Proceedings of the London Horticultural Society. 581 



way, Gardener to Lawrence Sulivan, Esq., F.H.S., upon an improved plan 

 of constituting Macphail's pits. 



The most novel features in the plan were these: the pit is filled with 

 blocks of wood to the height of 3 ft. 3 in. ; and over the blocks is placed 

 a layer 6 in. thick of fermented leaves, and upon the leaves the earth rests 

 in which the plants are made to grow. The walls of the pit are hollow, 

 and pigeon-holed from the bottom upwards to the height of the blocks of 

 wood. The dung linings are applied externally in the usual way, resting upon 

 the external pigeon-holes ; the heat and moisture they produce pass into the 

 hollow walls which they warm, and thence through the interior pigeon-holes 

 to the blocks of wood, among which they circulate and finally rise into the 

 mould through the layer of fermented leaves. The author stated that the 

 effect of this plan was to produce a fine humid atmosphere, well suited to the 

 growth of melons and cucumbers ; and that the latter could be grown in such 

 a pit successfully at the earliest seasons of the year. 



Exhibited. From Mr. P. N. Don, Gardener to James Bateman, Esq., 

 flowers of Trichopilia tortilis, Epidendrum crassifolium, Bonatea speciosa, 

 Oncidium viperinum, [and Dendrobium fimbriatum ; concerning the latter 

 the following memorandum by Mr. Bateman was read : — 



" Dendrobium fimbriatum does not receive half the attention it deserves, 

 for I can truly say that as yet I have never beheld any species of the Orchi- 

 daceae that produces such an overwhelming burst of beauty as itself. I have 

 now about sixty bunches in the highest perfection on my plant, which is sus- 

 pended from the rafters in a pot not more than a foot in diameter ; the stems 

 droop over the margin of the pot equally on every side, and the ocean of 

 flowers that dangle at their extremities looks more like enchantment than 

 reality. The plant never fails to flower, and its management is the simplest 

 thing in the world, requiring merely to be removed to any dry cool place (I 

 believe a common living-room would answer every purpose) during the winter 

 months, and to have plenty of heat and moisture during its season of sum- 

 mer's growth. It may be retained to a- longer or shorter period in its winter 

 quarters, according to the season when you wish it to produce its flowers, for 

 they will begin to make their appearance immediately after its translation from 

 a cool place to a warm." 



April 2. 1839. — Ordinary Meeting. From Messrs. Ross and Co., 33. 

 Regent Street, London, specimens of India rubber bags to preserve cut flowers. 

 These bags are fitted with a self-acting spring, which keeps the end closed up; 

 and, in consequence of their sides not allowing the water evaporated from the 

 flowers to escape, they will for a long time prevent their fading and withering. 

 From Mr. Butcher, gardener to Mrs. Lawrence, a collection of stove and 

 green-house plants, among which were eight species of Orchidaceae, and the 

 rare Adkmia cyanea, a Nepalese shrub, whose fruit is a cluster of light blue 

 berries. From the garden of the Society, several green-house and other plants, 

 among which were Oncidium stramineum, a very rare Mexican orchidaceous 

 plant, received from Mr. Hartweg ; Chorozema Dicksom, a new and hand- 

 some Swan River papilionaceous shrub, with deep red flowers ; and Tryma- 

 lium odoratissimum, a sweet-scented shrub, with loose panicles of small white 

 flowers, also from the Swan River. 



April 16. 1839. — Ordinary Meeting. The following paper was read, in 

 explanation of the manner in which the forced strawberries, for which a silver 

 Banksian medal was awarded at the meeting on the 2d inst., were obtained; 

 by Mr. Robert Errington, gardener to Sir P. de M. Grey Egerton, Bart., M. P., 

 at Oulton Park, in Cheshire. 



" The runners I use are obtained from the forced plants of the previous 

 season. For this purpose, I reserve all the best pots when they are taken out 

 of the house after gathering the crop, and by sheltering them in frames for a 

 few weeks, so as to preserve and ripen their foliage, they produce both fruit 

 and runners in abundance in September. 



" After a few weeks' protection, they are turned out of their pots into rich 



