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JOUKNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 11, 1875. 



only just enough being given to keep the sphagnnm alive. 

 The leaves during the summer may be lightly dewed over 

 with a fine syringe every morning. When the plant has 

 started into growth water may be freely applied with the 

 syringe, and if the proper temperature has been kept up, and 

 the atmospheric conditions are suitable, both sphagnum and 

 plant will grow freely. The roots twine round and into the 

 basket, and they cannot come into contact with decaying 

 organic matter, which invariably causes decay. The baskets 

 are suspended so that the plants are about 18 inches from the 

 glass, and they also ought to be placed in the most shady 

 part of the house. 



Phalaenopses cannot bear sunshine. The shading material, 

 which ought to be made to run up and down, must be ready 

 for use from March until the end of October. These plants 

 are also adapted for pot culture ; liberal drainage must be 

 used, and the plants ought to be elevated above the rim of the 

 pot. I have seen them do well with a compost of equal parts 

 very fibry peat, sphagnum, and potsherds.— J. Dodglas. 



STBAWBEKRIES. 



1 HAVE received to-day (November 6) seven fine and well- 

 crowned plants of La Constante and five equally well-crowned 

 plants of Ne Plus Ultra from Mr. Lovell, who explains that 

 his plants are struck in June and planted out after the heat 

 of summer is over. His land is evidently of a first-class 

 nature, and I should say that such plants in favourable springs 

 would bear a good crop of Strawberries. His mode of culture 

 is good. I had La Constante and Ne Plus Ultra (De Jonghe) 

 some years ago. The last is a line cropper, good market sort, 

 fair flavour, and often of conical shape. To the general pub- 

 lic I recommend Lucas (De Jonghe) in preference to La Con- 

 stante. Lucas is not, perhaps, quite equal to La Constante, 

 but it has these points of superior excellence : it is a quicker 

 rooter, stronger plant, does not suiier under sun, and is larger 

 in the berry. It neither suffers from frost nor sun. La Con- 

 stante is hardy as regards winter, but suffers under hot sun. 

 — W. F. Radclifte. 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS at CHELSEA and SLOUGH. 



Besides the public exhibitions of this important autumn 

 flower which are now being held there are private collections 

 which demand notice by their excellence, and which are worthy 

 of inspection by all who are interested in the cultivation of 

 these plants. Two of these collections, amongst others which 

 we know to be worthy of patronage, are those of Messrs. 

 James Vfitch & Sons, the Koyal Nurseries, Chelsea, and Mr. 

 Charles Turner, the Royal Nurseries, Slough. We first visited, 

 therefore will first notice, the display of Messrs. VEiTcn and 

 Sons. These consist of nearly 500 plants arranged in a spa- 

 cious span-roofed house ; and we know not which to admire 

 most, the sturdy vigour of the plants with foliage fresh down 

 to the pots, or their noble blooui3. The plants are in 10 to 

 12-inch pots, grown on single stems, each plant having three to 

 six flowers which are just approaching perfection, and which 

 will be in good condition for the next ten days. We note a few 

 of the best and which may be considered as standard varieties 

 — those that are uniformly good, and which may be grown 

 with confidence as possessing sterling merit. 



White Globe and Empress of India are splendid, the blooms 

 being of unusual depth and substance, and there are immense 

 blooms of Alfred Salter, Prince of Wales, and Beethoven, 

 Fingal has perhaps never been finer, and Bronze and Yellow 

 Jardin des Plants are remarkably effective. Mr. George Run- 

 die and its fine sulphur-coloured sport George Glenny are, if 

 not the largest, two of the most perfect and constant varieties, 

 and which are very finely finished. The Beverleys — yellow 

 and white — Pink Perfection, White Venus, Guernsey Nugget, 

 Nil Desperandum, Gloria Mundi, are also very fine; and equally 

 good but smaller are Aurea Slultiflora, Duke of Roxburgh, 

 John Salter, and Abbu Passaglio. 



Some of the Japanese varieties aro also particularly pay. 

 Klaine, however, is fading, but its place as a white is well filled 

 by Fair Maid of Guernsey, which is fully as long in the petals, 

 although somewhat looser than the above-named variety. Cry- 

 KuE^;, bright mauve, is very attractive, as also is Red Dragon. 

 Gold Thread, the new Japanese sort, is not yet expanded, but 

 The Cossack is very gay in its garb of crimson scarlet. 



There are also several nice standard plants of Pompons, one 

 of which. Acme of Perfection, is as perfect in the blooms as 



it is chaste in colour. As a variety for affording cut bloom it 

 is invaluable, while it is equally suitable as a decorative plant. 

 The blooms are exceedingly double, and each petal of rosy pink 

 is margined with white. Altogether the collection is very 

 good, the plants being stout and short-jointed, and the foUage 

 to the eye of the practical grower is as attractive as the 

 bloom. 



Besides the Chrysanthemums several beautiful Orchids are 

 in bloom, as Vandas, Cattleyas, Pleiones, Calanthes, &a., and 

 these with other collections of ornamental plants, and the 

 perfect order and cleanliness which pervades the establish- 

 ment, renders a visit " to Veitch's " at the present time par- 

 ticularly enjoyable. 



Very different in character but not less imposing, is the col- 

 lection of Mr. Turner at Slough. The display here occupies 

 a house 100 feet in length and 12 in width, which is filled to 

 repletion by all the best varieties. These plants are not grown 

 specially to bring out the individual size of the blooms by 

 limiting their number to two or three on a plant, but some of 

 the plants have each over twenty flowers ; and these, consider- 

 ing their numbers and the smallness of the pots employed, are 

 evidence of superior skill in culture, and are splendid examples 

 of decorative plants where numbers are combined with quality. 



Mr. George Bundle and George Glenny are here in grand 

 form, and Nil Desperandum for size and symmetry would be 

 diffleult to excel. Elaine by its flowing fleecy purity is most 

 attractive, and such plants as are grown here would be a great 

 acquisition to any conservatory. In striking contrast to the 

 whites mentioned is Dr. Sharpe, maroon, and not less effective 

 are the bright crimson masses of Julie Lagraviere, which, 

 although the flowers are flat and small, is yet one of the most 

 useful sorts, by its high colour and free-flowering properties 

 affording a fine supply of cut blooms. Rifleman, St. Patrick, 

 Prince Alfred, and Empress of India have perfected noble 

 blooms, and the other standard sorts enumerated above are in 

 admirable condition. 



A striking feature in this collection is the smallness of the 

 pota in which most of the plants are grown. Many plants 

 there are containing half a dozen blooms, full, deep, and per- 

 fect, which are grown in 6 or 7-inch pots ; and how handy and 

 useful such plants are all know whose duty it is to provide 

 ornamental groups for conservatory and other purposes of 

 decoration. By rich feeding and unremitting attention to 

 watering Mr. Turner has well shown the resources of the 

 Chrysanthemum, and has evidently succeeded in obtaining a 

 maximum amount of beauty out of a minimum bulk of soil. 

 The collection is highly worthy of inspection, as are other 

 specialities of this nui'sery. 



The Carnations, of course, are not in bloom, but what a 

 forest of fine layers are now being potted I This work alone 

 will occupy some weeks. Surely there must (as there should) 

 be an increasing demand for these beautiful florists' flowers, 

 and evidently their constant patron is determined to keep pace 

 with it. It is now tree, shiub, and Rose time here, but it 

 would be superfluous to detail the condition of the stock ; but 

 it is impossible to pass by unnoticed the fine breadth of the 

 Caucasian Laurel (Cerasus caucasica). It is richer, denser, 

 deeper, and hardier than the common Laurel, and must 

 shortly supersede it in all shrubbery plantations. To denote 

 the general condition of the nursery would bo to repeat the 

 "old, old story;" it can be summed-up in one word — 

 " Turner's." 



A notice of the display at the Pine Apple Place Nursery is 

 postponed until next week. 



A POTATO GRAFTED WITH THE NIGHTSHADE. 



A VERY interesting experiment has been made by Mr. Alex. 

 Maule of Bristol, for the purpose of ascertaining what effect 

 a transfusion of the essence of the native Solanum nigrum 

 into the constitution of the Potato by grafting would have in 

 preventing the Potato disease. The common Nightshade, it 

 is well known, resists the disease. Mr. Maule conceived that 

 by getting the foliage of the European plant on the Potato 

 that the latter would escape the disease, and ho found by 

 experiment his expectation realised. He grafted the one on 

 the other, and the result is before us in an excellent photograph 

 which shows the perfect union of the two species, and the 

 stock plant furnished with a large tuber. 



Now Mr. Maule does not intend from this experiment that 

 the whole Potato crop is to be grafted in this fashion. His 

 experiment was intended merely as a test to solve a theory 



