446 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[October 20, 1888. 



The State spent a large sum on botanical gardens 

 with the most useful result, but it did not at present 

 give any encouragement to an industry which was of 

 serious importance to the land. One of the aims of 

 their Society would be to draw attention to this 

 omission, to rectify their past errors, and to place 

 pomology in the rank which it should take as a 

 science of high economic value, instead of being re- 

 garded as harmless and rather twaddling. The other 

 aims and objects of the Society would be to invite 

 discussion, to hear papers, and to organise meetings 

 in different parts of the country, in order that a 

 special knowledge of pomology might be diffused as 

 widely possible and intending planters furnished with 

 information which would lead to success instead of 

 failure. Mr. J. Weight read a paper on " Profitable 

 Fruit Farming," mainly Gooseberries, giving an in- 

 teresting account of how they were grown on the 

 fens of Lincolnshire on an extensive scale, and with 

 great success pecuniarily. Mr. D. Talijerman read a 

 paper on "Practical Fruit Growers' Associations," in 

 which he pointed out that fruit, was at present very 

 little cultivated in any county in England and 

 said that in four-fifths of the kingdom, more par- 

 ticularly in those districts which were in proximity 

 to large industrial centres of, population, so far as 

 fruit-production was concerned, the soil was a barren 

 waste. If the desire of the founders of the Asso- 

 ciation were successfully obtained, it would simply 

 revolutionise the existing condition of fruit culti- 

 vation and the course of procedure that the fruit 

 cultivators of the United Kingdom had hitherto fol- 

 lowed. Foremost among the subjects on which 

 fruit-growers required information stood the eco- 

 nomical production of early and late crops. In no 

 way could such large prices he obtained in fruit- 

 growing as by early production. Foreign produce 

 which reached our shores from the South of France, 

 Italy, and the Mediterranean, early in the season, not 

 only made long prices, but also took away the edge 

 of the taste of the paying public for fruit. With Prac- 

 tical Fruit Growers Associations formed and at work 

 in all parts of the kingdom this condition of things 

 would not last, and sooner or later our fruit-growers 

 would produce early fruit that would successfully 

 and profitably compete with anything that could be 

 imported from abroad. The question of scientific 

 irrigation would also repay the Society for any 

 attention which might be bestowed upon it. 



Orchid Notes and Gleanings. 



RODRIGUEZIA (BURLINGTONIA) 

 FRAGRANS. 



Tins charming Orchid, a native of Brazil, appears 

 to be better known on the Continent than in this 

 country, where it is not often seen. The name is 

 included in the catalogue of some continental nur- 

 serymen, and a figure appeared in the Oichidophile 

 in 1884. It is flowering now at Kew, and is con- 

 spicuous by the beauty and Hawthorn-like fragrance 

 of its flowers. The pendent spikes carry about ten 

 flowers, each flowers being \h inch in length. The 

 sepals and petals are of a glistening white, slightly 

 tinged with purple on the outer side ; the lip is 

 deeply bilobed, and fringed at the margin ; it is also 

 white, with the exception of a few lines of yellow on 

 the centre. The habit of the species is that of a 

 large R, secunda. 



When growing, this Orchid like a warm, atmo- 

 sphere, and a free supply of water at the root. Even 

 in winter water should only be withheld in accord- 

 ance with the lessened amount of light and heat, as 

 it requires but little rest. The plant under notice is 

 growing in a basket of sphagnum, and carries four 

 spikes. W, Bean. 



L.txia Pereinii alba. 

 A large specimen of this chaste autumn and 

 winter flowering Orchid, in whose large pure white 

 flowers no trace of colour exists saving a faint sul- 

 phur-yellow tinge in the middle of the labellum, is 

 now in flower in the collection of R. H. Measures, 



Esq., at The Woodlands, Streatham. The plant in 

 question has fourteen flowers, and was obtained from 

 Messrs. F. Sander & Co., of St. Albans, with a war- 

 rant that it has quite borne out. White Perriniis 

 are often heard of, but on examination the white has 

 more or less of pink in it ; however, in this case 

 there is not the slightest suspicion of colour, and in 

 size the flowers are equal to the best type. J. O'B. 



Cattleya Haedyana. 

 A specimen of this rare natural hybrid between 

 C aurea and C. gigas, with over one hundred bulbs 

 and ten leads, now bears several spikes of gorgeous 

 fragrant flowers, apparently exactly the same as the 

 original plant, is in bloom with R. II. Measures, 

 Esq., at Streatham. The plant was a lucky specula- 

 tion, it being bought unflowered as C. gigas variety 

 out of an importation of Messrs. F. Sander & Co. 

 In the Woodlands collection, also, a specimen of the 

 beautiful Oncidium undulatum bears sixty-eight 

 expanded flowers ; Cymbidium elegans has eight 

 spikes carrying over three hundred blooms ; and a 

 large number of rare Cypripediums are in flower and 

 bud. J. O'B. 



SEASONABLE NOTES ON HARDY 

 FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



The Aubicula. — At p. 67 I wrote of gathering 

 seeds, sowing them, and finishing off the repotting 

 of the plants. We did not finish off the work of 

 potting until the end of August, and now the plants 

 are all much alike, whether they were repotted by 

 the end of May or the end of August. The plants 

 are all in cold frames at present, and it would be 

 desirable to have cold weather, with frost at night, 

 as it prevents flowering. In the warmer South the 

 Auricula has a greater tendency to bloom unseason- 

 ably than in the North ; but much can be done to 

 check this by careful attention to watering the 

 plants. In a general way the plants get too much 

 water in the late summer months, when they ought 

 to be allowed to become dry at the roots before being 

 watered, and certain varieties — even in summer — 

 may not require water more than once in a week. I 

 saw the admirable collection of the Rev. F. D. 

 Horner's choice show Auriculas at Lowfields, Kirkby 

 Lonsdale, in the last days of August, and there was 

 no signs of any autumn bloom ; he does not have 

 5 per cent, of it. From there I went on to Sheffield, 

 and saw Mr. Simonite's collection at Rough Bank, 

 and found his plants at least ten days in advance of 

 Mr. Horner's. Both growers raise many seedlings 

 every year, and have many distinct new varieties 

 on trial. I noticed in Mr. Horner's garden a large 

 bed of seedlings planted out in the open garden, and 

 sheltered from hot sunshine with some thin material, 

 scrim or tiffany. These are usually planted in pots 

 about the end of August, and are placed in frames. 

 Planted out-of-doors in this manner they do not 

 require so much attention as they do in pots. Most 

 of the plants are eighteen months old from the time 

 they appear above ground until they produce their 

 (lowers. 



The young seedlings should now be kept in a dry, 

 airy place, and they ought not to be watered very 

 frequently ; but must not be allowed to become 

 dust dry. When water is needed give enough to 

 thoroughly moisten the soil, and do not water again 

 until they really need it. The old plants in frames 

 lose their leaves (the outer ones) very rapidly since 

 the frost set in, and these should be removed fre- 

 quently, as a decaying leaf will sometimes cause 

 the death of a valuable plant. The plants are not 

 quite free from greenfly, but this troublesome pest 

 does not increase much if at all at this season ; 

 but it can hold its own even when the plants are 

 exposed to frost. It is best to fumigate with tobacco- 

 smoke when the weather is mild. They can also be 

 brushed off with a soft brush dipped into tobacco 

 powder, so that those insects not brushed off are 

 killed. 



Alpine Auriculas in frames require very similar 

 treatment to the show section when they are grown 



in frames, and out-of-doors they lose their leaves 

 very rapidly at this season. Slugs are troublesome 

 creatures, and it is well to look over the plants, 

 clearing away the old spent soil from around the 

 plants, replacing it with fresh compost. 



The Cassation and Picotee. 

 Layered plants and rooted pipings are now being 

 potted off or planted out for the winter. If the 

 latter have been managed as I advised at p. 67, 

 they will now be sturdy plants, and as good as the 

 layered ones, as regards some varieties. Carnation 

 growers need not be told that all are equally free in 

 producing roots. I began taking off the layers from 

 our mother-plants in the last week of September, 

 and finished the first week of October, and found 

 them quite as well rooted this year as in any 

 previous year ; but there are always a few which can- 

 not be said to have formed roots at all; but they 

 will, as a rule, speedily produce them in a hotbed 

 where there is just a gentle bottom-heat. The 

 pots should be plunged to the rims in cocoa-fibre 

 refuse. The bulk of the plants intended to be 

 grown in pots are now in cold frames, freely ex- 

 posed to light and air ; in fact, as soon as the young 

 plants are fairly established the lights are taken off, 

 except during frost and heavy rains. The plants 

 do not require much water, but they must neverthe- 

 less not be kept too dry. We treat the yellow 

 Carnations and Picotees in a similar manner to the 

 others, as they are equally hardy, and grow even 

 more vigorously, whether they are planted in beds or 

 grown in pots. 



Tkee oe Peepetoal eloweeing Caenations 

 are now very useful, and should be placed in a house 

 or pit where they may have a gentle heat afforded 

 them, and if the plants are near the roof-glass the 

 flowers will open very freely. I may say that 

 although the flaked Carnations and Picotees have 

 made excellent growth this year, the tree Carnations, 

 on the other hand are rather weakly. They have 

 not the strong healthy foliage of ordinary years, but 

 doubtless they will improve with care. The seed- 

 lings of various types are likewise less vigorous. 

 Very heavy rains came soon after they were planted 

 out, and hardened the ground so much that we had 

 to carefully fork it over with a hand fork. The 

 growth made in September was fairly good, but I 

 fear that maDy of them are not strong enough to 

 flower. 



The Dahlia. 

 The plants were cut off very suddenly this year ; 

 but, fortunately, the rain has kept off, and it being a 

 fine drying day on the 10th, I had my collection 

 taken up. It is fortunate when an opportunity is 

 aiforded to get the roots out of the ground in good 

 condition soon after sharp frosts. As they are taken 

 up, the stems are first cut over, some 3 or 4 inches 

 from the surface of the ground. The roots are then 

 placed in the sun for an hour or two with the tuber 

 uppermost, to drain the water from the hollow stems, 

 placing them aferwards in any house or shed which 

 has a dry atmosphere and is also frost proof. Even 

 with the greatest care, a few tubers will be lost each 

 year, but if it is possible to have a few pot roots of 

 each variety, these are more likely to pass safely 

 through the winter, especially in such a season as 

 this, where the plants have had a bad season, as well 

 as a short one to ripen in. Pot roots may be kept 

 in a greenhouse laid on their sides under the stage, 

 or in any house from which frost is excluded, 



The Hollyhock. 



I fear we shall not get much seed from the plants 

 this year. The flowers were produced late, and we 

 had not gathered a pod when the first frost came. 

 Last year was a good one for seeds ripening out-of- 

 doors, but this one is just the reverse. If it is in- 

 tended to winter the plants in frames they should 

 now be taken up and potted, or the frames may be 

 made up with some fine loam and leaf-mould, and 

 the plants set out. I find in our exposed district 

 the plants live out-of-doors through the winter if 



