Fesrvary 12, 1887.] 
its present malformation and utter want of уча, de in- 
eed, this season it is almost impossible to 
в, and 
e fact of a анон in the rc 
and сц Niet early extinction of all eat- 
able Potatos 
PARTNERSHIP DissoLvED. 
Thomas Fletcher, Sen., and Thomas pi 
Jun., trading as сазва Flétoher & Son, at West- 
field Nursery, Ashgate Road, Newbold, and at New 
Square, Chesterfield, nurserymen, seedsmen, and 
florists, T. Fletcher, Sen., retires 
THE ORCHID Houses, 
KINDS OF SHADING. 
Стар as Orchid growers might be to see cloudless 
days and bright sunshine, they will soon find it 
necessary to reduce the amount of the latter in the 
cool and East Indian-houses, if the inmates are to be 
that we shall allow all Orchids a much greater 
amount of bright sunshine, I fadt bai leaning i in 
that direction for years, but often found it wise to 
revert to the o What is wanted in the 
the commencement of spring 
ithout its shining too strong e the 
plants, therefore a pa that is necessary at mid- 
summer is far too heavy now. If the e day be brighi 
with a канг uim and a heavy shading is run down, 
st be kept going, or the atmosphere will 
suitable for cool Odontoglossums 
than for East тыша subjects. ave endeavoured 
to remedy this by having а lighter shading 
to start with—one 2T will scarcely affect the lig ht 
and i me hous sI bw on the roof inside the 
can down erek in the morni ing ind draw 
up nidi in the aftern 
E 
Those plants that are not required for exhibition 
rpo wi th 
flower soon give them 
plenty of iri sei abou 
and very little top ventilation. 
p in einn the divisions might 
higher n 
4 ouses in the poe as 
will be found much too low. I consider a check i 
AT "Arm Done is wee hg pe: to East Indian Orchids. 
Leatherhead, 
SCOTLAND. 
— ھچ‎ 
SCOTTISH HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
НЕ ordinary monthly па of dg c" 
was held on the 1st inst. i Andrew 
, Edinburgh, Mr. Mak Milne, President, in 
the chair. The ordinary business of the meeting 
ving been transacted, the Chairman announced 
that neither of the two papers set down in the syl- 
labus for that night could be read, owing to illness 
in the case of the author of one paper, and the non- 
appearance of the other from causes unexplained. 
The report of the Chrysanthemum show held under 
the auspices of the Association on the 7th and 8th 
THE GARDENERS’ 
of the 
As sociation permanently with the fosteri 
> 
CHRONICLE. 
291 
December last, was read by Mr. Alex. McKenzie, 
Treasurer, who, in his remarks, commented grate- 
under- 
taking was pie satisfactory—cash received being 
£59 19s. 64., and di 
tely, announcing 
to all concerned their intention to hold a Chrysan- 
themum show some time in November next. Severe 
members, while cordially approving of the suggestion 
of the Council, objected to the funds of the Associa- 
tion being involved in any way in connection with 
the proposed show. The Treas 
not to identify the 
ring of 
vident desire of gardeners and the public to 
бы an annual Ch чанар show in Edinburgh. 
That, he considered, was not a func tion of the Asso- - 
о at present was to 
hold another show tentatively, in the hope that that 
Society would eventually take the matter up. The 
meeting then unanimously approved of the action of 
the Council in the matter. 
There were n by Messrs. Laird & Sons 
twenty-four truss f Chrysanthemum blooms in 
admirable voile. which excited considerable and 
favourable comment, "The most conspicuous among 
the varieties were Elaine, Fleur de Marie, Ethel, 
Meg Merrilies, Rosa Bonheur, and Jonathan. W. S, 
FLORA OF THE AFGHAN BOUN- 
DARY 
BRIGADE-SURGEON J. E. T. п laid a 
portant communication on this subject bán the 
Linnean Society on the 3d inst, He collected some- 
where about 10,000 specimens, and about 800 species, 
ereof 100 are probably new to science. Referring 
to the Heri-rud Valley and the Badglais district, he 
stated :— 
feet is impossible without the aid of irr igation ; and 
until the dew-line is gained Afghanistan is a land 
totally devoid of trees or even shru But as 
Wheat and o longer need irrigation. Dr 
itchison's collections do not quite represent what 
is general the Oriental flora, being 
as 
chiefly comprised of North Persian = Mediter- 
ranean, with a very few rsian io 
Arabian forms, "poo by Cen hike Asia’ 
and Sibe an M, few Western Hima- 
very limited number 
from the Punjab and "Scinde regions. Tbe HF 
whole collection. The tropical zone olea of ty 
Hooker and Thomson as skirting the Afghan regi 
does not extend to the суны owing to е e ex- 
cessive fall in the winter temperature and the 
shortened summer, a inii ha gp of which is 
the absence of the Date Palm of 75 natural 
C А 
the others, as might have been expected, 
the former cpm 81 and the latter 8Ü species 
respectively. tchison had little opportunity 
afforded him for investigating the alpine flora of the 
was se 
country, as ощ able to collect in localities 
above 5000 feet in altitude ; above this height in ex- 
posed positions he found that trees and shrubs had 
disappeared. 
There are no indigenous trees in the Heri-rud valley 
except on the islands and low lands of the river, 
where in some instances dense forests of Populus 
euphratica occur, with several 
tra 
ound the inner side, which 
are grown for the feeding of silkworms, 
The other orchard trees are Apricots, Plums, 
Apples, чан, учене Jujubes, Eleagnus, and 
Vines, The las i i 
trees in the pone a or the soil, which is removed 
from deep pein ai is cdl енй in the form of a ee 
wall, with a n rn exposure; in these trenches 
the Vines are vant. and oa the sloping vat they 
are allowed either directly to trail, or a lat ework 
is placed on the slope to keep the Vine bas ары 
into contact with the ground. Occasionally Plums, 
Peaches, Almonds, Putin ai and Figs in the 
better class of orchar n these orchards 
it is very common to see c both ree, and red Roses 
— the latter, Rosa damascena, aia ha for the dis- 
wma Rose-water, and Rubia m for its 
as а dye-stuff; and us жож, ту di trees 
Medicago d Trigonella are cultivated for fodder. 
e ho 
the natives seem to live entirely upon vetas with 
a little E and they contain so much saccharine 
that in Herat a syrup or sugar is od 
from them. Ordinary Melons are cultivated, but in 
much less quantity than the Water-Melon, and mixed 
with them a great variety of Pumpkins and other Cu- 
g in 
single lines along the outer margin of the field, the 
Castor-oil ws cultivated, as it was in olden times, 
for its oil for burninz, the inhabitants being still 
ignorant of its uses as a medicine, 
As garden crops numerous vegetables are grown, 
of all which the Afghans are extremely fond, and 
some of these are excellent in quality. Even in 
England one scarcely expects to see finer Beetroot, 
Carrots, Turnips, or Cabbages than are grown here, 
besides Radishes, Tomatos, and erue which are all 
fairly good, with numerous pot-he; Requiring 
more care than ordinary field crops, thee ме T 
grown opium, Tobacco, and some oil 
field cultivation consists s primarily of Wheat which is is 
2 localities ergrown 
m hexastich 
ood, and this is said to take a month 
longer to ripen than the other. 
The vadens trees in үк md iw AE yai and 
in orc an Ash, an Elm, Lombardy 
Poplar, Pinus a ing and nd гиа Willows, 
and rarely the Oriental Plane. Asan introduced w 
near dwellings Dr. Aitchison saw at Khusan Datura 
alba. Of Cannabis sativa he never saw a single plant, 
except а жер cultivated in Khorasan The weeds of 
field cultiva 
3 vena 
which „жаз a much 
айкайы inae 
iu ari 
an in man 
Tobacco fields with its A purple flowers. In a few 
places he met with Cynomorium coccineum, a blood- 
red species of the Balanophorem, which altogether 
captivated his Indian followers,who collected portions 
