294 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 9, 1885. 
w©r© also by no means numerous. On tbe other hand, in some localities 
sings and snails appear to have been particularly troublesome in gardens. 
Mr. Mawley’s little work is most useful to all who are in any way 
interested in meteorology, and forms a concise and reliable chronicle of 
the weather. 
EUCHARIS AMAZONICA. 
This lovely and floriferous stove plant is just now consider¬ 
ably exercising the minds of many horticulturists on account of 
a disease, said to be contagious, having made its appearance 
amongst the plants under their care. The deserved popularity 
of this chaste “ Lily of the Amazon,” is my excuse for dwelling 
at some length upon it, with the object of suggesting some 
possible causes of the disease, and of directing attention to a 
more rational method of culture, as being more conducive to the 
permanent welfare of the plant and its progeny than the present 
too prevalent system of alternate “ roasting and starving ” 
process. 
It seems to me that the Eucharis is amongst plants cultivated 
for the flowers what the Yine is for its fruit and the Potato for 
its tubers—a very accommodating, and therefore ill-used plant. 
Because it has apparently withstood all kinds of treatment with¬ 
out injury year after year, it by no means follows that no actual 
injury has been done, but rather that, although the flowering and 
parent bulb may show no signs of distress, its offspring may be 
slightly more feeble and debilitated. This debility may be 
transmitted from generation to generation in an increasing 
ratio, so long as the system of cultivation remains the same, 
until they fall a prey to disease and utterly collapse, owing to 
their weakened and exhausted tissues. It is not my intention 
to condemn the system of cultivation, because I know that too 
frequently gardeners are expected, if not absolutely required, to 
produce results they know to be detrimental to plants under 
their charge. If, however, they are determined to exact more 
than the plants are naturally capable of producing without 
physical injury, then such cultivators must be prepared for the 
results. 
Eucharis grandifloi’a is said to be a native of Choco or 
Choconta in New Grenada, now known as the United States of 
Columbia These States extend from 1° 30 ' south latitude to 
12° 25' north latitude, and between the meridians 69° 10' and 
82° 18 ' west longitude. The surface of the country is moun¬ 
tainous in the north-west and hilly elsewhere. The climate is 
superb on the highlands and in the valleys of the Magdalena, 
but along the coasts and on the plains it is hot, moist, and 
unhealthy; consequently as there are great varieties of altitude, 
so also are there great variations of temperature. Columbia, 
Ecuador, Venezuela, and a great part of Brazil being close to, 
and in some parts directly under the equator, are also within the 
isothermal lines of 77° of temperature for vei-y nearly all the 
year; thus it will be seen that although there are gi’eat variations 
of temperature in altitude, yet the temperature at specified 
altitudes is somewhat uniform the year round. This is exempli¬ 
fied in the native homes of some of our most lovely Odonto- 
glossums and beautiful Masdevallias, temperatures and climatic 
conditions our Orchid growers endeavour to imitate and keep 
uniform, knowing full well the disastrous results sure to follow 
any prolonged extremes of temperatures. The Eucharis comes 
from the same country, but is found in lower and therefore 
warmer positions; immense plains and forests stretch east from 
the Andes to mouth of the Orinoco, a distance of about 1000 
miles, and south from the east range or cordilleras of the coast 
to the plains of the Amazon near the equator. They are said to 
be 350,000 square miles in extent, and are so low and flat that 
their surface is flooded during the rainy season. The productions 
of these higher portions of the plains and cleared portions of 
forest are chiefly Maize, W-heat, Rice, Plaintains, Coffee, Cacao, 
Sugarcane, Cinchona, Cotton, &c. These districts are within 
the zone of periodical rains, or alternate wet and dry seasons, 
the wet season being the growing and flowering season, and the 
dry season the fruiting and resting period, there being no real 
summer and winter, as experienced in the temperate zones, and 
as already stated, the temperature varies but little between the 
growing and resting seasons. 
If the foregoing facts accurately represent the natural con¬ 
ditions of growth of the subject of these remarks, and I think they 
do, is it to be wondered at if the plants grow weaker and weaker 
under a thoroughly exhausting system of culture ? They are 
plunged in a bed of tan or leaves with a temperature of 85° to 
90°, and are supplied, not very judiciously it may be, with water 
at a temperature varying from 50° to 70°, according to circum¬ 
stances and the carefulness or otherwise of the attendant, and 
given a mean atmospheric temperature of 75°; they are then 
placed in a cold greenhouse or even frame, as we have recently 
read, to rest. Their naturally large sap-vessels charged to the 
fullest, from the tips of their leaves to the tips of their roots, 
the vital functions of both roots and leaves have received a rude 
check, owing to extreme change of temperature, and they are 
practically at a standstill. Notwithstanding this cold water is 
still applied at certain intervals, whether the plants can utilise 
it or not, and so the plants are starved to all intents and 
purposes, instead of being kept warm, and assisted to elaborate 
the crude sap with which they are fully chai’ged, to the maturing 
and perfecting of the perennial bulb, and thereby assuring 
abundance of fine blossom. 
After the usual rest the Euchaidses are required in flower by 
a certain time, a month to six weeks being the time allowed to 
force them into flower; they are again plunged in bottom heat, 
and as soon as the flowers are expanded, in all probability they 
are placed in draughty corridors, entrance halls, staircases, &c., 
for a week or more, where the air is dry as well as cold. The 
foliage droops and commences to shrink, and as soon as returned 
to their growing quarters many of the leaves rapidly turn yellow 
and finally decay. The cultivator cannot be held responsible for 
all this, inasmuch as they are grown for this particular object— 
viz., house decoration, but I would ask this question, Is not the 
treatment of the Eucharis, as above described, very different 
from what they would experience in their native habitat ? if so, 
cannot something be done to mitigate some of the evils ? 
I do not believe in plunging Eucharis at all, and I strongly 
object to their being submitted to 10° more heat at the roots 
than they receive amongst their foliage; the free exit of water 
is more likely to be impeded when plunged, and a supply of 
fresh air to the roots, small as it may be, is prevented from 
passing through the pores of the pot—things apparently trivial, 
yet in the aggregate making all the difference between disease 
and health, failure and success. I do not even attach very great 
importance to the kind of compost used, provided water and 
heat be applied judiciously, but there is no doubt, all other con¬ 
ditions being equal, the most suitable compost will produce the 
best results. 
Eucharis grandiflora has been a great favourite of mine for 
fifteen or sixteen years, and I have never yet failed with it, 
although it is possible I may yet fail like other people. During 
the growing season my plants are grown in tbe stove with a 
mean temperature of 78 J in the summer and 65° in winter, 
syringed twice a day and watered with great care. In the 
resting season they are moved into an intermediate house with 
a mean temperature of not more than 10° less than that of the 
stove, water is still more carefully applied, only being given just 
often enough to keep the foliage plump and fresh. They are 
allowed to remain in this house from two to three months, and are 
moved into the stove again about six weeks before being required 
in flower. I only wish them to flower twice a year, but some¬ 
times they flower three times. To give an idea of the health of 
my plants I may state that the average length of the “ blade ” 
of the leaf is 1 foot 7 inches, and 7 inches in width, the length of 
the leafstalk is about 1 foot 5 inches, thus giving a total length 
of 3 feet; the colour of the foliage is very dark.— Amahyllid. 
A GOOD TYDASA. 
FOR'purposes of decoration Tydaea Madame Heine is one of the best that 
can be grown, and should have a place in all gardening establishments 
where a display of flowering plants is required during February and 
March. Tydaeas are scarcely needed except for variety, when abundance 
of other flowering plants can be had in beauty during the autumn and 
winter ; but when these are all past a good batch of Tydseas fill what would 
otherwise be a break in the stove or intermediate structures, and are 
strikingly beautiful. To flower the majority of varieties profusely at the 
period indicated they must be started late and trained for the purpose, 
and even then frequently’disappoint the cultivator. The majority are 
inclined to grow rather tall, and the flowers open successionally as the 
stems lengthen. This is not the character of Madame Heine, which 
fl >wers naturally at the time named ; in fact we have found it most useful, 
and have discarded all others in its favour. If well grown it does not 
exceed 18 inches in height by the time it has done flowering. It is very 
floriferous, the flowers being produced in clusters near the top of the 
plant. The flowers individually are delicate in colour, yet showy, and 
most beautifully spotted. 
The variety Madame Heine is evergreen, and “ drying ” must not 
be attempted, for no underground stems are formed. Shoots suitable for 
cuttings are freely produced after the plants have flowered, which are 
taken off and inserted together in pans, and the old plants thrown away. 
Any light sandy soil will do for the cuttings, and if placed in the close 
propagating frame or in a Cucumber and Melon house every one will 
root. After they are rooted the plants are grown together in the pans 
until they have formed strong taps, which are inserted singly in small 
pots and rooted at the end of May or beginning of June, the plants in 
