A.agu3i 7, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOHTIGULXUBE AXD COTTAGE GABDESEK. 



101 



that is what in the gardening world may sound something 

 like heresy ; nevertheless, I reuture to ask this qiiestion, Are 

 we right, when describing mixtures for growing choice plants, 

 in recommending a mixture of peat and loam ? I have given 

 up the practice for many years and never use such a mixture. 

 Soils intermediate in character between these two are plentiful 

 enough, and where these can bo had they are umjuestionably 

 better than the mechanical mixture. I am not sure that some 

 other of our mixtures are not likewise open to objection. In 

 conclusion I will remark, that a study of the soils which form 

 the outer covering of our country is worthy of more attention 

 than it has hitherto received. — J. Eobsos. 



THE CULTURE OF HARDY AND HALF-HAEDY 

 ORCHIDS. 



It has often occurred to me that these plants should be more 

 ■generally cultivated than is at present the case, more especially 

 as many of them are, when well grown, scarcely less beautiful 

 than the more expensive epiphytes of our Orchid houses. 

 Terrestrial Orchids ought, as a general rule, never to be dis- 

 turbed when making their growth, or in the flowering state ; 

 still I know from experience that many gardeners continually 

 receive them from their employers or theii- friends, who 

 happen to be traveUing on the continent when these beautiful 

 plaats are in flower. The best way of collecting these plants 

 is tv) mark them when in flower, and afterwards to remove them 

 when the foUage has died off, and the tubers are thoroughly 

 ripe and dormant. They (the tubers) should be carefully packed 

 in moist earth or sphagnum during transit, and must be potted 

 off as soon as received at homo. The soil best suited for their 

 requirements is strong fibrous loam, with a mixture of leaf 

 mould and coarse sand ; other species, as many of the Ophrys 

 and Cypripediums, affect a chalky soil, or lumps of limestoue 

 may be broken and mixed with the fibrous or turfy compost. 

 The pots should be well drained, and the soil pressed firmly 

 around the tubers, after which plunge the pots in ashes, sand, 

 or cocoa-nut fibre, in a cold frame, where they may remain all 

 ■winter ; all the attention they will require is to keep the soil 

 moderately moist, nothing being more injurious than to let 

 them get dust-dry. In a state of nature all bulbs and tubers 

 get a copious supply of water during the winter season, or 

 while they are at rest ; and I have often thought that the 

 reason many cultivators fail in growing these plants is, because 

 ihey dry them off during the winter months. The pots should 

 be protected during heavy rains and severe frosts, either by 

 having the glazed hghts drawn on, or an oil-cloth spread over 

 the pit or frame in which they are plunged. 



The foregoing instructions may be followed out in the case 

 of rare or deUcate continental species ; but many of the British 

 and American species may be planted out in the rock garden or 

 herbaceous border, and will in most cases be found to succeed 

 to perfection. One of the most beautiful of all hardy terrestrial 

 species, Cypripadium spectabile, grows vigorously planted out 

 in a peat bed on a cool clay bottom ; while our only British 

 species, 0. Calceolns, grows bestiuaohalky loam, fully exposed 

 to the cast, bat sheltered from the midday sun. In Messrs. 

 Backhouse & Son's nurseries at York, these two beautiful 

 species grow vigorously and flower profusely every summer, 

 along with many species of Orchis and other continental 

 Orchids. When these plants are grown outside, select a parti- 

 ally shaded spot well furni.shed with other herbaceous plants, 

 and plant the tubers 5 or fj inches below the surface ; they will 

 find their way through in due time, and will not suffer from 

 the vicissitudes of the weather as they would if planted just 

 below the surface of the ground. The contiguity of other her- 

 baceous plants prevents undue evaporation from the soil in 

 which th' y are planted. During winter a mulching of short 

 litter, leaves, or manure, will protect them both from frost and 

 cold rains. 



I sincerely hope these beautiful plants will meet with every 

 encouragement in our gardens, for amongst terrestrial Orchids 

 there are many species not yet introduced to our collections 

 that will bear comparison with the choicest epiphyte in point 

 of beauty and' fragrance. At the same time they miy be grown 

 without the unpleasant heat and extra labour required by 

 tropical species.— B. (in Tlu Gardener.) 



DiSEASK AMOxa THR AfPLE Tbees im theNuoahv District. — 

 The Lockport Journal makes some statements about a disease 

 whieh does not appear to belong to the Apple " scare," so com- 



mon about this season. Niagara is one of the largest, pro- 

 bably the largest, Apple-growing county in the State of New 

 York. The above journal says a disease is prevailing in the 

 orchards there that has destroyed many trees. It manifests 

 itself in a curling of the leaves ; the bark dies, then the body 

 of the trees dies upwards about a foot from the ground ; the 

 disease also extends iuto the roots several feet, and kills the 

 whole tree ; the bark tightens and adheres firmly to the 

 tree, and does not crack or peel. There seems to be no per- 

 ceptible cause for fatality among the Apple trees ; no grubs 

 can be fouud nor anything else that would be likely to destroy. 

 About fifteen trees in a splendid orchard belonging to Mr. 

 Geo. W. Tower, in the town of Porter, have been attacked 

 with this disease and kUled. The trees were from fifteen to 

 twenty years old. Several other instances in various towns are 

 mentioned where fine, healthy Apple trees have been destroyed 

 in Uke manner. 



WHAT I KNOW OF PRUNING. 



A THEORY as to pruning fruit trees, whieh has many recent 

 advocates, is that the trees be suffered to grow as they please. 

 To this there is earnest protest from careful cultivators. I 

 doubt whether those who condemn pruning mean what they 

 say — that is, that they would not cut out a single limb ; if they 

 do, it seems to me they do not understand the nature of trees. 

 I suspect that they are beginners, and that when they come to 

 know more they will change their views. I grant that the no- 

 pruning theory has, nevertheless, some able advocates, men 

 who really understand their business, but I doubt whether 

 they would include Peach and all kinds of Apple trees. It is 

 customary for the gardener in the Capitol Grounds at Wash- 

 ington to show Pear trees which, it is alleged, have never been 

 pruned, and they look like it, but they bear well and are in a 

 thrifty condition. It is to be noted that it is only Pear trees 

 which are shown, so that the theory in this instance seems only 

 applied to these trees. I grant that there are some varieties of 

 Apple trees, slow growers and upright in habit, which need no 

 pruning, and whieh probably will do better without it. But 

 there are other sorts, having a bushy growth, which send out 

 suckers and branches in every direction, and which, if per- 

 mitted to have their way, will make a jungle of branches 

 wholly unfitted for bearing fruit. If fruit does set it wUl be 

 small, and being covered with foliage, will be without colour or 

 flavour. To say that such varieties do not need pruning ia 

 absurd. It might as well be said that it is of no advantage to 

 theu- fruit. What may be true of a variety that grows slowly 

 and that makes dense hard wood even under high cultivation, 

 cannot be true of a variety that grows like a weed, all its pores 

 overflowing with sap, and the wood of which is spongy. Of 

 this last class the Peach has a resemblance. So that the whole 

 question resolves itself into a consideration of varieties, and 

 the conditions of the case. There is no such thing as having 

 one rule applicable to different conditions. A man must have 

 judgment and sense. We may say, then, that the natural 

 habit of a tree is to be considered, and that it should have its 

 bent, providing it is not at the expense of fruit. Interfering 

 branches, superfluous limbs and suckers never can be allowed, 

 and whenever a good fruit-grower sees them he will cut thom 

 away. — Amateur (in New York Tribune.) 



THE BEAUTIFUL AND USEFUL INSECTS OP 

 OUB GARDENS.— No. 7. 



I AM afraid the meteorological tables pubUshod in Britain at 

 the time of the Boman invasion, some 1900 years ago, were 

 not very correct, or else our climate has considerably changed, 

 and got much warmer (whieh is contrary to geological theories), 

 otherwise the soldiers would never have thought of bringing 

 with them the seed of a Nettle, presumably Urtica piluhfera. 

 Their notion was, according to old Camden, that they could 

 sow this plant, and as its growth was rapid, they would soon 

 be furnished with an agreeable stimulating application, with 

 which they could rub themselves when they found the cold 

 weather trying, as they had been led to expect. Tastes differ ; 

 and we moderns find the sting of U. pilulifera a little too 

 virulent to be preferable even to the endurance of some 

 amount of cold. But, possibly the story is after all a canard 

 of Camden's ; historians have been known to lie. 



But I have been led to connect this anecdoto with insect 

 life. The assertion that certain biting or stinging insects have, 

 as part of the business of their lives, the duty of attacking us 



