December i, 1884.] THE TROPIC nt AGRICULTURIST. 



487 



THE INDIAN GAEDENEE: 



A FORTNIGHTLY JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE IN ALL ITS 

 BRANCHES. 



AV"e some time ago acknowledged receipt of the first 

 number of this interesting journal. The introductory article 

 states : — 



The necessity of a journal devoted to Horticulture, in 

 all its branches has, we believe, been generally felt by 

 those who take any interest in Gardening in India ; and 

 it seems strange that hitherto no attempt has ever been 

 made to supply this want. The Tea Planter, Indigo Planter, 

 Agriculturist, Sportsman, the Clergy, and even the Medical 

 Faculty, each have their own special Journal, and yet the 

 one pursuit that dates back to the days of Adam — that 

 gives unlimited pleasure alike to rich and poor, to all creeds 

 and colours, that forms also a means of health-giving recre- 

 ation to those who take an active part in its pursuits, that 

 surrounds our homes with beautiful objects, forming a 

 cheerful and pleasing panorama on which the eye may 

 always rest with delight and never weary in doing so, bring- 

 ing in fact the noblest and most sublime works of the 

 whole creation to our very doors, — 



Where'er we turn our - willing eyes 

 Some floweret sweetly beams, 

 Some spirit breathes congenial sighs, 

 And earth the richer seems ; 



and last, but not least, supplies us with a large share of 

 daily food — this, of all others, has been left neglected and 

 uucared for ; doomed to struggle on, unaided by any organ 

 to proclaim either its beauties and unlimited resources, or 

 to assist the uninitiated and unlearned, not only iu giving 

 the knowledge essential to success, but also to induce him 

 to take an increasing interest in its studies. 



The many English Gardening Periodicals are undoubtedly 

 of great value in keeping us well informed regarding the 

 hosts of new plants that are being continually introduced ; 

 but as a guide to the practical part of the work pertain- 

 ing to a garden, are of little value to the resident in this 

 country, where we must adopt special means and measures 

 to meet the difference in climate and seasons. Another 

 drawback to some of these journals being of much pract- 

 ical utility to the amateur, is the fact that many of their 

 contributors write as it were from a lofty pinnacle, giving 

 forth their knowledge to the world emblazoned with every 

 possible botanical term, when their meaning could frequently 

 be much better expressed in plain English, forgetting, of 

 course, that the majority of their readers have not had 

 the opportunity they had probably enjoyed of continually 

 feasting on the works of our most eminent botanical author- 

 ities without restraint. 



It will be our constant aim to avoid falling into this 

 error, and we shall studiously endeavour, at all times, to 

 say what we have to say in a plain practical manner, 

 avoiding the use of all superfluous Latin terms and tech- 

 nicalities, believing that in so doing, we shall be studying 

 the wishes and interests of the majority of our readers, 

 and consequently, at the same time, our own. In no pur- 

 suit or avocation is the old adage of " an ounce of practice 

 being worth a pound of theory " more applicable than to 

 horticulture, and in dealing with the multifarious subjects 

 that will appear in our pages, the object will always be 

 to give practical results rather than to propound new 

 theories. 



Tin a is a good article on Horticulture in India, from 

 which we quote as follows: — 



Another drawback, is the difficulty, we might almost say 

 the impossibility, of procuring really skilful labour, although 

 it must be admitted that the native mallee lias improved 

 almost to as great an extent as our gardens, since the 

 days of Firminger, his infirmities or vices, however, have 

 kept pace with the development of his abilities. From 

 our own personal experience, we should say " carefully 

 avoi4 tin- very clever Mallee," ' and especially so if he 

 shows any great ability in acquiring the names of plants 

 committed to his charge, for in almost every instance we 

 may be assured that the knowledge thus acquired will be 

 used to his own pecuniary advautage, and not for the 

 benefit of his employer. In support of our opinion, we 

 may mention the fact that some of the proprietors of our 

 leading nurseries make it a practice to change all their 



gardeners every six or twelve months, or at least before 

 they have acquired sufficient insight into the value of 

 plants to enable them to use it as a source of profit to 

 tlh mselves. 



Under the head of Ornamental Foliage Plants, the Croton 

 receives elaborate treatment. AVe quote as follows: 



The Croton still stands out pre-eminently as the plant 

 of plants for our Indian gardens; and notwithstanding the 

 immense number of new species and varieties of other 

 plants and shrubs that have been introduced since the 

 Oroton first found a place therein, it is doubtful if amongst 

 the whole of them a more generally useful plant can be 

 found. It thrives both in sunshine and shade, and not 

 bring fastidious as to soil, it can be used almost in any 

 situation. Planted out however in the ground in a part- 

 ially-shaded spot, it is seen to most advantage ; and where 

 it has room for full development, attains a large size. A 

 well-grown Croton properly coloured is indeed a beautiful 

 object, and has this advautage over flowering shrubs that 

 it retains its beauty throughout the year. For associating 

 with other plants in shrubberies, borders, or beds, it is 

 also well adapted, and by a careful use of the knife, it 

 can be easily kept in bounds, without hi any way impair- 

 ing its beauty, by giving it a trimmed-up appearance. 

 In a long article on the culture of the Dahlia, it is 

 stated : — 



There is, however, a course by which the Dahlia may 

 be grown by us in all its beauty and perfection, and it 

 is such a simple one that the wonder is that it has not 

 been generally adopted years since. Tliis is to procure the 

 tubers from Australia, where nearly all the best English 

 varieties can be easily obtained; their season of rest there, 

 which is from May to October, exactly adapts them for 

 this country, and if tubers are ordered to be despatched 

 by the end ol August, they will arrive here in good time 

 for planting out at the end of October or early in Nov- 

 ember. ~\Ye have tried this experiment for some years, 

 and with unqualified success. 



Pansy or Heartsease is also the subject of a long paper. 

 An article on Orchids is specially fidl and interesting 

 commencing thus: — 



It is less than a century and a half ago that the first 

 species of epiphytal Orchid was introduced into England 

 by Rumphius, from the isiand of Amboyna, in the Indian 

 Archipelago, previous to which the glorious luxuriance of 

 our tropical forests with their innumerable species of won- 

 derful fungi, lichens, Alices, epiphytal, and other plants, 

 had often been related by eastern explorers, but little 

 credence was given .o them ; and it was not till that 

 lovely orchid Phalamopsis amabMa was introduced in 1763 

 that the botanical authorities of the time would condescend 

 to believe in the reality of epiphytal plants, or even to 

 notice them iu their works. Gradually, but surely, how- 

 ever, tVom the commencement of the present century, the 

 number of species introduced lias continued to increase 

 till at the present time there are upwards of four thou- 

 sand known varieties. It was not, however, till about 

 twenty years siuce that any very great interest was evinced 

 in their cultivation in Europe ; and now it seems probable 

 that it will become almost as much of a mania in Eng- 

 land :.s the cultivation of the Tulip was in Holland some 

 two centuries ago. During the past two or three years 

 sevi . 'I large private collections have been disposed ol at 

 home by auction, and have realized sums varying from 

 five to ten thousand pounds, individual plants realizing 

 from one hundred to one hundred and eighty pounds each. 



It is shewn that the sub-ranges of the Himalayas are 

 especially rich in these curious plants. 

 Again : — 



In its native habitat it is remarkable how much the 

 flowers of different plants vary in depth of colour. A 

 writer, speaking of Saccoldbium />•',> licvlatum found in this 

 locality, says the white variety is exceedingly pretty, bear- 

 ing a single spike, whilst rvbrum, a variety of the 

 is often branched. I am inclined to think, he says, that 

 the difference in these two plants is caused by the d 

 cut elevations at which they are found; low down it is 

 nearly white, increasing in depth of colour as the b 

 altitude of 6,000 feet is reached. 



Residents in Ceylon must have noticed this variation iu 

 the blossoms of the common parasitic plant Loranthus. 

 The blossoms in the lowcountry on the damp south-western 



