410 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
October  31,  1895, 
something  more,  for  these  globules  dry  blach,  and  very  few  fresh  ones  are 
seen  afterwards.  During  this  period  of  seeming  stagnation  the  Grapes 
are  liable  to  the  affection  called  scalding,  thought  by  many  people  to  be 
caused  by  the  sun  acting  on  the  berries  while  damp.  But  the  most 
casual  observer  must  have  noticed  that  berries  which  the  sun  could  not 
possibly  reach  directly  also  become  scalded,  and  I  may  tell  him  that  the 
scalding  can  take  place  without  the  presumed  moisture  on  the  berries, 
and  also  without  the  sun  showing  itself  through  the  clouds  for  a 
moment.  It  is  simply  caused  by  too  high  a  temperature,  and  fire  heat 
at  this  particular  time  will  produce  it  just  as  surely  as  the  natural  heat 
of  the  sun. 
I  have  proved  this  years  ago  in  sulphuring  for  mildew  and  red  spider. 
By  well  coating  the  pipes  with  sulphur  and  heating  a  vinery  on  a  coolish 
night  up  to  85°  or  90°,  keeping  it  to  that  temperature  two  or  three 
hours,  you  will  kill  most  of  the  red  spider,  though  you  cannot  kill  its 
eggs,  and  the  mildew.  Yon  will  also  probably,  and  certainly  if  it  gets 
a  fev/  degrees  hotter,  scorch  some  of  the  young  growing  shoots,  and  scald 
some  of  the  berries,  especially  of  Muscats  and  Lady  Downe’s.  Some 
people  may  say  it  is  the  sulphur  that  does  the  mischief.  I  do  not  think 
it  is.  Firstly,  because  it  is  possible  if  the  sulphur  is  not  of  good  quality, 
or  has  been  on  the  pipes  a  considerable  time  and  lost  part  of  its  strength, 
to  injure  the  shoots  and  berries  in  the  same  way,  and  yet  leave  the  spider 
unharmed  ;  and,  secondly,  it  is  easy  to  apply  the  sulphur  sufficiently 
strong  to  kill  red  spider  and  mildew  without  injuring  one  of  the  berries 
which  are  stoning.  The  way  to  do  it  is  to  apply  a  larger  quantity  of 
sulphur  and  a  less  amount  of  fire.  By  having  some  sulphur  mixed  in 
the  form  of  paste,  applying  it  with  a  brush  to  the  pipes,  and  at  the 
same  time  before  this  has  become  dry  dredge  on  as  much  more  in  a  dry 
state  as  will  stick,  we  can  get  a  good  quantity,  as  much  as  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  thickness  on  the  top  of  the  pipes,  and  with  this  quantity  a 
temperature  of  80°  for  three  hours  during  a  cool  night  will  be  sufficient 
to  kill  red  spider  and  mildew.  It  must  be  understood  that  the  usual 
precaution  of  keeping  the  ventilators  open  till  the  pipes  become  hot  and 
the  extra  moisture  is  driven  off.  is  an  absolute  necessity.  It  must  also 
be  borne  in  mind  that  there  is  only  about  a  fortnight  when  this  remedy 
can  be  safely  applied,  and  it  is  rather  towards  the  end  of  stoning  than 
the  beginning.  Should  there  be  a  secondary  bunch,  as  there  sometimes 
>a  when  an  odd  shoot,  has  escaped  our  fingers,  it  will  be  coated  all  over 
with  rust,  showing  plainly  that  it  is  not  safe  to  attempt  this  operation 
till  the  skin  has  become  somewhat  hardened. 
Well,  then,  we  see  that  vye  can  produce  sufficient  sulphurous  acid 
for  our  purpose  by  using  a  comparatively  small  quantity  of  sulphur  and 
a  high  tempei’ature.  or  by  using  a  large  quantity  of  sulphur  and  a  less 
amount  of  heat.  Under  any  circumstances  we  are  obliged  to  use  more 
heat  than  is  good  for  the  fruit,  and  there^  is  a  certain  amount  of  risk 
attending  it.  Can  none  of  our  friends  tell  us  a  simpler  and  safe  way, 
cither  chemical  or  mechanical,  of  producing  the  necessary  quantity  of 
sulphurous  acid  1  For  it  is  at  present  the  only  effectual  fumigant  we 
have  for  the  purpose.  We  want  to  be  able  to  diffuse  the  sulphur  fumes 
rn  the  house  without  raising  the  temperature  of  the  latter,  and  without 
Hopljing  1°  more  heat  to  the  sulphur  than  is  absolutely  necessary* 
Vapourised  nicotine  has  been  recommended  and  tried,  but  although  very 
iffectual  for  green  fly  and  thrips,  it  will  not  touch  red  spider. 
It  has  long  been  my  practice,  and  I  believe  that  of  most  growers,  to 
endeavour  to  prevent  temperatures  rising  too  high  during  the  stoning 
period;,  and  if  I  am  (iorrect  as  to  the  cause  of  scalding,  there  is  an 
additional  reason  for  this.  When  once  there  are  signs  of  some  of  the 
berries  commencing  to  swell,  or  some  of  the  larger  ones  show  a  suspicion 
of  colour,  all  danger  is  over,  and  forcing  may  be  proceeded  with  if 
necessary. — Wm.  Taylok. 
(To  he  continued.) 
.  Ci  -  .  -  I 
KENOVATING  EUCHARISES. 
Fifteen  years  ago  I  found  a  dozen  8-inch  potsful  of  Eucharis  bulbs 
in  a  deplorable  condition.  Now  we  have  two  dozen  specimens  in  perfect 
health,  and  if  we  bad  so  minded  might  have  had  100.  From  experiments 
made  from  time  to  time  with  bulbs  that  have  become  leafless  we  prefer 
the  following  compost  for  reinvigorating  them  : — Moss,  Oak  leaves,  turf, 
charcoal,  and  sand  in  equal  proportions,  and  when  growing  we  feed  the 
plants  with  liquid  from  the  farmyard  and  soot  water,  always  using  it 
in  a  tepid  state. 
When  preparing  the  compost  we  procure  moss  that  is  green,  long,  and 
wiry,  from  amongst  heath  if  possible  ;  the  short  green  moss  under  trees 
will  not  do.  This  and  half-decayed  Oak  leaves  are  cut  short.  We  put 
oars  through  a  chaff  cutter.  The  turf  must  be  very  fibry  and  the  fine 
shaken  out,  the  charcoal  crushed,  and  coarse  Reigate  silver  sand.  The 
only  difference  we  make  to  the  above  when  potting  healthy  plants  is 
three  parts  turf  instesd  of  one.  We  consider  May  the  best  month  for 
potting  Eucharis  where  fire  heat  is  a  consideration. 
Bulbs  in  bad  condition  should  be  shaken  out  of  the  soil  and 
thoroughly  washed  in  tepid  soapy  water,  especially  if  any  insects  are 
harbouring  between  the  locales  ;  not  that  1  believe  the  Eucharis  mite  as 
deadly  an  enemy  as  some  writers  state,  but  for  the  sake  of  giving  the 
bulbs  a  sweet  clean  start  into  fresh  soil.  The  Eucharis  mite  is,  in  my 
opinion,  a  scavenger.  Let  the  pots  be  half  filled  with  broken  shreds,  on 
this  lay  some  clean  moss,  then  2  inches  of  the  compost  ;  on  this  set  your 
bulbs,  filling  in  between  with  more  of  the  compost,  making  the  whole 
moderately  firm,  leaving  the  tops  of  the  bulbs  just  visible,  Wnen  finished 
place  in  a  warm  moist  atmosphere,  but  do  not  give  any  water.  They 
must  only  get  enough  water  to  keep  them  from  getting  dust  dry.  This 
rule  holds  good  until  they  have  made  some  leaves,  when  they  may  be 
kept  a  little  more  moist,  but  do  not  water  freely,  as  is  often  recom¬ 
mended,  until  they  are  strong  and  healthy,  and  then  only  during  the 
heat  of  summer.  Answers  to  the  four  questions  I  have  received  : — 
Ist,  We  shade  our  Eucharis  plants  from  Ist  of  May  to  Ist  November. 
2nd,  We  sometimes  syringe  during  the  heat  of  the  day  if  the  leaves 
are  flagging,  but  not  as  a  rule ;  keep  the  staging,  floor,  and  walls  wet 
when  warm,  but  very  little  moisture  is  required  during  winter ;  we 
never  syringe  our  plants  then. 
3rd,  We  give  water  only  when  the  plants  ask  for  it. 
4th,  Resting,  Ours  are  evergreen,  and  always  seem  to  be  growing  a 
little  during  winter, — A.  H. 
CULTURE  OF  CYCLAMENS. 
In  the  following  brief  notes  I  propose  to  give  as  clearly  as  possible 
my  experience,  with  the  object  that  it  may  be  of  benefit  to  my  fellow 
gardeners  and  others  who  are  interested  in  this  beautiful  plant.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  it  is  not  cultivated  so  much  in  private  places  as  it 
should  be.  I  know  from  experience  that  it  is  not  an  easy  plant  to 
grow  ;  on  the  contrary,  for  it  requires  strict  attention  from  the  seedling 
stage  onwards.  The  system  I  follow  differs  considerably  from  any  I 
have  seen  described,  and  previous  to  my  adoption  of  this  I  had  no 
satisfactory  results. 
In  the  cultivation  of  Cyclamens  success  will  greatly  depend  on  when 
the  seed  is  sown,  and  the  proper  time  will  be  as  soon  as  the  seed  is  ripe 
— namely,  July,  August,  and  September,  the  two  former  months  being 
the  best.  The  seed  may  be  sown  as  late  as  January,  but  the  results 
would  not  be  so  satisfactory.  ■  Sow  in  pans  in  *  (fomppst  of  rough  sandy 
loam  and  leaf  mould,  well  draining  the  pans,  and  not  filling  them, 
adding  half  an  inch  in  depth  to  the  same  mixture  finely  sifted  on  the 
top.  Press  firmly  and  water  with  a  fine-rosq  pot,  so  that  the  whole  is 
moistened  ;  when  dry  enough  the  seeds  may  be  sown  on  the  surface  and 
pressed  in  lightly  instead  of  scattering  soil  over  them.  Place  a  piece  of 
paper  over  the  pan,  also  a  square  Of  glass,  until  the  seeds  germinate, 
then  remove  the  paper,  allowing  the  glass  to  remain.  Shade  from  hot 
sun  until  they  form  roots,  and  when  this  is  accomplished  gradually 
bring  them  to  the  light.  When  the  young  plants  arq  about  an  inch  long 
they  should  be  prickqd  out  into  pans  or  boxes  in  the  same  .compost 
as  already  recommended.  Ventilation  must  be  provided  during  the 
early  part  of  the  day,  and  they  should  also  he  slightly  syringed  two 
or  three  times  daily, 
When  the  weather  becomes  colder  it  will  be  necessary  to  remove 
them  to  a  warm  house;  and,  above  all,  place  them  as  near  the  glass  as 
‘possible  ;  the  temperature  should  be  from  45°  to  60°,  where  they  may 
remain  until  the  middle  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May.  By  that 
time  it  will  be  necessary  to  plant  them  out  in  a  bed  facing  east,  made  of 
materials  similar  to  a  Cucumber  bed,  or  any  half-spent  manure  will  do, 
for  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  it  hot.  Cover  the  surface  with  a  compost 
of  loam  and  leaf  mould  to  the  depth  of  about  6  inches,  made  firm,  so 
that  when  lifting  time  comes  the  plants  will  be  taken  up  with  a  good 
ball  of  roots.  They  may  be  planted  in  rows  6  inches  apart,  so  that 
when  they  begin  to  get  crowded  every  alternate  row  may  be  lifted  and 
transplanted  as  stated  above.  It  is  necessary  that  each  plant  should 
have  ample  room,  and  at  the  6ame  time  take  care  that  the  corms  be 
well  out  of  the  soil. 
The  reason  they  are  placed  in  an  eastern  position  is  that  in  the  early 
stage  of  growth,  and  after  being  slightly  dewed  with  a  syringe,  the 
frame  can  be  closed  much  earlier.  It  should  be  understood  that  they 
require  shading  during  hot  Weather  to  prevent  flagging,  with  slight 
ventilation  late  at  night. '  'By  this  treatment  they  commence  flowering 
early,  but  it  is  necessaty  to  remove  all  the  flowers  until  the  plants 
are  established.  Green  fly  and  red  spider  must  be  kept  in  check,  or 
they  will  injure  both  leaves  and  fl.owers. 
The  treatment  given  may  be  continued  until  September,  when  lift¬ 
ing  and  potting  will  be  necessary.  This  should  be  done  with  care, 
using  no  larger  pots  than  are  absolutely  necessary  to  get  the  roots  into, 
as  they  do  not  make  much  root  either  before  potting  or  after.  Keep 
them  well  up  in  the  pots  to  avoid  water  standing  on  the  corms,  for 
If  allowed  to  be  left  in  that  state  some  will  damp  off.  When  potted 
place  them  in  a  close  frame,  keep  them  near  the  glass,  shade  from 
hot  sun  for  a  few  days,  frequently  syringing,  and  on  dewy  nights  the 
lights  can  be  drawn  off.  When  they  are  established  in  these  pots  the 
lights  are  drawn  off  in  bright  sunny  weather  and  the  plants  syringed 
several  times  a  day,  and  by  so  doing  they  never  flag.  Close  the  frames 
about  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  open  them  about  six  or  seven 
o’clock,  according  to  the  weather. 
By  this  time  the  plants  will  commence  throwing  up  a  few  flowers, 
which  will  be  found  useful.  As  the  weather  becomes  too  cold  for  them 
to  remain  in  the  frame  remove  them  to  any  suitable  house  at  command 
with  a  temperature  of  from  45°  to  50°.  Avoid  a  damp  atmosphere ; 
plenty  of  air  must  be  admitted  when  the  weather  permits,  and  a  little 
fire  heat  can  be  given  with  care.  The  leaves  and  flower  stems  are  liable 
to  damp  near  the  corms,  and  when  such  is  the  case  a  little  sulphur  placed 
on  the  affected  parts  will  prevent  its  progress.  When  the  flowers  are 
wanted  for  use  they  should  be  pulled  out,  not  cut,  as  the  pieces  left  (if 
cut)  decay  and  affect  those  remaining.  I  have  large  plants  grown  in 
this  way,  which  commence  flowering  early  in  November  and  continue 
until  May.  I  also  find  that  the  early  sown  plants  flower  longer  and 
later,  producing  more  and  better  flowers. 
A  word  respecting  the  old  corms.  I  find  from  experience  that  they 
