114 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 9,1.8*2 
Hopper, Duke of Edinburgh, Abel Carriire, Mrs. Jowitt, G6ndral 
Jacqueminot, Jules Margottin, Sultan of Zanzibar, Madame 
Gabriel Luizet, Princess Louise Victoria, Anna Alexieff, Magna 
Charta, Etienne Dupuy, Comtesse de Chabrillant, Countess of 
Oxford, Edouard Morren, John Stuart Mill, Centifolia rosea, La 
France, Boule de Niege, Pierre Notting, Henri Pages, Mdlle. 
Annie Wood, Mdlle. Marie Rady, and Monsieur Boncenne. 
Amongst Teas Gloire de Dijon and Cheshuut Hybrid are the only 
two I can safely recommend ; the latter is as hardy as any Hybrid 
Perpetual and does remarkably well. Bourbon Souvenir de la 
Malmaison stands well; Noisette Aimde Vibert and the common 
China Roses complete my list for towns.—W. Bardney. 
CCELOGYNE CRISTATA. 
In reply to “Kirby's” inquiry respecting the culture of 
Coelogyne cristata (page 89), I beg to say that I grow them under 
exactly the same conditions as your correspondent both as regards 
temperature, position, and compost, with one exception. Like 
him I grow them in a mixed house of Ferns and foliage plants, 
shading with whiting, &c., instead of tiffany. But after having 
made their growth at the latter end of August or beginning of 
September, I remove them to a house with the same temperature, 
but without the shading, to ripen the growth. I am also very 
careful when cutting the flower spike not to take it off too low, as 
I find the best pseudo-bulbs spring from the base of the flower 
stem. I supply them copiously with water, and sprinkle them 
two or three times a day during the time they are making their 
growth, giving them less after they are matured, but being grown 
continuously in a warm house I do not dry them off to the extent 
which some advocate. 
I have enclosed a pseudo-bulb with flower spike attached. I 
have larger, but I have sent a medium-sized one ; the plant from 
which I cut it is growing in a 9-inch pot. I cut the first spike 
from it about the 7th January, at which time it carried thirty- 
seven spikes with from three to seven blooms on each. I have 
also seven other plants in 5-inch pots, carrying collectively forty 
spikes. I find the lovely white and yellow blooms invaluable at 
this time of the year.—S. Mortimer. 
[Both the pseudo-bulb and flowers of the specimen sent were 
remarkably good.—E d.] 
THE EFFECTS OF GAS ON PLANTS. 
That some gases are greatly destructive to plant life is gene¬ 
rally admitted if not particularly well understood. Everyone is 
aware how short-lived plants are in gas-lit chambers. It is not 
the coal gas itself, or unconsumed gas, that causes the injury, 
because that is never present to any great extent; but burning 
gas produces other compounds, which are not only fatal to plants 
but highly injurious to the health of human beings. There are 
but few people who have not felt its baneful effect, and plants are 
equally if not more sensitive. Traces of injury are sooner apparent 
on plants. They might thus be used to test the condition of the 
atmosphere failing better means, for assuredly any place where 
plant life is destroyed by gas must be in a corresponding degree 
unhealthy for man. 
We are led to direct attention to this subject since making an 
inspection of the plants in the conservatory of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society at South Kensington, which, it is greatly to be 
regretted, have sustained serious injury by gas arising from an 
exhibition by the Siemens Gaslight Company of a great number 
of extraordinary powerful gas lamps, called Siemens’ Regenerator 
Gas Burners, this exhibition being a part of or held under the 
auspices of the Smoke Abatement Exhibition. 
Apart from its serious aspect there are many lessons to be learnt. 
It is very curious and interesting to note the different effects the 
gas has on different plants, and how some appear to be almost 
unaffected. On some the foliage rapidly changes colour, fades 
and dies as in autumn ; in others the leaves become, as it were, 
scorched, but are still persistent; whilst in some examples they 
fall off quite green and apparently fresh. Amongst the plants most 
injuriously affected we have noted the following. Conspicuous 
above all appears the species of Encephalartos, several large 
examples of which were in the conservatory. The leaves are nearly 
all destroyed, the hard thick leathery leaves scorched as if by fire. 
It is very remarkable that these Cycads should prove so extremely 
sensitive, they might be expected to be quite the reverse. It may 
be remembered that these plants were largely used for the deco¬ 
ration of the Royal Aquarium, and they were the first to suffer. 
Every plant died ; and during this present season the Manager 
at Warwick House placed a fine Cycad near to the gas burners, 
where it was soon withered. 
Eucalyptus globulus—several large trees of this reaching to the , 
roof of the conservatory—had the leaves and young shoots scorched 
and withered. These were the first plants to betray injury. 
Dammara australis—a very fine pyramidal specimen some 30 feet 
high in a tub—the hard thick Holly-like leaves of this evergreen j 
plant are all falling in a green and apparently fresh condition ; 
there is no scorching here. A large plant 30 feet in height of 
Ficus elastica is similarly affected. Acacias, Oianges, Myrtles, 
Euonymus, Eriobotrya japonica, Podocarpus, and others have j 
also suff red by losing their foliage, several examples being quite ( 
bare. Concerning Aralia Sieboldi a curious fact is noticeable. 
The younger leaves decay first, becoming yellow from the top 
downwards. Some freshly introduced plants were completely 
destroyed in a few days, others have stood almost uninjured. The 
large and beautiful specimens of Araucaria excelsa are somewhat 
injured, especially near to the tops, the leaves or small side shoots, 
which they most resemble, coming off in handfuls at the slightest | 
touch quite fresh. Of Ferns, Adiantums proved especially sus¬ 
ceptible, as was to be expected, a large Cyathea dealbata being 
much injured, the fronds scorched: likewise Dicksonia ant- 
arctica, the fronds of two fine plants being quite withered. On 
the contrary, Asplenium nidus-avis seems to thrive under these 
conditions. 
Palms were slow to exhibit any traces of injury, but many are 
now apparent. Large specimens of Chamterops Fortunei and 
Corypha australis, which were a short time ago quite green and 
healthy, are now becoming yellow at the point of every leaf, and 
in some instances the leaves are much spotted as if scorched. The 
Date Palm seems to be more especially sensitive. The effects of 
the gas on some species of succulent plants have been very severe, 
many plants in the large and representative collection belonging 
to J. T. Peacock, Esq., exhibited in the gallery of the conservatory, 
being much injured. Agave filifera is especially noticeable, every 
plant appearing as if scalded with boiling water. Beaucarnea 
stricta, Crassula arborescens, Aloe frutescens, and the Dasylirions 
are also conspicuous for injuries sustained. All are, unfortunately, 
more or less affected, and will take a long time to recover. 
The one plant amongst all others that seems to be indifferent 
as to treatment is Aspidistra lurida. It enjoys high culture, but 
will live under the worst conditions—cares neither for neglect 
in watering nor for a superabundance of gas. In support of this 
we have only to look at those hanging baskets in the Royal Aqua¬ 
rium, which, if not removed quite lately, still retain the plants of 
Aspidistra that were placed there by Mr. Wills some seven or eight 
years ago. There is not another plant that has withstood that 
gas-charged atmosphere. It is a pity that the experiences gained 
at the Royal Aquarium were not present to prevent this disaster 
at South Kensington. The lesson is dearly bought. Let it be 
remembered that plant life is in danger in any place unduly 
heated by burning gas. 
It is more difficult to give a list of plants that are not injured 
by the gas, &c., than of those that are. Those showing no traces 
of injury are Aspidistra lurida, Asplenium nidus-avis, single 
Camellias, Phormium tenax, and Aucuba japonica. The following j 
are slightly affected—Latania borbonica, Seaforthia elcgans, Sabal 
umbraculifera, and some specimens of Corypha australis, and 
Chamterops Fortunei. It may be noted that the quantity of gas 
consumed or registered amounted to 5800 feet per diem. 
THE GLADIOLUS. 
Relative to the culture of this brilliant border flower, which 
“W. J. M.” advocates, and the decay of the corms, which so 
many persons experience, the following note written by the cele¬ 
brated Donald Beaton twenty years ago may, perhaps, be worth 
perusal. “ My Gladioluses,” says Mr. Beaton, “have been grown in 
cocoa-nut fibre refuse for the last seven years, and those I bloom 
of them could compete against those grown by Mr. Standish 
himself, or any other celebrity in the trade. For the last three 
winters some of them have not been lifted, nor do I intend to lift 
them for some years. If the ground is rich and light, not less 
than 3 feet deep, and is thoroughly drained at that depth, every 
Gladiolus now in the trade would go on improving for years in a 
mixture of the refuse if left in the ground from year to year and 
never disturbed. Taking up Gladioluses is exactly like budding 
Roses. It is the way required for the trade, and it is the best 
way where the soil is not suitable ; but where the soil is just 
what they like, Gladioluses should not be lifted oftener than once 
in six or seven years. A far more tender race of this genus than ' 
we now possess have been left out in the beds for the last half of 
the last generation, and they prospered more, even up in the 
Highlands, than by any other method. The beds were covered 
with leaves against frost ; there were no roots to be hurt by bad 
