July 7, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
5 
the flowers ; then there is the dwarf rose-colourel Henderson- 
ianum from Borneo ; and the more robust ampullaceum from the 
tropical Himalaya ; and the scarlet curvifolium from the same 
region, decidedly the most effective scarlet Indian Orchid, almost 
rivalling in its showy colour the Mexican Epidendrum vitellinum, 
the Columbian Ada, and the Brazilian Lielia harpophylla. All 
these Saccolabiums take up but little room, but there are 
associated with them the more bulky giganteum from Burmah and 
violaceum from the Philippines, both very handsome, but which 
might with equal right be included in Vanda. 
The name Vanda is thoroughly Oriental, and is an eminently 
suitable one for an Oriental genus. In a horticultural sense it is 
applied to a considerable number of Indian Orchids which differ so 
much in habit and aspect among themselves that the restriction of 
the name to a more natural group has become inevitable. In the 
restricted sense in which Vanda is even now used the species are 
remarkable for the range of colour observable in the flowers. In 
some species, as Sanderiana and cmrulea, they are of extraordinary 
attractiveness, in others of so homely a hue that the absence of 
these from Orchid collections generally is not to be regretted. The 
stately tricolor of Java and its varieties still hold their own in the 
estimation of amateurs ; and among the dwarfer kinds, ccerulescens, 
cristata, Denisoniana, and especially the latest addition to the 
genus, Amesiana and Kimballiana, are justly prized. 
The successful cultivation of cserulea is, it must be confessed, 
scarcely an accomplished fact in the full sense of the word, and 
were it not that this lovely Orchid is plentiful on its native hills 
England would long since have been its grave. But why ? 
Because the climatic conditions under which it grows in a wild 
state are simply unapproachable under the artificial arrangements 
of a glass house in this country. In the first place, it grows at an 
altitude of 3000 to 5000 feet, where it is not unusual for 8° to 10° 
of frost to occur in January, while at the opposite season the 
temperature rises from 80° to 100° F. Secondly, the hilly district, 
in which Vanda caerulea attains its greatest development, is sub¬ 
jected to one of the heaviest rainfalls in the world, and during the 
short dry season the plants are fully exposed to the direct rays of 
a tropical sun. The discovery of a sure method of cultivating this 
charming Orchid would indeed be a triumph of horticultural skill. 
Notwithstanding the length of my review, the great genus 
Cypripedium should not be passed unmentioned, but both the 
Indian and South American species, and especially the well nigh 
innumerable hybrids derived from them, are so popular that they 
cannot be said to come within the scope of the present paper, the 
object of which is chiefly to bring under notice many fine Indian 
Orchids that appear for the time to be receding in public 
favour, and if anything I have here adduced may tend in the 
slightest degree to arrest the retrocession my pains will be amply 
rewarded.—V. 
EARLY PEAS. 
In answer to Messrs. Witt and Foster in the Journal of Horticulture, 
June 9th and June 16th, I would advise them to try Veitch’s Selected 
Extra Early Pea for first gathering. It is the earliest variety with 
which I am acquainted. We sowed in potson January 25th, planted out 
the first week in March, and commenced gathering on May 19th. The 
same treatment was accorded to Chelsea Gem, which was ready for 
gathering on May 26th. This dwarf Pea is a decided advance on 
American Wonder. Exonian was sown in the open ground on 
February 10th, and we commenced gathering it on June 4th. It is of 
first-class quality, an excellent cropper, and is destined to become a 
popular variety when its merits are better known.—T. S., The Gardens, 
Goodrich Court, Ross, 
Dwarf Peas. 
When looking over numerous allotments recently in Surrey I was 
specially pleased to see just then in fine cropping condition a quantity 
of both Chelsea Gem and American Wonder Peas. These were un¬ 
doubtedly the earliest Peas on scores of plots, and had not in any way 
suffered from drought, whilst taller early Peas had done so materially. 
I could not but regard these early Peas as most valuable for the allot¬ 
ment holder for various reasons. First, at trifling cost they gave him 
very early gatherings whilst Peas were yet dear and scarce. Second, 
they did not materially distress the soil; and third, they were so dwarf 
that, sown in rows at 24 inches apart, they left ample room for the 
putting out of Cauliflowers, Cabbages, or other crops between them early 
in June, as the Peas would be cleared right off by the end of the month. 
If the closer sowing of the rows needed more seed than is the case with 
tall Peas at least the cost and labour of staking them was saved, whilst 
the ease with which a successional crop could follow was great gain. 
It is a pity that for the mere sake of securing prizes at flower shows 
these allotment gardeners should be encouraged to grow tall varieties 
for late purposes. Probably Duke of Albany or some other 5 feet Peas 
give the finest pods, but if judges would but show greater regard for 
quality in exhibited Peas, and less for mere size, we should see cottager 
or allotment gardeners encouraged rather to look to such comparatively 
dwarf kinds as Triumph, Stratagem, or Yorkshire Hero, rather than 
to tall exhausting sorts. Naturally to any allotment holder it is of the 
first importance that he should fully utilise his ground for the production 
of winter as well as summer crops, and therefore where summer crops 
such as late Peas, come off late, I have invariably advised the dibbling 
out from the seed beds of all kinds of winter cropping plants into other 
plots where they can make fair growth, for being transplanted later into 
their permanent positions ; very little time is lost in transplanting, and 
gain is eventually realised.—A. D. 
LIVERPOOL NOTES. 
Fruit Prospects. 
I think it must be generally admitted that the Apple and Pear 
crop here is one of the most disastrous ever experienced. On every hand 
“ failure ” is the only word which can adequately sum up the position. 
Blossom was abundant, but was blackened by frosts and cutting winds. 
The following notes may be of interest as representing several places 
where hardy fruit is grown around Liverpool, and it is to be hoped we 
may in return hear from other parts of the country as to the state of the 
fruit crop. 
Court Hey, Broad Green. 
Apples and Pears are a very moderate crop. Cherries are very fair, 
especially Morellos. Of Gooseberries there are scarcely any. Red 
Currants are a very heavy crop, but Black Currants very few. Straw¬ 
berries promise a very good crop. Mr. Elsworthy considers it the worst 
year he has ever had for outside fruit. 
Rainford Hall, St. Helens. 
Pears and Plums are a failure. Of Apples there is just a sprinkling 
on Lord Suffields and Irish Peach. Cherries are a moderate crop. 
Gooseberries are the lightest crop known here for years. Strawberries 
promise to be a fair crop. Mr. Middleton informed me that, taken all 
round, the fruit crop is the thinnest he has had for years, and speaking 
of Pears he said they all showed an abundance of bloom, but there is 
not one carrying a good crop. He attributes it to the unripe wood of 
last season. 
Blacklow House, Roby. 
Here I may, with the exception of Green Chisel, Citron des Carmesi 
Pitmaston Duchess, Winter Nelis, Princess, Beurr6 Diel, a few Marie 
Louise and Jargonelles, write all the Pears as complete failures. The 
Pear weevil has this year done untold damage, many of the fruits at 
present on the trees showing the ill effects of it. Apples are nil, with 
the exception of Warner’s King, Nelson’s Glory, Hawthornden, Lord 
Suffield, Beauty of Kent, Ecklinville Seedling, Stirling Castle, Tower of 
Glamis, and Summer Pearmain. These are all carrying good crops, and 
there are a few Peasgood’s Nonesuch and Ribstons. Gooseberries on old 
trees are a capital crop, and would have been better still had they 
escaped the severe frosts. Red Currants are a heavy crop. Black 
Currants on young trees are good. Strawberries are a good crop. Plums- 
are a failure, with the exception of a local variety, which rarely fails, 
and which is good in many other gardens around here. Raspberries are 
promising remarkably well. _ 
Stigmaphyllon ciliatum. 
This is a beautiful stove climber, either for training on the roof) 
trellis, or pillar. It bears, in addition to the above name, the appro¬ 
priate one of the Golden Vine. It is scarcely ever met with, why I 
cannot say. A good plant trained on a trellis was recently in bloom at 
Ewanville, Huyton, the residence of Joseph Beecliam, Esq. I was so 
interested in it that I thought a short note on it might be welcome, and 
perhaps induce more to cultivate it. Cuttings of fairly well ripened 
wood inserted in a mixture of leaf mould and sandy soil with plenty of 
good sharp sand, and placed in a propagating case having a brisk heat, 
will very soon root. They may afterwards be potted separately, using a. 
compost of peat, fibry loam, some good coarse sand, and broken charcoal. 
If kept in a stove temperature they grow away rapidly, and may be 
used for many purposes. The pleasing shade of green in the leaves, the 
beautiful flowers, resembling Oncidium flexuosum in shape, but with the 
colour of Oncidium concolor, make it quite distinct from ordinary stove 
plants. Messrs. Clibran, Altrincham, grow it in quantity and with 
pleasing results.—R. P. R. 
EDUCATION IN GARDENING. 
Your report on “ Education in Gardening,” page 450, reminds, me 
of past days, and in looking at the marks awarded at the examinations 
I do not consider them particularly high. But the reason of this may 
be in the questions asked, or in too severe a test on the candidates. It 
was my fortune, in 1868, to attend one of the Society’s examinations at 
Kensington, and in the floricultural subject I was fortunate to get 
1160 marks out of a possible 1200. In the fruit and vegetable subject I 
also obtained a first (I forget the number of marks), but rvould have 
scored higher had it not been, as I thought, two “catches,” two questions 
that were of such a description. The candidates, I think, should be 
examined on questions that are well considered, so as to be a fair test of 
knowledge. Examinations of gardeners are quite to be commended if 
only for the qualifications for its own sake. As for getting a position 
through them that is quite a matter of chance, as the posts in gardening 
