THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 14.] 
until then ? No! here there would he a waste of 
energy; fertile vigour would be dispersed over many 
channels, to be afterwards discarded, instead of being 
concentrated upon the few that were destined to be 
retained. Besides, the check given to the reciprocal 
action between the roots and the branches would 
cause a considerable time to elapse before the 
branches left would receive more nourishment, in 
consequence of the others being removed. What is 
to be done then? Simply and quietly go over the 
vines when the buds are from a quarter to half an 
inch in length, or even more, and with the thumb 
or fore-finger quickly rub off all the buds upon the 
wood which you resolve ultimately to remove, and 
no bleeding will ensue. Mind, you must not cut 
them off close to the wood from whence they issue, 
or you might as well cut off the shoot at once. Any 
time after the plant is in full leaf you may remove 
the disbudded parts, which will often present dif¬ 
ferent appearances ; generally, if very long, most of 
them will be dead, some will be somewhat alive, 
though not increased in size, and in a few there will 
be a little exudation of cambium matter from the 
liber, or inner bark, where the bud was rubbed off. 
By this means, therefore, the resources of the plant 
are pretty well as much husbanded and directed into 
defined and desired channels, as if pruning had taken 
place in the autumn. The buds left will be invi¬ 
gorated, though at first they will not be able to mono¬ 
polise all the sap that supplied the others. Hence, 
for some time the sap will rise into the disbudded 
part, and descend again when the stimulus is removed, 
until the greater expansion of the buds left mono¬ 
polise it entirely. A similar operation you may see, 
in working rapidly the handle of a pump, where the 
bore of the tube is larger than the delivering jet. 
The water will rise above the jet; but that would not 
be the case if the jet was larger in size. The rising 
sap, therefore, may be made to flow upwards, down¬ 
wards, and horizontally, to where there are vents for 
its reception; and where some exist in the shape of 
buds and branches, it, will make them for itself, by 
stimulating the organisable matter stored during the 
previous season. Its general course, however, is up- 
ward, and, therefore, in the vine the largest buds are 
generally formed near the points of shoots, a matter 
of great importance, so far as disbudding and pru¬ 
ning are concerned; but that will enter more into 
summer management than what is necessary to be 
attended to now. The matters referred to, are as im¬ 
portant in other plants as in the vine, though they 
may not shew mismanagement so quickly. Much 
evil has been done by two classes of phytologists con¬ 
tending with each other—one asserting, that it is the 
swelling of the buds that causes the ascent of the 
sap ; the other asserting, that it is the rise of the sap 
that causes the buds to swell and expand. Before the 
principles of pruning can be well understood, these 
contradictions must be harmonised. And they may 
be perfectly so, for both are right. The expanding 
of the buds, and the rising of the sap, are each in turns 
relative and co-relative cause and consequence to 
the other. No wonder though wise men smile at us, 
when from looking at a fact from different points of 
view, we squabble as lustily about it as those clever 
fellows who were within a little of cudgelling each j 
other, because about the chameleons colour they could 
not agree. R. Eish. 
<323 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACE2E. 
Lcelia Superbiens (Most superb Loelia).—The 
finest plant in Europe of this noble species may now 
bo seen in full flower, in the London Horticultural 
Society’s Garden, at Chiswick. Such persons as have 
not seen this plant can have no idea what a truly 
magnificent specimen there is in cultivation. We 
had the gratification of visiting the gardens yesterday, 
for the express purpose of seeing this splendid orchid 
in full beauty. The pleasure of the spectacle it pre¬ 
sented was so great that we were tempted to take 
notes, in order to describe it to the readers of The 
Cottage Gardener. We had the pleasure to see it 
a few days after it arrived at Chiswick; it then filled 
an entire case, and this must be at least seven years 
ago. We have witnessed its progress, year by year, 
ever since up to the present time. It immediately 
i began to grow, and has continued to flourish, some¬ 
times producing more and sometimes fewer flower- 
spikes. This year it has more than it ever had be¬ 
fore : no less than nine spikes of its truly regal 
flowers are now fully expanded. Several spikes have 
each as many as fourteen flowers ; the whole averag¬ 
ing more than ten each, as there are nearly one hun¬ 
dred flowers upon the plant. So large is the plant 
altogether, that the cultivator of the usual-sized plants 
is astonished at its magnitude. Its width one way is 
: more than six feet, and across the other way it is 
three feet, whilst in depth it measures very nearly 
four feet. The interior space of these measurements 
is thickly filled with pseudo-bulbs, all perfectly 
healthy. These are generally more than a foot long, 
the fine leaves in pairs upon them. The leaves mea¬ 
sure also a foot long, and average three inches wide; 
they are thick and fleshy. The flower-stems rise from 
the top of the pseudo-bulbs made the year previously. 
They are at least five feet long, bending gracefully 
with the large heads of flowers; the whole forming 
one of the finest objects of floral beauty, even among 
orchids, we ever saw. The colour of the flower is in 
its greatest amount a deep rose, variegated with dark 
red. The labellum is a rich crimson, striped with 
yellow. Each flower measures nearly four inches in 
length, by three in width. 
Such is the description of this noble plant. We 
are sensible that we have scarcely done it justice. 
Our principal object, however, in choosing this plant 
for our week’s essay, is to describe the peculiar treat¬ 
ment it requires, in order to grow it to something 
like perfection. The temperature of the country where 
it is found is cool, scarcely ever exceeding 00°, and 
often falling as low as 45°. In accordance with this, 
the plant at Chiswick is constantly kept in a cool 
stove, where plenty of air is given on all favourable 
occasions. The plant does not require a pot, or a 
basket, but should be hung up to the roof by itself. 
Suppose a newly imported plant should arrive, we 
should advise it to be cleared of all dead matters, 
excepting the block of native wood it may be attached 
to; then pass some strong copper wire under the 
mass, in such a way that the pseudo-bulbs and their 
leaves will hang up in the same position they did on 
the native tree. Then, when the wire is properly 
secured round the plant, hang it up in a cool stove. 
Add no moss to the mass, as that only rots the roots 
in winter. When the plant begins to grow, and put 
forth new roots, let it be gently syringed, morning 
and evening, during fine weather. Persevere with 
this treatment till the new pseudo-bulbs are fully 
grown; then cease the application of water, and lower 
