May  12,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
411 
Tropical  Plants. 
(Concluded  f  rom  i^age  315). 
Aruangkment. — In  making  the  tropical  house  attractive  hy 
displaying  its  inmates  to  the  be.st  advantage,  the  good  plaiitsman 
will  at  the  same  time  study  the  whims  and  wants  ot  each  and 
every  subject  under  his  hands.  It  is  remarkable  how  mucli 
diversity  of  atmospheric  cliaracter  may  prevail  in  one  house 
atone.  Difference  of  temperature,  light,  moisture,  and  air  which 
possibly  obtain  are  all  differences  not  to  be  disregarded,  and 
observation  will  turn  these  apparently  insignificant  items  to 
practical  account.  “  Miffy  ”  subjects,  which  in  one  po.sition 
appear  to  exi.st  on  sufferance  only,  may  in  another  thrive  and  be 
happy.  This  is  no  fanciful  theory,  as  an  intelligent  study  of  the 
matter  will  show,  and  the  keener  the  observation  which  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  this  point,  the  more  its  truth  and  relative 
value  will  be  imimessed.  It  is  not  easy  to  explain  this,  but 
desirable  to  make  it  as  clear  as  possible.  We  may  have  on  the 
one  hand  a  young  man  who  pots,  waters,  stakes,  and  ventilates, 
all  in  a  way  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  fault  with,  but  all 
is  carried  out  on  merely  mechanical  lines ;  whilst  another,  whose 
passionate  love  has  brought  inspiration  into  his  work,  seems  to 
live  for,  work  for,  feel  for,  and  will  often  speak  up  for  his 
plants,  the  latter  in  a  manner  which  admits  of  no  denial  for  the 
necessaries  of  culture.  He  does  not  say:  “Oh!  That’s  the 
boss’s  look-out,”  but  makes  it  his  look-out.  This  enthusiasm  in 
a  young  plantsman  is  good — good  for  himself,  good  for  the 
“  boss,”  and  good  for  the  plants. 
Syringing. — Here  we  have  an  important  factor  in  health  and 
cleanliness,  but,  like  watering,  it  has  to  be  learned.  We  find 
our  boys  take  readily  enough  to  the  syringe,  but  their  principles 
of  appreciation  are  pretty  much  on  a  par  with  the  schoolboy 
squirter,  although  they  generally  display  an  inordinate  fondness 
for  the  rose  distributor  instead  of  the  nozzle.  The  use  of  the 
latter,  however,  is  insisted  upon,  as  no  other  form  of  application 
is  so  effective.  The  manipulation  of  the  nozzle  to  produce  a 
coarse  or  fine  spray,  with  some  force  where  foliage,  such  as  palm 
leaves,  permits,  and  the  facility  with  which  the  most  important 
part — the  under  side  of  the  foliage — can  be  reached,  give  it  the 
preference  over  other  methods.  During  the  dull  days  of  winter 
the  syringe  is  practically  at  rest,  unless  on  dry  walls  or  positions 
near  the  pipes ;  but  with  the  advent  of  the  growing  season 
syringing  may,  according  to  weather,  commence  with  a  moderate 
spraying  during  the  warmest  part  of  the  day,  say  at  11  a.m., 
and  increase  with  the  sun’s  power  until  an  early  morning 
operation  and  an  afternoon  one  at  closing  time  become  the  order 
of  the  day.  We  hold  no  brief  for  the  Four  Oaks  Horticultural 
Supply  Company,  but  give  preference  to  their  undentable 
syringe. 
Shading. — This  is  an  auxiliary  item  in  plant  culture  which  is 
often  one  of  much  expense  and  worry  where  roller  blinds  are 
used,  and  their  use  entails  a  vast  amount  of  watchfulness  on 
the  part  of  the  man  in  charge,  as  well  as  being  a  considerable 
amount  of  anxiety  to  old  heads  when  inexperienced  hands  are 
the  guardians  pro  tern.  Of  course,  many  will  say  that  roller 
blinds  are  a  necessary  evil.  The  evil  is  admitted,  but  the 
necessity  doubted,  so  far  as  personal  experience  goes.  Years 
ago  we  abolished  roller  blinds,  and  took  to  muffing  the  glass 
lightly  in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  heavier  as  occasion 
demands — two  operations  in  the  year,  wliite  lead  thinned  out 
with  turps  applied  with  a  whitewash  brush  being  the  material 
and  method  of  muffing.  Autumnal  rains  gradually  dissipate  this 
til!  it  disappears,  with,  po.ssibly,  a  little  help  from  a  rubber. 
What  of  the  results  P  ”  is  a  pertinent  question.  AVell,  not  f.n 
iota  of  difference  has  been  noted  in  the  well-being  of  our  beloved 
stove  plants ;  had  such  obtained,  this  plan  would  neither  be 
ntilised  nor  advocated. 
^  ENTiLATiON. — Again,  watchfulness  is  the  desideratum,  and 
whatever  sort  or  condition  of  gearing  is  used,  never  interpret,  or 
misinteriiret,  the  word  “ventilation”  as  draught.  Rarely, 
indeed,  during  our  summers  is  front  or  end  ventilation  neces¬ 
sary,  and  top  ventilation  should  never  mean  a  sudden  lowering 
of  temperature,  hence  the  importance  of  anticipating  sun  heat 
with  a  corresponding  check  on  fire  heat,  and  seldom  is  our  fii-e 
out,  although  consumption  of  fuel  is  reduced  to  a  minimum  at 
midsummer. 
Plant  Pests. — Thorough  cleanliness  is  not  only  next  to  godli¬ 
ness.  but  probably  as  near  perfection  in  plant  culture  as  we  can 
attain.  The  greatest  bugbear  of  all  the  bugs  our  tropical 
plants  are  heir  to  is — and  it  goes  without  saying — the  mealy 
bug,  and  we  cannot  but  execrate  it  as  the  foulest,  most 
insidious,  and  despicable  enemy  to  be  dealt  with.  However,  it 
can  be  dealt  with,  and  done  away  with,  too;  and  let  no  young 
fellow  upon  whom  the  responsibility  rests  talk  of  impossibilities. 
There  may  be  such  even  in  gardening,  but  this  is  not  one  of 
them.  Fain  would  an  old  head  impress  Hiis  on  any  young 
hand  who  ventures  even  to  think  of  it  as  an  impo.ssibility. 
Think,  young  bothyite,  for  whom  this  and  preceding  papers 
have  been  specially  written  to  push  on  think  of  the  great  Fail 
of  Chatham’s  way  of  treating  such,  and  do  likewise.  “  Impos¬ 
sibilities!”  he  said.  “I  trample  on  j'our  impossibilities!” 
Pardon  the  digression,  and — to  qur  bug.  All  know  the  routine 
of  a  thoiough  washing  and  cleansing  with  some  insecticide  of 
repute.  Here  with  many  is  the  beginning  and  end  of  the 
matter,  periodical!}’  repeated.  The  beginning  it  may  be,  the 
end  it  must  not  be  while  one  bug  is  left  to  perpetuate  his  (or  her) 
species,  if  he  (or  she)  can  do  it.  Give  a  thorough  cleansing,  and 
then  begin.  Never  let  a  day  jiass  without  a  few  minutes’ 
inspection,  and  always  have  ready  (keep  it  handy)  a  bottle  of 
methylated  spirit,  with  a  brush  or  wire  and  sponge  inserted 
through  the  cork  for  touching  ’em  up.  “Revenge  is  sweet.” 
Seize  your  bottle  when  entering  the  house  on  the  occasion  of 
spare  moments  which  come  to  the  busiest.  Remember,  the 
Sabbath  day  off  which  he  who  would  not  pull  his  ox  or  his  ass 
out  of  the  ditch,  nor  dab  a  mealy  bug,  carries  his  sentiments  to 
extreme  points,  for  which  there  is  no  warranty.  Keep  this  up 
unceasingly  for  a  month  after  the  great  cleaning  day,  and 
then  clean  again — another  thorough  washing — and  for  a  month 
after  the  same  unremitting  surveillance.  If  after  these  big 
bombardments  and  subsequent  skirmishings,  lasting,  say,  for 
six  months,  the  tropical  plant  hou.se  is  not  free  of  the  pest, 
then  at  ’em  again,  and  keep  at  ’em — fight  to  a  finish.  P’or 
scale  on  palms  or  orchids  the  methylated  spirit  is  excellent  (if 
found  too  strong,  add  a  little  water),  and  an  occasional  fumiga¬ 
tion  (vaporising)  through  the  growing  season  is  of  distinct 
benefit. — A.  N.  Oldhead. 
Floral  Decorations. 
In  New  York  recently  there  were  made  some  of  the  most 
elaborate  funeral  designs  that  have  been  seen  there  for  a  long 
time.  By  elaborate  we  do  not  mean  that  the  designs  were  in¬ 
tricate,  or  emblematic  in  their  make-up,  but  rather  that  they 
wei’e  lai'ge  and  massive,  and  filled  only  with  the  rarest  and 
co.stliest  of  flowers.  The  work  (says  the  “Florists’  Exchange”) 
was  that  furnished  for  the  late  Hon.  W.  C.  Whitney’s 
obsequies,  by  tlie  Rosery  Company,  and  a  brief  mention  of  a 
few  of  the  pieces  will  no  doubt  be  of  interest.  The  casket  or 
coffin  cover  was  compo.sed  wholly  of  Violets  and  Lily  of  the 
Valley,  and  was  put  together  in  such  a  manner  that  when 
finished  it  had  a  natural  wavy  appearance,  which  added  much 
to  its  beauty.  In  order  to  create  the  wavy  effect,  the  artist, 
in  making  the  cover,  had  commenced  at  one  end  of  the  wire 
cloth  and,  with  Violets  in  bunches  of  100  each,  tied  a  row  of 
them  straight  across  from  one  side  to  the  othei'.  This  was 
followed  by  a  row  of  bunches,  each  of  which  contained  but  fifty 
Violets.  Next  came  a  row  of  the  large  bunches,  then  another 
row  of  small  ones,  and  so  on  until  the  end  was  reached.  Each 
bunch  was  tied  firmly  to  the  wire,  so  that  there  was  no  chance 
of  any  of  them  coming  loose  while  the  cover  was  being  handled. 
When  the  Violets  were  all  placed,  narrow  streamers  of  Lily 
of  the  Valley  Avere  tied  at  regular  distances  along  each  side. 
These  streamers  were  about  3it  long,  but  instead  of  being 
alloAved  to  hang  their  full  length,  the  streamers  were  caught 
up  near  the  middle,  and  looped  on  to  the  border  of  the  cover, 
being  fastened  a  few  inches  from  the  edge,  and  at  equal  di.s- 
tances  between  the  places  where  the  streamers  were  first  tied 
to  the  cover.  The  effect  of  the  Lily  of  the  Valley  and  the 
Violets  thus  intermingling  can  better  be  imagined  than 
de.scribed. 
Of  the  many  de.signs  furnished,  they  all  took  one  form,  viz., 
the  wreath.  One  composed  of  American  Beauty  Roses,  the 
floAvers  being  Avired  Avicn  stems  about  12in  in  length,  AAas  a 
beautiful  piece;  in  diameter  it  measured  almo.st  lift.  Another, 
of  nearly  equal  size,  consisted  of  Lily  of  the  Valley  only,  and 
it  took  over  5,000  sprays  to  fini.sh  the  design  properly.  Another 
very' choice  Avreath  Avas  filled  Avith  Cattleya  Ti  iaiue  "bedded  on 
Adiantum  P’arlpA’ense.  Then  there  Avas  one  of  Avhite  Ro.ses 
and  Avhite  orchids,  and  another  of  Inly  of  the  Valley  and  Avhite 
orchids.  A  very  rich  combination  Avas  obtained  by  u.sing 
Cattleyas  and  Gardenias  on  one  Avreath,  Avhile  in  another  an 
equally  pleasing  result  came  from  the  use  of  Lily  of  the  Valley 
and  the  darkest  coloured  Cattleyas. 
White  Lilac  Avas  the  only  floAver  used  in  one  of  the  largest 
Avreaths,  and  AA’itli  ])lenty  of  its  oaaii  foliage  along  the  outlines, 
made  one  of  the  daintiest  designs  imaginable.  Another  Avreath 
in  Avhich  a  pleasing  combination  Avas  brought  about  Avas  one 
made  of  American  Beauty  Roses  and  Lily  of  the  Valley.  The 
tAvo  choice.st  Avreaths  of  the  collection,  hoAA-ever,  Avere  one  com¬ 
po.sed  of  Gardenias  alore,  and  the  other  tilled  entirely  Avith 
that  beautiful  orchid  R  altenopsis  amabilis. 
