548 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December 15, 1881. 
species, with very large leaves and no tails to the achenes. The 
flowers, which appear in September, are much paler than as 
described in native specimens. The plant was nearly killed by 
last winter’s cold, and is only now beginning to grow again.”— 
{Ibid, t. 6574.) 
Osbeckia BOSTRATA. {Nat. ord., Melastomacese).—“A hand¬ 
some plant, and common over a large tract in India. It is a 
native of swampy districts along the foot of the Himalaya and in 
Northern Bengal, from Nipal eastward to Assam, Rangoon, and 
Burma. These were supposed to be the limits of its range up to 
the period of the publication of the order Melastomacere in the 
Flora of British India in 1879, since which time, however, a per¬ 
fectly glabrous form of it has been found by Col. Beddome in the 
Sirumallay hills of the Deccan at an elevation of 3500 feet. As a 
rule it affects very wet places, and especially Rice swamps, &c., 
but it sometimes may be found in moist places in the hills. It 
was introduced into Kew about twenty-five years ago, and 
flowered first in 1857. It requires stove treatment.”— {Ibid., 
t. 6575.) 
Schismatoglottis CRISPATA. {Nat. orcl., Aroideie).—“ Schis- 
matoglottis crispata is one of the many interesting plants intro¬ 
duced from Borneo by Mr. Burbidge when collecting for Messrs. 
Veitch, and amongst which the Aroideie, which have been studied 
by Mr. N. E. Brown of the Kew Herbarium, are conspicuous for 
their number and novelty.”— {Ibid., t. 6576.) 
Engelmannia pinnatifida. {Nat. ord., Composite).—“A 
herb belonging to the same great American tribe of Composite as 
the Sunflower, named in honour of the veteran United States 
botanist, Dr. Engelmann, of St. Louis in Missouri. It is a native 
of the prairie region of the central United States east of the 
Rocky Mountains, where it extends from the latitude of Canada 
to that of Texas. Seeds were received at Kew, collected in New 
Mexico by Dr. Parry, the plants from which flowered in the second 
year, and have proved perfectly hardy, having been unprotected 
in the herbaceous grounds during the last severe winter. It 
flowers in the month of July.”— {Ibid., t. 6577.) 
Euadenia eminens. {Nat. ord., Capparideas).—“The genus 
Euadenia was established by Professor Oliver upon two tropical 
African plants, of which one, E. trifoliolata, Oliv. (Strocmia tri- 
foliolata, Solemn, and Thonn.), from Old Calabar and Abbeokuta, 
is an undoubted congener of this plant, though differing in its 
racemose flowers ; the other, E.? Kirkii, Oltc., from the Mozam¬ 
bique district, is probably a different genus, which is very im¬ 
perfectly known. E. erumens differs from all the other species 
in the singularly handsome inflorescence, which resembles a can¬ 
delabrum in its ramification, the yellow petals looking like pairs 
of gas jets on each branch. It was introduced from West Africa 
by Mr. Bull.”— {Ibid., t. 657S.) 
Iris missouriensis. {Nat. ord., Iridacete).—“ This appears 
to be the commonest Iris cf the Rocky Mountains, long known in 
England as Tolmieana. Whether it be more than a montane 
variety of the Californian Iris longipetala of Herbert, which is a 
very much finer plant from a cultural point of view, is doubtful.” 
—{Ibid,, t. 6579.) 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Favourable weather should be taken advantage of to forward 
pruning, nailing, and tying trees against walls. In pruning old trees 
—especially of the Apricot and Plum, also Pear—overgrown, old, and 
barren spurs should be gradually cut back alternately, so as to keep 
the fruitful buds as close to the wall as possible in order to derive 
the greatest benefit from its shelter and warmth. The spurs so cut 
back will generally start at the base if the trees are healthy, and 
furnish buds for future bearing in due time. By timely pruning the 
unsightly projections will not be reproduced, a little attention being 
given to this each season at the summer as well as winter pruning. 
Pruning Peaches and Nectarines is generally deferred until spring) 
but the wood being ripe there is nothing gained thereby, and from 
the press of other matters the work is frequently done hastily and 
imperfectly. The trees should be loosened from the wall, leaving the 
main branches secured to maintain the trees in position. The shoots 
that have borne fruit this year, if they were not cut out after the 
fruit was gathered, should be removed, also any old weakly growths 
that can t be replaced with younger wood. The shoots that were 
reserved at the base of the current year’s fruiting shoots for next 
season’s bearing) should be neatly nailed or tied in, and if they 
be short-jointed and well ripened they will need very little, if any, 
shortening ; otherwise) cut them back to firm well-ripened wood, 
being careful to do so to a wood bud or triple bud, which will gene¬ 
rally have two fruit buds with a wood bud in the centre. Avoid 
training in too many shoots, the bearing wood being 12 to 15 inches 
apart, and the branches they proceed from a similar distance asimder. 
Extensions should not be shortened more than to have the unripened 
points removed or to originate growths for furnishing the trees. 
Young trees of Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and Plums in course of 
formation should have the central shoots shortened as necessary to 
originate growth at the required distance apart for forming the 
principal branches. In securing them to the wall leave sufficient 
space in the ligatures for. the swelling of the shoots, as any undue 
pressure or contact with nails or wires may induce canker and the loss 
of the branch. 
fruit houses. 
Vines. —Forcing must now be commenced in earnest if ripe fruit is to 
be had before the end of May.) A night temperature of 50° to 55° will 
not be too much during mild weather, and (i0° to G5° in the day¬ 
time from sun heat.,. Syringe occasionally when the weather is bright; 
but if fermenting materials have been placed on the floor of the 
house as advised in a former calender, and a portion stirred daily, 
syringing, except in the most severe weather, will not be much re¬ 
quired. Continue the treatment advised under this head on Decem¬ 
ber 1st for Yines in pots, and as the flowers open increase the night 
temperature 5°, keeping the atmosphere rather dry. The moisture 
arising from the fermenting bed will be sufficient to secure a genial 
condition of the atmosphere. Remove old foliage from midseason 
and late houses as soon as possible, and prune directly the Grapes are 
cut. One of the most important operations in Grape culture is early 
pruning. Heavily taxed Vines cannot have too long a season of rest. 
Even with late Vines it is advisable to cut the wood aw r ay quite 
to the Grapes, and not retain them on the Vines longer than the early 
part of the year, which will allow the Vines to be pruned and have 
some weeks’ rest. Outside borders to which the annual top-dressing 
of fresh loam and bone meal has not been applied may be examined 
and covered. Generally a layer of hard inert soil forms on the sur¬ 
face and deprives the roots of air and moisture. In such cases the 
surface soil must be carefully removed down to the roots, supply¬ 
ing the usual compost and covering. 
digs .—To have ripe trees early in May the trees must be started at 
once, and for this purpose cultivation in pots is preferable, as at this 
season a slight degree of warmth at the roots is highly beneficial, 
provided it be regular and does not during the early part of the 
process exceed 70°. The pots should be raised in the bed on pedestals 
of open brickwork. Three parts Oak or Beech leaves with a fourth of 
stable litter form a material affording a mild and lasting heat. More 
than 70° at the roots is not needed, indeed is injurious from inducing 
growth too rapidly. Commence forcing with a night temperature of 
50°, and 55° from fire heat in the day, allowing an advance to G0° or 65° 
by sun heat. See that the soil is thoroughly moist before the trees 
are plunged, and if very dry immerse the pots in water until the soil 
is saturated. Considerable moisture will be given out by the fer¬ 
menting materials, but when the weather is bright the trees will need 
syringing twice every day. It is important that the trees have a 
position where they will be fully exposed to light. Ventilate a little 
on all favourable occasions, maintaining a free circulation of air after 
growth takes place, so as to insure well-solidified growth and thick- 
textured leathery foliage. Ventilate early Fig houses as before 
advised, and those which are to be started early in January must 
at once have what attention is yet needed to prepare them. Complete 
cleaning and tying trees in later houses as opportunity offers, keeping 
them as cool as possible, frost, however, being excluded. 
Cherry House .—To have Cherries ripe from the middle of April 
onwards the house should now be closed. Use no fire heat at the 
commencement unless absolutely necessary to secure a night tem¬ 
perature of 40°, and 50° by day. Ventilate a little at 50°, and freely 
