Janaary 22, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
63 
Aspidium fragrans. It is widely distributed in North Amei'ica, 
also occurring in the Caucasus, Ac. The fronds are produced in 
dense little tufts from 3 to G inches long, aud not much more 
than an inch broad, sometimes less, oblong-lanceolate in outline, 
twice divided, but the secondary divisions, as far as I have seen, 
even extend to the midrib, of a rich green colour, with a soft 
herbaceous texture, and a sweet fragrance almost like that of 
Violets. This little gem does well on the rockery outside if a 
warm sheltered position is selected. I have seen it in a few 
places, and have dried fronds from one rockery 5 inches long. 
It should be firmly pressed between two small stones, and the 
soil very sandy, with a little peat and leaf mould; if covered 
with a small bellglass it will be much assisted. It is an excellent 
little Fern for a Wardian case, or for growing in a small pan in a 
cold pit or house. 
Rhipidopteris peltata (Acrostichum peltatum). — This 
produces slender rambling rhizomes upon which the little fronds 
are closely set, growing from 2 to 6 inches high, the lamina of 
the barren fronds being fan-shaped, or sometimes nearly circular 
in outline, with several narrow forked divisions proceeding from 
the top of the stalk; the fertile fronds are smaller and nearly 
round, the colour is deep green. It is found in the West Indian 
Islands, Peru, Brazil, &c. This is usually grown in stove tem¬ 
peratures, but it may also be grown in a greenhouse. I have had 
a good specimen thus treated. It was grown in a shallow well- 
drained pan, in a mixture of fibrous peat and sand, with a little 
green sphagnum chopped up and mixed with it. After the 
rhizomes were pegged down the surface was covered with fresh 
sphagnum, in which the rhizomes ran freely. A bellglass was 
always kept over it, and a good supply of water given; indeed it 
must never be anything like dry or it suffers very much. The 
soil is best well raised above the rim of the pan. I have never seen 
it tried on blocks of cork, but I see no reason why it should not 
succeed well enough. It is truly a charming and curious little 
species, like the Actiniopteris resembling a miniature Palm. 
Upon another occasion I hope to mention some of the Pellseas, 
Nothochlaenas, and Cheilanthes.—T. 
GRAPE GROS GUILLAUME. 
With the exception of Duke of Buccleuch perhaps no Grape in 
cultivation has been more subjected to adverse criticism than Gros 
Guillaume; yet with all there is not a late Grape more easily 
managed that gives heavier and better returns than it does when fairly 
treated. After planting most growers succeed well enough with it 
for the first two or three years, then the bunches by degrees appear 
long and thin, with immoderately long footstalks to the berries, clearly 
demonstrating that something is wrong, and if this something were 
followed up it would prove to be in most cases insufficiently ripened 
wood. The shy-bearing character is usually induced in the same 
way, and it is not to be wondered at when we so often read in books 
upon Vine culture and also in the horticultural press men of light and 
leading advising Vines to be placed feet to 3 feet apart, and the 
spurs some 15 to 18 inches. Indeed, one author goes so far as to 
maintain that the best returns are had from Vines planted 2 feet 
apart and 12 inches between the spurs. The mischief of this teach¬ 
ing is, that although Black Hamburgh and Muscat of Alexandria will 
produce Grapes of a kind under such a system of treatment, the 
case is totally different when dealing with gross-growing varieties 
such as Gros Guillaume, which must have ample room for the laterals 
to develope their large fleshy foliage without crowding. 
Gros Guillaume does not require a high temperature to bring its 
fine handsome bunches to perfection. We grow it in a span-roofed 
house in company with Lady Downe’s Seedling, Gros Colman, 
Alnwick Seedling, and Gros Maroc. The Vines are planted 4 feet 
3 inches apart, the rods are 17 feet long, and from these we take 
only seven spurs on each side, and the laterals from them are allowed 
to run out about 9 feet. This to many may seem an extravagant 
waste of space—in practice such is not the case, for instead of Gros 
Guillaume being a shy bearer under such treatment, almost every 
lateral shows a bunch, many two, and some even three. When ripe 
they usually weigh from 6 to 10 lbs. each, close and compact, with a 
footstalk not longer than from 2 to 3 inches. The weight of Grapes 
we get is from 70 to 90 lbs. per rod. Gros Guillaume is not a coarse 
Grape, and in proof of this I send a small sample for an expression 
of your opinion.— J. McIndoe. 
[This “ small ” sample is what many persons would call large; 
the berries are large, regular, with short footstalks, well finished, and 
of good quality.] 
MALVA UMBELLATA. 
The attractive and little known plant represented in the woodcut 
(fig. 10) is one of the numerous interesting rarities included in tho 
Cambridge Botanic Garden, and to the Curator of that establishment, 
Mr. It. Irwin Lynch, we are indebted for the specimen figured. It is a 
Mexican plant, and was amongst those described and illustrated by 
Cavanilles ; it has therefore no claim to novelty, though, like many other 
old and neglected plants, it is well worth general culture. 
This Malva appears to have been known in Spain previous to its intro¬ 
duction to England, for it is recorded as growing in the Madrid Botanic 
Garden many years before, but it was not brought into this country until 
1826, so at least says Mr. Don. The flowers have been described as 
“scarlet,” but this term cannot be correctly applied to those we have 
seen, which are of a bright red hue, the central column of stamens being 
white. The plant is strong-growing, with large irregularly lobed leaves, 
and it succeeds very well in a warm conservatory or intermediate house, 
where it will grow strongly and flower freely during the autumn or early 
winter. 
UNDER GARDENERS. 
I HAVE read with much interest the two numbers of the Journal 
which have contained so many useful suggestions and such good advice 
on subjects which are of vital importance to all gardeners. As I am yet 
Pig. 10.—Malva umbellata. 
an under gardener my remarks will be more properly confined to the 
subject which was so ably started by Mr. Bardney and taken up in such 
an encouraging manner by “ Lathyrus.” Both of your correspondents have 
written in a spirit that I am sure all under gardeners will appreciate, for 
when we are continually hearing of the alleged inferiority of the present 
race of gardeners compared with their predecessors, it is more calculated 
to check the ardour of the more sensitive than to do good to anyone. 
I believe that among the rising generation of gardeners can be found 
men who are as earnestly attached to their profession, and who pursue 
it with as much unceasing perseverance, as any of their predecessors. It 
has been my good fortune since I began bothy life to live with more than 
one such man, and they have served (I hope not in vain) as models for 
my own imitation. All are not gifted with the peculiar skill and un¬ 
bounded resources that are necessary to make a first-class gardenei, but I 
am afraid there are many who do not arouse themselves enough to bring 
out what talent they possess, while others are wanting in those percep¬ 
tive faculties that are required to enable them to put their knowledge to 
a practical use. Many a gardener has surpassed in the battle of life others 
who were his superiors in knowledge simply because he had keener per- 
