286 THE GARDENER. [June 



other day, plants of " Odontoglossum maxillarium and 0. Alexandra were 

 pointed out to him which had been potted in common garden earth, just as a 

 cottager would pot a Fuchsia for his window. These had been grown among 

 other plants in a hothouse, and had made bulbs larger than those of the pre- 

 vious year." It may be mentioned that we have seen thousands of the Odonto- 

 glossum roots — chiefly 0. Alexandras, gloriosa, triumphans, and others — just 

 as they came out of the ship and as they had been gathered, and we have 

 often thought, from the debris still adhering to the roots, that the plants did 

 not look as if they had been grown in such a compost as sphagnum, but in stones 

 and soil, kept moist probably by copious rainfalls during their season of growth. 

 Some of the plants had dead flower-stems on them, that must, when plump and 

 fresh, have been as round and plump as one's finger, and some feet in height, 

 the stump left being some 9 inches long. There is nothing to complain of in 

 the success attained by our hothouse methods of culture, but if such plants can 

 be grown successfully in common garden soil, it will simplify their culture to 

 some extent. While on this subject, we notice that your old and valued corre- 

 spondent, Mr F. W. Burbidge, is contributing an account of his experiences as 

 a collector of Orchids to one of your contemporaries. Would that plant- 

 collectors had sooner begun to tell us of the conditions under which the plants 

 they sent home were found growing naturally. Thousands and thousands of 

 plants have been sent home from time to time simply to be killed, because the 

 necessary information as to their habits and conditions of existence did not 

 accompany them. The reticence of collectors on this head has hitherto been 

 wholly inexplicable. Reader. 



GARRYA ELLIPTICA. 

 About a year ago a correspondence was carried on in the pages of a 

 contemporary regarding the hardiness of this well-known shrub, which 

 was disputed by some of the writers. Looking at its adaptation for 

 general planting from a climatic point of view, it appears to thrive 

 well under very different conditions in this respect. When on a visit 

 to Ardmillan Gardens about the middle of March, two fine specimens 

 were brought under my notice which were loaded with half-developed 

 flowers. Being interested to see such fine specimens of this favourite 

 shrub, I took the liberty of stepping round them for the purpose of 

 getting some idea of their dimensions, and calculated the circumference 

 of each plant at about 25 yards, I thought it a pity to see such fine 

 plants maltreated to such an extent with the knife, as they presented 

 almost a hedge-like appearance. 



In your April number Mr Garret informs us of a plant of Garrya 

 elliptica at Whittinghame of nearly the same dimensions as those I 

 have referred to, also doing well. As the difference of the mean 

 temperature on the coast of south Ayrshire, where Ardmillan is situ- 

 ated, and that of East Lothian, is considerable, particularly in winter, 

 it may reasonably be inferred that whatever be the conditions un- 

 favourable to success in the cultivation of the shrub in question, 

 climate is not a matter of so much importance as may often be 

 attached to it. D. Mackie. 



