October 20, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



455 



enjoyment of it to be long protracted, is clearly 

 shown in his answer to his own question — 



" Then how grace a Rose ? I know a way ! 

 Leave it, rather. 

 Must you gather ? 

 Smell, kiss, wear it — at last throw awav ! " 



Plant Notes. 



SOLAXDRA GRANDIFLORA. 

 This plant grows freely but flowers rarely, such, 

 at least is my experience of it. In the Palm-house 

 at Kew it makes enormous growth annually, and 

 although this growth is ripened and baked as much 

 as possible, still no flowers are produced. In the 

 Succulent-house, however, it has behaved better, no 

 doubt because the treatment it gets is more favourable 

 to the production of flowers. The stems are trained 

 along close to the roof, and from these there spring 

 numerous lateral branches, upon most of which 

 there is now either a flower or bud. Each flower is 

 5 or (y inches long, trumpet-shaped, and 4 inches 

 across the mouth ; the colour is creamy-white. The 

 species is a native of the West Indies, where it is 

 common in hedges, &c. It was introduced in 1817. 

 It seems to be variable in its time of flowering, the 

 months of January, March, and July being given, 

 and now it is flowering in October. W. W. 



AltCKDINA BAMBt7S.SFOI.IA. 



The Arundinas are graceful plants, with slender, 

 reed-like stems, 'S to 4 feet in height, clothed from 

 the base with long narrowly lance-shaped leaves. 

 The above species, although not common in culti- 

 vation, is one of the prettiest Orchids flowering at 

 the present time. The inflorescence is a loose, ter- 

 minal raceme, the flowers of which open succession- 

 ally and measure 2 inches across ; in appearance 

 they resemble a small Lobralia. The broadly 

 lanceolate sepals and petals are white, flashed with 

 pale rose, the lip being rosy-purple with a white 

 throat. A good specimen is in flower at Kew. This 

 Orchid should have a place in the East India-house, 

 and being terrestrial requires to be grown in a com- 

 post of fibrous peat and loam. It has none of the 

 characteristic fleshiness of Orchids, either in leaf or 

 stem, and must, therefore, not be subjected to a 

 severe drving-off at any time. W. B. 



B A X A N A CULTURE 

 NICARAGUA. 



IX 



Under the title of Banana Cultivation on the Rama 

 Hirer, in the Mosquito Reserve, Repuhtic of Xiearagua, 

 a Consular Report specially devoted to this subject 

 has recently been issued from the Foreign Office, of 

 which the following is the substance : — 



This trade, it seems, has entirely sprung up during 

 the last few years, the first shipment of Bananas for 

 exportation having been made in 1883. The river 

 Rama flows from the junction of two small streams, 

 the rivers Escondido and Sequia, to the Bluefields 

 Lagoon, on the Atlantic coast, a distance of some 

 ninety miles, and previous to the year 1883 the 

 banks of these rivers were uncultivated and unin- 

 habited. About that time the Mosquito Fruit Com- 

 pany cleared a tract of land, with a frontage of three 

 miles, on the river Rama, and commenced the 

 cultivation of Bananas. The first shipment, con- 

 sisting of about 500 bunches, was made in the latter 

 part of 1883, the fruit being sold at the vessel's side 

 at the rate of 50 cents (Nicaraguan currency) per 

 bunch. The success that attended this first attempt 

 induced many persons, including several foreigners, 

 to commence the cultivation of Bananas, and now 

 the whole of both banks of the Rama River, com- 

 mencing from about 20 miles from the Bluefields 

 Lagoon up to the junction of the rivers Escondido 

 and Sequia, and such parts of the last-named rivers 

 as are navigable for canoes have been cleared and 

 cultivated. The banks of the Rama River, for about 



twenty miles from Bluefields, are not adapted for 

 cultivation, being too low and swampy. The follow- 

 ing figures will show the rapid growth of the exporta- 

 tion of Bananas from this country: — In 1883 the 

 number of bunches exported was 8000 ; in 1884, 

 40,000 ; in 1885, 45,147 ; in 1886, 154,434 ; and in 

 1887, 255,332. 



To ship the Bananas during the year 1887 there 

 were six steamships, each making monthly trips to 

 the United States, where the whole of the fruit is 

 sold ; two of these steamers carrying their cargo to 

 New Orleans, three to Baltimore and Philadelphia 

 alternately, and one to New York. These steamers 

 have not only to be fast, to enable them to arrive at 

 their destination before the fruit ripens — as it has to 

 be cut whilst still green, and handled with the 

 greatest care, the slightest bruise leaving a black 

 mark, and consequently depreciating the value of 

 the fruit — but the steamers have also to be of light 

 draught, to enable them to pass the bar of Bluefields 

 Harbour, which has only some 14 feet of water. 

 Once inside the bar, the steamers proceed up the 

 Rama River, which has a considerable depth of 

 water — in some places as much as 50 feet— and, 

 calling at the various plantations on the river banks, 

 purchase the Bananas that maybe ready. In conse- 

 quence of the greater part of the planters refusing to 

 accept the low prices offered by the steamers, many 

 of the vessels have been withdrawn, leaving, at the 

 present time, it is stated, only two steamers making 

 monthly trips — both to New Orleans — and in conse- 

 quence a large quantity of fruit has ripened in the 

 hands of the planters, and has rotted, for want of 

 means of transportation. 



A plantation of 10,000 Bananas would cost, in- 

 cluding clearing the ground and planting, about 

 10,000 dols. currency. It would commence to give 

 fruit in nine or twelve months after planting, and 

 would last about five years ; after that time the 

 ground becomes exhausted, and the fruit so poor as 

 to be unmarketable. The Bananas grown on the 

 Rama River are the ordinary yellow Banana, about 

 6 to 8 inches long, and a red variety known as the 

 " Patriota." This is smaller than the yellow form, 

 but has a sweeter and finer flavour. 



When the Bananas are stowed away in the 

 steamers they have to be kept shaded from the sun, 

 and the temperature whilst in the tropics must be 

 kept as low as possible by means of a free circulation 

 of air ; but in spite of all precautions, some bunches 

 always ripen and are lost during transit, and in some 

 few cases owing to the steamer having been obliged 

 to batten down her hatches from heavy weather, or 

 other causes, the whole of the cargo has been lost. 

 According to the rules of the trade, eight clusters, 

 or hands (as they are technically called) to a bunch 

 forms a whole bunch ; bunches having from five, 

 and under eight clusters, or hands, are counted as 

 half-bunches ; and, as a rule, the steamers refuse to 

 take at any price bunches having less than five 

 clusters. J. R. Jackson. 



©bttuarg 



THOMAS HENDERSON. — Horticulturists in 

 England and Ireland will learn with deep regret that 

 Mr. Thomas Henderson died on the 10th inst. at 2, 

 Fairfield Terrace, Templeague, Co. Dublin, after a 

 painful illness, extending over four years. The 

 deceased served as foreman to Mr. R. B. Matthews, 

 Belfast, alterwards with Mr. Hugh Dickson. Bel- 

 mont, proceeding from there to Messrs. F. & A. 

 Dicksons, of Chester ; his last situation was at 

 Pesbrook, Titchfield, Hants. He was a skilful 

 plantsman, ever ; ready to impart his knowledge to his 

 subordinates and less fortunate of his craft ; he was 

 a strict master, but one of the kindest, and generous 

 to a fault, while his modest and unassuming dis- 

 position gained him many friends, all of whom, I am 

 sure, will join me in this tribute of respect for a 

 friend taken from us at the early age of thirty-five. 

 He leaves a widow and two sons to mourn his loss. 

 R. WtUer, 



Richard Johnson of Marbury.— The death 



at the ripe age of 84 years, is announced of this fine 

 illustration of the gardener of the old school, practi- 

 cal aud successful, but modest and retiring. He was 

 particularly skilful in fruit growing. For51 years he 

 acted as gardener in the service of C. H. Poole, Esq., 

 Marbury Hall, Cheshire and Whitchurch, Salop. 

 Mr. Johnson leaves one son, a nurseryman at Lindow 

 Common, Wilmslow. 



The Weather. 



[Accumulated temperature indicates the combined amount and 

 duration of the excess or defect of temperature above or 

 below 32° F. for the period named, and is expressed in Lay- 

 degree — a "Day-degree" signifyiag 1° continued for 

 twenty-four hours, or any other number of degrees for an 

 inversely proportional number of hours.] 



Pm 



0. Scotland, N. ... 



1. Scotland, E. ... 



2. England, N.E. ... 



3. England, E. 



4. Midland Cos. ... 



5. England, S. 



Temperature. 



Accumulated. 



Above 



below the! *"j<" 

 Mean for % & 

 the week | "T »£ 



2 below 



1 above 



2 below 

 5 below 

 5 below 

 tf below 



Principal Grazing, &c. 

 Districts. 



6. Scotland, W. ... 



7. England, N.W.... 



8. England, S.W.... 



9. Ireland, N. 

 10. Ireland, S. 



— Channel Islands 



2 below 



3 below 

 5 below 

 2 below 



4 below 

 4 below 



— 429 



— 523 



Day- 



deg. 

 4- 238 

 + 179 

 4- 10J 



+ 199 

 + 199 

 4- 238 



— 33.' 



— 338 



4- 118 

 4- 131 



+ 127 

 4- 154 





Rainfall. 



Bright 

 Sunshine. 



Districts. 











is °° 





s" 



Z 



11 



£ 



Vi I 



Principal Wheat-pro- 



Tenths of 





Inn 







ducing Districts. 



Inch. 











0. Scotland, N. ... 



l less 



185 



30.2 



10 



28 



1. Scotland, E. ... 



6 leas 



158 



22.0 



20 



30 



2. England, N.E. ... 



6 less 



147 



20.7 



36 



27 



3. England, E. ... 



o less 



iS2 



19.8 



38 



.30 



4. Midland Cos. ... 



7 less 



135 



1H.0 



45 



28 



5 England, S. 



6 less 



139 



20.6 



52 



30 



Principal Grazing, &c. , 













Districts. 













6. Scotland, W. ... 



9 less 



150 



30.4 



23 



32 



7. England.N.W.... 



9 less 



151 



21.9 



28 



29 



8. England, S.W.... 



10 less 



155 



25.7 



51 



35 



9. Ireland, N. 



7 less 



159 



27.5 



24 | 28 



10. Ireland, S. 



8 less 



140 



26.8 



40 31 



— Channel Islands 



7 less 



172 



22.8 



55 1 40 



THE PAST WEEK. 



The following summary record of the weather for 

 the week ending Oct. 15. is furnished from the 

 Meteorological Office : — 



" The weather has been unsettled and rainy in'the 

 extreme north of Scotland, but in all other parts of 

 the kingdom the condition has been generally fine 

 and dry. 



