344 



Garden and Forest. 



[July 17, 1889. 



with sil\-cry membranous sheaths. At tlieir apex are two ob- 

 long-lanceohite, deep-green leaves, from between which arises 

 a stoutisli peduncle bearing from three to eight flowers, each 

 about four inches across. The sepals are oblong acute, the 

 two lateral ones being falcate ; the petals are nearly similar, 

 but broader and wavy on the margins of the upper hiili. 

 Both sepals and petals are of a shining coppery-green color, 

 handsomely spotted near the edges with crimson-purple. The 

 two lateral lobes of the lip meet over the top of the column ; 

 the}- are creamy-white outside and lined inside with rows of 

 crimson-purple dots, which become very thick on the re- 

 curved tips; the middle lobe, which expands into a crisped 

 emarginate limb in front, has the smiace traversed by u^regu- 

 lar granulated lines of deep crinison-purple, radiating ob- 

 liquely from the central purple lines which run from the base. 

 It isfrom these granulations, or papuhe, as they are now called, 

 that the plant received its specific name from Dr. Lindley. 



About two months ago there was another very handsome 

 Cattleya in flower, namely, C. Schofieldiana, which, from a 

 Ijotanical point of view, must certainly be looked upon as a 

 magnificent variety of C. gramilcsa, although it is much 

 superior in every way to that species as far as the grandeur of 

 its iiowers are concerned. In character of stem, leaves and 

 growth C. Schofieldiana is similar. The flowers, however, are 

 half as large again as those of C. Granulosa, and are of a rich 

 tawny yellow, suffused with a coppery tinge, and thickly cov- 

 ered with large crimson spots. The large lip is very beautiful, 

 the surface of the middle lobe being covered all over with 

 deep crimson-purple raised dots, as in C. granulosa. C. Scho- 

 fieldiana, which is a native of Brazil, flowered for the first 

 time in England in the autumn of 1882 with Mr. G. W. Law- 

 Schofield, of Rawtenstall, near Manchester, in compliment to 

 whom it was named by the late Professor Reichenbach. 



Both of these plants thrive well in pots, which must be well 

 drained. They should stand well abo\'e the rims in a com- 

 post of rough fibrous peat, which may have a little charcoal 

 added, so as to render it not only more porous, but also to 

 prevent it from becoming sour. Owing to the slender nature 

 of the stems care must be taken not to let the plants get too 

 dry during the resting season, otherwise they are liable to 

 shrivel — ^a misfortune which could not be easily rectifled. 

 During the time of growth an abundance of water may be 

 given judiciously, and as much light as possible, so long as 

 there is no danger of their being scorched by the heat of the 

 sun. This is necessary to enaljle the plants to ripen their 

 growths, without the proper development of which it would, 

 of course, be impossible to expect good flowers. 



St. Albans, June 7th, 18S9. Jolin ]Veathers. 



Phalaenopsis Culture.— The best-grown collection of these 

 plants in England is that of Mr. Partington, of Cheshunt, whose 

 gardener, Mr. Searing, has met with tlie most surprising suc- 

 cess in the cultivation of these ofttimes "miffy" plants. I saw 

 them last week. Imagine P. gratidifiora, P. aniabilis and P. 

 ScJiilleriana with fi'oni eight to eleven leaves each, and some 

 of the leaves measuring sixteen inches long by four and a half 

 inches wide. No spot, no bad health in any shape. The spikes 

 l^ear as many as sixty flowers each. The house in which these 

 plants are grown is a lean-to, with an aspect full south, and it 

 is twelve feet high at the back by four feet high in front. Mr. 

 Searing allows the sun to shine upon his plants in early morn- 

 ing, and again in the afternoon. He ventilates very carefully, 

 but never keeps the house shut up close. A dressing of salt 

 is given to the gravel in theMi'ouse, both on the stages and in 

 the path. This is done several times in the year, and Mr. Sear- 

 ing attributes much of his success to this. It is difficult to 

 imagine how salt thus applied can have any effect on the health 

 of the plants, as salt does not evaporate. Still, the proof of the 

 pudding is in the eating, and there may be something in this 

 salt dressing after all. I am told that collectors always find the 

 strongest and healthiest Phahjenopsis within reach of an at- 

 mosphere affected by the sea, and we know that the genus is 

 generally confined to small islands. There does not appear to 

 be anything but the salt in Mr. Searing's treatment that would 

 account for his wonderful success. His plants are in teak 

 baskets, well-drained, with a litfle sphagnum about the roots. 

 The strongest plants are placed over pots half-filled with char- 

 coal, and into these the roots have grown most vigorously. In 

 winter only sufficient water is given to keep the moss alive, 

 and in summer the plants are kept fairly moist at the roofs. 

 Mr. Searing does not disturb his plants at the roots, but simply 

 removes the dead moss in spring and replaces it with living. 

 Mr. Herman Wendland, whose knowledge of Orchids, and 

 especially of Orchid collections, is exceptional, was filled with 

 astonishment when he saw these plants. . W. 



Kew, Eneland. 



Notes oil Wild Flowers. 



Habenaria orbiculata, one of the Rein Orchis family and 

 now in flower, is an interesting plant. The leaves (a pair of 

 them) are nearly round, lying flat on the grovuid, tmd are often 

 ten inches broad. They are dark, shiny green in color, and 

 from between them comes the flowering stem, ten to twenty 

 inches high, with its loose raceme of almost white flowers. Its 

 natural home is in the shade of Spruce and Hemlock. It can 

 be grown without much trouble in moist, well-drained soil in 

 the shade if leaf-moulU is placed about its roots. It is a de- 

 sirable plant for its curious leaves as well as for its interesting 

 flowers. 



Habenaria dilafata, also in flou'er, is a valuable plant for ar- 

 tificial bogs, but it can be grown in ordinary soil in. a moist, 

 shaded place. It grows from one to two and a half feet high, 

 with a dense spike of pearly-white flowers, six inches to a foot 

 in length, which are deliciousl)- fragrant. Another species of 

 this genus, almost identical in its general appearance with H. 

 dilatata, except that the flowers are greenish-white and not 

 fragrant, is H. hyperborea. The two species grow together, and 

 it is difficult to distinguish them when not in flower. 



The Hare-bell (Campanula rotundifolia) is quite interesting, 

 now that the little blue, bell-shaped tiowers are open. The 

 natural location for it is in rockv soil, and it is a valuable plant 

 for the rockery. It will, however, thrive in any ordinary soil. 

 The plant gro\\'S about a foot high, often higher, with an abun- 

 dance of fine, grass-like leaves along its stems. 



Two desirable plants now in bloom are the Tickseed (^Core- 

 opsis lanceolata) and the Golden Ragwort [Senecio aureus). The 

 former grows about two feet high with large, bright yellow 

 flowers often two inches broad, on long stems, several from 

 each plant. The plant remains a long time in bloom and is 

 easy of culture. The flowers of the Golden Ragwort are 

 smaller, but in dense heads or umbels, of a bright yellow and 

 very pretty. It is a variable plant according to its location. 

 The most showy forni is found in low, wet meadows, along 

 the borders of swamps. It takes easily to cultivation, and may 

 be grown in moist upland soil. 



One of our most desirable bog plants is the Side-saddle 

 Flower, or Pitcher Plant {Sarracenia picrpurea). Its pitcher- 

 shaped leaves, when grown in the sun, are of a rich purplish 

 color, three to six inclies long, usually full or partly filled with 

 water, and the single purple flower is nodding on astern a foot 

 or more high. The plant requires wet soil, and seems to pre- 

 fer peat or muck. We have grown it in. wet clay-loam, but the 

 leaves seem to be sickly and the flowers dwarfed. Another 

 pretty bog plant, but one which we never hare tried to grow, is 

 Pyrola rotundifolia, var. uliginosa, one of the Shinleaf family. 

 Its spike of reddish-purple flowers is very showy — the most 

 showy of any of this g-enus we have seen. It is found in cold 

 bogs, and, probably, would not thrive except on a boggy soil. 

 Charlotte, vt. P- H. Horsford. 



Narcissus for Borders. — Among spring-flowering plants Nar- 

 cissi take a foremost place. The many species and varieties 

 now in commerce are perplexing, to say the least, to the gen- 

 eral cultivator, and it has occurred to me to note a few of 

 those that may be relied on to succeed and increase under or- 

 dinary garden treatment. The first to bloom here is always 

 Golden Spur. This is a bright yellow variety, and in my opin- 

 ion superior to Emperor. Golden Spur is fully expanded a 

 week before any other kind, and increases rapidly. Next in 

 order of fiowering is ^V. princeps. This is a form of A'. Pseudo- 

 Narcissus, and is well_ named. Sir Watkin, the largest of aU 

 with us, produces noble flowers and foliage, and doubles the 

 num'ber of its bulbs every year. A^. bicolor Horsfieldii is the 

 best known of the bicolor section, and should be grown in 

 every collection, the bright yellow of the corona being a beau- 

 tiful contrast to the paler yellow divisions of the limb. Of 

 A', poeticus and its varieties, we can strongly recommend the 

 variety Ornatus, which flowers two weeks earlier than the 

 type, while A', poeticus pleniis flowers two weeks later. The 

 type and these two varieties give a supply of flowers lasting- 

 over a month. Orange Phoenix is, perhaps, the best of the 

 double varieties, combining-, as it does, two shades of yellow 

 in a charming manner. Of all the varieties of N. incompara- 

 bilis, none, perhaps, excepting Sir Watkin, are superior to 

 the type. The best time to plant Narcissus is as soon after 

 the foliage dies down as possible, and before the bulbs com- 

 mence to make" new I'oots in fall — that is, in September. 

 Home-grown bulbs are, we find, preferable to the imported 

 ones, which need a season or two to get established. Choice 

 kinds of Narcissus should be lifted about every three years ; 

 the soil enriched, and the bulbs replanted, for this gives them 



