366 
A STROLL THROUGH THE GARDEN AUGUST. 
coloured Cyrtochilum). — Orchidacese § Van- 
de£e-Brassid£e. — A pretty epiphytal plant, 
having short, clustered, compressed pseudo- 
bulbs, terminated by a pair of linear-oblong 
leaves, four or five inches in length, and of a 
somewhat leathery texture. The flowers grow 
in an erect loose raceme, the scape being a foot 
or more in length, and issuing from the base 
of the pseudo-bulbs ; the sepals are ovate- 
lanceolate ; the petals ovate, and rather shorfer 
than the sepals ; the lip large, roundish fiddle- 
shaped, narrowing at the base, where there are 
two elevated ridgc^s ; the whole blossom is a 
clear pale lemon-yellow. Native of Central 
America. Introduced in 1847. Flowers in 
April. Culture. — Requires a cool stove ; 
turfy peat soil, or suspended on a block or in 
a basket ; propagated by division of the plant. 
A STROLL THROUGH THE GARDEN, 
Br A TUTOR AND HIS PUPIL, IN THK MONTH OP AUGUST. 
The gayest portion of the garden now is 
that occupied by the dahlias. The flowers 
begin to fill out well, and their varied colours 
are striking and effective ; but although we 
fiincy at first sight there is almost every shade 
and colour, there is not even an approach to 
blue ; and as people always want what they 
cannot have, they cry out for a blue dahlia. 
However, most tribes of flowers are deficient 
in some leading colour. We have no yellow 
larkspurs ; no blue roses ; no blue nor yellow 
geraniums. Many persons go so far as to 
say there cannot be found in any one tribe or 
family of flowers the three primitive colours, 
red, blue, and yellow; there are no scarlet or 
red heartsease. Still, there are genera that 
possess very close approaches to all. The 
tropseolum has scarlet and yellow in profusion, 
and a dull blue in T. azuj'eum. The hyacinth 
lias reds and blues, and an approach to yellow. 
The auricula has red, blue, and yellow, but 
still imperfect. We have no tribe of flowers 
that possesses the blue of the convolvulus 
minor, or salvia patens, with the scarlet of 
the geranium and the yellow of the crocus. 
Observe, that these blooms on the dahlias 
intended for exhibition are carefully shaded. 
A flat board supported by legs has a slit in 
the centre, through which the stem is directed 
to the middle of the board, where it is fixed 
with its bud upwards, and covered with a 
flower-pot. The effect of this is to bring the 
flowers larger, to change the colour several 
shades, and to render the blooms much more 
tender and liable to damage by travelling. 
Some of the plants are thinned out, that is, 
branches are cut away, often to the prejudice 
of the bloom, though it is supposed that it 
throws more strength into the remaining 
branches. If, however, it is not done speedily 
it has a contravj^ effect. The dahlia takes as 
much nourishment through its branches as at 
its roots; for let them be every way suff'ei'ijig 
for want of water, and a shower of rain that 
will not reach their roots will freshen them 
up. As a proof that cutting may be carried to 
extremes, you may trim them up till you can- 
not get a full grown flower at all ; they want 
their leaves, and when they ai'e lost the plant 
feels the loss as much as it would the loss of 
its fibres. You see the gardener continues to 
propagate pansies by taking the young side- 
shoots ; he is also planting out seedlings ; 
these will make good Autumn blooms. The 
pinks are also occupying attention ; the side- 
shoots or pipings are all struck, and must 
be planted out soon. The sweet-williams, 
Cantei'bury bells, wall- flowers, perennial 
lupines and other seedling perennials and 
biennials, want planting out too. The car- 
nations, although not out of bloom, are all 
layered and doing well ; the flowers are very 
noble. They have been dressed just the same 
as I was explaining to you about the pinks. 
As soon as they have quite done floAvering, they 
will be removed to the open air, and all the 
soil in this tulip bed will be thrown out on 
each side to sweeten before it is again used ; 
so also will the soil of the hyacinth bed, and 
some of the beds that are uncovered, but that 
will be used for tulips. The ranunculuses 
have all been taken up, for it is wrong to 
keep them in the ground after their leaves 
turn yellow. The auriculas, if you notice, 
are now being repotted iu pots a size 
larger. The soil in which they are growing 
is only plain loam taken from the heap of 
rotted turves ; there is plenty of vegetable 
mould, or decayed vegetable matter, in that 
loam to do without dung ; but if the loam 
were less rich of that commodity, some vege- 
table mould or decayed cow-dung must have 
been added ; these plants, after repotting, have 
to be shut up a day, and aftei'wards shaded 
some time, because when they are repotted, 
the roots are examined and trimmed a little 
if there is the least sign of decay or canker. 
The man yonder is untying the bass mat- 
ting from the roses that have been budded, 
and cutting the growing part of the stock away 
that it may not waste the strength that should 
be given to the bud. He continues to cut 
