JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 17, 1883. 
white and violet blooms. The graceful, white, small-flowered 
Angrajcum articulatum is also flowering freely in a basket in the 
East Indian house. 
-The collection op plants from the Cambridge 
Botanic Garden shown by Mr. R. T. Lynch at the Linnasan 
Society’s rooms on the 8th inst., comprised a large number of 
beautiful varieties, and formed, indeed, one of the most interest¬ 
ing features of the meeting. Very notable were sprays of Pyrus 
spectabilis, the buds of which are rich deep rose, and the 
expanded flowers of a soft pinkish-white hue. A fine specimen 
of this tree is now flowering grandly in the Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Aloe plicatilis, with panicles of large, bright, orange-scarlet, 
tubular flowers, were very attractive ; and the beautiful crimson 
Boronia elatior, with its conical flowers, was similarly striking. 
Nicotiana aflinis, with abundance of large, fragrant, white 
flowers ; Berberis stenopbylla, a hybrid between B. Darwinii and 
B. empetrifolia, but quite distinct from either, somewhat re¬ 
sembling the last in habit and the former in the flowers ; 
Schizanthus pinnatus, with a cloud of mauve flowers, and Cal¬ 
ceolaria crenatifolium, a pretty species, with large pale yellow 
flowers, all possessed considerable interest. In addition to those 
above mentioned were sprays of Siphocampylus bicolor, S. 
nitidus, Othonna cheirifolia, Salvia interrupta, Primula poculi- 
formis, Arissema Sieboldi, A. praecox, Columnea Schiedieana, 
Viola cucullata variegata, Spiraea laevigata, Vesicaria utriculata, 
Arctotis aureola, Cheiranthus mutabilis, and Hierochloe borealis. 
- In the same collection were specimens of the peculiar 
Vitis gongylodes, a strange and very rare species of Vine. 
This has fleshy angular stems, from the angles of which project 
a foliaceous growth that has a curious appearance. Aerial roots 
are also freely produced along the stem, and when trained to the 
roof of a house these roots attain the length of 6 feet or more, a 
kind of enormous development of the similar air-roots produced 
on the stems of the ordinary Vine. Brownish egg-shaped tubers 
are also borne on the stems and, falling to the ground, serve to 
perpetuate the plant, as they soon produce stems when in a suit¬ 
able soil and moisture. 
- Messrs. Stevens & Williams, Brierley Hill Glass 
Works, have sent to us a combination Fern pot and flower 
STAND, which, when furnished tastefully, is highly effective as a 
low ornament for table decoration. The stand is of glass, which 
in the example before us is of a glowing ruby colour. The form 
is that of a saucer about a foot in diameter supported by three 
white glass legs nearly 2 inches high. This saucer, or the outer 
margin of it rather, is for flowers, the centre rising to the height 
of 3 inches, and forming a receptacle for a miniature Fern ; the 
cavity, which is 4 inches deep and 3^ inches in diameter, con¬ 
taining a white Minton porous pot for that purpose. A bottom¬ 
less flower pot inverted in a saucer gives a rough idea of this 
very elegant and highly finished contrivance, which, even without 
any flowers, is an elegant ornament for the table or sideboard. 
The stands are made in different colours and sizes ; suitably fur¬ 
nished they are very rich, and at the same time convenient for 
either the dining or drawing-room table. These stands, if exhi¬ 
bited at the leading flower shows, would be likely to meet with a 
large share of public favour, as they are quite new in design and 
beautiful examples of the glass ware for which the manufacturers 
are famed. 
405 
such scarlet-fleshed varieties as Reid’s Hybrid and Turner's 
Scarlet Gem, to be well adapted for frame culture. Such newer 
sorts as William Tillery, Earl of Beaconsfield, Hero of Lockinge, 
and Blenheim Orange would also, no doubt, prove satisfactory if 
tried. I do not advise anyone to grow the whole of them, but 
mention the varieties in order to include one or two that may be 
easily procured by all. 
A Cucumber frame or another hotbed is the best place for 
rearing the plants, as, being near the glass, they grow sturdily. 
They should be stopped at the first joint beyond the seed leaves, 
and when breaking afresh should at once be planted or shifted 
into larger pots. The latter detail, simple as it may appear, is 
really highly important, as so much depends upon a good 
commencement. Semi-starved plants entail a loss of valuable 
time and heat. 
While the plants are being prepared, the hotbeds on which the 
frames may have been standing should, unless comparatively 
fresh — in which case a partial or complete lining with fresh 
material will suffice—be reformed, a liberal quantity of newer 
material being added. If hotbeds have to be made entirely with 
fresh material, such as stable or cow-yard manure, this ought to 
be well prepared prior to use. Much depends upon circumstances ; 
but, as a rule, the manure ought to be thrown into a heap to 
encourage fermentation, and be tiumed at least three times at 
intervals of about a week, being freely watered each time if at all 
dry. By this practice the mass will be sweetened without spoiling 
the manure by overheating. The mistake is often made of forming 
beds entirely with too fresh manure, and, this overheating, becomes 
dry and mouldy—useless either for heating or manurial purposes. 
The bottom heat for Melons ought to be maintained as near 7o° 
as possible, and if 10° higher so much the better. To insure this 
temperature at the top as well as bottom, the beds earlier in the 
season ought to be formed from 4 to 5 feet high at the back, with 
a foot fall to the front. At the present time they need not be so 
high. A layer of faggots at the bottom serves to keep the bed 
dryer, and is a partial preventive of overheating. The manure 
should be well shaken out as the bed is formed, and be made firm 
wdth the fork in preference to trampling, this securing a regular 
heat and even settlement of the bed. It may be made slightly 
wider than the frame, and later on, when the heat is declining, it 
should have one or more sides cut away and a Ruing given. These 
linings, which probably many hotbeds at the present time require, 
may be about 2 feet wide at the bottom and gradually tapered in 
to about 18 inches in width at the top, this being sHghtly above the 
level of the bed. 
It is seldom advisable to place in the soil directly the bed is 
formed. The best plan is to keep the frames closed till the heat 
has risen, and when the trial stake, which ought always to be kept 
deeply plunged in the bed, denotes when held, in the hand that the 
highest heat has been reached, a decline may soon be anticipated, 
and the soil can safely be put in. A certain amount of rank steam 
is invariably given off by newly formed beds, and the lights should 
he slightly propped up at the back at aU times while this lasts. If 
a few turves are obtainable these should be disposed grass down¬ 
wards in the centres of each light, and a mound consisting of about 
two bushels of good strong loam be formed on them, while to keep 
down excessive steam the remainder of the bed should be surfaced 
with about 6 inches of good garden soil. The turves tend to 
prevent burning of the roots, and if these are not to be had, two or 
more small draining pipes may be taken under each heap so as to 
form good outlets for the dangerous steam. As I have previously 
observed, no particular compost is absolutely necessary for Melons, 
but if I could not have thick turf from pasture land I should 
bargain to have a shaUow spit from immediately under the turf, 
replacing the latter after ordinary garden soil had been substituted 
for the loam extracted. I advise that no manure whatever be 
employed with the loam, though with strong clayey loam, especiaUy, 
I find a sprinkHng of slaked lime very beneficial. 
When the heaps are thoroughly warmed and the trial stake can 
be borne comfortably in the hand is the time to plant. Three 
plants to go to each mound, and planted rather deeply, though not 
burying the collars, and disposed in a sloping position so as to 
admit of the running growths being pegged down without snapping 
off. The soil should be pressed firmly about the roots of the 
plants, and the latter being in a moist state, only sufficient warm 
water should be given through a fine-rose watering pot to fix the 
soil about the roots. At the commencement the frame should be 
kept rather close, and lightly shaded diming the prevalence of 
bright sunshine only. When well established shading should only 
be resorted to in case of severe flagging. A temperature ranging 
from 75° to 90° with air by day, and not less than 70° by night, 
should be maintained where possible. By closing early, say at 
the present time about 3 p.m., and well sprinkling the plants as 
MELON CULTURE IN FRAMES. 
During this month many frames and pits wffil be emptied of 
i their contents—bedding plants, Potatoes, &c.; and if not required 
i for other purposes, one or several in numerous gardens may well 
be devoted to Melon culture. Stout, clean, healthy plants are 
requisite, and I have proved such green-fleshed varieties as Golden 
Queen, Beechwood, Colston Bassett, and Eastnor Castle, and 
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