88 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 1,1894. 
Cattleya house, where a temperature of 50° at night during winter 
seems to suit it, and prevents the tendency to premature growth, 
which is apparently a habit of this species when cultivated. 
The Orchid Weevil. 
Writing in an American contemporary a correspondent refers 
to the danger to cultivators of introducing that dread pest the 
Orchid weevil, which has left unmistakeable evidence of its ravages 
on most of his plants of Dendrobium Phalsenopsis as they were 
imported. He had not found any of the insects since the plants 
came six months ago ; but the other day there were two plants 
whose bulbs were discoloured and felt soft to the touch. A dis¬ 
section disclosed several of the grubs in each bulb. While there is, 
perhaps, no reason for alarm when one is forearmed, it would be 
disastrous if, through oversight, this pest should gain a footing in 
the Orchid houses throughout the country. There is no known 
remedy except to cut off the affected bulbs and burn them. This 
is harsh treatment, but it must be rigorously followed up if we 
would keep our plants in health. It is easier to detect the insect 
in the pseudo-bulbs of a Dendrobium than in those of a Cattleya, 
as they are slender, and a cavity is more evident to the touch, 
hence we need have no fear of being able to control these invaders 
in the case of this Dendrobium. 
The Weather in London. —During the past week the weather 
in the metropolis has been of a variable character. Sunday was fine, 
but very windy and rather cold. Monday also proved fine, although 
it rained in the evening. Tuesday likewise was fair ; but Wednesday 
opened wet, and at the time of going to press it is still raining. 
-Weather in the North. —Frost, thaw, wind, rain, snow, sleet, 
have made the past eight days almost as unpleasant as they could well 
be. Perhaps Saturday and Sunday were the most disagreeable, especially 
the former part of Sunday, when blinding sleety showers were driven 
by a high southerly wind. The afternoon, on the other hand, was 
pleasant. Monday morning was seasonable with 3“ frost, but the even¬ 
ing and night were tempestuous. Tuesday morning was somewhat 
calmer, but recurring showers of rain and sleet continued, and the wind 
was bitterly cold.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- Royal National Tulip Society. — A special meeting of 
this Society will be held at the Old Bull’s Head Inn, Market Place, 
Manchester, on Saturday, the 3rd February, at three o’clock, for the 
following purposes :—let. To elect a President of the Society, Vice- 
Presidents, and other officers. 2nd, To consider and decide what shall 
be done about the next Exhibition, the Manchester Botanical Society 
having given notice that their annual donation will be in future with¬ 
held. 3rd, To consider, and if thought desirable, sanction a proposal 
for the establishment of a southern branch of the Society. Mr. 
James W. Bentley, the Honorary Secretary, hopes, as the meeting is a 
very important one, that there will be a good attendance. 
- Belvoir Castle Gardens.—O nly a gardener of great capacity 
and varied attainments would be competent to succeed the late Mr. 
Ingram at Belvoir. Mr. W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall, who has been 
appointed to the important charge, is a thorough gardener, his know¬ 
ledge of hardy flowers and shrubs, obtained at Weirton and Linton, 
being as great as that on fruits and vegetables, and therefore he is the 
right man for Belvoir, Mr. George Drabble, principal foreman in the 
Burghley gardens, has been engaged to succeed Mr. Divers at Ketton 
Hall. 
- Early Field Mushrooms.— A correspondent of an Edinburgh 
evening paper writes :—“ A basketful of Mushrooms (Agaricus cam- 
pestris) was gathered on the 12th ult. in the Queen’s Park. All the 
specimens were large, the pileus of each being about 4 inches broad. 
They were strong and healthy, and have evidently sprung up in less 
than a week. The very mild weather may account for this remarkable 
growth, assisted, perhaps, in some mysterious way by the moon, for it is 
an old saying that ‘ Mushrooms grow more rapidly when the moon 
waxeth than when it waneth,’ ” 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. Arthur Bowman informs us he 
has taken charge of the gardens at Manor Heath, Halifax, Yorks, the 
seat of G. Marchetti, Esq. Mr. John Doe succeeds his brother as 
gardener to Lord Saville at Rufford Abbey, Ollerton, Notts. 
- Death op Mr. W. Rowlands.—A Liverpool correspondent 
informs us of the death of Mr. W. B. S. Rowlands, nurseryman, of West 
Derby, Liverpool, which took place on the 15th ult. Mr. Rowland* 
was a successful exhibitor for many years at horticultural shows in 
Liverpool. 
- Death of Mb. J. C. Chapman. —We regret to announce 
that on the 19th ult. Mr. J. C. Chapman died at Kennington at the 
age of seventy-two. He had been connected with the London seed 
trade for more than fifty years, and during the past six years he had 
been in the employ of Messrs. Cooper, Taber, & Co. 
- Earwigs —A Correction. —In the article on “ The Latest 
about Earwigs,” on page 68 of our last week’s issue, there is a slight 
printer’s error, which, of course, was obvious to all readers. The third 
sentence, commencing on the seventh line, should read, “ Some ento¬ 
mologists of note have endeavoured to prove that the rightful name of 
this insect is the ‘earwing,’ ” not “ earwig,” as printed. 
- Is Petroleum a Suitable Insecticide for Melons and 
Cucumbers ?—Thinking that this question would be of interest 
to all gardeners who have not tried petroleum for these plants, I 
venture to write hoping that some of the practical readers of the 
Journal who have used it for the above purpose will give their method 
and the results.—W. B. 
- Orange Culture in California. —Notwithstanding the 
difficulty which the cultivator of the Citrus tribe has found in California 
by reason of scale insects and diseases, the extension of Orange culture 
goes on at an enormous rate. The “Anaheim Gazette” states that in 
that vicinity at least 3000 acres more have been added recently to the 
area already in existence. Judging by what is stated by other California 
papers, very little success has ever followed the many suggestions for 
getting rid of the Orange scale. If a number of Pennsylvania farmers of 
the old German race were sent out to care for these trees, we (“ Meehan’s 
Monthly”) fancy the trunks and branches would be all annually white¬ 
washed with lime, and we judge, from the great success they have in 
keeping down all sorts of scale insects as well as fungus diseases, by 
the use of limewash on their fruit orchards little trouble would be found 
from the Orange scale or any other pest of that fruit tree. 
- Helleborus NIGER. —Mr. W. Bardney writes :—Large clumps 
of Helleborus niger that have been placed in pots and boxes, may, if in 
moderately rich material, be kept in them for several years. The only 
attention needed is a cool house or frame after flowering until they can 
be plunged outdoors in an open sunny position. A little feeding during 
the season of growth is very beneficial; the stronger the growth the 
finer and more numerous the flowers. When grown on this principle 
the plants can readily be brought into flower at intervals, or may be 
retarded according to the time they are likely to prove most serviceable. 
Good plants outside are very useful, and would succeed those grown in 
pots and boxes. The time of blooming depends largely upon the 
weather, even when covered with handlights. I also find that these 
plants do not improve by being disturbed too often—that is, frequently 
lifted and then planted out again. When large supplies of flowers are 
needed Hellebores are amongst the most useful plants that we can 
cultivate. 
- Narcissus telamonius plenus. — Our correspondent con¬ 
tinues—The value of this bulbous plant for forcing is not half so well 
known as it should be. It can be forced nearly as well and as early as 
the Roman Hyacinths. The bulbs may be obtained from growers in 
July, and should be potted then or placed thickly together in boxes, an 
excellent plan when many flowers are required for cutting. The treat¬ 
ment given to Roman Hyacinths is all that is needed. What can be 
more useful and handsome than between 400 and 500 of these flowers 
from a box 2 feet by about 16 inches during the early days of January ? 
The flowers come large from good bulbs, and are well coloured even 
when forced in moderately brisk heat. The single, but smaller flowers 
of N. obvallaris are certainly useful and pretty when cut, but this 
variety is no earlier than the common double Daffodil, and does not 
yield nearly the same amount of bloom, nevertheless it is well worth 
forcing. Narcissi are destined to be forced much more largely in the 
future than during the past. 
