496 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Jane  13,  1901. 
plants  get  accustomed  to  it.  Green  and  black  fly  sometimes  make 
their  appearance,  and  also  thrips  and  red  spider,  particularly  if  the 
atmosphere  is  dry,  and  therefore  an  outlook  should  be  kept  for  such 
unwelcome  visitors.  Never  allow  them  to  establish  themselves  on  the 
plants  ;  should  they  do  so,  they  will  be  the  means  of  making  them 
cast  their  foliage,  and  that  in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  An 
occasional  syringing  with  softsoapy  water,  or  with  a  solution  of  one 
of  the  many  compounds  now  provided  for  such  purposes,  will  keep  the 
plants  clean  and  free  from  the  pests  just  named.  It  is  not  desirable 
to  retain  many  old  plants  over  winter  unless  very  large  specimens  are 
required.  A  few  plants  started  in  a  brisk  heat  in  January  will  in  a 
ehort  time  yield  abundance  of  cuttings,  which  can  be  grown  to  a  good 
size  during  the  early  spring  months  for  greenhouse  and  conservatory 
decoration.  Market  growers  seldom  use  any  pots  larger  than  48's, 
and  the  results  obtained  in  this  size  pot,  and  by  the  judicious  use  of 
stimulants,  are  wonderful.  When  done  flowering  the  plants  may  be 
placed  out  of  doors  to  ripen  the  wood,  and  when  frost  sets  in  they 
should  be  brought  indoors  and  placed  on  a  border  from  which  they 
can  absorb  a  little  moisture,  as  they  never  break  freely  in  spring  if 
dried  to  too  great  an  extent.  Old  plants  should  not  be  repotted  until 
well  started  into  growth.  Mrs.  Marshall,  Mrs.  Rundell,  Charming, 
and  Miss  Lucy  Finnis  are  old  and  useful  favourites  for  either  in  or 
out  of  doors.  Mrs.  Cannell  and  Madame  Rosaine  are  very  fine  but  later 
to  flower. — D.  Sheaman. 
- - 
B(elons. 
When  the  fruits  are  about  to  ripeD,  it  is  very  tantalising  to  find 
some,  if  not  all,  of  them  cracking  at  the  heel,  and  in  conseqnenoe  there 
is  a  great  loss  of  means,  time,  and  labour,  with  no  end  of  disquieting 
remarks.  I  have  found  that  this  proclivity  is  most  pronounced  in  the 
small,  hard-rinded  varieties,  such  as  Scarlet  Gem,  still  unsurpassed 
for  high  quality,  and  also  in  the  fruits  of  plants  that  have  been  grown 
under  conditions  somewhat  stinted  for  water  and  nourishment  in  the 
stages  up  to  completing  the  swelling,  then  the  merest  change  in  the 
atmospherio  circumstances  from  relative  droughts  to  comparative 
moisture  and  growing  conditions  suffices  to  burst  the  fruits  just  on  the 
point  of  ripening;  even  when  water  is  withheld  from  the  roots  and 
atmosphere,  a  close  state  of  the  atmosphere  causes  the  fruit  to  crack. 
In  growing  Melons,  I  find  it  is  important  to  have  a  firm  soil  in  order  to 
secure  solid,  heavy  fruit,  with  thick  flesh  and  the  highest  quality,  then 
secure  free  swelling  of  the  fruits  by  due  supplies  of  water  and  nutrition 
at  the  roots,  with  a  growing  condition  of  the  atmosphere  right  up  to  the 
commencing  to  ripen  period.  The  rind  of  the  fruit  is  then  neither  unduly 
hard  nor  thick,  and  by  withholding  water  from  it,  and  only  giving 
sufficient  supplies  of  moisture  at  the  roots  to  keep  the  foliage  fresh, 
combined  with  alittle  air  constantly,  gentle  warmth  in  the  hot-waterpipes, 
and  rather  free  ventilation,  increased  from  the  early  part  of  the  day,  the 
danger  of  the  fruit  cracking  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  Still,  the  fruit 
will  sometimes  crack  under  any  circumstances ;  therefore,  when  there 
is  likeliness  of  this  occurring,  it  is  advisable  to  cut  the  Vine  about 
half-way  through  a  short  distance  below  the  fruit,  thus  limiting  the 
supplies  of  watery  matter  from  the  roots  and  inducing  ripening  instead 
of  growth.  The  chief  thing,  however,  is  to  keep  the  atmosphere  airy, 
and  thus  cause  evaporation  from  the  fruit  instead  of  condensation 
upon  it. 
Another  matter  in  the  cultivation  of  Melons  has  also  troubled  me 
seriously  at  times,  that  of  the  setting  of  the  blossoms.  This  would 
seem  sometimes  to  arise  from  inherent  tendency  to  sterility  on  the  part 
of  the  plants,  they  showing  pistillate  organs  plentifully,  but  either  they 
or  the  staminate  organs  being  impotent.  In  such  dilemma  I  have  had 
recourse  to  cross-fertilisation,  in  some  instances  with  a  certain  measure 
of  success,  but  in  other  cases  without  any  appreciable  degree  of 
difference,  the  blossoms  absolutely  refusing  to  set,  or,  if  apparently 
setting,  the  fruit  only  swells  a  little,  then  turning  yellow  and 
withering,  it  is  very  annoying  to  thus  strive  without  attaining  any 
result  but  disappointment.  In  such  cases  I  have  almost  invariably 
found  that  the  cultivation  is  at  fault.  The  plants  have  too  generous 
feeding  in  the  early  stages  of  growth,  the  soil  being  loose  instead  of 
firm,  and  the  bed  and  air  moisture  too  generous,  for  when  there  is  a 
happy  medium  the  pistillate  blossoms  form  boldly,  and  the  staminate 
ones  are  laden  with  effective  pollen.  Conditions  at  the  time  of  flowering 
may,  and  often  do,  make  a  difference  between  setting  and  non-setting, 
for  when  the  atmosphere  is  kept  close  and  moist,  to  an  extent  causing 
moisture  to  be  deposited  on  the  blossoms,  no  art  of  man  can  cause  the 
embryonic  fruits  to  set,  whilst  when  the  plants  are  in  flower,  a  little  air 
constantly,  with  a  free  circulation  on  flue  davs,  fertilising  the  flowers 
as  they  become  fully  expanded,  and  when  a  sufficient  number  of  fruits 
about  equal  size  are  set  upon  a  plant,  remove  all  others  and  flowers, 
both  staminate  and  pistillate.  Three  or  four  fruits  on  plants  of 
ordinary  size  and  vigour  are  as  many  as  each  can  bring  to  full  size  and 
highest  perfection,  overcropping  being  alike  fatal  to  appearance  and 
utility,  the  fruits  very  often  not  reaching  maturity,  but  ripen 
prematurely,  and  are  comparatively  worthless. — A.  B. 
The  genus  Grevillea  is  a  peculiar  one,  and  especiilly  interesting  for 
the  strange  forms  of  the  flowers  and  their  evident  peculiar  adaptation 
for  cross-fertilisation.  Beyond  this,  however,  several  species  possess 
characters  of  real  value  to  the  gardener,  being  free  in  growth,  graceful 
in  habit,  and  bearing  bright,  though  small  flowers.  The  proportion  of 
useful  species  is  very  small  compared  with  the  large  number  of  forms 
known,  and  of  which  few  are  in  cultivation.  About  150  species  have 
been  described,  but  in  few  gardens,  except  such  establishments  as 
Kew,  will  more  than  half  a  dozen  be  found.  Some  are  grown  simply 
for  the  singularity  of  their  flowers,  which  are  often  of  a  dull  greenish 
or  yellowish  white,  the  habit  stiff,  ungraceful,  and  the  plants  of  very 
slow  growth.  Others,  however,  possess  quite  the  opposite  of  these 
characters — attractive  flowers,  neat,  compact,  yet  free  habit,  and  quick 
growth. 
They  are  all  natives  of  Australia,  and  succeed  well  in  ordinary 
greenhouses ;  indeed,  some  are  sufficiently  hardy  to  stand  out  all  the 
winter  in  sheltered  positions  in  the  south  or  west  of  England.  During 
the  summer  they  will  all  succeed  well  outside,  but  except  G.  robusta 
they  are  not  much  employed  for  outdoor  bedding.  They  are  much 
better  suited  for  the  shelves  or  stages  of  the  greenhouse,  where  they 
invariably  attract  much  admiration  when  in  gocd  condition.  Some 
may  be  raised  from  seeds,  which  are  usually  imported,  as  seeds  are 
rarely  produced  in  this  country,  but  the  chief  of  those  described  in 
these  notes  are  easily  increased  by  cuttings.  The  best  method  to  be 
adopted  with  each  will,  however,  be  mentioned  under  their  respective 
names. 
G.  Thelemanniana. 
One  of  the  most  useful  and  graceful  of  the  forms  in  cultivation 
known  to  me  is  that  represented  in  the  woodcut.  It  is  almost 
constantly  in  flower,  but  is  especially  fine  at  the  present  time  and 
onwards  for  several  months.  It  is  also  readily  increased  by  cuttings, 
which  strike  in  a  cool  temperature  if  inserted  in  autumn.  The 
moderately  firm  shoots,  2  or  3  inches  long,  should  be  selected,  neatly 
cut  at  the  base,  and  trimmed.  Prepare  a  compost  of  light  loam,  peat, 
and  sand  in  about  equal  parts,  finely  sifted,  and  place  it  rather  firmly 
in  the  pots,  which  have  been  previously  well  drained.  Surface  with 
fine  sand,  and  insert  the  cuttings ;  water  carefully  to  settle  the  soil 
round  them,  place  a  bell-glass  over  them,  and  transfer  the  pots  to  a 
cool  frame  or  house  near  the  glass,  but  where  they  can  be  shaded  if 
necessary.  There  they  can  remain  until  spring,  requiring  little 
attention  in  the  meanwhile.  By  that  time  most  of  the  cuttings  will 
have  formed  roots,  or  callused  at  the  base,  and  may  be  carefully  potted 
singly  in  similar  soil. 
The  plant  is  very  graceful  in  habit,  the  branches  being  slender, 
and  having  a  drooping  tendency.  The  leaves  are  pinnate,  with  linear 
divisions,  and  bright  green.  The  flowers  are  borne  in  pendulous  dense 
racemes,  3  or  4  inches  long.  They  are  bright  deep  rose  colour,  and 
yellowish  at  the  tip,  with  the  long  filiform  style  bright  red.  It  has 
been  figured  and  described  under  the  name  of  G.  Preissi,  and  seeds 
were  sent  to  Kew  by  Mr.  Du  Boulay  of  Perth,  South  West  Australia, 
bearing  that  name,  about  1869.  The  plants  produced  from  these 
seeds  first  flowered  in  1870.  The  species  was  found  by  Preiss  at 
Drummond,  near  Perth.  It  is  said  to  attain  the  height  of  5  feet  or 
more  in  its  native  country. 
G.  ericifolia. 
A  pretty  form  with  very  neat  flowers,  the  lower  part  of  which  is 
bright  red,  the  upper  greenish  yellow,  the  styles  being  long  and  red, 
and  they  are  borne  in  short  loose  racemes.  The  leaves  are  about  an 
inch  long,  linear,  dark  green,  and  the  habit  of  the  plant  is  rather  loose, 
but  it  can  easily  be  kept  in  good  shape  by  a  few  light  stakes.  The 
flowers  are  freely  produced,  and  the  plants  succeed  admirably  in  pots 
for  the  greenhouse ;  this  is  well  shown  at  Kew,  where  both  in  the 
winter  garden  and  the  ordinary  show  house  several  specimens  are 
noticeable.  It  may  be  remarked  that  seeds  of  this  species  were  first 
received  at  the  establishment  named  from  Baron  Yon  Mueller,  who 
forwarded  them  from  Australia,  where  the  plant  is  rather  widely 
distributed.  Similar  culture  to  that  accorded  to  G.  Thelemannima 
will  suit  G.  ericikdia,  being  careful  at  all  times  that  the  pots  are  well 
drained,  as  any  approach  to  stagnation  in  the  soil  is  highly  detrimental 
to  the  plants.  With  regard  to  the  propagation  of  this  and  other 
species  of  similar  habit,  it  should  be  observed  that  some  growers 
prefer  striking  the  cuttings  in  slight  heat,  the  pots  being  plunged  in  a 
bed  under  a  frame.  As  a  rule,  however,  this  should  only  be  adopted 
when  the  plants  from  which  the  cuttings  are  taken  have  grown  in  a 
greenhouse  kept  somewhat  above  the  ordinary  temperature,  as  if  under 
cool  treatment  the  method  previously  mentioned  is  usually  more 
successful. 
