926 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 7, 1903. 
border® should be covered with a good thickness, 6 in. or 
8 in. of fresh, dry leaves, straw, or long litter, and if a thatch¬ 
ing of reed be put over the whole, so as to throw off heavy 
rains, and thus retain, what little heat there may be in the said 
border, the Vine® will start away much better 1 when forcing- 
op era.t ion s 1 comm en,c e. 
Late Vineries^ with fruit still hanging-, are causing anxiety 
to the gardener this autumn, owing to the continual rains'. 
We have only had one dry day here this month up to the time 
of writing (30th ult.), and, so far the wettest month of the 
year. Outside borders, if not already done, should be covered 
with similar material as before mentioned, or, better still, 
glazed lights or wooden shutters to- throw off this excessive 
moisture. Examine the bunches twice each week for decaying 
berries, and keep 1 the hot-water pipes slightly warm, admitting 
air at the apex of the house, with just, a chink in front when¬ 
ever weather permits. Now the- Grapes are ripe, and should 
there he an excess of foliage no harm would be done to. shorten 
back the laterals a, bit; so that light, sun and air can, have a 
freer access among the bunches. No plants in. pots should 
be allowed in these fruit house®' after September, unless it. be 
Dendrobium® 1 , to ripen, up their growth, removing them out¬ 
side whenever root-watering becomes a, necessity. 
James Matne. 
Bicton, Devonshire. 
Among the Orchids. 
Winter-flowering Cypripediums There can be no. doubt but, 
that the winter-flowering- section ox _ it,he so-called “Slipper 
Orchids” is among the most attractive, not only of its genus, 
but also in comparison with other perhaps, more showy specie®, 
of Orchids of other genera,. There are none that can be more 
easily cultivated ; there are none more varied, and, compared 
with the durability, there are none to excel their lasting 
qualities. If wei take Cypripedium. insigne, alone, the varia¬ 
tions' are- so great that they form a, most, attractive collection in, 
themselves, and as these may be 'grown: in, little better 1 than a, 
cold frame during the summer, they should have far greater 
attractions for amateurs and small growers, to keep a, goodly 
display of bloom through the dull months of the year, when 
few other flowering plants are procurable', the winter normal 
condition of temperature required being from 50 deg. to 55 deg. 
Other species, such a® C. Charlesworthii, C. spicerianum, C. 
villosum, and C. Boxalli, may also,- be grown successfully under 
similar conditions. 
Among the winter-flowering hybrids that are particularly 
worthy of attention is C. leeanum, whose free-flowering char¬ 
acteristics, its robust, constitution and great, contrast in varia¬ 
tion® render it, to my mind, the best Cypripedium hybrid for 
all-round purposes 1 that has yet been introduced. C. nitensi is 
another robust-growing kind, exceedingly variable and of great 
durability. C. lathamianum, C. Hera, C. arthurianum, C. 
Niobe, C. godseffianum, C'. germinyanum, and many others 
mie-ht be cited for inclusion among this section, all of which 
are easily cultivated where sufficient artificial heat isi at com¬ 
mand to withstand severe frosts in winter. As these above 
mentioned cover a period of successive flowering, from the be¬ 
ginning of October until March, no greater recommendation] 
will be necessary. 
Many of the kinds enumerated here will need to be gone over 
at intervals; as: the flower-scape® advance, so that the latter 
may be staked and arranged in, the best, possible position, soi 
that the' flowers may expand to the' best, advantage. Careful 
watering also is necessary. Although when grown practically 
as cool-house plants' they do, not dry up nearly so quickly asi 
when warmer conditions are afforded, it is not advisable to 
permit the compost to remain in, a diy condition for any 
lengthened period when the flower-scape®, are advancing, and 
especially 1 when, the flowers are just, about to expand. I have 
known in,stances where the whole: texture of the' flowers has 
been ruined from drought, during a -short period before the 
flowers have expanded. 
Care must, also be taken to prevent, the flower-scapes becom¬ 
ing unduly drawn and rendered weakly, from the plants bein^ 
in a, position too far removed, from the light. It is advisable 
to place the plants within reasonable distance of the roof-glass, 
where they may obtain the maximum amount of light at the 
present season, of the year. Observation must also, be kept 
for attacks from greenfly and thrips. The former is easily 
kept in, check by sponging with XL All wash, but the latter is 
not so easily got rid of when once they have, become established 
on, -Cypripediums. They find ingress to the house at the 
■present season by the falling leave® of infested trees 1 dropping 
on the roof-glass, from which they get through the glass laps, or 
are conveyed by the rains to the water-tanks and dipped. From 
thence they are poured into' the vicinity of the plants when 
watering and damping the stages. Occasional fumigation and 
dipping the plants are, the best, methods of destroying them 
when they have become established on the plants. H. J. 
The Thinning and Pruning of Plantation 
Trees. 
On most estate® where there are not sufficient, trees to 
warrant, the employment of a forester or staff of foresters there 
are usually small woods: and plantations', and these, places are 
often neglected. Usually these places come under the super¬ 
intendence of the head gardener, and if he is at all short-handed 
hei naturally puts his, whole strength, into the garden. In 
such a case it, would be, far better for the owner of the estate 
to employ one or two, temporary hands and insist, on a period¬ 
ical overhauling of plantations and woods, and if this was 
properly done it, is quite probable .that the wages of the meu 
would be more- than, paid by the sale of the, surplus wood, be¬ 
sides, supplying a, quantity for home consumption. 
As, a, rule,, when woods and plantations are first, planted, the 
trees are put in, very thickly, with the twofold object of keep¬ 
ing each other snug arid warm and drawing one another up 
quickly. This is, very good for a few year-si time, but, if at 
certain, intervals, some of these trees a re not removed to allow 
others! more room, light, and air, it, is certain that none will 
attain, their true dimensions, while a great many trees will 
die, and others lead but a lingering life. 
When, going through a. wood for the first time after- the 
trees' have been planted a, few years the worst-shaped trees 
should be removed first,, together- with most of the under¬ 
growth. This will probably be enough for the first thinning ; 
if not, a, few trees should be taken out where crowded. At 
this thinning the trees, removed will probably be of service for 
stakes. Five years after this thinning it will probably be 
necessary to thin again, and so- on. Each year the wood cut 
will be larger and better, and consequently more valuable. 
When the trees have been: spaced out, by repeated thinnings to 
a sufficient distance apart, to allow each onei sufficient room for 
development, further thinning can, be dispensed with, and the 
tree® left will make really good timber—<a. thing impossible had 
no thinning been done. 
Although thinning is only necessary at intervals of a, few 
years, an, annual look through the woods should be given for 
the purpose of removing any tree which may have become 
unhealthy or which from some cause may have died. It, is 
also necessary to look through plantations' and woods after a 
storm, for the purpose of removing a.ny branches which may 
■have been broken by the wind, at the same time sawing off 
any stump® which may have been left and tarring over the 
wounds. 
This thinning is, sometimes objected toi on the score that it 
does away with cover; this, however, need not. be, for as soon 
as the wood become® thin enough for an undergrowth to have 
a, chance to exist some good cover plant, could be planted, and 
these are to be obtained very cheaply now. Throughout the 
country there are scores of woods: and plantation® which contain 
three or four times too, many tree®, and among them scarcely 
one good timber tree. It would have been far wiser had many 
