370 



JOUrvNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AKD COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ May 2S, 1871. 



to open on the 2nd of June, and will last four days ; while the 

 13th of Jaly has been appointed for a cat show, and it will be 

 the first that has ever been held. We are so apt to joke about 

 cats, that most of us forget, or are ignorant of, what interest- 

 ing and beautiful varieties of the animal are known and domi- 

 ciled in this country. These, although of high value, have 

 never been brought together for exhibition, as the dogs have. 

 There are, besides, to be shows of poultry, singing and cage 

 birds, and Pigeons. Of these last-named there is to be an 



especially interesting exhibition. On the 26i.h of June there 

 will be a great Pigeon Concours, after the continental fashion^ 

 when one thousand Pigeons, of the true homing varieties, will 

 be liberated to race for prizes to various stations in Belgium. 

 These will be of the same breed as the messengers employed 

 during the Franco-German war — many will be the identical 

 birds. They are not what we call Oirriers ; the English Carrier 

 is a fancy breed, and is, indeed, misnamed, for he can seldom 

 or never be used properly for the service of conveying messagep^ 



SOBRALIA MACEANTHA 

 The plant we have the pleasure to figure for the first time 

 ■was exhibited a few weeks ago at the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society's 



den, South Ken- 

 sington, bv Mr. 



B. S. Williams, 



of the Victoria 



Nm'sery, Upper 



Eolloway. It is 



at once a very 



rare and beau- 

 tiful variety of 



the well-known 



Sobralia ma- 



crantha. The 



reed-like stems 



and leaves very 



much resemble 



those of some 



species of Pani- 



cum — more so 



than the groM'th 



of an Orchidace- 

 ous plant. The 



stems are some 

 3 or 4 feet in 

 height, and veiy 



slender, produc- 

 ing upon the 

 ends of the 

 shoots, when 

 they are mature, 

 numerous large 

 flowers, which 

 measure up- 

 wards of 6 inch- 

 es in diameter. 

 The sepals and 

 petals are of a 

 soft creamy or 

 French white ; 

 the lip is very 

 large and spread- 

 ing, of a uni- 

 form, soft, rich 

 purple, which 

 contrasts beau- 

 tifully with the 

 pale-coloured sepals and petals. From its distinctness and deli- 

 cate beauty this plant is worthy of a place in every collection 

 of Orchidaceous plants. 



The genus Sobralia, unfortunately, is' to a great extent neg- 



VAR. ALBIDA. 

 lected by the majority of amateur gxowers of Orchids — a fact 

 which is much to be regretted, for although it cannot be denied 



that the indivi- 

 dual flowers are 

 very fugacious, 

 yet the quantity' 

 produced, and 

 the soft and 

 beautiful colours 

 of the blooms, 

 make ample com.- 

 pensation for its 

 short-lived pro- 

 perties. 



Sobralias are 

 all terrestrial 

 plants, destitute- 

 of pseudo -bulbs,, 

 and are cha- 

 racterised by- 

 slender reed- 

 like stem?, bear- 

 ing dark green, 

 plaited, acu- 

 minate leaves. 

 They should be 

 potted in rough- 

 peat, sphagnum- 

 moss, and good 

 leaf mould and 

 sand, to which 

 may be added a 

 little sound tui-f\~ 

 loam. In pot- 

 ting let the drain- 

 age be good, hut 

 the plants should 

 not be elevated 

 above the rim 

 of the pot, as 

 is practised for 

 epiphytal spe- 

 cies of this order. 

 The best place 

 to grow them 

 is the cool end 

 of the Cattleya 

 • house. At aU 

 seasons a liberal supply of water is essential to their well-being,, 

 but in winter much less will suffice than is neccssar;' during the 

 period of growth and flower. As far as I am aware all are natives 

 of South America and the West Indian Islands.— Expekto Ckede. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



EvEET spare piece of ground must now be trenched-up in 

 readiness for planting Brussels Sj)ronts and early Savoys. The 

 detached leaves from Cabbage beds in bearing should be re- 

 moved and trenched-in, not left to wither and rot amongst 

 growing crops, forming a harbour for slugs and other vermin. 

 Asparagus beds are likely to meet with a severe cutting this 

 year on account of the lateness of other vegetables, and should, 

 therefore, be liberally supplied with stimulants in the shape 

 of liquid manure and salt. The cutting, however, must be 

 gradually lessened. Keep the beds free from weeds, and discon- 

 tinue entirely the cutting of young beds. A few drills of Cape 

 Broccoli may be sown in light rich soil, to be thinned out and 

 kept standing. The trenches which have been prepared for 



early Celeri/ should now be planted without delay; lift the 

 plants from the nursery bed with a good ball of earth, plant 

 them at a foot apart, using a trowel or small fork in preference 

 to a dibble, and give them a liberal supply of water, and after 

 they have started into growth plenty of liquid manure poured 

 upon the soil from the spout of a watering-pot without the 

 rose. If from drought the tops require freshening, a sprinkling 

 of pure water is best. Prick-out late-sown Celery, and keep all- 

 young advancing crops well supplied with water. Thin-out 

 young seedling Cucumbers and Vegetable Marroms on ridges, 

 and see that transplanted ones do not want for water ; tilt the 

 glasses for the admission of air, and shut down close in the 

 evening. Liberal applications of liquid manure must be kept 

 up to Cauliflowers in order to have them fine. Continue at 



