VINES AND OTHER TOPICS.

N previous evenings consideration has been given to the different classes of plants suitable for culture under the shade of Vines, and if so cultivated they cannot fail to give pleasure. I will now notice what, in conjunction with Vines, cannot fail to give profit and which entail the least possible amount of skill in management.

It is an admitted fact that the last ten years have witnessed extensive erections for Vine-culture by way of profit, partially or solely. Public inclination is still growing in this direction, and even many tradesmen have a disposition to give some of their spare time to an exercise which they deem enjoyable, and especially if it is profitable. One can hardly err in encouraging a disposition of this kind, both on account of the fuller supply of the best of all fruits at a reasonable price for town and city consumption which will result, and also in fostering home pursuits pure and pleasurable in their nature. As it may be more practical to muse on what has been done, rather than what may be done, I will give a brief history of the beginning and completion of a structure for Vine-culture, with a notice of the general results not merely attainable but actually attained.

Five years ago a neighbour solicited my advice in the matter of building a vinery on a plot of ground, which by many years of hard work he had won as his own. Like many others, he wanted to see his way to a little gain rather than loss by his undertaking. He had no doubt as to the Vines eventually being remunerative; but what until they became so, and what of the lost space in the house? If I could tell him how to turn to account and utilise to a profit this space at once he would commence building forthwith. The house, a lean-to, with a 19-feet rafter, and nearly 70 feet long, was, to him, no small undertaking. It is erected, is in full profit, and is a success, but not until after some failures.

It may be useful to notice these. The first was a Cucumber failure. Owing to the length of rafter a purline was necessary. This is supported by a row of pillars. These were made the framework for a temporary trellis on which to grow a hedge of Cucumbers. The height, 12 feet, and length approaching 70 feet, were calculated to carry a large amount of fruit. This was to give the first interest on outlay pending the growth of the Vines. A ridge of good soil was provided, and stout plants put in it at the end of May. He had instructions respecting airing, watering, and syringing, and especially as to fresh applications of soil as the roots reached the surface. The progress of the plants was remarkable, the trellis was covered with luxuriant growth, hundreds of fruit were swelling, several had been cut. A reward appeared certain. Perhaps the freer growth begat negligent attention; at any rate he forgot to add sufficient soil to the roots or to water them thoroughly, and a burning day in August gave the plants the coup de grace. When the

No. 633.-VOL. XXIV., NEW SERIES

soil was beautifully moist at the surface generally, but in a puddle round the stems. Underneath it was dry as dust, and the extremities of the roots-the feeders-were shrivelled and dead. It was man-well, not quite-but Cucumber slaughter, certainly. A few recovered, but the loss was signal. Had he acted exactly according to instructions that crop of Cucumbers would have paid him better interest on his outlay than any building he had before erected, and such were not a few; but he deviated. slightly as he thought, but ruinously. From such slight deviations, slipping instructions, not fully and completely carrying out orders, a presumptive superiority of know. ledge-arise failures generally. Young gardeners may think of this and believe it to be true. Old gardeners know there is no doubt about it. Negligence of what is erroneously regarded as little things is the root of half, and more than half, the evils that flood the world. The old tale of master and coachman is suggestive. "How near can you drive to danger?" "A foot, sir." "And you?" "An inch, sir." "And you?" "I drive as far off as I can, sir." "You are the man for me." He who makes friends with risk and chance is in dangerous company. He who would achieve success must act precisely, exactly, and at the right time. It may be useful for young professionals and inexperienced amateurs alike to keep this in mind. To be safe, drive as widely as possible off danger. To succeed, adhere rigidly to instructions. Do not say of an apparently simple order, "There is no sense in it;" it will be far more sensible to accept it as necessary and carry it out. When a man, by inattention, only loses his own, as in the case of the Cucumbers, it does not so much matter; but how many men-young men-have the property and reputations of others in their keeping? On these it is absolutely incumbent to act in strict obedience-accurately, promptly, cheerfully, and correctly.

By incorrectly or only half obeying instructions my pupil lost his Cucumbers, but by the same cause had a far greater loss than this in his essay at Grape-growing. That loss will be noted by-and-by. He has surmounted both and succeeded. I have no occasion now to tell him twice over what to do. A hint is no sooner given than acted on; he has bought experience by failure, and finds it no longer safe to play experiment with necessary advice. If he had done this first instead of last, it would have put pounds in his pocket. Too many find the same thing out only when "too late."

After recording a failure I will now record a success. On clearing out the withered Cucumbers the soil was levelled, and other good material mixed in, and in the autumn the entire border was planted with early Potatoes, and sowed over with Radishes. The success of this in the spring was a complete atonement for the Cucumber massacre. Besides the pleasure of tending a prosperous crop, it brought interest for the money-a good return on capital invested in the erection. Up to the present time the owner continues the Potatoes. Although the Vines cover the roof and carry hundreds of pounds of Grapes No. 1285.-VOL. XLIX., OLD SERIES.

yet he has his crops of roots cleared off and sold before his Vines are in bloom, and this spring he has sold thousands of Radishes at 7d. per score, and Potatoes at 3s. per pound. That is making a vinery pay without the Grapes, of which there will soon be 400 to 500 lbs. ready to eat and sell. These Vines are very tractable, and require no removing from the roof to break regularly. They start at the bottom first, and when the bunches nearest the root are thinned and swelling, those at the tops of the Vines are just setting their fruit. I am now interrupted, and will resume another evening.-J. WRIGHT.

THE FORESTS OF NEW ZEALAND. THE primeval forest has indescribable charms for the naturalist. There generations of venerable trees hasten to their decay, and more youthful saplings shoot joyously up around the old moss-clad patriarchs. The almost death-like stillness which prevails in these regions makes a deep impression upon the mind. Not a sound is audible save from time to time the dull thud of a falling tree or the shrill scream of a bird of prey, for the song-birds enliven with their notes only the outskirts of the forest, and never visit its gloomy interior. Whilst the deepest quiet reigns around the graves of the fallen trees, the foliage of their living brethren is like a vast sea, continually moved by the wind.

Almost all the indigenous trees of New Zealand are clothed with evergreen foliage; and as the colouring of the leaves presents a great variety of hues, this peculiarity contributes much to the beauty of the landscape. It is also to this circumstance that the comparatively great scarcity of timberyielding trees in New Zealand is to be attributed, since the quality of the wood is deteriorated by the continuous flow of sap. It is in spring, not in autumn, as in Europe, that the New Zealand forests present the greatest variety of light and shadow, for the budding leaves display far brighter colours than those which have for some time attained maturity. Upon the whole, the forest bears an exceedingly tropical aspect, and unfolds its greatest beauties in the underwood, which possesses those luxuriant forms of leaf and blossom, and that freshness of colouring, which are only to be found in the warm zones. It is upon the outskirts of the forest especially that vegetation attains its highest development, and it is there that the plants characteristic of New Zealand-viz., the Fern tribe, appear in their grandest forms. There the graceful tree Ferns with their delicate trunks covered in the most uniform manner with the triangular marks of the decayed leafstalks, attain a height of 20 or 30 feet before spreading out their picturesque crowns with their finely shaped leaves. There the majestic Nikau extends its Palm-like shade; there the Tree Fuchsia displays its gorgeous clusters of blossom and well-flavoured fruit; there flourishes the Laurel-like Kawaka, with its dark green waxy leaves and bright yellow berries; and there is the sweetly fragrant Manukau and the slender Poroporo.

The mountainous structure of New Zealand and its essentially insular climate are the primary causes which render its forests so devoid of variety in shape and formation. There forest, and woodland, and meadow do not alternate as in Australia; there one does not perceive those isolated clumps of trees which have, not inappropriately, been termed "wood islands;" and finally, the individual varieties of trees and other plants have not there an opportunity to develope their characters freely and uniformly.

If the traveller desires to penetrate into the interior of the forest he will find his progress attended by many difficulties, if not altogether stopped by the density of the underwood, through which in many places it is necessary to cut a way with the hatchet. Innumerable varieties of leaves, twisted into the closest network, stretch from tree to tree, forming dangerous snares for arms and feet. Shoots of every species mingled with strong runners, creeping plants with sharp prickly leaves and thorns, rotten branches, and fallen trunks all these form natural barriers, which are only to be surmounted by the greatest trouble and determination. In many places the traveller will sink knee deep in the soil by accidentally treading upon the grave of one of the forest giants. Grasses and Mosses are rare, and only found upon open spots, as their growth is choked by the Ferns, which thrive luxuriantly everywhere, even in places where the sun's rays never fall. Forest flowers are never to be found upon the damp overshadowed ground, but generous mother Nature has supplied their place by a flora which, firmly rooted in the trunks of the old trees, unfolds its gorgeous blossoms high over the

earth. The kinds of Orchids are numerous and rich. Rare indeed is the large tree upon whose trunk they do not grow, and from whose branches they do not hang down in green garlands, enveloping their gay flowers in luxuriant foliage. The immense tips of the trees and their density render it impossible for the sun, even in midsummer, to exercise its due influence upon the atmosphere of the forest; even at noon a greenish twilight and a low temperature prevail in its depths. In opener places-i.e., where the parasitic plants have not obtained a firm footing, and where the spectator has a wider view, a stupendous spectacle is presented to the eye. The thickly-standing trees with their massive pillar-like trunks and their green peaked tops, give to the entire scene the look of a huge old temple with an aërial dome through which the light of day but scantily penetrates. But, on the other hand, a peculiar uncomfortable feeling takes hold of the spectator. The whole atmosphere seems impregnated with damp, and the earthy smell and cold slimy temperature produce an oppressed feeling in the chest, which is only to be removed by sunlight and warmth.

The majority of the trees shoot-up straight and branchless for a considerable height, and then spread out more or less regularly their huge crowns, which are always composed of the densest foliage. A strange peculiarity is presented by many trees which divide into branches either far surpassing, or, at least, equalling in size the parent trunk; this feature gives the tree an unnatural appearance, and by no means tends to beautify it.

Although amongst the forest trees of New Zealand there are at least forty kinds which at a certain strength of growth attain a height of 100 feet and above, yet, as has been said, there are comparatively few among them which deserve the name of timber trees, and as such possess a high value. These I will briefly name before proceeding to a description of the more useful and better-known kinds :-Aka, Akeake, Kinau, Kahikatea, Kauri, Kawaka, Kohai, Kohekohe, Maire, Mangiao, Manukau, Mapau, Matai, Miro, Puhutukawa, Pukatea, Puriri, Rata, Rewarewa, Rimu, Tanekaha, Taraire, Tawa, Tawhero, Tawhia, Tipau, Titoki, Titongi, Tortoa, Totura, Towai, and Uharangipiron.

The Kauri (Dammara australis), is from its majestic appearance justly styled the giant and king of the New Zealand forests. Its usual height varies between 99 and 165 feet, but it has frequently been met with as high as 198 feet. The thickness of its trunk is in symmetrical proportion to its height; a diameter of 8 feet 2 inches, or 9 feet 10 inches, is by no means rare. What lends the tree its greatest beauty is, that its trunk, usually as straight as an arrow and undisfigured by any excrescences or decaying branches, attains more than two-thirds of its height before putting forth its colossal boughs. Like the Pine tree it is usually met with in extensive forests, but it is also frequently found amongst other trees in the primeval forest. From the summit of a high hill the traveller may see the conical tops of these trees rising like islands from the green sea of foliage. The bark of the Kauri is quite smooth, 1 inch thick, and of a silver-grey colour. The leaves bear a striking resemblance to those of the Box tree, are of a dark green colour, which becomes yellowish upon the reverse side, and are 1 inch long by 1 inch broad. They grow pair-wise upon the ends of the small twigs. The tree bears cones from 2 to 4 inches in length. These are simultaneously found in the most different stages of development, so that it is impossible to assign the flowering season to any particular month of the year. It is the only indigenous Conifer of New Zealand. All parts of the tree contain large quantities of a peculiar kind of rosin, which when it flows from the wood is quite transparent, of a white colour, and strongly opalescent; with age it acquires a beautiful amber colour. The rosin is rather brittle than hard, is easily crushed, is of a bitter astringent taste, and possesses a very small specific gravity. It is very inflammable and burns with a bright flame, giving forth thick clouds of smoke. This Kauri gum, as it is called, is frequently found in large quantities at a depth of 3 or 9 feet underground, upon the eastern slopes of the hills, which in early times must have been almost all clothed with Kauri forests.

Of late years this gum has become an important article of exportation for New Zealand, as it is much employed in the manufacture of varnish, and in this respect has entirely superseded copal. Its price in the European markets, of course, depends wholly upon its quality, and varies between £10 and £120 per ton. These high prices have naturally made gum

digging an important department of colonial industry; it is, however, a very wearisome occupation, requires much patience, and the results depend entirely upon chance. The rosin which flows in astonishingly large quantities from the trunk and stump of a freshly-felled tree has scarcely any value in commerce, as it is impossible to congeal it either by artificial heat or otherwise without destroying its essential properties; yet when submitted to a process of distillation it yields a superior sort of oil resembling spirits of turpentine. The leaves of the tree also contain a fine ethereal oil. The trees are usually felled shortly before the beginning of the rainy season, and cut upon the spot into logs of from 20 to 32 feet in length. The mountainous nature of the country renders their transport to the coast impossible for cattle, and, consequently, the vicinity of a mountain stream is always selected as the basis of operations. Across the mouth of this stream, which flows either into a larger river or directly into the sea, a strong dam is constructed in order to gather all the water. When all the timber required has been cut down and rolled into the valley, and if there is water enough to float it off the dam is opened and the logs, often many thousands in number, shoot down into the larger creek or direct into the sea, whence they are then conveyed to the respective saw-mills. It frequently, however, happens that the dam has not been sufficiently secured, or that too much water has gathered and a premature departure of the logs takes place. In such cases the loss to the owners is often very heavy, as the logs are driven far out to sea, or, perhaps, entirely lost.

The first rank amongst the timbers of New Zealand is held by that of the Kauri. It is usually divided into two sorts, red and white. Like almost all the timbers of the country, it possesses the peculiarity of contracting or expanding in length as well as in breadth with the various changes in temperature. When converted into planks the wood has in general a smooth compact appearance, free from all knots and scars, and is of a very close grain. The quantity of rosin contained by it causes it, especially the red variety, to give way rapidly under strong pressure. On account of this brittleness it is not easily worked, and requires to be well seasoned before being cut up, especially if the tree has not been thoroughly "bled." It requires to be particularly sorted for joinery, which trouble, however, is richly rewarded, as pieces are to be found which in beauty of grain and wavy lines far surpass mahogany, and also take on a fine polish. For naval requirements there is scarcely any other tree which can be compared with the Kauri. For these purposes it is exported in great quantities, as its durability, its length, and its elasticity have procured for it the first place in the favour of ship-builders.-X.

AURICULAS AT SOUTH KENSINGTON ON MAY 7th.

THE very exceptional character of the season may be gathered from the fact that while, as a rule, Auriculas are at their best about the 20th of April, there were so few exhibited at the last meeting. At this meeting three weeks afterwards there was a very good collection, and as far as I am personally concerned I can safely say I never remember such a time. Two of the plants I exhibited to-day were shown three weeks ago, and of some kinds, such as Richard Headly and Lancashire Hero, I had only one plant to send. The only regret one can feel is that there are not more competitors; and if people would only believe that a simple and natural course of treatment will insure for them good and healthy plants, I think there would be a larger number of persons taking pleasure in the growth

of one of our most beautiful and refined flowers.

rate stage plant, although wanting in some of the points necessary for a show flower; there is too much colour, and the colour is apt to run out to the edge, but there is such an attractiveness about it that it will be sure to be a favourite for the home stage, especially as it has such a good habit and constitution. Charles Edward Brown, which I myself exhibited, and to which a first-class certificate was awarded, is a seedling of Mr. Headly's, the raiser of George Lightbody, and is a flower of great refinement. It was sent out by the late Mr. Lightbody a year or two before his death, but has never been exhibited in the south before. It is unquestionably one of great merit, very smooth and circular, the eye and paste both good, and the colour well defined; it was also exhibited by Mr. James, but not in good condition. Lightbody's Sir Charles Napier was shown in a good state; it is a peculiarly neat flower, with a well defined grey edge, and in this state is deserving of a very high place in the florist's estimation. I sent up with the plant of Charles Edward Brown a very extraordinary bloom of Fletcher's Ne Plus Ultra, for which I cannot account. It was a truss of five pips, each pip measuring more than 2 inches across, with an immense amount of colour and great coarseness of texture. I do not grow my flowers richly, never give them any liquid manure, and I think I may say that their general condition is not so much of size as of great refinement. This plant received the same treatment as the rest, and yet it produced this truss, which anyone would have pronounced to be the effect of over-stimulating; but the strange thing is that the plant did the same last year, so that it is one of those sports for which there is no accounting. Popplewell's Conqueror, an old and generally coarse flower, I had very good; in fact, a veteran in Auricula-growing, Mr. Butcher, of Camberwell, told me that he had never had it so good and refined. The best of all those shown was George Lightbody, as, indeed, it was last year, and I question if ever a flower will be raised to beat it. I had another curious flower in my lot, a perfect gem, Lancashire Hero, which generally comes as a grey-edge, but was in this case a pure pale green. It was gratifying to Auricula-growers to see the manner in which the flowers were admired by those who were without the pale, but who were attracted by the peculiar beauty and singular colouring; and although many of the observations were such as made one smile, yet it could not be maliciously, for their expressions were the index of true admiration. Let us hope the time may come when there shall be such gatherings for competition as one remembers in early days, when the "Horns" at Kennington used to be filled with eager exhibitors and appreciative visitors.-D., Deal.

BESSIE JOHNSON ROSE.

IN a recent issue of your valued paper some remark was made to the effect that the new Hybrid Perpetual Rose Bessie Johnson was too similar in colour to Abel Grand. Being myself a grower of Roses and successful exhibitor, and having had abundant opportunity of judging as to the distinctness of this truly beautiful and sweet Rose, allow me to state that I have seen it at the Devon Rosery in quantity, both under glass and in the open air, side by side with Abel Grand, and can assert that it is quite distinct from that Rose, being a true pale blush in hue, between La France and the superb but scentless Madame Rothschild. It is superior in shape to Abel Grand, and surpassingly fragrant. I feel sure Messrs. Curtis will exhibit their beautiful Rose at the Crystal Palace, so as to fully settle the question of its distinctness. Bessie Johnson will, undoubtedly, prove a great acquisition and a general favourite, it has so many desirable qualities-size, colour, extreme sweetness, hardihood, and a fine habit, never giving a barren shoot.-ROBERT ROBSON, Torre Park, Torquay.

THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S SHOW AT BATH.