166 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Angnat  19,  1897. 
Galeandras. 
These  can  hardly  be  classed  as  popular  Orchids,  yet  one  comes 
across  some  one  or  other  of  the  specie!  frequently,  so  a  few  notes 
on  their  culture  may  not  be  out  of  place.  They  are  pretty  and 
interesting  plants,  but  as  a  rule  not  showy  enough  to  find  favour 
among  Orchid  growers  generally.  All  are  American  plants  and 
like  plenty  of  root  and  atmospheric  moisture,  both  for  the  sake  of 
promoting  a  quick  healthy  growth,  and  also  with  a  view  to  keeping 
at  bay  insects,  of  which  thrips  and  red  spider  may  be  set  down  as 
their  most  inveterate  enemies.  In  habit  they  are  erect,  the  stem¬ 
like  pseudo-bulbs  varying  in  height  according  to  the  species. 
In  every  species  I  am  acquainted  with  the  flowers  issue  from 
the  top  of  the  pseudo-bulb,  and  are  usually  easily  recognised  by 
the  cylindrical  side  lobes  of  the  lip,  which  enfold  the  column  and 
become  spreading  in  front.  Imported  plants  often  arrive  in  bad 
order,  and  are  then  difficult  to  establish,  but  if  fairly  plump  when 
received  they  may  be  treated  similarly  to  Epidendrums  of  the 
upright  growing  distichous  leaved  section.  I  was  very  much  dis¬ 
appointed  a  few  years  ago  when  importing  a  collection  of  plants  of 
G.  nivalis,  a  species  none  too  common  in  collections.  At  first  the 
plants  appeared  fairly  good,  and  had  a  certain  amount  of  green 
fresh  foliage,  but  in  the  end  I  only  saved  two  small  plants. 
Too  much  moisture  at  first  after  the  long  drying  the  plants  have 
suffered  is  often  responsible  for  the  loss  of  many  of  them  ;  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  unless  sufficient  is  present  to  plump  up  the  stems, 
they  are  almost  as  badly  off  as  before.  When  growth  begins  to 
show,  and  it  is  evident  that  the  roots  are  going  to  form,  the  plants 
may  be  potted  in  almost  all  clean  crocks,  only  the  slightest 
surfacing  of  peat  fibre  and  iphagnum  moss  being  allowed.  The 
atmosphere  can  at  this  time  be  hardly  kept  too  moist,  but  the 
roots  should  be  on  the  dry  side  for  a  few  weeks,  in  fact  until 
they  are  freely  moving  about  the  compost. 
Even  for  established  plants  of  such  as  G.  Baueri,  G.  cristata, 
or  G.  nivalis,  a  thick  compost  is  unnecessary,  an  inch  being  ample 
for  small  plants,  and  a  little  more  for  larger  specimens.  The 
best  position  for  them  during  the  growing  season  is  an  almost 
unshaded  one  in  the  East  Indian  house,  where  the  temperature  is 
brisk,  quickened  by  sun  heat,  and  tempered  by  abundant  moisture. 
Here  the  plants  seem  to  enjoy  life,  and  may  stop  until  the  flowers 
begin  to  show  colour,  when  a  little  cooler  position  is  advisable  both 
to  conserve  the  flowers  and  form  a  sufficient  check  to  prevent  their 
growing  again,  for  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  spikes  of  bloom  usually 
show  when  the  pseudo-bulbs  are  about  finished. 
During  late  autumn  and  winter  keep  the  plants  at  rest  if 
possible,  by  arranging  them  in  a  house  with  a  minimum  tempera¬ 
ture  of  about  50°,  the  atmosphere  and  roots  at  this  season  being 
kept  much  drier.  At  least  once  during  the  growing  season,  and 
also  once  while  at  rest,  the  plant  should  receive  a  good  cleaning, 
every  leaf  and  stem  being  thoroughly  sponged.  Gentle  applications 
of  the  vaporising  fumigator  are  also  of  assistance  to  this  class  of 
plant,  as  well  as  light  sprinkling  with  tepid  soft  water  during 
hot  weather.  Clean  rain  water,  as  I  have  often  pointed  out,  is 
one  of  the  very  best  insecticides,  and,  unlike  many  others,  cannot 
possibly  do  any  harm. 
Galeandra  is  not  a  large  genus,  and  those  species  mentioned 
below  may  be  considered  as  the  cream  of  them,  several  others 
being  known,  but  either  indistinct  or  small  and  insignificant. 
G.  Baueri  grows  about  a  foot  high,  but  the  bulb  does  not 
thicken  over  the  whole  length.  The  blossoms  appear  in  summer 
on  drooping  peduncles,  the  sepals  and  petals  being  olive  green,  the 
lips  white  on  the  outside  where  it  enfolds  the  column,  the  front  a 
pretty  bright  purple.  There  are  several  variations  from  the  type, 
the  best  and  most  constant  being  G.  B.  lutea,  in  which  the  green 
almost  gives  place  entirely  to  yellow,  and  the  front  of  the  lip  is 
also  brighter.  G.  cristata  is  a  pretty  dwarf-growing  form,  not 
unlike  G.  Devonians  in  habit,  but  not  half  the  size.  The  flowers, 
too,  are  smaller,  and  a  pretty  combination  of  rosy  pink,  white,  and 
deep  purple. 
G.  Devoniana  is  more  generally  grown,  I  think,  than  any,  and 
although  it  does  not  attain  the  height  under  cultivation  that  it  is 
said  to  naturally,  it  is  a  useful  and  free-flowering  plant.  The  sepals 
and  petals  are  purple  in  the  centre,  with  a  decided  margin  of 
greenish  white  all  round  each.  The  lip  is  striped  with  bright  purple 
on  a  pure  white  ground,  and  much  resembles  that  of  G  Baueri  in 
shape.  Sir  Robert  Schomburgk  first  diScovered  this  plant  near  the 
Rio  Negro  in  1840.  G.  flaveola  is  a  native  of  Venezuela,  whence 
it  was  introduced  about  ten  years  ago,  and  has  pretty  yellow  flowers, 
with  a  blackish  purple  centre.  G.  nivalis  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of 
all,  the  brownish-tinted  outer  segments  showing  nicely  against  the 
white  lip,  which  latter  is  blotched  with  violet  purple.  Other 
kinds  are  G.  Claesi,  G.  Dives,  G.  Harveyana,  and  G.  minax,  all 
more  or  less  distinct  from  those  described. — H.  R  R. 
THE  WHEREABOUTS  OF  VINE  ROOTS. 
Most  of  us  think  we  know  where  to  find  the  roots  of  Grape 
Vines  under  our  charge,  but  we  meet  with  a  surprise  occasionally. 
The  roots  are  naturally  supposed  to  be  located  in  the  borders 
formed  for  their  special  benefit,  and  if  they  cannot  possibly  get 
out  it  is  there  where  they  will  be  found.  As  it  happens  it  must 
be  a  very  good  boundary  wall  on  a  well  made  concrete  floor  to  the 
border  to  prevent  Vine  roots  finding  their  way  through,  and  it  is 
very  certain  ordinary  brick  and  mortar  walls  are  not  often  equal  to 
confining  them.  In  the  case  of  a  large  span-roofed  vinery  of  some 
note,  the  side  walls  were  arched  in  the  usual  way  with  a  view  to 
forming  an  outside  border  when  that  inside  the  house  was  well  filled 
with  roots.  The  archways  were,  therefore,  temporarily  filled  in  with 
bricks  and  mortar,  and  owing  to  the  inside  border  having  been 
thought  equal  to  the  requirements  of  the  Vine  roots,  the  arches  had 
never  been  opened. 
Although  very  fine  crops  of  Grapes  were  produced  by  the  Vines 
for  many  years  in  succession  (house  and  Vines  are  not  less  than 
twenty-five  years  old)  there  was  yet  something  unsatisfactory  about 
them — or  more  shanking  going  on  than  those  in  charge  cared  to 
admit.  About  five  years  ago  a  deep  trench  had  to  be  cut  for 
a  water  pipe  about  20  feet  from  the  vinery,  and  it  was  then 
discovered  that  Vine  roots  were  spreading  in  all  directions,  par¬ 
ticularly  down  in  the  clayey  subsoil.  A  few  roots  had  first  found 
their  way  through  crevices  in  the  brickwork,  and  liking  the  new  soil 
spread  rapidly.  That  portion  of  the  main  roots  between  the  brick¬ 
work  was  found  to  be  flattened  out  in  an  extraordinary  fashion,  but 
beyond  the  wall  they  swelled  to  a  great  size.  '  The  gardener  in 
charge  preferring  to  have  full  control  of  the  roots,  cut  away  the 
whole  of  those  through  the  wall,  and  took  precautions  to  prevent 
others  from  also  finding  their  way  out.  As  this  was  done  in  the 
autumn,  before  the  leaves  were  yellow,  the  Vines  had  time  to  form 
more  roots  in  the  inside  border,  and  there  were  no  signs  during  the 
next  season  of  their  having  had  their  “  toes  cut  ”  in  such  a  drastic 
fashion.  On  the  contrary  they  have  steadily  improved  since,  and  at 
the  present  are  carrying  heavier  and  better  crops  than  was  ever  seen 
on  them  before. 
About  the  same  time  I  was  having  a  somewhat  similar  expe¬ 
rience.  In  my  case  the  roots  had  found  their  way  through  crevices 
in  an  ordinary  brick  foundation  wall,  crossed  a  gravel  path,  and 
taken  possession  of  Asparagus  beds  beyond.  Apparently  these^ 
were  more  to  their  liking  than  the  inside  border — at  any  rate,  I* 
had  good  reason  to  be  well  satisfied  with  the  crops  of  late  Grapes 
those  Vines  produced,  and  under  the  circumstances  decided  not  to 
interfere  with  these  foraging  roots.  As  a  rule  Asparagus  beds  are 
more  liberally  treated  than  Vine  borders,  the  surfacings  of  manure, 
warmth,  and  moisture,  coupled  with  non-disturbance,  keeping  Vine 
or  other  roots  that  steal  into  them  active  near  the  surface.  Once, 
and  only  once,  did  I  regret  having  to  a  certain  extent  lost  control 
of  the  Vine  roots.  After  an  unusually  dry  autumn  we  had  a 
deluge  of  rain,  with  the  consequence  that  a  rush  of  sap  caused  the 
rupturing  of  many  berries.  This  would  not  have  happened  had  we 
watered  our  Asparagus  beds  in  August  and  September,  for  the 
bursting  could  not  be  prevented  by  free  ventilation  accompanied 
by  fire  heat. 
Here,  then,  are  two  instances  of  Vine  roots  having  escaped 
from  the  borders  proper — one  with  marked  ill  effects  accruing  to 
the  Vines,  and  the  other  with  benefit  to  the  Vines  rather  than 
otherwise.  Others  might  be  cited  of  accidental  discoveries  of  the 
escape  of  roots,  some  with  good  and  some  with  bad  results.  This 
capability  of  being  able  to  forage  for  food  has  doubtless  saved  the 
lives  of  innumerable  Vines,  also  serving  to  keep  them  in  a  fairly 
profitable  condition.  Planting  them  in  inside  borders,  and  over¬ 
looking  the  fact  that  they  will  do  no  good  in  dust-dry  soil,  has  led 
to  many  failures,  and  the  number  would  be  far  greater  if  the  roots 
were  unable  to  break  loose. 
Vine  roots  are  supposed  to  have  a  strong  predilection  for  outside ' 
borders,  and  as  I  have  shown,  and  most  Grape  growers  have 
discovered,  they  will  leave  or  cease  to  increase  in  an  inside  border 
if  they  have  access  to  moist  soil  outside.  Acccording  to  my  ex¬ 
perience  they  object  to  restriction  nearly  as  much  in  outside 
borders  as  they  do  in  those  under  cover.  What  they  revel  in  is 
fresh  soil,  naturally  preferring  good  garden  ground  or  an  Asparagus 
bed  to  the  stale  close  soil  of  an  old  border. 
To  make  matters  worse,  inexperienced  or  thoughtless  persons 
