i66 



ORCHID NOTES FROM ST. ALBANS. 



length and over two inches wide, bright green in color, 

 and veined with darker green. The flowers are very 

 fine ; dorsal sepal is ovate, and pointed at the apex, over 

 two inches in length ; there are numerous purplish-brown 

 lines on a very pale ground. The petals are gracefully 

 drooping as in superbiens, nearly four and a-half inches 

 in length, profusely dotted with light purple spots on a 

 pale ground color ; a row of hairs traverses the margins of 

 each petal. The lip is large and closely resembles that 

 of C. siiperhiens , with very little variation in color ; on the 

 folds or side lobes of the "slipper" are numerous purple 

 spots ; the rostellum (or staminode) is large and distinct, 

 with a pale green reticulation ; the lower sepal is pale, 

 with green lines running through. This plant was named 

 after Reginald Young, an ardent amateur orchid-grower. 

 C. Aylingii. — This is not of Mr. Sander's introduction. 



It was raised in the collection of A. J. Hollington, Esq., 

 Forty Hill, Enfield, by his gardener, Mr. Ayling, after 

 whom the plant is named. The parents of this plant are 

 C. niveuni and C. ciliolare, the cross having been effected 

 as long ago as six years, an exceptionally long time for a 

 cypripedium. When the plant was introduced a good 

 deal of doubt was expressed as to whether the parentage 

 quoted was correct. Mr. Rolfe, of the Herbarium, Kew, 

 however, quickly put down all fears as regarded this 

 point. The flowers partake chiefly of the characters of 

 C. niveitiii, with the same pretty dull red markings on a 

 snow white ground : the lip is pure white and "slipper- 

 shaped ;" the leaves are like those of C. niveiim in size 

 and texture. This handsome plant was sold at auction 

 for fifty guineas. P. Weathers. 



St. Alhans, England. 



MANURES FOR THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



DISCUSSIONS BEFORE THE BOSTON MARKET GARDENERS' ASSOCIATION. 



HE Boston Market Garden- 

 ers' Association opened 

 its winter campaign for 

 discussions of gardening 

 topics at its room over 

 the Quincy market, on De- 

 cember 27th. The attend- 

 ance was fair, and the 

 members listened with 

 marked attention to a paper termed "The Yeast 

 of the Soil," read by Mr. George W. Bowker, the 

 substance of which is given below. The paper 

 evoked considerable discussion, mainly upon the ef- 

 ficiency of fertilizers in place of stable manure. 



THE YEAST OF THE SOIL. 



' ' The yeast of the soil, as I shall consider it, is not plant 

 food, but a plant life which exists in the soil, and but for 

 which all soils would be barren. It is believed that we 



could not raise a corn stalk or a potato plant unless there 

 was a lower order of life growing at the same time in the 

 soil. We speak of the soil being cold and non-produc- 

 tive. It may be cold, but why is it so ? It maybe due to 

 an excess of moisture, or because the soil may be too 

 compact and heavy ; but the moment we take off the 

 water or lighten the land by plowing, or by the applica- 

 tion of manure, it becomes productive. The real reason 

 why it becomes productive is that air and warmth are 

 admitted, and these develop the growth of the little 

 yeast plants. The plant food is thus liberated from the 

 organic matter and is made available. Farmers say that 

 they can hear corn growing in the warm days and hot 

 nights. The corn grows during such weather because it 

 is favorable to the growth of these bacteria in the soil, 

 and they develop plant food as rapidly as the crop requires 

 it. This little fungus will not grow when the soil is very 

 cold or water-logged, so as to exclude the air, ®r even 

 when it is too dry. Neither will it grow unless lime, 

 soda and potash are present. Whether these favor the 

 growth of the fungus, or need to be present to combine 



