May  27,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
4G5 
taking,  in  fact  it  would  be  too  large  for  moat  “  youngsters,”  that  is  why 
I  have  said  a  “  few  ”  stove  climbers. 
I  think  Stephanotis  floribunda  should  have  the  preference,  for  what 
can  compare  with  the  pure  wax-like  flowers  and  sweet  perfume  of  this 
valuable  plant  1  The  compost  we  use  for  growing  it  consists  of  two 
parts  fibrous  loam,  one  part  peat,  half  part  leaf  soil,  with  a  sprinkling  of 
silver  sand  and  charcoal  added.  When  the  plants  are  fairly  established 
in  this  compost  we  feed  continually  to  encourage  sturdy  growth,  which 
flowers  freely  ;  the  plants  then  only  require  keeping  free  from  mealy 
bug  and  other  insect  pests  to  be  fully  appreciated.  For  syringing  we 
use  petroleum  to  the  extent  of  one  wineglass  (about  1|  oz.)  to  a  gallon 
of  water,  keeping  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  syringe  whilst  using.  By 
two  or  three  syringings  weekly  not  an  insect  is  seen,  while  the  plant  is 
in  no  way  injured.  The  growths  as  they  extend  must  be  tied  down  at 
least  once  a  week,  or  the  plant  will  become  a  perfect  thicket,  the  growth 
is  so  rapid.  This  constant  tying  down  facilitates  pruning  later  in  the 
season,  as  by  keeping  the  growths  free,  and  preventing  entangling  all 
the  wood  that  is  not  required  after  flowering  can  be  easily  cut  out, 
leaving  just  enough  under  the  direct  action  of  light  to  furnish  the  plant 
for  another  season. 
Next  to  the  Stephanotis  comes  Gloriosa  superba,  or  at  least  it  does 
in  my  estimation.  The  compost  we  use  for  this  is  as  follows : — Three 
parts  peat,  one  part  good  fibrous  lcam,  half  part  dried  cow  manure,  and 
half  part  coarse  silver  sand.  We  find  that  the  end  of  April  is  soon 
enough  to  start  the  tubers,  which  is  done  by  placing  the  pots  in  the 
propagating  case  until  the  growths  are  about  1  foot  long.  The  plants 
are  then  removed  to  the  stove,  summer  training  the  growths  as 
they  extend  along  the  roof.  Red  spider  and  thrips  are  the  chief  enemies 
to  guard  against.  It  will  not  be  a  very  difficult  matter  to  keep  down  these 
if  the  syringe  is  kept  going  pretty  freely.  When  the  leaves  change  in 
the  autumn  water  is  withheld  until  another  season. 
Third  on  the  list  comes  Allamanda.  The  compost  for  this  consists 
chiefly  of  rich  loam  with  a  little  dried  cow  manure  passed  through  a 
ccarse  riddle.  If  the  loam  is  not  fibrous  a  small  portion  (about  a  fourth 
part)  of  peat  may  be  added.  A  great  mistake  is  made  by  some  growers 
who  are  anxious  to  make  fine  specimens  by  tying  down  the  growths  too 
soon.  By  allowing  them  to  remain  as  they  grow,  as  they  are  kept  just 
clear  of  the  glass,  they  show  flower  buds  much  sooner  than  when  tied 
down  tightly,  the  tying  down  seeming  to  encourage  growth  rather  than 
flowers.  When  the  plant  has  commenced  flowering  in  earnest  a  top- 
dreising  of  some  good  artificial  manure  is  very  beneficial. 
To  keep  the  flowers  fresh  in  a  cut.  Btate  they  should  have  about  a 
tablespoonful  of  water  placed  inside  them,  and  be  also  stood  in  water. 
In  this  way  they  may  be  kept  for  several  days.  Of  course  this  is  not 
necessary  where  a  good  plant  flowers  so  freely  that  quantities  may  be 
cut  every  day.  As  November  advances  dry  off  for  about  ten  weeks, 
which  is  quite  sufficient  rest.  Prune  rather  hard,  and  start  again  about 
the  middle  of  January. 
Dipladenias  next  demand  mention.  There  are  some  real  gems  in 
this  class,  notably  those  mentioned  by  Mr.  Lock  in  the  Journal  of 
April  22nd,  and  young  gardeners  cannot  do  better  than  follow  his 
cultural  directions.  The  only  exception  I  take  to  Mr.  L.’s  modus 
operandi  is  that  he  spends  unnecessary  time  in  sponging.  I  think  if  he 
adopted  the  practice  described  in  the  case  of  tbe  Stephanotis  he  would 
save  much  |ime,  and  find  the  result  equally  satisfactory. 
Although  we  cannot,  strictly  speaking,  class  Asparagus  plumosus  as 
a  climber,  yet  it  comes  in  very  useful  for  covering  pillars  of  any  height 
up  to  10  feet,  so  I  will  give  a  few”  hints  as  to  how  we  grow  it.  If  a 
new  stock  is  required  and  an  old  plant  is  not  obtainable,  plants 
can  be  raised  from  seeds,  but  these  being  extremely  hard  it  is  well  to 
soak  them  for  a  day  or  two  before  sowing,  as  by  doing  so  they  germi¬ 
nate  tbe  more  freely.  Sow  the  seeds  in  pots  in  a  compcst  of  peat, 
leaf  soil,  and  sand  in  equal  parts,  placing  them  in  a  temperature  of 
80°  or  85°. 
If  an  old  plant  is  obtainable  a  better  start  can  be  made  by  division, 
cutting  the  plant  up  with  a  sharp  knife,  being 'Bure  to  have  roots  to  each 
portion,  which  place  in  pots  of  suitable  size,  putting  them  in  the  propa¬ 
gating  case  until  growth  starts  freely.  A  suitable  compost  is  formed  by 
three  parts  of  good  peat,  one  part  of  old  Mushroom  bed  refuse,  and  one 
part  of  sand.  The  plants  require  syringing  occasionally  to  keep  down 
scale,  which  is  the  most  troublesome  enemy,  and  is  rather  a  difficult  one 
to  get  rid  of  without  damaging  the  fine  leaves,  when  once  it  is  there. 
Many  more  very  valuable  stove  climbers  could  be  mentioned,  but  these 
are  a  few  of  the  favourites  of— Gaboon, 
» 
Ranunculus  gbandifolius.—  Of  the  many  species  of  Ranunculus, 
this,  from  the  Canary  Islands,  is  one  of  the  most  handsome.  Although 
not  perfectly  hardy,  it  can  be  grown  outside  during  the  summer, 
wintered  in  a  cold  frame,  and  flowered  in  a  ccol  bouse  in  April  and  May. 
Possibly  if  tried  in  the  south-west  counties  of  England  or  Ireland,  it 
would  be  found  to  stand  uninjured  OHteide  through  tbe  winter.  The 
leaves  are  of  immense  size,  the  rad:cal  ones  often  being  more  than  1  foot 
across.  They  are  almost  reniform  in  shape,  with  deeply  lobed  and 
serrated  margins,  both  surfaces  being  covered  with  fine  soft  hairs.  The 
largest  of  the  stem  leaves  are  about  9  inches  across,  and  like  the  others 
in  shape.  The  flowers  are  produced  on  branching  stems  2£  to  3  feet  in 
height,  fifty  to  seventy  flowers  being  produced  on  one  stem.  The  inti- 
vidual  blossoms  aie  2  inches  across,  and  similar  to  our  wild  Buttercup 
in  cblour.  At  Kew  several  plants  may  be  seen  in  flower  in  pots  in  the 
greenhouse; ahd  otters  established  in  a  border  iti  the  Winter  Garden, — K. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cherry  House.— There  is  nothing  in  the  fruit  way  so  charming  at 
this  time  of  year  as  a  house  of  Cherries,  whether  the  trees  are  planted 
out  and  trained  to  trellises,  or  grown  in  pots  as  standards.  No  greater 
mistake  is  made  than  having  a  number  of  varieties  for  affording  a  general 
supply,  and  a  long  succession  of  fruit  can  be  had  by  forcing  such  as 
Early  Rivers,  Governor  Wood,  and  Black  Tartarian.  When  the  whole 
of  the  crop  is  ripe  the  chief  consideration  will  be  to  keep  the  fruit 
fresh,  and  prolong  the  eeason  as  long  as  possible.  Shading  will  do  so, 
but  it  is  only  advisable  when  the  Cherries  are  direcily  exposed  to  the 
sun,  owing  to  the  limited  foliage.  Free  ventilation  must  be  attended 
to,  and  in  hot  weather  a  sprinkling  of  water  on  the  surface  of  the  border, 
as  well  as  the  paths,  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  day,  will  assist  in  keeping 
the  fruit  plump.  The  supply  of  water  must  not  be  neglected,  for 
dryness  at  the  roots  is  inimical  to  the  formation  of  the  buds  for  the 
ensuing  crop  of  fruit  and  health  of  the  trees. 
Cucumbers.— In  these  dajs  of  express  culture,  and  their  frequent 
breakdowns,  it  may  appear  retrograde  to  advise  the  renovation  of  plants 
that  have  been  in  bearing  since  the  beginning  of  the  year.  If  the  old 
plants  have  not  been  cropped  within  an  inch  of  their  lives  (which  is 
always  the  rate  of  progress  under  the  go-as-fast-as-possible  break-neck 
system)  and  are  fairly  healthy,  tbey  may  be  kept  in  satisfactory 
bearing  a  time  longer  by  removing  some  of  the  soil  with  a  fork,  and 
supplying  in  its  place  lumpy  loam,  afterwards  suifacing  with  decayed 
manure,  and,  after  sprinkling  ou  it  half  a  pound  per  square  yard  of  a 
mixture  of  air-slaked  best  chalk  lime  and  dry  soot  in  equal  parts  by 
measure,  giving  a  good  soakiDg  of  tepid  water.  This  will  afford  such 
amounts  of  the  essential  elements  and  minor  constituents  of  Cucumbers, 
to  which  the  plants  are  little  accustomed  in  these  go-a-head  times, 
that  they  will  recover  from  the  lethargy  of  overbearing,  and  make 
growths  bearing  fruit  abundantly.  Then  it  is  only  a  question  of  feeding 
—the  supplying  of  phosphoric  and  potassic  elements,  with  nitrogenic,  to 
insure  their  utiliiation. 
If  the  plants  are  on  their  last  legs,  devoared  by  red  spider,  cankered 
in  the  stem,  and  altogether  “  out  of  sorts,”  then  by  all  means  clear  them 
out  of  the  way,  cleanse  the  house,  take  out  the  old  soil,  place  in  fresh 
and  sound,  and  plant  as  soon  as  possible  with  young  healthy  plants  just 
coming  into  bearing  in  order  to  save  time. 
In  the  matter  of  plants  of  this  year’s  raisiDg  it  will  be  necessary  to 
thin  out  the  old  growths  and  encourage  young  in  their  place.  Shade 
from  powerful  sun,  syringe  both  ways  in  the  morning  and  early  after¬ 
noon,  damping  well  down  before  nightfall.  Admit  a  little  air  at  75°, 
increasing  with  the  advancing  bud,  keeping  at  85°  to  90°  through  the 
day  with  sun,  and  close  early  so  as  to  secure  a  temperature  of  90°,  95°, 
or  even  100°  well  on  in  the  afternoon.  Fire  heat  need  only  be  employed 
to  prevent  the  night  temperature  falling  below  60°  to  65°,  and  to  insure 
70°  to  75°  by  day. 
Pits  and  Frames. — Cucumbers  in  these  should  be  ventilated  from 
7.30  to  8  A.M.,  just  a  httle  to  allow  the  pent-up  moisture  to  escape  and 
the  atmosphere  to  warm  gradually  with  the  advancing  sun.  In  the 
hottest  part  of  the  day  a  slight  shade  from  fierce  sun  will  be  beneficial, 
and  keeping  through  the  day  at  85°  to  90°,  close  so  as  to  increase  5°  to 
10°  with  sun  heat.  Keep  the  plants  watered  as  required,  about  twice  a 
week  will  be  necessary  in  bright  weather,  and  damp  overhead  on  fine 
afternoons.  Avoid  overcrowding  the  foliage,  thinning  well,  keeping  up 
a  succession  of  bearing  wood,  removing  bad  leaves,  stopping  one  or  two 
joints  beyond  the  show  of  fruit,  and  avcid  overcropping.  If  straight 
fruits  are  wanted  place  them  in  glasses  or  pieces  of  quarter-inch  deal, 
nailed  together  so  as  to  form  open-ended  troughs  about  3  inches  wide, 
which  must  be  slightly  inclined  so  as  not  to  hold  water. 
Pigs. — Early  Forced  Planted- out  Trees. — The  fruits  on  these  are 
now  ripening,  and  must  be  kept  from  wet,  as  this  not  only  causes  them 
to  crack,  but  ruiDS  tbe  quality,  and  often  induces  their  spotting  at  the 
apex,  a  salmon  coloured  spot  forming  in  consequence  of  attack  by  the 
spot  fungus,  G'ofiosporium  Imticolor.  The  best  preventive  of  this  is  a 
little  air  constantly  so  that  moisture  does  not  condense  on  the  fruit 
during  the  night,  and  the  ventilation  being  increased  early  in  the  day 
there  will  not  be  any  accumulated  moisture  such  as  is  essential  for  the 
germination  of  the  fungus  spores.  A  temperature  of  60°  to  65°  at  night, 
and  70°  to  75°  by  day,  artificially,  will  be  sufficient,  advancing  to  85° 
or  90°  from  sun  heat.  Afford  moderate  air  moisture  by  damping  the 
paths  and  borders  when  they  become  dry,  and  supply  water  to  the  roots 
so  as  to  keep  the  foliage  in  health. 
Melons. — Plants  ripening  their  fruit  should  have  water  withheld 
from  it,  and  only  sufficient  given  at  the  roots  to  keep  the  foliage  fresh. 
A  little  air  constantly,  gentle  warmth  in  the  hot- water  pipes,  and  rather 
free  ventilation,  increased  from  the  early  part  of  the  day,  is  the  best 
safeguard  against  the  fruit  cracking.  If  there  be  any  danger  of  this  cut 
the  Vine  about  half-way  through  a  short  distance  below  the  fruit,  but  the 
chief  tbiDg  is  to  keep  the  atmosphere  airing,  and  thus  cause  evaporation 
