258 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t March 29, issb. 
where the supply required is large the outlay annually is serious. 
A dozen plants do not make much appearance, especially where 
they are required for cutting from as well as looking at, and the 
retail price ranges from 15.?. to 30s. per dozen, and wo know from 
experience that those costing the largest sum are the cheapest in 
the end, consequently the commercial aspect demands consideration 
to some extent. We obtain quite as good spikes from home-grown 
plants, with these important advantages—they are easier to force, 
and early in the season we obtain good foliage as well as good 
spikes; besides, we obtain much finer masses of bloom. Two dozen 
spikes from an imported clump is the largest number obtained. Last 
January I counted the number in an 8-inch pot (home-grown 
roots), and found over six dozen good spikes. 
Presuming that a batch of healthy plants are either in flower or 
just over, instead of turning these into the rubbish heap introduce 
them into a structure where they can have a temperature of 55° to 60°. 
In May turn them out of doors, taking precautions to shelter them 
from cold winds and frost. At the end of that month or the be¬ 
ginning of June select a sheltered position, open, though not ex¬ 
posed to hot sunshine, and plunge the pots to their rims amongst 
coal ashes, introducing a small pot under each to stand them on, 
so that freedom from stagnant water is assured, at the same time 
the visits of worms are hindered. 
Though dryness at the root is extremely prejudicial they do not 
require to be kept more than moderately moiet throughout the 
summer and autumn months. We have had the crowns perfectly 
ripened in July. In any case the crowns should be plump by the 
beginning of September at the latest. This condition of ripeness 
will be better understood when it is explained that on opening a 
lipened crown the spike and leaf will be found so far perfected as 
merely to require the necessary amount of moisture and heat for 
full development. I have tried drying the plants after the foliage 
has commenced decaying. I cannot say that any difference was 
noticeable in any way when the plants were forced from those 
which had been kept moist. The smallest-sized pots we employ are 
those 7 inches in diameter. These are suitable for imported clumps 
the first season ; some of the largest may require 8-inch pots. The 
soil we use is a strong loam enriched with dried cow dung finely 
pulverised. Ample drainage is necessary, as the plants do well in 
the same pot for a couple of seasons. With the aid of liquid manure 
and surface dressings they would do well for a longer period, but the 
plants invariably outgrow the pots they are in, so that it is impossible 
to water them, consequently repotting becomes an absolute necessity 7 . 
—E. T. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE. 
I wish to thank “ A Grower and Exhibitor ” for his able article 
on the culture of the Chrysanthemum. I had hoped there would 
have been more discussion on some of my questions, which was 
really one of my objects of inquiry. I thought it might bring some 
hints respecting the different liquid manures and their merits, the 
ripening of the wood, and the culture of Japanese varieties. With 
me the Japanese require more heat than the Incurved at the 
time of opening their flowers, and liquid manure while the flowers 
are opening, which, if given to the Incurved, would cause the 
flowers to reflex. I also find they are more easily overpotted, or are 
not potted quite soon enough. Which is it ? 
As regards the “ ripening of the wood,” the cultural directions as 
given by many are, that plants should be grown from the cutting 
to the flowering period without a check, and as soon as they have 
filled their flowering pots with roots watered regularly with liquid 
manure. There are several of the varieties when kept growing 
in this way that will not show their buds until October, which is 
too late for exhibitions, and some of those which do show their 
bloom buds come deformed, and are useless. I find such sorts do 
better when placed in their flowering pots the first week in June, 
and I do not give them any liquid manure until they show their 
buds, then top-dress the soil and supply liquid manure liberally 7 . 
This is what I mean by ripening the wood, and upon which I 
sought the opinion of others. 
I consider the election a success, a boon to all, especially to 
beginners. The “ too-much-alike” varieties, I think, require very 
hard pruning.—J. L. 
Plants and Weather Changes. —We all have heard of or seen 
movements of birds and animals at the approach of changes of 
weather. I have a notion that some of the larger plants have 
movements in the position of their foliage that show that they also 
feel when different atmospheric changes are about to take place. 
Pur instance, a Colocasia esculenta, the leaves of which last year in 
a half-bushel pot, measured 4 feet 6 inches by 3 feet G inches, is now, 
after having been placed in half of an eighteen-gallon barrel, throwing 
fresh leaves. At any alteration in barometrical pressure I noticed 
differences in position of the last-developing leaves— i.e., expanding 
leaves. Will others notice and observe whether these are all fancies 
of mine or realities ? 1, Whether direction of wind can be for'etold ; 
2, Whether downfall of rain can be portended by plants.— INQUIRER. 
CLIMBERS OR ROOF-COVERING PLANTS. 
ItHODOCHITON VOLXJBILE. 
The attractive Mexican plant, of which a spray is represented 
in the woodcut, fig. 056, is one of the most distinct and striking of 
all climbers suitable for greenhouses and conservatories, as its 
flowers are rich and peculiar in colour, while they are produced in 
great profusion. One of the chief characters of the flowers is 
the coloured calyx, which is large, flat, spreading, fiye-lobed, and 
bright pink, the corolla being long tubular, also with five lobes, 
but smaller and more oblong than those of the calyx; and the 
colour is a very striking contrast, being a rich deep purple, which 
is sometimes so intense that it is almost black. These flowers are 
produced singly on long slender twisting peduncles, and the 
flowers hang in dense clusters from the branches. When trained 
to the roof these are seen to the best advantage, and this is the 
only way in which this plant should be grown. A moderately 
rich compost of turfy loam, well-decayed manure, leaf soil, and 
sand suit it well, and it should be preferably planted out in a 
small border. It requires little care, except thinning the shoots 
and removing those that are straggling or weak. It was intro¬ 
duced from Mexico early in the present century, and is said to 
have been first grown in Mrs. Marryatt’s garden at Wimbledon, 
now the property of Sir Henry Peek, Bart. 
WHY WE VENTILATE. 
Prior to writing on the subject of ventilation, I have waited in 
the hope that “ J. J.’s ” remarks on page 22 would have elicited 
replies from one or more scientific readers of the Journal. Scientific 
1 cannot by any means claim to be, at the same time I seldom if 
ever give haphazard advice, and as a rule can explain myself 
more fully if the necessity for so doing arises. J. J.” evidently 
considers I err in insisting on the importance of giving air on all 
favourable occasions, though he admits I am in goodly company. 
Against the practice, however, he quotes Mr. Taylor, also the 
practice of growing Cucumbers in houses without ventilators, and 
unfolds a “ harrowing tale ” anent his own unfortunate experience 
with a batch of Phalaenopsis. 
With regard to the quotation from Mr. Taylor’s writings on 
Grape-growing, the context should convince an impartial reader that 
Mr. Taylor had in his “mind’s eye ” the immense vinery under his 
charge, where during the growing season of the Vines in all pro¬ 
bability it is “ unnecessary to open the ventilators merely for an 
interchange of air,” but it does not follow he would apply this 
dictum to all houses of all forms and at all seasons of the year. If 
I am mistaken in this 1 hope he will “ follow on the other side ”— 
that is to say, in opposition to myself. The “express” method of 
growing Cucumbers is practised, unless I am much mistaken, during 
the spring and summer months, and it is almost needless to state 
under totally different circumstances with regard to heat and light 
than is the case when winter Cucumbers are being grown. It may 
be advisable to push on Cucumbers as rapidly as possible, but the 
less growth many other more valuable plants make during the 
winter months the better. The more robutt they are maintained 
without actual damage by cold winds the more certain are they to 
grow healthily and vigorously at the right time. 
“ J. J.” evidently considers he scores a point in favour of little or 
no ventilation when he mentioned his misfortune with the Phalae- 
nopsis. He, by his own showing, bought his experience at a high 
price, and I only trust he will not go to the other extreme, or he 
may meet with other disasters. Doubtless the stereotyped directions 
with regard to giving Orchids “ plenty of atmospheric moisture with 
abundance of air” greatly misled in this case. If, however, the 
different writers who gave them, and others, had written at greater 
length upon this and other subjects, and were, in fact, to go into 
details every week, advising as to when air should or should not be 
given, and in what quantities, the periodicals must either have been 
enlarged or less variety be included. The probability is, not one of 
the competent men who advise upon Orchid culture ever contem¬ 
plated the contingency of a batch of Phalsenopsis or any other 
Orchid newly imported, or otherwise, being exposed to a freezing 
wind. In the matter of air-giving, as in all other cases, judgment is 
required to be exercised by the novice as well as the expert, and this 
probably “ J. J.” will now admit. 
“Ventilate on all favourable occasions ” is my favourite rule both 
in practice and when advising ; but when a cold and perhaps easterly 
wind prevails this would be considered the reverse of favourable, 
