July 24, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
75 
variegated forms, the tops of which struck and grown on in a 
rather warm and moist house is one of the very finest of plants 
for table decoration. It does not grow at all freely in a green¬ 
house, the atmosphere being probably too dry and variable ; it 
requires a moist genial atmosphere and a light position. 
There are many other varieties besides those named, some of 
the newer forms being very bright and rich in colour, with a 
dwarf and free floriferous habit. What we want, however, is 
more of the A. venosum type—larger blooms on sturdy compact 
growing plants. Plants are readily raised from seeds sown in 
pans filled with light soil, just covering the seeds. Keep the soil 
uniformly moist, placing the pans in a house with a temperature 
of 65° to 75°, and when the seedlings appear pot singly as soon as 
large enough to handle, returning them to heat for a short time, 
and then removing them to a greenhouse and growing on. Except 
for the origination of new varieties, increase by seed is not desirable. 
Omission ought not to be made of the double variety of A. 
Thompsoni. It is an exact counterpart of the species, liut the 
flowers are double, rich orange veined with crimson. It certainly 
is novel, and for cutting useful. Last spring I made myself sure 
of a double Boule de Neige, as I had cuttings that all threw hen 
and chickens— i.e., several smaller flowers arranged around the 
central one, the stamens being transformed into narrow petals. As 
the plants advance they threw off the monstrosity and became 
normal.—G. Abbey. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
At the July meeting of the Sheffield Floral and Horticultural 
Society questions on various subjects were proposed and discussed 
by the members, which proved very interesting. Mr. James 
Simmonds presided. The first question brought forward was, 
Is it Necessary to Syringe Vines? 
The Chairman said that for over twenty years he had been in 
the habit of syringing Vines up to the time of coming into bloom, 
after which he discontinued it for the season, and he found it 
answer well. 
Mr. E. D. Smith considered that in the case of Vines growing 
in a moderate-sized greenhouse over a mixed collection of plants 
it was not necessary to syringe Vines, provided the plants under¬ 
neath were properly attended to, because enough moisture would 
be present in the atmosphere for the support of the Vines and the 
prevention of insect attacks. 
Mr. Tranter said that in a house started in January it would be 
necessary to syringe Vines after the bloom had set in order to keep 
down red spider, and he thought it was possible to syringe the 
Vines with pure clear water, and the Grapes too, without the 
slightest injury if maintaining a strong temperature. 
Mr. Simmonds said he started his house regularly in January, 
and he had no red spider on his Vines. 
Mr. W. Collier said that opinions differed very much in regard 
to syringing Vines, but he thought there would be found to be as 
many in favour of the practice as against it. There were different 
kinds of houses which often required different treatment. Some 
would require more moisture and others less. Considering the 
question all round, he thought a more healthy growth was secured 
by syringing. Most gardeners are required to grow plants as well 
as Grapes in a vinery. Where it is possible to devote a house 
entirely to Grapes syringing might be dispensed with. Then, again, 
there was a difference in Vine borders. Some were outside, others 
were inside. Where they are outside you can more readily dispense 
with syringing. If rain water can be procured he was in favour 
of syringing Vines where plants had to be grown in a vinery, 
especially such plants a3 Azaleas, which are very subject to thrips, 
or where it is necessary to force Strawberries in a vinery, red spider 
is sure to appear. Strawberry plants are the worst to introduce 
into a vinery, and he was supported in this statement by Mr. Wood¬ 
ward, who stated the experience of a gardener who had introduced 
Strawberries into his vinery, and at the present time they looked as 
if all the leaves were scorched. 
What are the Best Ferns to Stand in a Sunny Window? 
In answer to this question Mr. John Eadon stated that the best 
British Fern to stand in a sunny or any other window, provided it 
is kept free from dirt and properly watered, is the Polystichum 
angulare var. proliferum. It would stand sun better than any 
other British Fern if it can have plenty of water, and it is perfectly 
hardy. The Scolopendrium treated in the same manner will stand 
almost any amount of sun, and look well. The Osmunda is a 
large-growing plant, and it will stand sun well ; but it must also 
have a large amount of water. Among exotic Ferns there is 
nothing to equal Pteris serrulata. It was the best possible Fern to 
place in a window. He also advised growers of plants in windows, 
especially Ferns, to let them shape themselves to the window, and 
never to turn them round. This practice was sure to spoil their 
appearance. If Ferns are turned round and the fronds are not 
properly set they will grow one-sided and deformed, and if they 
are properly set they will not be altered at all by turning round. 
By keeping plants in one position they perhaps do"not look so well 
from a room, but they have a better appearance from outside. 
What Constitutes a Bloom ? 
This question was answered in the following notes by Mr. 
Smith :—In order to show clearly what constitutes a bloom it is 
necessary to give a short outline of the different kinds of inflor¬ 
escence. The inflorescence is the whole of the flowers which are 
arranged directly or indirectly upon one main flower stalk or 
primary axis. One of the most common forms of inflorescence is 
the umbel, of which there are both simple and compound forms. 
In the simple form the individual flowers are arranged on little 
pedicels or flower stalks, which all spring direct from one point at 
the apex of the primary axis, and give off but one flower. What 
we generally call trusses of bloom are perhaps more correctly 
called umbels of bloom. In the compound form the pedicels or 
little flower stalks are arranged in a similar manner, but instead of 
only producing each a single flower they produce a number of 
secondary pedicels, each of which produces a flower, and the whole 
of them a miniature umbel, consequently the whole inflorescence is 
formed of a number of these small complete umbels, constituting a 
compound umbel of bloom. Another common form of inflorescence 
is the capitulum or head, in which a great number of sessile flowers, 
or flowers which have no visible stalk, are collected close together 
upon what is known as the torus or thickened head of the main 
flowering stalk or peduncle. Another form is the corymb, which is 
similar to an umbel, but differs from it in having its pedicels spring¬ 
ing from different levels, though the flowers themselves reach about 
the same height. The spike is another very common form, of 
which there are both simple and compound. In the simple form 
the flowers are set upon the peduncle or main stalk without any 
pedicels at all, being what is known as sessile, or sitting upon the 
stalk. In the compound form the flowers are borne at the end of 
or along little pedicels springing from the main stalk at varying 
distances. The raceme is also a very familiar form, and differs 
from the spike in having the flowers on short pedicels of equal 
length springing from a main axis. Another form of the raceme 
is known as the panicle, in which each pedicel branches again, and 
sometimes two and three times. It is sometimes called a compound 
raceme. 
The cyme partakes of many variations more or less of the 
other forms, but the character which distinguishes it particularly 
from the other forms is that the main flower stalk is always termi¬ 
nated by a flower. Sometimes the inflorescence of a plant is 
mixed, the whole partaking of one form, while the individual 
flowers or partial inflorescence will be of another character, as in 
the Chrysanthemum. 
The simplest inflorescence of all is that where a single flower 
terminates at the end of the peduncle or main stalk, such as in the 
Tulip. Next to this form is that of plants such as the Pimpernel, 
Yiolets, and Pansies, which produce single flowers from the axils 
of the leaves. Each of these flowers, of course, constitutes a 
bloom of itself, and so does any individual large bloom, whether it 
is borne at the termination of a single peduncle or is produced on a 
secondary stalk branching from the peduncle and belonging to 
some of those previously mentioned. It is only the smaller flowers 
which of themselves are so inconspicuous that require to be con¬ 
sidered, not separately as in the case of large flowers, but under 
certain arrangements spoken of and understood as a bloom, the 
particular form of arrangement, however, being indicated by the 
qualifying name which each special mode of arrangement bears. 
Wiiat are the Causes of Warts on the Leaves of 
Certain Varieties of Vines? 
Mr. Tranter said the presence of warts on the leaves of Vines 
was an old grievance, and one which often old practitioners could 
not get to the bottom of. He had noticed other trees affected, 
such as the Pear and the Currant. Some Vines appear more sub¬ 
ject to them than others ; for instance, a Muscat and a Black 
Hamburgh growing side by side will exhibit the spectacle of warts 
on the leaves of the Black Hamburgh and none on the Muscat, 
both Vines being subject to the same treatment. 
Mr. Collier had read in one of the gardening journals that 
warts on the leaves of Vines were an indication of insufficient 
attention on the part of the grower and an insufficient supply of 
water at the roots. Since then he had discovered one of hi3 own 
