430 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 24, 1883. 
couple of years, and did nothing with them ; now they are doing 
well. The sorts I have are refracta alba and one sent out by 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons of Reading called Leichtlini major, some¬ 
what larger and with more yellow in it than refracta alba. I 
know of no perfume amongst flowers more refined, as a lady said 
to me the other day, than this. It is unlike anything I know, 
and reminds one rather of some of the delicate perfumes of 
French confectionery !—not a very romantic idea, but those who 
know aught of the skill of our neighbours in such matters will 
understand it. The Calochorti have utterly failed with me in 
pots, and I have no opportunities of growing them as recom¬ 
mended in frames planted out. I am sorry for it, as they are 
very lovely and curious ; but I am afraid, like the Ixias, they will 
only do well from imported bulbs. I have tried them for years 
in all sorts of ways, and have never been able to get them to 
flower the second year, and I know others who are equally un¬ 
successful. It is but right that this should be known, for when 
we find grand collections of them shown at the London exhi¬ 
bitions, many, struck with their quaint beauty, are anxious to 
essay their culture, not knowing that these spikes of bloom come 
from the Channel Islands, the climate of which seems more 
favourable to them than ours. I do not know how they are 
grown there, and it would be a boon if any of your correspon¬ 
dents who live in those favoured spots would kindly tell us how 
it is done. 
I do not feel that in the limited space at my disposal I am 
competent to give a decided opinion as to the merits of the 
various strains of Zonal Pelargoniums for house culture, but as 
far as my judgment goes Mr. Pearson of Chilwell is far ahead of 
all competitors, and I am the more convinced of this when I see 
that at the Pelargonium Exhibition his varieties figure more 
frequently in the prize list than those of any other grower. 
Let me say that on the question of shading I have dispensed 
with tiffany, or any shading of that sort, and wash the glass with 
a mixture of sour milk and whiting. This resists the rain for a 
sufficiently long period, and at the end of the season what remains 
is easily washed off. 
Such has been my greenhouse during 1882, and I may safely 
say, as I did last year, that I think few get more out of a structure 
of the kind and enjoy it more than I do.—D., Deal. 
EPIDENDRUM REPLICATDM. 
In my notes on Epidendrums last week the woodcut was by a 
printer’s error named E. cochleatum, which it does not resemble 
in the slightest degree, as all who are acquainted with the two 
plants would at once perceive. E. replicatum, as stated in the 
matter, where its name, however, was omitted, is not one of the 
most handsome of the genus, but it is a good representative of 
the pseudo-bulbous section. E. cochleatum has a comparatively 
large lip, heart-shaped in outline, and resembling some bivalve 
shells.—L. C. 
TOO-MUCH-ALIKE ROSES. 
I AM a believer in head quarters and obeying edicts. I hold that 
cricket should be governed by the laws of the Maryleboue Club, 
and that rifle-shooting should obey Wimbledon. In exhibiting 
Roses, then, I think we should all obey the National Rose Society, 
even though we may not absolutely agree with all its ideas. 
The catalogue of the National Rose Society was issued in 1882. 
It is not perfect, but it has many advantages as a catalogue of 
reference, and it should be in every Rose exhibitor’s hands. It is, 
indeed, almost a necessity for all those intending to exhibit at 
meetings of societies affiliated with it, or at the meetings of the 
parent Society. From its pages I quote—“ The Committee re¬ 
commend that after this season (1882) those Roses bracketed as 
synonymous should not be exhibited in the same stand, and that 
their being so should be considered a disqualification at meetings 
as above.” 
I have no wish to question the propriety of this step or other¬ 
wise ; but this I do feel, that this recommendation, w’hich I pre¬ 
sume and hope, now it has been printed, will be acted on, cannot 
therefore be too widely known ; and it seems to me that it ought 
for this year to be printed on all the schedules where the rule 
will be enforced. I think, too, it would be wisdom to name the 
Roses. For the sake of making this still more generally known 
I name the “ too-much-alike ” Roses here. They are, 1, Charles 
Lefebvre, Marguerite Brassac, and Paul Jamain ; 2, Duchesse de 
Caylus and Penelope Mayo : 8, Eugenie Yerdier and Marie Finger ; 
4, Marshal Vaillant and Avocat Duvivier ; 5, Marie Rady and 
Comtesse de Choiseul ; 6, Maurice Bernardin, Exposition de Brie, 
Ferdinand de Lesseps, and Sir Garnet Wolseley (does this Rose 
change its name with the victorious soldier ?) ; 7, Mons. Boncenne 
and Baron Bonstetten ; and lastly, 8, Prince Camille de Rohan 
and La Rosi^re. 
Thus far for the Hybrid Perpetuals. Among the Teas we have 
1, Adam and President; 2, Chromatella and Cloth of Gold ; 3, De- 
voniensis and Climbing Devoniensis; and lastly, 4, Madame 
Bravy, Alba Rosea, Josephine Malton, and Madame de Sertot, 
All these Roses coming under the ban of “ too much alike,” only 
one of the varieties with the brackets can be exhibited in a stand, 
whether the stand be for six or seventy-two varieties. 
But there is another point on which the catalogue is not very 
clear, and through your columns I suggest the difficulty to the 
good friend to whom in Roses we are all so much indebted—the 
valued Hon. Sec. of the National Rose Society, the Rev. H. H. 
D'Ombrain. These Roses being considered “ too much alike ” to 
be distinct varieties, it seems to me that the converse holds good, 
and that they are sufficiently alike in, for instance, stands of 
trebles to be exhibited in the same treble, or in the same stand 
of Roses, say six or twelve blooms of one variety. Now I should 
like to ask our good friend to settle this point before Rose-exhi¬ 
biting commences. It may save a heartache or two. 
There is just one other point. I would remind all intending 
exhibitors that all the Hybrid Teas are excluded from the Tea 
and Noisette classes by the same catalogue.—Y. B. A. Z. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Mushrooms for the Million. By J. Wright. London: 11 Journal of 
Horticulture ” Office. 
In our note last week announcing the publication of this 
treatise we intimated the criticism might appropriately be left 
to others. The manual has been read by many, and we are 
inundated with letters. We can only print the shorter and give 
extracts from some of the remainder. 
The treatise on Mushroom growing, from the pen of Mr. Wright, 
will be read by all with advantage. It is concise, truthful, and to 
the point—in fact, may be described as a facsimile of the best way of 
growing Mushrooms.—R. Gilbert, Burghley Gardens, Stamford. 
I congratulate the author on the appearance of “ Mushrooms 
for the Million.” It is just the kind of book that was wanted. 
Its perusal will teach many how very simple and easy it is to 
cultivate Mushrooms after all—that no sort of “ mystery ” attends 
their production. Let them but follow the simple and practical 
instructions so clearly given in this excellent treatise, and Mush¬ 
rooms for the million will be a certainty.—A. F. Barron, Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick. 
I consider this treatise on the profitable culture of the Mushroom 
in the open ground to be by far the most exhaustive and practical 
work on Mushroom culture that has yet appeared. What Mr. Barron 
has done for the Vine Mr. Wright has done for the Mushroom, and it 
is scarcely conceivable that anyone who follows the stated details 
should fail to cultivate Mushrooms well. The treatise has the addi¬ 
tional recommendation of showing not only how Mushrooms can be 
produced in great quantities, but also shows clearly the cost and 
profits of producing them.—D. Thomson, Drumlanrig. 
A model treatise full of instruction, and which is given in such a 
simple, practical form, that with its aid the inexperienced in Mush¬ 
room culture ought to have little or no difficulty in growing highly 
profitable crops. Heated houses are generally thought requisite for 
Mushroom culture, yet much better crops of superior Mushrooms, as 
shown by this book, are to be had in the open air. Some of the facts 
given concerning the profits of Mushroom culture on a large scale 
are startling, but Mr. Wright had his information from a reliable 
source, and lie never exaggerates.—W. Iggulden, Marston Gardens, 
Frome. _ 
In this treatise much of the uncertainty attached<|o the production 
of Mushrooms is made clear, both as to what is to be avoided and 
what is really necessary to be done to secure a crop full and good 
outdoors and indoors, and I can vouch for the soundness of the work 
by many years’ practice of most of the details. The essay contains 
much that is new'—indeed, everything that is worth knowing as 
regards growing Mushrooms, being far the best treatise on the 
subject extant.—G. Abbey, Paxton Park , St. Neots. 
This treatise on Mushroom culture is excellent, inasmuch as it 
embodies the experience of the most successful cultivators, and the 
modus operandi is given so plainly and concisely that any intelligent 
reader having the necessary material and space can scarcely fail in 
having an abundance of Mushrooms. After the treatise gets into 
the hands of the million, as it is sure to do, the result will justify 
its name.—H. Ward, Longford Castle, Salisbury. 
Thoroughly practical from beginning to end, calm, earnest, 
forcible, and so clear that a beginner in Mushroom culture can hardly 
