292 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 15, 1875. 



sider this a shy-flowenng plant. In cultivation abroad it 

 grows well on a smooth pole, the pole having plenty of sarface 

 for the roots to attach themselves to. The roots are wonder- 

 fully numerous in good healthy plants, so that a good surface 

 for them to grow on is a great requisite. More specimen 

 plants of this grand Orchid would be seen if the importers 

 sent larger plants home, and sent them at the beginning instead 

 of the end of the resting season. 



Vanda teres Andersoni is also found about twenty-five miles 

 north-east of Pegu, it is identical in growth with V. teres, but 

 smaller in habit. It bears similar flowers, and grows on the 

 Mimosa trees. It is a rare plant in Bormah, bat said to be 

 common in some parts of India. 



A variety of Vanda gigantea grows here in enormous masses. 

 It bears spikes of yellow flowers of thick waxy substance, the 

 petals being marked across with bars of red. Unlike the other 

 Vandas, which all like the light, this plant appears to attach 

 itself to trees having a heavy foliage. It is beautiful when in 

 full flower in June and has a smell of Apples, and is commonly 

 known in Burmah as the Apple- scented Vanda. It would not 

 be acceptable to the general cultivator of these plants in Eng- 

 land, as only those having enormous houses could grow it 

 satisfactorily. To those who have it, it is worth noting that 

 it flowers and grows freely in a shady place. Although grow- 

 ing on shade-giving trees this plant is always found on trees 

 in the open country, generally on trees growing on swampy 

 ground. 



In the same swamps, on the yellow Mimosa tree, flourishes 

 a very pretty Camarotis — Camarotis pallida, with scaudent 

 habit and hard blunt leaves bearing racemes of yellow flowers. 

 Those who know Camarotis purpurea can form a very good 

 idea of C. pallida, the two being almost identical in habit. It 

 is very abundant, and flowers during the early rains. Fine 

 specimens of it are well worth growing in our Orchid houses 

 in England. It takes up little room and likes plenty of heat 

 and moisture, and should be grown on cross-bars of teak with 

 a little moss. It has a most distinct season of rest ; but as 

 the leaves shrivel during the dry season, it is probable that in 

 home cultivation it would improve the plant to give it sufficient 

 water to prevent it from shrivelling. Camarotis purpurea has 

 been found in this district, but it is exceedingly rare in Lower 

 Burmah. It is said to abound in Arracan and in the Delta of 

 the Ganges ; it is a well-known plant bearing rose-coloured 

 flowers. The same remarks regarding cultivation apply to it 

 as apply to Camarotis pallida. These varieties of Camarotis 

 are found clinging to the outside twigs of the trees, and are 

 rarely found growing on any branches thicker than a small 

 cane. 



On the same trees as the Camarotis, and in great abundance, 

 is found a very pretty pink Sarcanthus, a variety of Sarcanthus 

 fiUformis. It has terete leaves on opposite sides of the stem, 

 which is cylindrical. The stems and foliage are alike rosy 

 purple in colour, the racemes of flowers being pink. It is a 

 very elegant plant most interesting to the amateur, but pro- 

 bably of not sufficient character to induce the importer to send 

 more than a few stray plants of it home. It grows best on 

 cross-bars of teak, under the same treatment as that suggested 

 for growing Camarotis. — E. S. B. 



ROSES. 



" CoKNUEiA " accuses me of omitting Prince CamUle de 

 Rohan, or, as many call it, Camille de Rohan. I have never 

 to the best of my recollection omitted it from my selections. 

 If I have done so, it has been a lapsus. I thank Mr. Peach 

 for saying (page 271) " I must acquit Mr. Radclyffe of never 

 having recommended Prince Camille de Rohan, as I remember 

 at one time it used to be a favourite." Now turn to October Ist, 

 1874, and you will see that I and twelve other amateurs 

 inclnded it in the fifty Roses of the election, and seven 

 others omitted it. The following amateurs named it : — Mr. .1. 

 EUis (39), Mr. R. Davis (17), Mr. Tapner (36), Mr. Quennel (34), 

 the Rev. G. Arkwright (17), Mr. Barrel (35), the Rev. Alan 

 Cheales (42), the Rev. .T. B. Camm (47), Mr. R. W. Beaehey (15), 

 the Rev. H. Dombrain (40), Mr. R. Robson (45), the Rev. R. N. 

 Milford (22) , the Rev. W. F. Radclyffe (26) . The other amateurs, 

 six in number, who did not elect it, were Mr. .Tames Mayo, the 

 Rev. C. P. Peach, the Rev. E. N. Pochin, Mr. .John Scott, 

 Mr. J. Hinton, Mr. J. F. Curtis. 



" Cobnup.ia's " assertion that I said La France was a weak 

 grower is equally erroneous. I said it was a " good grower, 

 very hardy, with fine foliage," but not a free bloomer here. 



I recommended it be placed ander glass, as more likely to 

 bloom freely. 



Edward Morren and Felix Genero will stand in the catalogue 

 for many years. Granger and Damaizin need not be dis- 

 heartened. All comers here admire specially these two Roses ; 

 and Baron Chaurand is rightly called by Mr. W. Paul "one of 

 the best dark Roses." Louis Van Houtte does not do well on 

 Manetti, but admirably on Mr. Prince's seedling Briars. 



I beUeve I stated that the line of Marie Baumann this year 

 in the fine land of the Dorset nurseries was miserable, where 

 Madame Vidot was stout and Madame Rivera from 3 to 5 feet 

 high. — W. F. Raecltffe. 



PBUIT PROSPECTS rx the NORTH of SCOTLAND. 



After one of the most severe winters which has been expe- 

 rienced during the last thirty years, spring and fine weather 

 have at length set in. The gardener's time is now a busy 

 time, but he has the satisfaction to feel that his prospects of 

 fruit are favourable. 



Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots are fully in bloom, and 

 give promise, with fine weather, of an abundant harvest of 

 fruit. Pears, Plums, and Cherries are rapidly bursting their 

 buds, and will shortly be richly laden with blossom. Apple 

 blossom promises to be unusually abundant, and with a fa- 

 vourable season the crop of 1875 must be very large. Small 

 fruits, so far as can be seen, are also showing exceedingly well. 



Vegetables are generally late, the young Cabbages being 

 smaller than when planted-out in October. They have been 

 covered with snow almost continually from the end of Novem- 

 ber to the end of February. The snow has afforded great 

 protection to vegetables ; Broocolis, Brussels Sprouts, and the 

 different sorts of Kales are now abundant and good. Alto- 

 gether, if the winter has been trying the spring is encouraging, 

 and we are hopeful of a fairly prosperous season in the northern 

 district. — David Lono, Banffshire. 



VINES UNDER LOW TEMPERATURE 

 SHANKINa. 



Mr. Taylor in one of his practical articles has incidentally 

 advocated a low temperature for setting Grapes, and as con- 

 stituting an important element in preventing shanking. On 

 page 229 that cultivator states his practice to be a " minimum 

 temperature of 55' for all Vines, including Muscats, till the 

 flowers are set, and 5° lower will do them no harm at any time." 

 Now that is 50', and it is certain that many Grape-growera- 

 would consider that fatal to the free setting and prosperity of 

 their Grapes. 



It is weU known that some of the best Grapes are produced 

 under a much higher mean temperature than that recom^ 

 mended by Mr. Taylor, but that does not prove him wrong even 

 if the higher temperature so given proves itself right. With 

 a comparatively high night temperature under which Grapes 

 are successfully produced, other contributing conditions will be 

 found associated, such as inside borders carefully tended and 

 managed, or outside borders judiciously warmed. High tem- 

 perature in such cases loses relative value, and indeed may not 

 be high at aU in the sense intended by Mr. Taylor. 



On the general question, it is quite certain that Mr. Taylor 

 in advocating a low temperature and steady movement in 

 the first stages of a Vine's growth has struck an important 

 chord, in harmony with sound philosophy and proved to be 

 successful. The tone of his article must commend itself to the 

 common sense of impartial cultivators, as striking directly at 

 the great contributing cause of Grape-shanking. There may 

 be other and local causes which invite this fell scourge, but a 

 too quick swelling of the buds and a pulling out of the young 

 shoots— for that is an expressive term to use — is the one great 

 governing cause which not only brings shanked Grapes but 

 brings also, with equal certainty, red spider. By that practice 

 flimsy foliage and a yellow-green wood destitute of tissue la 

 produced, and hence a pasture ground for the pest is provided. 



In dealing with Vines generally, whether In pots or not, 

 and under whatever circumstances, and with whatever variety, 

 safety from shanking and certainty of clean foliage and per- 

 fect fruit undoubtedly lies in a low temperature and steady 

 movement in the first phases of Vine Ufe. When once the 

 roots are at work in a free and natural manner, and affording 

 a full supply of food, then push on as you like in reason, but 

 until then a golden motto is " Steady, boys, steady." 



It is the practice of the best coltlvatora who have unbounded 



