September 2 , 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 219 
is not very plentiful, but it is a grand addition to our ornamental 
plants. 
B. Elizabeths. —This variety is very handsome. The leaves are 
sharply curved under each other, copiously produced, and the 
plants are very compact. The leaves measure about 4 or 5 inches 
across, dark green, with a narrow crimson edge on the older 
leaves ; the younger with a broad band of rosy pink and white, 
or creamy white. Of very free growth, and colours early. 
B. elegantissima. — 4n older variety, but very good, being of 
very close growth. Leaves narrow, gracefully curved, of a dark 
metallic hue, with the margins crimson ; in the young foliage 
much lighter. Very effective as a decorative plant. 
B. Cooperii. —A form largely employed, and extensively grown 
for the markets. It is a free grower, easily dene, and of rich 
colouring, the foliage when mature being bronzy red margined 
with crimson; the younger leaves magenta crimson. It differs 
from D. terminalis, and is more tender. 
D. Goldieana. —One of Mr. Bull’s introductions, very distinct 
from all other Dracaenas known in cultivation. It comes from 
tropical Western Africa. The leaves are closely set on the stems, 
having a sheathing petiole ; the lamina is cordate ovate, with 
acuminated points, alternately banded with dark green and silver 
grey upon the upper surface ; the under surface is purplish. It is 
very free-growing, but not so readily propagated. 
B. Gladstonei. —This variety is of very hardy constitution, 
growing freely, and readily increased. It should become very 
Serviceable for general purposes. The leaves are gracefully 
recurved, 3 or 4 inches broad, of a dark bronzy colour ; the 
younger leaves of a deep crimson colour suffused with salmon 
rose, rendering it remarkably effective. 
B. gracilis. —A narrow-leaved well-known variety, very useful 
for many purposes. The leaves are densely produced, very narrow, 
gracefully bent, light green with a dark midrib. 
B. Hcndersonii. —This is of good habit. Leaves 1 to 2 feet long, 
3 to 5 inches broad, light green, marbled and striped with yellow 
and light pink. 
B.ferrea. —This is not so much esteemed as many, but is very 
effective, especially in a young state ; the foliage is very dark, 
rather rigid. For mixing with other plants it is very effective. 
B. Imperator. —A handsome form. The leaves are oblong-ovate, 
dark green, with dark purple edge ; the younger leaves have broad 
marginal variegations of pink and white, tinted more or less with 
magenta, the under surface of the leaves deep purple. 
B. nigro-rubra. —A variety largely employed for market pur¬ 
poses, and is extremely useful ; it is too well known to need 
description. 
B. Nitzschnerii. —This produces copious broad oblong leaves, 
sharply recurved, dark green ; the younger are variegated with 
creamy white tinted with rose, while the mature leaves have a 
narrow margin of crimson, udiich is continued down to the edges 
of the petioles. A very distinct and desirable form as a contrast 
to many others. 
B. Regalis. —Similar in habit to the last, very robust ; leaves 
oblong, recurved, deep bronzy green, irregularly margined with 
bright red, which is also continued to the edges of the leafstalks ; 
the young leaves are broadly edged with creamy white, suffused 
with pink. Very bold and free-growing. 
B. terminalis alba. —A valuable variety ; extensively grown 
for decorative purposes ; the leaves are lanceolate, 2 or 3 inches 
wide, dark green, margined with creamy white, the young leaves 
almost pure white. It is a splendid variety for mixing with the 
dark varieties. 
B. Salmonea. —The leaves are sparsely produced, with long 
stalks and lanceolate narrow blades, the latter of a deep green 
colour distinctly margined with salmony pink, w r hich is also ex¬ 
tended down the edges of the petioles, which render it very 
different from others. 
B. Sidneyi. —A narrow-leaved variety, much esteemed. The 
footstalks are long, and the lamina) are narrow, lanceolate, dark 
green, with crimson edges ; the younger leaves entirely of a rosy- 
crimson colour. I find it free-growing and useful, as it certainly 
is very graceful for table decoration. 
B. Tellingi. —A very strong-growing variety, and exceedingly 
free. Leaves oblong, more or less recurved, of a dark bronzy green 
colour edged with rosy pink, which deepens as they mature. As an 
effective variety it is in the first rank on account of its broad foliage. 
There are a host of others known to growers, but the above 
selection will give a good display.—T. 
TRAINING YOUNG VINES. 
We have frequently noticed what we consider an error in 
training young Vines at the stage generally termed their first and 
second fruiting years. The system usually practised of training 
young Vines the year they are planted, is to allow them to ramble 
and make as much wood and foliage as covers tee whole roof 
without crowding. A Vine trained in this way makes extended 
lateral growths, and the result is the manufacture of a great 
amount of roots ; and the Vine, if cut down, is expected to send 
up a fruit-bearing rod the second year of greater strength than 
if the previous season’s training had been more restricted. But if 
the Vine is not cut down, and the extensive lateral growth pruned 
away, and the main stem shortened back and allowed to fruit 
the second year, the result in Grapes is never so satisfactory as 
when the first year the laterals are pinched at the second, or at 
most the third, leaf or joint. In the former case the buds are 
formed on the main stem, and produce fruit-bearing breaks the 
following year, but are never so plump and fine as in the latter, 
when the growth of the Vine is more concentrated. 
The remarks we have just made apply with equal force to the 
training of permanent Vines in what are termed their first and 
second fruitiDg years. The first fruiting year, the common 
practice is to cut back the previous year’s growth, so that the 
Vine bears over about a third of the length of rafter or roof of 
the vinery, the other two-thirds of the space being left for the 
production of growths to bear fruit the following or second year 
of fruiting. In these cases we have often seen their lateral 
growths allowed to extend and cover all the roof space, besides a 
portion of them being trained down the back wall. Under such 
training we never saw the fruit-bearing growths, nor the fruit on 
the bottom portion of the Vine, so strong as we like to see them. 
And when pruning time comes round, they are not so well 
furnished with buds for producing fruit-bearing breaks the 
following season. 
A very striking illustration of this came under our notice a 
week ago. A house full of young Vines of great strength, generally 
had weak fruit-bearing lateral growths about half-way up the 
roof, and the bunches were nothing to what such Vines under 
different training ought to produce. The young rods at the upper 
part of the vinery were allowed to extend their lateral growths in 
all directions, right and left, and down the back wall. They were, 
in short, robbing the fruit-bearing lateral growths lower down, 
and, as a consequence, robbing the bunches too. Nor is this the 
only evil ; for the buds that were to produce fruit-bearing breaks 
on the top young rods were flat and unsatisfactory, owing to the 
great lateral growth allowed. 
What we consider the better system of training such Vines is 
just the reverse of that referred to—viz., to let the fruit-bearing 
growths on the lower part of the Vines make a lateral growth of a 
joint or two, and let them cover all the space available with 
growth, and to restrict the lateral growths in the main stem above 
to, say, two joints, or just as many as will prevent their bursting 
their main buds. This would secure finer shows of fruit the year 
following both on the top main stem and from the lateral and 
lower growths when spurred back at pruning time. 
No doubt it has often been noticed, when a Vine is allowed to 
develope itself in any particular part for a year or two, how in 
former years it had a tendency to send its strongest growths 
from that locality. Also, in removing a limb from a vigorous 
healthy Vine, we have, time after time, had lateral buds forced 
with great vigour from the locality at which the amputation was 
made. This, we consider, teaches the desirability of distributing 
the force of the Vine, when establishing itself for permanent 
bearing, more equally than is the case when young Vines are 
allowed to make rambling top growth, while the lower fruit¬ 
bearing shoots are being robbed and starved .—{The Gardener.') 
4 ^ 
WORK, F °h THE WEEK.. £ 
it 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cauliflower .—Seed should be sown at once in an open situation and 
not too thickly, as jthe plants are very liable to damp off in the seed¬ 
ling state at this time of year. Attention will be necessary to save 
the seeds from birds, and the plants from the depredations of slugs, 
and should mildew appear dust the plants with quicklime. Plants 
from this sowing must be transferred to handlights or frames, and 
will afford heads succeeding the late Broccoli. The best varieties 
for this sowing are Veitch’s Early Dwarf Forcing, Early London, and 
Walcheren. 
