June 18, 1891. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
493 
and the third two weeks later. If an ordinary season three 
sprayings will be sufficient, but if raining it will be necessary 
to make one or two more. In applying the solution it is of the 
highest importance that the leaves and fruit be thoroughly covered, 
and this is only possible by using a good strong force pump, pro¬ 
vided with a suitable spraying nozzle. Such a machine need not 
cost over 12 or 15 dols. (50s. to 62s. Gd.), and where one has a 
larger orchard this amount will be easily saved in a short time. 
“ The carbonate of copper is sold at retail for 40 cents, to 
75 cents. (Is. 8d. to 3s. l|-d.) a pound. It can be made at home, 
however, much cheaper, the usual method of preparing it being as 
follows :— 
“ Dissolve 3 lbs. of sulphate of copper or bluestone in 5 or 
G gallons of hot water. In another vessel dissolve 3 2 lbs. of sal (ball) 
soda in 6 gallons of hot water. When cool pour the soda solution 
into the copper liquid, stirring constantly the while. Allow the 
solution to stand twenty-four hours, then siphon or pour off the 
clear liquid, taking care not to disturb the sediment any more than 
is necessary. After the clear liquid has been removed add water, 
and stir up the sediment. Let the liquid stand another day, then 
draw off the clear liquid again. The sediment, which is carbonate 
of copper, may then be dried and used as already described.”— 
G. Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
Orchids on Tree Stems. 
Mr. L. Castle on page 428 draws attention to the charming 
effect produced by Orchids growing on stems of trees, and thinks 
that more of the kind might be seen. Probably he will be 
interested to learn that as far back as 1873 Peter Spence, Esq., 
Whalley Eange, Manchester, had a large lean-to house 40 or 50 feet 
long and about 14 feet wide—I am writing entirely from memory 
as to dimensions, and subject to correction — filled with large 
boughs of Oak I think, and on which were planted hundreds 
of Brazilian Orchids, which his son had himself collected in Brazil 
and shipped home. The thick ends of the boughs were bedded in 
cement on the floor of the house, and the other ends attached to 
the roof. The floor was watertight and the sides slightly raised, so 
that in the growing season there was about an inch of water over 
the floor of the centre bed. A feav Ferns were planted amongst 
the Orchids on the boughs and stumps, and the effect was at once 
weird and^ interesting. Considerable difficulty was experienced in 
keeping the young growths and flowers from being destroyed by 
the usual depredators, the miniature forest of boughs giving them 
such good harbourage. 
In September, 1872, my employer received an importation of 
Orchids from Dr. Ernest of Caracas ; some of these, after being 
cleaned and hung up to the roof of a plant stove during the darkest 
part of the year, I on the 24th of the following January fixed on 
rustic Oak boughs, which I had previously charred and fixed from 
the coping of the bed in the stove up the roof. Amongst other 
Orchids that I fixed on these boughs were some good pieces of the 
miffy growing Cattleya Acklanlice. It was a treat to see these 
plants grow and root and flower ; the position suited them 
perfectly. They were within about 18 inches of the glass, and the 
roots spread in all directions over the charred surface of the 
boughs.— Hugh Dale. 
Jottings. 
A SALE of imported Orchids was rather hurriedly announced to 
take place on Monday last at Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’s rooms 
in Cheapside, a number of plants collected by Mr. J. L. Osmers in 
the Dutch East Indies, having been brought over by himself. They 
included Vandas, Cypripediums, and Grammatophyllums, all believed 
to be new; and Mr. Osmers has had so much experience in 
collecting that his opinion ought to possess some value in this 
matter. One point was very evident — namely, the remarkably 
fine condition of the plants, and this, no doubt, helped the sale 
materially, as the results were very satisfactory. 
The Grammotophyllum was described as “probably new, 
collector saw fifty-eight flowers on one spike. Sepals and petals 
golden yellow with dark purple spots, lip mauve and striped with 
purple.” Dried flowers were shown but not in very good condition, 
though as far as could be judged the characters are quite distinct. 
Some thought it was the same or similar to Grammatophyllum 
Measuresianum, certificated at the Temple Show recently ; but a 
flower of this plant, now at Streatham, was sent for and compared 
with the new one, when it was at once seen that they were per¬ 
fectly distinct, the spots being much smaller and more numerous 
in G. Measuresianum, while the colour is also probably different. 
The imported plants were very strong, great clumps of long, stout 
pseudo-bulbs being likely to make grand specimens. 
The Cypripedium, which was said to have been “ collected in an 
entirely new district,” was described as possessing flowers with 
“ the dorsal sepal white, with broad stripes ; petals 5 inches long, 
of a violet purple and twisted, with eight heavy spots in the upper 
part of the petal ; lip bright yellow.” Opinions differed greatly 
respecting this plant, which in foliage and habit appears to be one 
of the C. insigne section ; one authority, in fact, considers it to be 
C. insigne siamense, another thought it was in the way of 
C. Roebelini, and several other conjectures were ventured, but 
the uncertainty did not affect the sale, and the little mystery about 
it perhaps imported a stimulus to the buyers. 
The third introduction was a Vanda, of which some 400 plants 
were offered, including one fine specimen with five stems, clothed 
with leaves to the base, which was sold for 22 guineas. The 
collector described it as “ veiy free flowering, the flowers being 
sweet scented, in long racemes, sepals and petals yellow with 
purplish spots, lip also yellow, the upper portion of the throat 
having fine violet purple stripes ; twenty-eight flowers counted on 
one raceme.” The leaves are narrow, somewhat short, and the 
plants are comparatively dwarf. It is suggestive of Vanda limbata, 
and several think that it may be a variety of that species, which is 
a Javan plant, described by Blume in the Rumphia in 1848. 
Vanda limbata has long been a rare plant, though it was introduced 
to England from Paris by the late Mr. B. S. Williams, and from 
those which subsequently flowered specimens were figured in 
“ Select Orchidaceous Plants ” and the “ Botanical Magazine.” 
Even if the imported plant should prove to be a distinct species it 
will probably be found to be a near I’elative of V. limbata. 
An interesting sale will be held in the same rooms on Friday 
next, June 19th, when an excellent importation of Cattleya 
Bowringiana will be offered, together with Dendrobium hybridum 
Venus, recently figured in this Journal, the handsome Phaius 
Cooksoni, the pretty hybrid Dendrobium Cassiope, Vanda Sander- 
iana, Odontoglossum hastilabium, with several Cattleyas and other 
plants of special interest.—L. Castle. 
NOTES ON RHUBARB. 
Some persons consider Rhubarb as something only a little less 
than poisonous because of the oxalic acid it contains; others con¬ 
sider it wholesome, if not nutritious. It is certainly agreeable to 
a vast number of consumers, and is probably on the whole, and as 
prepared for use much more beneficial than injuiious. Professor 
Church says “ The food value of this vegetable is very small, and 
it is esteemed mainly for its pleasant flavour, which is due to a 
trace of some volatile matter too small to be identified, along with 
a little Grape sugar and the acidulous compound acid oxalate of 
potash.” This is embodied in the term oxalic acid, of which a 
“ sample of fresh stalks yielded on analysis O’3 in 100 parts, and 
2’1 of sugar (glucone) and gum. It contained 95 per cent, of 
water.” Different varieties vary, no doubt, in the relative pro¬ 
portions of those and one or two other minor constituents, one 
variety not in general cultivation requiring only a small quantity 
of sugar to make it not only palatable but enjoyable. 
Rhubarb, judging by the great demand for it, may fairly be 
regarded as a distinctly useful vegetable, and meets a public want 
between the Apple and Goosberry seasons. Hundreds of tons are 
forced yearly both with fermenting material and fire heat, the latter 
method of production having developed into a great industry in the 
neighbourhood of Leeds. In 1888 a Suffolk vicar thought he had 
discovered a Rhubarb that, to speak paradoxically, could be forced 
by cold—at least he has emphasised his statement in italics that 
cold suits it, mid the severer the vdnter the earlier the Ehtibarh.” 
He has found out his mistake of course, for he did not gather stalks 
for use this year till the 5th of March ; but in 1888 he gathered on 
Valentine’s Day. .The late prolonged and severe winter, therefore, 
instead of sustaining the new and peculiar theory retarded the 
growth for about three weeks. In one sense cold does affect and 
appears to promote the growth of Rhubarb, for experience proves 
that to obtain the best crops at the earliest date it is a good plan to 
dig up the roots and leave them exposed till a brisk frost occurs 
and puts them, if only for a short time, completely to rest. That is 
the system pursued where Rhubarb is forced on a very large scale 
by fire heat for markets, and in a few gardens on a small scale for 
