246 



JOURNAL. OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Aiiil 5, 1S77. 



with ordinary attention and care a supply of really ueefal 

 fruit may be maintained throughout the spring, summer, and 

 autumn. 



In the early months of spring due attention must be given 

 to the indications of the thermometer, which should range 

 between 70' and 80°. Air should then be admitted with 

 caution, but a little is always highly beneficial to the plants 

 during sunny days, and later on in summer it may be given 

 with advantage night and day. 



With regard to sorts my own favourite is Masters's Prolific, 

 yielding fruit by hundreds, but then none of it exceed a foot 

 in length, and very many are an inch or two shorter than that, 

 yet all are large enough for a good-sized dish when cut up, as 

 they invariably are before going to table. Cucumbers are here 

 grown to be eaten, and not for ornamental purposes. Long- 

 fruited sorts areonly " good for exhibition." — Edwd.Ldckhuest. 



THE CULTURE OF CALANTHES. 



[Read at the TVimbledon Gaideners' Improvement Society's Meeting.] 

 Amongst the many plants which commend themselves to 

 the gardener, few I think are more worthy of notice than these 

 terrestrial Orchids. Their variety of colour, intrinsic beauty, 

 and admirable decorative qualities render them very valuable 

 during the dull period of the year. They are by no means 

 difficult to cultivate, and will amply repay those who have the 

 means of growing them for any labour they may bestow upon 

 them. They are especially acceptable where table decorative 

 plants are required in the autumn and early winter months. 

 They throw up their spikes from 3 to 4 feet in height, and 

 with judicious arrangement — an intermixture of foliage plants 

 and Ferns — they take their stand amongst many of the hand- 

 somest of our Orchids. 



The majority of these Calauthes have been imported from 

 different parts of India. Other hybrids we have, and one 

 especially worthy of comment is Calauthe Veitchii, raised by 

 Mr. Dominy, the result ot a eroas between Limatodes rosea 

 and Calanthe vestita, and it is proving itself to be one of the 

 foremost, if not the best, of the class to which it belongs. 

 Under good management the paeuJo-bulbs of this variety will 

 be from 12 to 15 inches in length, and the flower spikes from 

 3 to 4 feet or more in height, making it particularly useful for 

 many decorative purposes. 



The Calanthes being deciduous require their proper season 

 of rest, which should extend from two and a half to three 

 months in a temperature not below 60°, care being taken not 

 to allow any moisture to fall upon them, but be kept perfectly 

 dry. As plants are ofttimes neglected while resting, great care 

 should be taken with them, and especially when their period 

 of rest is drawing to a close. In March many of the pseudo- 

 bulbs commence growing, and if not placed near the light they 

 will produce weak breaks, and consequently weak bulbs. Some 

 gardeners prefer knocking the plants out of their pots and 

 storing them on dry moss or sand ; but I think this to be un- 

 necessary, except in the case of those pseudo-bulbs which are 

 cut for propagation. This is done by severing them in halves 

 crossways. C. Veitchii may be cut into three or four parts, 

 according to the size of the " bulbs " and the number of joints 

 or rings. A little lime rubbed over the wounds prevents decay. 

 These cut portions should be placed in pans of sand and on a 

 shelf in a Melon house or Pine stove, where they will receive 

 plenty of light and sun, keeping them dry. This process 

 should be gone through in March, so that they will break and be 

 ready for potting in the early part of April with the other uncut 

 pseudo-bulbs, and receive the same treatment as them. They 

 should now be potted singly in GO-pots, securing good drainage, 

 in a compost of three parts of good fibrous loam and one of 

 leaf soil and silver sand, placing a small portion of sand at the 

 base of each bulb when potting them ; then place them on 

 a shelf in a fruiting Pine stove or near the glass in the East 

 Indian House or similar structure, where they will have plenty 

 of light, heat, and atmospheric moisture, using the water pot 

 with discretion, and by no means allowing water to fall on 

 the young growths, as they are very liable to decay at this 

 stage. But in cases where specimens are required, say four 

 or five bulbs in a pot, I do not advocate potting them in 

 fiO-pots, but pot them in their flowering pots at once, as there 

 is great danger of breaking the roots by removal, they being of 

 a fleshy nature and easily damaged. Three bulbs in a 24-pot 

 will make a very useful specimen for general purposes. As 

 soon as those in (JO's have moderately filled their pots with 

 loots they ehouid be shifted into their pots for blooming, 



which are generally 48's and 32's, according to the strength 

 of the bulb. Efficient drainage is highly important, and 

 broken crocks must be used liberally, with a layer of moss or J, 

 rough peat over them, as these plants require a good supply of 

 water in their growing season, and the soil will become sodden 

 if proper care is not taken in this respect. The soil used at 

 the final potting should be a compost of three parts of fibrous 

 loam and one of dried deer or cow dung, rubbed through a 

 quarter-inch sieve. Pot the plants moderately firm, and not 

 too high, as is often the case, but about half an inch below 

 the rim of the pot, care being taken not to break the roots, 

 but ease them by removing a little soil, so as to give them 

 freedom to work into the new soil, shading moderately from 

 bright sunshine, or the young foliage is apt to become spotted, 

 which very much disfigures the plants. 



As they advance in growth give them an occasional watering 

 of liquid manure, which will promote strength, without which 

 really good spikes cannot be secured. The manure water I 

 recommend is a mixture of guano and cow dung well diluted, 

 or with an occasional watering of soot water, the result of 

 which will soon be noticeable in the dark colour of the foliage. 

 They are very impatient of excessive moisture hanging about 

 their foliage, so that the syringe should be used very sparingly. 



As soon as they have thrown up their flower spikes many of 

 their leaves will begin decaying. They should not be pulled 

 off until quite dead, or the pseudo-bulb will bleed, and thereby 

 weaken the flower spike. The roots also in a great measure 

 will cease action, so that water must now be given sparingly, 

 the spikes deriving their support from the bulb. As soon as 

 they commence expanding their flowers they should be removed 

 to the intermediate house, which will both prolong them in 

 flower and make them more hardy for other decorative pur- 

 poses. The flowers being of a light nature are very useful 

 for button-hole purposes, for which there is generally a good 

 demand at this season of the year. 



Scale is very partial to Calanthes, and it must by no means 

 be allowed to flourish, or the plants will be greatly injured. 

 The insects should be promptly removed with a sponge and 

 a little softeoap water. The best varieties are C. vestita, 

 C. V. oculata, C. v. rubra, and C. Veitchii. — A. Smith, Foreman, 

 Wimbledon House. 



PRUNING OR NON-PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES. 



Mr. Taylor's article, page 207, on the pruning and manage- 

 ment of Plum trees, would seem to point to other fruit trees as 

 well, and to suggest the difficult question whether pruning at 

 all is a prudent operation, or whether it had better be left 

 alone. This very important problem has been long before the 

 horticultural world, and much has been said on both sides. 

 The advocates for non-pruning point exultingly to the good 

 crops often met with on standard trees where the knife and 

 saw are only used to restrain unsightly growths ; and certainly 

 when a tree is not benefited by the wall it is fastened to, the 

 more it is pruned the more the prospect of the crop is di- 

 minished, because the tree itself is reduced in size, and there- 

 fore cannot possibly produce so large a quantity as a tree of 

 double its size. Then, on the other hand, the advocates of 

 the pinchiug-in and close trimming of fruit trees point to those 

 splendid examples of fruit that now and then find their way 

 to horticultural exhibitions, and are said to be produced by 

 closely-pinched miniature trees. But as Mr. Taylor justly 

 observes, a medium course may be taken between the closely- 

 trimmed cordon and the stately standard, and there is no 

 doubt many good examples of this intermediate management 

 are to be met with. 



Not long ago I incidentally heard an argument between a 

 gentleman extensively engaged in fruit-growing and his fruit- 

 tree manager. The gentleman had been to see an exhibition 

 of fruit at a horticultural show, and returned home full of the 

 idea that what was grown on cordons and similar contrivances 

 was of a superior kind to what his lofty trees produce, and 

 urging the views he had been listening to from the advocates 

 of that system to his man, asked his opinion on the matter. 

 The reply of the latter was very characteristic and to the point. 

 " It all depends, master, whether you want dozens of fruit or 

 bushels. If yon be fatisfied with as many fruit as trees, we can 

 go into the fashionable doll-house mode of growing them ; but 

 if quantity of fair good fruit be wanted, trees must be allowed 

 to a good size to produce them." And as the dialogue took 

 place in an orchard the man pointed to an Apple tree saying 

 " There is a Wellington Apple that last year produced twenty 



