January 3, 1865. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETIC0LTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



would pay the wages of some weets' or even months' illness. 

 However, in all such cases the servant will act wisely if 

 he seldom thinks, and never speaks, of his own "rights" 

 and his employer's "duties." We have known otherwise 

 clever men reason themselves into strange fancies, until 

 they became morbidly aggrieved and injured. We believe 

 that gardeners, like other workers, must, as a matter of 

 course, be able to work in order to receive the stipulated 

 remuneration, yet very few gentlemen run close in this 

 matter; and of aU servants none are more worthy of kind 

 consideration than gardeners.] 



OKCHIDS IN FLOWER IN DECEMBER. 

 This short list may prove interesting to some few of the 

 many lovers of Orchids, as we like to know what plants 

 flower at this dull season. I think winter-flowering Orchids 

 axe worthy of more notice than is usually bestowed upon 

 them, as they enliven the dull winter months, when there 

 is little of interest to be seen in other departments. It 

 would be useless for me to attempt to describe the many 

 beauties of this beautiful tribe of plants. We have now in 

 flower AngrKcum sesquipedale, with its ivory white flowers 

 5 inches across, with a great tail 12 inches long ; A. ebur- 

 neum superbum, Ansellia africana, Barkeria Skinneri, Biu:- 

 lingtonia amosna, Cattleya amethystoglossa, one of the most 

 beautiful Cattlevas in cultivation ; Calanthe Veitchii, a beau- 

 tiful winter-flowering plant with a spike 4 feet long, thickly 

 set with its beautiful rose-coloured flowers ; C. vestita rabro- 

 oculata, C. vestita latea, Ccelogyne fuseescens, C. species, 

 Cypripedium hu-sutissimum, very fine, with two flowers on 

 each spike ; C. Fairrieanum, C. barbatum nigrum, C. in- 

 signis, C. venustum, Epidendrum viteUinum majus, E. ama- 

 bile, a magnificent variety, one that will become a general 

 iavourite when known; Galeandra Stangeniana, lonopsis 

 paniculata, Leptotes bioolor, Ltelia acuminata, L. anceps, 

 L. autumnalis, a beautiful variety; L. preestans, Lycaste 

 Skinneri, in varieties ; Maxillaria veuusta, this has been in 

 flower sis months ; M. picta, M. picta majus, Miltonia. 

 Morelii atro-rubens, Odontoglossum Insleayii, true ; Onoi- 

 dium Cavendishii, 0. Suttonii, 0. pulvinatum majus, O. 

 sphacelatum, 0. species, Phaljenopsis amabilis, P. grandi- 

 flora, Saccolabium miniatum, S. violacea, Sophronites gran- 

 diflora, long and round leaved varieties; S. cernua, S. violacea, 

 Phajus maculatus, Trichocentron PinelU, and Zygopetalum 

 crinitum. — E. Mitchell, Gardener to B. F. Ainsworth, Esq., 

 M.D., Lower BrougMon, Manchester, 



USES OF COCOA-NUT FIBRE REFUSE. 



In a recent Number of the Journal you made some 

 remarks respecting potting CameUias in cocoa-nut refuse, 

 and have rightly recommended it to be mixed with loam. I 

 think many persons use too much of the refuse for hard- 

 wooded plants, which generally thrive best in good loam 

 with very little peat or leaf mould — no more than is suffi- 

 cient to keep the soil open and prevent its binding too 

 closely together. The refuse may be substituted for the 

 peat and leaf mould. I planted an old sickly Camellia, that 

 had not flowered for three or four years, in mould mixed with 

 about one-fourth of the refuse, and put more than one- 

 ialf closely around the roots ; the plants afterwards grew 

 vigorously and blossomed well. For Ehododendrons and 

 -Ajnerican plants it may be used more freely. 



Whenever I replant trees or shrubs of any kind, I use 

 some of the refuse, alone or mixed with the mould, to spread 

 thinly about the roots, as it causes a rapid production of 

 fine fibrous roots, which afterwards find their way into the 

 loam most suitable to maintain their growth. 



At the end of December last year I planted some Eoses 

 and dwarf Pear trees on the quince stock in my garden; 

 but having no dung, and the soil being rather stiff and poor, 

 I used the refuse as I have just described, and then mulched 

 them with the refuse only, 5 or 6 inches deep, which effect- 

 TiaUy protected the roots from severe frost. Every tree grew 

 vigorously and some bore fine fruit. However, as the refuse 

 wiU not support the continuous growth of trees like stable 

 manure, I determined to follow the advice of Mr. Eivers in 

 DIB little book, " The Miniature Fruit Garden," and have 



lately taken up all my trees, Eoses and Pears, to replant 

 them with dung. My gardener and I were both surprised 

 to find such a mass of long fibrous roots, grown in one year, 

 with the refuse hanging to them. I must observe that the 

 refuse mulching was allowed to remain throughout the sum- 

 mer, and by watering it occasionally the ground was pre- 

 served from being parched and hardened. 



I am just going to prepare an Asparagus-bed, and have 

 directed my gardener to work in a quantity of the old refuse 

 very freely with the soil and dung, and to sprinkle in a little 

 salt. I shall have this turned over and v/ell mixed at least 

 twice before putting in the plants in Mai'ch. This will make 

 the soil rich and Ught, through which the Aspiragus wiU 

 shoot up strong and straight, as I have seen in the gardens 

 of a gentleman who seems to have a mania for this refuse. — 

 H. E., Surbiton. 



BURY HILL, 



The Seat of A. K. Bakclat, Esq. 



In travelling from London by the South-Eastern EaUway, 

 after leaving that labyrinth of lines which unite at London 

 Bridge, the first few niHes present the usual features offered 

 by the suburbs of a large town. There seems, indeed, to be 

 vast quantities of waste groimd by the sides of the railway, 

 more so than near most lines in less densely populated 

 districts ; but there is nothing to call for particular remark 

 until the cold, bleak station of EedhUl is gained— cold and 

 bleak in winter, but pleasant in the extreme in summer — the 

 new and rising town of EedhiU appearing in full view, with 

 its villas, and comfortable-looking dwellings clustered to- 

 gether in the valley, as well as crowning the various emi- 

 nences by which the town is surrounded. Here the Dover 

 and Canterbury lines turn off to the left, wMle the Brighton 

 one proceeds straight on; but a branch of the South- 

 Eastern curves round to the right, cutting through amongst 

 the hiUs and deep valleys of Surrey, and it is a short journey 

 on this line that brings us to Bm-y HUl. The scenery on the 

 road thither is as much diversified as on any short railway 

 journey I know. The deep cuttings and some high embank- 

 ments give tokens of the vast quantities of sand which have 

 rendered the name of Eeigate one of our household words. 

 A gardener travelling that way for the first time will see 

 that there is no tear of fine white silver sand for propa- 

 gating purposes ever becoming scarce, though he may envy 

 the wasteful manner in which he sees it lying about. He 

 may, however, console himseK by reflecting on the fact 

 that the overlying mould is neither plentiful nor of the 

 best kind for cultural purposes. Some smiling vaUies are 

 passed through, the vUlage of Betchworth is reached, and, 

 leaving that, the eye instinctively rests upon the high chalk 

 hiU to the right, which is Box Hill, a favourite resort for 

 picnic and other pleasure parties, and the traveller may 

 remember being told that the Box tree grows wild here. 

 Most of the boxwood required for various purposes was once 

 supposed to have been obtained from this place ; but large 

 quantities are now imported from abroad, so much so as to 

 cause fears of the supply being exhausted even in countries 

 where the tree is more plentiful than in England. Box 

 Hill, however, has, no doubt, contributed its share, and even 

 now the plant is said to be plentifully spread over the waste, 

 and with Yew, Juniper, and some Hazel and Birch trees, 

 gives the top and abrupt sides of the hUl a clothed appear- 

 ance, which is rendered the more conspicuous by the white, 

 chalky character of the surrounding ground. 



Passing Box HUl, a short stage brings the traveller to 

 the important town of Dorking, nestled as it were in a valley, 

 the hOly district by which it is surrounded having more the 

 stamp of distinct ridges than broken mountain scenery. 

 Here we leave the rail, and a pleasant walk of about two 

 miles brings us to the entrance gates to Bury Hill. A broad 

 carriage road leads from the gates, curving right and left to 

 meet the requirements of the ascending ground, and every 

 now and then opening up fresh views, or, perhaps, a noble 

 specimen of a tree planted by some former possessor arrests 

 the eye. The curves and gradients are of that easy kind 

 which modern roadmaking can find but httle to improve 

 upon. After traversing some distance this prettily rather 

 than densely clothed eminence, another turn of the road 



