November 2, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 411 
Sir Joseph Banks, who accompanied Captain Cook on his noted 
voyage. It has, however, since heen found on the east coast of 
Australia at Port Jackson and Moreton Bay. It may be farther 
remarked that this species is peculiar in its habitat, as it is 
said to be observed growing on moss-covered rocks on the coast— 
a rather remarkable position for an epiphytal Orchid. 
Turning, however, to the species distinguished by the beauty of 
their flowers, which are of so much more importance to the gar¬ 
dener than the former, we have several that might be advan¬ 
tageously included in every collection ; and prominent amongst 
these is that represented in the woodcut (fig. 66)—viz., Dendro- 
bium superbiens. For this handsome Orchid English horticul¬ 
turists are indebted to Mr. B. S. Williams of Upper Holloway, 
who obtained it through his collector, Mr. Goldie, about six years 
ago, and it has since become a great favourite, though some little 
difficulty has been experienced by a few growers in ensuring its 
satisfactory flowering. No such difficulty is, however, found at 
the Holloway nursery, where it flowers as freely as any other 
Dendrobe, and the blooms last for several weeks. The chief 
point in this successful treatment appears to be the temperature 
afforded, and this is worthy of note by all who have failed with 
the plant. D. superbiens is grown at Holloway in a small span- 
roof house extending from N.E. to S.W., in which a temperature 
ranging from 65° as the minimum to 80° as the maximum is 
maintained. The plants are grown in small shallow pans from 
3 to 4 inches in diameter, the compost consisting of peat and 
sphagnum. They are suspended close to the roof and never 
shaded. In this way well-matured growth is obtained, and as a 
result the plants continue flowering over a long period, one with 
pseudo-bulbs about 3 feet long having borne ten racemes in suc¬ 
cession. Some of the racemes even on small specimens have ten 
to a dozen of their rich rosy-purple-cdoured flowers. It may be 
remarked that both D. Ainsworthi and D. formosmn gigantnum 
succeed admirably under similar treatment. Of the other Den- 
drobes the two best are D. bigibbum, D. Hilli, and D. speciosum ; 
the first dwarf, with bright rosy flow r ers in small racemes ; the 
two others of much taller habit, especially D. Hilli, and bearing 
long racemes of creamy flowers. D. bigibbum, with its varieties 
candidum and superbum, is much admired by orchidists, as, like 
D. superbiens, it supplies a rather uncommon tint in the genus, or, 
indeed, in the family. 
Cymbidium reflexum, C. suave, and Sarcochilus falcatus are 
three of the best amongst the other Australian epiphytic Orchids ; 
but even they are not very striking, and they cannot pretend to 
share the merits of the Dendrobes. 
As might be expected, there is a great range in the temperature 
of so large an extent of hand, the mean annual temperature vary¬ 
ing from 60° in the south to 80° in the north ; and the annual 
rainfall also varies considerably—namely, from 80 inches on some 
parts of the east coast to 12 inches, or even less probably, in the 
drier regions, so that it is of much importance to know the precise 
locality from which plants are obtained. — L. Castle. 
SAND FOR PROPAGATING. 
It is difficult at times both in gardens and nurseries to procure 
good sand for propagating purposes, as there is much difference 
in its quality. Sand should be tested before many cuttings are 
inserted in it, as an inferior material may be employed, and the 
consequence is batch after batch of carefully grown and prepared 
cuttings damp off. For over two years I filled the place of pro¬ 
pagator in a large nursery in Scotland, where we had every oppor¬ 
tunity of testing the various methods in propagating plants, and 
found it rather difficult in the dull days of winter to strike soft- 
wooded plants successfully, even under the best of treatment, in 
the early months of the year. We repeatedly lost numbers of 
cuttings. Some, no doubt, would say that was due to bad manage¬ 
ment, but in the first place the sand was of the worst description. 
A day or two after the sand was placed in the propagating cham¬ 
bers and cuttings inserted it was examined with a microscope, 
when innumerable small threads were observed not unlike spiders’ 
webs on the surface of the sand, and when that fungus came in 
contact with the cuttings very few survived. Although the sand 
remained in the propagating chamber until it was dust-dry, 
after it was watered it gave the same result. Various methods 
were adopted to destroy the pest. A little salt mixed with the 
sand was a great preventive, still at all times it had not the 
desired effect. As the day lengthens light and heat increases, 
propagating becomes a much easier task. 
Sometimes in private gardens very bad results may be seen in 
propagating plants. No doubt the cuttings are made and inserted 
correctly, watered, and due attention given, but more frequently 
sand from a river side is employed in those establishments, and 
most of our rivers are polluted to an alarming extent. Sand 
from such sources must be neither adapted for the propagating 
nor the culture of plants. What is wanted is pure sand free 
from iron and minerals of any description. But in what parts of 
our country can such a sand be obtainable ? There are various 
quarries of more or less importance. One which has come under 
my observation, and perhaps the purest white sand quarry in our 
island, is at Gateside, near Gourock, as scarcely ever a cutting 
damps or fails in it. My trials extend over winter and summer. 
During January of last season we inserted a large number of 
tricolor Pelargonium cuttings in small boxes, and placed them in 
a moist plant stove more to test the property of the sand in the 
winter than the need of the plants, with the result that every 
cutting rooted much more quickly than ever I saw Pelargoniums 
root before, and a similar success attended my efforts with 
other cuttings during spring; our success this autumn is also very 
satisfactory.— Wm. Muir, Bagatelle. 
AUTUMN-SOWN PEAS. 
During the latter days of October and early in November is 
the best time to sow autumn Peas, and the advantage of doing 
this is often felt in spring, when a well-wintered batch produces 
pods some weeks earlier than the spring-sown rows. All know 
that many spring-sown Peas fail to make any satisfactory pro¬ 
gress if the weather is unfavourable or vermin troublesome, and 
the same drawbacks are liable to occur in the case of autumn- 
sown Peas, but with both there are many chances of their doing well 
providing sowing is done at the proper time and necessary atten¬ 
tion given afterwards. Only early kinds should be sown now, and 
those should be of the hardiest character. Ilound-seeded varieties 
must he selected. Wrinkled kinds are too tender ; they are very 
liable to damp off in germinating, and they appear delicate when 
first they appear above ground in the winter side of the year. 
A spot well exposed to light and sun, but sheltered from winds, 
is a good situation for sowing autumn Peas. The ground should 
be deeply stirred and well manured, the rows not being nearer 
than the height the kind grows, and if a couple of feet wider so 
much the better ; but while w r e approve of growing summer Peas 
in rows here and there and widely apart, we like the autumn and 
first spring-sown rows to follow each other and shelter one 
another. 
Our Pea ground now is that from which we have lately cleared 
a lot of Cabbages. Manure was wheeled on the ground, dug 
over, and the drills opened, the Peas sown, and everything 
finished off in one day. When the soil is dry enough for digging, 
and in good working order in this way, it is surprising how well 
seeds germinate. The drills should be about 3 inches deep. The 
seed should be sown moderately thick, and the whole should be 
covered over firmly, and from the day the seed is buried until the 
stems are above being injured by mice and other vermin, constant 
attention must be devoted to trapping and killing, as one of the 
main points to success is to have the rows strong, entire, and even 
in growth. The many ways of destroying garden pests need not 
be pointed out here, but an impressive caution to beware may be 
given. As soon as the young plants are above ground a little 
earth should be drawn up on each side, but not close to them, the 
object being to afford a little protection. As growth advances, 
small twigs, such as birch from old brooms, should be put in 
on each side of them, and when 3 or 4 inches high stakes may 
be applied. If the weather is mild it may be necessary to do 
this before the new year, but if severe they may not be ready for 
stakes for some months. Frost or snow will not injure Peas 
sown now. and no attempt should be made to coddle them at any 
time, as this is sure to result in a relapse and loss.—A Kitchen 
Gardener. 
SILKWORMS AND SILKWORM REARING.—18. 
(Continued from page 349.) 
It is one of the projects of the hour to introduce Chinamen to 
Britain for a variety of purposes, amongst them to show us how 
best to mix and combine teas of diverse flavours or strengths. 
Some persons may by-and-by suggest that we might obtain the 
services of Japanese natives of the Yama Mai district to instruct 
us in the art of tending and rearing this Japanese silkworm, con¬ 
cerning which such hopes have been entertained. No one can 
question the beauty and excellence of the silk that is yielded by 
its cocoons, but we have been as yet far from overcoming the 
difficulties which have impeded its successful rearing on a scale 
that would hold out the promise of certain commercial results. 
The Oaks of Britain have now ceased to be of the old importance 
to our navy ; and, as Dr. Wallace remarks, it would be a famous 
