Januaiy 29, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENBB. 



101 



adhering to the wings and legs of insects. Thus we see that 

 while the honey-seeking insect obtains its supply of food, it at 

 the same time eonipletes the final process necessary to the 

 continued existence of the plant. Among the specimens in 

 my collection obtained in this neighbourhood are the follow- 

 ing : — Orchis speotabilis, Habenaria fimbriata, H. phycodes, 

 H. blephariglottis, H. ciliaris, H. virescens, H. yiridis, H. dila- 

 tata, H. Hookeri, Calopogon pulohellus, Cypripedium arieti- 

 num, C. pubesceus, C. parviflorum, C. spectabile, C. aoaule. 



Almost all of these species grow on the boggy margins of the 

 small lakes existing in this region. The show of Orchis and 

 purple-fringed species (0. spectabihs and H. fimbriata) are 

 remarkable for the beauty of the three or four purpUsh flowers 

 borne on the spike ; the former, unlike the latter, prefers the 

 wooded hillsides. The white-fringed species is deheately 

 scented, and is susceptible of cultivation, as, notwithstanding 

 its habitat in low grounds, it flourishes well in the common 

 flower pot when properly watered. The beautiful little Calo- 

 pogon is found in the wettest portions of the bog, along with 

 the round-leaved Sundew. The structure of the flower in this 

 genus affords an interesting instance of the adaptation of 

 means to an end in Nature. The poUen, instead of being con- 

 nected by threads with a sticky gland for the purpose of ad- 

 hering to the stigma as in the other genera, consists of loose 

 powdery grains. In order that these grains may adhere to the 

 stigma, it is broad and flattened at the apex, and covered with 

 a beautiful array of white, yellow, and purple hairs with club- 

 shaped ends. The stemless Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) 

 is a delicate little species, growing in the shade in moist ground, 

 and is closely allied to the two cultivated species — C. iusigne 

 and venustum. It bears only a single flower of rose-tinted 

 purple colour, and is far more rare than the coarser yellow- 

 flowered species. — C. M. P., Owen Sound. — {Canadian Fanner.) 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBUBBAN GARDENING. 



Domestic Gkeenhouses. — Before entering on a description of 

 this apparatus, the circumstances under which it was discovered 

 may be briefly adverted to. Mr. Ward, the gentleman to whom 

 we are indebted for the discovery, was a surgeon residing in 

 Wellclose Square, London. From his earliest youth Mr. Ward 

 had been attached to botanical pursuits, but living in a densely 

 populated neighbourhood, surrounded by manufactories and eu- 

 velopod in the smoke of London in its worst form, he had been 

 compelled to give up the cultivation of plants, until the follow- 

 ing incident served to point-out a mode by which he could 

 foUow his favourite amusement with some degree of success. 

 He had buried the chrysalis of a Sphinx in some moist mould, 

 which was enclosed iu a close glass bottle covered with a top. 

 In watching the bottle from day to day he observed that when 

 exposed to the warmth of the sun the moisture rose from the 

 mould and became condensed on the inner surface of the glass, 

 and again fell back upon the mould during the night, thus keep- 

 iug-up a continual moisture in the atmosphere within the glass. 

 Thus the most forbidding local circumstances may be overcome ; 

 and any person, whether inhabiting the most humble or the 

 most splendid dwelling, provided it be freely exposed for a few 

 hours every day to the sun's light, has it in his power to rear 

 and cultivate a miscellaneous collection of plants, to enjoy the 

 beauty of their appearance, and to watch their progress through 

 all the stages of their growth at an insignificant expense. To do 

 this he must provide an apparatus consisting of a box, a stand, 

 and a glass roof of a size according to his desires and means. We 

 shall suppose one is wanted of a small size to stand in a window 

 iu an apartment of limited dimensions. The stand we will 

 suppose is 1 foot 10 inches iu height, the box which ia to contain 

 the soil 8i inches, and the glass from 1 foot 7J inches ; in all 

 4 feet 2 inches iu height by S feet in length, and li foot in 

 breadth. The bottom being properly fitted, the sides are fixed 

 to it with brass nails, no iron being used iu any part. 



We now come to the preparation for the plants. Lay the 

 bottom of the box with pieces of broken earthenware to the 

 depth of 2 inches as an open subsoil. Next lay a stratum of 

 turfy loam 1 inch deep, and fill-in the remainder of the space 

 with soil composed of equal portions of peat and loam mixed, 

 with about one-twentieth part of rough white sand free from 

 iron. The artificial garden plot is now ready to receive the 

 plants. Plant these iu the usual manner, and then shower over 

 them with a fine-rosed watering-pot from three to four gallons of 

 water till the soil is pretty well saturated, and the litiuid begins 

 to run off by the two openings at the bottom. After draining 

 thus for twenty-four hours cork-up the holes, place the glass 

 case on the box, and the operation will be finished. After the 

 first preparation the plants requu'e little or no care ; the case 

 need only be opened for the removal of dead leaves, or for a 

 little trimming when required. Plants in open flower pots 

 are exposed to the vicissitudes of change of climate and require ' 



constant watering, but the plants in these cases seem to be in- 

 dependent of any change of temperature in the air, and water 

 themselves. The moisture rises by the sun's influence from 

 the moistened earth, refreshes the leaves of the plants, and 

 during the cool of the night falls to the earth again, condensed 

 like rain and dew. In this there is a constant succession of 

 rising and falling of moisture in imitation of the great processes 

 of Nature daily going on in the fields around us. The plant- 

 case is a little world in itself, iu which vegetation is supported 

 solely by the resoiirces originally communicated to it. 



Cold Pits and Fk.uies. — The principal requisite in preserv- 

 ing tender plants through the winter in these is to keep them 

 dormant from October to the end of February, for as the growth 

 of a plant depends more upon heat and jnoisture than upon 

 other agents of healthful existence, it is obvious that the more 

 cool and dry plants are kept, provided they do not suffer from 

 an excess of either cold or drought, the more likely they are to 

 be successfully preserved. For this reason both the plants and 

 pits should be kept dry, by placing the pots on some material, 

 such as dry ashes, that will absorb moisture, and by admitting 

 all the air possible in favourable weather. Give air at all times 

 when the exterior temperature is a few degrees above the 

 freezing point, supply no water unless the plants are flagging, 

 and then only iu suflicient quantity to recruit their strength. 

 Plants thus treated will scarcely be injured by the same amount 

 of frost that would kill them in a growing state, provided they 

 are kept closely covered until they are thoroughly but gradually 

 thawed. 



In protecting cold pits and frames the covering should never 

 touch the glass, because if it do so it will absorb the heat from 

 the pit and fi-ames, and give it off again to the atmosphere ; but 

 if it is raised 1 inch above the glass, it repels the radiant heat, 

 and thus a stratum of confined air is secui-ed, which forms an 

 excellent protecting medium. For this reason wooden shutters, 

 frames thatched with straw, waterproof canvas or tarpauling, 

 are superior to mats ; and hence the necessity, when extra 

 covering is required, of placing it above, and not between the 

 usual covering and the glass. 



Plants in Rooms should only receive water when in actual 

 need of it ; but they must be kept as near the glass as possible. 

 Pelargoniums that are not so bushy as may' be desired, must 

 have the point of each shoot pinched out ; and the same may be 

 done with other plants of loose habit. Should the nights 

 become very severe, it will be a good plan to place the plants 

 binder a table, surrounded to the ground with a large woollen 

 cloth ; and, as a further precaution, when necessary, a stone jar 

 or two of hot water may be placed amongst them at the time of 

 retiring for the night. 



Kitchen G,iBDEN.— Proceed with digging and trenching, except 

 in snowy or frosty weather. The pruning and nailing of hardy 

 fruit trees must be concluded as quickly as possible ; but Peaches 

 and Apricots will be best if left until the end of Febiiiary. If 

 the Peas and Beans sown iu November appear above ground, a 

 second crop of each must be put in at the first favourable 

 opportunity ; but if none were sown at that time, a crop of each 

 must be put in without delay. A small crop of Early Frame 

 Radish may be sown on any di'y warm border sloping to the 

 south, and may be prolectetf by haulm or litter till the plants 

 are up. Prepare dung, or dung and leaves where the latter are 

 plentiful, by frequent turning, for beds for forcing Cucumbers 

 and other vegetables. When these materials are diy they should 

 be watered when turned over. — W. Keane. 



"HOW TO GEOW A EOSE." 



Pkat don't think me vain. I know but little, hut would 

 impart that little to my fellow lovers of the Rose ; and ere I 

 begin I will beg of old practised hands to pass this article by, 

 for I fear— nay, know — they wUl find nothiug new here. I 

 wilte this for the beginner, as there always are and must he 

 beginners ; else — but I wo'n't moralise. Neither am I pur- 

 posing to say how to raise new varieties edged and flaked hke 

 Carnations and Picotees, nor how to grow black Rosea by bud- 

 ding on the Black Currant, nor how to grow bright sky-blue 

 Roses by putting cobalt or sulphate of copper iu their drinking 

 water ; for 



" Thug the craftsman thinks to grace the Kose — 



Plucka a mould flower 



For hi3 gold flower. 

 Uses line things that efface the Rose ;" 



but to make the most of what we have. 



" First catch your hare" is a good old maxim, and " First 

 get some cuttings or plants of Manetti " will be found an in- 

 dispensable one to growing Roses on the Manetti stock. And 

 having done so, select good medium-sized, well-ripened shoots 

 of the current year ; cut them into lengths of 8 to 12 inches, 

 according to the number or closeness of the eyes thereon — a 

 cutting S inches long ia equally as good as another of 12 inches 



