February 20, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTTCULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
161 
autumn. However, neither the early botanists nor the Elizabethan 
dramatists speak of a sweet-scented Pern—though there is one English 
variety with a slight odour—and they would be interested to learn what 
has been the most recent exploit of that fine luxuriant Fern known as 
‘ Drynaria Willdenovi,’ which came over to us some twenty years ago 
from its native land of the Mauritius, and lived in the Botanical 
Gardens for many a long day without attracting any special attention. 
It seems that, about a year ago, some observer with an acute sense of 
smell came into the house where are the broad ‘ vandyked ’ leaves of 
this Drynaria, and asked, ‘ What is it that smells of hay so nicely Y 
Sundry scientific minds were quickly on the scent, and they soon ran 
the hay-smelling Fern to its native pot. The scent is unmistakeable : it 
can be caught from the decaying leaves, but comes out strongest and 
best when the leaves are thoroughly dried, and, as it were, made in 
a natural ‘ pot-pourri.’ If a few of the long strong stalks—down which 
the foliage, resembling ‘ adder’s tongues,’ runs for about a foot—are 
gathered and placed in a room, they will soon ‘ bring the scent of the 
hay ’ over the domestic footlights, and, on the whole, our visitor from 
the Mauritius has made a sudden and successful bid for a perfumed 
popularity, and promises to do well in the character of the Fragrant 
Fern. The Secretary thought it might be grown as a source of scent by 
amateurs, if not as a commercial investment, and altogether this 
amiable member of the famous family seems likely to make a name for 
itself. 
“ The curious part of the story, however, is that it is only of compara¬ 
tively recent date that this Fern thought of going into the perfumery 
business. For years it was too sleepy or too indolent to express its 
Mauritian soul in giving forth the subtle essence of English new-mown 
hay. What woke it up ? Who whispered to it of a new triumph ? 
What new vitality from the watering-pot crept through its slender, wiry 
roots and up its dark brown cylindrical stem, so that it suddenly 
quickened into a new grace ? The Royal Botanical Society and the 
Kew Gardens authorities, who not long ago wrote to ask Regent’s Park 
for one of these plants, may say what they like about it, but our own 
view, confirmed by a recent personal interview with the Fern itself, is 
that the new effect is entirely due to the intruding sparrows, who for 
years have lived and built their nests in those lordly glass houses in 
Regent’s Park, at which, at all events, nobody is inclined to throw 
Stones. There is a prosperous colony of eternally chattering, twittering, 
gossiping sparrows who have taken a fancy to semi-tropical tempera¬ 
ture, and who live and nest amongst giant Palms and the Eucalyptus— 
another plant, by the way, that has of late years become famous in the 
line of materia medica—and such vegetation as they have scant right 
to roost upon. These impudent little birds no doubt told the sleepy 
tropical plants all about the perfumes of the English flowers, and, it 
may be, went so far as even to ‘ chaff ’ a big Tree Fern, whose ances¬ 
tors may have embowered a woolly elephant or a five-toed horse, with 
being altogether beaten by our Roses, Violets, and Mignonette. And 
their scornful gossip name to the Drynaria Willdenovi, and they cheeped 
out, with the audacity peculiar to a London sparrow—that very gamin of 
birds—* Look here, old Dryasdust Drynaria 1 why can’t you smell as our 
plants do 1 ’ Then the heart of the Mauritian awoke within him, and 
he said, ‘ Sparrows, you are flippant but suggestive ; I incline to agree 
with you, and I shall endeavour to become at once fragrant and famous.’ 
Certainly he has fairly accomplished both tasks, and taken away the 
reproach of his brethren among the exotic Ferns. It is but right to 
state that this theory is as yet wholly unsupported by any scientific 
evidence, but, pending the voice of the scientists, we stand by our 
sparrows. In a smaller house adjoining the palace ‘ where sparrows 
build ’ may be found another curious example of a perfumed plant, or 
rather of one that was in its early youth, like mauy of the human 
family, given to costly odours. It is a native of Brazil, and is called 
the Ceonoma Pamila, or ‘ Scented Palm,’ and wheh it was a soft green 
young thing it used to give forth a strongly perceptible fragrance as of 
Violets. Some way or other, however, as it got old it got sulky, and did 
not seem to care so much for the niceties of its toilette ; and now it has 
just as it were an echo, and no more, of its pristine perfume, and you 
must climb up and get quite close to it to catch that echo. A'l the same, 
mindful of the poet’s lines, ‘ Odours, when sweet Violets sicken, live 
within the sense they quicken,’ it certainly does its best to recall 
and suggest the peculiar charm of its early days, and deserve the proud 
title of the ‘ Scented Palm ’ inscribed on its recording stick. There are 
no sparrows in the place where this Palm lives, which may account for 
its indolence ; but no doubt some intelligent cheeper will find his way 
to the hot, moist atmosphere of this little Eden of Orchids, and by 
‘ winged words ’ warm up the Geonoma into happy rivalry with the 
Mauritian Fern, which is just now so happily busy distilling essence of 
hay.” _ 
S WORK:.F03lT™:WEEK..f 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Melons. —Young plants have progressed favourably. Make a ridge 
in the Melon house the whole length of the bed, about 2 feet wide at 
j the base, with the top flattened so as to give a depth of 10 to 12 inches, 
which is preferable to hillocks, the soil being made rather firm, and 
when warm the plants may be turned out, firming it well about the 
roots, and bringing it up to within an inch of the seed leaves. The 
plants may be placed 2 to 2^ feet apart, the leading or primary shoots 
being taken up without stopping until fully two-thirds the distance 
they are intended to travel is reached, then pinch out the point of each. 
When three or four lateral joints are made the points should be taken 
out. Some varieties will show fruit freely on the first laterals, and as 
eariy Melons are a consideration let them remain, taking out the point 
at a joint above them, but not stopping in this case until the flower is 
fertilised. To allow all the laterals to remain would much over¬ 
crowd the foliage, therefore rub oS every alternate one whilst they are; 
quite young. After stopping the first laterals the succeeding growths 
will show fruit at the second or third joint. Train the growths thinly 
and regularly, so that every part has full exposure to light. The plants 
will require but little water as yet, nevertheless maintain the soil in 
a moist state, avoiding saturation. Sprinkle every available surface in 
the morning of bright days, .and again at closing time or early in the? 
afternoon. Ventilate carefully, avoiding currents of cold air. Some 
hexagon netting or scrim canvas placed over the ventilators will break 
the force of cutting winds. Maintain the night temperature at 70°', 
falling to 05° in the morning, 5° less in severe weather being better than 
seeking to m.aintain the higher temperature by sharp firing, 75° by day, 
rising to 80° or 85° from sun heat ; keep bottom heat steady at 80°. 
Shift later sown plants into larger pots or add soil as the plants advance, 
stopping those for frames at the second leaf, but not those for trellises, 
placing a small stick to each for support. 
Melons in Pits and With the shoots trained over the surface- 
of the beds, the plants, being stopped at the second leaf, will produce 
two shoots, and these in turn being stoppe-d will result in four shoots 
with smaller ones. The weaker should be rubbed off, and two of the 
strongest trained to the front and two to the back of the frame or pit. 
Rub oS all laterals to a distance of G inches from the stem. This will 
keep the collar clear—an aid against canker. Stop the principal shoots- 
when within a foot of the side of the pit or frame, and thus throw 
vigour into the laterals, which will show fruit at the second or third 
joint, stopping them at ore joint beyond the fruit. Cover the lights 
with double mats at night and see that linings are regularly attended 
to, renewing the old as required. About a fortnight before it is desired 
to make the beds the dung and leaves should be thoroughly incorporated.. 
In a few days it will be seen whether there is sufficient moisture to 
produce decomposition, fermentation being the result. If not, turn the- 
whole, sprinkle with water so as to moisten the mats, and when there is 
a good heat turn it again outside to inside and vice versa, two or three 
turnings ibeing required at intervals of about four days. The bottom 
heat of fermenting beds should be 85° to 90°. 
Cucumbers.— Examine the plants in bearing once or twice a week, 
removing bad leaves and exhausted growths, thinning the shoots, 
stopping and removing old and deformed fruits. Overcrowding and 
overcropping must be carefully guarded against, as they are highly pre¬ 
judicial. In securing young shoots to the trellis do not tie them in too- 
tightly, but allow room for development. Plants that have been in 
bearing some time should have the surface soil removed and have- 
warmed fresh soil added. Turfy loam with a fourth of well decayed 
manure will answer for Cucumbers and Melons. However, we prefer 
turfy loam without any admixture of manure, impart vigour by rich 
surface dressings or liquid manure. A sprinkling of the advertised 
fertilisers we find extremely useful, being careful not to apply them too- 
freely and too often. The bottom heat should be kept steady at 80°, 
the night temperature 65° to 70°, 5° less in severe weather ; 70° to 752 
by day, rising to 85° from sun heat, closing early in the afternoon, 
damping the pathways on bright mornings and at closing time. 
For young plants hillocks or ridges should be formed as described 
for Melons. Afford the same temperature as advised for older plants. 
If the sun be powerful, and the plants show indications of flagging, 
shade them for a few days. Attend to dung-heated frames with linings 
as required, protecting at night as advised for Melons. Do not apply 
more water than is needed to keep the plants gentlj'- growing. Where? 
red spider has appeared on winter fruiting plants coat the pipes with 
sulphur and lime in equal parts, heating the pipes to as near boilings 
point as possible for a couple of hours on a calm evening, taking care 
that the temperature of the house is not more than 80° to 85°, and then 
allow the pipes and house to cool down to their regular temperature. 
The foliage should be thoroughly dry. The same process may be re¬ 
peated the following evening, and is generally effectual, the mixture 
being applied whilst the pipes are hot. 
Peaches AND Nectarines. —Earliest Forced House .—Syringe the- 
trees every morning .and afternoon, in order to keep insect pests from 
attack or to dislodge them. If, however, the weather be dull, the 
syringing must be practised early in the afternoon, so that the leaves- 
may become fairly dry before night, or if that does not take place 
the afternoon syringing must be dispensed with, damping the paths and 
borders instead, as keeping the trees dripping with water through the 
night causes weak growth and thin foliage. See that the outside border 
is well protected from the cold, and water the inside border with liquid 
m.anure, which will much assist the fruit in swelling, especially in the 
case of we.akly trees long subjected to repeated forcing. Vigorous trees- 
will not require any stimulants, excessive vigour being unfavourable to 
the fruit safely passing the stoning process. AV’hen the fruit is the size 
of small marbles thinning may be commenced, but remove a few fruits 
