103 



JOUHKAL OF HOttTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ March 3, 1870. 



to Darwinism, for it would Beem as if they are bat a very early 

 remove from L'lmiu montana, which after all is, I believe, the 

 parent of all our EIm3, although many of them, like " Ulmca 

 cornubieneis," are as far removed from it as the pouter from 

 the rook pigeon. — Tnos. Kiverb. 



Youn correspondent " G. N.," in his note upon this subject, 

 has fallen into one or two errors which I shall be glad if you 

 will allow me to correct. No " argument '' on the matter of 

 the Elm producing seed has appeared in " Science GosBip." 

 Mrs. Watney Bpoke of it as occurring with its " foliage and 

 fruit in perfection," at a time when Foxgloves and other sum- 

 mer flowers were in blossom ; and Mr. Holland corrected her 

 by drawing attention to the fact, that " the membranous seeds 

 usually drop off and strew the ground just about the time that 

 the leaves aro opening — that is, in April or Hay." Why my 

 name twice rigures in " G. N.'s " notice I am at a loss to 

 imagine, as I have not wi-itten in " Science Gossip," or else- 

 where, a tingle word on the subject, and on carefully reading 

 Mr. Holland's note, I am unable to find the sentence which 

 " G. N." places in inverted commas — " and very seldom show 

 any sitms of fruiting at all." He says, " The fruit seldom, if 

 ever, does come to perfection in this country;" and that he has 

 never seen it "in perfection ;" but the remark which " G. N." 

 would lead us to suppose is a quotation, does not appear in 

 Mr. Holland's note. The questions at issue are simply these : 

 — 1st. Is the Elm "in perfection" of "foliage and fruit " at 

 the same time > '2nd. Is that time the month of June, or there- 

 abouts? — James Britten, Royal Herbarium, Kew. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 



MoNOLENArr.iHUL.ErLOKA (Primrose-flow6redMonolena). Nat. 

 ord., Melaitomicea?. Linn., Decandria Monogynia. — In gardens 

 this beautiful stove plant is usually called Bertolonia primula- 

 flora. It is a native of New Grenada. Flowers pink; under 

 aide of leaves plam-coloured. — {Bot. Mag., t. 5818.) 



Delphinium nudicaole (Naked-stemmed Larkspur). Nat. 

 ord., Einunculaceaa. Linn., Polyandria Trigynia. — Hardy 

 perennial. Native of California. Introduced by Mr. Thomp- 

 son, of Ipswich. Flowers scarlet and yellow. — {Ibid., t. 5819.) 



Hota acstealis (Australian Hoya). Nat. ord., Apocynaceas. 

 Linn., G.ynandria Pentandria. — Introduced by Messrs. Back- 

 house. Flowers white. — (Ibid., t. 5820.) 



Cukccha petiolata (Long-petioled Curcuma). Nat. ord., 

 Seitaminacese. Linn., Monandria Monogynia. — Native of the 

 Pegu and Martaban forests. Flowers yellowish green, lip pink. 

 —(Ibid., t. 5821.) 



Enkyakthus jafonicus (Japanese Enkyanthus). Nat. ord., 

 Ericaceae. Linn., Decandria Monogynia. — Introduced by 

 Messrs. Standish, from Japan. Flowers white ; but most 

 beautiful in autumn, when its leaves become bright orange. — 

 (Ibid., t. 5822.) 



Solanum yencstum (Graceful Solanam). Nat. ord., Solan- 

 acea?. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. — A slender stove climber, 

 probably a native of southern Brazil. Flowers pale lilac, in 

 long drooping panicles. — (Ibid., t. 5823). 



Oncidium vaf.icosum var. Bogebsii. — "Few species of the 

 grand genus Oncidium have yet been met with of a more showy 

 and ornamental character than that which we now figure, from 

 a fine specimen which bloomed last autumn in the collection of 

 the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea. The flowers, indeed, are 

 quite equal in size and beauty to those of 0. Marshallianum 

 and 0. pectorale, while in brilliancy of colour they far surpass 

 those of 0. macrauthura. The plant was introduced into this 

 country by Dr. Bogers, of East Grinstead, after whom it has 

 been named ; and was exhibited by him for the first time when 

 j'lBt going out of flower in November, 1868. Both 0. varicosum 

 and the variety under notice are natives of Brazil, the latter 

 uiffeiiug from the former chiefly in the Iargersize of its flowers, 

 and in the fewer crests developed on the disk. It is one of the 

 more ornamental of its race, and all the more valuable for its 

 habit of flowering during the late autumnal months. 



" The hab't of the plant resembles that of 0. bifolium. The 

 jweudobulbs are of a long ovate form, and somewhat compressed 

 :iod ribbed; they support a pair of ligulate-lanceolate acute 

 leaves, while from their base proceeds an ample branched 

 . , panicle of large yellow flowers. The sepals and petals 

 are 1 u i' e small, pale greenish-yellow, marked with brown bar3. 

 The lip i3 lar,.;e, much crested at the base, where it is mottled 

 with reddish brown ; it is furnished with rounded basal lobes, 



and has a large reniform middle lobe, which is upwards of 

 2 incheB across, divided into four lobules, and of 'he purest and 

 brightest yellow. The panicles attain about a couple of feet in 

 length, are much branched, and bear sometimes as many as 

 170 flowers. Like 0. varicosum itself, this is one of the finest 

 Oneida we have in cultivation. In gardens it bears the name 

 of Oncidium Bogersii, but Professor Beichenbach is, no doubt, 

 quite correct in referring it to O. varicosum, the four-lobed 

 front portion of the lip affording an unmistakable characteristic. 

 " Being a native of Brazil, it should be cultivated in the 

 Cattleya house ; it grows freely when suspended in a baBket 

 near the roof ; and sphagnum, peat, and charcoal form a suit- 

 able compost for it."— (Florist and Pomologist, 3. s., iii., 25.) 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN OABDEN. 



Attend to the due preparation of the ground to be used for 

 the main crops of vegetables. Give all Asparagus beds a Blight 

 salting ; this should b9 done after soiling ; the rains will carry 

 the salt down. In dry weather let the Carrot and other ground 

 which has been ridged-up all the winter, be levelled ready for 

 sowing. Let the time be ruled more by the state of the soil 

 than by the day of the month. About the second week in 

 March is an excellent time to aow the main crop of Onions. 

 The ground being prepared, it is marked out into beds 42 inches 

 wide, with 15-inch alleys. Before the seed is sown, the beds 

 are raised by soil from the alleys 9 inches above the ordinary 

 ground level. When they have beccme very dry indeed, the 

 seed is sown and trodden twice over by the feet until the beds 

 appear a3 hard as the gravel walk. A very thin coating of soil 

 is then strewed evenly over the whole, and finally the roller is 

 passed over the bed. When the Onions are fairly up, they are 

 weeded at two different operations, not a weed being left at the 

 last one, and they are thinned out also at two distinct periods, 

 leaving them finally about 3 or 4 inches apart. The hoe is 

 never used, as hoeing, by looBening the surface, exposes the 

 Onions to every storm, and if luxuriant throws them pro- 

 strate on the surface. The narrowness of the beds enables the 

 operator to weed clean with facility, and without injuring the 

 plants. Sowings on well-situated beds may be made of Green 

 Kale, Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, Chou de Milan, Broccoli, early 

 Cabbages, a small quantity of Cauliflowers. Leeks, and early 

 Dutch Turnips. Make frequent sowings of Lettuces, Badishcs, 

 Horn Carrots, and Mustard and Cress. It is a good rule to sow 

 successions of these when the last sowing is fairly above ground. 

 Cover with litter in frosty weather all early slopes of Badishes, 

 Lettuces, and early Peas. The last-named should be staked 

 and well attended to. Fir or Tew branches put on the outside 

 of the stakes will shelter them from withering winds, which are 

 more to be dreaded than frost. Sow more Broad Beans, and a 

 succession of Peas ; there are no varieties better adapted for 

 general purposes than Blue Prussian, and Knight's Dwarf 

 Marrow Peas. It is an excellent plan to bow them widely apart, 

 with other vegetables between. 



FBUIT OABDEN. 



Bring pruning to a close immediately ; root-prune over-luxu- 

 riant trees, allowing about a foot to every inch of diameter at 

 the base of the trunk — that is to say, for a tree of 4 inches in 

 diameter open a trench 4 feet off, and so on. Cover Apricots 

 and Peaches forthwith. Uncover Fig trees, but do not prune 

 them until they begin to swell. Prune and nail Vines without 

 delay, stopping the fresh cuts with white lead. 



FLOWED OABDEN. 



All grass lawns should now have a thorough rolling, and all 

 turfing repairs must be completed. Where it is absolutely 

 necessary to edge lines of walks let it be done now, and as soon 

 as accomplished run the heavy roller several times up and 

 down the edge to soften the cut line. All edgings should, if 

 possible, have a slight inclination towards the walk, and they 

 should only be fresh cut in consequence of irregularities in 

 the line. Highly-kept lawns should have a slight mowing 

 just after rolling. The coverings must be removed forthwith 

 from all half-hardy plants, climbers, Boses, i-c. ; also, all 

 coverings of sawdust and heavy mulchings from Fuchsias and 

 other tender plants. Do not remove the latter entirely; leave 

 a little to protect the half-blanched buds. If the Auriculas aro 

 not already top-dressed it should immediately be done; care, 

 however, must be takeD not to injure the surface roots when 

 removiug the soil. Though most florists are conversant with 

 the operation, still to the amateur (for whom these obser- 



