$23 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 23, 1S86. 
©f black matter collects on the leaves, and this should all be cleared off 
when growth begins at this season. Our plants are too large and 
numerous to allow us to sponge the leaves, but we clean them well by 
mixing a wineglassful of petroleum and 1 oz. of washing soda with each 
gallon of water for syringing, and this clears everything before it. 
The trees are first syringed with clean water, and then this mixture is put 
on, and after the lapse of ten minutes or so it is again syringed off. 
Anyone with dirty-leaved Camellias can clean them speedily in this way.— 
Jtf. M. 
A box of Okchid flowebs from Dr. Paterson, Bridge of Allan, 
contains some handsome specimens. Cymbidium Lowianum has a raceme 
3 feet long, and bearing twenty-four flowers, Odontoglossum triumphans 
having twenty-eight flowers. Of Odontoglossum Uro-Skinneri a spike 
was sent, 4 feet long, which has had thirty-two flowers, and been in bloom 
over twelve months. With these also came flowers of Sarracenia 8 
Brummondii and Patersonii, both particularly fine. The last-named is a 
hybrid between S. purpurea and S. Drummondii, and has exceedingly 
rich dark red flowers, the preceding one being pale yellow. Their fresh 
vigorous condition proves how well Dr. Paterson grows the plants in his 
snug Stirling garden. 
- A correspondent writes “ ‘ W. N.’ says in his article on 
Watering Plants’ that we have more moisture as a'rule in winter than 
in summer. If by moisture he means rain he is in error; the average 
rainfall from April to September inclusive is 13*23 inches ; the rest of the 
year only 12T9 inches. But we certainly may call March a month when 
vegetation is active, and if we add its rainfall to that of the other six 
months we get—Eainfall in ‘growing’ months, 14*78 inches; in ‘rest’ 
months, 10*64 inches.” 
-A pamphlet of twenty-six pages entitled “ Chrysanthemums 
and their Culture ” by Mr. John Bradner of the Arley Hill Nursery, 
Bristol, has recently been issued, and gives a brief but practical review of 
the culture of Chrysanthemums for exhibition and conservatories. List 8 
of varieties are also given, but these are not quite so satisfactory as might 
he desired. 
- Roses AndMr. BArdney’sInsecticide. —A correspondent writes 
to us from Wales :—“I am afraid you will be tired of me troubling you 
with Roses, but having seen one or two letters in your valuable paper 
condemning the softsoap solution as recommended by Mr. Bardney, I send 
you a few blooms of different Tea Roses which have been subjected to 
that treatment, and perhaps you will kindly tell your correspondent if it 
has injured the blooms in any way.—F. B.”—[We shall never be “ tired ” 
of seeing such Roses as those sent—beautiful bright foliage, and charming 
spotless blooms similar to others we have seen on more than one’occasion 
in the Rose house in charge of Mr. Bardney at Norris Green.] 
- The Ealing, Acton, and Hanwell Horticultural So¬ 
ciety will hold their summer Show this year in the grounds of Gunners- 
bury Park, Ealing, on July 7th and 8th, and the autumn Show of flowers 
fruits, and vegetables at the Lyric Hall, Broadway, Ealing. Numerous 
prizes will be offered at each Exhibition. 
- A correspondent remarks that—“The interesting discussion 
which has of late appeared in the pages of the Journal on Trenching 
Land illustrates the fact that cultivators may appear to be widely opposed 
to each other in their practice, when in reality they are not. Referring 
to the case of Mr. Gilbert, who says he has trenched a deal in years gone 
by, but not so now. The fact is, he is now reaping the benefit of his 
past labours, and when the surface and subsoil are so thoroughly amal¬ 
gamated as they are at Burleigh, little trenching or even digging is 
necessary. We learn from two gardeners now in first-class positions, 
who were foremen under a predecessor of Mr. Gilbert, that excessive 
trenching was carried on at Burleigh for many years.” 
- The Shropshire Floral and Horticultural Society will 
kold their summer Show in Shrewsbury on August 19th and 20th, liberal 
prizes being offered in the majority of the classes. Classes 1 to 98 are 
open to all England on the payment of a small entry fee, and the remain¬ 
ing classes—namely, from 99 to 146—are confined to cottagers in the 
county. 
- The sixth edition of Mr. William Paul’s treatise Roses in 
Pots ” (Kent & Co., 23, Paterncster Row), is just to hand, and the 
fact that five large editions have been exhausted is a sufficient indication 
of its merits. It has also heen translated into French and German. The 
edition now being noticed is, like its predecessors, distinguished by good 
paper, clear type, and neat binding. 
- Mr. F. W. Burbidge recently delivered a lecture upon 
“ Window Gardening ” at the Rathmines Town Hall, Dublin. The 
two points in the lecture were—first, that depots or stores should be 
established by Kyrle, sanitary, and other benevolent societies, whereat 
artisans and others could see suitable window plants, and purchase seedsi 
soil, &c., at a cheap rate ; secondly, that the authorities concerned in the 
construction of model or artisans’ dwellings should inatruct the architect 
to design “ window boxes ”— i.e., a receptacle for earth and plants, in 
masonry. The ordinary window box is, after all, a makeshift at the 
best, and obstructs the light of the lower windowpane and looks un¬ 
sightly from within, whereas if a proper receptacle be made its top will 
be level with the bottom of the lowest pane, and the plants only will be 
seen from the room within. These two points, if carried out, would do 
much more to encourage window gardening. The Rev. Canon Bagot, in 
moving a vote of thanks, said that when he visited London, as he had 
done on several occasions with excursionists from the rural parts of 
Ireland, the things that most struck these people was the cleanliness of 
the city and the extent to which gardening was carried on in it. Children 
ought to be taught to take an interest in the cultivation of flowers. He 
would gladly subscribe in order to give prizes for flowers grown by 
children. 
- “ T. W. S.” sends the following note respecting the Orchids in 
Flower at Oldfield, Bickley : “ The choice collection of Orchids at 
Oldfield has been so well described in a previous issue of the Journal 
that it is unnecessary for me to do more than briefly call attention to a 
few of the most important that were in flower at the time of my visit a few 
days ago. In the cool house I noticed Odontoglossum W ilckeanum, 
Pescatorei, guttatum, triumphans, cordatum, and crispum in flower. 
There was one very fiae variety of the latter which promises to become 
valuable. A splendid p’ant of 0. macranthum was carrying flower spikes 
about 12 feet long. In the large house Saccolabium ampullaceum had 
two splendid’racemes, as also were Vanda Parishi,V. Marriotiana,V. tricolor 
insignis, and V. suavis. Cattleya gigas was carrying immense flowers, 
one of which measured 3 inches across the lip and 9 inches in diameter 
across the petals. Cymbidium Lowianum was flowering freely, as also 
were Epidendrum Wallisi and the curious Maxillaria Turneri. Pbaius 
Wallichi and several Cypripediums were in flower. Very healthy indeed 
were the plants of Phalsenopsis. These, it will be remembered, were 
figured in a recent number of the Journal. Mr. Heims seems to be 
specially successful with the latter class of Orchids. The whole of the 
collection was in splendid condition.” 
- Mr. Johnston, the traveller in Africa, has thus described in a daily 
conte mporary some of the Vegetation at Kilimanjaro which he 
observed in his second ascent:—“ Starting at 9, I walked upwards, 
with few stoppages, until 1.30. At first we crossed grassy undulating 
hillocks, the road being fairly easy. Then we entered a heathy tract, 
scorched and burnt with recent bush fires, but higher up, where the blaze 
had not reached, the vegetation was fairly abundant and green. Small 
pink Irises studded the ground in numbers; an occasional Gladiolus of a 
vivid crimson gleamed brightly out from the tufted grass. About 12,600 
feet we struck a pretty little stream, flowing S.S.W., and lower down 
carving its way through a tremendous ravine, the sides of which were 
clothed with thick vegetation and gaily lit up with the brilliant red-leaf 
shoots of the Protea (Protea abyssinica) shrub. At the place where we 
crossed the stream the banks were shelving, and above the little ford 
the water fell in pretty cascades through a rift in the higher ridge of 
rock. About this spot the surrounding scenery had lost much of its 
accustomed asperity. On the further side of the stream was a patch of 
evel greensward, somewhat spoilt by the buffaloes who came thither to 
drink and sport, and who had rucked up and befouled much of this little 
natural lawn. Strange sessile Thistles grew here, nearly 5 feet in cir¬ 
cumference, belonging, I believe, to the genus Carduus, also an extra¬ 
ordinary Lobelia (Lobelia Deckeni), 3 to 4 feet in height, with a Teazle 
like crown of silvery green bracts and bright blue blossoms. Other 
