274 



GARDENERS 



MAGAZINE. 



April 



3°> 1898. 



There can be no question as to the value of potassic salts as a con- are Maxillaria sanguineum, M. aciantha, a green -flowered C 



stituent of the food of the tomato, but they must be in suitable form and pnestans, a yellow and red brown Guatemalan spacies ■ ^ ^ ' *** 



proper proportions. In Mr. Neild's experiments the muriate of potash white and green, worth growing ; Calypso borealis, a charmin^d k^ 1 * 4 * 1 



was applied so liberally that at each application the dressing- was orchid; Disperis capensis and Holothrix vili™* ^™* m oldterT »il 



was applied so liberally that at each application the dressing was 

 equ 



given, we have a total of sixteen cwt. per acre, a quantity so large that 



* specie 

 Pubcscoi 



it must have v seriously affected the health of the plants. Moreover, the Wlth white cel ) tre t0 the H P- Those whose knowledge of orchids does noT^ 



• A _ : . .1 _ 1 , t • x_ i . . . .1 . bevond varieties anrl hvhrirk nf nA^t- — 1 _ . 1 ***** 



! ~~>- n nvog MJUW1 



beyond varieties and hybrids of odontograms, , aLlieya s, ana cypnpedb. 



would obtain a fair idea of the enorm^nc rt r *v ^ , J \ 



ot torm and growth the order 



Germination of Beet Seed. 



muriate is not the best form in which to apply potash to the tomato as to 



some other crops, as, for example, potatos, tobacco, and sugar beets. 



Used in moderate quantities it tends to render potatos waxy in texture, contains ' b ? a visit to the Kew collection, 

 to reduce the quantity of crystallisable sugar in beet, and to impair the 

 flavour of the tobacco leaf, and the injurious effect produced is considered 

 to be due to its tendency to give rise to the formation of calcium chloride, 

 a compound more or less injurious to plant life. Potash and phosphates 

 are not sufficiently active to admit of their being profitably used as fort- 

 nightly top-dressings, and the preferable course is to mix them with the 



cultivate 



are aware, materially ainers irom that of other of the vegetables grown in Britkfc 



gardens, and sometimes perplexes those who, not acquainted with its peculiarity 

 conduct experiments with a view to determine its germinative power. Tk 

 " seed" of two or three true seeds is enclosed in the hard corky calyt of tie 

 parent flower. Hence, when the " seed " germinates in the ground, two or three 



diffial 



compost when being prepared, and in moderate quantities, the necessity Tu^ P * ntS P \^T them f ,ves at one S P°^ and this mak ^s the crop , 



for this course being brought into strong relief by the results of Mr. ° ^ tha ? 18 j he f ^ wi . th other root crops. But there is an «fa 



xt -i j> • . i , r \ • • \ trouble than the one incident to hoeing with which cultivators are not unfemft 



Neild's experiments. These results are also useful in reminding cu - anf1 f u at iQ .l p nnrp . Q ., , 8 A c cultivators are not un amfc, 



tiv Qfnrc nlonfe v i j „ . r -|. , ... c 6 and that 1S the uncertainty of germination. An investigation, conducted at tk 



tivators that plants should not be supplied with an excess of some one - * 



Agricultural Experiment Station, on the influence of varvine amount 



constituent of their food, but must have, to ensure their full develop- n f wa^mn th* m>rm,w;™ „f f , a a v a r a. 



_ . . . r , . . ' _ _ , * ot water on tne germination of beet seed, throws some light on the matter. Ink 



ment, the whole of the constituents in proportions adapted to their experiment the seeds were placed for germination in asbestos cloth-a drier dad 



requirements. 



Fertility of Hybrid Orchids.— Before Darwin published his "Origin of 

 Species w it was an article of common belief that distinct species were seldom 

 fertile with each other, and that if hybrids were raised at all they were sterile. 



containing approximately 87 per cent, of water by weight at the beginning of & 

 trial and 83 per cent, at the end, and a wetter cloth, holding about 92 per cenL 0 



beg 



The average germiMtm 



from the two testers showed a difference of fifty seeds for each hundred seedbilb- 

 as they are not inappropriately termed— in favour of the drier cloth. It woM 



Darwin made an elaborate study of the question, and as the result came to the appear, therefore, that the germination of beet seed in the open ground is liable to 



following conclusion : 6 1 First crosses between forms sufficiently distinct to be ranked be prevented by excess of water in the soil. 



as species, and their hybrids, are very generally, but not universally sterile. . . . Naw Dncn^ tu«t 1— *i. c r.,i c~ ^Kon^im iW 



nu • c 1 1 j r \c a • * 1 yv| , t t j tx » ™ ew " oses that have the promise of proving useful for enhancing W 



The stenhty „ of all degrees » In " Animals and Plants Under DomesUcanon, charms of ^ garden ^ ^ rf ^ and ^ ^ dlmbing 



Darwin observes, The stenhty of distinct species first united and that of their presented to bUc nodce b Megsrs Paul an<J gon at the R „ s . mtt6ag m 

 nybnd origin graduates by an almost infinite number of steps from zero up to — 

 complete fertility. . . . This high degree of fertility is, however, rare." Dr. 

 Alfred Wallace held similar views, and so late as 1890 he stated in " Darwinism ' 

 "Distinct species on the other hand, however closely they may resemble each 

 other externally are usually infertile when crossed, and their hybrid offspring 

 absolutely sterile." Yet it is recorded that 783 hybrid orchids have flowered, 

 485 of which were obtained from crosses effected between distinct species, 

 and 248 from the inter-crossing of hybrids. With reference to this 

 interesting question Mr. C. C. Hurst cites in his " Notes on Some 

 Curiosities of Orchid Blending" in the current issue of R.H.S. Journal 

 some fieures placed at his disposal by Mr. Reginald Young, of Sefton Park, 

 Liverpool. Taking the East Indian cypripediums, Mr. Hurst states that Mr. 

 Young has made 577 crosses among thirty distinct species, and fifty-three distinct 

 hybrids during the past five years, crossing species with species, species with 

 hybrids, hybrids with species, and hybrids with hybrids, and all under uniform 

 conditions. Out of these 577 crosses Mr. Young succeeded in obtaining 452 

 pods of good seed, which represents 78*3 per cent, fertile. An analysis of these 

 figures shows that out of 188 crosses between distinct species 179 pods of good 



" w * wiuaouo utinwi." v ~ r - , ^ t — & ww-^.vuvuaivt HUU UIIICIWISC CAtCllClil v.unv^nv« 



seed were obtained, a degree of success difficult to excel even in crosses between Royal Horticultural Societv on Tuesday by Mr. George Wythes, of byon 



Tuesday last did not fail to obtain a full share of attention. They were nind 

 respectively The Dawson and Psyche, and the first is a variety raised in tk 

 Arnold Arboretum from a cross between the single- flowered Polyanth* ill 

 General Jacqueminot, and has been grown at Kew for several years past, lim 

 a vigorous free-flowering habit, and produces large clusters of small flowers oil 

 pink colour. We gave a characteristic illustration of this charming rose « W 

 volume of the Gardeners' Magazine for 1896. Psyche was raised at Che** 

 from Golden Fairy, a dwarf-growing polyantha, fertilised with the P° 11 ** 

 Turner's Crimson Rambler, and has a scandent habit, 1 he growth and fohp 

 closely resembling that of the pollen parent, and the flowers are at>out two"* 1 

 in diameter, quite double, flesh pink suffused with carmine rose. The 

 shown, although only about fourteen months from the graft, were about su 

 high, and were clothed with foliage and flowers from the rim of the pot ^ 

 apex. Psyche should prove a valuable companion to Crimson Rambler, 

 of our best climbing roses. 



Vegetables are so limited in variety at this season of the year that the tag 

 comprehensive and otherwise excellent collection contributed to the ^^^^ 



tk coi- 



early in the spring are sufficiently numerous to admit of the maintenance ^ 

 and excellent supply. Mr. Empson also had excellent vegetables 

 laneous collection. 



have 



Ud¥C "ecu utilised, ana tnese dul 10 a . tc 



such plants are abundant, many kinds being found in the imm ~ 



varieties of the same species, representing as it does 95*2 per cent, fertile. While formed r u 



out of 389 crosses in which a hybrid was concerned in the parentage 273 pods of lection are enumerated in our report of the Fruit and Vegetable 

 good seed were obtained, being 71*8 per cent, fertile, showing a decrease of fer- ' * * 1 Ua 



tility of 23*4 per cent, in crosses between hybrids as compared with crosses 

 between species. This seems to point to the conclusion that in this cypripedium 

 group while crosses between distinct species are almost, if not quite, as fertile as 

 crosses between varieties of the same species, yet crosses with hybrids, though 

 fertile to a very large extent, are yet slightly less fertile than crosses between 

 species. What is the cause of this slight decline in the fertility of hybrids ? From 

 Mr. Young's experiments it seems to be due in a large measure to the loss of 

 power in the male element of the hybrid. For out of 143 hybrids crossed with 

 the pollen of pure species 128 fertile pods were obtained, or 89*5 per cent., show- 

 ing a very slight loss of power in the female element of the hybrids of 57 per 

 cent. While out of 118 pure species crossed with the pollen of hybrids only 

 sixty-seven pods of good seed were obtained, showing 567 per cent, fertile. 



Smooth-leaved Kales*— It is a fortunate circumstance that the destructive 

 fungus which so generally destroyed the smooth -leaved kales at Chiswick connected 

 with the kale trial there, and in other places in the metropolitan area, does not 

 seem to have extended to the provinces. Certainly, it has not been found every- 

 where. We very recently saw at Norbiton remarkably nice clean breadths of 

 that hardy kale, Chou de Milan, and later at Hackwood Park, Basingstoke 

 fine breadth of delicious Breda kale. It was this variety, the asparagus, Rage 



Jack, and similar ones that were so entirely eaten up by the fungus at Chisw 

 and elsewhere. 



C01 



perfecw* 

 arid 



present odj » * 

 Sew Sooth 



corni**V: 



medicine 



pleasant odour and flavour to other 

 r. . spring- »* ve ™ 



plants of the Gentian family, plentiful enough in 



pi: 



colonial^ j)h 



raspberry 



rone 

 the 



neighbo-K! 



saparilla, although, notwithstanding the latter abounds .u . 

 Sydney, the bulk of the sarsaparilh used by colon.al ^ ft* 



country people frequently prepare an agreeable and wn ° It is 

 native plant, which costs nothing save the labour of co leetu* ^ ^ 

 by the name of Sweet Tea or Wild Liquorice. 1 Here pTojxrt*»*£ 



possesses mcu— ^ 



Hackwood 



. 13 uciu in very nign esteem <*<. u^nuw, «iu n was 



evKient that at this time of the year a good breadth in perfect health must be a 

 wesnng to any gardener. It is to be hoped that these fungus troubles may be of 

 ut a temporary nature, and that in a year or two hence all our borecole stocks 

 •nay be as iree from them as the curled ones have been. 



as «^ CrS °| f „ Curl0us °«"chlds, especially of that section known horticulturally - . rr - - 



ih f/I! 11 ? W,H 6nd a large num ber of interesting species now flowering in dlff «ent species of native currant possess a 

 ne orchid houses at Kew. Some few of the species are sometimes found in for flavouring sugar drops or employed as a 



but little understood. The native grape yields a neb "^J a ^ 

 used as a gargle, to be good for sore throat. The na ^ f,eq*"# 



perties in common with the European species, and tne ^ ^ 

 for making herb tea. Self-heal is plentiful and indigene g, ^ ^ 

 bitter and astringent, and occasionally used as a s™*" faence t | 



r 



werful 



pible 



be* 



rosea 



grown 



elongatum, and /E rides Sandarum ; but where only 



The Pine Aphis Vb^^**^*J& 



lemon tfWP- 

 idemble n***^ 



A few of these tiny orchids 



Agriculture 



l*trn 



