162 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULIURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 21, 1884. 
tlierias, and liardy Heaths, Poeonias, Ribes, Weigelas, the early 
Spiraeas, Prunus. Daphne, Kerrya, Lilac, Guelder Rose, Laburnum, 
and Syringa—all familiar enough to the veteran practitioner, 
but often a puzzle to beginners from the wealth of materials from 
which selections have to be made. 
Summer .—Some of the late-flowering Rhododendrons link 
together spring and summer, but they soon fade and pass away, 
leaving our clumps ( omparatively dull, yet not without special 
attractions, among which Spira:as figure conspicuously. Spiraea 
arieefolia certainly becomes more beautiful every year. 1 first 
saw it just passing out of bloom in Mr. Game’s garden, on the 
north coast of Cornwall, eight years ago, and some of the plants 
of it which 1 planted in the year 1878 are now full 10 feet high, 
and when laden with yellowish white plumes of flowers, as they 
are in July and part of August, there is no more conspicuous or 
lovely object in the garden. Rhus Cotinus comes into bloom at 
the same time, and is equally striking and attractive when seen 
in the full glory of its cloud of purple inflorescence. It is then 
so beautiful that we wonder it is not more often met with ; this 
may in some degree be owing to the fact that it will not fiourish 
in a poor soil, but so fine a shrub is certainly worthy of a special 
station. What summer-flowering shrub is worthy to complete 
the trio ? I will select the Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa), and will 
ask any reader of the Journal having a collection of shrubs to 
tell us if they think I could do better. For its dark green foliage 
alone this shrub is highly valuable for ornamental uses. It 
forms a large dense bush, and has bold clusters of its fragrant 
flowers upon the spring growth, followed by a midsummer growth 
that is equally floriferous. The flowers should not be cut, for 
they are followed by large berries of a rosy scarlet hue, and as 
autumn comes on the foliage changes to a bright yellow. Spiraea 
Douglasii is so gay in July and August with its abundant large 
clusters of deep pink flowers, that it deserves special mention. 
It grows quickly into large bushes, and seeds so freely that 
seedlings spring up by thousands near every plant. It is very 
accommodating, growing away and flowering as freely out in the 
woods as it does in the shrubbery, in which respect it diffei's from 
many other shrubs which I have turned out in the woods to 
rough it, and most of them have failed, notably several hundreds 
of white Broom, all of which grew and flowered freely for a few 
years and then died. I mention this because it is not always 
understood how the roots of trees established for several genera¬ 
tions in a wood permeate every inch of soil, so that without fair 
space and much care exotics have very little chance of existence, 
to say nothing of thriving. I have tried this matter out, and am 
convinced that half-measures in a wood are just so much time 
and money wasted. Last winter I had a bank of some two acres 
gently sloping from a drive downwards to a piece of water, 
cleared of all the underwood root and branch, the timber has 
also been thinned, and I look forward to next planting season for 
some interesting work in the planting of shrub groups on this 
bank. 
This digression will be pardoned when it is remembered that 
it has a useful bearing upon a branch of the work of shrub¬ 
planting, and serves to render clear one of the many vexed ques¬ 
tions which crop up in laying out a garden. I know full well 
from dear-bought experience that I am doing good service to my 
brother gardeners when a matter of this sort is explained, for 
however carefully the end of building and plantiirg has been 
considered, there will often be difficulties rendering an additional 
outlay imperative however vexatious it may be. — Edward 
Luckhuest. 
(To be continue 1.) 
ORCHID NOTES. 
Onoiditjm ornithorhynchdm. —This small-flowered insig¬ 
nificant variety will scarcely be welcomed by those who delight 
only in the most brilliant-flowered varieties. It is, however, not 
to be despised when well grown and flowered. A plant with 
from six to twelve spikes of its small fragrant flowers is very 
effective. The flowers are veiy useful for cutting, and the plant 
should be grown in all gardens where fragrant flowers are in 
constaut demand. It is a very accommodating Orchid, and can 
be most successfully grown either in the stove or in an inter¬ 
mediate temperature. We prefer to grow it in the former and 
rest it in the latter, although it will do well in a lower tempe¬ 
rature where the convenience of a stove does not exist. It can 
be grown in either baskets, pots, or pans, the two latter being 
preferable, as it does not appear inclined to throw its roots freely 
into the atmosphere When the plants are in small pots and 
crammed with roots they will certainly extend over the edge 
and attach themselves to the side of the pots or pans in which 
they are grown. By a judicious system of potting the roots can 
be kept in the pot and the plant in health. Whether pots or 
pans are employed they should be three parts filled with drain¬ 
age, for liberal supplies of wmter are needed during the growing 
season. While at rest in a lower temperature no more water is 
needed than will keep the pseudo-bulbs plump. It is important 
that the growths are well ripened, for upon this the flowtring 
depends. During the growing season this plant enjoys plenty 
of light and a free circulation of air to ensure sturdy foliage. 
In a confined atmosphere the foliage soon becomes weakly. A 
mixture of peat fibre and moss in nearly equal proportions, 
allowing the former to predominate, is the most suitable. 
Saccolabium Bldmei majus. —What a grand Orchid this 
is either for a pot or a basket! A few plants in the latter sus¬ 
pended from the roof of a plant stove are charming at this season 
of the year. Many people are deterred from the cultivation of 
these plants because they have no special Orchid house, but 
Saccolabiums thrive luxuriantly in the temperature of an ordi¬ 
nary plant stove. They grow well in baskets, which are more 
suitable for the plants than pots, although they can be growm 
successfully in the latter. They soon thi’ow out their roots with 
profusion into the atmosphere of the house, it is not difficult 
to find plants that are grown in baskets with not a single root 
in the material in the baskets intended for them, so well do they 
love to have their roots outside, and even w hen in this condition 
they remain in the most perfect health. Saccolabiums are orna¬ 
mental suspended from the roof even when they are not in 
flower, but when their beautiful long arching spikes of small 
flowers closely packed together are produced they are charming, 
and surpassed in beauty by no Orchid. When once placed in 
baskets this Saccolabium does not give much trouble afterwards. 
The baskets should be filled level with crocks and lumps of 
charcoal, and then liberally surfaced with living sphagnum moss, 
which should be induced to grow freely during the summer 
months. The moss must be renewed annually just as the plants 
are starting into growth, and when removed from the surface 
all the small decayed particles that may have become deposited 
amongst the charcoal and crocks should be washed out by pour¬ 
ing tepid water into the baskets. Although the roots like to be 
outside the basket, decomposed material should not be allowed 
about the plant. These plants require good supplies of water 
during the growing season; in fact should never suffer from an 
insufficient supply, for they have no thick fleshy pseudo-bulbs in 
which to store food the same as Oncidiums, Dendrobiums, and 
others. These plants will rest sufficiently in the stove if the 
night temperature ranges from 60° to 65° according to external 
conditions. 
Thrips and scale are the worst insect enemies this plant has 
to contend with. The latter can be removed by sponging, and 
the former by fumi ating and sponging with tobacco water. 
This must be well worked into the axils of the leaves by means 
of a small brush. Tobacco powder is invaluable for this purpose, 
and will quickly eradicate thrips from any plant upon which it 
has become established.—L. B. 
EAST LOTHIAN STOCKS. 
“ A Thinker ” is surprised to learn that East Lothian Stocks can be 
had in perfection in six months after sowing in the same year, and 
wishes to have some particulars as to treatment. Mr. George has 
favoured me with the following reply :—“ My treatment has been so 
simple that there is hardly anything to communicate. The seeds were 
sown on the 5th of February in pans, and placed in an early Peach 
house. When the seedlings were large enough they were potted into 
CO-sized pots, and kept close in a cold frame for a few days till they 
had taken to the soil ; they were then given plenty of cold air day and 
night, and were planted out in well-manured and deeply dug ground on 
the 13th of May. They are now (August 9th) very fine, but, like every¬ 
thing else, would be better for a good shower.” Perhaps I may have a 
little over-stated the case when I said that these would be in “ perfection” 
at the end of July. I saw them on the 19th July, and they were then 
beginning to bloom freely, but I have no doubt they will be much better 
on the 19th of the present month, when I hope again to see them. Mr. 
George has proved that fair results can be attained for late summer and 
autumn display in four or five months less time than by the ordinary 
treatment.—E. Inglis. 
AUTUMN-SOWN ONIONS. 
I GO all the way with Mr. Muir about the advantages of these 
bulbs, and inasmuch as they are certainly milder than the spring- 
sown they have that additional advantage. If I understand Mr. 
Muir rightly, his plan and mine a e different; and as for several years 
I have exhibited them successfully at our local show, and on the day 
I write have just taken fiivt for six, the smallest being over 16 inches 
round, I venture to add a few remarks. 
