30 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. [ Januaiy 11, 1872. 



nook by themselves, but I could 

 not, owing to want of time, 

 inspect this collection as I very 

 much wished to do. 



No doubt most of your 

 readers ai-e aware that this 

 place owes its celebrity to the 

 extensive and select collection 

 of Orchids which Mr. Dawson 

 has collected, and which is now 

 under the care of Mr. Ander- 

 son, his able gardener. The 

 Orchid houses are numerous, 

 principally span-roofed, with 

 fixed upright sashes. Ventila- 

 tion is obtained from the apex 

 of the roof, and from ventila- 

 tors in the .side walls, fixed in 

 such a position that the air is 

 warmed by passing over the hot- 

 water pipes before it reaches 

 the plants. In the narrow 

 span-roofed houses, 12 feet 

 wide and under, the internal 

 arrangement consists of thick 

 sandstone slabs down each side 

 with a path in the centre. 



There are several larger houses of the same description, two 

 of which are used as show houses, one for cool-house Orchids, 

 and the other for those requiring the temperature of the East- 

 India house. These houses have a stage in the centre and 

 one round the sides and ends. 



The first house I entered was 65 feet by 12 feet, in two 

 divisions. In one compartment was a collection of AmaryUis, 

 a class of plants which 'Mr. Anderson has taken in hand, and 

 of which he also possesses many seedUngs from cross-impreg- 

 nated flowers. This is a class of plants not so much culti- 

 vated as they deserve to be. They cross readily with kindred 

 species, and are easily raised from seed. The form of the 

 flowers has been much improved by crossing with Hippeastrum 

 parduium, as witness the splendid flowers in the hands of 

 the Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, such as A. Chelsoni, A. Leo- 

 poldi, &c. 



Passing into the next division we find an East-India tempe- 

 rature, in which are different species of Phalajnopsis, such as 

 P. SchUleriaua, of which there is a magnificent specimen. 

 This plant, with P. amabUis and P. grandiflora, should be m 

 all plant stoves where a night temperature of 60' can be 

 maintained during winter. In some collections of Orchids 

 the Phatenopsids are sometimes to be found in bad condi- 

 tion. I have charge of a fine specimen of P. grandiflora, which 

 came under my care five years ago in bad health ; it was re- 

 moved from the compost in which it was growing at that time 

 and the roots washed, it was then fastened to a block of wood 

 with some fresh sphagnum round the roots. The block was 

 placed in a pot, the space between the block and sides of the 

 pot being fiUed-in with clean potsherds, and the surface covered 

 with fresh sphagnum up to, but not over, the roots. The plant 

 has made steady progress ever since. All the treatment it has 

 received has consisted in giving it a little fresh sphagnum 

 once a-year. The roots ramble over and clasp round the pot, 

 but they are in no way disturbed. A successful exhibitor said 

 to me the other day when I was admiring his healthy stock of 

 Phalienopsis, " If you want to grow them well, do not disturb 

 the roots as long as the plants are healthy. I only dip the 

 baskets in water once a-week." At the time of my visit to 

 Meadowbank on September 20th, P. cornu-cervi and P. rosea 

 were in flower. 



The Cattleya house also contains grand specimens of this 

 ffl.mil y ; indeed, what struck me most in looldng over this 

 collection of Orchids, was the size of the individual specimens 

 and the number of flowers they produce. It is also very 

 evident that no inferior vai-ieties have a place. For instance, 

 in conversing with Mr. Anderson about Cattleya Warneri, we 

 agreed that many inferior forms of it exist in the country. 

 The same may be said of many others. I have not yet seen a 

 bad variety of Cattleya exoniensis, yet, fine though it is, a 

 particular specimen I saw in flower here was surpassmgly 

 beautiful. Cattleya citrina was grown both on blocks and in 

 pots. It does best on blocks, with the leaves hanging down- 

 waids. Odontoglossum citrosmum was thriving in the Cattleya 

 house ; it requires more heat than other Odontoglots. 



Odoutoglossum citrosmmn 



