12 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 6,1887. 
The insects troublesome to this plane are not numerous. Green 
fly is the greatest pest, and is found at times in abundance on the 
under side of the young foliage, where, if allowed to establish itself, 
will soon suck the juices from the tender leaf and cripple its growth. 
To have the foliage clean, well grown, and healthy lends a great 
charm to the spathe by contrast, so that the fly should be disposed of 
by an occasional smoking, or the foliage carefully sponged so as not 
to tear or break the young leaf. Sometimes scale appears on the 
older leaves ; this may easily be removed by the sponge, as the older 
foliage is strong and leathery. Woodlice should have no quarters 
amongst the plants, as they destroy the growing points of the 
roots. 
The 6tock of plants is easily increased by division of the growing 
tufts at potting time, and if possessed of a good variety it is well to 
keep up the stock by division. Seeds saved from the best varieties— 
which appears on the spadix in the form of green dots, and in the 
course of twelve months assume an orange-scarlet colour—will 
germinate quickly if sown in a light compost and plunged in bottom 
heat. When pricked off they must be carefully watered, as they 
soon damp off at this stage. It is always interesting to watch the 
progress of seedlings, and it often repays any additional care by 
giving improved varieties. Some of the seedlings are sure to be 
worth keeping, having some good quality of spatbe or foliage. The 
broader and longer the leaves the greater the probability of a spathe 
in proportion, but some of the narrow-leaved varieties are remarkable 
for the length of the spathe, and these form a pleasing contrast and 
variety. 
The night temperature during winter need not be higher than 
55° to 60°, but no hard-and-fast line should be drawn, the temperature 
should be regulated by the state of the atmosphere outside. During 
spring and summer they enjoy a high moist atmosphere, 65° to 70° at 
night, with a rise of 10° by day, and abundance of fresh air. A 
slight shade during the hottest part of the day will preserve the 
spathes longer, and prevent the tender foliage being scorched. If 
the above hints are put in practice they will give good results, and 
are not written for the benefit of the experienced, but simply for 
those who are making a start.—T. C. A. 
t * 
PRUNING AND CLEANING GOOSEBERRY AND 
CURRANT BUSHES. ; . . 
In many places this operation is deferred till spring, with a view to 
thereby secure better orops of fruit by cutting out all the shoots from 
which the birds had removed most of the buds during the three previous 
months, and retaining only those wtreh are well furnished with buds. 
This, where no means are employed to prevent the depredations of the 
feathered tribe during the winter months, is a very good reason for not 
pruning the bushes before spring. But I maintain that gardeners, and 
farmers too, should not willingly leave work for doing in spring that could 
be as well done in one of the three preceding months. Hence it is that I 
recommend Gooseberry and Currant trees being pruned as soon after they 
have shed their leaves as may be convenient, the earlier the better, because 
then the manuring and foiking of the same into the plots and borders 
occupied can be proceeded with, and the walks, if necessary, re-gravelled 
and rolled. 
In pruning Gooseberries simply thin the shoots out of the individual 
bushes, retaining a sufficient number of the best placed shoots of the 
current year’s growth to form a handsome bush, cutting the side shoots 
back to wi h : n a bud or two of their bases ; and the tops of the shoots left 
to bear fruit where likily to be b irne to the ground by the weight of the 
latter should be shortened back a little,as also should any unn'cessarily long 
shoots be shortened back so as to give symmetry to the trte*. Tne centre 
should be kept pretty well op m, an t all cross shoots removed, so that when 
the trees are in fruit shoo’s furuishei their entire length with large fruit may 
hang one above another all round, thus leaving the centre of each bush 
open so that the fruit can be gathered with comfort— hat is, without the 
hand boing sacrificed in the process. Thus treated larger fruit and more 
of it is obtained than would be secured from bushes spurred in like 
Currant trees to within a bud or two of its base. 
Black Currants must have the shoots thinned out in the same way as 
recommend e i for Gooseberries, but the Rid and White varieties should, 
as already indicated, be spurred into the old wood, except, of course, 
young trees which should have sufficent young wood left lo form a fairly 
good sized tree within three or four years from the time of pruning. 
After the trees are pruned dust them with lime while the branches are 
quite damp, so that it may stick to them. This will not only destroy any 
lichen, moss, or insects that mry be on the trees, but it will prevent the 
birds from interfering with the buds.—H. W. W. 
THE VICTORIA REGIA AT CHATSWORTH. 
The accompanying photograph of the Victoria regia house was taken 
in the month of August last at the time the plant had eleven leaves, 
the largest measuring 7 h feet in diameter, including the turned up edges, 
which were 6 inches deep. I had the curiosity to fiad out what wright 
this leaf would carry, and a thin board was made the size of the leaf and 
weights placed on, with the result that it carried the almost incredible 
weight of 14 J stones (203 lbs.), including the weight of the board. Mr. 
Latham of the Botanical Gardens, Birmingham, calling hereabout that 
time, stepped on to the leaf, which carried him safely. 
The marvellous part belonging to Ihis wonderful plant is the rapidity 
of its growth, especially when considered in connection with its great 
strength and weight, the leaf in question only having taken from ten to 
twelve days to reach the dimensions above given from the appearance of 
the bud above water. 
The plant produced during the summer fifty-two blooms, the largest 
measuring 18 inches across. It is impossible to describe the marvellous 
beauty of this peerless flower from its first appearance above water to its 
decay (which only takes about forty-eight hours). The conditions and’ 
essentials necessary to its successful cultivation are—a tank large enough 
(ours is 36 feet in diameter), with a well in the middle capable of holding 
five or six cartloads of rich soil for planting in, a sufficient quantity of 
hot-water pipes to maintain the water at from 75° to 80°, and all the light 
it is possible to give it. I have heard of its being grown in a heated 
tank out of doors, and my experience with the plant last summer loads- 
me to think that in the south of England and in some of the warm coast 
places it would be quite possible to grow it successfully in this way, pr - 
vided the situation is a sheltered one. I shall have pleasure in supplying 
anyone with seeds who may feel disposed to try to grow it in this » ay.— 
O. Thomas, Chatsmorth Gardens,'Chesterfield. 
THE FERTILISING AND STONING OF GRiPES. 
These two matters have engaged my attention for some time,, 
more especially during the last two years, and I would like to put 
my ideas and practice on paper. Fertilising or setting is a some¬ 
what vexed question. Some growers do not believe in artificial 
fertilisation, and grow a crop of Grapes all right under natural 
conditions. Again, some believe it is necessary, but for press of 
work this is left pretty much to itself, possibly a gentle tap now 
and again in passing round being all that is done. As you will see 
by the samples sent, it must be very plain that Grapes, unless well 
and thoroughly attended to at the right time, would be sadly 
wanting here. No doubt fertilising to most would mean stoning, 
but this is not necessarily so, as I shall prove. 
Speaking generally, I think much better results are obtained 
by making sure that every bunch is dusted with pollen with the 
aid of a feather brush, and not once, but daily, while there are any 
signs of pollen. Bright days are decidedly the best for the ope¬ 
ration, but to omit this for want of sun is a mistake. The safe 
course is to use more fire on sunless days, ventilating also at the 
top so as to have the pollen fairly dry. Without doubt any bunch 
is better for being brushed even with its own pollen, but in many 
cases the pollen from another variety is a great improvement. On 
sunny days with care increased front ventilation is very beneficial, 
but very great care is needed in this on account of the tender 
foliage. Bees and flies are of great use as fertilising agents, but. 
unfortunately they cannot be depended on, and especially in the 
early houses. I am an advocate of dry pollen, having tried the 
syringing method to no good purpose. See Alnwick Seedling 
bunch which I send. 
That fertilising is an aid to stoning I willingly admit, but to 
say it will produce stones I deny. Stoning I have found must be 
assisted through the roots. In support of this I call your attention 
to the shoulder piece of Alnwick Seedling with large berries, but 
very few of these have more than one or two stones. I will now 
refer to a few special cases bearing on my twin subject. Lady 
Downe’s Seedling, I take it, is known as a bad setter. Fertilising 
alone never did what I wanted. Certainly it did produce well-set 
bunches, but many of the berries were small and stoneless. Let 
me call your special attention to the piece of Lady Downe’s, Ihe 
lower half of the bunch being furnished with a cluster of berries 
(I nevei thinned these), half of them being large, the others stone¬ 
less ; but those on the top half of the bunch are not much larger 
than they were when in flower. They never swelled, and were 
green when the larger berries were ripe. When I say fertilising is 
necessary I repeat this is not all that is required to produce stones. 
This Grape succeeds better with pollen of any variety than its own, 
the Black Hamburgh probably being the best. I send you small 
piece of perfect Lady Downe’s out of the same house, so that you 
may note the extreme difference. A bunch of Alnwick Seedling 
was syringed to set it, and you see the result. Compare the two 
examples. Unfortunately this Grape is wanting in the normal 
number of stones, so is not the best for keeping. Stoneless berries 
