FOREIGN NOTICES. 



DiSA GRANDiFLORA. — Among the many striking instances of horticultural skill, exhibited at the 

 last meeting at Chiswick, nothing attracted more attention than a terrestrial Orchid, well known 

 to amateurs under the title of Disa grandijlora. From among some grassy leaves this gorgeous 

 plant sends up a stem bearing erect some three or four ilowers, each as large as a lady's hand, 

 and of the richest crimson, melting into yellow. 



It occurs at the Cape of Good Ilope, and in no other part of the world. In that colony its 

 favorite haunt is Table Mountain, where, according to Dr. Harvey, it is so common that every 

 stream is litei'ally bordered with it in March. Sir Joun IIerschel tells us that the temperature 

 of the situation where it occurs is occasionally as low as 31^°, and also occasionally as high as 

 96i°. It lives on the borders of pools of standing water, the drainage of the boggy slopes of 

 the mountain, in which its roots are immersed. These are dry or nearly so in summer. But it 

 is frequently involved in the dense mists of the clouds, which, even in the hottest months, often 

 prevail for a week or fortnight at a time. 



These facts, and his own observations, appear to have suggested to Mr. Leacii that skilful 

 course of treatment which has led him to such entire success. How he proceeds we learn from 

 a letter with which he has favored us : 



"I would say that my success in growing it has, I think, resulted simply from treating it as a 

 greenhouse plant, and not drying it off for rest, as is usually done with Cape bulbs. I have not 

 yet been able to perceive that my plant has ever been perfectly at rest ; leaves seem either to be 

 lengthening or offsets coming up — it was this peculiarity which determined me upon continuing 

 to give it water all the year round — moderately, of course, during winter, while the thermome- 

 ter was ranging between 35° and 45°, arid freely during the other parts of the year. 



" I suspect that, in its native habitats, though long continued heat and drouth may cause all 

 foliage to die down, the roots, nevertheless, in the ravines where I understand it grows, remain 

 continually moist. With me, however, a change of habit seems to take place, and the offsets of 

 last autumn and winter become the flowering plants, not of this, but of next year ; while those 

 now in flower will die down, leaving an abundance of plants, scarcely half grown, and followed 

 soon afterward by fresh offsets. 



" Rough fibrous peat is the soil I use, with a good portion of silver sand ; good drainage, of 

 course — and, from the results I have obtained, I see no reason why tliis very beautiful species 

 should not be fcmnd in the greenhouses of every one disposed to bestow the same care upon it 

 which he gives to his Geraniums, and such like plants." 



In this belief we concur, provided always a master's eye is present, to insure the plant against 

 that neglect or forgetfulness which kill more fine plants in a year than merely bad cultivation 

 in a century. — Gardener^^ Chronicle. 



Japanese Apricot. — We learn from the Touinhouw Flora that the Dutch have succeeded in 

 fruiting the Japanese Apricot, called by botanists Prunus (or Armeniaca) Hume. A colored 

 figure in the same work gives so good an idea of the plant that, as an undoubtedly distinct species 

 of hardy fruit tree, the time has arrived for bringing it into notice in this country. 



The firrt account we have of this Eastern fruit is to be found in K-empker, who calls it B-ri, or 

 Ume, and Ume bos. He calls it a wild s])iny Plum with a large fruit, and adds tliat the fruits 

 preserved in the lees of sacJcl or Japanese beer {Ccrcvisia japonensis), are exported to India and 

 China. In 1835 Siebold and Zuccarini, in their work on Japanese plants, entered into particu- 

 lars. We give the substance of the statement made by these authors, who call the plant Mume, 

 and give Sai as its Chinese name. "The ifumh is found through all, the empire of Jajian, but 

 thrives best in the northern parts, where it grows fifteen or twenty feet high, and much resem- 

 bles an European Apricot tree. When wild or planted in hedgerows it is a close branching bush, 

 from eight to twelve feet high. It is much cultivated for the sake of its flowers as well as its 

 fruits. In good seasons the tree is in flower in the beginning of February, and is then used for 

 decorating the altars and dwellings of the Japanese, as a symbol of the return of spring. In the 

 lant tlie flowers are white ; when cultivated they vary through every shade of ro; 

 even becoming greenish or yellowish. Those most highly valued are the double sorts, 



