November 21,1889. I 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
437 
of doors again. It sets freely through the winter, and under glass the 
fruits are a better shape. 
Hathaway’s Excelsior is a good variety for outdoor cultivation. 
In shape and colour it resembles Ham Green, but it did not grow 
•so strongly nor carry so heavy a crop as that variety. 
Holborn Ruby is a model Tomato for eating uncooked, it being 
the best flavoured variety I have ever tasted ; it is, however, too 
small for market purposes. 
Trophy gave us a few very large handsome fruits, but it is a 
shy cropper out of doors. 
With Tomatoes there is no necessity for growing a host of 
varieties to maintain a continuous supply, hence what gardeners 
want is to find out the best all-round variety, and then grow it 
to the exclusion of all others. In this matter gardeners can help 
«eaeh other greatly by sending to the Journal the results of their 
trials and experiments with new varieties, provided they are 
based on well arranged methods.—J. H. W. 
MSA GRANDIFLORA. 
Ho attempt should be made to hurry these plants or failure will 
certainly result. They appear to grow slowly (this is natural), and 
those who may be growing the plant for the first time may be 
tempted to push them on more rapidly. We have been in this 
position, and advise others to give them liberal supplies of water, a 
circulation of air daily, and a night temperature of 45°. Nothing 
is gained by giving the plants a higher temperature, but the re¬ 
verse ; it may force the growth up weakly for a time, when the 
foliage will turn yellow and the plants often dwindle away. In too 
close an atmosphere the plants frequently become a prey to 
aphides. These under any circumstances soon ruin the plants, and 
-should be destroyed by sponging the leaves with a weak solution of 
•tobacco water. The worst enemy we have to contend against at 
this season of the year are small slugs. They soon do much damage, 
and should be sought for attentively every evening. This appears to 
be the only means of eradicating them. We have removed the living 
sphagnum from the surface of our plants, and for some time lately 
have sprinkled soot over the surface of the pans every evening just 
before dusk. This certainly dislodges them ; they come out in 
quantity a few minutes after the soot has been applied. Care is 
needed that the soot is not placed upon the foliage ; no harm re¬ 
sults from dropping it on the surface of the soil. 
MASDEVALLIAS. 
If M. tovarensis has not been shifted from the Odontoglossum 
house in whieh it has been grown during the summer no time should 
•be lost in removing it to warmer quarters. It must have a tempera¬ 
ture of 55° to 60°, in which it will pass the winter safely. Our 
•plants stand very well in a warm corner of the Odontoglossum 
house, but in this position the temperature never falls below 55°. 
Masdevallias will require considerably less water than has been 
given them up to the present time. Mischief is often done by 
supplying them too liberally with water during the winter months 
and having too low a temperature. These are the evils that cause 
the foliage to be spotted. The soil about their roots should not be 
destitute of moisture, and the temperature must not be allowed to 
fall, even during severe weather, below 45°. Watch for slugs ; 
they are particularly fond of the tender flower spikes as they 
appear. If aphides exist in the house they are certain to establish 
themselves on the young spikes ; they must be cleared off at once 
bj the aid of a soft sponge and clear tepid water. 
bendrobitjm heterocarpum. 
No advantage is gained as far as we have been able to discover 
by removing this Orchid to a cool structure. It will bear this treat¬ 
ment without injury, but it neither adds to the flowering pro¬ 
perties of the plant nor increases the strength of its growth the 
following season. Cool treatment is given only when we are 
anxious to retard for any length of time a number of plants. This 
Orchid is generally rested with us at the coolest end of the Cattleya 
house. It will bear being kept very dry without displaying the 
least signs of shrivelling. 
CIELOGYNE CRISTATA. 
Plants that were well ripened early by exposure to light and a 
good circulation of air during their last stages of growth, and then 
placed in a cool house, have their flower spikes nearly 2 inches long. 
A few of these we are introducing into a temperature of 60° ; in 
fact, they are taking the place of the late plants that are ready for 
removal to cooler quarters. Less water will be needed while in this 
position, but on no account should they suffer from an insufficient 
supply. The temperature of the Odontoglossum house will be 
ample to induce them to rest. If they are kept too dry their 
pseudo-bulbs shrivel, which is detrimental to the production of large 
flowers and pseudo-bulbs another year. The atmosphere in which 
they are placed while given cool treatment should not be too moist. 
The driest position of the Odontoglossum house should be selected. 
In too much moisture during the period of inactivity the tips of 
the leaves are liable to turn black. This Orchid does splendidly 
suspended from the roof of a warm house while making its 
growth. It appears, however, to do better in pans than on blocks 
or in baskets. For all that require more root room another year 
suitable pans are being prepared with three small holes just below 
the rim, through which the wires for suspending them will be 
secured. Ordinary pans, hard burnt, are such as will be used 
with no holes in them except at the bottom and the three already 
named. Pans with a quantity of holes round the sides have an 
objectionable appearance when they turn green. For suspending 
purposes we shall use no more soft, or what are termed porous pots. 
Pot washing takes up considerable time, and the use of porous 
pots and pans for these plants is only a fad ; they do equally as 
well in hard burnt ones, and the labour of keeping them clean is 
much less. Hard pots are a long time before they display signs of 
turning green. We have had some keep perfectly clean the whole 
season.— Orchid Grower 
ORCHIDS AT FOREST HILL. 
The following Orchids are now flowering in Messrs. John Laing 
and Sons’ Forest Hill Nurseries :—Cattleyas exoniensis (true) and 
Bowringiara ; Cypripediums Harrisianum, Haynaldianum, insigne, 
insigne albo-marginata, insigne sylhetense, and Sedeni ; Dendro- 
bium Jamesianum ; Masdevallias Candida and Yeitchi ; Oncidiums 
Forbesi, ornithorhynchum, tigrinum, and Wentworthianum ; 
Odontoglossums Alexandra?, constrictum, fragrans, grande, Oerstedi 
majus, the distinct Insleayi, and it3 beautiful variety splendens, 
which is much superior to the ordinary type and is very rarely 
seen. 
VJNE-PRUNING AND WINTER-DRESSING. 
It h not to teach the learned, but the several inquiring amateurs 
who are now essaying the winter treatment of their Vines, and are 
not too confident of the procedure best adapted for their purpose, 
that a few grains of instruction are hereby scattered. Vine-pruning 
must be adapted to the age, condition, and peculiar state of the 
Vines. On these circumstances the system of winter pruning must 
be founded. There are two chief forms of pruning the Vine—the 
short spur and long rod. There are also modifications of these ; 
or the two plans may often be seen in combination. 
Let us start with a young Vine planted in the spring with a 
new rod to the top of the house. “ Is that rod to be cut down 
“ Considering the permanent welfare of the Vine, undoubtedly.” 
“ But will not that rod bear fruit if left alone ?” “ Certainly, if a 
stout perfected rod ; moreover, the best bunches will not be near the 
bottom, but nearer the top of the house.” “ Then why cut it 
down ? If it kills itself with work it may.” That is the mode of 
reasoning of a self-knowing man, fond of asking advice and never 
following it. Picking up advice here and there, and going some¬ 
what different from all, he gets a first show of Grapes, and glories in 
the result as being a “ plan of my own,” having particular care to 
emphasise the “ my.” The Vine stands. It car ries some good 
bunches of Grapes, but many of the lower buds break stubbornly, 
some not at all, and the side growths, although pinched, are weak. 
Well, they ought not to have been pinched. Never mind, a lot of 
fruit is had, but the Vine is ruined. That is killing the goose 
which would have laid the golden eggsj Anotl e 1 stance : If, 
instead of pinching all the side shoots, at the base one is selected, 
the eye just at the bend where the cane turns down to the rafter 
generally breaks freely, and this allowed to grow to the top of the 
house unchecked, will make a good rod at the same time the other 
carries the Grapes. Now, if the rod-bearing cane is cut clean out 
when the Grapes are all cut, the young rod will be ready to bear 
more. That plan carried out year by year is the long-r, d system 
pure and simple. But some may say, “Oh! everybody knows that. 
X beg pardon, everybody does not know, and it is just these who 
require the information, and to whom alone it is offered. To 
