September i, 1881.] ' THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
appeared. This summer, however, there have been 
sigus of them again, but whenever the blight makes 
its appearance, an application of the brush dipped in 
petroleum at once extinguishes it. The contact of the 
oil with the leaves and fruit buds apparently does 
no injury, and I see that with a little patience and 
perseverance, my trees, which were in a fair way for 
being ruined, c m be preserved. — E. B. 
To cleanse Fruit Trees or Moss.— Not only the 
mosses and lichens which so generally affect fruit trees, 
but the eggs of insects may be effectually destroyed 
by dressing the trees in winter with a wash composed 
of a saturated solution of soft soap and common salt 
or brine. The trunks and large branches ought to 
be first scraped with a scraper made of old hoop or 
any other implement that may be improvised for the 
purpose, and when all the scales of bark are removed, 
apply the mixture with a painter's brush, working 
it well into the crevices. This is much preferable 
to, and not so unsightly as, washing with lime. 
To Destroy Grass and Moss in Pavements and 
Walks. — Dissolve lib. of powdered arsenic in 3 
gallons of cold water, boil and keep stirring ; then 
add 7 gallons of cold water and 2 lb. of crushed 
soda, etir the whole well whilst boiling, and with 
a rose watering pot apply to the walks in dry wea- 
ther, from March to May inclusive, bejng the best 
time. The above quantity will be enough for 25 square 
yards. An inclining board should be placed at the 
sides of the walks or grass to keep off the hot liquid. 
Salt will destroy weeds for a time. If you have 
box edging, the salt or the soda and arsenical solu- 
tion above-named must be kept from them, otherwise 
they will be killed. 
To HEMovB Worms from Lawns and Pots.— Half 
an ounce of corrosive sublimate (bichloride of mercury) 
dissolved in 15 gallons of water will cause worms to 
come to the surface ; but care must be taken that 
fowl do not eat them, otherwise they will be poisoned. 
A peck of freshly made quicklime mixed with 40 gal- 
lons of water, and allowed to stand till it clears, it 
applied through the rose of a watering-pot will have 
the same effect. These mixtures may also be used 
to remove worms from flower pots. 
ORCHIDS FORT AMATEURS. 
(From the Country Gentleman' n Magazine.) 
Denduobiums rank among the very finest of all 
orchids. Most of the species which we named in the 
March number of the Villa Gardener, will grow well 
in the warm end of a Cittleya or intermediate house. 
They may all he grown either in pots or baskets, but 
those most fatted for basket culture are Chrysotoxum, 
Densiflorum, Devonianum, Parishii, Pierardii, Th'yrsi- 
florum, and Wardianum. The others do fully as well 
in pots. Strong-growing kinds should have a good 
doptii of material to root in such as ' uobile ; v. •• .k 
roOL'ji'.:, such as Parishii, should have but little mater ial. 
The two great secrets in the successful estivation 
of the Deudrobium are a decided season of growth 
and a decided season of rest. This is best secured 
by affording a pretty brisk heat from the time the 
growth commences, until it is fairly finished, and 
then the plants should be kept comparatively cool. 
During the growing season a plentiful supply of water 
is necessary, and during the resting period only just 
as much as will prevent shrivelliu^. It is only by 
such treatment that D. nobVe, can be made to yield 
a profusion of flowers. By keeping the plants warm 
and moist they go on growing, but flower only 
sparely ; but by the opposite treatment abundant 
floriferousness may be had. The evergreen kinds should 
not be kept quite so dry as the deciduous kinds. 
During winicr the baskets in which these are growing 
should be damped weekly with the syringe. 
Disa G randiflora. — This is a very fine cool-house 
orchid, and when there is only such a house as we have 
recommended, it should be put in the coolest position 
possible, and near to a ventilator, for it must be 
borne in mind that too great a heat is against the 
plant's well-doing, The ordinary orchid mixture will 
suit it well. Some growers add a little very fibry 
loam, but we caunot say that it does better in it 
than in the ordinary mixture. 
LyELIAS. — Anceps and Autumnalis should be in the 
smallest collection. Anceps does best in pots, but 
Autumnalis requires a basket or a block. Both thrive 
well in moss and charcoal, and a fair supply of water, 
while growing, especially if they are on blocks. 
Both are winter-flowering plants, and require a good 
season of rest, after they have flowered. Re-potting, 
basketing, or blocking should take place just before 
new roots are pushed in spring. 
Lycaste Skinneri is a real gem for an amateur. 
There are many varieties, but all are good. Its main 
requirements are : — The cool end of an intermediate 
house or warm end of a cool one ; moss and char- 
coal, with a bttle fibry peat, plenty of water while 
growing, and moderate dryness while at rest. Scale 
is apt to trouble it, but the use of the sponge will 
keep it under. 
M esospi n id ;jm vulcanum and sanguineum are two 
neat, free-growing plants which freely produce elegant 
spikes of sangu ineous flower. Both are easily cultivated. 
Miltonias are good, free growing, free-flowering 
orchids. The cool end of the house, and a couple 
of inches of material to root in ; steady moisture and 
shade from sun will secure success in their cultivation. 
Tomatos for the Million. — Mr. John Hopper, 
formerly gardener at The Elms, Acton, and who 
has long enjoyed a good reputation as a successful 
cultivator of the Tomato, is now illustraring in a 
remarkable degree at Mr. Hawkins' Floral Nursery, 
Haven Greer,, Ealing, the capacity of well-grown plants 
to produce large quantities of fine fruit. In a span- 
roofed house of 216 feet in length there are growing 
400 plants, 200 on each side, planted in a bed of soil 
resting on somewhat narrow wooden and slate sheb'es. 
The house is warmed solely by solar heat ; the plants, 
which represent a good type of the large red Tomato, 
were raised from seed in March, and planted out at 
the latter part of April. Layers of turf were first 
of all laid on the shelves, and on this was placed 
a compost formed of good fibry loam and duns, and 
in this the Tomatos were planted. In it they have 
made a very robust growth, the plants average 3£ feet 
iu length, but with steins of remarkable stoutness. 
They are trained straight up to the roof, and the 
laterals are kept thinned out. Already tue plants 
are producing ripe truit ; as soon as they begin to show 
signs of colouring they are picked off and lipened on 
shelves. One remarkable feature of the plants i* their 
short-jointed growth, and Mr. Hepper cahubtes there 
are eight joints to tue yard, and that the plants, after 
thinning, averaged eighteen fruit to the foot run. 
And such fruit too — large, symmetrical, and highly 
coloured. Let it be remembered that the shelves are 
narrow, and that the depth of the bed of soil scarcely 
exceeds 6 i' ches. As the roots find their way to the 
surface a little fresh soil is added, and copious water- 
ings are given. The bunches are thinned out to about 
nine fruits by removing all the malformed ones. -Mr. 
Hepper confidently predicts a great weight of fruit 
from this bouee, and its appearance justifies his ex- 
pectation. With constant attention and careful crop- 
ping, Mr. Hepper hopes to gather fruit up to Crista 
mas. There are also four smaller span-roofed houses 
planted in beds for a latter crop, but the plauts are 
similarly trained. These houses give anoi her 500 plants, 
and it is bolieved each plant will produce on an 
average fifty fruits. With such productiveness, good 
Tomatos should be within easy reach of the million, 
— Gardeners' Chronicle, 
