54 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 24, 1887. 
labour bestowed upon them. Arum Lilies I found 
planted out in trenches, which were to be lifted 
presently, all looking very well. Considering the 
long-continued drought, it was a surprise to see the 
stock of Strawberries for forcing numbering 3,000, the 
kinds grown being Sir Charles Napier, President, 
Vicomtesse Herieart de Thury, and Sir Joseph Paxton. 
The stoves are span-roofed, and adjoin the Tomato- 
house before alluded to, being of the same dimensions. 
The centre stage of one is entirely devoted to Gardenias, 
which are planted out, and nothing could be doing 
better. The bed is one mass of healthy growth and 
foliage, the plants having thrown a succession of large 
well-formed flowers throughout the season, and bid fair 
to do so for a long time to come. The side shelves are 
filled with foliage plants of useful decorative size, con¬ 
sisting of Caladiums, Dracrenas, Crotons, Palms, and 
similar things, all in the best of health. A fine 
Stephanotis luxuriates under the glass, and in another 
compartment I noticed Allamanda Hendersoni trained 
in the same way, making a gorgeous display of its fine 
flowers. I saw these splendid climbers at their best; 
this is the way to grow them. On the opposite side 
there is a fine crop of Cucumbers, the variety under 
culture being known as Wills’ Improved Telegraph, a 
cross between Blue Gown and Rollisson’s Telegraph. 
It has a shorter neck, and is of a deeper green colour 
than Rollisson's, keeping far better when cut than 
that variety. There is' a -quantity of Eucharis 
amazoniea in this house, which four years ago were in 
great danger of being entirely spoilt by the Eucharis 
mite, but are now in the best possible condition. 
Liberal and constant applications of soot-water has 
saved them. There is also a choice collection of 
Cattleyas in this house, which are doing well, as also 
a splendid pan of Coelogyne cristata. In a long span- 
roofed pit at the back of the vineries I found a good 
crop of Wills’ Cucumber on one side, and a large stock 
of Odontoglossum crispum, Eucharis amazoniea, and 
some small decorative plants on the other. 
This is the house in which Mr. Goldsmith flowers his 
Bouvardias, and his management of them being very 
successful and differing in some respects to that 
generally followed, I will give his modus operandi in as 
short a space as I can. At present they are growing 
planted out in an open border and will be lifted about 
the end of this month. They are carefully lifted with 
good balls of earth, placed on a hand-barrow, carried 
into the house and planted on the stage near the glass, 
also, if necessary, shaded for a few days and syringed. 
Here they have the temperature of an intermediate 
house, and continue to flower freely till April, when 
they are dried off. When sufficiently ripened they are 
cut down and gently syringed till they break, when 
they are lifted and potted iuto the smallest-sized pots 
they can conveniently be got into, kept close and moist 
till well rooted, then gradually hardened off in a cold 
frame and planted out the first or second week in June. 
They are seldom more than five weeks in pots during 
the year ; the same plants are used year after year, and 
many would be quite specimen plants if potted into 
16-sized pots. In this instance they have to be cut 
rather hard back and kept dwarf from want of head 
room. They can be grown from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in height 
on this plan, and give an almost exhaustless supply of 
flowers, than which nothing are more appreciated during 
the dull months of the year. The labour of watering on 
this plan is reduced to a minimum. The kitchen gardens 
are managed in the same high-class rvay which marks 
the working of the rest of the place, and the winter 
crops are well forward and in excellent condition.— 
w. b. a. -- 
RENOVATING VINES. 
When Vines which have previously borne excellent 
Grapes begin to show signs of distress, the wood 
annually growing weaker, and the berries badly shanking 
from the effects of the border having become sour and 
exhausted, or, probably, from the roots having pene¬ 
trated the drainage, and got down into the cold clayey 
subsoil, no time should be lost in rectifying the evil ; 
for it is very evident that as long as the roots are 
allowed to remain in this condition, good results cannot 
very well be expected, but yearly the crops will get 
worse, ending in nothing more than a few miserable 
bunches. The lifting of the roots and replanting them 
again is a method I would strongly advise. It may be 
that the Vines have a very aged appearance, and to lift 
their roots with the expectation of being rewarded with 
good Grapes may appear almost an impossibility ; but 
it the operation is carefully carried out, and at a proper 
time, the crops will, the first year after, be greatly 
improved by it, and the Vines, although apparently 
worn out, may be made to produce nice, even-sized, 
highly-coloured bunches of Grapes for several years to 
come. It is not that I prefer the above plan to that 
of planting healthy young Vines ; but it must be borne 
in mind that there are many who do not want their 
old favourites, which have for many years yielded 
Grapes satisfactorily, destroyed to make room for others. 
Therefore, it is in the endeavour to improve the con¬ 
dition of these, and to bring them again into a 
satisfactory state of bearing, that I wish to recommend 
the lifting process, and as the present time is probably 
the best to give attention to those that are in an un¬ 
satisfactory state, a few words on the subject may be 
found useful. 
Assuming, then, that the Vines have been cleared 
of their crops, or if any Grapes are still hanging and 
sufficiently ripe, they should at once be cut and placed 
in bottles in the usual way, and the house partly 
closed to encourage a little growth prior to disturbing 
the roots. If the soil has not already been prepared, 
sufficient to meet the requirements should without any 
delay be got in readiness. A compost of sweet turfy 
loam, old brick-mortar, woodash, and ^-in. bones, is 
very suitable to the Vine if used at the following 
rate :—To every five barrowfuls of loam add one of old 
mortar, and one of wood-ash, and a good sprinkling of 
bones, all of which should be well incorporated together 
by turning it over a couple or three times before using 
it. Shade the Vines heavily. Then proceed to take 
up the roots, which is best done by the use of a four- 
tined fork, and by digging out a narrow trench right 
opposite the Vines, removing all the old soil clean 
away as the work proceeds until coming in contact 
with the drainage ; and then gradually work in the 
direction of the stems of the Vines, taking every pre¬ 
caution not to damage the roots more than possible. 
Every available root should be tied aside, and, when 
the soil has all been removed, fastened to the stems of 
the Vines, heavily syringed, and covered over with wet 
mats, and in this position remain till the drainage has 
been put right, and the borders refilled with the new 
compost. 
Examine the roots, and those that may have been 
damaged, should have their tips cut off with a sharp 
knife, to encourage a quantity of fresh roots. On 
the old bare stem thongs incisions should be made 
right and left at intervals of 10 ins. all along. Then 
spread the whole evenly over the border, and cover 
them up to the depth of 8 ins. with the same compost. 
The border should be well watered with tepid water, 
and afterwards mulched with stable litter ; and to 
encourage the growth of the Vines, they should be well 
syringed overhead two or three times a-day. It will 
be observed that the littleifresh growth the Vines were 
encouraged to make previous to the lifting of the roots, 
w T ill flag for a few days, but will soon recover and grow 
away freely ; they should then receive every encourage¬ 
ment by keeping the house close and warm, so that 
before the leaves fall from the Vines, quantities of fresh 
roots will have pushed into the fresh soil. When the 
Vines have sufficiently recovered to withstand the sun 
and ordinary treatment, gradually admit air, and dis¬ 
pense with the shading. It will be of great benefit to 
them if, the following season, they are not hurried 
into growth, are somewhat lightly cropped, and if each 
Vine is allowed to make plenty of extra growth, either 
by laterals or allowing a young rod to grow from the 
bottom to the top, to encourage as much root action as 
possible.— R. Markham, Mereworth Castle, Maidstone. 
-- 
AOHIMENES. 
These useful free-flowering plants are worthy of 
better treatment than that which is sometimes accorded 
them, being useful either for suspending baskets or as 
pot plants. Their floriferousness is unbounded when 
well treated, and they amply repay the grower for any 
little trouble he may have ;in their culture by the 
enormous quantity of flowers they yield. A light 
spongy soil suits their requirements, with a stove 
temperature to help them well on their way to 
maturity. I have seen them grown exceedingly well 
in sphagnum moss, being fed with liquid manure to 
assist them during their flowering period. 
At Gargrave House, near Skipton, the residence of 
J. Colthurst, Esq., I saw, the other day, some remark¬ 
ably fine baskets and pots of Achimenes. The baskets 
were suspended from the roof, and the pots interspersed 
amongst other plants, such as Crotons, Dracsenas, 
Marantas, and general stove plants. The effect the 
various tints of colour amongst the different varieties 
of Achimenes gave to the appearance of the house was, 
indeed charming, and I was extremely well satisfied 
with the result of my call, if only to feast my eyes on 
the shades of colour and profusion of bloom they gave. 
Amongst other things I noticed was a very fine plant 
of Dendrobium Wardianum, Low’s var., with a growth 
bout 4 ft. in length, and exceedingly strong ; also, 
amongst Orchids in flower, were Cypripedium Parishi, 
C. Sedeni, C. Spicerianum, and a few Masdevallias. 
A nice general collection is grown here, houses being 
devoted to the cultivation of both hot, intermediate, 
and cool species. I was well pleased with the neat 
kitchen garden, which was well cropped also, with a 
good flower border running through the middle, from 
one range of houses to some Peach-houses and vineries 
at the top of the kitchen garden. The Peach trees 
were remarkably fine, and have yielded good crops. 
This border was all aglow with blooms of hardy and 
half-hardy plants, having annuals mixed among them. 
Hollyhocks and Dahlias were very conspicuous, and 
made a grand show. Asters were exceedingly good, 
and, with the other annuals, gave a very fine effect to 
the border, providing something fresh to look upon 
every few yards. 
I was unfortunate in not seeing the gardener, Mr. 
J. Watson, who, I believe, has been here a considerable 
number of years, and who seems to manage his plants 
well, as the appearance of the place showed all through. 
But returning to Achimenes, I should say they are 
well worth more care and time in their cultivation than 
many give them, the fine effect they produce when 
used as basket-plants being well worth all the labour 
bestowed upon them. Amateurs need not fear they 
cannot grow them, for they will thrive well in a warm 
house after they once begin to show signs of flowering, 
and will keep well during the winter months under 
any dry greenhouse stage from which frost is ex¬ 
cluded.— IV. G. 
-->X<~- 
MIMICRY IN PLANTS. 
Beards, Tails, Ears, and Tongues. 
We find allusions or comparisons to beards through 
a wide range of plants affecting different orders. 
Bearded and beardless Wheat are such familiar terms 
that we have almost lost sight of their significance.. 
Goat’s-beard, Wild-beast’s-beard, Hawk’s-beard, 
Aaron’s-beard, Old-man’s-beard, the many bearded 
grass, the bearded Dianthus or Sweet William, all 
seem approximately appropriate ; but what shall we 
say of the Snake’s-beard, the existence of which seems 
as mythical as the sea-serpent. Hypericum calycinum 
is Aaron’s-beard, alluding, no doubt, to the great mass 
of yellow stamens. If his beard was yellow, his priestly 
highness might have had it dyed, like a foreigner of 
note in the recent Jubilee procession, who, as a by¬ 
stander remarked, must have dyed his beard magenta 
for tire occasion. The Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum 
Capillus-Yeneris, might here be mentioned, the title of 
which had doubtless been suggested by the long slender 
black petioles of the leaves. This primary comparison 
bears some similarity to the object in question ; but 
the Maidenhair tree only derives its name from the 
leaves resembling to some extent the pinnules of an 
Adiantum, and not the petioles or leaf-stalks at all. 
Comparisons of this kind are odd. Spiranthes is known 
as Ladies’-tresses from the spiral twisting of the in¬ 
florescence resembling curls or ringlets. The Old Man 
Cactus is so called from the white woolly-like hairs or 
bristles clothing the stem. 
In natural history, and more particularly in botany, 
innumerable instances of plants, or parts of them, 
occur, which may be likened to the caudal appendage 
of some animal; and although it requires a stretch of 
the imagination to recognise the tail of any particular 
animal, many of them have been called to man’s 
assistance in the naming of plants, and where no 
particular animal has been referred to, plants or their 
appendages are simply described as tailed. We have 
the Mouse-tail, Lion’s-tail, Horse-tail, Mare’s-tail, Fox¬ 
brush, Rat’s-tail ; and amongst grasses, where the 
flower-spike is conveniently suitable for the appella¬ 
tion, we have the Dog’s-tail, Cat’s-tail, Squirrel’s-tail, 
Fox-tail, Hare’s-tail, and Mouse-tail. That all these 
forms are subservient to the economy of the plants in 
question there can be little doubt ; but they do not 
resemble the tails of any animal sufficiently to derive 
any advantage in that respect. The leaves of many 
plants have been likened to the ears of some animals as 
Mouse-ear, Idare’s-ear, Cat’s-ear, and Elephant’s-ear. 
The latter name has been applied to the large-leaved 
Begonias of the B. rex type ; to some of the dull, 
purple-coloured varieties the appellation is peculiarly 
appropriate. The oblique shape, hairyness, colour, and 
the attachment to the petiole, in some cases, all com- 
