May 28, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



267 



Linnaeus was acute enough to be able to sift the truth from 

 error in the work of his predecessors, and, if he was not en- 

 tirely free from Aristotelian methods in his reasoning, he was 

 able, as was no other before him, to present a clear and com- 

 prehensive system which prepared the way for subsequent 

 classifications. It is hardly necessary to hint that he was not 

 the author of the binomial system, for all attempts to prove 

 the contrary have only resulted in showing that he was cer- 

 tainly the first to advocate and practice such a system. On 

 the whole, recent endeavors to belittle Linnaeus have served 

 only to make his superiority the more evident. 



The chapters on anatomy and physiology will be found to be 

 much more interesting than those ' on classification, and, 

 whether one agrees with the author in his estimate of individ- 

 ual botanists or not, they form a most admirable summary of 

 the subjects. The style of the original was clear and forcible 

 and its characters have been well preserved in the excellent 

 translation, which follows the original German, except in a few 

 places where, as the author states in the preface to the transla- 

 tion, changes "could be effected by simply drawing a pen 

 through a few lines." 



On closing the book the reader who has followed the course of 

 botany since i860 cannot fail to remark how great has been the 

 change in the science since that date. The " Origin of Species " 

 certainly has brought about a new epoch in botany. Looking 

 back to i860 it seems to be but a short time, but there has been 

 a revolution in scientific ideas. One would be glad to have 

 from Sachs, who has himself contributed so much to recent 

 advance in botany, a summary of progress since i860, and the 

 desire is only intensified as one reads in the author's preface 

 the following lines: "I would desire that whoever reads 

 what I have written on Charles Darwin in the present work 

 should consider that it contains a large infusion of youthful 

 enthusiasm still remaining from the year 1859, when the 

 ' Origin of Species ' delivered us from the unlucky dogma of 

 constancy. Darwin's later writings have notinspired me with the 

 like feeling." One would be glad to know exactly which works 

 of Darwin are here meant and why they have failed to inspire 

 the like feeling. Are we to attribute the change of view to 

 the conservatism which naturally increases with age, or are 

 we to conclude that a maturer reflection has convinced Sachs 

 that science has advanced too fast and too far in the direction 

 of Darwinism, and that the pendulum of progress is to oscil- 

 late in another direction hereafter ? 



Correspondence. 



Orchids in New Brunswick, New Jersey. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir. — In the gardens of Charles J. Carpender, Esq., of New 

 Brunswick, New Jersey, I recently found a rich display of flow- 

 ers scattered through the three houses devoted to the culture of 

 Orchids. There were also fine groups of Nepenthes, Anthu- 

 riums, Ferns, etc., growing luxuriantly. Among the An- 

 thuriums was a grand form of A. Andreanum, bearing flowers 

 of enormous size, some of the largest measuring nine inches 

 in diameter. The Nepenthes, too, were furnished with 

 pitchers of fine form and color, among them being good ex- 

 amples of N. Amesiana, N. Hookeriana, N. Dominiana, etc. 

 Among the Orchids, Lcelia purpurata made the most promi- 

 nent display, with its large and bold blossoms, and several 

 excellent varieties were seen, one especially being very dis- 

 tinct, with broad, flat sepals and petals, and a lip of a very rich 

 purple color. The plant bore six spikes, carrying some thirty 

 flowers. Near the roof of the house a number of the beauti- 

 ful rose-colored L. majalis were seen, and, judging from the 

 enormous flowers they bore, this position suited them ex- 

 actly. One plant had produced two spikes, one with three, 

 the other with two flowers. They were attached to wooden 

 blocks, and when growth is completed they are removed to a 

 cool and dry atmosphere to enable the bulbs to mature 

 thoroughly, and this Mr. Carpender considers the main cause 

 of his success. Among the Cattleyas several fine examples of 

 C. Skinnerii were well flowered; also C. Gaskelliana, and the 

 old but still popular C. Mossice. Many others promise a fine 

 show at a later period, among them being several plants of 

 C. Dowiana, well sheathed C. chrysotoxa and C. gigas, all 

 grown in baskets, and in vigorous condition. Several inter- 

 esting Cypripediums were also seen in flower, chief among them 

 being two large examples of C. caudatum, with its curious tail- 

 like petals. The pretty C. Lowii had furnished a strong spike, 

 and a group of C. Lawrenceanum were all in fine condition, 

 their dorsal sepals being very broad and large, and in one va- 



riety the whole flower was suffused with purple. C. Domenii, 

 C. Sedeni, C. caHosum, C. Warnerii, and others, added to the 

 display; a plant of Uropedium Lindenii was in full bloom, its 

 quaint flowers reminding one of a pouchless Cypripedium, 

 and by its side was Eulophia pulcherrima, and, though not a 

 very showy variety, its blossoms were well marked. Some 

 excellent Dendrobiums were hanging at the warmest corner 

 of this house; among them several examples of the white 

 flowering D. Dearei, bearing clusters of its butterfly-like blos- 

 soms. D. Bensonice also was well flowered, its white sepals 

 and petals, together with its deep maroon centre, making it 

 very attractive. One plant of D. Pierardii had produced 

 scores of its pink and primrose-yellow flowers. Vanda teres 

 grew very well in this house, and had produced several fine 

 blooms. They were placed in baskets with moss and a good 

 drainage. Chysis bractescens was represented by a plant of 

 large size, bearing a number of its bold, wax-like flowers. 

 Some remarkable specimens of Peristeria elata (the Holy 

 Ghost Plant) were in robust health, and dozens of spikes 

 were rapidly pushing for flowers. Some stout spikes of 

 Odontoglossum vexillarium were rapidly developing, and will 

 later yield a fine display. In the Odontoglossum house there 

 were a number of the beautiful 0. crispum Alexandres, carry- 

 ing well flowered spikes, among them several of the true 

 broad petaled type. Here also O. Cervartesii was flowering 

 profusely, one plant carrying some two dozen flowers. Quan- 

 tities of O. Rossii were also well bloomed, together with O. 

 Pescatorei, 0. cordatum, 0. roseum and many more. 



Summit, N.J. A. Dimmock. 



The Rest of Plants. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir.— Referring to your suggestion that I should write some- 

 thingon this subject, I may add to what has already been said (see 

 Garden and Forest for April 16th, page 195), that practicallv, 

 as I suppose, all plants have, or are the better for, a rest ; but 

 it is hardly conceivable that there is any absolute cessation of 

 activity short of death. In the so-called dormant or resting 

 period chemical and molecular changes advantageous to the 

 plant are, no doubt, going on. When there is a sharp change 

 in the conditions from a fall in temperature or from lack of an 

 adequate supply of water, then the "rest" is more pronounced 

 than is the case where the conditions are more uniform. In 

 equatorial countries, where the climate is nearly uniform 

 throughout the whole year, growth is also continuous. So in 

 the cultivation of evergreen Orchids, or of bulbs which bear 

 their leaves the whole year, it is evident that the "rest" is dif- 

 ferent in degree, at least, from that which obtains in cases 

 where the leaves die off, and the treatment must be corre- 

 spondingly different. Generally speaking, plants may be 

 "rested" by submitting them to a lower temperature and by 

 withholding water. In some cases, as with bulbs, tubers of 

 Dahlias, etc., lifting the bulbs and storing them in a dry 

 place to which frost has no access insures as perfect rest as 

 can be had. But that Nature will have her way is shown bv 

 the circumstance, that bulbs and tubers (for example, of Po- 

 tatoes) will sprout in dark cellars in spite of our care. 



So far, then, as relates to " directions for resting plants which 

 may be of service to an amateur window-gardener," I should 

 say that he should make himself acquainted with general prin- 

 ciples, and, with that knowledge as a basis, with a little zeal 

 and more patience, he will soon learn to apply them success- 

 fully, and in so doing get to learn the habits and the natural 

 rest-season of each plant or species. The more nearly we can 

 cultivate our plants as "annuals " the more successful we are 

 likely to be ; this, of course, involves arrhythmical alternation 

 of activity and dormancy. 



As to books which treat of this subject on this side of the 

 Atlantic, we still turn to Lindley's " Theory of Horticulture" 

 and Thompson's "Gardener's Assistant"; but more recent 

 information is contained in the Introduction to the " Epitome 

 of Gardening" (Black) and in " Plant Life " (Bradburv & Co.). 



London. 



Maxwell T. Masters 



Notes. 



As it is now autumn in the southern hemisphere apples are 

 coming to the English market from Tasmania. The fruit is 

 said to be of excellent quality, and it arrives in first-rate con- 

 dition. 



The death is announced of Sir John Henry Lefroy, a distin- 

 guished officer of the English army, Governor of Bermuda from 

 1872 to 1877, of which he published an account including a 

 catalogue of Bermuda plants with notes on their distribution 



