JOUBNAL OF HOBTIODLTDEE AND OOTTAQB GABDENEB. 



[ July 2, 1674. 



could be called worthless. The large-spathed form is truly the 

 most magnificeut, and as an exhibition plant is by far the 

 most valuable ; but for home use, and for the decoration of 

 apartments, the somewhat smaller variety with a rounder 

 Bpathe in my opinion is much the best ; it has the advantage 

 of being more compact in growth, and, moreover, produces a 

 larger amount of spathes in proportion to tha size of the plant. 

 Another striking form, which has obtained the name of longi- 

 spatba, is also very desirable, as being thoroughly distinct and 

 brilliant in colour. It is not, however, my intention in this 

 place to enter into a detailed account of alt the various forms ; 

 sufBce it to say much depends upon the style of treatment the 

 plants receive. None in a young state produce large spathes, 

 these only come with age and vigour. At the same time I do 

 not wish my readers to imagine that one form can be grown 

 into the other by skilful management. 



In many instances a great mistake is made in potting this 

 plant. It not uufrequently happens during my peregrinations 

 that I find it growing slowly, or in fact badly — the result of 

 being potted too firmly, and that, too, in close binding soil. 

 This I consider is a shoal my readers should steer clear of, 

 for I have never upon a single occasion found anyone excel 

 whilst practising this system. In potting Anthurium Scher- 

 Eerianum the first thing to secure must be good drainage; 

 for although it enjoys copious supplies of water, everything 

 that would stagnate and become sour must be kept from 

 coming into contact with its roots. The soil with which I 

 have obtained the greatest success is a mixture consisting of 

 about two parts good fibrous peat broken up rough, one part 

 light turfy loam, and one part sphagnum moss ; to this I add 

 BufEcient silver sand to make the whole feel gritty when taken 

 in the hand. Let it be well mixed together, but keep the 

 sieve out of sight. When the soil is ready proceed to repot 

 the plant, and in doing so it is the fashion to elevate the soil 

 into the shape 'of a small cone, after the style or system 

 adopted in potting Orchids. To this I have no objection, be- 

 cause it provides the roots with more surface room, and at the 

 same time adds somewhat to the appearance of the plant, 

 otherwise I know of no reason for the adoption of the system. 

 In potting, press the soil down firmly, but not hard, and 

 finish up the surface with a layer of living sphagnum ; this 

 latter is more for appearance sake than a necessity, but still 

 the roots do love to creep through the growing moss. 



As before remarked, this Anthurium enjoys an abundant 

 supply of water, both from can and syringe, but that from the 

 latter should be withheld to a considerable extent during the 

 dull days of winter. In the growing season the plant will not 

 object to any amount of heat, but the atmosphere must be well 

 charged with moisture, and the lowest temperature to which it 

 should be subjected at this time is about 05°. If the specimen 

 is strong and in good health, the grower may calculate upon 

 having a spathe produced from the base of every new leaf the 

 plants make, which wUl continue in their full blaze of beauty 

 between three and four months. If the plant has already be- 

 come large enough to fill a pot of goodly dimensions, there is 

 no necessity to repot annually ; it will be found sufficient to 

 remove the surface soil with a potting stick, and replace with 

 a compost prepared as previously directed. 



It the above simple directions be followed, no difficulty 

 will be experienced in the culture of this showy and beautiful 

 Anthurium, which has not inaptly been caUed the " Flamingo 

 Plant." — EsfEETO Crede. 



JUDGING MELONS— BEAD'S SCAELET-FLESHED 

 MELON. 

 I AM always on the look-out for first-class Melons. They 

 are more difficult to grow and finish satisfactorily than the 

 Pine Apple — the acknowledged " king of fruits." At the ;ate 

 show at South Kensington (June 4th and 5th), though there 

 were eighteen fruits exhibited, there was a great want of finish 

 throughout. They were not fully swelled, and scarcely netted. 

 I looked in vain for Bead's in the Scarlet-fleshed class, to 

 see what it was ripened three hundred miles south of where 

 I live. Scarlet Gem, the type of Bead's, carried off the first 

 and second honours, which led me to conclude that flavour is 

 all our judges care about in Melons. Fruit of handsome shape 

 —spherical, elliptical or oval — plump, well swelled, without 

 ribs, netted all over, and finely coloured, go for nothing; if 

 an ill-grown, mis-shapen, ribbed, smooth-rinded, and small 

 Melon has flavour it takes the first rank. 1 know fruits are 



grown to be eaten, not looked at ; bat yon may contend that 

 the leg of a mountain sheep is far sweeter mutton than that 

 of a Leicester, the former weighing C lbs., and the latter twice 

 as much. Some would be content with the small fruit, but 

 for appearance — and I hold it is all-important on festive 

 occasions, when the dessert is required to be noble — there is 

 no question that the large one is the more appetising. The 

 great aim of the cultivator is the same as that of the cattle- 

 breeder and feeder — viz., to diminish the coarse parts and 

 increase the " flesh." The lean beast need not enter the lists 

 with the thoroughly-conditioned animal ; but with Melons it 

 matters not how small and mean-looking they may be so long 

 as they have flavour. 



It is well known that in some kinds of fruits, and I may 

 say generally all descriptions, the smallest examples, not the 

 consequence of overcropping, have the highest flavour ; no 

 Pine Apples compare with the Qaeen in summer, or the 

 Jamaica or Montserrat in winter, iluscat of Alexandria is 

 far before all other Grapes in the crackling flesh, just as the 

 Hamburgh is in the sugary juice. The Eoyal George is the 

 sweetest of all Peaches ; the Green Gage of Plums ; the May 

 Duke of Cherries ; Winter Nelis of Pears ; and Ei'oston of 

 Apples. I admit this ; but ought it to follow that because a 

 known kind is the best in flavour, it should upon an exhibition 

 table be honoured to the exclusion of superior quahties for 

 consumption in others ? Could not quality advance with 

 size ? A Melon of 4 lbs. can surely be grown as high-flavoured 

 as one of 2 lbs. or under. Quality requires to be taken 

 relatively, for in many cases it is only a question of culture. 

 The large fruit may be wanting in flavour from being grown 

 under conditions favourable only to size, the weightier con- 

 ditions of quality-giving not being considered. It is possible 

 to give fruits immense proportions by feeding, but this, unless 

 accompanied by increased facilities for the elaboration of the 

 juices, tends to inferiority of flavour. On this account only 

 can I account for Melons being judged by flivour, which results 

 from good cultivation — as giving the plants the needful heat, 

 moisture, air, light, and root-support. There is, too, a 

 flavour inherent in certain kinds of fruit. Grow one such 

 under similar circumstances to another, and it will ever be 

 superior-flavoured, and it the judging go by flavour will always 

 be first. It is evident, therefore, that judging Melons is ordy 

 a question of tasting ; and as taste differs so greatly, I do 

 not perceive how any satisfactory inference can be drawn by 

 an on-looker. A novice could see why the first or second prize 

 is given for Pine Apples, Grapes, or Peaches ; but no one, 

 except an adept at Melon-cutting, could tell why that small 

 Melon should be first, when there are others far nobler and 

 handsomer in appearance. 



Now, I do not consider that flavour should be the sole test 

 in judging Melons ; I do not think any person has at all times 

 the same sense of good and ill flavour. I confess to not hking 

 a small Melon, for in such there is a greater proportionate waste 

 than in a large one. Th<rn there is the mutilation, in fact 

 destruction, of the fruit consequent on tasting. If Melons 

 cannot be judged by their external appearance, how is it most 

 other fruits can be so judged ? Under the rich yellow skin of 

 a Muscat Grape everybody concludes — in fact it is never ques- 

 tioned — that the flavour is high. With black Grapes it is the 

 same : if the bunches are compact, the berries large, black as 

 jet, and well furnished with bloom, flavour is presumed. It is 

 the same with Peaches : if they are well-swelled, well-coloured, 

 the flavour is not called in question. The consequence is the 

 fruit after exhibition can be used for their owner's dessert; 

 whereas in Melon competition the fruit, whether successful or 

 not, is lost for that purpose. The cutting also spoils their ap- 

 pearance on the exhibition table. 



There are some facts in connection with the flavour of 

 Melons which lead me to conclude that they may be judged 

 satisfactorily without cutting, and to these I will briefly allude, 

 observing first, that Melons are of two types — spherical and 

 elliptical. The former are round, flattened at each apex 

 like an Orange, original representatives of which are the 

 Egyptian in Green-flesh, and the Cantaloup among Scarlet- 

 fleshed. Melons of the second type are oval, as the Persian 

 and Cabool, originally white, yellow, or green-fleshed, but now 

 having scarlet-fleshed varieties. The Beechwood was originally 

 from Persia, and oval, but the best fruit are now spherical, 

 the original form having been altered considerably by cross- 

 breeding. 



The very circumstance that Melons are always cut s'nows that 

 flavour has advanced very little, and the advance is always 



