October  14,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
aoi 
dark,  and  others  pale,  with  only  a  few  black  streaks.  It  is  not  a 
difficult  moth  to  catch,  and  especially  as  it  often  flies  by  day,  the 
females  going  from  leaf  to  leaf,  depositing  but  one  egg  on  each.  As 
the  eggs  cannot  be  easily  found,  some  have  recommended  the  removal 
of  the  leaves  from  the  bushes  about  the  beginning  of  September,  these 
being  burnt.  Probably,  however,  before  that  date  most  of  the  young 
caterpillars  would  be  hatched  ;  still  by  this  e.xpedient  many  would  be 
removed,  but  perhaps  this  stripping  might  be  hurtful  to  the  bushes. 
Certain  it  is  that  they  do  little  mischief  during  the  autumn  ;  it  is  after 
hybernation  they  are  voracious,  especially  damaging  to  Gooseberries. 
About  their  winter  habits  Newman  remarks,  “Each  young  caterpillar 
selects  a  Gooseberry  leaf,  and  makes  it  fast  to  its  twig  by  numerous 
silken  cords,  to  prevent  its  falling  when  dehiscence  takes  place ; 
in  the  cradle  thus  fabricated  the  caterpillar  sleeps  as  the  sailor 
does  in  his  hammock,  storms  and  winds  are  matters  of  indifference 
to  him.” 
This  is  true  so  far,  but  part  of  the  brood  hide  away  amongst  dead 
leaves  on  the  ground,  in  empty  hower-pots,  and  odd  corners;  during 
the  winter  months  many  of  these  cateruillars  might  be  removed  by  a 
little  search.  In  the  spring  they  may  be  shaken  off  the  twigs 
without  difficulty,  since  when  alarmed  they  swing  down  from  their 
food,  running  out  a  thread  of  silk  as  they  do  so  ;  the  agitation  given 
to  the  bushes  should  be  gentle,  otherwise  the  caterpillars  are  scattered 
about,  and  do  not  fall  into  the  article  held  to  receive  them.  Dusting 
the  bushes  early  in  the  morning  with  any  of  the  usual  dressings  while 
the  dew  is  on  them  is  effective,  and  syringing.  But  for  my  part,  I 
have  always  felt  there  are  several  objections  to  the  employment  of 
washes  containing  Paris  green  or  similar  pwisonous  compounds.  It  is 
])rincipally  where  pruning  has  been  neglected  that  the  Gooseberry 
caterpillar  harbours. — Entomologist. 
IMPROVING  MUSCAT  VINES. 
I  AM  sending  a  bunch  of  IMuscats,  cut  from  a  Vine  thirty  to  forty 
years  old.  Six  years  since  it  was  lifted.  Previous  to  that  it  grew 
indifferently.  It  is  now  carrying  at  least  30  lbs.  of  Grapes,  or  thirteen 
bunches.  Two  years  come  January  next  we  built  a  new  house  over 
the  old  Vines.  Previously  the  borders  were  outside.  I  persuaded 
my  employer  to  have  a  border  inside  as  well,  and  to  make  the  house 
3  feet  wider.  This  did  away  with  the  front  wall,  against  which  in 
passing  through  the  Vine  stems  were  injured. 
We  had  then  to  throw  4  feet  of  soil  back  for  the  bricklayers  to 
work.  We  picked  the  soil  carefully  from  among  the  roots;  still  many 
got  broken.  They  were  matted  up  at  first,  but  these  soon  had  to  be 
taken  off,  being  in  the  way  of  the  workmen.  Practically  the  roots 
were  exposed  from  the  middle  of  January  until  the  middle  of  March. 
The  house  is  built  on  pillars,  4  feet  apart.  Plates  are  fixed  on  these, 
and  screwed  together  for  the  house  to  rest  on.  In  building  the  pillars 
some  roots  which  we  had  managed  to  save  had  to  be  cut  out  of  the 
way.  The  house  is  90  feet  long,  with  one  division. 
The  insi'^e  border  was  concreted  and  well  drained.  The  soil  from 
the  front  was  returned,  and  any  mould  that  was  lying  about,  a  few  loads 
of  turf  from  a  drain  that  was  being  cut,  abundance  of  burnt  earth  and 
mortar  rubb'sh  were  thrown  in  to  compose  the  inside  border.  This  was 
rammed  as  firmly  as  possible.  Last  year  the  Vines  started  very 
weakly,  but  gained  strength  by  the  autumn.  We  pruned  to  plump 
buds;  they  started  strongly  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  the  berries  were 
small  till  stoning,  hut  swelled  rapidly  afterwards.  The  border  inside 
had  a  slight  sprinkling  of  Thomson’s  manure  and  a  good  dressing 
with  the  contents  of  earth  closets  (the  soil  used  in  these  being  taken 
from  the  burnt  refuse  heap)  and  watered  in  with  liquid  manure  at 
pruning  time,  but  only  that  part  of  the  border  containing  the  roots.  In 
addition  we  gave  two  light  mulchings  with  litter  and  another  sprinkling 
with  closet  manure  through  the  summer,  always  washing  in  with 
weak  liquid  manure  from  the  home  farm,  or  made  from  pigeon 
manure  when  the  farm  tank  is  low.  The  outside  border  was  dressed 
with  basic  slag  in  February,  otherwise  it  was  treated  the  same  as  the 
inside  one.  I  think  there  is  plenty  of  iron  in  the  soil ;  in  lifting  the 
fruit  trees  we  had  to  use  picks  and  crow'bars  to  get  through  it.  Next 
month  we  rake  off  all  mulching,  loosen  the  soil,  and  give  a  good 
dressing  of  lime,  pointing  it  in.  I  have  read  the  Journal  since  I  started 
gardening,  and  well  remember  the  article  by  “  Single  Handed,”  When, 
Why,  and  Ilow  We  IManure  Our  Vine.s. — S.  B.  0. 
[The  Muscat  Grapes  improved  by  the  methods  above  described,  as 
well  as  a  bunch  of  Black  Ilamburghs  from  forty-years-old  Vines,  also 
renovated,  are  in  all  respects  — size,  colour,  aud  qua.ity — fit  for  the 
table  of  a  prince.  There  were  none  to  equal  them  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  Show.  Some  leaves  sent  are  remarkable  for  substance  and 
colour.  The  sound  substantial  literary  fare  of  “  S.  B.  0.”  is  more 
satisfying  than  are  columns  of  pen  iloui  ishings  by  ancient  and  modern 
controversialists.] 
Cattleya  Dowiana. 
This  beauiiful  Cattleya  is  yearly  becoming  more  popular,  its  richly 
tinted  blossoms  making  it  everywhere  a  favourite.  In  habit  it  does  not 
differ  much  from  the  rest  of  the  labiata  section,  but  the  llowers  are 
quite  distinct.  In  the  variety  aurea  the  lip  is  more  highly  coloured 
than  t'  at  of  the  type,  and  this  is  perhaps  the  better  known  form, 
though  there  are  several  sub-varieties  more  or  less  distinct.  C.  Dowiana 
is  a  native  of  Costa  Pica,  and  the  first  living  plants  of  it  that  arrived  in 
this  country  were  brought  by  a  Capt.  Dow,  to  whom  it  was  dedicated. 
Ihus  was  in  or  about  1864,  but  many  years  before  this  the  Poli.sh 
collector,  M.  Warscewicz,  discovered  it  and  sent  it  home,  but  the 
plants  died  either  on  the  journey  or  soon  after  their  arrival.  The 
variety  was  found  by  Wallis,  and  since  then  has  been  imported  very 
frequently  by  English  and  continental  nurserymen.  Its  habitat  is 
not  the  same  as  that  of  the  type,  but  possibly  both  are  found,  as  well 
as  improved  forms,  in  the  same  locality.  At  all  events  they  turn  up 
among  the  same  consignments,  so  presumably  the  area  is  a  fairjy 
large  one,  and  each  exists  in  greater  or  less  numbers  in  every  part  of  it. 
The  cultivation  of  all  of  them  is  similar.  They  like  plenty^  of 
warmth  and  light  when  the  growth  is  active,  and  a  decided  resting 
period.  It  is,  in  I'act,  one  of  the  easiest  of  all  kinds  to  grow  in  a 
suitable  house,  but  it  is  not  always  as  free  blooming  as  one  might 
wish.  The  plants  have  the  bad  habit  of  starting  into  growth 
from  the  base  almost  as  soon  as  the  young  pseudo-bulb  is  formed,  and 
without  the  requisite  rest  the  growth  does  not  seem  capable  of 
[iroducing  a  flower,  tlrough  the  pseudo-bulb  preceding  it  was  healthy 
and  vigorous  enough.  To  build  up  a  strong,  yet  at  the  same  time  a 
hard  and  solid  bulb,  then,  will  be  the  growei'’s  first  care. 
This  he  cannot  do  in  a  heavily  shaded  house,  or  in  one  always 
reeking  with  moisture,  without  the  necessary  ventilation,  but  given 
the  latter  in  reason,  so  as  to  ahvays  provide  a  constant  supply  of  air 
about  the  foliage  and  bulbs,  then  C.  aurea  can  do  with  plenty  of  both 
heat  and  moisture.  The  plants  slmuld  be  suspended  within  a  foot  of 
the  glass  if  possible,  and  in  such  a  position  that  the  drip  from  the 
rafteTS  cannot  find  its  way  to  the  plant.  The  screw  hooks  so  often 
fixed  to  these  are  about  the  worst  possible  arrangement ;  a  brass  or 
pointed  iron  rod,  running  the  entire  length  of  the  house,  aud  screwed 
to  each  rafter,  being  far  preferable. 
As  to  compost,  good  peat  fibre  and  clean  sphagnum  moss  will  do 
admirably,  and  large  pots  are  unnecessary.  If  these  are.laige  enough 
to  show  a  margin  of  about  a  couple  of  inches  around  the  plant  they 
will  do,  or  shallow  teak  baskets  nearly  tilled  with  drainage  suit  the 
plants  perfectly.  0.  Dowiana  and  its  varieties  are  rather  given  to 
ilamping  at  various  stages  of  growth,  but  especially  when  the  pseudo¬ 
bulb  is  about  half  developeff.  ^  In  the  earlier  stages  this  is  probably 
caused  by  cold  water  coming  iu  contact  with  the  tender  giowths,  or  a 
larger  suiiply  of  moisture  than  is  required. 
"But  later  on  there  is  often  a  glutinous  exudation  from  the  plant 
that  prevents  the  scales  parting  Ireely  from  the  underlying  stems,  and 
this  leads  to  mischief.  The  flower  sheaths,  too,  are  often  quite  stuck 
to  the  leaf  with  it,  and  need  the  application  (if  the  budding  knife 
haft  to  sejrarate  them.  It  apjiears  to  be  ,a  jirovision  ot  Natuie  ajainst 
the  insects  that  ])rey  upon  the  plant,  but  is  not  required  undei  cultiva¬ 
tion,  and  should  be  removed  by  sponging  witli  clean  warm  water. 
Newly  imported  plants,  and  others  in  their  second  oi  thiid  year, 
appear  to  be  more  subject  to  it  than  older  plants  that  have  been  a 
longer  period  under  cultivatiou. 
The  plants  usually  arrive  in  fair  condition,  and  are  not  diffidilt 
to  establish.  I  have  not  infrequently  potted  these  and  C.  gigas 
exactly  as  received,  except  that  the  plants  were  well  examined 
for  cockroaches  aud  other  insects,  and  afterwaids  thoroughly 
sponged.  As  a  general  rule,  however,  it  is  safe  to  lay  them  out  for  a 
while  on  a  moist  stage  in  the  warmest  house  at  command,  and  to 
sprinkle  them  occasionally  with  tepid  water  until  they  plump  up  a 
little.  Then  they  may  be  potted  in  small  pots  and  allowed  a 
surfacing  of  moss  only  over  clean,  finely  broken  crocks. 
The  compost  must  be  added  as  the  plants  begin  to  root,  fji^d  they 
are  soon  for  all  practical  purposis  the  same  as  established  plants. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  they  do  not  differ  much  from  the  other 
labiatas  in  general  requirement,  but  the  advice  given  respecting  their 
being  t  ept  dormant  after  flowering  is  important.  Only  last  season  1  saw' 
a  fine  collection  of  aurea  that  had  bloomed  profusely,  the  secondary 
o-fowth  notwithstanding,  but  this  do3s  not  alter  the  fact  that  they  are 
more  satisfactory  the  other  way.  During  winter  55°  is  a  good  mmiimiiu 
temperature  for  the  species,  with  just  sufficient  moisture  at  the  root 
to  ])revent  shrive’ling. — II.  B.  R- 
