November 10.1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 421 
r( as >n why, it is just for this that thorough ripening and ample 
nourishment in autumn is so beneficial: and just for this reason 
that those who are careless then never secure first-class results. 
The idea that Vines when extending their shoots in spring need 
support leads many to apply liquid manure to their borders wheu 
neither leaves nor roots are working ! They do need support, 
and should have it from the top stems and root stems, which 
should be primed with it in autumn, and if it is not then available 
there it is not available anywhere. 
Mr. Iggulden quotes “science” to support his theory. Science 
is very helpful, but those who think to command the helping 
hand of science must needs dip deeply. Not only have those who 
encourage the manufacture and storage of sap by extended growth 
ample working power of foliage, ample room to work in, amp’e 
feeding, ample supplies of heat and air and light — “results 
apparently justifying” such course ; but when Mr. Iggulden dips 
a little deeper he will find they have science too on their side ! - 
Single-handed. 
RESULTS OF THE POTATO TRIALS AT CHISWICK. 
A meeting of the Fruit and Vegetable Committee was held 
at Chiswick on the 3rd inst., Mr. John E. Lane in the chair. 
The collection of Potatoes grown in the gardens was again ex¬ 
amined. Several sorts were selected as good cropping, very 
handsome, and distinct varieties, and on being cooked the follow¬ 
ing awards were made :— 
FIRST-CLASS CERTIFICATES. 
Fortyfold White (Farquhar) . Large round white. 
Vermont Champion (Bliss) . Large round white. 
Queen of the Valley (Bliss-Hooper) .Large and oblong pale pink. 
Adirondack (Bliss-Hooper). Medium round white tinged with 
pink. 
Brownell’s No. 11 (Bliss) . Large roundish white. 
Victoria Kidney (Edwards). Large flat white. 
Rand’s No. 30 (Bliss). Large oblong white. 
Rand's No. 12 (Bliss). Large long flat white. 
SECOND-CLASS CERTIFICATES. 
Criterion (Ross) . Round white. 
Sir Walter Raleigh (Ross). Large round white. 
Trophy (Bliss) . Large kidney-shaped red. 
Vicar of Laleham (Dean) . Large round purple. 
White Elephant (Daniels). Large long-flaked. 
Victoria alba (Donaldson). Large round white, purple eye. 
St. Patrick (Daniels) . Large long white. 
ORCHIDS AT KEW. 
There are now in flower in the Kew collection several good 
Orchids that are worth noting—in fact, two or three varieties are 
such as are seen in few collections. It is rarely we visit Kew 
without seeing some interesting plants in flower in the Orchid 
house, for the collection comprises nearly all kinds, and there is 
always some little novelty to please the botanist as well as the 
horticulturist. Amongst the most noteworthy may be mentioned 
the following :— 
A htndsome variety of Laelia pumila, the flowers of which are 
fully 4 inches across, of a bright rosy purple. The peculiar tube¬ 
shaped labellum is of the darkest colour, approaching black. It 
is, as the name implies, a dwarf-growing species, and well adapted 
for growing in baskets or on blocks. It seems to be quite at home 
growing in a basket suspended from the roof. It is evidently a 
close relation to L. Dayana, which is also in flower, but will not 
bear comparison with L. pumila. They both delight in a cool 
temperature, such as the Odontoglossum house, and always require 
to be kept moist at the roots. The several varieties of L. Perrinii 
are very showy just now. One variety, which is pure white except¬ 
ing a blotch of dark purple on the tip of the labellum, is extremely 
handsome. 
Cattleya labiata, named “old variety,” is a great acquisition to 
any collection. The plant, which is rather a small one, is pro¬ 
ducing three flowers on one spike ; the colours are almost in¬ 
describable, for there are so many. I think this is rather a scarce 
variety, and will always be valuable. 
Pleione Wallichiana is very pretty, and a fitting associate to 
Oncidium excavatum. This is a good old Orchid, but rather 
neglected by many growers. It produces long-branched spikes of 
bright yellow flowers barred with light brown. 
Oncidium ornithorbynchum is always welcome on account of 
its deliciously fragrant flowers ; they are certainly not of the 
brightest colour, but when a plant has several panicles fully 
expanded it is by no meaus to be despised. 
Odontoglossum cariuiferum is rather a peculiar flower. The 
sepals are a dull brown, the heart-shaped labellum being pure 
white. 
Burlingtonia Candida is a little gem, and is flowering freely in 
a basket suspended from the roof. The flowers are snowy white, 
except a blotch of sulphur yellow on the labellum. The racemes 
are about (1 or 8 inches long, and droop gracefully over the sides 
of the baskets. Zygopetalum Mackayi completes this short list, 
and is so well known that it requires no description.—\V. K. 
LOBELIA SYPHILITICA. 
This border plant (a spray of which is figured) is a native 
of the Northern States of North America. All the herbaceous 
Lobelias like moist retentive soils, and may be treated successfully 
as bog plants, being liable to suffer from parching east winds in 
spring and from drought in summer ; but L. syphilitica may be 
grown in any good garden soil, being quite hardy and truly peren¬ 
nial, though it is likely to disappear in some soils, probably from 
the causes mentioned above. It is a handsome plant, producing 
throughout the summer flower spikes from 2 to 3 feet high bearing 
abundance of close-set flowers. The normal colour is clear light 
blue with black spots in the throat surrounded by lighter shades 
of blue, but varieties in colour are common when it is raised from 
seed, some of them being pure white. I have heard also of others 
with rose-coloured flowers, but have not any of these in my col¬ 
lection. If seed is sown early some of the plants will flower late 
the first year, and all will make good plants, bearing several 
spikes of flower the second year ; and as the vigour of growth 
enabling the plants to survive unfavourable conditions is far 
greater in seedlings than in divided plants, this Lobelia may 
successfully be treated as a biennial. 
I can also recommend for similar treatment the herbaceous 
Lobelias of the cardinalis class, which come to us from North 
Ameiica under several specific names, including L. cardinalis, 
L. fulgens, L. splendens. L. ignea. If these are really distinct 
they are very similar and often confused in collections. In their 
native country they grow in bogs, and are said to be biennial 
and during their first winter capable of resisting any degree 
