Hatch 7, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
203 
lamps have won many high awards, and recently a diploma of honour at 
the Exhibition of Hygiene and Life-saving Apparatus in Paris. The flame 
is quite protected by a glass globe from coming in contact with any 
inflammable materials, as shown in the above illustration. 
CAMBRIDGE BOTANIC GARDEN. 
The following is the substance of the annual report of the Cambridge 
Botanic Garden Syndicate (this report actually covers the year and a 
half ending Dec. 31st, 1888) which has just been issued :—■ 
The Botanic Garden Syndicate having been authorised to build part 
of a new range of plant houses at a cost not exceeding £3000, a contract 
with the well-known horticultural builders, Messrs. Boyd of Paisley, 
was signed on March 28th, 1888. The work was begun on April 17th, 
and is now completed. The total cost amounts to £3000 16s. 10|d. The 
work has been carried out under careful supervision, and the Syndicate 
have reason to believe that the material used and the methods of 
construction are thoroughly substantial and satisfactory. Solid 
foundations have been laid, so that whenever new woodwork is required 
it may be rebuilt on the same walls. The heating is done by two boilers, 
which are so arranged that either may be used separately, or both at 
once. An efficient water-service has been provided ; and either hard or 
soft water may be forced with considerable pressure to the taps in the 
various parts of the range, for use with hose, or may be allowed to 
gravitate from elevated tanks. The houses now built have been designed 
so as to form part of a complete range, that is a series of houses 
capable of accommodating the whole of the collection. It is to be 
hoped that the completion of the range in a manner worthy of the 
University will not be long delayed. The part of the range now put up 
includes warm Orchid house, warm Fern house, stove, Palm house, 
aquarium and stove pit. Of these the aquarium is the only house that 
had not been provided before ; and it is a valuable addition from a 
scientific point of view, obtained without materially increasing the area 
of glass. A laboratory, mnch needed for investigations that require to 
be carried on in close proximity with the plants, has been built. The 
building contains two large working rooms and a dark chamber, and is 
heated by hot water from the mains of the new range of plant houses, 
with which, when the remaining houses have been built, it will be in 
communication by the corridor. The plants in the houses will thus be 
practically under the same roof with the laboratory. Before removal to 
the new houses the Orchid, Fern, and stove collections were carefully 
examined throughout; more than the usual amount of potting was 
done, and these collections are now in a very satisfactory condition. 
Special efforts were made to exterminate insects, and the collections 
generally are now cleaner than hitherto. The cool Orchids have greatly 
improved in condition, and valuable additions have been made to the 
collection. The hardy Cactuses have been removed from their old 
position to the border in front of the new stove. The development of 
this set is probably unsurpassed, and here, in this conspicuous position, 
it forms a fine feature. The extensive collection of Crocuses has been 
replanted among the borders of the new range, by taking a single corm 
of each kind, so that each clump may be formed from one individual. 
Revision of nomenclature has had all possible attention. The 
collection of stove Ferns has been carefully examined, and the names 
when necessary have been altered in accordance with a set of dried 
specimens authenticated in the Kew Herbarium. A dried set of species 
of the genus Berberis was taken to Kew, and the names now stand in 
accordance with the specimens of the Kew Herbarium. Various plants 
have been named or authenticated from time to time. New labels 
have been written for all parts of the garden. About 3875 have been 
required for specimen plants, and about 2050 of smaller size for seed 
pots and for various purposes. The large “ Order ” labels on the 
herbaceous ground have been re-painted and re-written, and those 
belonging to the various shrub-groups in the garden are in course of 
renewal. The re-labelling of the Orchid collection is in progress. The 
plants in the new houses have been re-labelled as far as possible. 
Among the principal plants of scientific interest that have flowered 
are Aristea Eckloni, Arum Besserianum, Asarum Hartwegi, Blumen- 
bachiaHieronymi, Catasetum Bungerothi, Chrysanthemum hfematomma, 
Convolvulus Malvacea, “Dominica Ginger’’ (received from the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society and now proved to be Zingiber officinale), Eichornia 
tricolor, Erythroxylon Coca var., E. ovatum, Griseb., Fontanesia 
Fortunei, Gladiolus aurantiacus, Gladiolus sp. n., Gomphocarpus albens, 
Iris Kingiana, I. Korolkowi, I. Saari, I. Suwarowi, Mormodes buccinator, 
Narcissus Broussoneti (remarkable in having its corona reduced to a 
mere rim), Pilocarpus pennatifolius (?) (of interest in pharmacy as 
yielding Pilocarpine. This is the true Pernambuco plant, but whether 
it is the P. pennatifolius of Lemaire is not easily determined. Flowers 
were sent to Kew as affording the first living material for examination). 
Polemonium flavum (figured in “ Bot. Mag.” t. 6965), Primula Reidi, 
Roscoea spicata, Sechium edule (the Chocho of the West Indies, a 
Cucurbit with one-seeded edible fruit), Statice Suwarowi, Zantedeschia 
Rehmanni, Engl., and Zephyranthes macrosiphon. About 1879 plants 
and 897 packets of seeds have been received. Contributions have been 
received from seventeen Botanic Gardens, and a return has been made 
to most of them, 1482 plants and about 1564 packets of seeds having 
been distributed. Special thanks are due to Messrs. F. Sander & Co. of 
St. Albans for an extremely valuable set of Orchids, including the new 
and magnificent Catasetum Bungerothi. 
The following plants may be mentioned as among the most interesting 
and important that have been received :—Gerbera Jamesoni, a fine 
Composite introduced from the Cape; Iris Rosenbachi, Ostrowskia 
magnifica with various other choice plants from Herr Max Leichtlin ; 
Iris Barnumi, with several other new and choice species and various 
bulbs and seeds from Prof. Foster; Isonandra Gutta (important as 
yielding Gutta Percha), Napoleona imperialis (of interesting floral' 
structure), Reinwardtia tetragyna, Restio tetraphyllus, Stifftia chrysantha 
(a fine shrubby Composite), Washingtonia robusta (a choice new Palm),, 
Stachys tuberifera (a new vegetable, the Crosnes of the Paris markets), 
Strophanthus hispidus, Remijia pedunculata (the bark of which is 
known as “ Cuprea bark,” and contains quinine), and several other 
economic plants. Zantedeschia Rehmanni, a choice Aroid introduced 
from the Cape, is of interest as possessing a leaf-form quite unlike that 
of its congeners. Important additions have been made to some of the 
special collections. The collection of hardy Bamboos, already a good 
one, has been increased by the addition of twelve reputed distinct 
kinds, and all obtainable additions have been made to the genus Pagonia. 
On Whit-Monday last about 1600 visitors entered the garden, and no- 
misconduct of any kind was observed. 
C. E. Searle, Vice-Chancellor 
C. Taylor. 
L. Neville. 
G. E. Paget. 
Charles C. Babington. 
Vines. —Early Houses .—Early Vines through the sunless weather 
that has prevailed since starting have not made altogether satisfactory 
progress, especially those that are not favourably situated for forcing but 
have the roots in cold borders which have not been covered with 
fermenting materials. The Vines have started slowly and have broken 
irregularly ; the bunches in some instances show a tendency to blindness, 
some of them running off to tendrils and others not advancing freely. 
Under such circumstances a slight increase of temperature and a reduced 
supply of moisture for a short time may be beneficial. Thinning should 
be kept well in hand, commencing as soon as the berries likely to swell 
freely can be detected, and as a rule thin well in the interior of the 
bunches, leaving the berries with room to attain their full size without 
wedging, and yet so full as not to fall out of shape when placed on a 
dish. Liquid manure applied to inside borders will materially assist the 
swelling of the Grapes after having been thinned, applying it at a 
temperature of 80° to 85°, and a liberal supply of moisture charged with 
ammonia, whether it be had by occasionally sprinkling with liquid 
guano or mulching the border with fresh stable litter with the straw 
shaken out will be beneficial ; but too much of this must not be applied 
at one time, or it will prejudicially affect the as yet tender foliage. 
Bright, sunny days, with sharp winds, may now be expected. Avoid 
sudden changes of temperature, and admit air in small quantities at a 
time, closing early in the afternoon at 85°, allowing the house to fall to 
65° at night. Grapes that have passed the stoning period should have 
copious supplies of liquid manure in a tepid state. Avoid the close¬ 
stopping system until every part of the trellis is well covered with 
foliage, as every leaf promotes root-action, which it is necessary to main¬ 
tain as active as possible, so as to secure well-swelled berries. 
Succession Houses .—Disbud and secure the growths as they advance, 
stopping them two joints beyond the bunch where the space is limited, 
but where there is space allow a greater extension of the shoots before 
stopping. Remove the laterals from the joints below the show of fruit, 
except from the two base leaves, which may be stopped at the first 
leaf, and to one afterwards as produced. The laterals above the fruit 
may be allowed to make such growth as can have exposure to light 
without crowding, and then be stopped, keeping them closely pinched 
afterwards, as well as in the case of those not having room for extension. 
Remove all superfluous and ill-formed bunches of the free setting varie¬ 
ties as soon as those that are most promising for the crop can be deter¬ 
mined. Vines started early in the year will be in flower. A rather dry 
atmosphere with a free circulation of air and a temperature of 65° to 70°' 
at night and 70° to 75° by day are conducive to a good set, moderate 
moisture being maintained by damping the house two or three times a 
day in bright weather. Any shy setting varieties, such as Muscats, 
should be kept 5° higher, the flowers being carefully fertilised. 
Late Houses .—Start the Vines intended to afford fruit in August 
onwards ; indeed, Muscats, Alicantes, Lady Downe’s, and other late sorts, 
should be encouraged noW, as the fruit keeps much better when ripened 
in August or early in September than when the season is more advanced 
at the ripening period. It is imperative that Gros Colman and Gros 
Guillaume be given a long period of growth. No further delay should 
be made in starting houses of those varieties. Vines, however, which 
have only been recently pruned need not be started for some time yet. 
M. Foster. 
Francis Darwin. 
J. W. Hicks. 
Francis Jenkinson. 
Walter Gardiner. 
