60 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 22, 1985. 
of February or early in March until the end of October. 
During the winter it is not necessary to have the atmosphere 
quite so dry as is required for many Orchids. During growth 
water should be given freely to the plants to keep the moss 
and rooting material thoroughly moist. The plants may be 
syringed once or twice daily during bright weather, but 
during dull or damp weather, when the water is liable to 
remain in the axils of the leaves for some time, they are better 
unsyringed. No syringing is needed during the winter 
months. Less water is required at their roots from October 
until March; but under no circumstances should the moss be 
allowed to become thoroughly dry. It must always be mode¬ 
rately moist, or the lower leaves will shrivel, turn yellow, 
and have to be removed, which will seriously disfigure the 
plants. 
Aerides will not bear strong sunshine, and they must 
therefore be shaded during bright weather. Every ray of 
light possible must, however, be admitted, for this is essen¬ 
tial to obtain sturdy compact growth. The blinds employed 
for shading must be of such a character that they will only 
break the sun’s rays without excluding light. Care must be 
taken that they are not used too early in the day or left on 
longer in the afternoon than is really needed. 
With a little care it is not difficult to establish imported 
plants of Aerides. Much, however, depends upon the time 
of year they are received ; if during the summer or growing 
season they either start quickly into growth or die at once. 
During the autumn and winter months they are considerably 
longer before they make a start, but are certain to do so if 
ike plants were in good condition when received. It is dif¬ 
ficult to obtain plants exactly when you want them, but the 
best months in which to receive them for starting into growth 
afterwards are December, January, and February. All de¬ 
cayed roots and leaves should be removed, and the plants 
suspended in an intermediate temperature for at least three 
weeks. The moisture of the atmosphere will be ample, for 
if they are syringed or kept too moist at first they are very 
liable to decay. They may after this be removed to the 
stove where the established plants are grown, and if this 
occurs during the autumn, winter, and spring months the 
moisture of the atmosphere will be ample for them at first; 
if during the summer they may need syringing occasionally. 
The plants must be suspended roots upwards, so that the 
syringe can be freely used after they have become accus¬ 
tomed to the moisture of the atmosphere. When suspended 
as advised there is no danger of water lodging in the 
heart of the plant and thus causing injury. Directly new 
roots are visible a little sphagnum moss should be placed 
about the stems to assist in retaining moisture, and the 
syringe may be freely used two or three times daily during 
bright sunny weather. When root-action has well com¬ 
menced the plants may be attached to small blocks of wood 
with a little sphagnum moss about them, and after they 
become established they can be placed in baskets or pots. 
It is not wise to place them in baskets before the following 
spring, for the baskets named for them would be too large at 
first if the plants are only of the ordinary trade size. If the 
imported plants are large masses baskets in proportion to 
their size must be used. With large plants it is a good plan 
after they have started rooting to secure them upon or 
amongst the charcoal used for drainage in the baskets in 
which they are to be grown. A little moss may be used for 
retaining moisture about them until the plants are rooting 
freely, when the baskets may be filled, as advised for estab¬ 
lished plants. When placed upright in baskets care must 
be taken in syringing that water does not lodge in the axils 
of the leaves. The moss and charcoal can be kept moist 
without syringing the plants, except on very fine days. 
Aerides do well suspended in an ordinary plant stove 
where the temperature ranges from 60° to 65° at night from 
the month of October until March, with a rise by day of 5° 
or 10°, the former from fire heat and the latter from sun heat. 
During the remaining months of the year the night tempera¬ 
ture may be kept from 65° to 75° at night, with a rise of 10° 
or 15° more from sun heat. If the temperature rises during 
bright weather after closing in the afternoon to 95°, or even 
100°, no injury will be done provided there is plenty of 
moisture in the atmosphere. Air should be admitted every 
day during spring and summer when the weather is favour¬ 
able. Light and air, if freely admitted, is the secret of 
firm sturdy growth and healthy specimens. 
A small scale and thrips are the worst insect enemies of 
these plants. If either of these is allowed to become esta¬ 
blished it soon injures the foliage. The scale may be 
eradicated by frequently sponging the foliage of the plants 
with water in which a little softsoap has been stirred. When 
once this small scale has established itself upon the plants 
frequent sponging must be resorted to, or it is impossible to 
get them thoroughly free from this insect, which increases 
with marvellous rapidity. Thrips are best destroyed by 
sponging with tobacco water, a weak solution only being 
necessary, and if established in the centre of the plant or in 
the axils of the leaves, where it is impossible to reach them 
with the syringe, tobacco powder should be dusted over them. 
After this has been done two or three slight fumigations with 
tobacco smoke may be given on successive evenings for the 
purpose of destroying any insects that may have escaped 
into the house. 
I shall not give a list of species, for the majority are 
worthy of cultivation, and can now be obtained at moderate 
prices, except a few new and rare ones, which can be dis¬ 
pensed with where cheap and useful Orchids are required.— 
Wm. Bardney. 
LATE VINE BORDER?. 
Owing to the Grapes not being cut until the turn of the year, 
and the months of January and February being unfavourable to 
the lifting and relaying of Vine roots in outside borders, the 
occupants of late houses do not alway receive the attention 
needed, as is the case when the Yines are not producing satisfac¬ 
tory results ; yet the work of renovation is postponed, for sooner 
or later the borders must be put right, and the proper time to do 
this is so soon as it is seen that things are going wrong. No 
time should be lost after the Grapes are cut in making a careful 
examination of the borders, and if necessary immediately prepare 
to remove the old and put in the new soil. There is nothing 
like having everything ready for use when it is wanted, as it 
expedites matters proportionately. 
The first consideration is soil, and the staple should be turfy 
loam, the top 3 inches of a pasture where the soil is of a sandy 
rather than clayey nature, and preferably calcareous. This 
should be chopped up roughly, and have added to it a tenth of 
lime rubbish from an old building, a similar proportion of 
burned earth, a twentieth of charcoal, and a fortieth of crushed 
bones ; the whole well incorporated and placed either in an open 
shed or near the border to be operated on, and covered with 
tarpaulin to protect it from rain. Then, to facilitate matters, a 
liberal quantity of fresh clean drainage materials, such as broken 
stones or brickbats, may be prepared and placed near the borders, 
as much time is expended in cleaning the old drainage materials, 
which retards the work. 
Advantage must be taken of the first settled mild weather 
for freeing the roots of the old compost and clearing everything 
away, even the drainage down to the concrete, if. the latter has 
been employed as the base of the border. Preserve all the roots, 
being careful to injure them as little as possible, and to prevent 
them becoming dry tie them up in damp mats and secure along 
the front of the house. The drains must first be set right, not 
only as regards those of the border, but the outlet from it. Then 
place a foot to a foot and a half depth of drainage on the concrete 
or bottom ; roughest at bottom, the finest being spread on the 
surface. Place next turf, grass side downwards, over the 
drainage, and then wheel in the compost, putting in layers and 
beating down with forks, and raising in this way to within 
9 inches of the intended surface. The width of the border made 
need not exceed 9 feet, and in some instances 6 feet will be 
sufficient, hence the front or outside should be erected of sods, 
which will form a retaining wall. 
Relaying the roots must be proceeded with by taking those 
which have found their way deepest from the side border, short¬ 
ening all the thickest and longest and covering them with a thin 
layer of compost, then more roots, and continue this with thin 
