discretion.  Where  there  is  not 
sufficient  space  for  this  the  pots  should  be  stacked  one  on  the  other  on 
their  sides,  and  ashes  placed  between  them.  Do  not  let  the  plants 
become  thoroughly  dry,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  very  wet. — P.  R. 
(To  be  continued.) 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Planting  Fruit  Trees. — When  the  autumn  planting  of  fruit  trees  is 
impracticaWe,  or  having  been  commenced  could  not  be  completed,  the 
work  may  be  carried  out  now.  The  chief  essentials  are  a  comparatively 
dry  condition  of  the  ground,  and  the  soil  previously  well  prepared  and 
in  the  condition  which  insures  its  working  properly.  The  majority  of 
fruit  trees  are  still  inactive,  but  in  a  very  short  time  buds  will  be 
bui-sting  and  the  roots  will  be  originating  new  fibres.  It  is  therefore 
advisable  to  plant  as  soon  as  possible,  especially  in  the  case  of  trees 
which  have  to  be  purchased. 
When  trees  are  received  for  planting  it  is  a  most  important  matter 
to  lay  the  roots  in  the  ground  without  delay,  as  exposure  of  the  fibres 
is  very  injurious,  and  renders  a  fresh  start  somewhat  difficult.  Should 
the  roots  be  very  dry  it  will  be  advantageous  to  plunge  the  trees  in 
water  if  the  weather  is  mild,  leaving  them  for  a  day  or  two,  then  lay 
the  roots  in  soil  to  await  planting.  When  the  trees  arrive  in  frosty 
weather  it  is  best  not  to  unpack  them,  but  lay  them  in  a  cellar  where 
frost  does  not  reach  until  the  weather  breaks. 
Forms  of  Fruit  Trees. — The  forms  of  trees  best  adapted  for  the 
position  must  be  chosen.  Standard  trees  are  only  suitable  for  large 
plots.  Pyramids  and  bushes  are  adapted  for  more  restricted  spaces. 
Fan-trained,  horizontally  trained,  and  cordons  are  specially  suitable  for 
wall  culture. 
Distances  for  Planting  Fruit  Trees. — The  form  of  tree  and  the  stock 
upon  which  it  is  worked  regulate  the  distance  of  planting.  Standard 
trees  of  Apples  and  Pears  for  large  plots  may  be  planted  30  feet  apart. 
The  former  are  on  the  Crab  stock,  and  the  latter  on  the  Pear  stock. 
Pyramid  and  bush  Apples  on  the  Crab  stock,  and  Pears  on  the  Pear 
stock,  make  large  and  vigorous  trees,  hence  must  be  planted  12  feet 
apart.  The  same  forms  of  trees  with  Apples  on  the  Paradise  stock 
and  Pears  on  the  Quince  stock  only  require  6  feet  space  between. 
They  may  be  closer  together  than  this  if  lifted  and  root-pruned. 
Horizontally  trained  wall  trees  may  be  15  feet  asunder ;  fan  trained  trees 
the  same  distance.  Upright  or  oblique  cordons  of  Apples  and  Pears 
should  be  2  feet  apart.  Single  cordon  Gooseberries  and  Currants  may 
be  a  foot  apart. 
Preparing  the  Holes  for  Planting. — The  proper  position  for  planting 
having  been  fixed,  excavate  the  soil  and  form  a  shallow  wide  space 
for  the  reception  of  the  roots,  as  it  is  important  that  they  be  spread 
out  to  their  full  extent.  The  centre  of  the  hole  may  be  raised  rather 
higher,  making  a  slightly  convex  mound. 
Pruning  the  Boots. — Before  the  trees  are  planted  finally  the  whole 
of  the  roots  must  be  examined,  and  those  which  have  been  torn  or 
injured  in  the  process  of  lifting  must  be  pruned  to  healthy  portions, 
making  slanting  cuts  from  underneath  upwards  with  a  sharp  knife. 
Planting. — Some  fine  soil  ought  to  be  at  hand  for  spreading  over  the 
roots.  It  may  consist  of  good  loam  mixed  with  dry  wood  ashes  or 
burnt  refuse.  Place  the  tree  in  position  and  spread  out  the  lower 
layer  of  roots,  and  secure  them  in  their  proper  direction  by  sprinkling 
soil  over  them  from  the  stem  outwards.  The  next  layer  of  roots  may 
be  treated  the  same  uptir  all  are  securely  fixed,  the  upper  layer  being 
covered  3  or  4  inches. 
■Staking  and  Mulching.— The  stand^^-d  trees. ought  to  have  p,takes 
placed  to  them  as  soon  as  planted,  and  be  secured  with  some  soft 
ligatures  which  do  not  ipjure  the  bark.  packing  or  strong  cloth 
wrapped  round  the  stem  i§  the  best,,  and  the  whole  made  properly  fast 
with  pliable  copper  wire.  Mulch  the  soil  over  the  roots  with  littery 
