8 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[January, 
Muscat house, and requires some care in setting the 
berries. 
Season .— Late ; hangs and keeps remarkably well. 
Merits. —Third-class. 
St. Petek’s. —A synonym of Alicante: 
which see. 
Sarbelle Frontignan (55).—A round black 
Muscat Grape. Synonym: Muscat de Sarbelle. 
Vine— Growth moderately strong, with a free 
constitution ; free-fruiting. Leaves small, roundish, 
deeply toothed. 
Fruit.—Bunches small, and rather loose, indiffer¬ 
ently set. Berries small, round, uneven in size. 
Skin dark purple, thick. Flesh dark, firm, sweet, 
and pleasant, with a slight Muscat flavour. 
History, Sfc. —Received from the collection of 
Messrs. Rivers. Not much cultivated. 
Cidtural Notes. —An excellent small grape for 
cultivation in pots, and will ripen against the open 
wall in favourable seasons. 
Season. —Early. 
Merits .— Of excellent quality, but too small in 
bunch and berry. 
Seacliffe Black. —A synonym of Gros 
Guillaume: which see. 
Snow’s Muscat Hamburgh.— A synonym of 
Muscat Hamburgh : which see. 
Stillward’s Sweetwater (33).- — A round 
white Sweetwater Grape. 
T ine .—Growth free; young shoots somewhat gross 1 
fruitful. 
Fruit.—Bunches medium-sized, rather broadly 
shouldered, on strong, fleshy stalks ; freely and 
well set in general ; very similar in appearance 
to the Dutch Sweetwater. Berries medium-sized, 
round. Skin clear, whitish, almost transparent. 
Flesh moderately firm, juicy, sweet, and pleasant. 
History, <fc. — I have not been able to trace it. 
Cultural Notes .— Succeeds well in pots, and ripens 
freely in good seasons against an open wall. 
Season .— Very early. 
Merits .— Second-rate in quality, but worth grow¬ 
ing for an early sort. 
— A. F. Barron. 
HOW TO GROW MASDEVALLIAS. 
f S the Masdevallias prefer cool treatment 
they arc best kept in a house by them¬ 
selves : they require but a small one, 
as they take up very little room ; in¬ 
deed they will thrive well enough in the Odon- 
toglossum house, for if their few wants are 
attended to, there are no freer growing plants 
in cultivation. They increase very fast under 
good treatment, and soon repay all the care 
which is bestowed upon them. They last a 
long time in beauty and make grand exhibi¬ 
tion plants, producing also, when in bloom, a 
charming effect in the houses if intermixed 
with the various Odontoglots and other cool 
Orchids. There are so many varieties that 
some of them will always be in flower, but the 
best time to see them is from May to July. 
They are so accommodating to the grower, 
that many wonderful specimens have been 
produced and exhibited during the last few 
years. When a plant is found to be too large 
it may be divided, and the divided portions 
will go on increasing. 
We have found good fibrous peat and 
sphagnum moss to suit well as material for 
the potting of these plants. They thrive best 
in small pots. The roots should not be dis¬ 
turbed too often ; when, however, they require 
fresh material to root in, it must be given 
them, as they are free rooting plants and 
prefer to have sweet wholesome soil about 
them. They must also have good drainage, 
for they need an abundant supply of water, 
and by giving them efficient drainage the 
water passes off quickly without doing any 
harm, which it would do if allowed to become 
stagnant about them. The plants should be 
placed near the light but so as to avoid the 
sun’s rays. A north house suits them best, as 
it shields them in summer from the heat of 
the day, which they do not like, in fact, they 
should be kept as cool as possible at all times, 
very little fire-heat being required in winter, 
and none during the summer. They like fresh 
air, but in winter cold draughts must be 
avoided. We find that they will thrive well 
in a heat of from 45° to 50° : even somewhat 
less would suffice, but the temperature here 
named is the most suitable. Any one, there¬ 
fore, who possesses a small low house could 
grow them at a trifling expense. 
They are easily propagated by dividing the 
tufts, leaving about three old stems and a lead¬ 
ing growth associated. The best time for the 
division to be effected is just as they are 
beginning to grow. They should be placed in 
small pots until they are established, when 
they should be removed to larger ones. 
Insects should be annihilated as soon as 
they put in an appearance. The thrips is 
their greatest pest. Cool Orchids, as a rule, 
are also subject to the attack of a small kind 
of snail, that increases very rapidly, if not 
kept under by constant watching night and 
morning. A few lettuce leaves placed in 
different parts of the house, or potatos or 
turnips cut in half and scooped out in the 
centre, form good traps for them, and by look¬ 
ing these over frequently many, of them may 
be caught, as also by moving the plants, as 
they are apt to harbour about the pots.—- 
B. S. Williams, in Orchid Album. 
