9 
464 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . t june7,i883. 
to them, and worked in when potting amongst the new 
material. 
Cattleyas when potted with good peat in lumps may 
not need the material removed from their roots so 
frequently as many others. These plants require much 
less water at the roots than many Orchids, and during 
their resting period, which should be rather a lengthened 
one, they need very little, and the potting material 
in consequence remains in a wholesome state for a long 
time. Special care should he taken in selecting peat 
for these plants. It should be of such a nature so as to 
last as long as possible, for they do not like being dis¬ 
turbed too often, but when necessary to repot them 
every particle of decomposed matter should be care¬ 
fully removed from the roots.— Wm. Bardney. 
TOO MUCH NITROGEN. 
The notes which have appeared in this Journal relative to 
the decay of the footstalks of the Duke of Buccleucli Grape, 
induce me to say aj few words on a subject in which at 
present I am but very imperfectly informed. I have, how¬ 
ever, been considering and taking notes on it for the past five 
months, and intend at some future time to put them into 
readable form ; but as the present appears an opportune 
moment, I will roughly introduce the subject, in the hope of 
securing attention for it from other observers. 
First, I have to express my great regret at the loss we have 
sustained by the death of “ Inquirer " (Major-General Scott), 
whose notes, when criticising “ Vines at Longleat,” led me to 
think over the matter afresh, and induced me to make further 
experiments. 1 forget the exact words used by your lamented 
correspondent, but they were to the effect that the success I 
had attained might, in a great measure, be accounted for by 
the system of culture followed, apart from the question of 
manuring, and that, from a chemist’s point of view, the 
manure used was certainly deficient in potash. There is no 
doubt in my mind now that he was correct as far as the potash 
is concerned, though 1 believe he, and the authorities he quoted, 
were incorrect in their estimate of the value of earth-closet 
manure. 
Cultivators, as a rule, depend too much on nitrogen and 
phosphates, and especially on the first-named. They like to 
see their plants grow quickly and have dark green leathery 
foliage. True, they find out at times that they can go too 
far in this respect, for beyond a certain limit the foliage, 
instead of assuming a dark green, will turn a sickly yellow, 
and the plant will perhaps die. But still they like to go as 
near as they can to the point of danger without actually 
reaching it, believing that perfection lies very near that point. 
I think this is an erroneous idea, and that an excess of nitrogen 
may be absorbed long before the foliage turns yellow, and that 
its injurious effects may be observed if the cultivator will only 
watch carefully. 
There is a great difference in plants as to their powers of 
discrimination. Some will refuse to grow in soil which does 
not contain the necessary constituents iu fairly good pro¬ 
portions ; others are such gourmands that they will grow in 
any soil between a stone heap and a dunghill, including the 
two extremes, and if one ingredient is short they will make up 
by absorbing others in excess. Of this nature is the Vine. 
Its capacity for absorbing nitrogen appears to be almost 
unlimited, and my observations lead me to believe that many 
of the misfortunes attending its cultivation arise from this. 
I have very little doubt that the decay in the footstalks of the 
Grape in question is due to this. I have no practical acquaint¬ 
ance with this Grape, but believe the Vine to be a vigorous 
grower where it does well, and the most vigorous examples 
would certainly be the most likely to sufiEer, because of their 
greater capacity for absorbing nitrogenous food. Mr. Thomson 
uses artificial manure to a great extent, and that manure is 
prepared with a view to supply the special wants of the Vine. 
It is, of course, known by every manufacturer of Vine manure 
that potash is an essential ingredient, and the manure is made 
to contain that in ample quantities, and in such a form as to 
be immediately available for the Vines. Some few growers 
are so situated that they can obtain cow urine in unlimited 
quantities. They have, therefore, an abundance of potash, and 
know nothing of the wants of the greater number who are less 
favourably placed. I do not recommend anyone to use arti¬ 
ficial manures exclusively, or even largely, for nothing. at 
present invented can permanently take the place of decaying 
vegetable matter ; but a manure rich in potash, used in con¬ 
junction with some vegetable matter, some phosphate such.as 
is afforded by decaying bones, and some lime, is a necessity 
for first-class productions. 
Some of the results following a freer use of potash are, that 
the growth is more woody and less soft, even when quite 
young ; the main stems of the bunches and also the berry 
stalks partake of this character, and it runs right into the 
berry, where the stones are united to the berry stalks. The 
berry stalk enlarges very rapidly, and has a hardy look, with 
warty-like excrescences, and the older portion of the lateral 
assumes a greyish colour, preparatory to a brown one, even 
before the stoning period arrives. 
Having said this much, it will not surprise many of your 
readers when I tell them that the substance of the flowers, 
their capacity for fertilisation, and consequently the stoning of 
the fruit, the decay of berry stems, commonly called “ shank¬ 
ing,” and many complaints of a minor character, are all 
intimately connected with this question, which I hope to enter 
into more fully when my observations have been further ex¬ 
tended, and I have the leisure to think over the subject 
properly.— Wm. Taylor. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR DECORATION. 
Though it has been repeatedly pointed out by various culti¬ 
vators that no flower is easier to grow than the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum, at the same time it may be not altogether amiss. to 
remember that no plant shows the effects of want of attention 
or resents it longer. Shifting the plants into the pots in 
which they are to flower will soon require attention. The 
main points to be observed here are, first, to employ as strong 
a soil as possible, so that it is not adhesive in character, and 
when potting to ram the soil very firmly. I prefer a soil 
even without fibre, and for this reason : Turf, especially if 
inclined to be what is technically termed light, becomes much 
too quickly taken possession of by the roots of the plants. 
Now if we employ a soil which the roots are obliged to grow 
into very slowly we obtain an important advantage ; and, 
further, when liquid manure is given the more fibrous compost 
does not grasp the manurial constituents so fully as does a 
somewhat retentive one. 
Another matter to note just now is that of either allowing 
the plants to grow without pinching, or to pinch them back in 
order to keep them more dwarf. 1 have tried both ways, and 
find that varieties like Mrs. G. Rundle break so freely up the 
stem that pinching is not at all necessary, unless quite dwarf 
plants are wanted. On the other hand, Japanese varieties, like 
Elaine and Fair Maid of Guernsey, may very advantageously 
be pinched back to a foot or 15 inches above the surface of 
the soil. This will induce the production of more shoots, and 
consequently more flowers, than if grown naturally. James 
Salter is a Japanese which does not require pinching. It must 
be understood ihese remarks are applicable alone to plants 
grown for conservatory decoration and for producing flowers 
for cutting. 
There are yet two other matters connected with the summer 
treatment of these plants. The first is that many grow them 
well enough till they become established in their flowering 
pots, then do not afford the plants their needful supply of 
water, and the result is only a few deformed blooms in winter. 
It cannot be too often pointed out that to allow a Chrysanthe¬ 
mum to be dried up in an August sun simply means ruin to 
the plant. They should never be allowed to approach dryness. 
I do not like to see the soil dry further than just to show.at 
the base of the stem. The second point to note is the mischief 
which is allowed to proceed on the points of the shoots from 
the attacks of aphides. Regular dusting of Pooley’s tobacco 
_ 
