470 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 27, 189 
-The William Holmes’ Memorial Fund.—Special Floral 
Fete and Benefit. —The Directors of the Royal Aquarium, West¬ 
minster, in consideration of the late Mr. William Holmes’ long 
connection with that Institution as Hon. Secretary of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, and as Manager of the flower shows, have 
generously offered to give a benefit performance in aid of the Holmes’ 
Memorial Fund throughout the day of Wednesday, the 17th of Decem¬ 
ber next. In order to render the occasion as attractive as possible, and 
with a view to augmenting the Fund, it has been arranged that a Floral 
Fete and Bazaar shall be held in the building on the same day. The 
Committee will be grateful for a few flowers to furnish the stalls, and 
though flowers are scarce at this time of year it is essential to the 
success of the Fund that it be proceeded with at once, and an earnest 
appeal is made for assistance in so laudable an object. Flowers may be 
made into sprays or buttonholes, or packed separately, and should reach 
the Royal Aquarium before 11 A.M., on the 17th of December, addressed 
to Mr. Lewis Castle. Fruit or miniature plants will also be acceptable, as 
the entire proceeds of the Bazaar will be devoted to the Fund. Tickets of 
admission are issued at Is. each, and as those sold will afford a sub¬ 
stantial addition to the Fund, it is especially desired that application be 
made at once to the Hon. Secretary— Mr. Lewis Castle, Hotham 
House, Merton , Surrey. 
- Lettuces. — I am rather interested in Lettuces, having to keep 
a continuous supply, and necessarily try new varieties when they appear 
worthy. A variety named Blond Blockhead is recommended on page 397. 
I have looked into Vilmorin’s list for the current year, and fail to find 
any such name, as indeed I hardly expected. Is it the Blonde Geante ? 
From the description it would appear as if it were. Perhaps the writer 
of the note referred to will kindly say. If so, the added synonym of 
Blond Neapolitan would carry its own recommendation, as there is 
perhaps no better summer Cabbage Lettuce than the old Neapolitan. I 
may add that very few varieties have escaped a trial at my hands, and 
though there are some large varieties I do not think there is a more 
useful than Hicks’ Hardy for using from early summer until the next 
spring, and for bridging any space betwixt these periods Tom Thumb is 
better than anything I have ever had through my hands. 
A Good Winter Turnip. —Three years ago I had for trial a 
Irench Turnip for the winter season, and have found it so tender and 
good that I name it for those who may not have seen it. It is catalogued 
by A ilmorin as Des Yertus, and is more like an overgrown White Radish 
than a Turnip.—B. 
- “The Horticultural Directory” for 1891.—This work 
is now ready, and is the largest and most comprehensive issue that has 
yet appeared. Besides the complete register of the addresses of all 
the most important establishments and persons connected with horti¬ 
culture in the L r nited Kingdom and on the Continent, it contains useful 
information on Ground Work : A Table of the Cost of Land Draining 
per Acre, Average Cost of Digging Drains, Excavating and Removing 
Soil, Table Showing the Number of Cubic Yards of Earth in each Rod. 
Planting and Sowing.—Tables for Planters. Certificates Awarded by 
the Royal Horticultural Society from November, 1889, to October, 1890 ; 
and a copious list of garden receipts on a great variety of subjects. 
Though the work is much enlarged the price remains the same as 
before, Is., post free Is. 2d., from the office, 171, Fleet Street, 
London, E.C. 
Transplanting Shrubs. —Reverting to this subject again it 
is to press the fact that properly prepared plants may be removed with 
comparative ease and speed, and with certainty of success. Wherever 
valuable shrubs, trees, or coniferous subjects are running a risk of 
spoiling through overcrowding, all that is necessary is to cut back the 
roots in a thorough manner. If twenty or thirty years of age it may be 
wise to cut one-half the roots one year, and go round the entire circle 
the next, removing either the following autumn, or even spring or 
summer. Where it is necessary to protect the ball thin boards of beech 
laced to the side of it is preferable to any other method, but as a 
rule no such means of securing the soil is necessary. I have looked 
round a number of large and old specimens removed twelve months ago, 
and it would have been impossible for a stranger to have pointed out 
the lifted specimens from those that were not interfered with. Possibly 
the best period for transplanting is in showery weather during summer. 
The shrubs go on as steadily as Pelargoniums planted out of pots.—B. 
- Mr. Joseph Mallender sends his usual summary of 
Meteorological Observations at Hodsocic Priory, Worksop, 
Notts, in October ; 50 feet above mean sea level. Mean tempeflatuffe 
of month, 49'8°. Maximum on the 12th, 70 5° ; minimum on the 28th, 
22 , 9°. Maximum in sun on the 3rd, 118-0° ; minimum on the grass on the 
28th, 14 3°. Mean temperature of the air at 9 a.m., 50 4° ; mean tem¬ 
perature of the soil 1 foot deep, 50 6°. Nights below 32°, in shade two, on 
grass fourteen. Total duration of sunshine 115-5 hours, or 36 per cent, 
of possible duration. We had six sunless days. Total rainfall, 
1*01 inch. Rain fell on e’even days. Average velocity of wind, 9 6 
miles per hour ; velocity exceeded 400 miles on four days ; velocity fell 
short of 100 miles on five days. Approximate averages for October : 
Mean temperature, 48 2°; sunshine eighty-three hours; rainfall, 
2 - 84 inches. A very fine mild and dry month ; more sunshine than in 
any of the previous nine years. A shower of snow fell on the 26th, and 
the frost on the 28th was nearly the sharpest we have ever had in 
October. 
Cattleya Lindeni. 
Under the above name M. Linden of Brussels exhibited a 
beautiful Cattleya at the Royal Horticultural Society’s meeting 
on October 28th last, when the Orchid Committee accorded it a 
well-deserved recognition. It is one of the C aurea type, but 
appears to have resulted from a natural cross with some other 
Cattleya, perhaps C. gigas, this view being also that adopted by 
Mr. R. A. Rolfe of Kew. In a letter now before me he says :— 
“ I feel doubtful if it is a variety of C. Dowiana aurea. or a hybrid 
with C. gigas, in which the former preponderates, and rather 
incline to the latter view. I wish all hybridisers would cross the 
two both ways ; it would surely pay them to solve the parentage 
of Hardyana, Manaiana, and this one, for I suspect hybridism is 
behind these forms.” 
Whatever be its origin there can be no doubt respecting the 
attractions of the flowers on the plant as shown, the colouring being 
both rich and delicate in the extreme. The sepals are pale mauve 
nearly white, the petals suffused with soft rose and veined with 
white, while the lip possesses an evenly fringed intensely rich 
magenta apical half margined with clear bright gold, and veined 
with the same tint in the throat on a crimson base. The flower is 
of moderate size, but light and graceful contour, and probably as the 
plants become stronger the flowers will increase in size. I under¬ 
stand that it was imported early in the present year, and it will 
certainly take a place amongst the best forms of the group to 
which it belongs.—L. Castle. 
Imported Orchids. 
( Continued from ])age 443. ) 
Dendrobium. —The value of Dendrobiums is well known, and 
they may be classed amongst the most useful Orchids. The species 
vary greatly, some producing pseudo-bulbs only an inch or two long, 
whilst others attain the length of G or 7 feet. It is difficult to state 
any strict rule for Dendrobes, there being several sections, seme of 
which grow better on blocks, others in baskets, and some in pots or 
pans. The same rule applies to Epidendrums as to Dendrobes. 
E. erectum grows to a height of 8 or 9 feet, and slender, and some 
only attain the height of so many inches. 
L.elia.— Some species of Laelia are very showy and extremely 
fragrant. With regard to imported Laelias they may be placed on 
blocks, in baskets, or potted at once ; the condition in which they 
have arrived will be the best guide. If the growths are advanced 
they will require every encouragement ; if, on the other hand, they 
are dormant it will be most advisable to keep them quiet till they 
start. 
Lycaste. —The genus Lycaste includes two or three species 
that are well worth cultivating, L. Skinneri being the most gene¬ 
rally useful. They will, nevertheless, require much about the same 
treatment, and may be potted as soon as received in a light compost, 
all succeeding best in pots or pans and placed in a cool stove 
requiring little w r ater till growth has commenced. 
Masdevallia. —Nearly all the species of Masdevallia are great 
favourites with Orchid fanciers. Some of the most showy kinds 
such as M. amabilis, M. Harryana, M. ignea, M. Lindeni, M. tova- 
rensis, and M. Yeitchiana are extremely useful. They are rather 
difficult to import owing to the fact that they are found at high 
elevations, where it is naturally cool and moist; the great difficulty 
