May 2J, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
427 
Tritonia Wilsoni. (G. C. xxvi., p. 38.) Iridace®. G. bulb. A small 
flowered Gladiolus like plant, with narrow linear 1., and a simple or 
branched lax spike of white fl. flushed with purple, about an inch in diam., 
with obovate-cuspidate segments. Port Elizabeth. 
Tyd.ea hybrid a, var. nana. (Gfl. 1886, p. 505, f. 60.) Gesnerace®. S. 
per. A beautiful and exceedingly floriferous dwarf variety, with yellow 
crimson and purple fl.. dotted with purple. Garden hybrid. 
' « Vaccinium Mobtima. (B. Af., t. 6872.) Vaccine®. G. or H. H. much 
branched skr. of ornamental character, with small ovate leathery 1., and 
oldsters of pretty rose-pink fl. about J in. long. Corolla ovoid, with short 
recurved lobes. Andes of Ecuador. 
Vanda Lindeni. (G. C. xxvi., p. 70; L., pi. 56.) Orchide®. Some¬ 
thing in the way of V. hastifera, with a rich raceme of handsome fl. 
Sep. and pet cnneate-oblong, wavy, light yellow, with red dots on the 
disk. Lip with nearly square side lobes, and a triangular two-edged mid¬ 
lobe going out into a sharp angle under two tumours at the apex, sulcate 
beneath, with a linear velvety ascending auricle on each side at the base, 
and three furrows over the disk, the colour is whitish-yellow, with 
purple spots on the tumours and side lobes and four purple lines on the 
•lisk, tip under the tumous brownish. Spur conical, hairy inside. Sun da 
Isles. 
Vanda Roxburghii, var. rubra. {III. H., pi. 579.) A handsome variety, 
with brown sep. and pet. tessellated with yellow, yellowish-white outside, 
lip reddish. 
Vanda Sanderiana, var. i.abello viridi. (L., pi. 4.) A distinct 
variety, having a green lip. Miudanad. 
Vanda suavis, var. Lindeni. (L., pi. 60.) A variety having the sep., 
pet., and base of the lip white with purple spots, and the rest of the lip 
purple. 
Vitis japonica, var. crassifolia. (A. H. 1886. p. 81.) AmpelHere. H. 
A variety with large, very thick, coriaceous, 3-lobtd 1, bright green above, 
cobwebby-tomentose beneath. 
Vriesia gracilis. ( Gfl. 1886, p. 161 and p. 163, f. 11.) Bromeliace®. 
S. A slender species, with a lax rosette of green 1. 10-12 in. long by 
2J in. broad, and a slender panicle about 2J ft. high, with distant, dis¬ 
tichous, inconspicuous fl., subtended by spreading reddish bracts with 
grren tips. Brazil. 
Wistaria sinensis, var. variegata. (Williams’Cat, yi. 26.) Legumi- 
nosae. M. shr. A variety with bright silvery-variegated foliage. 
Zalacca nitida. ( Bull Cat., p. 9.) Palm®. S. A fine Palm, with a 
spiny trunk and handsome pinnate dark green 1. In the young state the 
1. are two-parted. West Africa. 
Zingiber brevifolium. (G. C. xxvi., p. 390) Scitamine®. S. A 
dwarf Ginger about a ft. high. Stems naked below, with a few oblong- 
lanceolate or elliptic 1. above, 2-4 in. long, 1^ lj in, broad. Fl.-spike 
■24-3 in. long, fusiform, with adpressed, oblong, orange-yellow bracts 
striped with red. Fl yellow, rather small, with narrow segments, and a 
narrow 3-lobed lip. Philippines. 
Zygopetalum leopardinum. (G. C. xxvi, p. 199) Orchide®. A 
charming plant of hybrid origin, with light greenish-yellow sep. and pet. 
spotted with brown. Lip with a transverse obtusangled cordate blade of 
a beautiful purple-mauve colour, and an ochreous callus with 13 teeth. 
Garden hybrid. , • * ' _ : . ' ' ' 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pikes. —Fruiting plant ? with the fruit in an advanced state require 
a moderately high temperature and moist atmosphere to secure large 
well finished fruit, but ventilation must be strictly attended to, ad¬ 
mitting air at the top of the house at 80°, maintaining the temperature 
by day at from that point to 90°, or 5° more with liberal ventilation, 
•closing at 85°. Early closing with too close and moist an atmosphere 
enlarges the crowns, which are generally quite large enough. Unless 
ventilation is early and ample scorching of the crowns may result, 
spoiling the appearance of the fruit. Examine the plants twice a week, 
applying water only when it is required ; it may be enriched with 
■guano or some other manure, but let it be weak, ancl do not give it after 
ripening commences. Syringe the plants and house two or three times a 
week, employing fire heat to maintain the temperature at 70° by night 
and 75° by day. The bottom heat keep steady at about 85°, not less 
than 80°, nor above 90°. Plants from which the fruit is cut may be 
placed in a part of the house by themselves, keeping the suckers on 
them for another fortnight, or until the end of the month, when they 
may be potted along with those held in reserve from March. Potting 
the suckers as the fruit is cut entails constant attention, which is not 
necessary to insure a regular supply of fruit throughout the year. Only 
three jxjttings of suckers are required—viz., March, June, and Sep¬ 
tember. 
Vines. —Early Muscat *.—Vines started in December are now 
ripening, and must not lack water at the roots ; apply liquid manure if 
the crop be heavy and the Vines not luxuriant. The inside borders 
must be examined every week, and if moisture be necessary give it 
liberally and warm (90 2 ). Muscats should have a temperature all 
through 5° higher than Black Hamburgh, especially when ripening, if 
they are to have the amber colour so characteristic of thorough ripeness. 
In order to perfect finish the house must have a circulation constantly 
of rather dry warm air, and especially at night, so as to prevent the de¬ 
position of moisture on the berries, and increasing it early for a similar 
reason. If there is likely to be any danger of damp arising from the 
border to the prejudice of the berries mulch it after watering with a 
couple of inches of short rather dry manure, and cover this with about 
3 inches thickness of clean dry straw preferably chopped coarsely. 
Vines Started Early in the Year. —Sweetwater, Black Hamburghs, 
Ac., are ripening their crops, and though a rather drier atmosphere is 
desirable it is best secured by free ventilation, having a little at the top 
of the house constantly, as nothing contributes more to good finish than 
a circulation of warm air after the Grapes commence colouring. The 
inside border must have a thorough watering, and a mulch of half- 
decayed manure will secure moisture sufficient for the perfection of the 
crop ; yet even when the fruit is ripe Vines must not suffer by lack of 
water at the roots. The temperature should be 70° at night, 5° less on 
cold nights, admitting air at 75° and increasing the heat to 85° or 90°, 
with sun and full ventilation, reducing the ventilation at 80°, closing all 
but a small space at the top of the house. Maintain good atmospheric 
moisture by damping the house two or three times a day, keeping the 
evaporation replenished with liquid manure until the Grapes are well 
advanced in colouring, when a drier condition of the atmosphere will be 
advisable ; but moisture must not be entirely withdrawn or the foliage 
will suffer, and premature ripening of the wood will be induced. 
Early-forced Vines .—Where the Grapes are ripe and fermenting 
materials were applied to the borders, part of it can now be removed, 
leaving sufficient for a good mulch, and if the roots are active in the 
lower part of the fermenting materials, a little fresh material may be 
placed on the surface to protect them from the atmosphere ; besides, it 
gives the border a neat appearance. Fire heat will only be necessary to 
keep the temperature at about 60° at night, ventilating freely by day. 
Black Hamburghs will need a slight shade to prevent their losing colour. 
A moderate amount of air moisture is necessary for the benefit of the 
foliage, and it will not prejudice the Grapes if it is not allowed to 
become stagnant. Encourage lateral growth ; it tends to maintain the 
activity of the roots and to prevent premature ripening of the foliage, 
which must be kept clean and healthy as long as possible, or the Vines 
will start into growth again, when they should be pruned and allowed a 
few weeks’ rest. 
Succession Houses .—Thinning must be attended to early and followed 
up persistently, morning and evening being the best time alike for the 
Grapes and the operator. Let the laterals extend as far as space permits, 
not crowding the foliage unduly, the principal leaves having full expo¬ 
sure to light and air, especially those that feed the buds at their base 
for affording next year’s supply of fruit. Stop or remove all those not 
required, not allowing growth to be made that must be afterwards re¬ 
moved in quantity, as it tends to a check. Of moisture in the borders 
let there be no lack, and to prevent its escape and to encourage surface 
roots mulch with some rather lumpy manure, and not so thick as to 
exclude air, 2 or 3 inches thickness being quite ample. Close early as soon 
as there is a decline in the solar heat or from that source, and increase it 
to 90° or 95° with a plentiful supply of atmospheric moisture, occasioned 
by damping available surfaces at closing time, and before nightfall 
admit a little air at the top of the house, damping with liquid manure, 
leaving the ventilation on all night, and increasing it by the time the 
sun acts powerfully on the house. The temperature should fall to be¬ 
tween 60° at 65° at night. 
Late Houses. —F’orward these as speedily as possible, except late 
houses of Hamburghs, which need not be hurried. Suffice if they have 
the fruit set so as to admit of thinning during the first fortnight of 
June ; but thick-skinned sorts should have a night temperature of 65° 
and 70° to 75° by day artificially, advancing to and at 80° to 85° or 90° 
through the day. When in flower, as they now mainly are, allow a 
night temperature of 70° and 80° by day, with a free circulation of air, 
but not a drying current, a genial condition of the atmosphere being 
maintained by damping available surfaces, and brushing the shy setters 
with a camel-hair brush to free the stigmas of the glutinous matter and 
assist the dispersion of the pollen, and where it is deficient taking it 
from those that afford it abundantly to make good the defect. Remove 
duplicate shoots and duplicate bunches unflinchingly, overcrowding 
and overcropping being the greatest evils in fruit culture, reserving 
the best shaped and most compact bunches. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Aerides. —These, as well as Vandas and Saccolabiums, will be 
growing freely, provided the plants have a close moist atmo¬ 
sphere around them. Abundance of water should be poured into 
the pots or baskets in which they are growing, and the syringe 
used freely on bright days. Alter this treatment admit a little air to 
insure the evaporation of water from the axils of the leaves. Syringe 
early in the afternoon, and admit a little air for an hour or two after¬ 
wards. On days that syringing cannot be done more than once, or 
perhaps not at all, the pots, stage, in fact every available space in the 
house, should be made moist. Abundance of moisture in the atmosphere 
will promote a liberal development of the roots, which is certain to be 
followed by healthy vigorous leaf growth. Admit light freely to these 
plants, but carefully screen them from bright sunshine or they will 
suffer, the first indication of which is a yellow sickly appearance of the 
foliage. Watch for yellow thrips, which, if once established in the 
axils of the leaves, soon commit sad havoc. Eradication of this insect 
is perhaps more quickly and easily effected by dipping the plants in a 
weak solution of tobacco water. The best preventive is plenty of moisture 
in the atmosphere and a free use of the syringe. If scale becomes 
established on the under side of the leaves it is best removed with a 
sponge and a very weak solution of softsoap and water. 
