78 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  25,  1895. 
from  the  light,  as  they  do  not  flower  freely  if  the  growth  is  not 
well  consolidated  as  it  is  made. 
Clean  fresh  sphagnum  moss  and  charcoal  are  all  that  is  required 
to  grow  them  well,  the  amount  varying  according  to  the  habit  of 
the  species,  large  growing  kinds,  as  S.  Blumei,  of  course  requiring 
more  than  such  small  growers  as  S.  bellinum  or  S.  coeleste.  Like 
all  this  class  of  Orchids  Saccolabiums  dislike  frequent  disturbance  ; 
therefore  when  repotting  or  basketing  the  work  must  be  done 
thoroughly,  not  leaving  anything  behind  that  can  possibly  become 
sour  or  decayed,  and  giving  as  much  room  as  possible,  considering 
the  size  and  health  of  the  plants,  A  distinct  and  pretty  kind  is 
S.  ampullaceum,  which  does  not  usually  exceed  8  or  10  inches  in 
height,  and  bears  thick  dark  green  leaves,  from  the  axils  of  which 
proceed  the  erect  racemes  of  flower.  The  blossoms  are  small  but 
crowded  in  the  spikes,  and  a  pretty  bright  rose  colour.  Basket 
treatment  is  best  for  this  kind,  and  also  for  S.  bellinum,  a  small 
growing  but  large  and  beautifully  flowered  species  introduced  by 
Messrs.  H.  Low,  Clapton,  in  1884.  The  blossoms  of  this  are 
produced  in  February  or  March,  and  each  measures  nearly  2  inches 
across.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  olive  green  with  spots  of  brown, 
the  lip  pure  white  with  a  yellow  crest. 
S.  Blumei  is  a  well-known  and  handsome  species,  producing  in 
summer  long  elegant  racemes  of  rosy  pink  and  white  flowers. 
Large  plants  of  this  kind  with  a  dozen  or  more  spikes  are  noble 
objects  in  the  Orchid  house,  and  should  be  more  frequently  seen. 
A  pure  white  variety  of  this  species  has  been  exhibited,  but  it  is 
extremely  rare  and  valuable.  A  smaller  but  charming  kind  is  the 
Siamese  S.  coeleste,  which  produces  at  this  season  dense  racemes  of 
flower  about  8  inches  in  length,  pale  blue  in  colour,  a  very  distinct 
feature.  A  very  variable  plant  is  S.  giganteum,  flowering  in  the 
depth  of  winter  on  dense  pendent  racemes.  The  typical  flowers 
are  creamy  white  with  purple  spots,  the  lip  rose  coloured  streaked 
with  purple.  Other  good  forms  are  S.  guttatum,  a  large-growing, 
summer-flowering  kind  ;  S.  curvifolium,  a  small,  free-flowering, 
and  distinct  species  ;  S.  Hendersonianum,  and  several  others. 
They  are  all  well  worthy  of  more  attention  at  the  hands  of 
amateurs  and  others,  who — if  they  work  on  the  lines  indicated 
above — will  find  no  special  difficulty  in  their  culture. — H.  E.  R. 
RAISING  AND  PREPARING  VINES  FOR 
PLANTING. 
Having  read  the  article  which  appeared  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture^  July  11th,  page  43,  “Preparing  Young  Vines  for 
Planting,”  perhaps  it  may  be  instructive  to  some  readers  if  I  pass 
a  few  remarks  on  the  subject,  especially  after  the  discussion  that 
has  appeared  week  after  week  on  “Express  Grape  Growing.”  I 
have  had  experience  in  a  very  large  way  in  preparing  young  Vines 
for  planting,  and  also  fruiting  them  after  they  are  planted.  I  prefer 
the  straw-like  Vines  alluded  to  on  page  495  by  Mr.  J.  Thomson, 
as  planted  by  Mr.  W.  Innes,  provided  they  have  abundance  of 
fibrous  roots,  to  big,  strong-looking  canes,  which  have  been  grown 
in  bottom  heat  and  highly  fed.  We  have  planted  both  kinds  in  the 
same  houses,  growing  them  all  under  similar  conditions,  and  I  have 
noticed  that,  the  small  canes  invariably  make  the  better  progress. 
What  is  the  cause  of  this  difference  ?  I  will  try  to  explain, 
I  was  once  employed  in  a  large  nursery,  where  pot  Vine  grow¬ 
ing  was  a  speciality.  When  the  Vine  eyes  were  inserted  they 
were  placed  at  once  in  strong  bottom  heat,  and  kept  under  these 
conditions  right  through  their  principal  growing  period.  They 
were  potted  in  very  rich  compost,  the  final  shift  being  into  10  or 
12-inch  pots,  and  highly  fed  with  chemical  and  liquid  manure. 
These  Vines  made  strong  fibreless  roots,  robust  long-jointed  canes, 
with  very  weak  eyes.  When  such  Vines  as  these  are  planted,  and 
have  heat  applied,  the  buds  are  excited  into  growth  ;  but  owing  to 
the  lack  of  fibrous  roots,  the  young  growth  has  to  depend  on  the 
food  material  stored  up  in  the  Vine  ;  when  this  becomes  exhausted 
the  growth  is,at  a  standstill  till  root  action  takes  place  sufficient 
to  start  them  into  growth  again.  I  have  evidence  of  this  from 
Vines  of  both  kinds  planted  alternately,  and  the  difference  between 
them  is  very  striking. 
We  insert  our  Vine  eyes  in  very  sandy  compost,  place  them  in  a 
temperature  from  50°  to  55°,  gradually  increasing  the  heat  as  the 
growth  advances.  We  pot  in  a  compost  of  three  parts  good  loam 
and  one  part  decayed  manure,  adding  sand  enough  to  insure 
porosity,  finally  shifting  into  10-inch  pots.  We  never  “  feed  ”  the 
Vines,  but  keep  them  well  watered  during  their  growing  period. 
The  canes  are  topped  when  about  6  feet  long.  By  not  feeding 
with  any  kind  of  liquid  manure  the  Vine  makes  every  effort,  by 
producing  fibrous  roots,  to  obtain  every  particle  of  food  there  is 
in  the  soil.  The  canes  are  not  extra  large,  but  have  prominent 
buds,  and  the  pots  are  full  of  fibrous  roots.  When  we  plant,  the 
roots  are  liberated,  spread  evenly  out,  covered  with  about  4  inches 
of  soil,  and  well  watered.  These  Vines  start  into  growth  freely, 
the  mass  of  fibrous  roots  pushing  innumerable  root-hairs,  these 
collect  food  which  supports  the  growth,  and  we  soon  have  strong 
fruitful  canes. — Grower. 
[A  “Grower,”  we  may  add,  of  a  famous  collection  of  Vines, 
and  his  success  in  their  culture  is  the  measure  of  his  competency.] 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY’S  EXAMINATION. 
RESULTS. 
The  report  in  your  last  issue  on  the  results  of  the  R.H.S.  examina¬ 
tion  is,  no  doubt,  satisfactory  to  some,  if  not  to  all.  One  very  notice¬ 
able  fact,  however,  was  the  comparatively  small  number  of  candidates 
who  sat.  No  doubt  there  is  some  cause  for  this,  for  why  should  not  the 
number  be  at  least  equal  to  those  who  sit  at  the  examination  in  agri¬ 
culture  held  by  the  Science  and  Art  Department,  there  being  consider¬ 
ably  over  4000  sitting  every  year  for  this  science?  If  the  R.H.S.  wish 
to  make  their  examination  more  popular  and  a  success  they  will  have 
to  consider  the  needs  of  the  candidates  a  little  more,  and  try  and  meet 
them  on  more  equal  terms  than  at  the  present  time. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  quantity  of  men  engaged  in  horticultural 
work  in  this  district  of  Herts  (over  1000),  growing  Grapes,  Tomatoes, 
Cucumbers,  Chrysanthemums.  Palms,  Ferns,  and  pot  plants  generally, 
these  all  being  grown  under  glass.  Another  section  of  men  in  the  dis¬ 
trict  are  engaged  in  nurseries  where  fruit  trees,  Roses,  herbaceous 
plants,  and  shrubs  are  grown  extensively.  There  are  others  still  who 
are  working  in  private  gardens  where  a  large  staff  of  men  are  kept, 
their  work  generally  being  in  separate  departments  where,  unless  they 
have  special  facility  given  them,  they  cannot  learn  much  besides  what 
they  are  engaged  to  do.  ,  .  . 
I  do  not  think  it  is  fair  to  expect  the  different  classes  of  horti¬ 
culturists  mentioned  above  to  answer  questions  out  of  “  Division  B, 
Horticultural  Practice,”  for  which  four  could  either  of  the  above  sections 
answer  satisfactorily  ?  It  may  be  said  in  reply  that  all  the  subjects 
should  be  known  before  the  candidates  present  themselves  for  exami¬ 
nation.  But  how  are  the  majority  of  young  gardeners  to  learn  them  ? 
Surely  not  from  books  ?  and  we  cannot  all  go  to  an  institution  like 
Swauley  College. 
If  a  man  be  growing  Grapes,  Palms,  or  Ferns,  and  thinks  he  would 
like  to  get  one  of  the  Society’s  certificates,  do  not  ask  him  about  growing 
Peas,  or  the  parentage  of  Cauliflowers,  which — if  he  studied  from  books 
on  purpose  for  the  examination — would  not  be  of  any  value  to  him  in 
his  work  ;  but  rather  ask  him  questions  about  the  work  in  which  he  is 
engaged,  and  expect  him  to  give  a  satisfactory  answer. 
It  is  true  no  man  can  be  a  good  gardener  unless  he  understands  every 
branch  of  his  calling ;  but  I  fear  this  knowledge  would  not  be  gained 
before  the  gardener  was  too  far  advanced  in  life  to  trouble  anything 
about  examinations.  It  is  to  young  gardeners  that  the  R.H.S.  must 
look  for  candidates,  and  there  is  not  many  of  these  who^  can  start  at 
the  bottom  and  work  through  all  departments.  The  examination  under 
present  conditions  is  just  the  thing  for  students  at  a  place  like  Swanley 
College,  and  if  it  had  been  arranged  specially  for  that  department  it 
could  not  have  been  made  more  suitable.  There  the  students  are  able 
to  study  the  different  sciences  underlying  the  principles  of  horticulture, 
besides  having  every  facility  of  seeing' horticultural  practice  carried 
out ;  and  although  it  reflects  great  credit  on  the  teaching  of  the  College 
to  see  so  many  of  their  candidates  successful,  I  cannot  help  thinking 
with  Mr.  A.  Dean  that  there  should  be  a  separate  examination  for  them. 
Surely  there  were  at  least  -some  gardeners  who  entered  for  the 
examination  who  were  equal  in  their  knowledge  of  horticulture  ^  to  the 
ladies  who  were  so  successful,  for  I  know  men  low  down  on  the  list  who 
have  had  the  best  practical  experience  possible  in  gardening,  and  now 
occupy  some  of  the  best  positions  in  the  country.  There  must  be 
some  fault  in  the  examination  for  this  to  be  so.  What  I  would 
suggest  is  that  the  R.H.S.  should  alter  the  method  of  examination  so 
as  to  suit  all  classes  of  gardeners.  They  would  then  give  each  and 
all  a  more  equal  chance  of  gaining  their  certificates,  and  make  it 
more  popular.  Division  A,  Elementary  Principles,  should  remain  as 
they  are,  for  these  principles  are  the  very  foundation  of  our  work.  It 
matters  not  whether  that  work  be  growing  Wheat,  Grapes,  or  pot 
plants,  the  facts  are  in  each  case  the  same. 
Division  B,  Horticultural  Practice,  should  be  arranged  into  three 
sections — (1)  Flowers,  (2)  Fruit,  (3)  Vegetables ;  they  should  be 
made  to  embrace  the  whole  subject  of  gardening  by  means  of  a 
syllabus — e.g.,  “  Fruit  ”  should  be  understood  to  mean  all  kinds  of 
fruit,  whether  grown  outside  or  under  glass.  Sufficient  questions  should 
be  given  in  each  subject  to  enable  the  candidate  to  answer  all  from  one 
section  if  he  chose  to  do  so.  It  would  also  be  a  great  advantage  if  we 
could  get  a  weekly  gardening  paper  similar  to  the  Journal  of  Horti¬ 
culture  to  give  a  general  outline  of  the  work,  for  I  know  from  experience 
that  many  would  sit  if  they  knew  what  the  examination  would  be  like. 
Take  a  district  like  ours,  one  which  is  devoted  entirely  to  horticultural 
work,  and  yet  nowhere  in  the  neighbourhood  were  there  any  lectures  on 
horticulture  during  the  past  eighteen  months.  It  is  in  places  like  this 
that  the  advantages  of  a  certificate  must  be  shown  to  young  inen,  and 
also  what  the  examination  is  like,  before  they  will  take  it  up. — 
W.  D.,  Turnford,  Herts.  _ 
Seeing  that  no  less  than  seventeen  ladies  passed  of  the  122  having 
100  marks  and  upwards,  it  would  be  extremely  interesting  could  one  or 
