September  16,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
275 
Indoor  Rockwork. 
In  forming  an  indoor  rockery,  the  chief  object  aimed  at  is  to  imitate 
Nature  as  far  as  possible,  arranging  the  plants  so  that  rugged  pieces 
•of  stone  are  visible,  and  choosing  such  as  will  prove  interesting 
throughout  the  year.  The  best  stone  is  common  red  sandstone,  as  on 
this  light  foliaged  plants  show  themselves  to  advantage,  which  is  not 
always  the  case  when  planted  on  white  stone. 
Many  are  the  modes  in  which  the  rockery  may  be  built.  Centre  beds 
with  a  rustic  stone  base  look  well,  as  there  is  a  great  advantage  in  being 
able  to  re-arrange  the  plants  on  the  beds,  and  having  frequent  changes. 
Arches  are  desirable.  A  central  column  is  needed  to  support  them, 
which  should  span  the  house,  and  from  which  trailing  plants,  such  as 
Panicum,  Tradescantia,  Selaginellas,  and  others  should  depend  grace¬ 
fully.  Where  the  means  are  at  hand  water  may  be  used,  and  whether  in  the 
form  of  a  cascade,  fountain,  or  tank,  it  gives  the  rockery  an  increased  charm. 
There  is  a  great  art  in  arranging  the  plants,  so  that  each  one  shows 
itself  to  the  best  advantage.  Plants  that  retain  their  beauty  for  the 
Greatest  length  of  time  should  be  used  in  preference  to  short-lived  ones. 
'he  most  suitable  plants  for  the  rockery  are  Ferns  and  Selaginellas  in 
variety,  Rex  Begonias,  Saxifrages  and  Mosses,  Coleus,  and  a  host  of 
•others.  Flowering  plants  may  also  be  used  with  advantage.  The  best 
way  with  these  is,  when  making  the  rockery,  to  leave  pockets  or  crevices 
(large  enough  to  hold  the  pots,  as  by  this  means  a  constant  supply  of 
bloom  ma^  be  maintained  without  the  continual  work  of  replanting. 
The  sides  and  roof  of  the  house  should  be  covered  with  creepers, 
:gracefully  festooned,  to  meet  the  plants  growing  on  the  rockery. 
Constant  care  is  needful  after  planting,  in  the  way  of  watering  and 
damping,  until  the  plants  have  got  a  fair  start,  and  then  very  little 
work  is  necessary  to  maintain  the  beauty  and  freshness  of  the  indoor 
irockery. — E.  J.  B. 
Clerodendron  fallax. 
This  plant  is  of  immense  value  for  decorative  purposes,  the  splendid 
bright  blooms  contrasting  well  with  the  deep  green  foliage,  and  consider¬ 
ing  the  time  it  lasts  in  flower  it  is  a  most  desirable  plant  to  cultivate. 
It  may  easily  be  raised  from  seeds  or  by  cuttings,  and  both  methods  are 
•good  ;  but  so  far  as  my  experience  goes  the  former  give  the  least  trouble, 
as  the  plants  can  be  destroyed  immediately  after  flowering,  as  when  old 
they  are  liable  to  become  harbours  for  insects. 
W e  usually  make  three  sowings  —viz.,  ,I anuary,  March,  and  at  the  end 
of  May,  for  the  latest.  The  seeds  are  sown  in  pans  and  placed  in  a 
bottom  heat  of  about  85°.  After  germination,  and  when  the  seedlings 
are  large  enough,  they  are  transferred  to  3-inch  pots,  while  for  the  final 
shift  6  or  7-inch  sizes  are  the  most  serviceable.  The  following  soil  suits 
them  admirably  : — Two  parts  of  loam,  one  of  peat,  one  of  rough  leaf 
-soil,  with  coarse  sand  added.  Firm  potting  is  advisable,  and  they  are 
jplaced  in  a  heated  pit  with  a  temperature  of  60°  at  night,  increasing 
according  to  sun  heat  during  the  day,  and  closing  early  in  the  afternoon 
■to  raise  the  temperature  to  85°  or  90°,  with  abundance  of  moisture. 
When  the  pots  are  filled  with  roots  they  should  be  watered  three 
times  a  week  with  manure  water,  and  occasionally  top-dressed  with  some 
approved  artificial  fertiliser,  as  the  plants  are  gross  feeders.  As  soon  as 
the  flower  spike  can  be  perceived,  gradually  give  more  air,  eventually 
removing  to  the  greenhouse  or  conservatory,  where  they  remain  an  object 
of  beauty  for  a  long  time.  By  saving  a  few  plants  annually  and  cutting 
back  after  flowering  earlier  flowers  are  obtained.  The  earliest  seedling 
plants  follow  these,  and  a  succession  of  flowers  will  be  produced  from 
about  the  end  of  May  till  December.  Care  must  be  taken  with  the  latest, 
or  they  will  damp  considerably,  a  rather  dry  intermediate  temperature 
■suiting  them  best  to  flower  in. 
The  insects  most  prevalent  on  Clerodendron  fallax,  generally,  are  red 
spider  and  aphis.  The  former  is  best  prevented  by  growing  the  plants 
quickly  and  well  in  a  warm  temperature  heavily  charged  with  moisture. 
Aphis  must  be  destroyed  by  vapourising  or  fumigating.  It  is  well  known 
what  splendid  specimen  plants  Clerodendron  fallax  make  by  pinching  the 
(leading  shoots  and  potting  as  required. — J.  L.  G. 
yOKK.foilTHEWEEK.. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
E  Cucumbers. — The  plants  for  winter  fruiting  should  be  placed  out  as 
-soon  as  they  are  ready,  a  good  bottom  heat  being  essential  to  success. 
The  soil  may  consist  of  light  turfy  loam,  with  a  third  of  fibrous  peat,  a 
sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  and  tenth  of  charcoal,  the  whole  well 
incorporated.  For  imparting  vigour  later  rely  on  surface  dressings  and 
•liquid  manure  in  preference  to  mixing  manure  with  the  compost. 
Plants  in  Bearing. — ^Maintain  a  healthy  and  vigorous  growth  by  a 
genial  condition  of  the  atmosphere.  Avoid  closeness  by  judicious  venti¬ 
lation,  regulating  the  atmospheric  moisture  according  to  circumstances, 
so  as  not  to  induce  stagnation  through  excess.  Keep  the  growths  fairly 
thin,  going  over  the  plants  twice  a  week  for  stopping  and  removing 
•superfluous  growth,  l)eing  careful  not  to  overcrop  the  plants,  cutting  the 
fruit  directly  it  attains  the  desired  size.  Be  sparing  in  the  use  of  water 
-  over  the  foliage,  but  damp  the  floors  and  walls  in  the  morning  and  after¬ 
noon,  also  evening  of  bright  or  windy  days,  gradually  however,  reducing 
the  moisture  as  the  days  shorten  and  the  heat  declines.  Add  a  little 
fresh  soil  when  the  roots  jjrotrude  through  the  ridges  or  hillocks,  always 
previously  warmed,  apjilying  weak  tepid  liquid  manure  once  or  twice  a 
week  as  may  be  necessary.  Aphides  sometimes  appear  at  this  time. 
Fumigate  on  two  or  three  consecutive  evenings,  being  careful  not  to  give 
an  overdose  of  either  tobacco  smoke  or  nicotine  vapour. 
Figs. — Earliest  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. — In  April  and  May  dishes  of 
Figs  are  very  acceptable  at  dessert,  and  to  produce  them  the  trees  are 
best  grown  in  pots.  Those  not  in  large  pots,  say  over  13-inch,  should 
have  the  roots  examined,  and  as  it  is  not  advisable  to  increase  the  size,  a 
few  inches  of  soil  may  be  removed  from  the  base  of  the  balls.  Loosen 
these  a  little  at  the  sides  to  admit  of  fresh  compost,  remove  the  loose 
surface  soil,  shorten  the  roots,  and  replace  in  fresh  turfy  loam  with  a 
sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  and  a  small  handful  of  bonemeal  to  a  bushel 
of  soil.  Afford  a  good  watering,  and  place  the  trees  where  they  can 
have  plenty  of  air  with  shelter  from  heavy  rains  and  snow,  also  safety 
from  frost. 
Trees  in  large  pots  that  are  stood  on  brick  pedestals  to  prevent  their 
sinking  require  different  treatment.  In  their  case  every  particle  of  old 
fermenting  material  should  be  removed,  also  all  the  surface  dressing  from 
amongst  the  roots,  with  a  hand-fork.  After  shortening  the  roots  and 
attending  to  the  drainage,  apply  a  surface  dressing  of  the  compost  named, 
and  ram  it  firmly  into  the  pots.  Supply  water  to  the  soil  for  settling  it, 
and  after  this  keep  the  house  cool,  dry,  and  well  ventilated. until  the  time 
of  starting  in  November  or  December.  To  trees  not  in  as  large  pots  as 
desired,  and  those  requiring  an  increase  of  root  space,  a  moderate  shift 
may  be  given,  the  sides  of  the  ball  being  loosened  with  a  hand-fork,  and 
any  straggling  roots  cut  back,  those  in  the  drainage  being  removed. 
Drain  the  pots  efficiently,  employ  the  soil  in  a  modea  ately  dry  condition  of 
the  same  composition  as  previously  advised,  and  ram  it  as  hard  as  the  ball. 
Succession  ffomas.— The  trees  which  are  ripening  second  crops  of 
fruit  require  lessened  supplies  of  water,  not  affording  any  until  the  soil  is 
getting  dry,  and  not  then  if  the  moisture  is  sufficient  to  keep  the  foliage 
from  becoming  limp,  for  that  condition  must  be  avoided.  Withhold  water 
from  the  house,  except  a  sprinkling  occasionally  during  bright  weather,  a 
little  fire  heat  being  necessary  in  dull  and  wet  weather  to  admit  a  free 
circulation  of  air  and  prevent  damp.  Remove  all  soft  and  useless  wood, 
thin  out  where  crowded,  and  when  the  fruit  is  gathered  cut  away  the 
growths  that  have  reached  the  extremity  of  the  trellis,  and  are  not  neces¬ 
sary  for  next  year’s  bearing.  It  is  absolutely  essential  that  the  wood  be 
thoroughly  ripened  by  the  exposure  of  the  growths  to  light  and  air,  and 
the  points  of  the  shoots  on  which  the  first  crop  next  year  is  borne  ought 
to  stand  well  uj)  to  the  light. 
Lifting  Unfruitful  Trees.  —Exuberance  and  sterility  characterise  trees 
in  too  large  and  rich  borders.  Lifting  such  trees  is  a  certain  means, 
the  trees  having  plenty  of  light,  of  inducing  fruitfulness,  and  should  be 
performed  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have  commenced  to  turn  yellow.  If  the 
trees  are  very  luxuriant  it  is  a  good  plan  to  make  a  trench  about  half 
the  distance  from  the  stem  the  branches  cover  of  the  trellis,  and  quite  down 
to  the  drainage,  so  as  to  cut  off  all  roots  at  the  trench.  This  should  be 
done  while  the  leaves  are  quite  green,  fully  a  month  in  advance  of  their 
turning  yellow,  and  it  will  check  the  tendency  to  late  growth,  concentrate 
the  energies  on  the  maturation  of  the  wood  and  buds,  almost  always 
changing  the  character  of  these,  so  that  they  form  Fig  buds  and  produce 
a  good  crop  the  following  year.  Carefully  lift  the  trees  when  the  leaves 
turn  yellow,  cut  back  any  strong  and  long  roots,  reserving  those  which 
are  most  branched  and  fibrous.  Good  drainage  is  of  paramount  import¬ 
ance,  having  a  foot  thick  with  a  drain  to  carry  off  superfluous  water  ; 
there  is  nothing  better  than  brickbats  and  a  thin  layer  of  old  mortar 
rubbish  over  them.  Good  turfy  loam,  preferably  rather  strong  and 
gravelly,  a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  and  a  similar  amount  of  road 
scrapings  form  a  good  compost  for  Figs,  and  2  feet  depth  is  ample. 
Place  the  soil  firmly  in  the  border  to  insure  a  sturdy,  short-jointed 
growth,  and  spread  the  roots  evenly  in  the  top  foot  of  soil,  working  it 
amongst  them,  and  placing  them  in  layers  as  they  rise,  not  covering  the 
topmost  more  than  2  or  3  inches.  Have  the  compost  moderately  dry  when 
used,  and  afford  sufficient  water  to  settle  it  about  their  roots.  A  border 
of  about  one-third  the  width  of  the  trellis — say,  4  to  6  feet — is  ample  for 
Figs,  and  much  better  than  a  wide  one. 
Pines. — Suckers. — Those  recently  started  should  be  raised  near  the 
glass  as  soon  as  the  roots  are  plentifully  made,  so  as  to  secure  a  sturdy 
thoroughly  solidified  growth,  especially  in  plants  intended  to  be  wintered 
in  small  pots.  When  the  suckers  become  well  rooted  transfer  the 
strongest  started  in  late  summer  to  the  fruiting  pots  at  once,  draining 
these  well.  Employ  the  fibrous  part  only  of  sound  turfy  loam,  in  lumps 
proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  pots.  Jamaicas  are  apt  to  become  weak 
and  attenuated  in  growth  when  grown  in  large  pots  ;  9  or  10-inch  suffice 
for  them,  and  they  must  not  be  grown  away  from  the  glass,  or  be  kept 
very  moist  and  close.  Queens  succeed  in  10-inch  pots,  or  very  strong 
plants  may  be  given  a  little  more  root  space,  say  11-inch  pots  ;  Envilles 
have  all  their  requirements  as  regards  soil  supplied  in  10-inch  pots  ; 
Smooth-leaved  Cayenne  succeed  in  10-inch  pots,  11-inch  at  most  ;  and 
Providence  in  11  or  12-inch  pots.  The  small  plants  should  be  shifted 
into  7  or  8-inch  pots,  in  which  they  must  be  kept  until  spring.  Plunge 
the  pots  in  a  bottom  heat  of  90°  to  95°,  in  which  they  must  be  continued 
until  the  roots  have  taken  freely  to  the  fresh  compost,  when  they  may  be 
raised,  a  temperature  of  85°  being  afterwards  sufficient. 
Growing  Stock. — Young  plants  require  free  ventilation  on  all  favourable 
occasions  to  keep  them  in  a  healthy  sturdy  condition,  maintaining  a  night 
temperature  of  60°  to  65°,  with  5°  to  10°  more  by  day  artificially  unless 
dull  and  cold,  and  keep  at  80°  to  85°  from  sun  heat.  Ventilate  early  in 
