188 
so prevalent that one very eminent firm to whom I wrote, 
asking why it was excluded from their lists, replied that it 
was so disappointing that it would not grow except in a north 
aspect, and even then would not flower, and so they had 
omitted it from their catalogue. It is high time that these 
fallacies should be discarded. Two years ago Mr. Duthie, the 
gardener at Penninghame Castle near Newton Stewart, where 
I saw it in great perfection, kindly sent me some roots. I 
planted them in a bed under my dining-room window. the 
aspect being as nearly south as possible. Last year the plants 
grew and had a few blooms; they were left undisturbed, and 
this year they have grown and flowered most luxuriantly, in 
fact as freely as I saw them in Scotland at the same age. The 
truth is that all that it requires is to be let alone. As soon as 
it gets established it commences to flower vigorously, and each 
year more and more so. In passing through the Trossachs this 
year I saw the front of the manse, which stands high up and 
fully exposed to the sun, covered with it ; and unless in very 
hot and dry situations I believe it will do quite as well with 
us southerners as in bonnie Scotland.—D., Deal. 
[The small spray enclosed is admirably flowered and very 
beautiful.—EDs. ] 
ROSES IN POOR SOIL. 
I HAVE read the sorrows of “WyLD SAVAGE,” and should 
not have tendered advice unless he had requested it. I do not 
like tendering advice, for it seems to argue superiority, which 
I do not feel. 
My advice to him is to trench a portion of his ground, and 
take out all the stones; then manure the ground and plant 
the Roses deeper than usual, and place the stones in a radius 
round the plants. Stones are an excellent mulching ; as the 
ground under them is always kept moist by the evaporation 
being arrested. Roses suffer from evaporation. Properly 
the whole ground should be mulched. 
Manetti Roses when planted should be covered 2 inches over 
the roots with soil; a trench should be dug, and soil and 
manure should be trodden as hard as possible against the 
stocks, the scion eyes in the stock having been cut out. 
Instead of renewing the soil, sow now the Early Stone 
Turnip, and eventually chop them up and dig themin. The 
vegetable matter will do great good. I tried it some years ago 
and found it succeed. If ‘ WyLD SAVAGE” can obtain cow 
manure, liquid and solid, he will find it advantageous to his 
Roses. I use it here chiefly liquid, and I never in twenty- 
seven years have known my Roses do so well as this year. 
They promise me a fine autumnal bloom. I can strongly re- 
commend Star of Waltham and Queen of Waltham ; they are 
two of the best Roses that I have bought for some years. They 
are of fine outline, are full to the centre, and abundant and 
free bloomers. In conclusion, I think Maréchal Niel and Louis 
Van Houtte to be the two finest Roses ; to which may be added 
Charles Lefebvre, Alfred Colomb, Marie Racy, Madame La- 
charme. The two first do better on the Gifferaie stock than 
on Manetti—W. F. RADCLYFFE. 
CHOICE GARDEN ORCHIDS.—No. 4. 
VANDA, Lindl. 
EryM.— Vanda, the Hindoo name. 
This genus contains some of the most beautiful of the Old- 
World Orchids ; they are all natives of tropical Asia. Until 
recently but few species were known ; the rigid search for new 
plants during the last few years, however, has considerably 
increased our knowledge and added several beautiful kinds to 
our collections. Vandas are characterised by their coriaceous 
leaves, which are arranged in a two-ranked (distichous) man- 
ner, which, however, vary much in length in the different 
species. The flowers are for the most part large and highly 
coloured, the outer portion of the flower—that is, the sepals 
and petals, being usually alike both in shape and size, the 
labellum more or less saceate and three-lobed, the middle lobe 
being large and fleshy. 
CULTURE.—The details given in our previous notes upon the 
genus Aérides will apply with equal force for the genus now 
under consideration. Special care must be taken that these 
plants do not suffer by want of water during the season of 
rest. or the lower leaves will at once turn yellow and fall off, 
to the great disfigurement of the specimen. They enjoy a 
high temperature, with the atmosphere well charged with 
moisture, saying the one or two exceptions which we have 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 5, 1878, 
noticed specially in describing the species. For further details 
see Aérides. Temperature—Summer, 75° to 85° day, 65° to 75° 
night ; winter, 65° to 70° day, 60° to 65° night. 
Vanda Bensonii, Bate. (Bot. Mag., t.5611).—This is a very 
beautiful species, belonging to the same section or having some 
affinity with such kinds as V. Roxburghii, &c. Leaves chan- 
nelled, obliquely toothed at the apex, coriaceous in texture, 
6 to 8 inches long, and dark green. Raceme erect, longer: 
than the leaves, twelve to fifteen-flowered. Flowers some 
2 inches in diameter, lax, and borne upon long footstalks. 
Fig. 29.—Vanda undulata. 
Sepals larger than the petals; both are obovate, obtuse, fur- 
nished with a claw at the apex. Colour yellowish green, with 
numerous reddish brown dots, reverse side china white. Lip 
ovate in front, with a bifid apex traversed with three ridges, 
and having two small triangular side lobes, which are white, 
the centre lobe being deep violet. Spur conical, obtuse, white. 
It blooms usually in early summer. Rangoon. 1866. 
V. cristata, Lindl. (Bot. Reg., 1842, t. 48).—A curious and 
beautiful small-growing species. Leaves channelled, recurved, 
truncate at the apex, and bright green. Raceme erect, shorter 
than the leaves, three to four-flowered. Sepals oblong, obtuse. 
Petals narrower and incurved, white tinged with green. Lip 
oblong, convex, trayersed with furrowed lines, and curiously 
horned at the apex. Colour buff. striped with deep purple, 
