433 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 30, 1889. 
of having a succession of bloom. This is a good plan, and 
abundance of flowers can be had during January and later, when 
flowers are less plentiful than during November and December, 
■when the plants flower naturally. To have late flowers considerable 
-care i3 needed, or the plants will quickly degenerate. If the same 
plants are subject to retarding for a number of years they will 
gradually become weaker and almost refuse to grow. It is by no 
means advisable to retard the whole stock for late flowering; fresh 
pseudo-bulbs should be used for this purpose annually, and then no 
marked degree of weakness will be visible. It is wise where late 
flowers are needed to grow a number of young plants annually, 
which are freely enough produced from two-year-old pseudo-bulbs 
and the top of those only one year old. The old pseudo-bulbs of 
C!. Veitchi will yield small flowering bulbs the first season, and 
which will be capable of flowering the second if well cared for. 
PHAIUS GRANDIFOLIUS. 
Few plants are more conspicuous for conservatory decoration 
than the Phaius, and for this purpose it is one of the most useful 
Orchids that can be grown. It is well worth cultivating in num¬ 
bers according to individual requirements. Some Orchid growers 
relegate this and other common varieties to positions of obscurity, 
but it well deserves care and good culture, for its giant spikes of 
Ijloom are very ornamental standing above other flowering plants 
during the spring months. The same care should be given in its 
culture as that advised for Calanthes from the time they start into 
growth. Water over the foliage must in their present stage of 
growth be supplied with great care. The foliage of few Orchids 
is more quickly damaged by heavy syringing and overwatering at 
the root than this Phaius. When the growth is a foot or more 
high liberal supplies of water should be given, and the syringe may be 
more freely used. Root action will then be abundant, and clear 
soot water and weak liquid cow manure in a clear state or strained 
may with advantage be given alternately about once a week. Brown 
scale is a source of trouble to this plant, and if the old foliage has 
been infested they will appear on the young in large quantities 
before long. The only means of eradication is by the aid of the 
sponge and a weak solution of softsoap and water. 
ONCIDIUM?. 
The varieties 0. Papilio majus and 0. Kramerianum need a 
little attention, and then they can be grown successfully. We lost 
several plants of the latter by growing them on or near the stage 
with other plants and in too shady a position. O. Kramerianum 
should be suspended from the roof at the warm end of a structure 
where the temperature suitable for Cattleyas can be maintained. 
The warmest and lightest part of the house must be selected. 
The last is most important, for they must have full light ; they 
need shade only from the direct rays of the sun. Both these 
Oncidiums will grow on blocks, which should not be the thin flat 
pieces that we so often see these Orchids established on, and which 
are no sooner dipped or syringed than they are dry again. If they 
have good sized blocks and a little sphagnum moss sufficient mois¬ 
ture is easily maintained about them. They will do in pots, pans, 
or baskets in a compost of peat and lumps of charcoal with a little 
moss on the surface. When grown in any of these ways carefully 
avoid placing too much compost about their roots. They are by 
no means vigorous in growth, and if a quantity of unoccupied 
material is employed they are certain not to succeed well. They 
•enjoy something to which their roots can cling, and therefore the 
charcoal used should be in good-sized lumps.— Orchid Grower. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Whatever may be urged in favour of hot dry seasons for fruit 
■and fruit trees in general, they are not the most favourable for 
Strawberries. The hot dry weather of 1887 was the cause, to a 
large extent, of failure in securing a good crop the following season. 
The plants were prematurely brought to a standstill by drought^ 
and in many cases were so exhausted that they failed to perfect°the 
heavy crop they were carrying. The strain was too great, and 
varieties of moderate growth on light soils failed to recover. 
Heavy rains came in time to start the plants, and they were in fuli 
growth in autumn, when frost forced them to rest. The result was 
that strong-growing varieties proved barren, of which President 
and feir Joseph Paxton may be taken as examples. Vi com t esse 
Hericart de Thury may illustrate those of weaker growth, which 
fruited abundantly after the trying ordeal through which the plants 
had passed the previous season. 
The season of 1888 was an unfavourable one from a gardener’s 
point of view, and certainly calculated to ruin any crop of Straw- 
Ixirries that had teen produced. It was generally regarded with | 
great misgivings, and failure in fruit crops generally was predicted 
for 1889. Never perhaps did hardy fruit trees look better, or the 
prospect of full crops of fruit more promising ; but they must be 
left for the present, for a late frost may still scatter all the bright 
anticipations that are being formed in some localities. Already 
the blossom of Winter Nelis Pear is black, and the probability of a 
crop on the majority of trees remote. But Strawberries never 
looked better ; they have all exceeded our expectations. The 
plants for forcing in pots did not grow with their usual vigour and 
freedom, as the result of the soil being in a state of saturation 
during a great portion of the season. It told most on the moderate 
growers, and we never had worse plants of Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury to start the season with. It may be pointed out that this 
variety must be watered with considerable care and caution for 
the development of strong and fruitful plants. It requires con¬ 
siderably les3 water than do either Sir Joseph Paxton or President. 
Years ago it will be remembered that small pots were strongly 
advised for this variety. Better and finer fruit could always be 
produced from a plant in a 5-inch pot than from one of larger size. 
The matter was questioned, principally on the score of economy in 
watering. During the last two years we have been working on 
this principle, and used larger pots, with the result that we have 
failed to produce fruit of the size we had formerly. This variety 
does not grow vigorously enough for or G-inch pots, and the 
plants are easily overwatered in these sizes. Young men should 
make a note of this, and bear in mind that small-growing varieties 
can easily be overwatered early in the season, and the fruit will fail 
to swell. It is difficult to say which is the greater evil—too much 
water, or too little. Dryness must be avoided, also the other 
extreme, for the Strawberry will not flourish when the soil is sour 
and saturated about its roots. This is much more easily brought 
about when the plants are in large than small pots. Although the 
season was an unfavourable one and the crowns small the results 
have proved better than we looked for. 
For early forcing we are a little undecided whether to give the 
palm to Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury or to Keens’ Seedling. For 
years the former only has been grown, because it is so certain, a 
free bloomer and a free setter, beautiful in appearance, and of a 
rich flavour. It produces so many leading fruits that with care in 
thinning a sufficient number can be selected that will swell evenly 
together and ripen almost at once. Its main fault is that of not 
throwing up its flowers well above the foliage early in the year. 
The stems in some cases are barely long enough to allow the fruits 
to hang clear of the pots. Under these circumstances they are 
very liable to damp. The latter throws up better, and if well grown 
may perhaps be preferable of the two for an early dish. Beyond 
that at present I cannot go. Whether if grown in quantity for the 
market it would equal the variety that has been a favourite so 
long is questionable. The true old President is not far behind for 
early work, and is admirably adapted for fruiting throughout the 
month of April. Perhaps from no other variety can the same 
weight of fine fruits be produced. Its only fault is that of being 
subject to mildew during spells of dull damp weather, but in this 
respect Sir Joseph Paxton is ten times worse. It is surprising how 
freely even weak plants of President will fruit, and unripened crowns 
will produce bolder flowers than unripened plants of Sir Joseph 
Paxton are capable of doing. Weak immature plants of the latter 
produce flowers that will not set ; in fact, they are imperfect to 
start with. Sir Joseph Paxton must be well grown, then it will 
give satisfaction and not otherwise. It is decidedly the more hand¬ 
some fruit of the two. 
Three years ago Gilbert’s variety of President was so highly 
recommended that we invested in a hundred plants. It may do well 
at Burghley, but it has proved a failure in these gardens. It is a 
strong grower, totally distinct from the old President, with large, 
bold, dark foliage that does not run up under glass like the old 
form. In habit and profusion of bloom it is all that can be desired. 
The fruits are large, bright in colour, slightly better in flavour 
than the old President, and nearly conical, not flat as in that variety. 
The fruit quickly loses its bright colour, and the high glazing that 
it puts on soon becomes dull ; the fruits are soft, and, worse than 
all, it fails to set except on one or two leading fruits. It has been 
tried early, late, and in two or three successions. The plants were 
good, but it will not set inside or out. The hoe has gone through 
those put out for the purpose of yielding runners. 
When Mr. Inglis detailed his plan of preparing plants for forcing 
by potting in June late small runners of the previous autumn, the 
system was questioned on various grounds, but with the promise to 
give it a trial. Last autumn we were well pleased with the appear¬ 
ance of the plants, and gave in the Journal a favourable opinion 
up to that date. It remains now to say that we shall not pursue 
the system any further, for it i3 not worth the labour and trouble 
it entails. Out of 175 plants of Sir Joseph Paxton fully half 
