30 CULTIVATION OF ORCHIS LONGICORNU. 



though pruned with a knife, and budded on a plum-stock, might 

 not live and thrive for an indefinite number of years. 



As regards the Apricot-tree, Mr. T. A. Knight entertained a 

 notion that the short duration of the Moorpark trees arose in a 

 great measure from its unnatural connection with the plum-stock ; 

 and many years ago he pointed out to me, in his own garden, the 

 greater healthiness of a particular tree on an Apricot-stock than 

 that of another tree growing beside it which had been worked upon 

 a plum-stock. As the Apricot does not thrive in the light sandy 

 soil of this garden, I determined upon trying Mr. Knight's plan, 

 and with that view I sowed a few stones of several sorts of 

 Apricots. Four young plants thus obtained were planted against 

 a wall for the purpose of being budded with the Moorpark ; 

 finding, however, that they exhibited unequivocal symptoms of a 

 delicate constitution, I did not bud them, but trained their 

 branches to the wall till they produced fruit. One of these trees 

 is a genuine Moorpark, and already some of its principal branches 

 have perished by that peculiar disease which detracts so much 

 from the value of the otherwise excellent variety ; thus proving 

 that mis-alliance is not the cause of the disease in question. Of 

 the other trees, one is a Breda, one an orange, and the third an 

 inferior variety of Moorpark ; this last also shows symptoms of the 

 same malady. This experiment seems also to show that some 

 varieties of Apricot can be reproduced from seed. 



V. — On the Cultivation of Orchis longicornu. By William 

 Barnes, Camden Nursery, Camberwell. 



(Communicated November 18th, 1852.) 



Among the many plants now cultivated for ornamenting the 

 conservatory as well as for purposes of exhibition, none, perhaps, 

 have excited more admiration when in bloom than this delightful 

 species of Orchis. I have had collections of plants under my 

 care for these twenty years past, which have been considered by 

 competent judges to be second to none, as far as cultivation was 

 concerned, but among all I have had to deal with, none have 

 been so satisfactory as the plant now under consideration. I have 

 grown it successfully for nineteen years, and I have always 

 observed that however gay my show-house or conservatory may 

 have been, with all the gems that usually occupy such structures, 



