568 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[November 17, 1888. 



gland is highly curious, being exactly hippocrepiforra 

 in shape, in which respect it differs somewhat from 

 the other species of the genus. It is a Himalayan 

 plant, and for its discovery we are indebted to Mr. 

 C. B. Clarke, F.R.S., the well-known Indian botanist. 

 B. A. Eolfe. 



Okchids at The Fins, Sydenham. 



The collection of C. Dorman, Esq., is a very select 

 one, and contains a number of very scarce species, 

 but the middle of October is not the time to see a 

 great number in flower. Of Cattleyas in flower I 

 observed Bowringiana. The past season has seen 

 large importations of this plant, and it may be ob- 

 tained at a cheap rate. It is near to, and requires 

 the same treatment as, C. Skinneri, but its growth 

 is rather more vigorous. At the base of the stems 

 there is a peculiar swelling, from which a number of 

 roots proceed. 



Cattleya luteola was in flower ; it is a distinct 

 Bpecies, and is one of the smallest growing of 

 Cattleyas, grown under the name of C. Holfordii. 

 It was in flower about the middle of August, and 

 still in good condition when I saw it. Good forms 

 of L£elia elegans and L. Perrinii were in flower. The 

 latter species requires a warm Cattleya-house tem- 

 perature, and when well grown is a handsome plant ; 

 and always flowers in the autumn months. The 

 handsome Comparettia macroplectron was in flower 

 in the Cattleya-house, and is also a species that may 

 be depended upon to flower in October ; it should 

 be grown in a basket rather than on a block, 

 the pendulous spikes of bright rosy-tinted flowers 

 making a pleasing feature. In another house Lmlia 

 pumila var. prsestans was in flower, and also 

 Cattleya eldorado splendens, a handsome form of the 

 species with rose-pink sepals and petals, and a hand- 

 some orange blotch on the lip. 



In the warmest house some handsome Cypripe- 

 dinms were noteworthy ; C. Sanderianum is quite a 

 wonderful plant, and even more quaint in appearance 

 than C. caudatum ; the yellow dorsal sepal is marked 

 with distinct purplish-brown lines ; the lateral sepals 

 have tail-like appendages, 26 inches in length ; they 

 are richly marked at the top, and when the sun 

 shines on the flower the effect is very beautiful. C. 

 Warneri was very pretty ; it is a neat growing and 

 very distinct form of barbatum ; the dorsal sepal is 

 rosy-purple at the base, the top part is white, lightly 

 striped reenish. C. purpuratum is very pretty, and 

 i i much like C. barbutum ; it also blooms in Novem- 

 ber. There is a handsome specimen of C. leucorrho- 

 dum showing flower-^still a rare plant, and one of 

 the most beautiful of hybrid forms. Vanda San- 

 d iriana had six handsome blooms on one spike, and 

 fiere was also in this house a nice healthy lot of 

 Anasctochili. There were not many species — in 

 fact, a good collection of these beautiful foliaged 

 plants is not now to be seen anywhere. A. Lowii, 

 now classed under Dossinia, and grown as D. mar- 

 morata, had large, healthy well-marked foliage. 

 There were two varieties of it. A. petola, a pretty 

 little plant, is now Macodes petola ; A. Dawsonianus 

 also classed with Goodyera — this species is very free 

 in growth. They all succeed well as grown here in 

 a glass frame where they are by themselves, and if the 

 leaves are kept free from insect pests, and the plants 

 are potted on as they require it, the leaves speedily 

 increase in numbers. 



The cool-house contained a nice lot of flowering 

 plants for this season of the year, amongst them 

 the pretty little Oncidium Phalrcnopsis ; it has white 

 flowers prettily spotted reddish-violet. Odontoglos- 

 sum ffirstedii majus is a very small growing plants 

 flowering freely, the pure white flowers, with yellow 

 blotch on the lip, are sweetly scented and freely 

 produced. 0. Dormanianum, whitish and densely 

 spotted brown ; is very distinct and pretty. There 

 was also in flower a pure white form of O. crispum, 

 flowers of good form and exquisite purity. Mas- 

 devallia Boczlii had not yet passed out of bloom 

 but was producing a few of its quaint blossoms, 

 Loelia autumnalis was nicely in flower, beautiful to 

 look at but offensive to smelL. J, Douglas, 



Okchids at Woolton Wood, Liverpool. 



The fact that the collection belonging to Holbrook 

 Gaskell, Esq., is rapidly progressing into something 

 like its former excellence, and that under the un- 

 doubted skill of Mr. Todd, who is not only a clever 

 Orchid grower but equally good at any other bianch 

 of gardening, is likely to become better than even 

 in its palmiest days, cannot fail to interest all con- 

 cerned in Orchid growing. Generally speaking 

 Orchids need not decline under cultivation, although 

 unfortunately they are often allowed to do so, but 

 that they are amenable to good culture even when 

 in poor condition has been proven by Mr. Todd on 

 many a valuable specimen. The Woolton Wood 

 collection contains many rare species and varieties, 

 and more especially among the showier genera ; the 

 houses are well adapted for Orchid culture, and 

 under proper management they should be bright 

 with flowers more or less all the year round. At 

 present the plants are quite fulfilling their duties, 

 and some noble examples are in bloom. In the 

 centre of a group in one of the large span-houses a 

 splendid example of our old friend, Cattleya Lod- 

 digesii has two dozen of fine flowers open ; with it 

 are some good masses of Laslia Perrinii, a number 

 of the best varieties of Cypripedium insigne and C. 

 Sedeni, a large plant of C. vexillarium, C. javani- 

 cum, richly flowered pans of Pleione, Cattleya aurea, 

 Miltonia Candida grandiflora, Oncidium prrctextum, 

 some Ionopsis, Cirrhopetalum ornatissimum, with 

 other pretty things in flower, and the handsome 

 Lselia superbiens Quelsneriana in spike. 



Passing to the next range we find in flower a 

 splendid form of the rare Dendrobium Phalaj- 

 nopsis, Cypripedium Dayanum, C. Domraianum, 

 C. oananthum superbum, C. caudatum, which 

 bore flowers with petals 30 inches long; and the 

 charming Odontoglossum Londesboroughianum, with 

 its golden flowers, which many fail to get it to pro- 

 duce, but which Mr. Todd succeeds with by keeping 

 the plants dry after maturing the growth. 



In the next division Cypripedium Spicerianum 

 was fine, a good batch of Odontoglossum Roezli 

 thriving, and some interesting Anajctochili, Berto- 

 lonias, Sonerilas, &., appeared. 



An unshaded span-house has been used all 

 summer for the varieties of Lailia anceps and other 

 Mexican Lrelias, which are now sending up a large 

 quantity of flower-spikes, and with them have been 

 kept some large specimens of Coelogyne cristata, 

 which are very healthy and vigorous, notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that they are supposed not to like sun- 

 light. In the same house is a Lrelia albida with over 

 fifty spikes, and some rare white L. anceps. Sarra- 

 cenias occupy part of another division with good 

 specimens in flower of Oncidium tigrinum and 0. 

 unguiculatum, and a robust lot of the fine white 

 Dendrobium Jamesianum. 



In another h ouse among a profusion of healthy 

 specimens in flower are some Masdevallia chimtera 

 and M. bella ; the snow-white and fragrant Maxillaria 

 venusta in large specimens ; Mesospinidium vulcani- 

 cum, the pretty pink Odontoglossum Cervantesi 

 morada, and some showy 0. grande. The cool 

 houses never looked better than they do now, the 

 Odontoglossums are very vigorous and sound, not 

 many of the white species are open ; but of O. 

 crispum, 0. Andersoninanum,&c.,many are in bud ; the 

 same applies to the well grown Masdevallias in their 

 house, only a stray bloom or two appearing on the 

 bright coloured species, while that charming and 

 rare species, M. Gaskelliana, which is almost per- 

 petual flowering, bears but one. In shape it is 

 something like M. nycterina, but of a cream colour 

 prettily mottled with rosy-red, the long tails being 

 red. It is a distinct and very pretty species, its 

 flowers appearing all the more attractive by contrast 

 with its narrrow bright green leaves. For the rest 

 of the garden under glass it may be said that the 

 Calanthes are grown to perfection, so also the large 

 and grandly flowered lot of Eucharis amazonica in 

 the stores. The Phalsenopsis are improving but are 

 still a "far cry " off their glorious condition of a few 

 years ago before their house was altered for improve- 

 ment, Vanda Sanderiana, too, is in bloom, 



The rockery-house, as re-arranged, is one of the 

 greatest successes which this garden has achieved. 

 The rockery, built under Mr. Gaskell's own super- 

 vision, was always a fine one, but it was spoilt by 

 planting miscellaneous plants. All this has been 

 done away with, the rockery rearranged, and, with 

 the exception of a few grand Tree Ferns, planted 

 as a cool filmy-fernery, some grand Todeas, rare 

 Hymenophyllums, Trichomanes, and such things, 

 giving the house a most beautiful appearance, and 

 returning a good reward for the trouble and expense 

 of the work of renovation. Woolton Wood is a 

 fine garden, and its owner is as great an enthusiast 

 as ever. J. OB, 



RODRIGUEZIA SEC0NDA. 



We find this plant to thrive best in the Cattleya- 

 house in a small hanging basket, or suspended on a 

 block of wood ; but in whatever way it may be 

 grown it should have very little soil about its roots. 

 The drainage must be maintained in thoroughly 

 efficient order, for although an atmosphere well 

 charged with moisture is very conducive to its well- 

 being, the roots prefer absorption from the air to 

 having a quantity of wet sour material constantly 

 about them. It requires a considerable amount of 

 moisture during the growing season, and at no time 

 in the year should it suffer from drought, as its 

 diminutive bulbs cannot support it in health for any 

 length of time without water; inattention to these 

 small matters often causes the cultivator much 

 loss or disappointment. This species does not like 

 to be disturbed, so that if the plant is thriving in any 

 particular position, allow it to remain, for frequently 

 it is found that one part of the house is more suit- 

 able than another for different plants. It will not 

 require re-basketing often, but when this is neces- 

 sary the new material should be placed about it just 

 after new growths appear. The Orchid Album, October. 



THE DOUGLAS FIR IN SCOT- 

 LAND. 



(Continued from page 532..) 



Although the Taymount plantation gives some 

 valuable information respecting the early develop- 

 ment of Douglas Fir compared with that of Scotch 

 Pine, it leaves us as yet completely in the dark as to 

 the further progress of production with advancing 

 age. We have detailed and accurate information of 

 the rate of increment of various European Conifers, 

 such as Scotch Pine, Spruce and Silver Fir, but our 

 oldest pure plantation of Douglas Fir consists of 

 trees now only thirty-two years old. As regards the 

 production per acre in its native home nothing reliable 

 is available. 



Hough, in his Elements of Forestry, (1882), tells us 

 that the Douglas Fir reaches in Oregon to the 

 enormous size of 200 — 300 feet in height, and from 

 15 — 20 feet in diameter ; he adds, however, that the 

 tree is more commonly about 150 feet high and from 

 4 — 8 feet in diameter. In America the trees are 

 said to stand near each other, but this they certainly 

 do not in the Scotch plantations ; on the contrary, 

 here an acre can, owing to the spreading nature of 

 the branches, accommodate only a small number of 

 trees compared with other species. On the whole, 

 the matter requires considerable further investiga- 

 tion. This could best be done by a competent 

 forester proceeding to North America and making suit- 

 able measurements on the spot. Such a step was 

 actually taken, in 1885, by Dr. H. Mayr, a Bavarian 

 forester and botanist. He visited the localities in 

 which the Douglas Fir thrives best, and he has 

 promised to publish the information which he has 

 gathered. So far, however, he has only favoured us 

 with a few notes published in forest journals, and, as 

 he has proceeded to Japan, as Professor of Forest 

 Botany in the Japanese Forest School, his experience 

 of the Douglas Fir may not become available for 

 years to come. 



Pending further investigation, I may be permitted 

 to gather together what useful information is avail- 

 able at present, and to draw such conclusions as 

 may appear permissible. The following* information 

 is at my disposal : — 



* Much general information is, no doubt, available, but for 

 the present object only actual measurements can be used. 



