CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
575 
despite the fair forms by which it is surrounded. 
There are no classes of plants, perhaps, with 
which a more marked effect could have been 
produced, than those which are here selected; 
the one group growing naturally for the most 
part on the trunks of trees, or attached to 
rugged stones ; the other clothing the cavern- 
ous recesses of the rocks with the tenderest 
and most graceful of vegetable drapery. We 
believe the designing and erection of this 
novel Orchid house is to be attributed to Mr. 
Marnock, the curator of the Royal Botanic 
Society. Our more immediate object is briefly 
to describe this building. 
To proceed : — The general outline of the 
building is that of a square ; the area, how- 
ever, is larger than this would indicate, on 
account of some cavern-like recesses which are 
formed in the side walls, on one side especially. 
On the one hand the building is connected 
with a greenhouse, which forms part of the 
same erection, and does not differ from those 
commonly seen, except in being of light and 
elegant construction. On the other side it is 
connected with a massive piece of rock-work, 
forming part of an ampliitheatre, where the 
wildnessand rudeness of nature is successfully 
imitated, — on a small scale, though much 
beyond what is usually seen. The rock- 
work here referred to forms the entrance to a 
cavernous rocky passage, by which the Orchid 
house is readied. The first glance of the in- 
terior, obtained through a doorway of coloured 
glass which connects it with this cavern, is 
very striking and beautiful. The walls are 
entirely rugged and irregular, and are formed 
of vitrified brick and cement, built up so as to 
represent natural rock : on the projecting parts 
of these rugged walls, and also in little hollow 
places formed for their reception, the plants 
are fixed ; ferns being chiefly placed in these 
positions. Jn the centre is a group of rock- 
work, forming an irregular arch over a pool 
of water; this rock-work is covered with 
plants much in the same way as the walls. The 
pool of water referred to is continued beneath 
the pathway on one side, and carried onwards 
into one of the deepest recesses. Gold fish, as 
well as aquatic plants, are introduced into the 
water. The pathway — or at least the space 
left for walking — is as informal as the walls, 
rising and faliing in connexion with the ad- 
joining rock-work. Beneath this floor are laid 
the hot-water pipes for supplying heat ; these, 
are laid in a water-tight channel, and imme- 
diately over them are numerous " chinks and 
crevices,'" by which not only heat is admitted, 
but moisture also, in the form of vapour, when 
the pipes are flooded. The roof, which is plain 
and simple, and fixed at a low angle, is formed 
of large panes of the British sheet glass. The 
Orchids are partly grown in baskets and on 
blocks, suspended from the roof, and partly in 
pots placed about on the rock-work. 
We affect, not to state that this building is 
faultless ; but we may observe that Mr. Ander- 
son has here provided what in principle, at 
least, is worthy of imitation. 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS, 
AND ORIGINAL NOTES CONNECTED WITH HORTICULTURE 
AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
Authorities.— Journal of Horticultural Society, Jl.H.S. — ■ 
Gardener's Gazette, G. G Gardener's Chronicle. G. C. — 
Gardener's Journal, G. J. — Quotations from which are duly 
acknowledged by the respective initials attached to each. 
Summer Stocks. — A very intelligent 
English gardener, residing at Hamburgh, 
observes that his experience indicates several 
points in the culture of these flowers which do 
not receive proper attention. He says : — 
" The first sowing may be made any time in 
March, to suit circumstances ; and when they 
come up, keep a watchful eye that the first 
sprung seeds do not damp off. This I take to 
be a particular point in securing the greatest 
quantity of double flowers. When the least 
appearance of damp appears, they should be 
immediately transplanted ; but if not, the 
sooner this is performed the better. The fol- 
lowing plan I have adopted with success : — 
I fill a frame with soil, and make small holes 
all over, about two inches in diameter ; I fill 
these with moss, placing the plants in the 
centre of the moss. By the time for planting 
out, the moss will be matted with roots, and 
the ball of moss can be removed to where they 
are intended to flower, without the plants 
receiving the least check. This mode is pre- 
ferable to using small pots, because the roots 
generally make to the sides of the pots, and, 
when turned out, are more or less injured : 
besides, it is of some advantage to be able to 
dispense with pots. No plant is more sus- 
ceptible of a check in any way than the Stock ; 
and I think it has less chance of receiving it 
when moss is used than if potted, for there is 
not the risk of its getting pot-bound, or the 
roots being injured in tinning out. If they 
are to be well grown, they must receive no 
check from the time of sowing, until they are 
placed where they are to flower. And, as 
before mentioned, particular care should be 
taken in securing those plants that come first 
up, for I have proved that they produce the 
greatest quantity of double flower.*. The soil 
lor them should be of medium texture, ne'il'her 
too light nor very heavy, and should be well 
enriched with dung ; in fact, they will bear 
almost any quantity of rotten hot-bed dung. 
Ten-weeks Stocks, sown after the first ol 
May, never grow and flower fine ; they are 
always stunted." — G. J. 
