THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[January 9. 
224 
Kolos, handsome; and A nth ns, a flower. An appropriate 
appellation. The specific name, Masuca, is softened 
from Masuk, or Masuka; the name by which it is 
known among the natives of northern India. Mr. 
Appleby tells us his selection from this genus is of easy 
management, which we readily believe; for our memory 
carries us back to a date when few gardeners could 
manage to keop orchids alive, much less grow or flower 
them; yet at that period, in the early history of the cul¬ 
tivation of orchids, we have seen in the provinces some 
j large flowering specimens of the elder Calanthe; but to 
within the last year or two we did not observe evidences 
of high cultivation with it among competitors at our 
London fetes. Mr. Appleby did not say that these 
j Calanthes would grow well if gardeners were to turn 
■ them from pot culture into rich beds, as is now success¬ 
fully accomplished with the pine apple; but such, we 
believe, would be an improved system of management. 
We saw the old Calanthe treated that way twenty years 
ago : and we remember that the late Mr. Lambert and 
a nurseryman at Warminster, Mr. Wheeler (through 
whose kindness we obtained a fine treat of private gar¬ 
dening in that town), expressed themselves with surprise 
at the luxuriance of a C. veratrifolia, which was also 
first pointed out to us as a great rarity, growing in a 
bank made against the end wall of a stove with roots, 
blocks of wood, turfs, and, if we do not mistake, leaf- 
mould also. The flower-stems were called magnificent, 
and they were so for such a scarce plant at that day, but 
notliing to be compared with some we have since been 
shown by Mr. Scott, gardener to Sir George Staunton, 
at Leigh Park, near Corsham. 
How far the subject of our present biography may be 
adapted to this kind of treatment, we must leave for 
Mr. Appleby to determine, with this suggestion—that 
we should like much to see a bed formed for the free 
cultivation of stove terrestrial orchids and others which 
are manageable in pots, as Phaius, Bletia , Cymbidum, 
Acanthophippium, Peristeria, the El Spirito Sancto, 
Cyrtopodium, Dendrobium, Sobralia , for the centre of the 
j ked, and smaller growing ones round the sides, falling 
i towards the edge of the bed with Cypripediums and such 
j things, to Aneectoohilus itself in one corner. Jf a manage- 
[ able hot-water system for warming the bottom of a bed 
of orchids, turned out this way, could be easily put into 
action, many of our amateur readers who cannot attend 
to the more delicate points in the culture of these beau¬ 
tiful plants, would here find sources of endless amuse¬ 
ment and interest, without that close attention which 
seems to take away the pleasure of everything connected 
with orchids. 
Calanthe Masuca is a stove terrestrial orchid, found in 
many districts of the tropical East—as Nepal, Bengal, Ceylon, 
and probably Java. It first bloomed, in 1842, at Messrs. Rol- 
lison’s, of Tooting; its flowering time being July and August. 
! Leaves herbaceous, and in shape much like those of the 
Almeidea, but far larger, streaked and plaited. Flowers with 
stem about a foot and a half high (the leaves being still 
j longer) are in a raceme or spike, and purple. Bractes large, 
membranous; upper ones pale purple. Sepals and Petals 
alike oblong, ending in a point. Lip deeper purple, and 
divided into three parts, extending behind into a long up- 
curved spur, furrowed and forked at the end. Anther in a 
hollow of the very short column. Pollen masses in two rows 
of eight. 
It belongs to the Natural Order Orchids, and to 20-Gynan- 
dria 1 -Monandria of Linnams.—B. J. 
THE FRUIT-GARDEN. 
Fruit-rooms. —This valuable adjunct of a good garden 
requires a careful consideration—in its construction— 
of principles on which both the keeping and maturation 
of' fruits depend. Gardeners and others differ some¬ 
what, both as to the modes of construction in the building, 
and the subsequent management of the fruit; and it is 
probable that much of the difference is traceable to an 
undue mixing up of distinct portions of the main ques¬ 
tion. Thus, some persist in the necessity of a damp 
room ; others, in one that is very dry. Now this, we 
conceive, arises from omitting to consider, that the mode 
which will preserve any given fruit for the greatest 
length of time, is not that which will ensure the highest 
amount of flavour ; especially with our winter or spring 
pears. 
The keeping of summer or autumn fruits of an 
ephemeral character, is altogether another matter. This 
is merely retarding through a somewhat early gather¬ 
ing, and a removal to some situation where at least 
sudden excitement, through sunshine and the swiftly 
varying conditions of a summer or autumn atmosphere, 
is warded off. These conditions are, of course, to be 
met with in almost any ordinary fruit-room; but our 
“text” requires that we take into consideration the 
causes which bear upon those anomalous appearances 
in fruits, which sometimes puzzle exceedingly men of 
both practical and scientific attainments. Now mere 
rotting is an ordinary occurrence; this may occur 
through accidental bruises, and even through a want of 
maturity in the fruit; we do not mean ripened in the 
ordinary acceptation of the term, but that kind of lean¬ 
ness, if we may use the term, which at once argues bad 
culture, and an improper condition of either root or 
atmospheric action. Some cases are termed “ bletting;’’ 
the fruits seem all of a sudden to lose their juices, and 
to attain the sleepy character of the medlar. This ap 
plies chiefly to the pear. Some will, all of a sudden, l ift 
or crack, and others will approach the character of a 
petrifaction, as some have humorously remarked, whilst 
others will be simply insipid. 
Now, for all this, we feel assured the mode of construc¬ 
tion in the fruit-room is not alone to blame. Much of 
the fault lies in bad modes of culture, inasmuch as these 
evils principally beset our more tender pears, of those of 
continental origin. Here, then, the question ought to be 
separated, and viewed from two points; the one, whether 
any kinds, as far as the fruit-room is concerned, require 
artificial heat, and at what period; and the other, what 
kinds do not require it. 
We here offer an opinion, which may or may not be 
cmi’ent; and that is, that there is a period in the life of 
every fruit at which a chemical change ought to take 
place, and during which a decided alteration in the cha¬ 
racter of its juices will be the sine result. This change, 
we believe, requires a certain specific temperature in 
order to be accomplished; and if such temperature be 
not furnished, either naturally or artificially, some ano¬ 
malous appearance must of necessity be presented. 
We dare not here mix up the question with observa¬ 
tions on the necessary degree of maturation in the fruits, 
although it strictly forms a part of the question. Our 
space will not permit our doing so, or it were easy to 
show how over-cropping, over luxuriance, worn-out soils, 
stagnation through water lodgments, improper stocks, 
&c., alone, are capable of deteriorating the flavour and 
