December  19,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
5G9 
canvas  to  keep  the  mats  dry  if  possible.  The  whole  length  is  then 
covered  with  litter,  thickness  varying  according  to  the  severity  of 
the  weather.  This  treatment  yields  beautiful  flowers  throughout 
the  winter  and  abundance  during  the  sunny  days  towards  its 
close. 
Zonal  Pelargoniums  may  be  classed  as  the  next  most  useful 
class  of  plants,  and  yield  abundance  of  bloom  with  a  minimum  of 
labour.  Young  plants  are  good  and  flower  freely,  but  we  have 
found  after  many  years’  experience  that  two-year-old  plants  are 
better.  For  winter  scarlet  and  pink  shades  are  most  useful,  the 
old  John  Gibbons,  with  its  scarlet  flowers,  large  truss,  and 
individual  pips  being  one  of  my  favourites.  The  semi-doubles,  on 
the  whole,  are  perhaps  the  most  useful.  To  grow  them  really  well 
they  should  be  outside  all  the  summer,  and  thoroughly  ripened. 
Housing  in  any  light  cool  airy  structure  at  the  end  of  September 
or  early  October  is  essential.  The  object  must  be  to  house  the 
plants  before  the  approach  of  autumn  rains,  or  they  are  liable  to 
start  a  soft  growth,  and  thus  flower  unsatisfactorily.  Too 
much  heat  must  not  be  given  at  flrst,  nor  should  the  plants 
be  over-fed.  From  the  time  flowering  commences  firm  sturdy 
growth  must  be  aimed  at.  The  useful  Ivy-leaf  varieties  must 
also  be  included,  for  the  shades  of  colour  are  most  delicate,  and  on 
the  dinner-table  or  in  small  glasses  they  are  uusurpassed. 
Calanthes  are  indispensable  in  any  establishment  where  choice 
cut  flowers  are  in  request.  Unfortunately,  if  the  plants  are 
retarded  for  late  flowering  too  long,  there  is  a  tendency  to 
degenerate  instead  of  gaining  strength.  The  pseudo-bulbs  must 
be  well  matured  to  produce  the  finest  spikes,  and  in  spite  of  any 
drawbacks  in  their  culture,  a  good  houseful  should  be  grown  where 
blooms  are  needed  in  quantity.  Few  flowers  make  a  lighter  or 
more  imposing  dinner-table  decoration.  When  used  in  conjunction 
with  what  is  erroneously  called  Smilax  (Myrsiphyllum  asparagoides) 
and  other  suitable  greenery  the  effect  is  charming. 
The  useful  Cypripedium  insigne,  although  not  showy,  is  quaint 
in  appearance,  lasting,  and  deserves  to  be  largely  grown.  Its 
flowers  can  be  used  to  advantage  in  any  position,  and  few  plants, 
apart  from  its  use  in  a  cut  state,  are  more  useful  for  the  embellish¬ 
ment  of  conservatories.  With  these  two  exceptions  Orchids 
are  passed  over  for  the  present,  though  we  by  no  means  ignore 
their  claims  for  special  attention. 
Epacrises  are  not  nearly  so  much  grown  as  they  deserve  to  be. 
They  need  careful  potting  and  watering,  and  then  will  go  on 
increasing  in  size  and  usefulness  annually.  With  a  fair  number  of 
varieties  they  commence  flowering  in  October,  and  continue  until 
the  end  of  March.  Some  persons  consider  they  are  stiff,  but 
many  stiffer  plants  are  grown  and  employed  for  decoration. 
The  small-flowering  shoots  can  be  used  in  vases,  and  alone  are 
effective  ;  while  those  with  long  slender  stems  2  feet  or  more  in 
length  are  charming  in  large  vases.  Very  chaste  dinner- table 
decorations  can  be  carried  out  by  Epacris  sprays  and  suitable 
greenery.  Plants  well  grown  and  flowered  are  most  conspicuous 
rising  out  of  tastefully  arranged  groups,  such  as  are  often  required  at 
the  period  of  the  year  we  are  writing  about.  The  general  treatment 
conducive  to  the  best  results  we  cannot  now  stop  to  consider. 
Cyclamens  are  indeed  useful,  but  under  the  mixed  systems  of 
culture  prevailing  in  too  many  gardens  they  are  more  difficult  to 
do  well  than  other  plants.  Nevertheless  they  can  be  grown  suffi¬ 
ciently  well  bj'^  sowing  seed  annually  to  yield  abundance  of  flowers 
for  cutting.  Few  plants  yield  a  better  return  even  if  they  have  to 
be  purchased  than  a  few  dozens  of  well  grown  Cyclamens.  In 
small  glasses,  used  with  a  little  of  their  own  foliage,  they  are 
charming.  When  needed  for  table  decoration  a  good  number  of 
one  shade  should  be  obtained,  when  they  can  be  used  with  much 
greater  advantage. 
The  ever-useful  and  highly  appreciated  Mignonette  must  find  a 
place.  Although  it  has  nothing  to  recommend  it  from  a  gorgeous 
point  of  view,  a  vase  or  two  filled  with  well-grown  spikes  are 
always  pleasing,  and  never  seem  to  cause  disappointment.  Its 
sweet  perfume  will  ever  be  sufficient  to  insure  it  a  place  by  the 
side  of  the  choicest  of  flowers.  Seeds  should  be  sown  in  May  and 
June  in  5-inch  pots,  and  the  young  plants  thinned  out  to  about 
half  a  dozen,  which  are  allowed  to  grPw  6  inches  high.  The  points 
should  then  be  taken  out,  the  plants  placed  in  7-inch  pots,  and 
the  shoots  pegged  down.  The  result  is,  if  grown  in  a  cool  tempera¬ 
ture,  plants  a  foot  high  for  the  winter,  with  bold  flower  spikes. 
When  housed  the  plants  must  have  a  cool  place  on  a  shelf  close 
to  the  glass,  and  if  possible  a  little  moisture-holding  material 
should  be  placed  on  the  shelf.  On  no  account  must  the  plants  be 
allowed  to  seed.  If  the  spikes  are  not  used  it  is  better  to  remove 
them,  for  the  plants  will  soon  start  again  into  growth,  and  produce 
three  or  four  spikes  where  the  one  has  been  removed.  — 
Wm.  Bardney. 
(To  be  continued.) 
SUPERNUMERARY  VINES. 
What  are  known  as  supernumeraries,  or  Vines  to  be  fruited  for 
a  few  years  only  and  then  destroyed,  are  usually  planted  among 
those  intended  to  be  permanent.  In  some  instances,  and  more 
especially  where  there  are  no  inside  borders,  this  may  be  the  only 
available  position  for  them,  but  in  other  cases  it  is  not.  Supposing 
the  permanent  Vines  are  to  be  from  42  inches  to  4  feet  apart, 
working  in  others  midway  between  them  is  a  doubtful  policy. 
Sufficient  room  may  be  found  for  the  rods  for  the  first  two  years, 
but  what  about  the  battle  of  the  roots  going  on  below  ?  Which 
get  the  best  of  it,  the  permanent  Vines  or  the  supernumeraries  ? 
Sometimes  one,  sometimes  the  other.  If  it  is  the  intention  of  those 
responsible  to  arrange  their  permanent  Vines  not  more  than  3  feet 
apart,  then  I  maintain  there  ought  to  be  no  supernumeraries  planted 
between  them.  The  latter  must  greatly  interfere  with  the  progress 
of  the  former  both  above  and  below  the  surface  of  border,  and 
they  cannot  be  cleanly  rooted  out,  many  strong  woody  roots 
remaining  to  decay  and  to  breed  fungus  in  the  soil.  Gardeners,  as  a 
rule,  are  too  much  disposed  to  pamper  their  permanent  Vines, 
fattening  these  up  while  the  supernumeraries  are  “  paying  the 
rent,”  whereas  it  would  be  more  to  the  purpose  to  work  them 
moderately  hard  from  the  time  they  are  stout  enough  to  produce 
bunches.  When  will  that  be  ?  ought  not  to  be  a  question  long 
requiring  an  answer. 
Under  ordinarily  fair  conditions  young  Vines  should  be  equal  to 
producing  two  or  three  bunches  after  having  had  one  clear  season’s 
growth.  This  is  what  I  intend  doing  in  the  case  of  forty  Vines 
planted  out  of  5-inch  pots  during  February,  1895.  There  is  no 
necessity  to  wait  till  the  rods  are  near  the  thickness  of  a  stout 
walking  stick  before  commencing  to  crop  them,  as  they  will  do 
quite  as  well,  perhaps  better,  when  nearer  the  thickness  of  the 
kitchen  poker.  It  is  a  question  of  superior  root  action,  and  seeing 
that  there  were  no  supernumeraries  to  interfere  with  mine,  and 
also  that  it  would  want  a  heavy  pull  to  drag  them  out  of  the  soil, 
there  is  little  likelihood  of  a  crop  of  three  bunches,  or  6  lbs.  of 
Grapes,  checking  them  from  continuing  to  improve  in  size  and 
serviceability. 
It  must  not  be  thought  I  object  to  supernumeraries  altogether. 
On  the  contrary,  I  believe  in  them  up  to  a  certain  point,  and  if  I 
had  not  had  Tomates  in  the  vinery  during  the  first  three  years 
I  should  have  planted  scores,  not  along  the  fronts  though,  but  fully 
4  feet  from  the  permanent  Vines.  It  a  strong  stake  were  placed  to 
each  of  these  Vines,  and  the  latter  not  stopped,  other  than  at  the 
laterals,  till  they  are  2  feet  or  more  up  the  roof,  bunches  may  be 
left  from  near  the  ground  to  the  end  of  rod.  Not  being  over¬ 
cropped,  extension  may  take  place  and  fruiting  go  on  till  such 
time  as  the  room  is  wanted  by  the  permanent  Vines  ;  also  cropped 
after  the  first  year. 
Vines  might  be  thinly  disposed  all  over  the  floor  of  a  house,  as 
well  as  against  back  walls,  and  the  latter  perhaps  left  permanently. 
A  temporary  border,  largely  composed  of  ordinary  garden  soil, 
answers  well  enough  for  the  supernumeraries,  and  this  could  be 
cleared  out  with  the  latter  as  it  becomes  necessary  to  widen  the 
border  for  the  permanent  Vines.  Doubtless  this  arrangement 
would  interfere  with  the  presumably  most  important  work  of 
concreting  bottoms,  forming  a  drainage  and  such  like,  but  what  if 
I  assert  that  all  this  is  so  much  wasted  labour  in  many  cases.  It 
is  my  belief  that  numbers  of  drains  connected  with  inside  Vine 
borders  have  never  been  seen  to  carry  away  any  water,  or  in  other 
words  not  enough  water  is  given  to  test  whether  they  would  act 
or  not. 
Where  supernumeraries  answer  well  is  in  newly  planted  Peach 
houses.  Supposing  the  trees  are  planted  from  12  feet  to  16  feet 
apart,  with  a  view  to  training  them  up  the  roof,  and  there  are  no 
long-stemmed  trees,  a  Vine  could  be  fruited  midway  between  them 
for  at  least  three  seasons  without  detriment  to  the  Peach  or 
Nectarine  trees.  They  would  also  succeed  for  several  yearn  under 
the  ridge  of  either  a  three-quarter  span  or  a  span-roofed  house. 
When  Mr.  Austin  had  charge  of  the  gardens  at  Ashton  Court, 
Bristol,  he  used  to  cut  some  of  his  best  Grapes  for  exhibition  out 
of  a  comparatively  narrow  range  of  Peach  houses,  and  although 
those  Vines  were,  if  I  remember  rightly,  cut  out  by  his  successor, 
this  does  not  weaken  my  contention  that  many  more  Grapes  could- 
be  grown  in  Peach  houses  with  advantage  than  is  the  case  at 
present. 
Vines  are  sometimes  grown  and  fruited  in  pots  by  way  of 
supernumeraries,  and  the  plan  answers  well,  always  provided  those 
practising  it  are  no  novices  in  the  work.  I  have  seen  grand  crops 
cut  from  pot  Vines  in  newly  planted  houses,  but  these  were  very 
closely  attended  to,  being  tested  at  the  roots,  and  watered,  if 
need  be,  three  or  four  times  during  bright  days.  Nor  can  pot 
Vines  often  be  depended  on  to  give  more  than  one  good  crop  of 
fruit,  unless  they  happen  to  be  rooting  in  extra  large  pots. 
