278 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r April 3,1890; 
they are alive, and on placing them on a flat surface the seeds will hop 
or leap in a very curious manner. There is not the least trace of any 
aperture in the seeds, but when cutting one it is found to contain a 
white maggot very vivacious, which will at once shut itself up again. 
They are called in Spanish the Devil’s seeds. 
An insect punctures the young ovary, deposits its eggs, and then the 
microscopical larvae enter easily. The tissues close again, and soon 
shut up the small gallery without the slightest external appearance. 
The larva develops itself in the seed, and when mature the insect comes 
out. When fully transformed it deposits eggs again on the young 
ovaries. I cut several seeds during the winter, and always found the 
insects well alive, leaping and ready to obstruct the opening at once. 
The seeds jumped violently when we received them last summer, but at 
present they seem to have lost a little of their strength. It appears 
that the same curiosity has been noticed, although rarely, with the 
Tamarindus. I add a seed with a hole, from which the larva has 
escaped, as also the larva itself. Is not this a wonderful seed, and did 
you ever see its like?— E. Schaettel, Yilviorin-Andrieux Cie, 
Quai de la Mcglsaerif, Paris. 
[The seeds are somewhat triangular in shape, and not unlike wedges 
cut from large Peas. They went through the dancing performance very 
satisfactorily though not violently. We have only once before seen 
seeds of the same kind. They are decided curiosities.] 
Cattleya Trian.e. 
As these cease flowering remove them to the warmest end of 
the house, which should not be allowed to fall below 60° during 
the night, with a rise from 5° to 15° during the day. The stage 
upon which the plants are stood should be kept moist by damping 
amongst the pots frequently. If the pots or pans used are not of 
the ordinary type, but have numbers of holes round the sides, be 
careful not to get the compost too wet through syringing amongst 
them. A little more water will be needed at their roots, but on no 
account give too much. The supply must he carefully and 
gradually increased as the plants make roots and extend their 
growth. Water 10° warmer than the temperature of the house 
should be used when it is required either at their roots or over their 
foliage. The plants may with advantage be dewed with the 
syringe on the mornings of fine days. Air should be admitted 
during mild bright days, so that any moisture which lodges about 
the growths of the plants may be evaporated daily. Keep the 
ventilators closed when the air is cold, so that sharp currents are 
prevented reaching the plants. 
Top-deessi\g. 
Plants that were potted last year may be top-dressed before 
they commence forming young roots. Sphagnum moss that has 
been used near the surface should he carefully picked and fresh 
supplied in a living state. It is wise to place this so that it can be 
readily removed annually. If the peat used was good none of it 
will need removal ; a few lumps of fresh may be necessary to com¬ 
plete the work of top-dressing. These are often necessary as well 
as a few pieces of charcoal where the rhizome of the last growth 
is some distance from the compost. 
Potting. 
Pots are decidedly the best for Cattleyas, although they do 
fairly well on blocks and in baskets suspended from the roof where 
stage room is limited. The pots to be used should be about one- 
third filled with drainage carefully arranged. The pots in which 
they are growing must be broken, because the roots cling tenaciously 
to the sides. The portions of pot should be carefully placed in 
the pots that are to be used for them. Some of these often rest 
upon the bottom of the pot, and in this case crocks must be 
carefully arranged amongst and about them until ample drainage 
has been placed in. Above these a few lumps of charcoal may be 
used, or better still, mixed in with lumps of good fibry peat about 
the size of an egg, until the remaining space in the pot has been 
filled. The surface should be completed with lumps of peat and 
living sphagnum alternately. The plants must be well elevated 
above the rirn, and all decayed material removed from the old ball. 
If the material is sweet and in good condition it may be necessary 
oaly to remove the sphagnum moss. When the peat is good to 
commence with it lasts much longer for these plants than is the 
c ise with many Orchids. This is due to their requiring consider¬ 
ably less water than many species. If the old material is decayed 
it should be removed, which with care may be done without injury 
to the roots to any serious extent. It must be remembered that 
if they are destroyed or damaged this season’s growth will suffer. 
Plants that undergo this operation need the most careful attention 
in watering afterwards. If the compost becomes wet before 
active roots are working it will be found at the end of the season 
that the pseudo-bulbs have decreased materially in size, and the 
plants wiU have a yellow sickly hue. 
Back Breaks. 
Well-established plants may be induced to break back, or in¬ 
crease the number of their buds by cutting partially through the- 
rhizome just in front of a plump dormant eye. Some care is 
needed not to cut too far through the rhizome, and thus stop sup - 
plies for the support of a portion of the plant. It may happen 
that the portion behind where the rhizome has been cut may have 
no active roots. Once a new growth has been made and a good 
quantity of roots, no harm is done in cutting the rhizome com¬ 
pletely through. By this process it is often possible to increase 
the number of leads on a plant from one to three or four. As a. 
rule these dormant eyes do not make strong flowering pseudo-bulbs 
the first season, but if the plants are healthy and well establisheclr 
they will often make strong growth the first season and flower. 
Shading Odontoglossums. 
If the blinds have not been arranged on the roof of the struc¬ 
tures in which these plants are grown, no time should be lost in 
fixing them. A little shade will now be necessary to screen the 
plants from bright sunshine, but on no account overshade them at 
this early period of the season. Blinds should only be used on the 
side where the sun strikes with force from 11 a.m. to 2 P.M. It 
will not be necessary to draw the blinds down earlier, and the sun 
after 2 will do no harm. The supply of moisture in the atmo¬ 
sphere may be increased, but be careful not to saturate it. A low 
temperature and too much moisture will cause the leaves of Mas- 
devallias to become spotted. Less artificial heat will be needed, 
but it should not be dispensed with altogether. The temperature- 
may often fall too low at night. When there is every appearance 
of a fine day, the pipe valves may be closed in the morning.— 
Orchid Grower. 
THE BRITISH FRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
LECTURE AT ELLESMERE. 
Under the auspices of the Ellesmere Horticultural Society (Salop),., 
the above Association made arrangements for a lecture by Mr. John 
Wright on “ Fruit Culture in Britain,” and a meeting to be held in the- 
Town Hall, Ellesmere, on Saturday, March 22nd. As briefly noted last 
week there was a large attendance of the leading agriculturists in the- 
district, Brownlow R. C. Tower, Hon. Sec. of the local Society, presiding. 
The following abstract of a report appearing in the Salopian and Mont- 
gonieryshire Post, March 29th, gives an outline of the business and sub¬ 
stance of the leeture. 
The Chairman, who was most cordially received, in opening•the- 
meeting said that at a meeting of the Ellesmere Floral and Horticultural 
Society held not long ago, it was decided to take steps for the encourage¬ 
ment of and improvement in the culture of fruit in the district which 
the Society occupied, and he was requested to write to the British Fruit- 
Growers’ Association and ask them if they could kindly send down a 
lecturer or lecturers to address a meeting in Ellesmere as soon as pos¬ 
sible. The Association very kindly consented to oblige them, and they- 
had sent down three able representatives of the Association. (Applause.) 
They had Mr. Wright, who had written a very excellent book called-^ 
“ Profitable Fruit Growing.” He called it a book, but it was really a 
prize essay, an essay whieh won the gold medal presented by the Lordi 
Mayor of London. Then they had Mr. Bunyard of Maidstone, and 
Mr. Baillie of Chester. The subject of fruit growing was one whicht 
he thought would interest them all, especially as their neighbour¬ 
hood was better adapted for the growth of fruit than many others 
in the eountry. The growth of fruit in that district had declined' 
within the last half century very considerably. They very seldom 
saw an orchard round about properly taken care of, or old trees- 
removed and fresh trees planted, and now was the time when they had 
to turn their attention to every possible method by which a little money 
could be made. They were favoured with a good district, and it seemed 
a pity that they should not try to make the best use of what was given- 
to them. (Hear, hear, and applause.) There were many small holdings 
and cottage gardens which if they were better planted with fruit trees 
might be vastly improved, and beeome a source of income to the people 
and wealth to the country. There were many millions of bushels of- 
fruit imported into this country, and many thousands of pounds spent 
on imported fruit, and a great deal of it might be grown by ourselves. 
It was with the object of stirring up the district that the E'lesmere 
Floral and Horticultural Society had arranged for the lecture to-night,. 
in the hope that it might be the means of giving an impetus again, to 
fruit growing. (Hear, hear, and applause.)- 
