7G 



JODBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 22, 1874 



placing it in a close moist atmosphere and using the syringe 

 freely. Unier this treatment it will not succeed. But give it 

 a greenhouse temperature, a gentle circulation of air, and 

 water when it requires it, but not wetting the fronds, and 

 you will be gratified by seeing frond after frond rising and 

 developing themselves into beauty. — J. Andebson, Hill Grove, 

 Kidderminster. 



A CENTUBY OP ORCHIDS FOR AMATEUR 

 GROWERS.— No. 17. 



DESDEOBIUSr. 



As I have before remarked, this is purely an eastern genus, 

 . the various members of which conform to block and basket 

 culture perhaps better than most others, although I prefer pot 

 culture for some of those which make stout heavy pseudobulbs. 

 The species enumerated in the sixth article of my "Century" 

 were all kinds adapted to cool treatment, and I was much 

 gratified to receive a letter from a most enthusiastic lover of 

 plants who resides in Surrey, not fifty miles from Loudon 

 Bridge, informing me that his plant of Dendrobium speciosum 

 had this season produced him three spikes of flower for the 

 first time, and that he believed it was brought about by follow- 

 ing the open-air treatment recommended by me. This, then, is 

 satisfactory to him, and it is also satisfactory to me, inasmuch 

 as I have enlisted him in the ranks of cool Orchid-growers, and 

 I am sure this is the surest way to dispel the erroneous notions 

 which some will still entertain respecting the difficulty attend- 

 ing their culture. Depend upon it, readers, if you love a plaut 

 you can grow it, because you will leave nothing untried which 

 is likely to conduce to its well-being ; and let me add, if you do 

 not love plants it is quite useless to expect to be successful 

 with anything but weeds, and they will grow up without love 

 or without care, for few people who are not enthusiastic lovers 

 of plants can imagine how much beauty and how much jjleasure 

 can be stowed away in one little greenhouse, or even a frame. 

 It can only be compared to the " Turkish delight" which my 

 boys buy sometimes in lumps, and I have seen so many gems 

 brought out of a little house scarcely large enough to turn 

 round in, that one would almost imagine the lumps must be 

 closely packed too. However, this is rambling from my subject, 

 so I will just ask you to refer back to page 264, of March, 1873, 

 and all requisite information respecting soil, itc, wiU be found. 



D. Ca3ibridgeanc3i.— This is sometimes grown under the 

 name of D. ochraceum, which, however, is not at all applicable 

 to the plant. It thrives admirably upon a block of wood, the 

 pseudobulbs attaining a length of from 4 to 12 inches. The 

 flowers are produced upon the young uuripened growth, and 

 are very attractive ; the sepals and petals are bright orange- 

 yellow in colour, and thick in texture ; the hp is of the same 

 colour, but is ornamented with a large heavy blotch of deep 

 crimson about the centre. It usually flowers iu the spring of 

 the year. Native of the Khasia Mountains. 



D. Devoxianum. — I am utterly at a loss to find words to 

 depict the charming and elegant flowers which adorn the 

 pseudobulbs of this species during the months of May and 

 June. The growths are pendulous, from 1 to 3 feet in length, 

 or even more, but very slender, and it should always be grown 

 either in a basket or upon a block. The flowers are both 

 numerous and large, measuring about 2 inches in diameter ; 

 sepals and petals waxy-white shaded with pink, the petals 

 being tipped with deep rosy purple ; lip large, broadly heart- 

 shaped, and of the same colour as the sepals, but margined 

 with rich rosy purple, and stained with two large bright orange 

 spots, whilst the outer edge is beautifully set-off with a deep 

 fringe or frUl. It enjoys a very moist atmosphere when 

 growing. 



D. LiiniFLORDM. — This is another superb plant, which should 

 be grown in a basket, as the terete pseudobulbs are pendulous, 

 and from 1 to 3 and 4 feet in length, and these when laden 

 with its splendid flowers have a truly gorgeous appearance. 

 It requires an abundant supply of water in the growing season, 

 but during winter only just sufficient to prevent the growth 

 from shrivelling. The flowers are freely produced, and are 

 large and handsome ; sepals and petals rich soft purple ; lip 

 large, white margined with dark purple. Unfortunately this 

 fine species remains rare, and is consequently rather higher iu 

 price than some of the other kinds. It usually blooms about 

 Apil, and lasts two or three weeks in beauty. Native of 

 Assam. 



D. TORTILE KOSEUM. — An ercct-habitcd plant, which should 

 be grown in a pot. It is generally considered a difficult plant 



to manage satisfactorily, because it is forgotten that although 

 it is a native of the island of Java, high mountains are to 

 be found there as well as on the mainland of India, and that 

 the plant occurs at considerable elevations. The pseudobulbs 

 grow from 1 to 2 feet in height, and somewhat resemble D. no- 

 bile iu appearance. The flowers are freely produced during 

 May and June ; the sepals and petals are slightly twisted, and 

 soft rose in colour, whilst the lip is primrose yellow tinged 

 with rose. It is a great favourite with me, but latterly seems 

 to have lost some favour with amateur's, probably from the 

 cause already named. 



D. AOGEEGATnM 3IAJC3. — A dwarf-growiug plant, which should 

 be grown upon a block of wood. The pseudobulbs are light 

 green, and bear a small, dark green coriaceous leaf. Scape 

 short, bearing a few medium-sized, soft yellow flowers. It is 

 a very free-flowering and pretty species, which should find 

 accommodation in every amateur's collection. Native of the 

 cooler parts of India. 



D. cHRYsoTis. — A species of somewhat recent introduction, 

 and extremely beautiful. The stem-like pseudobulbs are slen- 

 der, and attain a height of from 2 to 3 feet, or even more. 

 The leaves are bright green, and saving the fact of its bloom- 

 ing when the leaves are upon the stems, the habit resembles 

 that of D. fimbriatum. The whole flower is of a rich apricot 

 yellow ; the edge of the lip is beautifully fringed, and it has 

 also two blotches of deep blackish purple on the Up. It should 

 be grown in a pot. Native of Assam. 



D. Wardian'um. — Tastes differ much, some preferring one 

 particular style of beauty and some another ; indeed, it is well 

 Nature has so constituted us. To me this species of Dendro- 

 bium stands quite at the head of the list. It should be grown 

 in a basket, for it makes long pendulous pseudobulbs, with 

 thickened nodes some 3 feet in length when vigorous. The 

 flowers are very large, measuring between 3 and 4 inches 

 across ; sepals and petals waxy-white, the apices being tipped 

 with rich magenta ; lip large (destitute of the beautiful fringe 

 which is such a marked feature in D. Devonianum), deep 

 orange, with two large crimson-purple blotches. Its season 

 of flowering is during April and May, and the blooms last a 

 considerable time in perfection owing to their great substance. 

 Unfortunately it still continues somewhat rare, but from my 

 partiahty for it I have been constrained to include it in this 

 enumeration. Native of Assam. — Expeeto Ceede. 



THE ACACIA AND FREEMASONS. 



Some weeks ago an inquiry appeared in The Journal op 

 Horticulture as to what species of Acacia was held in esteem 

 by Freemasons. The question was transferred to Notes and 

 Queries, and has elicited the following reply — 



" In the old work in my possession which has been once or 

 twice quoted from in Notes and Queries — viz., ' Les Plus Secrets 

 Mysteres des Mantes Grades de la Maronerie Divoiles,' I find at 

 page 9 of the preface the following passage — ' L' Acacia, si re- 

 noniTnc dans la Maitrise, est pour rapeller la memoire de la 

 Croix du Sauveur dii Monde, paree qu'elle fut fait de ce bois, 

 dont la Palestine est remplic, C'est la raison poura^uoi le Bijou 

 du Grand Maitre est tel qu'il est ici trace, fig. 4.' 



" The Acacia alluded to wUI, I suppose, be the common Locust 

 tree about which Cobbett used to write. It is abundant in 

 Palestine. The fig. 4 alluded to in the extract above is a mere 

 representation of the ' bijou.' In its centre is a Calvary cross, 

 but the Acacia is not apparent, as might be supposed from the 

 reference. The artist intends us probably to imagine that the 

 cross is one made of the Acacia tree. Iu Germany the avenues 

 to the Catholic churches are generally formed of Locust trees, 

 and I liave heard it stated as a reason that the cross was made 

 of an Acacia. The German avenues are always of the common 

 Locust tree. — James Henry Dixon." 



As a matter of fact, the so-called .^.cacia of gardens is not a 

 member of that genus, but a Robinia (R. pseud-Acacia) ; more- 

 over, it is not a native of Palestine, but of North America. 

 —J. B. Q. 



Winter-blooming Rhododendron. — It may be interesting to 

 the lovers of that best of all evergreen shrubs, the Rhododen- 

 dron, to hear of a specimen now in bloom in my garden, of 

 K. lancifohum. It is about 10 feet high, 50 feet in diameter 

 of branches, and has now expanded, or nearly so, upwards of 

 four hundred splendid scarlet trusses of flower. The brUliaucy 

 of its colour, the admirable shape of its blossoms, and the 

 way in which the foliage falls down about the truss so as to 

 set it off to the best advantage, render this the most beautiful 



