34 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



January 15, 1898. 



Notes on Orchids. 



Odontoglossum retusum. 



A small-flow ered species with orange-coloured sepals and petals and a yellow 

 lip. It is not of any special horticultural value, although the branching spikes 

 and numerous bright flowers would be effective if a batch of plants were flowered 

 at one period. The colour of the flowers is particularly striking and the species 

 should recommend itself to all lovers of orchids who find room in their collections 

 for other than the showiest members of the order. Odontoglossum retusum has 

 been imported by such leading firms as Messrs. F. Sander and Co., St. Aibans; 

 Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Chelsea; and Messrs. Linden and Co., Brussels- 



present. It is, however, to the mid-winter supplies, available from but k is P robab,e that but few P lants are purchasable ; Hartweg was the first to 

 November to March, that I wish to refer, for it often happens the earlier discover it, and the find was made in 1841, on the Saraguru Mountains, in 

 broccoli are so far matured, that by lifting them the crop may be saved. Ecuador. In general outline the shape of the flowers differs from that seen in 



Red give flowers whose colour is well described by the name of the variety, and 

 where large supplies of cyclamen are a necessity, and diversity in colour is 

 desirable, it would be found that the varieties are all charming. Tastes differ so 

 much that any selection made by one person would not suit all, therefore we may 

 add that the Portland Road Nurseries are open to all flower lovers, and, the plants 

 not being for sale, no one is asked to buy. Besides the foregoing there are 

 numbers of curiosities in cyclamen, such as crested forms, papilionaceous forms, 

 fringed and plain ; some like single cactus dahlias, and others with double the 

 usual number of segments. These all add to the interest of a visit. 



Winter Broccoli. 



Our winters are so uncertain, that the broccoli crop is not safe after the 



the mid-winter supplies, available from 



The heads may be small, but they are valuable, and a welcome addition 

 to the mid-winter supplies. To have a quantity of broccoli it is 

 necessary to sow at different dates, and this is a matter I must dwell 

 upon biiefly. To make one sowing, say in March, and leave the rest to 

 chance, will end in certain failure. It is not wasteful to sow several times ; 

 indeed, the reverse, as by sowing thinly much better plants are obtained, 

 and the seeds required for several sowings are not more numerous than 

 for one large sowing. In the latter case plants are so much crowded, 

 that it is impossible for them to produce the best results ; they are left 

 too long in the seed bed and become exhausted. Of late there have 

 been some really fine additions to the early broccoli. For many years 

 the Cape varieties were the kinds mostly grown, but they were none too 

 hardy, and the advent of Snow's Winter White was hailed with delight 

 by all who needed this vegetable in quantity ; having a hardy con- 

 stitution it became a general favourite, and was so for a long time, but 

 for the last year or two I have been obliged to discard it, not, however, 

 until I had tried every means to produce it as good as formerly. Snow's, 

 in my case, instead of giving good winter broccoli, was extremely uncer- 

 tain, for some of the plants gave heads in April with late varieties. Mine 

 was not a solitary case, so I naturally came to the conclusion it had 

 become mixed with other sorts, and needed re-selecting with care. It 

 was a grand broccoli, and its pure white compact heads during December 

 and January were much prized. 



Latterly \ eitch's Self-protecting has taken the place of Snow's Winter 

 White, and it is a splendid broccoli, but needs care in sowing to obtain 

 it late ; by this I mean sowing specially for late use. We make two 

 sowings or more according to the season ; sown in May or even early 

 June in sheltered spots the plants will furnish the January and February 

 supply, but seed must be sown thinly to produce sturdy plants. There 

 also must be no starving in the seed beds, but plant them out as soon as 

 the seedlings are large enough, and protect them in winter. Many may 

 object to any variety not hardy enough to hold its own unaided ; the 

 plants are hardy, however, but the flower or head suffers. Our plan is to 

 lift all plants with heads the size of a cricket ball and smaller and store 

 them in open she is, or what is better, in frames, so they may be used as 

 required. The plants keep for a month or six weeks if treated thus, and 

 there is no difficulty in obtaining a supply in severe weather, for this 

 variety forms heads from October well into the autumn ; indeed, I have 

 had it good well into February, and with us it never fails to turn in. 



Our selection to follow the last named is less known, but a specially 

 fine type of early broccoli, not unlike Snow's in build and quality, but a 

 true stock, as it turns in at one season from late January to early March, 

 or gives the February supply, and is therefore invaluable. The variety in 

 question is Sutton's Superb Early White, not a large broccoli, but one of 

 perfect shape, compact, pure white, well protected by foliage, and having 

 a dwarf stem it is rarely injured by frost. Much importance attaches to 

 the build of a winter broccoli, for a dwarf compact grower tides over our 

 variable winters better than largerkinds, and if with ample folding foliage 

 there is also protection from rains and frost. This variety sown, if in 

 April, will give good heads in January and February ; but to have heads 

 extra late I rind the end of April a suitable time to sow for June planting, 

 as it is essential to have strong plants for winter use. This varietv if 

 lifted and stored remains good for weeks ; indeed I have kept heads over 

 a month firm and good. To follow this variety our most reliable stock so 

 far has been \ eitch's Spring White, and this with us is far more reliable 

 than the Penzance Early White, and also earlier, for it comes into 

 use at the end of February, and, though not large, is just the size needed 

 111 a private establishment. It is a great gain on many of the older kinds, 

 which are erratic in their season and larger in growth. Spring White is 

 well protected by foliage, and very hardy ; we usually plant it on quarters 

 cleared of Early Ashleaf potatos or other early vegetables, and it needs 

 similar treatment to that previously advised. We sow it the end of April 

 or early in May, but do not plant it in rich ground ; indeed, our best 

 heads have been grown on land cleared of early strawberry plants, 

 neither dug nor manured in any way, but merely hoed over and drills 

 drawn to ensure the plants the moisture needed in dry summers. So far 

 I have not lost many plants of either Superb Early White or Spring 

 \\ hue. I hese are distinct varieties, and must not be classed as one 

 Spring White is the latest. With reference to losses, I mean losses in 



look 



nter 



supplies, but, after a trial of several, I find those named first-rate on 

 account of their hardiness and reliability for difficult seasons. 

 Syon Gardens. 



G. Wythes. 



rhe Rabbit I 



lague in Scotland. — In the western highlands where in 

 Tiu.ms area Ml , lor a long period I Keen devoted to game preservation the 



tJ?vJ u " h *P hc i "> h *}Y hey threaten to become a serious plague 

 frapptng or sh.n.nng ha< not been done on any extensive scale, but hawks EJ, 



1 AO 



most odontoglots, for the two lower sepals do not spread laterally, but are rather 

 inclined to extend in a parallel fashion under and beyond the lip. When spread 

 out the flowers measure about an inch across. There are no markings on either 

 petals, sepals, or lip. The panicles are about a foot in length, and the small 

 branches carry four or five flowers apiece, so that the whole inflorescence carries 

 some twenty to twenty-four blooms. An illustration of this pretty little orchid, 

 given in the Bot. Mag., t. 7>5^9> was made from a specimen flowered by Mr. 



E. H. Woodall, of Scarborough, in April, 1897. 



Habenaria rhodocheila. 



This habenaria from southern China is so closely allied to TI. militaris, from 

 Cambogia, and a species now so well represented in gardens, that a grower who 

 possesses the latter need not worry much if the former be absent from his collec- 

 tion. Habenaria rhodocheila grows in a similar manner to H. militaris, but seems 

 to vary considerably in the colour of its flowers, from rose-coloured to orange and 

 madder yellow. The species was discovered by Dr. Sampson close to the monas- 

 tery of Fi-loi-tze, near Canton, in 1864 ; the specimens were sent to Dr. Hance, 



F. L.S., then resident at Whampoa, who subsequently described and named it, 

 describing the flowers as rose-coloured. Tubers sent to Kew by Mr. C. Ford, 

 Superintendent of the I long Kong Botanic Gardens, were received in January, 

 1895, and, after cultivation in a warm house, they flowered in June, 1897. The 

 flowers produced were, however, of shades of orange and dark yellow or madder, 

 a dozen or so occurring on each spike. The most prominent organ is the labellum, 

 which measures about an inch in length and has a spur about two inches long ; the 

 former is three-lobed, the side lobes being larger than the oblong, deeply two- 

 lobed, central segment ; the sepals and petals are green. A figure is given of both 

 plant and flowers in the Bot. Mag., t. 7,571. 



Paphiopedilum (Cypripedium) Victoria-Marlk. 



The question of referring all the tropical cypripediums to the genus Paphio- 

 pedilum proposed in 1S86 by Dr. Pfitzer, or to a similar genus with the title of 

 either Paphiopedium or Paphiopodium, has already been referred to in the 

 columns, so that readers will not be frightened by the above headline. Paphio- 



M TT 1 • iff ■ r r% 11 "ill 



.1. — \ _ro — - reseni- 



shape. The foliage is about a foot long, one to two inches broad, and leathery; 

 the upper surface is bright green, with dark green mottlings ; lower surface clear 

 bluish green. * Several flowers are produced on the tall scapes, but seldom more 

 than two are expanded at one time ; the dorsal sepal is orbicular, green, striped 

 longitudinally with dull red, and margined with dull white ; petals horizontal, 

 two inches in length, narrow, twisted, bright green, with reddish purple margins. 

 There are ciliate margins to all the foregoing segments. The lip is about two 

 inches long, and has a slight waist-like contraction just below the centre of the 

 broad mouth ; dull purple, with a green band round the mouth. A robust orchid, 

 introduced by Messrs. Sander and Co , St. Albans. Bot. Mag., t. 7,573- 



SlEVEKINGIA ReICHENBACHIANA. 



A curious and interesting orchid, and one not by any means devoid of beauty, 

 judging from Mr. Macfarlane's d/awing reproduced in the Bot. Mag., t. 7,576- 

 The species has small, clustered, ovoid pseudo-bulbs, green, with red blotches on 

 the old ones ; each is sheathed in a membranous and red speckled coat that dis- 

 appears with age ; each is also surmounted by a single elliptic-lanceolate leaf, 

 thick, Stiff, plicate, and with five strong ribs that are most prominent on the dark 

 green lower surface. These leaves are four to five inches long, by about two 

 broad ; surface dark green ; the petiole is little more than an inch long. The 

 flowers are produced, about six together, in a pendulous corymb, and measure, 

 individually, about an inch and a quarter across the lateral sepals. The latter 

 organs are straw-coloured, ovate, concave, and membraneous; the petals arc as 

 long as the sepals, linear, yellow, and margined with long, flexuose, golden hairs. 

 The lip is a wonderful organ, three-lobed, with large rounded side lobes, and a 

 linear and smaller central one ; these are all fringed as in the petals ; while, i& 

 addition, the disk has five short teeth at the base of the lip, and two long ones si 

 the base of the central lobe. The yellow side lobes are spotted and mottled with 

 deep red. The genus Sievekingia is a small one, containing but four specie* 

 viz., S. suavis and S. fimbriata from Costa Rica, S. Jenmani from British Guiana, 

 and S. Reichenbachiana from Ecuador. The latter was discovered by Mr. F. C 

 Lehman, at an elevation of 2,000 to 3,500 feet on the Andes ; this was in lS79» 

 and only one specimen was found. In 1890 Mr. Lehman searched his estate ft 

 Cauca and found five more specimens, one of which came to Dorking, where, * 

 the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., it recently flowered. 



Tender Marigolds.— Although African and French marigolds are not * 

 highly esteemed as florists' flowers that they [can have a special society 

 devoted to them, yet they have in all parts of the kingdom, and especially in the 

 north, many thousands of admirers. The Scottish firm of Dobbie and Co. aft 

 entitled to great credit for the now superb form found in these flowers, and doubt- 

 less that fine form is very widely diffused. Vet one sees sometimes from (> ttTa$ j\ 

 or French seed wretched things in gardens— tall, straggling, coarse-growing, 

 carrying flowers that have not the least merit, or form, or beauty. Such strtf* 

 are only- fit to be burnt. Our home-raised stocks are far superior to these, and * 

 those who want them will pay a little more, they will then find all the diftcreo* 

 Mtween good things and rubbish. The fiiest strains of Africans give noble, massif 

 double flowers, range, yellow, lemon, and other shades of perfect form, and 

 French striped ; are of moderate height, rather spreading than tall, and in «W 

 case of double flowers having these perfect in form and marking for exhibit: 



