October 23, 1873. ] 



JOtJENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



513 



they infest the house, but these pests should not be allowed 

 to exist, for if a continual war is waged against them they may 

 soon be exterminated, and upon the introduction of any new 

 specimen to the collection it should be immersed in a pail of 

 tepid water, which will not injure the plant, but which will 

 cause any of these marauders to issue from thcu' lurking 

 places. Orchids do not breed these insects, and if a little 

 extra vigilance be displayed in searching for them, I see no 

 reason why Orchid houses should be more infested with these 

 tropical pests than an ordinary plant stove. 



To resume, however. I would advise the use of perforated 

 pots for the cultivation of Aerides, and, instead of loading 

 them with large quantities of potsherds, prefer at any rate the 

 greater portion of the drainage material to be composed of 

 lumps of charcoal. This remark, indeed, will apply with equal 

 force to any and every Orchid grown in a pot. In potting, use 

 cleui, sweet, and living sphagnum moss, and press it down 

 tolerably firm. I have found that Ai'rides sometimes shrivel 

 and die in a most unaccountable manner. When this symptom 

 of bad health sets in, turn the plant out and cut the base of 

 the stem through. In all probability it will be found that the 

 centre is decayed ; this must be followed up until sound growth 

 is reached. The plant should be placed upon a block of wood, 

 and receive extra attention until it recovers. My first know- 

 ledge of this disease was in the case of the original plant of 

 A. Schriideri, which died under my hands, but I have always 

 been able to arrest its progress whenever it has occurred to me 

 since, because I have taken it in time. 



The various members of this genus are also liable to become 

 infested with a small brown scale ; if it make its appearance, 

 ■wash it off carefully with hot water and soft soap. From the 

 manner in which many plants are imported into this country, it 

 would seem to be the normal condition of some plants to be 

 clothed with a gootUy number of these pests. Another kind 

 of insect also sadly disfigures the plants if not exterminated 

 as soon as seen ; it causes the bases of the leaves to turn to a 

 dnll copper colour, and they ultimately fall off. Washing 

 ■with Abyssinian mixture I have found an effectual cure for 

 this worst of pests, but it must be well followed up, or it will 

 allow some to escape and perpetuate their work of disfigura- 

 tion and destruction. I much prefer washing to fumigating 

 any plants of this order ; indeed, from observation I am in- 

 clined to the belief that whenever Acrides or Vandas are 

 fumigated they lose some of their lower leaves soon afterwards. 

 I shoiUd like to know if any of my readers have observed the 

 same occur with their plants. 



A. ODORATCM MA.irs. — This is at once the commonest and 

 most fragrant species of the whole genus, and is an old inhabitant 

 of our plant bouses. It is erect in growth , bearing broad bright 

 green leaves, which are arranged in a distichous or two-ranked 

 manner, and unequally truncate at the ends. The spikes of 

 bloom issue from the sides of the stem, near the axOs of the 

 sheathing leaves ; they are drooping, many- flowered, and about 

 a foot long. The flowers are large and fleshy, waxy-white, the 

 tips of the sepals and petals being stained with pink ; they are 

 very fragrant, usually produced daring May and June, and last 

 several weeks in full beauty. No collection of Orchids should 

 lack this free-blooming sweet-scented plant. It seems to be 

 widely distributed throughout the cooler parts of the mainland 

 of India. 



A. ODORATDM runpCRAscENs. — The name of the preceding 

 kind at once implies that it is a superior form of the original 

 species, and this again is another, but so entirely distinct 

 from the last that both may be grown with propriety even in 

 very small collections. In growth this variety is erect and 

 very vigorous ; the leaves are two-ranked, broader and longer 

 than the preceding variety, truncate at the ends, and deep 

 green in colour ; spikes of bloom very long and many-flowered, 

 sepals and petals waxy-white stained with purplish pink. It 

 blooms at the same time as the preceding. Native of the East 

 Indies. 



A. cBispOM. — A bold-growing plant, having an erect blackish- 

 purple stem and broad distichous leaves, which stand straight 

 out, varying from to 10 inches in length, and are very deep 

 green in colour; the spikes are long, many-flowered, and 

 stand out horizontally ; the individual flowers are large, white, 

 the sepals and petals being stained with rose pink at the ends ; 

 Up large, and of the same soft yet rich rosy pink colour. It 

 blooms during .Tune and .July, and lasts about a fortnight iu 

 full beauty. Native of Bombay. 



A. AFFiNE. — This is a more compact-growing plant than the 

 last-named species; the leaves are two-ranked, slightly re- 



curved, channelled above, about a foot long, fleshy in texture, 

 and light green in colour ; spikes longer than the leaves, 

 branched, many-flowered, and pendulous. Flowers soft rose, 

 or pink and white, sometimes slightly spotted with rose. It is 

 an abundant bloomer, "coming iu about May and June, and 

 lasts several weeks in full beauty. Native of the East Indies. 



— EXTEKTO CrEDE. 



HAVE APHIDES BEEN UNUSUALLY ABUNDANT 

 DUKING 1873? 

 A COKEESPOKDENT of " Sciouce Gossip" has recently asserted 

 that aphides have appeared more plentifully than usual this 

 season. It may be so within the range of his observation, but 

 I am in doubt as to this being the case generally. Indeed, so 

 far as I have noticed, I tend to just the opposite conclusion, as 

 far as gardens are concerned. These insects have not been in 

 profusion on several plants, the Hose for instance, which 

 often swarm -n-ith them. Some trees, such as the Sycimore 

 and Beech, have had a good many on them, yet not much 

 beyond the average, and these aphides do not transfer them- 

 selves to other plants to the gardener's injury. Other persons, 

 iu the vicinity of London and in North Kent, think with me 

 that the " blight," as they call it, has not given much cause 

 for complaint in 1873, and some attribute this, rightly or 

 wrongly, to the amount of rain we have had. — J. E. S. C. 



LAMBTON CASTLE.-No. -A. 



The Seat or the Eakl of Dhkham. 



We now come to another feature in fruit-growing, which 

 has attracted quite as much attention as the large bunches of 

 Grapes referred to last week, and that is the fruiting of seed- 

 ling Pine Apples that had been raised some time ago from 

 seed grown on the spot. I beheve the variety from which the 

 seed was taken ■was Black .Jamaica, and that the fruit was not 

 large of its kind. As the rearing of Pine Apple jilants from 

 seed is not often thought of by gardeners, and many are not 

 aware that an English-ripened Pine contains perfect seed, I 

 was curious to ascertain its history. I was told that seed may 

 occasionally be detected in Pines which have been in bloom 

 at the best period of the summer, and that it is iu point of 

 size and appearance not unlike the stones of the smaller kinds 

 of Grapes ; and that it germinates I had ocular proof by seeing 

 seedlings in various stages of growth, but I need hardly say 

 it is some time ere they arrive at a fruiting size, before which, 

 however, some idea may be formed of their character by ob- 

 serving the habit of the plant and other appearances : stiU, it 

 is not until they have fruited that their real merits are evident. 

 A large proportion of the seedlings are inferior to kinds already 

 in cultivation, but occasionally there is one of superior excel- 

 lence. Such an one was pointed out to me ; and as it had 

 been fruited before and a stock of plants obtained from it, it 

 was not diflicult to make a favourable comparison between it 

 and varieties that are well known. 



The Lambton Seedling Pine — for that is the name by which 

 it is distinguished — is borne on a plant having rather long 

 leaves of medium width, less mealy than those of the Enville, 

 and not inclined to bronze on the upper side like the Jamaica 

 and some others ; spines rather wide apart, but not remarkably 

 so. The character of the plant may be regarded as sturdy. 

 The fruit is more conical than barrel-shaped ; the pips for the 

 most part quite flat, as much so as in the Smooth-leaved 

 Cayenne ; the crown small, resembling that of a Queen. It is, 

 however, to its size that I would especially call attention, and 

 stiU more to the rapidity of its growth, for I was told it was 

 not unusual for a plant only twelve months old to produce a 

 fruit from 8 to 9 lbs. weight, while much heavier fruit was 

 produced on plants a Uttlo older. I noticed one thirteen pips 

 iu depth, which in all probability would ripen into a fruit from 

 10 to 12 lbs. weight ; and Mr. Hunter told me ho had cut a 

 fruit of lOi lbs. from a plant only eleven months and a half 

 old. I also understood it was well spoken of at table, while 

 its appearance was all that could be wished. I was glad to see 

 that a good stock of it was being propagated, so that we may 

 ere long hear of this fine Pine being grown elsewhere, as it 

 must take its place amongst the large ones of the day, of which 

 at the present time Charlotte Rothschild and now and then 

 Smooth-leaved Cayenne seem to be the greatest favourites iu 

 most places. No special treatment was given to theso seed- 

 lings that was not accorded to the rest. The bed , the pots, and 

 the position were alike in all ca^es. The pots were medium- 



