June 15, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
478 
hot the weather may be, the house or pit ought to be closed early 
enough to allow the moisture to become evaporated, and a little 
fire heat at night is beneficial. The top ventilators can then be 
left open a very little throughout the night, which creates a 
buoyant atmosphere, and favours the production of short-jointed 
growths and rich leathery leaves. 
Another frequent cause of cinker is the lodgement of moisture 
upon freshly made wounds. Should the main stem become bruised 
in any way the outer tissues decay, and the natural protection of the 
softer portions of the stem are thus destroyed, condensed moisture, 
or that applied with a syringe, sooner or later reaches the bruised 
parts, and quickly makes short work of the plants unless remedies 
are applied. Wounds made by the removal of superfluous leaves 
or shoots often bring about the same results. This is especially the 
case when these wounds are shaded by other parts of the plant. I 
have frequently noticed that canker seldoms attacks a shoot which 
has throughout been well exposed to light and air, as the wounds 
made in thinning or stopping the shoots heal quickly ; such growths 
are firm and wiry. 
The best way to prevent canker is to secure short-jointed healthy 
growths by training them thinly, and maintaining the proper 
temperature, moisture, and ventilation, according to directions 
given in previous issues. Keep some newly slaked lime and soot 
in equal proportions always in readiness, and when shoots are 
stopped or leaves removed place a little of the mixture upon the 
wound made. Continue the application until the wound is dried, 
and pursue the same course when necessary. When traces of 
canker are discovered shade the plants. If the affected part is near 
the collar scrape it carefully with a sharp knife, and dress with a 
mixture of equal parts newly slaked lime and powdered charcoal. 
Rub this into every particle of the diseased stem, then heap some 
of the sound materials around it, and repeat the operation twice 
daily until the tissues are thoroughly dry. Sometimes a stem will 
split right through and begin to canker on either side ; but there is 
no occasion for despair even then, for by carrying out the above 
instructions the wounds will generally heal sufficiently to enable 
the fruits to be brought to maturity. Ventilation and fire heat 
should be gradually increased, and atmospheric moisture lessened 
when canker is perceived, water at the roots being also sparingly 
applied. 
Gumming sometimes gives considerable trouble, but this disease 
is not nearly so common as canker. It is generally caused by 
growing the plants too strongly, giving too little heat, and too 
much moisture at the roots. Lessening the supply of water and 
airing more freely, yet judiciously, will usually arrest its progress. 
Plants grown on a manure bed or in a pit are the most subject to 
gumming. 
Red spider frequently proves troublesome. With good culture, 
however, this pest may easily be kept under till the fruits begin to 
ripen ; there is then scarcely time for much harm to be done. 
The best preventive is syringing two or three times weekly with 
clarified soot water. If these insects gain a footing every leaf 
affected should be carefully sponged with a weak solution of soft- 
soap and water. The hot-water pipes may also be painted with 
sulphur, but this should only be done in the case of a severe 
attack. Some cultivators recommend syringing with soapy water, 
in which a little sulphur has been mixed ; this I have tried, but 
found the leaves were badly disfigured if the solution was used at a 
sufficient strength to kill the red spider. 
Green and black fly may easily be kept under by fumigating on 
two successive evenings with McDougall’s tobacco sheets when 
these insects are visible. Lethorion cones answer the purpose 
equally well. 
Almost every cultivator has an especial liking for some particular 
variety. To my mind there is no better Melon grown than Hero 
of Lockinge. Buttons’ Imperial Green and Windsor Castle are 
also excellent representatives of the green and white-flesh kinds. 
Blenheim Orange, Buttons’ Al, and Hero of Bath are a trio of 
splendid scarlet-flesh varieties. For growing in pits I know of 
none better than Golden Perfection, Hero of Lockinge, and 
Victory of Bristol.— Labor Omnia Vincit. 
L^LIA IIYBRIDA MaYNARDI. 
At the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Bociety a silver- 
gilt medal was awarded for the best seedling Orchid not exhibited 
previous to January, 1893. This, as announced in our last issue, 
was won by Messrs. F. Bander & Co., Bt. Albans, who staged a 
beautiful bigeneric hybrid named L%lia hybrida Maynardi. This 
is the result of a cross between Lselia pumila Dayana and Cattleya 
dolosa, the former being the seed parent. A specimen of this 
hybrid was shown at a previous meeting in February, when the 
Orchid Committee adjudged an award of merit for it. The flowers 
FIG. 85. —L^LIA HYBRIDA MAYNARDI, 
are very attractive. The sepals and petals are rosy purple with 
darker veins, and the lip is a dark purplish crimson. Fig. 85 
represents the flower of this charming hybrid. 
Anguloas. 
These plants, when well grown, are very striking in appear¬ 
ance, and the structure of the flowers is remarkable. The different 
species do not vary much in shape, being like Tulips, The lip 
is balanced on a kind of hinge, which rocks to and fro when 
the flower is moved, hence the English name “ Cradle Orchids.” 
All the Anguloas require cool treatment, with plenty of water 
while growing ; but after the leaves have fallen they must be kept 
drier, but not sufficiently so to cause them to shrivel. They should 
be repotted in early spring in peat moss and a little fibry loam ; 
the pots must be well drained, and the plants kept well up. 
A. Clowesi has large yellow flowers. A. eburnea and A, uniflora 
are white, the latter sometimes spotted with brown. A. Ruckeri 
has purple spots on a yellow ground, the variety sanguinea being 
blood red inside, reverse yellow, and is very beautiful. 
Oncidium concolor. 
This is a charming little species, and one of the most attrac¬ 
tive of cool house Orchids, The pseudo-bulbs are about 1^ inch 
high, furrowed, and bearing two leaves about 7 or 8 inches 
long. The graceful pendant racemes appear in early spring, and 
are each about a foot in length. The flowers are bright yellow 
and last a long time in perfection, 
Oncidium plexuosum. 
This is, to a certain extent, a neglected Orchid, not in the 
number of plants that are grown, but iii the treatment they 
frequently receive. Many growers keep it in the cool house, and 
here it grows fairly well, but it will do much better in an 
intermediate temperature provided there is a good circulation of 
air and plenty of atmospheric moisture. Here the plants seem to 
thoroughly enjoy life, the large bulbs and vigorous flower spikes 
being ample evidence of this. 
Plenty of sphagnum moss should be used in the compost for 
this Orchid, and it must be kept growing to form a green cushion 
under the new pseudo-bulbs, the young white roots revelling in the 
moist moss. 
The uses of this Orchid are many and varied. Small, well 
flowered plants are excellent for grouping, the spikes when cut are 
serviceable for the tops of epergnes, smaller pieces “ making up ” 
