254 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  29,  18S8 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Campanula  pyramidalis. 
Those  who  have  not  grown  these  beautiful  old-fa9hioned  plants  in 
pots  for  conservatory  or  greenhouse  decoration,  would  do  well  to  give 
them  a  trial.  They  are  easily  managed,  and  have  a  most  telling  effect 
when  grouped  with  Celosias  or  Achimenes,  besides  forming  a  pleasant 
change  to  the  general  plants  used  for  the  above  purpose  during  the 
summer  months.  Seeds  may  be  sown  in  early  spring  on  a  border  or 
in  boxes,  an!  when  the  seedlings  are  large  enough  they  should  be 
placed  in  suitable  pots  and  grown  outdoors  all  the  summer.  In  August 
they  can  be  potted  into  their  flowering  pots,  giving  an  8  or  10-inch  pot, 
according  to  the  strength  of  plant.  As  a  compost,  good  strong  loam  with 
wood  ashes  is  suitable.  The  plants  must  be  wintered  in  a  cold  frame, 
and  be  kept  on  the  dry  side,  removing  the  lights  on  all  favourable 
occasions.  As  the  days  lengthen,  they  can  be  syringed  on  fine  days, 
and,  as  growth  commences,  be  assisted  with  weak  soot  water. 
Place  them  outdoors,  as  soon  as  weather  permits,  in  a  sunny  position, 
and  with  liberal  supplies  of  liquid  manure  there  should  be  no  difficulty 
in  inducing  each  plant  to  throw  up  several  spikes,  which  attain  a 
height  varying  from  4  to  8  feet,  and  will  require  a  stout  stake  for 
support  against  winds,  or  on  removal.  To  those  who  cannot  afford  the 
room  of  cold  frames,  a  simpler  plan  is  open  to  them — viz.,  to  lift  the 
plants  from  the  border  when  they  have  shown  the  flowering  spike, 
keep  shaded  and  rather  close,  give  frequent  syringing,  and  root  action 
will  soon  commence.  We  have  had  plants,  both  white  and  blue,  this 
season  grown  as  described,  which  commenced  blooming  early  in  July, 
and  have  been  one  mass  of  bloom  up  to  the  last  week  in  August ; 
needless  to  say,  they  were  the  admiration  of  all  those  who  saw  them. 
— Parvo. 
Disas. 
Among-  the  many  beautiful  plants  which  are  natives  of  South  Africa 
we  have  some  belonging  to  the  Orchid  family.  Disas  are,  perhaps,  the 
best  known  of  South  African  Orchids,  although  they  are  not  commonly 
cultivated  in  this  country.  One  reason  for  this  may  be  that  many 
gardeners  are  not  aware  of  their  producing  such  beautiful  flowers,  and 
another  may  be  that  their  treatment,  especially  as  regards  atmospheric 
conditions,  is  beyond  the  resources  or  convenience  of  some  establishments. 
Disas  are  distinguished  from  other  Orchids  by  the  diminutive  lip — the 
function  of  which  in  other  genera,  is  applicable  to  the  odd  sepal  in  the 
genus  I)isa.  Bolus,  in  his  treatise  on  Cape  Orchids,  gives  tho  number 
of  species  at  109,  forty-six  of  which  are  found  in  Cape  Colony,  and  sixty- 
three  nearer  the  equator.  A  few  species  are  valuable  for  garden  deco¬ 
ration. 
D.  grandiflora  is  not  only  the  best  of  the  genus,  but  perhaps  the  most 
brilliant  of  all  cool  house  Orchids.  It  grows  wild  by  the  margins  of 
rivulets  on  Table  Mountain.  The  name  1).  uniflora  is  considered  correct 
by  botanists,  but  as  that  name  is  quite  undescriptive  of  the  form  now  in 
cultivation  it  is  not  accepted  by  gardeners.  It  has  been  called  the  (ilory 
of  Table  Mountain  and  the  Flower  of  the  Gods,  and  these  names  fit, 
without  flattering,  the  rich  brilliance  of  the  flowers.  The  plants  multiply 
readily  from  seed  and  by  forming  young  tubers,  like  our  native  Bee 
Orchis  (Ophrys  apifera).  These  tubers  may  be  separated  after  flowering 
and  potted  singly  in  a  fairly  rough  compost  of  peat  and  sphagnum,  with 
a  sprinkling  of  broken  chips  of  sandstone.  It  should  not  be  pressed 
firmly  round  the  roots,  and  may  form  a  mound  on  the  surface,  the  point 
where  the  plant  emerges  from  the  soil  being  a  little  above  the  pot  rim. 
They  may  be  watered  once  just  after  potting,  sufficient  moisture  being 
afterwards  kept  in  the  soil  by  frequent  spraying  from  the  syringe. 
The  plants  like  a  cool,  moist  atmosphere,  and  plenty  of  light  and  fresh 
air.  They  should,  however,  be  shaded  from  full  sunshine,  and  draughts 
must  be  avoided.  To  insure  such  condition  a  staging  may  be  erected 
fairly  close  to  the  glass  in  the  coolest  house.  A  layer  of  sphagnum  or 
cocoa-nut  fibre  may  be  put  on  or  under  the  staging  to  preserve  the 
moisture,  and  the  pots  containing  the  plants  should  be  placed  on  small 
inverted  pots  to  make  certain  of  free  drainage  and  passage  of  air.  By 
shading  from  strong  sunshine  and  syringing  frequently  the  plants  should 
grow  and  keep  healthy. 
Little  or  no  water  ought  to  bo  given  directly  from  a  can,  as  that  makes 
the  compost  like  a  soaked  sponge,  when  the  moist  air  which  seems 
essential  to  their  health  is  not  admitted  to  their  roots.  This  year  I 
noticed  that  some  of  our  healthiest  Disas  had  rooted  through  the  drainago 
holes  into  the  empty  inverted  pots  which  supported  them,  and  as  an 
experiment  there  is  one  plant  growing  at  present  with  its  roots  amongst 
moist  crocks  alone.  Some  cultivators  consider  it  good  to  grow  their 
plants  in  good-sized  pans  without  breaking  off  the  young  tubers  and 
repotting  them  every  year,  giving  instead  an  annual  top-dressing. 
Other  desirable  species  are  D.  graminifolia  and  D.  ferruginea,  which, 
however,  are  seldom  grown  successfully  in  this  country.  The  former  has 
beautiful  blue  flowers,  and,  as  its  name  implies,  grass-like  leaves. 
D.  ferruginea  has  also  grass-like  leaves,  and  the  flowers  are  of  a  bright 
orange,  and  have  each  a  long  thin  spur.  D.  racemosa  is  more  easily 
grown.  It  has  rose  coloured  flowers  finely  veined,  and  the  front  edges  of 
the  petals  are  crimson,  and  have  a  yellow  tinge  on  the  inner  surface. 
D.  polygonoides  has  small  flowers  closely  arranged  on  a  cylindrical 
spike.  They  are  of  a  bright  scarlet  colour  shaded  to  orange  yellow  in 
the  centre. 
There  are  several  very  good  garden  hybrids,  such  as  I).  kewensis, 
D.  Yeitchi,  D.  langleyensis,  and  D.  Premier,  which  are  fairly  easily  grown 
with  treatment  similar  to  D.  grandiflora,  and  they  will  be  found  to  be  of 
a  rather  sturdier  constitution  than  that  species. — X.  L.  C.  R. 
Callicarpa  purpurea. 
Callicarpa  purpurea  might  be  much  more  extensively  grown  than 
it  is,  considering  its  usefulness  as  a  decorative  plant  for  tho  winter  mont  hs. 
The  flowars  are  not  at  all  attractive  ;  its  beauty  lies  in  the  clusters  of 
purple  berries  that  adorn  the  plant  after  they  have  set,  and  which  will 
hang  for  several  months,  often  till  the  end  of  April.  Among  several  well- 
grown  plants  I  have  seen,  the  best  is  at  Ilighclere  Castle. 
The  plants  are  comparatively  easy  to  grow  if  a  moderate  amount  of 
attention  is  given.  The  cuttings  should  be  inserted  in  a  moist  heat 
about  the  beginning  of  March,  when  they  will  root  freely.  Those  having 
the  shortest  growths  should  be  selected,  as  they  make  by  far  the  prettier 
plants.  When  they  are  rooted  they  ought  to  be  potted  into  small  GO’s, 
after  being  kept  in  tho  same  heat  as  they  were  propagated  in,  until  they 
are  fairly  rooted,  when  they  may  be  removed  into  a  house  or  pit  with  a 
moist  temperature  of  about  G5°  to  70°.  The  plants  should  he  pinehed  at 
the  fourth  pair  of  leaves,  and  the  laterals  which  are  produced  at  the 
second,  continuing  this  operation  until  about  the  end  of  July.  The 
flowers  must  also  be  kept  pinched  out  till  about  the  same  time. 
When  the  plants  have  filled  their  pots  with  roots  they  may  receive  a 
shift  into  large  Go’s  or  48-pots,  according  to  their  size.  Abundance  of 
light  and  air  are  tho  chief  agents  for  their  successful  culture,  especially 
when  the  flowers  are  setting.  I  think  there  is  no  plant  which  will  better 
repay  a  little  extra  attention  than  Callicarpa  purpurea,  and  none  that  will 
so  soon  show  the  lack  of  it.  By  the  end  of  November  showy  plants  will 
reward  the  cultivator  if  the  above  directions  are  followed.  Grown  in 
small  pots  they  will  be  found  most  useful  for  furnishing  either  the 
conservatory  or  a  greenhouse,  especially  if  they  are  allowed  to  hang 
naturally  and  are  not  staked. 
If  large  plants  are  required  the  following  spring  they  may  bo  pruned 
back  a  little  and  placed  in  a  house  with  a  temperature  of  about  65°,  where 
they  can  be  kept  well  syringed  daily,  though  they  should  be  kept 
moderately  dry  at  the  roots  until  they  start  into  growth.  When  the 
shoots  are  about  an  inch  long  the  plants  must  be  knocked  out,  and  their 
roots  pruned  a  little,  and  potted  in  a  size  larger.  When  the  plants  are 
established  they  should  be  removed  to  their  summer  quarters.  A  vinery 
that  is  at  work  is  a  good  place  to  start  them.  Great  care  must  be 
exercised  in  the  matter  of  watering,  and  a  moist  atmosphere  should  be 
kept  as  much  as  possible.  Stimulants  must  be  given  sparingly,  a  little 
cow  manure  diluted  is  the  best.  The  soil  suited  to  them  is  one  composed 
of  turfy  loam  and  peat  in  equal  proportions,  and  one-third  sand  with  a 
little  charcoal  broken  fine  and  added  to  keep  the  whole  sweet. — S.  S. 
WORK  FOfiTHE  W  E  EK.  ■ 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Watering  Fruit  Trees. — In  those  districts  where  the  abnormally  dry 
weather  has  been  felt  severely,  and  still  continues,  water  should  be 
applied  copiously  to  choice  dwarf  fruit  trees.  Cordons  on  walls  and 
espalier  fences  ought  to  be  specially  attended  to  as  regards  moisture  at 
tho  roots,  not  only  for  the  purpose  of  plumping  tho  fruit  buds  for  the 
succeeding  year’s  crop,  but  to  finish  the  present  crop.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  apply  fresh  mulchings  at  tho  present  time,  but  if  any  remains 
from  previous  dressings  water  may  be  given  over  it.  When  the  rooting 
medium  is  sufficiently  moistened,  either  artificially  or  naturally,  liquid 
manure  can  be  supplied  to  any  trees  which  may  require  extra  nourish¬ 
ment.  It  is  wasteful,  however,  to  use  liquid  manure  when  the  soil  is 
very  dry. 
Young  trees,  if  growing  freely,  but  not  yet  in  bearing,  ought  not  to  be 
stimulated  by  anything  stronger  than  clear  water,  unless  the  buds,  before 
the  fall  of  the  leaf,  are  insufficiently  nourished. 
All  trees  with  roots  near  the  surface  will  be  benefited  by  moisture,  but 
wall  trees,  including  Reaches,  Nectarines,  Cherries,  and  Blums,  invariably 
demand  more  copious  supplies  than  trees  or  bushes  in  the  open,  where  the 
feeding  ground  for  food  and  moisture  is  more  extensive. 
Lifting  Young  Fruit  Troes. — Trees  or  bushes  which  it  is  contemplated 
to  lift  and  replant,  owing  to  exuberant  growth,  must  be  kept  properly 
moist  at  the  roots,  so  that  there  will  be  less  probability  of  the  trees 
suffering  from  the  operation,  which  should  be  carried  out  prior  to 
the  fall  of  the  leaves.  It  is  nearly  always  necessary  to  check  the  growth 
of  young  Apricots,  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  especially  if  the  space  that 
can  be  devoted  to  training  the  growths  upon  is  limited.  Ample  wall 
space  for  extension  admits  of  plenty  of  growth  being  trained- in,  which 
acts  as  a  check  upon  exuberance,  bringing  the  trees  earlier  into  a  fruiting 
condition,  but  guard  against  overcrowding.  This  may  render  lifting 
unnecessary. 
Open  a  good  wide  trench  3  feet  from  the  stems,  and  gradually  work  away 
as  much  of  the  soil  as  possible  without  injuring  tho  roots,  in  order  that 
the  trees  may  be  lifted  bodily.  This  will  not  be  possible  until  tho  ball  of 
roots  is  undermined  and  the  main  descending  roots  severed.  This  must 
be  done  so  as  to  leave  smooth  cuts.  Any  other  roots  torn  or  bruised 
ought  to  have  the  ends  cut  cleanly.  Fibrous  roots  must  not  be  left 
uncovered  for  any  length  of  time.  In  replanting  raise  the  ball  a  little 
