398 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE QAfiDENEB. 



[ November 5, 1871. 



and moisture is forthoomiDg when required. A light and poor 

 soil means enfeebled growth and poor mealy fruit ; a light and 

 rich soil secures long thin, or if moist, long sappy growth, its 

 attendant mildew and failure of crop ; firm, light, rich soil 

 gives fruitfulness, vigorous, but healthy, well- ripened growths of 

 wood and fruit. A firm soil is therefore required for the Peach, 

 but it need not of necessity be heavy, only if light soil be used 

 it must be rich in humus-affording agents. A strong loam 

 with an admixture of marl is unquestionably the best soil 

 for Peaches. Then we have to consider the difference in the 

 growth of the Peach, Apricot, and Plum. The Apricot and 

 Plum produce their fruit for the most part upon spurs — short 

 stubby shoots, but the Peach does so only sparsely and in- 

 differently, the best fruits on bushes or pyramids and standards 

 being borne on the stiff short-jointed shoots of 7 to 9 inches 

 in length, that of the spurs being comparatively poor, whilst 

 the spurs are short-lived. This difference in the growths 

 causes the Plum and Apricot to succeed in a soil lighter and 

 more open than the Peach requires to have it fruitful and 

 healthy. — G. Abbey. 



NOVELTIES IN THE BOYAL GARDENS, KEW. 

 On the rockwork we have chiefly to remark a new Lobelia, 

 which, unlike the most familiar members of this genus, delights 

 with prettiuess of leaf, while its flowers afford but a sorry dis- 

 play. We allude to L. subnuda, an acquisition recently 

 obtained by Mr. W. Thompson, of Ipswich, in whose collection 

 of novelties for next year we may expect to see it. The leaves 

 arrange themselves in a neat tuft, and on the upper surface 

 have a velvety appearance, dark in colour, but veined with 

 green, which imparts to the plant its most attractive feature ; 

 underneath they are of a uniform purple. In outline they are 

 ovate, with large serrations ; the blade measures rather less 

 than 1 inch from base to apex, and the petiole in length is 

 rather more. The flowers are small and pale blue, borne 

 rather widely apart on erect stems. It is a native of Mexico. 

 Pentstemon antirrhinoides is very distinct, inclined to be of 

 shrubby habit, with short yellow flowers, recalling the Impatiens 

 repeus. The flowers are unfortunately not very numerous. The 

 leaves are small. Parochetus communis is one of the prettiest 

 of trailing plants, with its fresh green trifoliate leaves, like 

 some kind of Clover, and brilliant blue flowers, not quito so 

 large as the Pea, but similar in shape. 



In the herbaceous ground the Asters have been lately the 

 chief point of interest. A. pendulus is the best now in flower ; 

 the capitnla are white and rose ; it grows about 40 feet high. 

 A. puniceus is also good ; the flowers are white, and the leaves 

 of a much lighter shade than is usual. When planting Asters 

 it is necessary to give plenty of room, as they otherwise quickly 

 run into each other, or smother other things. 



Fourcroya undulata, an uncommon species, is flowering in 

 the Succulent house. It has never yet been figured. The 

 leaves are dai'k green with brown spines, and spreading with 

 less rigidity than is common to the genus. The scape is about 

 6 feet high, though from a stronger plant it would doubtless be 

 taller. The flowers closely resemble those of other kinds ; 

 indeed it appears that there is very little variation in this 

 respect in the genus, so that the leaves must be largely relied 

 on for distinctive characters. 



Cuscuta reflexa, one of the Dodders, flowering in the Cape 

 house, deserves mention. The stems are very numerous, and 

 about which are freely strewn the white bell-shaped flowers. 

 It apparently grows on anything. It is now doing well on 

 Pelargonium : on Mesembryanthemum, Ivy, and Gnaphalium 

 it has also been cultivated. To increase, it is only necessary 

 to place near it the plant on which it is intended to grow. It 

 ia indigenous to the Coromandel coast, but requires no higher 

 than greenkouse temperature. 



POTxiTO PLANTING. 

 I HAVE been a Potato-grower for many years, and have 

 never had so fine a crop as this season. I have changed my 

 method of cultivation, and my plan was this : — To plant upon 

 the piece of land soon after the other kinds of crops were off, 

 giving a sowing of ashes and soot mixed well together and 

 forked-in, and turning over again in the spring as soon as the 

 weather permitted, and again at planting time. About one 

 bushel of soot to six bushels of coal or wood ashes mixed well 

 together is the proportion used, and sown 1 inch thick or more. 

 Begin forking so that the first row will be 1 foot 2 inches from 



the outside (the half width of the rows, which are 2 feet 

 4 inches apart), the plants 1 foot 3 inches apart, and con- 

 tinue digging with the fork about 2 feet, and the plants will be 

 dibbled-in without treading on the planted ground. As my 

 Potatoes were very large this year, some 7 inches long, I in- 

 tend to lay the ridgts more round in moulding-up, as some of 

 the largest Potatoes were out of the ground and turned green ; 

 these were nearly all sound. They were a red-skinned Kidney, 

 and grown without any manure. — H. Haitley, Saffron Walden, 

 Essex. 



ORCHIDS AND FINE-FOLIAGED PLANTS AT 

 PROVOST RUSSELL'S, FALKIRK, N.B. 



A FEW weeks ago I had occasion to write of this ancient and 

 celebrated burgh as the place where the Auricula had found 

 a home, and had been tenderly nurtured for many generations. 

 It must not be implied from this that the culture of what are 

 called florists' flowers is the only branch of the gentle science 

 that flourishes here. Bising from the lowly alpine gem to the 

 aristocratic Orchid, of the latter, not even in the world- 

 renowned Meadowbank collection in its palmiest days could 

 better examples of skilful culture be seen than at this place 

 under the care of Mr. Sorley. 



It is in the house devoted to the culture of the various 

 species of Orchids requiring an East Indian temperature that 

 the best examples are to be seen. This is a span-roofed 

 structure fitted with staging round the sides and a platform in 

 the centre. The sides are of glass, elevated sufficiently to 

 bring the plants up close to the glass without their coming 

 in contact with it, or being so close that they might suffer 

 in severe weather from fluctuations of temperature. The 

 most striking objects in the house are the Cypripediums. 

 C. Lowei and C. Stonei are represented by marvellous speci- 

 mens, which have attained such proportions under Mr. Sorley's 

 care. They are grown in the ordinary compost — viz., turfy 

 peat, sphagnum, and broken pots. It is certainly not in the 

 potting material that the secret of success lies, nor is it in the 

 construction of the house, which is admirably adapted for the 

 purpose, but not more so than many other houses. The secret 

 is in the fact of the plants being under the care of a man who 

 not only thoroughly understands their requirements, but has 

 so much love for his plants that their wants as to watering, 

 shading, syringing, &a., are seen to just at the right time. 

 Cypripediums require rather different treatment from that 

 accorded to many other members of the Orchid family. The 

 compost should not become so dry as that for Cattleyas and 

 allied species, and the plants may be syringed with advantage 

 every day during the summer months. C. caudatum, C. Day- 

 anum, C. Veitchii, and C. Schlimii are also well managed. 

 Lffilia elegans Schilleriana and L. elegana Turnerii are the two 

 best forms of the species ; the growths were very strong indeed. 

 So were those of Saccolabium priemorsum and S. Blumei Eus- 

 sellianum ; of the latter I saw the spike fully 2 feet in length. 

 Dendrobium triadenium was here in full beauty, the variety 

 being very fine; the flowers were not pure white, being suffused 

 with a delicate blush. This is very useful for bouquets and 

 flowers at a time when choice flowers are not plentiful. 



Passing to the Cattleya house some noteworthy specimens 

 are also to be found. Odontoglossum citrosmum roseum, a 

 fine variety, does well in this house. I noticed a fine plant, 

 which Mr. Sorley informed me produced twenty-five flowers on 

 one spike. The best varieties of 0. citrosmum are not at all 

 inferior to those of 0. crispum. The treatment is different ; 

 the first-named luxuriates in a temperature of 55" in winter, 

 while the latter does best in one 10' lower. There were fine 

 forms of Cattleya Warnerii and C. labiata, but the best varieties 

 of C. TrianiE were said to be superior to the others. It has 

 been alleged by some who ought to know that the flowers of 

 this New Grenadau species are not so lasting as those of some 

 of the others, and a long discussion was carried on in a con- 

 temporary about this short duration of the flowers. Mr. Sorley 

 pointed out a plant to me that had been in flower for two 

 months. Would any other species last longer than this ? 



Let us just look into the Odontoglossum house ; here are the 

 best of the Alpine Oixhids, for which the uplands of New 

 Grenada and the Peruvian Andes have been explored. The 

 best plant of that curious but rather pretty Orchid 1 have ever 

 seen is here, Colax jugosus. The plant had four spikes, 

 furnished with fourteen flowers ; the sepals of these are prettily 

 spotted. Odontoglossum Kramerii is not very common, and ia 

 almost a perpetual-flowering species. 0. Hallii is distinct and 



