January 6, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
5 
youngs canes, and the smallest on old closely spurred 
rods. We usually lay in a few youngf canes each season and prune 
the laterals on the reserved rods to a plump bud, even if this neces¬ 
sitates leaving a spur 2 inches or 3 inches in length. Those who 
market their surplus produce will find the Alicante much more 
profitable than the Black Hamburgh. The latter, if ripe in August, 
must be sold frequently at Is. or at the most Is. Gd. per lb., whereas 
the Alicante will keep plump and heavy till November, when it 
■should be sold for about 2s. Gd. per lb. Both varieties lose weight 
by being kept long after they are ripe, and many berries also decay, 
hence the advisability of selling as soon as a reasonable price is 
•offered. 
GOLDEN QUEEN. 
This, being raised from a cross effected between Alicante and 
Ferdinand de Lesseps, was expected to prove a desirable companion 
for the former. It was one of a very remarkable batch of seedlings 
raised by the late Mr. Pearson at Chilwell, and it was there I first 
saw and tasted it. As far as habit of growth, fruitfulness, and 
free setting are concerned, Golden Queen is all that could be wished 
for, but unfortunately it very rarely colours well, or if it does 
finish off a rich amber, this soon changes to a muddy yellow, which 
■quite spoils the value of it. A hot summer appears to suit it well, 
•our \ ine ripening off a good crop without much fire heat. The 
berries were fairly large, more solid than usual, and of a decided 
Muscat flavour—in fact it was very crisp and refreshing, and 1 was 
therefore more vexed to observe the change for the worse early in 
November. Yet another trial will be given it. Grown in a house 
of mixed late varieties, it was one of the first to break and flower, 
and I hope to try it in an early house before finally discarding what 
should have proved an excellent amateur’s Grape. The best coloured 
bunches I have ever seen were ripened on a forced pot Vine, and I 
would recommend it for trial to those who annually force a few 
Vines.— W. Iggulden. 
(To be continued). 
DENDROBIUM NOBILE. 
I WAS pleased to see the article by Mr. Iggulden in your last 
issue, page 562, and to find he had been so successful with the 
pruning process. I had some fine growths this season of D. chrys- 
anthum, but unfortunately I was not able to send a growth for 
you to see -when they were at their best. One growth, which 
measured nearly 5 feet long, had eighty-two flowers on it, and most 
of the growths had from thirty to forty flowers. D. Pierardi, 
with me, has growths between 4 and 5 feet long. —Novice. 
VANDAS FLOWERING LATE. 
Under my charge is a small collection of Vandas, chiefly 
■varieties of insignis, tricolor, and suavis, which, instead of flowering 
at their usual time, have been producing their spikes at intervals 
hroughout December, and have several expanding now. The 
plants are perfectly healthy, and I have been somewhat puzzled 
over this curious freak. The only conclusion I could come to was 
that the unusually hot summer must have checked them and caused 
a kind of premature rest, the succeeding moister weather of 
autumn having induced partial growth and flowering. I should 
like to know whether any of your readers have had a similar ex¬ 
perience, and I shall be curious to see what will be the result 
another season.—W. L. 
LARGE V. SMALL POTS FOR ORCHIDS. 
So.ME remarks of yours recently upon this subject could, I am 
■sure, be confirmed by many Orchid growers, and in my own experi- 
■ence I have had several examples of the evils attendant on excessive 
root space for these plants. This of course requires some qualifica¬ 
tion, as there are many of the soil-loving Orchids like the Cal-inthes 
that need liberal treatment both in the quantity and quality of 
their root supplies, but as regards most epiphytal Orchids it is almost 
without an exception. Many of the stronger-growing epiphytal 
Orchids when properly restricted in their root sp.ace can be safely 
supplied with liquid manure, and the results are then much more 
•satisfactory than when the roots are spread through a large mass of 
material which rapidly becomes soured. The Deiidrobiums of the 
nobile and AVardianura types show this in a marked degree, and 
Cypripedium insigne is similar in this respect.—J. J. 
ORCHID NAMES. 
It seems that efforts are being made to increase the confusion 
already so prevalent in Orchid nomenclature and to flood us with 
hosts of synonyms such as have rendered the study of botany dis¬ 
tasteful to so many. After over one hundred hybrid Orchids 
have been named in accordance with botanical usage—namely, with 
Greek or Latin titles, is it not somewhat confusing to commence 
giving them English titles such as Mr. Smith or Mrs. Jones ? AVith 
all due respect to the authorities, whoever they may be, I wish to 
enter my protest against the adoption of a system that is both in¬ 
consistent and inconvenient. Much outcry is made about the 
terrible difficulties attending the botanical designations of plants, 
but the fact is that a large proportion of these are more easily re¬ 
membered and more euphonious than English names, and they have 
the advantage of passing current and being as readily understood in 
most European countries as in our own. AVhen we receive a few 
from the Continent named after Herr Somebody with an alarming 
combination of consonants in his name, or Madame la Comtesse 
of somewhere or other with about fifteen syllables, the foll}^ of the 
system we have adopted will become evident to all. Many of our 
names will be quite as difficult to our continental friends. After 
all, who grumbles at such familiar names as Rhododendrons and 
Chrysanthemums ? while Rosa, Primula, Paeonia, and others are 
both simple and elegant. It is quite true that some botanists have 
■with distorted ingenuity produced some fearful compounds, or have 
adopted very peculiar personal names for plants, but these are only 
the exceptions, and the evils that will attend any system at the 
hands of injudicious supporters.— An Old Ouciiid GuoavEU. 
WOODS AND PLANTATIONS. 
At this season of the year it seems natural to turn our thoughts 
to the woods and plantations, a portion of the estate which gene¬ 
rally now-a-days comes in for a small share of attention, owing in 
many instances to the reduction in the number of hands formerly 
employed. This is to be deplored from more than one point of 
view, as instead of it being a saving it is really in the long run 
almost ruinous. The actual value of an estate is greatly affected 
by the condition of its woods and the state of the timber growing 
thereon. If these have been kept in good thriving order it would 
most ceitainly command a higher price or rent than one, on the 
other hand, that had been very much neglected. The general 
character is quickly changed if due care and attention are not 
bestowed on such matters. 
Objects of interest and beauty that -were carefully studied by 
those who "were in years past entrusted with the planting and 
laying out of grounds, at perhaps a very great cost, have been in 
some cases shut out of view by the unchecked growth of vigorous 
trees and shrnbs, spoiling what was once esteemed for the beautiful 
vistas and landscapes. In another direction some unsightly 
objects are only too visible through the destruction of trees by 
gales, &c., originally planted to form a screen. A few instances 
like the above would soon change the whole tone and character 
of the most beautiful place ; it would also tend very much to detract 
from its value, and point at once to neglect, which would in turn 
reflect a great amount of discredit on those who are responsible for 
their proper care, as it is evident if this course of things continue 
they must leave such places in a much worse state than they 
found them. Of course this applies more to the owner than those 
supposed to be in charge. If the former sees no interest in spend¬ 
ing yearly sufficient to keep woods and plantations in a healthy 
thriving condition, those in charge ought not to be held responsible 
for circumstances over which they have no control. 
Speaking of timber, I am afraid we are not following the good 
example set us by our forefathers. At one period there seemed 
almost to have been a mania for planting Oaks and Elms. The re¬ 
sults of fheu’ labour we now enjoy in the grand specimens we see in, 
the old parks of this country. It is a pity they cannot last for ever, 
as few can look on them without feeling a kind of proud satisfac¬ 
tion. Yet hundreds are cut down every year, and many others 
perishing through natural decay, and what a feeble attempt is 
made to replace them ! It is true very large numbers are planted 
every season, but with a different object, I believe, than that which 
prompted those of old. Now they are packed in as close as possible 
to make a show at once, and christened belts and clumps, which are 
seldom attended to after as regards thinning. Such soon form a 
jungle, which can never be called ornamental, far less claim any 
value from the timber point of view. 
No doubt the great numbers of coniferous trees that have been 
imported and raised in this country during the last fifty years have 
taken the place to a great extent of those which were used in olden 
times before the planter had such a selection, and while admitting 
the great beauty and value of many of these I feel sure they will 
