416 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ May 21, 1885. 
issue I will endeavour to say something about M. Yan Geert’s 
interesting nursery.—J. W. 
TRENCHING LAND. 
Your correspondent, Mr. Iggulden, has written much on the disad¬ 
vantages of trenching. In fact, from what he says, we must come to the 
conclusion that trenching or deep digging is time and labour lost. In 
the Journal of the 14th inst. he says that at Richmond, Feltham, and Bed- 
font trenching is now adopted by the market gardeners, but Mr. iggulden 
further adds that the soil is light with a gravelly subsoil. May I ask, 
"Who would trench such a soil P What would be the necessity ? Nature 
has rendered it unnecessary ; the only help Nature requires is plenty of 
manure. Now I must say that an experience of forty years leads me to 
differ from Mr. Iggulden. I have always found the best crops of all 
kinds to follow trenching when the ground is strong and has not a 
gravelly bottom. At this moment I am looking out at a field which has 
been long in grass ; a deep drain had been cut in this field, not because 
it wanted draining, hut for other reasons. The clay was put back again 
and the sods replaced. The result is that the produce immediately over the 
drain is nearly three times as great as on the other parts of the field. 
Again, I trenched for Strawberries and planted Lettuces between last year ; 
the very best results followed. I fear the recommendations of Mr. 
Iggulden may induce lazy gardeners to follow a practice that will disappoint 
many employers, where the ground is not of a light character and the 
subsoil gravel.—E. D. 0. 
BROCCOLI FOR SUCCESSION. 
These have been fine and plentiful. It is rather perplexing to know 
which sorts to grow when there are so many, and yet I find it necessary 
to grow a number in order to have a succession from December to June. 
During the past winter those that have done best with me, and which is 
only a verification of former years’ experience,were the following. Snow’s 
Winter White gave heads in December and February, when Yeitch’s 
Self-protecting Autumn came in, and very acceptable it was ; in fact, 
more useful than had it come in in December—its usual time—onwards, 
hut I am at a loss to account for its being so late. Veitch’s Spring White 
succeeded along with Cooling’s Matchless ; then came Leamington with 
Lauder’s Goschen in April, with Ledsham’s Latest of All at the end of 
the month and early May, which is the latest I have had it, and I have 
grown it every year since it was sent out. It is now (May 15th) about 
over even on a north border, and is variable. But what I particularly 
wish to note is the great merit of Veitch’s Model. It is very dwarf, very 
compact, close-growing, and very hardy. I have not known a plant 
injured by frost, and the heads are so well protected that they can hardly 
be nipped by the May frosts. I have cut it as late as June 7th, and this 
year there is promise of its being even later, as I only cut the first on May 
13th, and some of the plants are scarcely moving. The heads are very 
close, solid, medium-sized, very heavy, beautifully white, and delicate in 
flavour. It reminds us of the good old Invisible White and Wilcove’s 
Late White, but is verv much hardier and shorter, and is so compact that 
whilst others require 30 or 36 inches distance it only needs 24 inches 
every way. It is a first-class vegetable and richly merits a certificate.— 
G. Abbey. 
ORCHIDS AT UPPER HOLLOWAY. 
Numbers of horticulturists who journeyed to London to attend the 
Orchid Conference at South Kensington included in their programme a 
visit to Mr. B. S. Williams’ celebrated nursery at Upper Holloway, where 
an exhibition of choice valuable and beautiful Orchids had been provided. 
Those who are familiar with that collection and its attractions were, 
however, agreeably surprised to find that with a view to the production of 
a better general effect a portion of the staging in the large Palm house 
had been cleared of its usual occupants, and the space filled with Orchids, 
an improvement of great importance as regards the display. The house 
is 100 feet long, with a spacious path and a stage on each side, two hand¬ 
some banks of flowers being thus formed, the appearance of which was 
still further improved by the employment of small Palms, Ferns, and a 
margin of Isolepis gracefully fringing the edge of the stage with its 
bright green leaves. At intervals some are suspended from the roof of 
the house, and the pendulous racemes of these mingle with the erect-grow¬ 
ing Orchids most gracefully. In the centre bed large specimens of 
Anthurium Schertzerianum impart a peculiar richness to the effect owing 
to the number and high colour of their spathes, while the larger Palms 
and Tree Ferns in the background form a suitable framework to a very 
pretty picture. Near the entrance an uncommon but elegant and natural 
mode of employing Orchids for decorative purposes is very noticeable. 
An old stem of a Tree Fern has had several branches and stumps of 
various trees secured to it, so they rise at differing angles and to different 
heights. The points of these, and several suitable places upon them 
between the apex and the main stem, are clothed with moss, and upon 
this is secured such Orchids as Oncidium concolor, Epidendrum vitel- 
linum, Odontoglossum Marshallianum, O. Alexandras, and many otherB, 
all free-flowering species, and as the main stem i3 similarly clothed the 
result is very satisfactory. It is also very suggestive, and has a much 
less formal appearance than the ordinary way of arranging plants in 
pots on shelves ; anything that will break the prevalent monotony in 
plant houses is welcome, and fome modification of this might be advan- 
tageously^adopted in many establishments. 
Upon the side stage large numbers of species are represented, many 
very rare and valuable, but the Lselias with the Cattleyas give a remark¬ 
able wealth of colour. Laslia purpurea is in fine condition, but the ex¬ 
tensive stock of this useful Orchid is not yet at its best, and in the other 
houses hundreds of stout sheaths are showing, which greatly enrich the 
display for weeks to come. The fidelity with which the plates in the 
Orchid Album are executed is well known, but there were a few doubters 
when the plate of Laelia purpurata Williamsi appeared ; if any of these 
still continue in the same opinion they should at once visit Holloway and 
see a plant of this magnificent variety now flowering, and they will doubt 
no longer. It is unquestionably one of the grandest Orchids we have, 
its large lip being of the richest deepest crimson, most exquisitely and 
regularly veined in the throat, and with broad delicately veined petals. 
It is vastly superior to the ordinary Lselia purpurata, and deserves a 
prominent position amongst our best Cattleyas. Another choice form 
of the same species is that known as Lord Londeshorough’s variety, which 
is readily distinguished by its pure white petals being flat instead of 
being twisted or curled like the others are, and this gives the flower a 
peculiarly bold appearance. A new Laslia, which Mr. Williams proposes 
to call L. Measuresianum, attracts notice by its neat and pretty flowers. 
It was received with an importation of Laelia elegans, but is easily re¬ 
cognised as having the lip even, not cut at the sides as in that species, 
and it is also beautifully frilled, bright crimson, and yellow in the centre ; 
the sepals and petals being white and undulated on the margins. It 
will unquestionably become a favourite when its portrait appears in the 
Orchid Album, as is promised. Cattleya Mendeli and C. Mossise in 
variety are represented by numerous plants ; of the latter a variety 
named Marianse is particularly noteworthy, the sepals and petals pure 
white, with a crimson lip and yellow throat. This is a valuable Orchid, 
and is considered one of the best of the Moesiac type. The bright Cattleya 
Skinneri, and the charming C. gigas, with the fragrant yellow C. citrina 
and C. intermedia, add their attractions to the display. 
Oncidiums of the ampliatum, Marshallianum, and concolor types 
furnish abundant spikes of bright yellow flowers, the last named being 
especially well represented. The yellow and brown O. Gardnerianum w tk 
the curious little 0. dasystyle and its insect-like flowers are also note¬ 
worthy. Dendrobium thyrsiflorum and D. densiflorum are flowering freely, 
their long racemes of white and golden blooms being most pleasing. 
Cypripediums of many species are there, the stately C. ciliolare attracting 
much admiration. All the best of the Odontoglossums are beautifully 
shown. O. Alexandra giganteum has enormous flowers 4J- inches in 
diameter. 0. citrosmum roseum has a bright rosy lip, contrasting with 
white sepals and petals, and the plants suspended from the roof of a house 
have a graceful effect. O. triumphans with rich brown and yellow flowers 
is very handsome, while that grand variety O. vexillarium splendens is 
remarkable for its depth of colour. Vandas, Aerides, Masdevallias, Epi¬ 
dendrum vitellinum majus and scores of others could be named, but the 
mention of two fine specimens must conclude these notes for the present. 
Dendrobium calceolus (mosebatum cupreum), a magnificent plant, bearing 
twenty-six spikes of eight to ten flowers each, a wonderful specimen, not 
quite at its best yet, but which unfortunately does not last long. Aerides 
Fieldingi is the other plant alluded to, and this has six spikes 2 to 3 feet 
long and two of them branched. It is a handsome specimen, and very 
rarely is such a one seen, but curiously enough it appears that the flori- 
ferousness this year is due in some measure to the fact that the plant lost 
its leading shoot some time since, and the check thus given is believed to 
have resulted in the present fine condition. 
Extensive as is the display provided in the Palm house, all the other 
houses possess some attractive features, and whether the visitor be specially 
interested in Orchids, Ferns, Pitcher Plants, Ericas, Rhododendrons, or 
miscellaneous stove plants, he will find abundance to please his particular 
taste. 
GREENHOUSE RHODODENDRONS. 
These plants should not be allowed to stand upon shelves or stages 
upon which no gravel or moisture-holding material is employed, for they 
make a stronger and more luxuriant growth when the atmosphere about 
them can be kept moderately moist. Large pla its will do well subjected 
to the same treatment as Camellias, while smaller ones may be accommo¬ 
dated in a cold frame, the plants standing upon ashes. The frame should 
be kept close and moist, the plants being shaded from bright sunshine. 
Employ the syringe freely both morning and afternoon. These plants do 
not require large pots, and Buch soon prove injurious, but plants that have 
filled their pots with roots must be repotted directly their roots are active. 
Small shifts only should be given, draining the pots liberally, and the soil 
consisting of fibry peat and sand must be pressed firmly into the pots. 
Supply water carefully after the potting, but plants established in pots 
with a good number of roots must not be allowed to suffer by an insufficient 
supply, or their fine silk-like roots will soon perish.—N. G. L. 
BONEMEAL FOR PLANTS IN POTS. 
Many plants need almost daily attention for some months before 
they are placed in the pots in which they are to flower. It is a very 
common practice to add a quantity of bonemeal to the compost that is to 
be used. This being the case, it is wise to consider at the commencement 
of the season whether this ingredient benefits the plant. Some time ago 
I was led to think seriously about this matter, and thus give my opinion, 
at the same time solicit the views and opinions of others. Three years ago 
I conducted a few experiments with two artificial manures and bonemeal 
on a lawn that had been previously lifted to level the ground. Each was 
