104 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 8, 1878. 
avoid any stimulant that induces grossness, and in case of the 
plants making a sturdy growth avoid giving manure water of 
any kind... The surface of the pots may be stirred lightly with 
a pointed piece of wood—this is to cause the water to permeate 
the soil in the pots equally ; for if they become dry the soil 
leaves the sides of the pots, and without a loose surface the 
water passes between the sides of the ball and pot without 
wetting the interior of the soil. Remove all runners as they 
appear; see that the roots do not escape from the pots, but 
keep them on a hard bottom in the full sun, yet in a position 
where they will be sheltered from strong winds, which seriously 
injure the leaves by their rubbing against the rim of the pots. 
Let every plant have room for its foliage ; crowding the plants 
together affords nothing but bad growths, poor crowns, and 
disappointment.—PRACTICALIST. 
PLANTS IN FLOWER AT BIRDHILL, CLONMEL. 
I PAID a hurried visit on the 31st ult. to the gardens of the 
prince of Orchid growers in this locality, George Gough, Esq.. 
at his picturesquely situated residence near this town. The 
situation for a garden, grounds, and surroundings might form 
the beaw ideal for a landscape gardener ; but to this I hope to 
return another time. At present the readers of the Journal 
may be interested in some notes I took of the Orchids at pre- 
sent in bloom, with a collateral reference to afew other plants. 
The latter were kindly pointed out by the proprietor, and I 
was shown oyer the grounds and houses by the head gardener, 
Mr. John Lonergan, a promising young man, who has a rare 
opportunity of becoming acquainted with all the novelties in 
the floral world with Mr. Gough, for no sooner are such an- 
nounced than you generally find them at Birdhill. 
The new Orchid house first deserves a passing notice. It 
has been erected under the immediate supervision of the owner 
by a local man of considerable taste and experience, and cer- 
tainly has all the recommendations pointed out in the Journal 
by Mr. Luckhurst, page 62, “combining strength, lightness, 
and soundness with a good method of ventilation, staging, and 
heating, the materials and workmanship being honest, strong, 
and true.” Here in a brief sentence are the most desirable 
points requisite in such structures. The house is, say, 50 feet 
long, span-roofed, and facing south-west. A peculiar feature is 
haying the front sashes painted green. This, besides shading 
the plants, throws a soft mild light over the house. The plants 
that immediately on entrance catch the eye are a fine example 
of Dendrobium Devonianum. ‘This was, 1 remember, in flower 
last May, and I now ascertain it has produced 220 splendid 
blooms. Just opening into bloom was a fine specimen of 
Vanda tricolor, a native of Java, and very promising. Another 
well-developed plant is Disa grandiflora, very healthy, but 
somewhat smaller than the one shown by Mr. Speed from 
Chatsworth (vide Journal of the 25th). An Orchid of con- 
siderable merit now flowering profusely is Lycaste cruenta, a 
native of Guatemala. No section is so largely represented here 
as the Odontoglossum. Those now flowering are O. crispum, 
a profuse bloomer, but liable to sport its colour; O. Roezlii 
and its charming variety alba; O. triumphans, O. Uro-Skin- 
neri, and best of all O. vexillarium. This is a young plant 
procured last September from Chelsea, the flowers of which 
are coming out large and splendid. It is evidently one of 
the best varieties of the species ; and this, too, is the opinion 
of Mr. Gough, who is in this respect a connoisseur of superior 
judgment. The flowers are generally rose-coloured ; this one 
has a yellow centre softly shaded to rose towards the margin, 
and is flowering finely in a cool partially shaded conservatory. 
The Begonias at Birdhill are in the greatest variety ; you 
find them in every house and of many hues, and eyen bedded 
out I now specially refer to the tuberous kinds. The number 
and varieties are owing to the successful hybridisation carried 
out by Mr. Lonergan under the direction of Mr. Gough. One 
variety was particularly striking, the result of a cross between 
Valourous and Camoens, and to which has been given the 
appropriate name of Bonfire; colour dark vermilion shaded 
softly to crimson. 
At present flowering in the stove are Anthurium crystallinum 
and Cissus discolor; and the good and sweet old greenhouse 
plant, Rhynchospermum jasminoides, is represented by a hand- 
some specimen trained on an oval wire trellis. 
A reference to Mr. Gough’s plants would be incomplete 
without noting two very remarkable Ferns in cases—Todea 
(Leptopteris) superba, and two plants of the well-known Kil- 
larney Vern (Trichomanes radicans), quite models of healthy 
growth. The former is a native of New Zealand, and to which 
no description could do justice. The fronds are over a foot 
long and of a bright green transparent texture, gracefully 
drooping. After a refreshing turn in the cool and charmingly 
constructed grotto where boating parties from Clonmel are 
allowed to picnic, after a pull up the river I leave, purposing 
to return to this attractive scene and subject again.—W. J. M, 
Clonmel. 
GRAPES SCALDING—SEEDLESS BERRIES. 
SINCE duty was taken off glass an impetus has been given 
to the erection of horticultural structures; thin crown glass 
has been supplanted by sheets of much greater thickness, and 
the panes or squares have been much increased in size, doing 
away with no inconsiderable extent of sashbar and a great 
many opaque laps; in other words, the light admitted to a 
house constructed upon modern principles is very much 
greater than was formerly the case with the old-fashioned 
system of heavy rafters, close sashbars, and small squares. 
There is no doubt of the advantage of the modern system in 
all structures from October to March inclusive, but in summer 
it is questionable whether large panes of clear glass have not 
much to answer for in scorching, attacks of red spider, and in 
the scalding of Grapes. Grapes scald only when the solar rays 
are most powerful—. ¢., in June, July, and August, and in no 
instance have I seen a scalded berry in any other month. 
This would point to the eyil being due to excessive solar heat 
ageravated by imperfect ventilation. 
As conditions predisposing to scald I may mention erossness 
of growth, induced not so much by rich borders as by a close, 
moist, ill-ventilated atmosphere, which gives to the fruit the 
character of the foliage—viz., gross and watery. Scalding 
usually follows a dull cold period, When the atmosphere of 
the house is surcharged with moisture the berries swell rapidly, 
but in dull weather there is little or no evaporation going on 
from the foliage or berries; the skins of the latter are thin, 
having a deep green appearance, as also has the foliage. Upon 
a return to bright weather the house is suddenly heated, the 
leaves give off water, and the fruit also, but the latter cannot 
do so nearly so rapidly. They become heated by the sur- 
rounding atmosphere, for the direct rays of the sun are not 
necessary. to cause scalding, and the whole surface of the berry 
affected is scorched, and then shrivels and falls. This is a 
bad case of scalding, due entirely to too low a temperature 
previously, and insufficient ventilation accompanied by too 
much moisture. 
There is not much difference between this form of scalding 
and that which affects the Grapes in spots at the upper side of 
the berries or that side exposed to the sun which is somewhat 
less disastrous and easier of avoidance. The remedy for this 
as well as the preceding is, when the berries have stoned to 
afford a little ventilation at night and fire heat to maintain a 
temperature of 70° to 65° night, and afford very liberal venti- 
lation by day, not allowing the temperature to rise above 80° 
without full ventilation, increasing it from 70° with increased 
sun. In order to save fuel fire heat is often only afforded 
when the Vines are being started into growth and when the 
crops are finishing, the Vines in the interim being solely 
dependant on solar heat, and at the same time no difference 
is made between the moisture afforded when fire heat is 
employed and when it is not.. This tends, particularly in a 
dull period, to promote succulent growth and great leaf-de- 
velopment, which frequently results in overcrowding, and the 
fruit is then much liable to shank and scald. Grapes never 
do so well as in a house with a circulation of warm air, and 
when the fruit is ripening, rather dry. f 
Muscats ripening early in June sometimes scald, which is 
due to the want of that free day ventilation that is given to 
crops at a later period. When Grapes must be pushed to come 
in at a given time there is no alternative but two—First, to 
haye a large extent of heating surface, so as to admit of free 
ventilation whilst maintaining the requisite temperature ; or, 
second, to afford a slight shade, as that of hexagon netting, 
when the sun’s rays are fierce, particularly after a dull period. 
These observations are given upon the assumption that the 
foliage is ample and fully exposed to lightnot at one time 
crowded with laterals and at another time letting in a flood of 
light by removing the laterals by the barrowload ; also that 
the atmospheric moisture is regulated by the weather. Vines, 
as a rule, receive too much atmospheric moisture and a too 
scanty supply at the roots, 
