December 21, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
251 
one falls on the archegonium, fertilises it, and from 
this the young Fern is sent forth. 
The prothallus is deciduous, and ceases to exist as 
soon as the Fern has taken root. The pricking off of 
the sporelings is a very delicate operation, especially in 
cases where it is necessary that the prothalli should be 
so transplanted before fertilisation takes place. In 
some instances, this must be done when the prothalli 
spring up in such abundance, and overlap each other 
to such an extent as to prevent the organs of generation 
performing their functions. When taken from the 
sporeling pot, the prothalli should be placed about £ in. 
apart in 6-in. pots, well drained, and filled with any 
light compost. Having grown to the extent of four or 
five fronds, they should be placed in thumb-pots. It 
is necessary to add that all these operations should be 
performed in the propagating house, and the plants 
grown up to the stage mentioned in a separate frame in 
the said house. 
There are other ways by which Ferns may be in¬ 
creased, and by which they extend themselves. The 
first and most important is by means of the buds which 
some species produce on the fronds, known as bulbils. 
These may in many cases be taken directly from the 
fronds, inserted in soil, and will quickly grow into 
plants; but with others, a portion of the plant itself 
must be removed, and then fastened in the soil until 
the bud has rooted. Some’genera may be propagated 
from root-buds, such as Platycerium alcicorne, Adian- 
tum amabile and others. These must become estab¬ 
lished before removal from the parent, for if taken 
away in a young state they are almost certain to die. 
Some of the species of the order Marattiacese may be 
increased from the scales or stipules growing from the 
base of the fronds, which, when taken from the plant 
should be placed in sand or any compost which 
will not readily decompose, and then plunged in 
bottom-heat. They will in time produce fronds, but 
are a long time growing into specimens, and the method 
is not to be recommended, except for the multiplication 
ot very rare species, or those which are difficult to 
reproduce from spores. 
(To be continued.) 
-- 
PRESERVING CALCEOLARIAS 
DURING WINTER. 
At p. 219 of your issue for the 7th inst., “Gillie 
Callurn ” describes his method of keeping these invalu¬ 
able bedding plants during the winter months. He 
commences very systematically by first getting his 
frame put in order, with a good bottom of coal ashes, 
&c., but he makes no mention of having the compost 
made perfectly firm before putting on a surfacing of 
sand—a point I consider most essential in the keeping 
of Calceolarias, as well as of all other kinds of cuttings. 
I would strongly recommend all growers to put a 
good covering of soot below their compost, so as to 
prevent worms from throwing up the cuttings and 
mixing the compost with the sand. A great many 
people consider it a difficult task to keep Calceolarias 
all the winter, and “ Gillie Callum ” himself seems to 
bestow upon them a deal of needless labour in the way 
of covering. With your permission, I will describe my 
method of keeping these plants in a cold frame ; but 
being only a foreman, some may think it presumption 
on my part to do so. Still, I think the easiest way is 
the best, especially for us young men, and the hint may 
he useful to some. What say you, brother foremen ? 
I think the third week of October quite soon enough 
to put in the cuttings. They should be kept close for 
at least a fortnight or so, but do not resort to shading 
unless absolutely necessary, as it greatly weakens them. 
After they get nicely firmed and set up, take the 
lights entirely off, and do not put them on until frost 
is anticipated. In the case of continued heavy rains 
they might be put on, although I always think a good 
shower does them no harm. When the lights are put 
on to ward off frost have them tilted up 4 ins. at the 
back, and do not close them entirely, unless there is 
14° or 15° of frost. The hardier you keep them the 
better. I was accustomed to covering and “coddling” 
for a number of years, but for the past three seasons I 
have kept them without having them matted over once. 
I have seen them hurried with snow, which drifted in 
on them, and was alarmed at the time, but after it 
disappeared they looked as fresh as could be. Here we 
have 144 square feet of framing filled with good 
healthy stuff, and I may mention that we had a fall of 
4 inches of snow on the 7th inst, with 10° of frost on 
the following morning. They were left open as usual, 
and to-day they look as fresh as if they had been 
buried in leaves.— Alex. James, Duncombe Park 
Gardens, Helmslcy, Yorkshire, Oct. 10th. 
“Gillie Calluji ” would be delighted to adopt 
“ Stafford’s ” system of preserving Calceolarias during 
winter, as he does not believe in unnecessary labour of 
any kind, but it is very doubtful if “Stafford’s” 
system would be so suitable in the north of Scotland 
as it is in the midland counties of England. “Gillie 
Callum ” remembers that not many years ago a pit of 
Potatoswas destroyed by frost in the immediate vicinity 
of where he keeps his Calceolarias, and the pit was 
covered'to a depth of 14 ins. with soil besides a few 
inches of bracken. Under such circumstances a single 
mat would be rather a light covering. In the same 
garden, too, it is difficult to preserve Broccoli during 
winter .—Gillie Galium. 
- - ■ 
VINE BORDERS—RESTRICTION. 
In introducing this important and far-reaching subject 
(p. 181), your able correspondent, Mr. Gaut, courteously 
invites others to give the results of their practice and 
observations, and though I must differ from him in 
some degree, I at the same lime give him great credit 
for the able manner in which he has introduced this 
subject. Mr. Gaut’s case in point, where he speaks of 
lifting old Vines and re-planting in fresh soil, when 
carefully carried out has its advantages, but in nine 
out of ten instances it is preferable to plant young 
Vines. The restriction principle in such a case works 
wonders, as all the roots can be secured in good con¬ 
dition, and thus make a good start. With long, bare, 
rambling roots a certain amount of mutilation is 
inevitable, and thus success at first is impossible. 
In almost every case it is quite practical, though 
not always practicable, to have inside and outside 
borders combined, and yet restrict the roots ; but 
there is no rule without an exception. I think in 
every case due allowance ought to be made for atmo¬ 
spherical conditions, situation, level, &c. As the 
gardens here are exceptionally situated, being only 
4 ft. above the sea-level, and in close proximity to a 
river, the bed of which is about 3 ft. below the garden- 
level, and having an exceptionally humid atmosphere, 
great care had to be exercised in constructing the Vine 
borders. 
When I took charge here, the Vines were in a very 
unsatisfactory state, and on examining the borders 
outside and inside, I determined on adopting radical 
measures. I lifted the Vines from both borders in one 
structure, carefully preserving and laying aside all roots, 
nude as they were. When all were up, I had them 
carefully tied up in mats, and slung to the wire rods 
inside the house. In tracing the roots, we found them 
away under a walk, crossing to the herbaceous border, 
and under the drainage, right into the subsoil. In the 
latter situation, handfuls of decayed rotten fibre, self- 
detached and saturated with water, was the result of 
our search. What else could be expected in such a 
situation, at a depth of 5 ft. ? 
Seeing the condition of things, I adopted a higher 
level—viz., 2J ft. below the ground level—concreted 
the bottom, and placed the drainage thereon with great 
care. I then prepared a fresh border by laying turves 
(inverted), all over, proceeding with a mixture of good 
sound loam, lime rubbish, charcoal and broken brick¬ 
bats, with a slight sprinkling of Thomson’s Vine 
Manure, and laying the roots in at intervals. I have 
no belief in animal manure in the composition of a 
Vine border, save for mulching. Those Vines improved 
immensely, and though this was done in February— 
not by choice, but by force of circumstances—we had 
a fair crop the same season by closing the house and 
allowing them to come away naturally. The following 
year the Grapes were greatly improved—indeed, were 
all that could be desired, as a proof of which they took 
first prize at a provincial show. 
By frequent examinations in the growing season, I 
discovered that theVoots in the outside border were 
making little progress, while those inside seemed to 
appreciate all that had been done for them in a marked 
degree, filling the new border with healthy feeding 
roots, and under the mulching a mass of spongioles 
were visible by June. Further observations induced 
me to cut the outside roots clean off at the end of the 
third season just as the leaves were colouring, without 
apparent inj ury to the Vines. Planting a new vinery 
—all late Vines—the following year I resolved on an 
inside border, and made one the same depth as the pre¬ 
ceding and filled it in the same way, planting the Vines 
as they pushed into growth. They could have carried 
a full crop, at least, the third season ; and now in their 
fifth year they are all that one could wish, carrying 
and finishing heavy crops, and not showing the 
slightest signs of depression, no spider, no thrips, no 
shanking. I also planted a Muscat house last spring 
on the same principle as above, and anticipate equally 
good results. 
I am now so convinced of the superiority of inside 
borders against outside that I would not hesitate 
adopting the principle anywhere ; although given an 
elevated situation and a dry atmosphere, all other 
things favourable, I would not confine myself to inside 
borders for mid-season Grapes ; but by no means for 
early or late Grapes would I have outside borders if 
space permitted inside. 
No doubt watering has to be carefully attended to 
where the roots are all inside, but there is one advan¬ 
tage—you can see when water is required, and have 
the comfort of knowing that every drop is applied in 
the proper place, and, therefore, all acting its proper 
part ; and, further, the annual top-dressing must be 
well done as also the compost be good. 
In comparing results here, I may just add that where 
shanking used to be the rule it is now the exception ; 
even with a double quantity of Grapes in the same 
houses. Flavour and finish are also quite superior, 
and the Vines have the appearance of going on any 
length of time in a satisfactory way, and I believe with 
care will do so for a reasonable length of time.— 
J. Proctor, Glenfinart, Ardentinny, N.B. 
About two years and five months ago I came here as 
gardener—it was in the month of July—and to my 
great surprise I found the second gardener syringing 
the Grapes in a house of Hamburghs. They were 
stoning at that time, and were so infested with thrip 
and red-spider that I cut away some of the very worst 
of the foliage, being ashamed to see it. I then gave 
orders to stop all syringing, and had the house damped 
down with liquid manure from the farmyard, which 
was diluted to the extent of one-half of clear water. 
This was kept up for a fortnight, and we used the 
manure water at full strength for the next two weeks. 
At the end of that time I had completely got rid of the 
thrip and red-spider, and then gave air night and day 
freely, still damping down, but with clear water. The 
fruit by this time had almost finished colouring, and I 
was so ashamed of them that the farther I kept away 
from the vinery the better it was for my temper.^ I 
thought I had the worst house of Grapes in the neigh¬ 
bourhood, for had a lad been set to swish a whitewash 
brush at them they could not have looked worse, and 
they had no flavour. 
October came, and I tackled the border, which is 
about 30 ft. long and 16 ft. wide. I took a spade and 
cut a trench its whole length, leaving only 6 ft. of the 
old border. The roots were cut clean through, and I 
had the soil from the bottom half cleared away; 
then some 2 ft. of the soil that was left was forked 
out from among the roots down to the drainage, and 
that too was cleared away. I then cut away some of 
the old roots back to the soil left, and also cut over the 
tips of those which had been chopped off with the 
spade, re-laying them in a mixture of loam, broken 
bricks, charcoal, and farmyard manure. I also removed 
about 6 ins. of the old soil from the top of that portion 
of the border that had not been disturbed, and added 
about 3 ins. of fresh material. At that time the Vines 
were carrying about three-parts of a crop of Grapes, and 
I had the whole border covered with long litter from 
the stable to a depth of about 6 ins., when the Grapes 
kept fairly plump until they were finished about the 
third week in December. 
In due time the Vines were pruned back to the last 
eye, the house cleaned and lime-washed, and the canes 
dressed with a mixture of lime, soot, soft-soap, sulphur 
and cow-manure. Only sufficient heat was applied to 
keep out frost until I started them about the first or 
second week in March. That season (1888) I had a 
good crop of small bunches, but the berries were large 
and the colour A 1. This year I have had good useful¬ 
sized bunches and large berries, the colour again being 
good and the flavour excellent. 
I have not added any soil to the border, except some 
3 ins. of top-dressing, and the usual covering in winter 
to keep out frost and snow. As to the merits of inside 
and outside borders, with proper management, I con¬ 
sider one as good as the other for mid-season and late 
crops ; but for early forcing I should prefer the border 
inside, as the roots would not then be exposed to severe 
weather. I have been tempted to relate my experience 
in the hope that it may be of service to less experienced 
gardeners in small places .—Edward Coleman, Camilla 
Lacey Gardens, Dorking, Surrey. 
