October 2, 1889.] 



Garden and Forest. 



477 



nary use. But this year it is suprisingly sweet — so much so 

 that I at first thought I must be mistaken in the sort. It is 

 verv hardy and productive, and, if it were generally as good 

 as I find it this fall, would be a profitable Grape for the far 

 north. I think a vineyard of it would yield more bushels than 

 a potato patch of the same size. 



The Thrips increase annually on my vines, but although 

 the foliage appears to be considerably injured, especially on 

 the Dela wares, the crop is not noticeably lessened. But I think 

 the vitality of the vines must, in the end, be impaired. The 

 thick, dark foliage of Moore's Early seems to be invincible to 

 this insect. 



The Shiawassee Beauty Apple rises higher in my esteem 

 year by year, as I become better acquainted with it. This 

 season, when there are but few apples, and of these few most 

 are ruined by insects, Shiawassee is large, fair and perfect. 

 A seedling of the Fameuse, it is yet quite distinct, being larger, 

 more flattened, more brightly red, and distinctly more acid, 

 though with the true Fameuse flavor. The tree is very hardy, 

 having endured several of our severest winters ; and above 

 all, in point of comparative merit with its parent, it is free 

 from the fungus spotting so ruinous to the Fameuse. 



A New Apple Pest, known in Vermont as " the Railroad 

 Worm," because in its first inroads it followed the tracks, is 

 doing immense damage. At first it attacked only early and 

 sweet varieties, but now does not discriminate, except, per- 

 haps, by preference for the softer-fleshed sorts. This minute 

 insect enters through the skin when the fruit reaches maturity, 

 and bores a net-like track through and through the apple, con- 

 verting the flesh into a brownish spongy mass, with unaffected 

 pulp in the intermediate spaces. Its presence is indicated in 

 the mature fruit by dark depressed lines upon the surface ; but 

 this disfigurement bears but a slight proportion to the actual 

 injury, which results in utter worthlessness, even in apples 

 showing but slight external marks. I call the insect " minute," 

 because, though cutting the apples in search of it at various 

 stages, I have never found it, and should have supposed it 

 some sort of fungus had I not been assured that it is a worm. 



Newport, Vt. T. H. HoskijlS. 



[The insect referred to is evidently the Trypeta pomo- 

 nella, Walsh, known many years in some of the Western 

 states, but which has not been reported as injurious in this 

 section. The fly, for it is a true fly, is not more than one- 

 fourth of an inch in wing expanse, of a rather deep brown- 

 ish-yellow color, shining, and with prettily banded wings. 

 The eggs are laid on the apples, usually on the thin- 

 skinned varieties, and the maggots bore in every direction, 

 as described above. In length it does not exceed one-fifth 

 of an inch, and it is of a greenish-white or yellow color. 

 When full-fed, in early September, or even earlier, the larva 

 leaves the apple, drops to the ground, and burrows a short 

 distance under the surface, where it changes to a pupa, 

 emerging about midsummer of the following year. No 

 practical remedies, so far as we are informed, have been 

 suggested, as it has not proved so seriously injurious here- 

 tofore as to make special study necessary. — Ed.] 



Orchid Notes.- 



Lcelia Perrinii. — This elegant and free-blooming Orchid is 

 not grown so extensively as its merits deserve. With ordinary 

 treatment it grows strongly, and, what is more, produces its 

 flowers at a season when there is the least number of varieties 

 blooming. L. Perrinii has stout; deeply-charmelled, clavate 

 bulbs, and a single deep green leaf of a leathery texture, and 

 about one foot long. The flowers, from three to six, are 

 about fiv.e inches across, and rosy-purple, while the front lobe of 

 the lip is of a purplish-crimson, the throat being white. This 

 species was introduced from Brazil in 183 1. It will grow best 

 in an intermediate-house, with a good exposure to sunlight 

 and abundance of air when the weather is favorable. Some 

 pale varieties have been introduced recently, but are still very 

 rare. These are Alba, with pure white liowers; Nivea, white, 

 with the lip margined with rose, and Irroratus, rosy sepals and 

 petals and nearly white lip. 



Lycaste {Paphinia) grandis is the rarest and largest-flowered 

 of a singular genus of Orchids now included in Lycaste. It is 

 of a very compact habit, scarcely exceeding six inches in 

 height, with ovate-clustered bulbs and thin plicate leaves. 

 The scapes are pendulous, and to show the flowers to advan- 

 tage the plants should be grown in baskets or small, shallow 

 pans. The flowers are about six inches across, the lanceolate 



sepals and petals being chocolate-brown, barred and edged 

 with cream color. The claw-like lip is blackish-purple, with 

 the front lobe cream-colored and surmounted with a tuft of 

 hair. This plant, with its congeners, needs a good deal of 

 heat, and it should never be allowed to become dry. Very lit- 

 tle potting material is required, and that may be a mixture of 

 fibrous peat and moss. It was introduced from Brazil in 1884, 

 and a few seedlings from one of the first introductions will 

 soon be in bloom with us. 



Odontoglossuvi Bictonense was the first species of the genus 

 to reach England alive. It has an extensive range through 

 Mexico and Guatemala, and was introduced from the latter 

 country in 1835. Though it may not be compared to its su- 

 perb and larger-flowered congeners of later introduction, still, 

 when in fine condition, the many-flowered, branching racemes 

 are by no means unattractive. It is of very robust habit, with 

 oblong-flattened bulbs, surmounted by two to three undulated 

 deep green leaves. The stout, erect racemes are often 

 branched, and bear many greenish-yellow flowers, prettily 

 spotted with brown. The cordate-acuminate lip is usually 

 pink, but there are a great many varieties, the most distinct 

 being one with a pure white lip. This Orchid prefers the in- 

 termediate-house, in well-drained pots of peat and moss, 

 abundance of water during growth, and a decided rest by with- 

 holding the water to a certain extent during winter. 



Kenwood, N. Y. F. Goldrillg. 



Oncidium varicosiim Rogersii. — The extraordinary flower- 

 ing qualities of this Oncidium has rendered it very popular, 

 and we now find it grown extensively. Its strong, well- 

 branched spikes, which attain a length of three and four feet, 

 make their appearance at this season, and are laden with 

 massive flowers of great brilliancy ; the sepals and petals are 

 small, barred and spotted with brown ; the lip, however, is a 

 rich golden-yellow, broad, flat and, in some instances, beauti- 

 fully undulated, and furnished with a claret-colored blotch in 

 the centre. Spikes carrying from eighty to one hundred flowers 

 are of common occurrence, and even comparatively small plants 

 will produce this number when properly managed. It is, how- 

 ever, advisable to cut the spikes from such plants as soon as the 

 flowers are fully expanded, so that their strength may not be 

 exhausted and prevent their blooming the following season. 

 Like most Oncidiums, they delight in an abundance of air 

 during growth and a position as near the light as possible. 

 Very little compost is necessary about the roots, but good 

 drainage is very essential. Baskets are better than blocks. 

 They do not dry out so rapidly during our hot summer weather. 



Sophronitis grandifiora. — This is one of the gems of our 

 dwarf Orchids and very easy to cultivate. It occupies very 

 little space, and produces its rich scarlet blossoms at this pe- 

 riod with the young growths. The individual flower measures 

 from two and a half to three inches across, and is round, well 

 formed and of good substance, remaining on the plant five or 

 six weeks in good condition. Its cultural requirements are 

 simple, and, if placed firmly in baskets or pans where plenty 

 of light and air is available, it will grow and flower very 

 freely. While growth is being made, it should occupy a cool 

 posifion, for if grown too rapidly it will not bloom. When the 

 flowering period is over, water may be withheld to thoroughly 

 ripen the bulbs. During the winter months it should be grown 

 in a temperature of fifty-five to sixty degrees. One of Mr. 

 Hicks Arnold's cool houses, in New York, was recently 

 ornamented by a well-flowered group of these Orchids. 



Summit, N.J. ■ A. DillWlOck. 



Aponogeton distachyon, the Cape Pond Weed, is a pretty and 

 very desirable aquatic plant for the decoration of the green- 

 house in winter, not only for its quaint form, but also for its 

 delicious fragrance and the pure white color of its flowers, or, 

 correctly speaking, bracts. The foliage also is most beautiful, 

 being borne on long stems to enable it to float and present its 

 bright, shining, green surface as a foil to the flowers. As it is 

 strictly a winter-flowering plant we have found it difficult to 

 change its season, so as to flower it in summer. If this coifld 

 be done, the Aponogeton coifld be easily naturalized, and it 

 would prove hardy here in the East, but in the more favored 

 states, as to winter climate, the Aponogeton may be easily 

 planted out in streams or ponds and will take care of itself 

 and increase very rapidly. We usually take the roots out of 

 the old soil in September, and plant them in pots suitable in 

 size to the strength of the plant, and then immerse the pot to 

 about twelve inches l)elow the surface, when in about seven 

 days flowers appear simultaneously with the foliage, and at 

 once fill the structure with their fragrance. In this way un- 

 sightly cisterns, or other receptacles of water, may speedily 



