November 6,1S90. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
897 
mat supported above them on hard nights, and this season I intend 
ruling a frame with Anemones, as they are most valuable for cutting, 
asting long in water, and many are of exquisite colouring.— 
S. Ak.yott, Dumfries. 
SYRINGING. 
Syringing is a very important aid to successful gardening, 
-possessing, as it does, the twofold virtue of assisting growth and 
‘keeping it in a clean healthy condition afterwards. But whilst a 
most useful agency when properly applied, what may be termed 
reckless syringing cannot be too strongly condemned. To syringe a 
'plant or house a certain number of times in a day regardless of all 
■conditions is enough to bring the practice into disrepute, and to 
condemn the use for causes which ought properly to be credited to 
the abuse, although, like most other implements, the dangerous 
qualities of the syringe are mainly brought out when placed in the 
hands of the inexperienced. When used to produce a genial 
atmosphere its combined influences are readily observed, and in 
like manner a house where there is a damp stagnant air or dry 
parched feeling noticeable, shows the effects only too plainly 
of the sins of omission or commission. Like everything else it 
produces good or ill results according to the skill or carefulness of 
“the operator. 
As a means of assisting growth the common practice of syring¬ 
ing Vines when in a dormant state is familiar to all who have had 
anything to do with their cultivation, and years of close observa¬ 
tion prompt me to state that this is more frequently overdone than 
otherwise. At the time when this process is first called into action— 
generally in winter, when the chilly dampness of the external 
atmosphere influences the internal air to a great extent, as but little 
fire heat is used at the commencement of forcing—it would be most 
unwise to syringe with the same freedom that might be quite harm¬ 
less at a later period, when the days are longer and warmer. And 
yet this is done with the frequent result of tender attenuated 
growths that bear a larger crop of tendrils than bunches. Even 
where the practice is not carried to the same extent as this it is 
questionable if a still less use of the syringe than is sometimes 
advised would not be of advantage. It is a well known fact that 
waterings over the foliage are not conducive to floriferousness or 
fruitfulness, and as fruit is the principal object for which Vines 
are grown, any means which might be the cause of thwarting that 
object ought to be used with extreme caution. The trainings of 
infancy have a great effect on the actions of mature age, and in like 
manner the early treatment of the bud influences the latter growth and 
its attendant fruitfulness. Good crops of fruit are had from Vines 
that are syringed in their early stages, and in some instances the 
practice is followed up until the ripening period has commenced, 
with fairly satisfactory results. But is it not probable that the 
crops would have been still more satisfactory without the assistance 
of the syringe ? In my opinion—which is expressed with great 
diffidence—the less a syringe is used directly on the Vine the 
better, unless an occasion may arise for its services. If the Vines 
are thoroughly ripened, and in other respects properly treated, there 
ought not to be much assistance required from the syringe to start 
them into growth. If an occasional damping, sufficient to keep up 
a moist searching temperature, is not enough to start growth, I 
would try to find out the cause before using the whip—I intended 
to write syringe, but the terms in the sense implied are somewhat 
analogous. 
Damping, as applied here, is not merely throwing water along 
the path, but syringing the walls and other exposed surfaces as 
well. It appears to be like a case of u will he, nil he ” to see a 
Vine syringed a regulation number of times in a day, or in fact any 
plant where the pruning has not extended beyond the current year’s 
growth, but if a plant has been pruned hard into the old wood the 
assistance of the syringe carefully used is productive of the most 
beneficial results. In the latter instance the treatment is unnatural, 
and is only done in extreme cases when extreme remedies are 
in common request. A plant that has overgrown its limits, or 
from continual cutting has been rendered unsightly, is frequently 
■transformed into a fairly good specimen by being cut back into 
wood several years old. When this is done the assistance of the 
syringe as an incentive to growth is generally recognised. But 
-unless at such times as these the direct action of the syringe on 
the plants it is intended to benefit is not generally its best mode of 
doing so. It has been observed that this practice is only following 
Nature, and the rains and dews are quoted to prove the truth of 
the observation ; but who amongst practical gardeners waters his 
Vine borders with a syringe ? yet the rain has first to fall on the tree 
Before it descends to the roots, and there is no necessity to argue 
the fact that the dew is more closely imitated by the ascending 
moisture from sprinklings than by directly syringing water on to 
the plant. 
It has already been observed that waterings over the foliage are 
not conducive to floriferousness, therefore softwooded plants which 
are not subject to the attacks of insects are generally better without 
syringing, but those of a more hardwooded description, and foliage 
plants generally, are difficult to keep clear of insects without its 
use. But there are different ways of using a syringe, and to 
dew a house of plants with a spiay nozzle is not the method 
which is most successful in keeping plants clean. It is generally 
the under side of the leaves and the stem of a plant where the 
insects commence their career, and to check their action or pre¬ 
vent their gaining foothold those parts must have its action applied 
to them with a force sufficient to effect that purpose.—M. D. 
LETTUCES. 
Tins summer I determined upon giving a good trial to several 
new and old varieties of Lettuces, to ascertain which were the best 
and most profitable, the latter point being a matter of importance 
to me, as indeed it is to most people nowadays. I sowed from seed 
received from New York, Sunset, New York, Big Boston, and Sala¬ 
mander, and from MM. Vilmorin, Blond Blockhead (what a name !), 
While Chavigny, and Trianon. Having thus put America and 
France under contribution, I turned to my native soil to provide 
me with Paris White Cos (which is French), All the Year Round, 
Sutton’s Favourite, and Bath Cos. The latter are well known, and 
were simply grown to test the other varieties. I had forgotten 
Daniels’ Buttercup, which, being the only new English variety, I 
will describe at once as a compact growing yellow Cabbage Lettuce, 
which hearts readily and is of good quality, but wants using at once, 
for the leaves being very soft they easily bruise, and the appearance 
is then spoilt. Sunset, a curled Cabbage variety, I found very good, 
but not extra good, and having found better I shall not grow it 
again, although it is better than many. New York is an exceed¬ 
ingly large Cabbage, of dark green colour, crisped and curled some¬ 
what, hearting quickly, and when well grown will save much 
trouble in pulling, for one will easily take the place of four ordinary 
Lettuces. The quality is good. Being so large and solid it sells 
readily for a good price, which is another important point. Big 
Boston runs to seed in a hurry, and I never want to see it again. 
Salamander is very similar to White Chavigny. It is a smooth 
leaved Cabbage, not running to seed but forming white hearts, 
the plants being compact and uniform in growth. This description 
will also cover White Chavigny, and if you grow one you will not 
require the other, for there is nothing to choose between them. 
Blond Blockhead, a fringed and crisped Cabbage variety, is a real 
beauty, and to my idea the best Lettuce I ever saw. The plants 
in a young state are green, but when the large round hearts—not 
flat round, but globular—are formed, they turn a delicate pale 
yellow, and are beautiful to the eye, and I may add to the palate 
also. It does not run to seed readily, but stands drought very well. 
Trianon is a Paris White variety, and is excellent. I grew it to a 
large size, and found it good in all respects. Sutton’s White Heart, 
which I grew two years ago, I shall in future join with Trianon for 
Cos, and Blond Blockhead with New York for Cabbage varieties. 
These four varieties will supply me with all I want during the 
summer. Had I not unfortunately put out several hundreds of 
Big Boston, which all ran to seed, I should have been very pleased 
with my Lettuces this year. Where space cannot easily be spared, 
I find planting a row between the rows of newly planted Straw¬ 
berries a good plan, and they invariably do better there than 
elsewhere, and being soon off the ground they do not affect the 
Strawberry plants injuriously.—H. S. Easty. 
SARRACENIAS. 
As a grower and exhibitor of these beautiful and most interest¬ 
ing class of plants, I should like, with your permission, to supple¬ 
ment the article of “ K.” in your Journal recently. I consider that 
watering and the annual repotting are the most important matters 
in their cultivation. I say annual, because as far as my experience 
goes, these plants cannot be kept in vigour if this is not done, and 
what I mean by the annual potting is shaking the roots out of the 
potting material and using fresh. As a rule this is done in the 
spring of the year, but it may be done any time, the roots being so 
pliable they are not, with ordinary care, readily injured. Plants 
are broken up at any time here when necessary for propagation, 
and the plants continue growing as if they had not been dis¬ 
turbed. 
Water is freely used amongst them here ; in fact, when potted 
in the material recommended by “ K.,” watering cannot be over¬ 
done. We deluge with water every day when the plants are grow¬ 
ing, as dryness is fatal to the development of the pitchers. Water 
is given freely three times a week in winter when not growing. 
