April 27, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
381 
all beds should be kept free from weeds, but the hoe must on no 
account be utilised to perform the work until growth has become 
well advanced, otherwise many promising young shoots beneath 
the soil will be destroyed. Extra strong shoots need supporting 
with stakes to prevent injury by wind, for the chief aim of the 
cultivator should be to promote vigorous, healthy growths, and 
preserve them intact till natural decay takes place. He may then 
look conhdently forward to reap a good harvest of tender young 
shoots the following spring. 
It is not often that growers in this country adopt the 
practice of earthing up the shoots as soon as they are visible, 
though they undoubtedly would do if appearance were the only 
consideration, because by that method long, straight, white stems 
with short green tips, are produced. These look extremely inviting 
in the shop windows, but unfortunately only the green part is 
eatable, but by allowing the heads to grow 3 or 4 inches above the 
soil, and then cutting the stems at about the same distance beneath, 
we secure a maximum amount of delicious food, with a minimum 
length of useless stem. Cutting ought to cease about the end of 
June each year.—G. W. 
DECIDUOUS MAGNOLIAS. 
Although I fully appreciate the great beauty of these fine shruts 
when grown as bushes on the lines indicated by “ E. M.” (page 315), I must 
also add that the method of culture there given is not well suited to plants 
growing in the midlands and the north as to those in the sunny south. 
When living in a Kentish garden I often admired several fine plants 
of M. conspicua. The flowers generally escaped injury from frost 
growing in a mixed shrubbery. I find, however, that the case is quite 
different at Warwick, for during the last two seasons flowers of this 
variety have been totally destroyed by frost where left unprotected, 
although the trees are trained against a very high thick wall, and those 
branches which protruded the farthest from it suffered the most. I 
think, therefore, it is much more satisfactory to keep the shoots trained 
in close enough to receive the full benefit of the protection afforded by 
the wall than to let them ramble more freely or grow them in shrub¬ 
beries, and have the flowers destroyed year after year. The plants here 
are trained to grey sandstone walls, which form a far better background 
for the flowers than “ dull red bricks,” though the latter is scarcely 
a serious objection, for so profuse is the flowering of this Magnolia that 
scarcely any of the background is visible. 
The only variety I find suitable for bush culture in this district is 
Stellata, which is a very compact grower, and produces comparatively 
small but extremely pretty white flowers ; these open fully three weeks 
later than those of conspicua, and on that account generally escaped 
injury from frost. M. purpurea Lenneana is a very desirable variety to 
grow, as it bears very large flowers, from 6 to 8 inches across, the colour 
of the petals being crimson, purple on the outside, and pale pink inside. 
It flowers a fortnight later than conspicua, and is in every respect a 
grand variety.— H. Dunkin, 
APRIL FLOWERING SHRUBS. 
I DO not think in gardens generally sufficient use is made of the 
wealth of flowering trees and shrubs available during the spring months. 
The rage appears to favour evergreens too much in planting new and 
renovating old gardens. These are all very well during the winter 
months, but there is still no reason why a more extended use of the 
flowering trees and shrubs cannot be made. 
The majority of these plants are not fastidious in the matter of soil, 
many will flourish in that of the poorest character. The main point to 
observe to attain success is a rational mode of planting them and pruning 
afterwards. Those of the deciduous order should have what pruning 
they require done directly the flowering season is past, whereas many 
persons put this off until the winter or even the spring months, and of 
course cut away a whole host of flower buds. For instance, who with 
even an average knowledge of the requirements of hardy shrubs would 
think of pruning Guelder Roses or even Lilacs during March? Yet 
we hear of this being done in the usual spring digging of the shrub¬ 
beries. The main object in pruning flowering trees and shrubs is 
to preserve some uniformity in shape and to prevent each rambling 
beyond a prescribed limit, and at the same time to have the growth in 
such a state of maturity that the fullest amount of flower is obtained 
from each that is possible. 
I have jotted down a list of shrubs that are now in flower here, and 
this is but a small garden in the extent of shrub accommodation. 
This list will serve to show what can be done towards beautifying 
the outside garden during the month of April. Kerria japonica fl. pi, 
Ghent Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Berberis Darwinii, B. dulcis, B. vulgaris, 
B. aquifolium. Purple Barberry (B. purpurea), Choisya ternata. Magnolia 
purpurea, M. Soulangeana, Spirma prunifolia fl. pi., Akebia quinata, 
Forsythia viridissima. Exochorda grandiiiora, Amelanchier florida, 
Amygdalus communis, A. persica fl. pi, Pyrus japonica, P. prunifolia 
(Siberian Crab), P. malus baccata, P. m. floribunda, P. spectabilis rosea, 
Cercis siliquastrum (Judas Tree), double flowering Cherry, Lilac vul¬ 
garis, Charles X., Persian, Lonicera tatarica. Erica codonodes, Vaccinium, 
Yellow Spanish Broom, Laurustinua, Deutzia gracilis, Ribes sanguinea. 
Clematis montana, and Wistaria sinensis.—E. Molyneux. Swanmore. 
ANGRiECUM SaNDERIANDM AND A. CITR.ITUM. 
Of the smaller-flowered section of Angraecums the above species 
should, I think, be found in every collection. When well flowered 
they are charming, and are much admired. With proper culture 
they will flower annually. Both may be grown in small teak 
baskets in fresh sphagnum, some lumps of charcoal, and a little 
peat fibre, and suspended close to the roof. They enjoy a hot 
moist atmosphere all the year round. During the growing period 
they require liberal supplies of water, but greatly reduced during 
the winter months, and they should be shaded from very bright 
sunshine. 
A. Sanderianum has pure white flowers, with a spur 3 inches 
long, exhaling a powerful fragrance, the peculiarity of which I have 
often noticed that in the evening twilight it is the most pronounced. 
A. citratum has creamy white flowers, with a short spur, somewhat 
thickened towards the extremity, regularly set on graceful arching 
scapes, which are admirably adapted for making ladies’ sprays.— 
W. H. S., Stourhridge. 
Calypso borealis. 
Amongst the exhibits before the Orchid Committee of the 
R.H.S. on March 28th was a basket of British and other Orchids 
from H. J. Elwes, Esq., Andoversford, amongst the plants being 
Calypso borealis, for which a botanical certificate was awarded. It 
is not a British plant as some may have thought, nor is it new, 
having been introduced from North America as far back as 1820. 
It is extremely distinct and attractive, having a profusion of 
brownish red flowers, and growing barely 6 inches high. It is a 
terrestrial Orchid, and does best in sandy loam and peat. Doubt- 
FIG. 62.—CALYPSO BOREALIS. 
less it could be established in a suitable medium within the shelter 
of a wall, but it is best grown in a pot and kept in an unheated 
frame or pit. Fig. 62 represents it. 
PlIAJUS X Gravesii. 
This new hybrid, says a correspondent m the “ Garden and 
Forest,” is the result of cross between Phajus Wallichi and 
P. grandifolius. The seed was sown July 6th, 1889, came up 
December 1st, 1890, and bloomed February 12th, 1893. The 
general habit of growth and shape of spike and flower is that 
of the seed parent ; the flower is 5 inches across ; sepals and petaL 
