498 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r December 4,1890. 
of his trees, and showed that not a moth had passed beyond it, as 
the grease was good. Mr. Hiam thought that many failures result 
from the use of bad grease, and strongly advocates its being placed 
on bands of greased paper. He considered it would not act 
effectually if placed on the bark, and in proof of this referred to 
his band. This was made to cover two-thirds of the circumference 
of a particular tree, the other third being greased on the tree. On 
the grease on the paper he took fifty-three male and eighty-five 
female moths, and on the grease on the tree only two males and 
two females. This clearly showed that the bark absorbed the 
grease and rendered it comparatively useless. He next explained 
the beneficial effects of syringing with Paris green and London 
purple, but counselled great care in their use. 
The syringing not only had a beneficial effect on the crops of 
the year, but sensibly mitigated the attack of the pests in the fol¬ 
lowing season, as the caterpillars being killed did not go down to 
the earth to come up in the autumn as moths. In proof of this 
he gave statistics of the moths found on trees syringed and not 
syringed. No. 1 was a standard orchard Apple tree, 20 inches in 
circumference, sprayed with Paris green after blooming. On 
Saturday week he found on the grease band of that tree fourteen 
male and three female moths. No. 2 was an Apple tree, 36 inches 
in circumference, and was syringed. From that he took twenty- 
one male and three female moths. No. 3 was 21 inches, and on 
the band were twenty-two males and four females. No. 4 was 
30 inches, and had eight males and six females. The total number 
of moths caught on the greased bands of the four trees on Satur¬ 
day week was sixty-five males and sixteen females. No. 5 tree 
was not sprayed with Paris green. It was 57 inches in cir¬ 
cumference. On the grease band were 103 males and 138 
females. No. 6, 34 inches, not syringed, eighty-five males, eighty- 
two females. No. 7 was the tree which was greased partly on the 
bark and partly on paper, so that all the moths were not caught. 
About a fourth of the tree was syringed. On it were fifty-five 
males and eighty-seven females. The total number of moths 
on the trees not sprayed with Paris green was 243 males and 
307 females. He calculated roughly that the moths captured 
would represent 3000 caterpillars on the four syringed trees, and 
60,000 on the other three.— (Evesham Standard .) 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON VINES. 
The following hints will probably be useful to beginners in Grape 
culture who are expected to have a supply of fruit at different periods 
of the year. The earliest Vines were started in November. Whether 
in pots or planted out, they will need to have the temperature 
increased to 60° at night in mild weather, 55° in severe weather, 
gradually increasing it so as to have it 00° at night when the Vines are 
in leaf, G5° by day in severe weather, and 70° to 75° in mild weather with 
moderate ventilation. The evaporation troughs need not be charged 
with liquid manure if there are fermenting materials in the bouse, but 
if not the troughs should be filled and kept so with the drainings 
of the dungyard or stables, cowbyres, &c., but avoid the drainings 
of piggeries. Failing the materials named, employ 1 lb. guano in 
20 gallons of water, which is also useful for watering Vines in pots, the 
water being applied at the temperature of the house. Tie up the Vines 
in position as soon as the growth has well commenced, and before the 
shoots are so long as to be liable to be damaged in the process. Sprinkle 
the house two or three times a day in clear weather, avoiding a close 
atmosphere on the one hand, and a dry one on the other. Disbudding 
should not be practised until the fruit shows in the points of the 
shoots. 
When a supply of ripe Grapes is required in May, the Vines must be 
started without de’ay, nothing favours satisfactory starting more than 
a good bed of leaves and sweetened stable litter placed on the 
floor of the house and turned daily. The outside border should 
have the needful protection from cold rains and snow, two-thirds of 
leaves to one of stable litter affording a less violent and more lasting 
heat than dung. Provided the borders were covered with bracken, 
straw, or litter in early autumn so as to throw off the rain, the tempera¬ 
ture will be considerably w r armer than that of exposed borders, and in 
their case covering with fermenting materials may be dispensed with, 
but a covering of fresh leaves, so as to raise gentle warmth, is prefer¬ 
able, especially to those entirely outside. The inside borders should 
be brought into a thoroughly moist condition by applying water, 
and in the case of weakly Vines liquid manure at 90°. Start with a 
night temperature of 50° in severe weather, 55° in mild weather, and 
65° by day, except the weather be severe, when 55° will suffice, not ex¬ 
ceeding those figures until growth commences. Maintain a moist ’ 
atmosphere by syringing occasionally, but excessive moisture excites 
the emission of aerial roots from the rods. Depress the rods of young 
Vines to the horizontal line, or below it, to insure the regular breaking 
of the eyes. e 
Vines in midseason houses from which the Grapes have been cut 
should be pruned, indeed there must be no delay in this work after the 
leaves are down. Any Grapes still hanging may be cut, placed in 
bottles of clear rain water with apiece of charcoal in each. The Grapes 
often keep better that way than on the Vines, as the temperature of a 
Grape-room is more equable than can be commanded in a vinery. 
Keeping Grapes hanging after they are matured and the leaves fallen 
may not prejudicially affect the Vines unless prolonged to a late period, 
yet the greater amount of young wood keeps the sap more or less in cir¬ 
culation, and there is a certain amount of waste going on which cannot 
take place when the Vines are pruned. Prune, therefore, directly the 
leaves are fallen, cut any thin-skinned Grapes, as they do not require 
the maturing so necessary for such varieties as Gos Colman, and thick- 
skinned varieties generally. In pruning adhere to the system that has 
proved satisfactory. If the Vines are in good condition they will give 
sufficiently large bunches if pruned to a couple of buds, good useful 
Grapes, so essential for keeping the table supplied with fresh fruit daily. 
But if larger bunches are wanted, or the Vines, from weakness or other 
causes do not afford them so large as required, leave more growth, only be 
careful to select sound, round, well developed buds on firm well ripened 
wood. Large bunches are invariably defective in the finish of medium 
sized bunches. Aim, therefore, at finish. Vines that afford well finished 
examples when pruned to one bud will give a larger bunch and of equal 
finish from the second bud. If the soil be rich, plentiful and loose, the 
chances are the shoots or canes will be gross, long-jointed, having large 
thin textured leaves, the buds large, pointed, or if laterals are encouraged 
flat, and these may give the sensational bunches, which justly have their 
merits calculated by weight. If, on the other haud, the roots are in a 
firm but favourable rooting medium, causing an increase of root ramifi¬ 
cations, then the wood will be stout and short-jointed, the leaves thick 
and leathery, and the buds at their base will be round, plump, and well 
matured. It is, of course, assumed the foliage has full exposure to light 
for the solidification of the growth as made, and that cultural require¬ 
ments are granted in full measure. Let the Vines be dressed, the house 
thoroughly cleansed, and everything placed in order, so that there need 
be no hurry later on. Keep the house as cool as possible, to insure 
complete rest. 
In late houses take every precaution possible against damp. Leaky 
roofs are a prolific cause of decay in Grapes ; a single drop of water 
getting inside a bunch of Grapes is sufficient to spoil it. Though the decay 
may only be a berry it soon spreads and spoils the whole bunch, especially 
when the faulty berry is in the interior of the bunch, so that it escapes 
detection until the mischief is done. "Remove all leaves as they become 
ripe, affording only sufficient fire heat to maintain a temperature of 40 
to 45°, and close the house in damp weather, seeking to insure a dry, 
cool, and equable temperature. Muscat of Alexandria should have a 
temperature of 50°, a gentle warmth in the pipes constantly so as to 
prevent the deposition of moisture on the berries, but when the weather 
is cold and sharp allow the temperature to fall 5° or 10°, being careful 
not to allow the temperature to be much accelerated by sun heat or 
natural warmth without a free admission of air.— PRACTITIONER. 
Orchids at St. Albans. 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co.’s great establishment at St. Albans 
seems to become more astonishing every year, not only in extent 
and numbers of plants, but also in the remarkable healthy con¬ 
dition distinguishing so varied a collection of Orchids. Cattleyas 
of all sections that were only imported six months ago are now 
fine vigorous plants, throwing up strong and abundant sheaths, and 
promising a rich display of flowers next year. House after house 
of Odontoglossum crispum and vexillarium, with all the other chief 
favourites in that genus, present similar results of good treatment. 
Coelogynes and Cymbidiums, Lfelias, Dendrobiums, Masdevallias, 
Angrrecums, Cypripediums, and with many others that cannot be 
mentioned now, are all that the most critical could desire. Of 
the Angrsecums one of the most attractive and free-flowering is 
A. Sanderianum (fig. 65), which succeeds especially well at St. 
Albans, producing its long racemes of creamy white flowers in 
profusion. Grown in small baskets suspended from the roof of a 
house with a temperature of 55° to 60° it seems to be thoroughly 
at home. 
Hybrid Cypripediums. 
Cypripediums are just now one of the special features, and the 
attention which has been given for some years to hybridising and 
seed saving is beginning to produce satisfactory results. For 
instance, there are three or four hybrids in flower that possess 
extremely distinct characters, and must be considered as most 
valuable additions to the list of cultivated Cypripediums. One of 
these is an exquisitely beautiful hybrid from C. superbiens 
(Yeitchi) and C. hirsutissimum, which shows a remarkable com¬ 
bination of the characters distinguishing those species. It has a 
somewhat heart-shaped dorsal sepal, If inch wide by If deep- 
