February 13, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
379 
one hand, fine specimens with stout, sturdy, tree-like 
stems, covered with large Camellia-like flowers, inter¬ 
spersed with fine dark green shining foliage, being 
the produce of one cultivator ; on the other hand, 
another grower gets thin and slender growth with 
semi-double blooms, altogether presenting a very 
meagre appearance. Now, it is very hard to convince 
some people that all this difference is purely the result 
of cultivation, and hence it is that instead of searching 
for the cause at home they blame their seedsman, who, 
they say, sent them rubbish. Very many failures 
result from allowing the young plants to become too 
much drawn in a young state, and while in the hot¬ 
beds they become attenuated, and this is a state they 
never come out of again. Some hold that the age of 
the seed has something to do ■with the doubleness of 
the bloom and the habit of growth. Be this as it may, 
we know one old and successful Balsam grower who 
never sows his seed until it is five or six years old, and 
he avers that the older the seed, the better are the 
plants and the more double the flowers. 
The Scotch Fir in Autumn.— Those who are 
observant of the changes that pass over the face of 
nature at the various seasons of the year, will, pro¬ 
bably, not fail to have noticed the bright appearance 
the Scotch Fir will take on in Autumn ; this is caused 
by the falling of the dead leaves. During the summer 
the half-withered foliage becomes so intermingled with 
the new, as to cast a shade over the -whole mass ; in 
October the old leaves fall, and the trees appear to 
become green, when, in reality, it is no more than self- 
divested of that which sullied it. Many an important 
fact in nature can be gleaned and stored up by the 
observant mind. 
Costus speciosus. —Those in search of an 
uncommon and beautiful plant would do well to 
procure this member of the Ginger family, which 
forms a striking feature in the stove. The growth, 
from 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, is reed-like in appearance, and 
produces terminal heads of funnel-shaped blooms of 
purest white surrounded by a conspicuous calyx of 
bright rosy lilac. The flowers, which do not in¬ 
dividually last long, are freely produced from the 
large heads which a strong plant will give. It requires 
a period of dry rest in winter, and should be repotted 
in early spring, and well-watered during the summer 
growth. I have found it to benefit much by being 
placed in a shallow pan of -water so as to keep the pot 
continually moist—a very necessary condition for 
plants of this class. It is seldom met with except in 
botanical gardens, whence I procured it some years 
ago. While in bloom it always comes in for a large 
share of admiration from visitors to the stove.— 
J. T. Poe, Riverston. 
Vines Bleeding 1 . —Althoughan old Grape-grower, 
no serious case of Vine-bleeding has ever come under 
my notice. I have pruned hundreds of Vines and cut 
tons of Grapes, and from tho time I v 7 as a young man 
have been employed thinning the bunches for weeks in 
succession. My experience has, for a very long time, 
convinced me that the whole matter resolves itself into 
one important issue of events in the general management 
of Vines. I wish to be understood to mean those 
Vines that are in every way in a healthy and prolific 
condition, borders properly made, drained, &c. The 
great secret of Vine-bleeding is involved in the word 
management, perhaps the subject might be more appro¬ 
priately designated mismanagement. I cannot conceive 
that it is at all possible that Vines which have ripened 
their wood in due course and in good form, the leaves 
having fallen naturally, should, when pruned in No¬ 
vember, bleed in February, unless from the date of 
pruning they are subjected to a very high temperature, 
which is a very unusual practice, as all nature requires 
a given period of rest. It used to be the practice in 
days past that so soon as the houses of Vines were 
divested of their fruit, to take off all the lights, and 
fully expose the Vines to the action of the atmosphere, 
whatever its condition might be. This practice may 
now be exceptional from the fact that as a rule every 
available space is required for the growing or housing 
of plants of some description or other. In such a case 
Vines cannot be considered to have proper treatment, 
more especially should the plants be of a tropical cha¬ 
racter, necessitating a degree of warmth which really 
may prove inimical to the requirements of the Vines. 
I can quite understand that when the work of pruning 
is left too long, and the sun’s warming influence begins 
to excite vegetation, that great risk is run, and this 
is, in most instances, of Vine-bleeding the primary 
cause. I recollect, between twenty and thirty years 
ago, that my third or late Vinery was left over the 
proper season for pruning, and well knowing what the 
result would have been had I cut them, I determined 
to let the Vines remain until they began to break in 
the spring, and as soon as I considered it advisable, I 
commenced to rub off those eyes that did not show for 
fruit and the superfluous ones that were not required, 
and when the young wood was of sufficient strength to 
assimilate and conduct the sap, I cut back the canes to 
the young growths left for fruit, and also removed 
entirely all such old wood as was not required. It 
might be argued that this treatment involved a great 
strain upon the Vines ; but such was not the result, as 
no Vines could possibly have done better than they did 
that season or subsequent ones, and, moreover, the risk 
of bleeding was entirely and most satisfactorily ob¬ 
viated. And I may state that during my long experience 
I have never had to use antidotes of any description to 
arrest or prevent the bleeding of Grape Vines .—George 
Fry , Lvwisham. 
Seedsmen and their Customers. — “A 
Reader” writes :—In most of the catalogues 1 receive, 
there is a special recommendation to customers that 
they should write their name and address in full. It 
certainly appears strange that so many should omit to 
do so ; but I suppose it is chiefly owing to the said 
customers knowing themselves well, and expecting 
their seedsman to be equally well informed. A know¬ 
ledge of ones self is all very well from a physiological 
point of view 7 , but something more is required in filling 
up a seed order. Talking the other day with a leading 
local seedsman, he said, “You have no idea how many 
seed order sheets we receive without either a name or 
an address on them. With such orders we have first 
to trace the postmark, then to see vdiose order has 
been executed in that district, and thirdly, to form 
an opinion from the handwriting. Nor is this confu¬ 
sion and trouble all. Time is of the utmost value at 
this busy season, and after v r asting much of it, it is to 
say the least, disappointing to be frequently unable to 
execute the order punctually, or perhaps not at all.” 
This is a serious matter, especially when we consider 
that a little forethought and a stroke of the pen will 
save all the trouble. The following simple plan has 
been adopted by some firms : the order sheets are 
numbered from one up to as many as are printed, and 
these numbers correspond wntli duplicate figures in 
the ledger, in which the address is to be found, so 
that if any come to hand unsigned, the corresponding 
number is found in the ledger, and all further trouble 
is avoided. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
_ ♦ 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
With the past week of fairly bright weather the 
occupants of this department look decidedly brighter 
and more healthy. Let the potting of stove plants 
proceed, if not completed, vdthout delay, and let any 
of the plants that have from any cause become leggy or 
unsightly be either cut down and plunged in bottom- 
heat to give a supply of cuttings, or consigned to the 
rubbish-heap if not required, and so make room for 
younger stulf. Ferns it is particularly necessary should 
be divided, especially the Adiantums, for nothing is 
more useful or accommodating for decoration when 
grown for the purpose, that is in an intermediate house. 
They then do not suffer as w'hen taken from a tropical 
house, where, as a rule, they are principally grown. 
Pteris longifolia is another Fern which is most useful 
for autumn decoration, and the same applies to Blechnum 
Braziliense; and care should be taken of all the stray 
seedlings of each of these varieties which may appear on 
the surface of the plants as they are brought to the 
potting-bench. 
Look to the stock of Euphorbia Jacquinteflora, keep 
the plants rather dry, plunge them in bottom-heat if 
room can be found, and when ready for propagating take 
off the young growths with a slice of heel to each, 
placing five or six in a small 60-pot ; keep them close 
that they may strike as quickly as possible, and pot 
them on without dividing, and they will give grand 
potfuls, which look far better when staged than single 
plants. The pretty little Poker Plants, the Lachenalias, 
will now be throwing up their spikes, and if the pots 
are well filled with roots, as they should be, tho plants 
will be greatly benefitted by a dose of clear liquid 
manure ; keep them near the glass in an intermediate 
temperature, and they will more than repay the extra 
care bestowed. 
Where Single Dahlias are much used, and seedlings 
are relied upon, it is necessary that the seed should be 
sown at once, that good tubers may be secured at 
planting time, otherwise they are late in flowering, and 
consequently for cutting purposes also. Keep the 
shrubby Calceolarias as hardy as possible by removing 
the lights as often as can safely be done, and stop all 
regularly ; by the time they break again they may 
safely be transplanted to where some slight protection 
can be given, and out of the way of the frames which 
will be required for more tender subjects. 
FORCING HOUSES. 
In this department there are almost endless subjects 
that require to be mentioned, but space will not permit 
all to be enumerated ; having had a brighter week, all 
forced things have a corresponding advance. Again I 
would say, be extremely cautious not to maintain a 
high night temperature in any forcing house, unless 
growth is assuming a somewhat matured condition ; 
let this apply more particularly to the vineries, the 
bunches in which will be drawn and spindly, and they 
will never recover that full, tight proportion that a 
good bunch of grapes should do. 
Peaches will now need attention in the way of dis¬ 
budding ; let this operation be carried on piecemeal, so 
that a check may be avoided ; keep the house ventilated, 
and where the fruit is set, syringe freely twice daily. 
Keep a sharp look-out for-.black or green fly, and 
fumigate immediately upon its appearance ; three light 
fumigations upon alternate nights will be found more 
efficacious than a single strong dose, and less likely to 
injure the young growth or fruit. 
Cucumbers and Melons are now growing away nicely; 
keep the young plants on a shelf as near the glass as 
possible, but away from all draughts ; this is preferable 
to plunging in bottom heat, as the tissue made is firmer, 
and the plants stand better after finally being planted 
out. Make sowings of each as may be required ac¬ 
cording to the demand, always keeping a good stock on 
hand, as they can be easily thrown away if not required, 
and will give but little trouble to rear. 
Place succession batches of plants of Deutzias, 
Dielytras, Indian and Ghent Azaleas, and all kindred 
subjects into heat, not forgetting the supply of bulbs, of 
which introduce a few at a time ; the Lily of the 
Valley comes much better if the crowns are covered 
with moss, therefore have some in readiness. Introduce 
successional batches of Strawberries, as room will 
permit ; President or Sir J. Paxton, are the best for 
mid-season work. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
While the weather continues open and dry, let all 
hands be employed digging vacant squares, that the 
weather may help to pulverize and so prepare the soil 
for planting, the time for which is rapidly approaching. 
Where not already done fork up the surface of 
Asparagus beds, raking off loose soil into the alleys ; 
give the beds a good dressing of decayed manure, 
covering up with the soil from the alleys, dress off and 
let them remain until later on. If necessary, now is 
the time to divide Rhubarb stools, either to fill up blanks 
that may have been forced, or to make a new quarter ; 
in the latter case double dig and well manure the 
square selected, and do not draw for use the first 
season. 
Sow at once a packet of seed, that roots may be selected 
especially for forcing. As soon as the state of the ground 
will permit, put in the main crop of Parsnips ; let the 
drills be 18 ins. apart at the least. Proceed with the 
pruning as speedily as possible, except the Gooseberries 
where they are liable to be attacked by the birds, when 
they had better be left a bit longer. The Brussels 
Sprouts and Cauliflower sown last month are now ready 
to place in cold frames, keep them well ventilated or 
they will be apt to damp off. Where slugs are troublesome 
to the breadths of Lettuce dust lime and soot between 
the rows, this will stimulate growth and destroy these 
pests. Keep the turf and walks, both in the garden 
and shrubberies well swept and rolled, so as to main¬ 
tain as clean an appearance as possible throughout. 
— Walter Child, Croome Court. 
