258 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March 31, 1881 
attention to the supply of water and the maintenance of a mode¬ 
rately high temperature success may be attained. The leaves are 
dark green, but not of quite such thick texture as most other 
species. The flowers are of medium size, very neat in form, with 
rounded white rose-tinted sepals and petals, and a bright rosy 
purple lip. The species was discovered by the Rev. C. S. P. Parish, 
and introduced several years ago. 
The foregoing are some of the most beautiful Moth Orchids, but 
there are many others all more or less interesting which it is not 
necessary to describe at length. For instance, P. sumatrana has 
pretty flowers barred and blotched with reddish brown something 
like an Odontoglossum. P. casta with white flowers is regarded 
as a natural hybrid, under which category P. leucorrhoda is also 
included. The latter is considered as a hybrid between P. Schil- 
leriana and P. amabilis, resembling the former in the leaves and 
the latter in the flowers. P. Veitchiana and P. violacea are also 
pretty species. Of the last an attractive variety, which has been 
named Murtoniana by Professor Reichenbacb, was sent to this 
country a few years ago by a friend of mine, Mr. H. Murton, 
Superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Garden, and a specimen 
flowered at a garden in Cornwall. The flowers are light yellow 
tinged with purple on the sepals and at the base of the column. 
P. ametbystina is another elegant species, but not so showy as 
most of those described, all of which are well worth growing where 
there is the necessary accommodation, though P. amabile, P. Schil- 
leriana, and P. grandiflora are represented in nearly every col¬ 
lection.—L. C. 
0 
BS? WORK/oatheWEEKy 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines .—Late varieties started at the beginning of the month will 
now be moving, and should be syringed freely several times a day, 
closing the house with a humid atmosphere at 75°, affording a night 
temperature of 55° to 00°, and 10° to 15° more by day. Syringe the 
Vines morning and afternoon until the bunches are showing, when it 
must be discontinued, securing a humid atmosphere by damping the 
paths, walls, and borders frequently during the day. Any late 
varieties, also Muscats, must be started at once. Give the inside 
borders a thorough soaking v r ith water at 90®, and syringe the rods 
twice a day, maintaining a humid atmosphere by damping the paths, 
&c., several times a day. To secure an even break bring down the 
rods of young canes to a horizontal position until all the eyes have 
started, when they may be tied up to the wires. The night tempera¬ 
ture should be maintained at 55° to 00° at night, and 10° more by day, 
closing at 75° with a humid atmosphere. Houses of Hamburghs for 
use late in the year should be kept as cool as possible, admitting air 
freely day and night except when frost prevails, during which time 
fire heat will be necessary to exclude frost and secure sturdy growth. 
By the middle of April they will be growing, and must have fire heat 
to maintain a night temperature of 50° to 55°, and 5° to 10° rise by 
day. Attend to disbudding, tying out, and stopping in succession 
houses, and keep the thinning of bunches and berries well forward. 
No particular rule can be laid down for thinning, as the several 
varieties differ in form and size of berry and bunch. In a properly 
thinned bunch every berry should have room to swell without being 
squeezed, and yet be so close as to preserve the form of the bunch 
when cut. Hamburghs and other free-setting varieties may be 
thinned as soon as out of flow’er, but Muscats and other shy setters 
should not be thinned until the properly fertilised berries take the 
lead. Where Grapes are thinned a temperature of 65° at night, or a 
few degrees more in mild weather, advancing early in the day to 75°, 
will be advantageous, ventilating from 75°, and maintaining the 
temperature through the day at 80° to 85° with sun heat, closing 
early and allowing an advance to 90° with plenty of atmospheric 
moisture. Keep up a steady circulation of dry warm air in houses 
where the Yines are flowering, with a minimum temperature of 
G5° for Black Hamburghs, and 5° more for Muscats. The bunches 
of Muscats should be brushed over with a large camel’s-hair brush 
when in flower to assist fertilisation. Water all internal borders 
requiring it with weak liquid manure, or sprinkle with guano and 
wash-in with water at 80? to 85°. The fermenting material should 
ere this have been removed from inside early houses, giving the 
border a thorough soaking with liquid manure, and mulch with 
short dung about 2 inches thick. Gradually reduce the atmospheric 
moisture where Grapes are ripening, and admit a steady circulation 
of warm air both day and night. Afford plentiful supplies of liquid 
manure to pot Yines with fruit swelling off, and if the roots extend 
from the pots into fermenting materials give a supply there as well. 
Melons .—The first batch of "plants will ere this have set or be 
setting fruit on the first laterals. During the setting a drier atmo¬ 
sphere and drier condition at the roots are necessary, with a few 
degrees higher temperature both by day and night. Be careful to 
have three or four blooms open at a time before impregnation, as it 
is important that all the fruit on a plant be of a simultaneous stage 
of growth, as if one or two take the lead the others will not succeed. 
If this occur the fruit taking the lead should be removed unless 
very early fruit is desired. Directly the fruits begin swelling give 
the beds a good soaking with tepid weak liquid manure, and place 
some rich compost previously warmed over the roots, ramming it 
well down. Maintain a good moisture by damping available surfaces 
occasionally, and syringe moderately about three o’clock on bright 
warm afternoons. Do not allow the foliage to become overcrowded, but 
by frequent stopping and thinning fully expose the principal foliage 
to light. Place supports for the fruit before they become too heavy. 
Continue the treatment to later plants advised in former calendars, 
employing more moisture as the days lengthen and the sun becomes 
more powerful. Pits and frames where the bottom heat is declining 
will require thick linings, and careful watching afterwards to allow 
the escape of rank steam. Avoid overcrowding the foliage, remove 
every alternate lateral, and keep the collar of the plant clear of 
foliage, and apply a little quicklime as a preventive of canker 
Stop the principal growths a foot from the sides of the frame or pit 
If no fruit appear on the laterals at the second or third joint pinch 
out their points, which will cause them to break, and fruit will then 
show plentifully. Fertilise the pistillate flowers daily as they become 
fully expanded, and pinch out the point of the shoot one joint beyond 
the fruit. When three or four fruits on a plant are set and swelling 
remove all others as well as any flowers, and attend frequently to 
stopping and thinning the shoots, watering with tepid water, earth¬ 
ing up the roots, and closing early in the afternoon, sprinkling 
overhead at the same time when bright. Employ good thick night 
coverings, watching for slugs and canker at the collar. A few 
brewers’ grains laid at night form a capital trap for the former, and 
quicklime is the remedy for the latter. Sow for succession andjpot 
off seedlings, keeping them near the glass to insure sturdy growth. 
Cucumbers .—Plants that have been in bearing through the autumn 
and winter will need to be renovated at the roots. Remove with a 
hand fork as much of the exhausted soil as is possible without much 
injury to the roots, and give some rich lumpy compost previously 
warmed ; press it down firmly, and shade for an hour or two at 
midday if the sun be powerful. An increase of sun heat necessitates 
additional vigilance, and if the plants are in good health there will 
be abundant growth, but otherwise the foliage will flag severely. 
Either the root action is inert or the night temperature has been kept 
too high, producing weak growth and thin-textured foliage. If the 
ill condition of the roots result from worms having possession of the 
soil expel them by repeated soakings of lime water, a small handful 
of lime being ample for three gallons of water, and to prevent 
flagging shade with thin canvas for an hour or two at midday. 
Healthy plants will hardly need shading at present, but the blinds 
should be prepared, thin canvas being most suitable. Repeated 
applications of liquid manure may now be given, always applying it 
in a weak state, and damp available surfaces in the house at closing 
time, keeping the evaporation troughs filled with guano water. 
Damp the house at 7 A.M., and syringe gently overhead at 3 P.M. on 
warm sunny days, closing the house at the same time. Attend 
frequently to thinning the foliage and stopping the shoots at one or 
two joints beyond the fruit. Keep a good degree of heat in pits and 
frames by the application or renewal of linings. Train and peg out 
