Gardening in Egypt; A Handbook of Gardening for Lower Egypt (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 edition. Excerpt: ...compost as the former. The compost, however, if used, should be as coarse as possible, and pieces of charcoal about the size of pigeon-eggs and plenty of chopped Sphagnum moss added. Celestial Orchids.--These may be placed on pieces of virgin cork, or charred wood with a little moss, and firmly secured by copper wire. In this way the plants will soon form roots which attach themselves to the cork and wood, as long as the atmosphere is kept moist, and they are not allowed to suffer from dryness. Cool orchids, as Odontoglossum, &c, are in most cases a failure. Adiantums.--These ferns thrive well in a compost of leaf-soil, sand, and loam, with a little broken pottery or brick added. They require copious supplies of water during the summer, and should never be allowed to get dry. In growing large specimens, particularly A. Farleyense (the handsomest of all Maidenhairs), I have found it a good practice when potting to place a small inverted pot over the drainage-hole inside the larger one, and fill the space between the two pots with small pieces of pottery and a thin layer of dry cow-manure placed over this, using a little heavier compost and leaving an inch or two below the rim of the pot to hold the water, but keep the fronds as dry as possible. All Maidenhairs in the autumn, when their fronds turn brown, should have them cut off level with the crown of the plant, which should be kept drier until the new fronds appear in February, when they may be shaken out and re-potted, the larger plants being divided if the stock is to be increased. Young plants will often be found growing on the rockwork, these can also be potted. All varieties will be benefited by having soot and cow-manure water applied alternately twice a week during the summer....