February 23, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
407 
Another, apparently between this and O. c. Rucker- 
ianum, is remarkable for the shortness of its seg¬ 
ments, and triangular suddenly-pointed lip, A num¬ 
ber of flowers of O. maculatum, all of large size 
and rich colours, had the ground colour of the lip 
creamy-white in some cases and bright yellow in 
others, heavily blotched with purplish-brown. Be¬ 
sides some houses of these and their allies, and fine 
forms of Lycaste Skinneri, Mr. Fraser has a house¬ 
ful of Dendrobiums, Laelias, Cattleyas, Cypripe- 
diums, and others, all in healthy, thri'.ing condition. 
Epide.ndrum atropurpureum roseo-purpu- 
reum.— The typical form of this conspicuous and 
showy Epidendrum has a white lip with pale purple 
streaks on the side lobes and a purple blotch near 
the base of the terminal lobe. The variety under 
notice has the lip wholly of a bright rose contrasting 
beautifully with the dark purplish-brown hue of the 
sepals and petals that are incurved at the tips, but 
particularly the former. The anther cap, in close 
proximity to the base of the lip, is yellow, and forms 
a conspicuous central spot to the flower. There are 
several healthy and vigorous pieces in baskets in the 
Orchid house of E. H. Watts, Esq , Devonhurst, 
Chiswick. In one case the flowers are expanded 
while the other plants are pushing up their flower 
scapes. Several pseudo-bulbs in the different 
baskets are of remarkable strength, showing a great 
improvement upon what prevailed before Mr. 
Gibson took the place in charge. The type was first 
flowered in this country in 1836, but the variety 
under notice did not appear till much later. A 
figure of it was given in the Illustration Horticole 1868, 
t. 541. 
-«fr*- 
PRUT UNDER GLAUS. 
Vines. —Pot vines are at best very ticklish subjects 
to deal with, and at no time more particularly than 
at the present. The heat of the fermenting material 
in which the pots are plunged must not be suffered 
to decline too low, which, after it has been in use for 
some time, it is very liable to do. Where possible, 
therefore, some of the old fermenting matter may be 
replaced by new, both old and new being well mixed 
together, as by this means a steadier and more genial 
heat is obtained. Attend to the pinching out of 
laterals at the first leaf as before advised, and see 
that the berries are not too crowded in the bunch. 
Generous treatment should be accorded with regard 
to manurial stimulant, Thomson’s Vine Manure being 
excellent, as is also fresh liquid farmyard manure 
where it is obtainable. Here, as well as in the 
succession houses, the usual routine of dampings 
may be kept up, except when the plants are in flower. 
We assume that the necessary cleaning and pruning 
in the later houses is all brought to a conclusion, as 
it will not be long before it will be time to start them. 
It is not advisable to defer this until too late, for in 
the event of our experiencing a sunless autumn, as 
fell to our lot last year, the berries do not receive 
sufficient sun to colour them properly, their value 
of course being correspondingly reduced. No time 
should be lost in starting Muscat varieties, as these 
will need all the sun they can get to develop their 
peculiar flavour. 
Figs. —Plants in pots that are required to produce 
early fruit must also receive a renewal of the fer¬ 
menting material around them when required, as at 
this particular time root action with them is 
especially vigorous and should not on any account 
be allowed to sustain a check. Feed them generously 
with manure water and keep the syringe pretty well 
at work, maintaining a night temperature of between 
65° and 7 o q Fahr. There should be no delay in 
starting any later houses that have not yet been 
shut up so as to allow the second crop plenty of 
time to ripen during the autumn months. Keep up 
a night temperature of not less than 50^ Fahr., as 
the Fig usually takes a higher temperature to start 
it into growth than does the vine. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Having paid due 
attention to the removal of all unnecessary shoots 
look after the proper tying and training of those that 
are left. It is a great mistake to leave the growths 
until they touch the glass before they are tied, as, 
besides the injury done to the leaves, it is a matter 
of great difficulty to bring the shoots down under¬ 
neath the wires. Ply the syringe vigorously twice a 
day, in the morning and at shutting up time, which 
should be early in the afternoon, thus utilising a 
large quantity of the sun’s heat as well as allowing 
the trees sufficient time to dry before nightfall. 
Green-fly will often make its appearance at this 
stage of growth. Should it do so, light fumigations 
should be given for several consecutive days with 
tobacco, tobacco paper, or rag, to check it in its 
unwelcome attentions. When fumigating, however, 
it is important to notice that the atmosphere of the 
house is as dry as possible. After the fumigations 
are complete a thoroughly good washing should be 
given the trees from the syringe to complete the 
total destruction of insect pests. The temperature 
at night should not fall below 55 0 Fahr. as soon as 
the fruit has reached the size of marbles. 
For the last few weeks work in this department has 
been at a complete standstill, and it is evident that 
it will continue to be so as long as the present 
spell of Arctic weather stays with us. There can be 
no doubt that the long continuance, as well as the 
great severity of the frost will prove exceedingly 
trying to very many of our ornamental trees and 
shrubs. The wisdom of those gardeners who have 
had the forethought to afford some protection to the 
tender class of subjects at the commencement of 
winter will now be abundantly manifested. It only 
shows that to British weather all things are possible, 
when we contrast the exceptional mildness of the 
latter months of 1894 with the present inclemency 
of the opening periods of 1895. 
As soon as the frost breaks, the operations calling 
for attention in the flower garden will be multitu¬ 
dinous. Walks must be rolled, lawns freed from 
worm casts, swept and rolled also, and any work of 
a heavy character completed in readiness for the 
ensuing spring. It can at least be said for this 
intensely cold spell that we are enjoying (?) that it is 
keeping things back in their proper place ; but it is 
more than likely that vegetation will move, when it 
does commence to make a start, at a very rapid 
rate. Everything that can be done now to forward 
matters should be done to save as much time as 
possible when the rush comes. See that the supply 
of stakes, tying materials, etc., is adequate to the 
demand likely to be made upon them during the 
coming season. Tools, also, should be thoroughly 
overhauled, to see that they are in working order 
when required : any repairs that are necessary and 
which were forgotten last autumn should be looked 
after without delay. Plans for the bedding-out 
arrangements should be elaborated now, as by this 
means much trouble and worry will be saved pre¬ 
sently. The probable number of the plants re¬ 
quired should also be roughly estimated, as this will 
serve to guide the propagator in working up a 
sufficient stock of suitable plants, an operation that 
will now be in full swing. 
As in the flower garden so in this department to 
" bide a wee ” is the only possible’thing to do whilst 
the frost holds ; any pruning or planting that remains 
to be done must be left over until the weather breaks. 
See that all newly planted trees are afforded suitable 
protection at the root, for where the soil has been 
disturbed the frost will penetrate to a considerable 
depth to the no small discomfort of the roots. Such 
protection may be best afforded by a thick mulching 
of manure, and if this has not been already given no 
time should be lost in seeing about it. 
The advancing year has well nigh brought round 
again the blooming season of outdoor Peaches, 
Nectarines, and Apricots, and once the milder 
weather appears it will not be long before their 
flowers commence to expand. 'With the glorious 
uncertainty of our climate the visitation of spring 
frosts seems of late to have been the rule rather than 
the exception, therefore these early blooming subjects 
must be protected if hopes are to be entertained of 
securing a crop. Advantage may be taken therefore 
of the present season of comparative inactivity to 
obtain a stock of covering materials in the way of 
branches of Cupressus, Laurels, or even Heather. 
These should be chopped up into a handy size for 
inserting between the branches of the fruit trees, 
where they afford an effectual screen against nipping 
frosts or cold biting winds, which work so much 
havoc with the fruit crops when allowed to have 
their own way.— A. S. G. 
©leanings from fhq IPurlh 
of Science. 
Beef Tea for Roses. —Travellers describe Rome 
as the city of Roses owing to the vigour and pro¬ 
fusion with which they grow in gardens and on the 
walls of the houses. The garden walls of the old 
Roman palace in the Via Sistini, and in which the 
famous epicure Lucullus once lived, are covered with 
Roses that produce a display as magnificent as the 
Roses are vigorous. They are practically said to 
run riot, and are equally noted for the intensity of 
their odour. Evidently a great variety of kinds are 
grown, judging from the colours which are described 
as deep crimson, almost black in the centre, cameo- 
pink, changing to cream in the centre, bright yellow 
melting into gold, and of that shade of white said to 
be like melted moonlight in the cup of the flower. 
The gardener's love for his Roses is said to be almost 
pagan, whatever that may mean ; and he waters 
them frequently with a dark coloured liquid. On 
being asked the nature of this mysterious libation he 
said it was beef tea which was made from fresh cuts 
of beef and strained. He also asserted that the idea 
was his own invention. The nitrogen in the beef 
tea, after undergoing nitrification, would doubtless 
assist the Roses, but the same thing might be more 
cheaply effected by the use of various nitrogenus 
manures. In this country, gardeners well know that 
certain manures, such as liquid manure, guano, deer 
and sheep droppings, are highly beneficial to Roses, 
and all of them contain a good percentage of nitrogen 
if in good preservation and not too much washed by 
rain. The old Romans used to water some of their 
notable Plane trees with wine, which was extremely 
plentiful in those days, but the beneficial effects of 
such a manure is much less evident if not illusory. 
Fertility of the Caucasus.—Before the con¬ 
quest of the Caucasus by Russia, that province had 
a population of 200,000 Circassian families, but 
during the thirty years that have elapsed since the 
country was entirely subjugated, the population has 
dwindled to 20,000 families occupying only two 
stanitzas and about fifty scattered villages. The 
rest of the people have gradually passed over into 
Turkey in Asia. An attempt was made to re-people 
the abandoned territory with Cossacks of the KubaD, 
but this proved a fruitless measure. Professor 
Batalin describes in glowing terms the rich and 
magnificent vegetation of the slopes and valleys of 
the southern Caucasus. The flora of Italy does not 
approach that of the luxuriant vegetation either in 
quantity, quality, or variety. The valleys are like 
so many gardens of Eden running wild with a rank 
vegetation which only needs proper cultivation to 
direct their fertility to the support of a teeming 
population. Instead of this the country is in a 
chronic state of impoverishment. The Russian 
emigrant settlers possess neither the knowledge nor 
the energy of the former Circassian inhabitants to 
turn their fertile soil to good account in the produc¬ 
tion of cereals for the manufacture of bread, nor in 
the raising of fruit crops. 
Altitude and Cultivation.—Accurate observa¬ 
tions have been made at 1,090 stations over the 
great plain of Russia, and show a remarkable and 
and deadly flatness over this vast area. The highest 
point was only 1,086 ft. In winter this is a cold 
region owiDg to its proximity to Siberia, to its flat¬ 
ness and absence of shelter, and to its inland 
position. The heat in summer is considerable, and 
the prolonged absence of rain in some seasons, as is 
well known, has the effect ot producing a famine 
owiDg to the failure of the crops. The elevations 
are much greater in the Caucasus, and cultivation 
ascends to a remarkable height. For instance, M. 
Pastukhoff has been visiting several villages in those 
regions, and which lie at elevations of 5,935 ft., 
7,032 ft., and 8.175 ft- Kurush is situated at the 
latter elevation, the highest inhabited place in the 
Caucasus. Cultivation, such as it is, extends to a 
greater altitude even than this, and patches of 
arable land are sown with Barley, Rye, Oats, and 
Lentils between elevations of 6,440 ft. and 8,500 ft. 
In bad seasons the crops at this elevation do not 
ripen, and they have to be cut down as fodder for 
the cattle. Notwithstanding this, and the fact that 
scarlet fever, rheumatism, and diphtheria are preva¬ 
lent, old age is common, and instances of 120 years 
are on record, and it is said that hale, old veterans 
of 90 marry for the twelfth or thirteenth time. In 
Scotland, amongst the outskirts of the Lammermuir 
range of hills, it takes a fine season to ripen the 
crops properly at elevations of 800 ft. to 1,000 ft. 
