356 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 27, 1887. 
a large lip and broad sepals and petals. C. Trianse alba is furnished 
with several sheaths. All the C. Trianae, C. Mossiae, C. maxima, 
and C. Gaskelliana, with the white variety, have done remarkably 
well. 
Large plants of Cymbidium eburneum and C. Lowi are in splendid 
condition. Calanthe masuca had a strong spike and many blooms. 
Vanda coerulea was conspicuous in the next compartment, with fine 
heads of bloom, the finest form having thirteen flowers on a spike. 
Cypripedium Spicerianum, another valuable plant so useful for 
autumn and early winter bloom, is grown here in quantity ; 
C. Domini, C. longifolium, C. Roezli, and C. Sedeni, giving a suc¬ 
cession of bloom, remain in beauty for months ; C. Harrisianum, 
C. Stoneanum, C. vexillarium, and many others are in robust 
health. There is also a quantity of Cypripedium seedlings, no 
doubt interesting hybrids, which will be heard of again on some 
future occasion. Coelogyne Massangeana, immense plants, have 
been yielding many spikes for a long time. Other occupants 
are Angraecums, A. eburneum, and A. Ellisi being extra good, also 
Aerides Larpentse, Vanda insignis, true, and various Miltonias. 
Only a few Phalaenopses are grown, but these are very good. 
In another house are good specimens of Oncidium ampliatum 
majus, Laelia crispa, L elegans alba, L. harpophylla, L. Perrini, 
L. cinnabarina, the true autumn-flowering Cattleya labiata, C. 
Reineckiana, and C. Wagneri, with many others equally valuable. 
After passing some useful plant houses, vineries, &c., we arrive 
at a long lean-to facing the north in three divisions. Odonto- 
glossum tripudians, of which there are many, is blooming in the 
first part; 0. Rossi majus and 0. Edwardi are numerous. The 
second contains hundreds of Odontoglossum Pescatorei and some 
of the 0. grande section, and the last is full of Odontoglossum 
Alexandra. All the stages are covered either with Derbyshire 
spar or coal siftings, and a good supply of rain water is provided in 
large tanks underneath. 
It is interesting to note how healthy all the plants are, consider¬ 
ing an accident which happened nearly three years ago, when a 
boiler gave way in frosty weather. Many of them were frozen, 
but fortunately only a few were killed.—G. W. Cummins. 
NATIONAL AURICULA AND PRIMULA 
SOCIETY. 
As the time is now arriving when the rules for next spring’s 
show will be in course of settlement, I have the following sug¬ 
gestions of amendment in those rules to make, as the result of my 
recollections of the past year’s show. Mr. Douglas, I believe, 
generally approves these suggestions, or most of them, but thinks 
it well that they should be ventilated in your columns, and agreeing 
with him on that point I venture to invite criticism and improve¬ 
ment from yourself or others. My suggestions are :— 
1, That at least in all the Primrose classes exhibitors should be 
invited to show any quantity of each kind, and this not only in 
pots (which should be optional) but in baskets or boxes surfaced 
with moss, or otherwise naturally “ set,” for instance, in herbage. 
The effect would be incomparably better; but, as the rules at 
present stand, exhibitors would not feel free thus to exhibit. 
Similar advantage might accrue from a like invitation in the species 
of Primula classes. 
2, That to avoid all doubt and ambiguity, and to disqualify 
from the class for double Primroses any of the “ duplex ” (hose- 
in-hose) varieties, the words “ flore pleno ” should be inscribed in 
brackets, as descriptive of the double flowers intended. It is 
difficult to deny that a “ duplex ” is a double, for it is the literal 
translation of the word. As obviously ought the two varieties to 
be kept quite distinct, as they always, in fact, have been. 
3, The difference between a Primrose and a Polyanthus requires 
definition (which it at present lacks) and that very carefully. For 
there is scarcely a Primrose which does not occasionally, even 
frequently, produce “ bunched ” blooms ^and thus become a 
Polyanthus). I am mistaken if Polyanthuses were not shown as 
Primroses this year in quantity. Certainly they are popularly thus 
confused. The whole of Mr. John Waterer’s exhibit of “ Prim¬ 
roses ” were, in fact, “Polyanthus.” I apprehend that the differ¬ 
ence is that the Primrose, however it may at times yield bunch 
blooms, normally produces single blossoms only, or at least produces 
some such blossoms. Either there should be a condition that from 
plants shown in Primrose classes any “bunch” blooms should be 
removed, or alternately (without exacting this) some such definition 
as above of the true Primrose should be laid down, or as a further 
alternative, if thought desirable, it should be laid down that, for 
P urposes of the exhibition, every Polyanthus may be deemed a 
’rimrose. 
4, My last suggestion is perhaps rather for an enlargement of 
the scope of the Society and of the show than for an addition to 
the rules. It is ti at Androsaces and Anemones (at least species of 
Anemones) should be hereafter included in both. If this extension 
were adopted, my above suggestion, No. 1, would be, in my view, 
additionally applicable.—H. Selfe Leonard. 
GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND—A SPECIAL APPEAL. 
With your kind permission I would ask those whom I have not 
written to, as well as those I have sent to specially, to note that I shall 
be very pleased not only to receive their subscriptions, but to give any 
particulars that may be required, and also to forward rules, &c., of the 
above Fund. Having been for some time pushing the objects of this 
Fund, I am somewhat disappointed at the present results of my efforts. 
It is true that times are bad, wages low, and retrenchment the order of 
the day. Still, I think 5s. per year could bi sent by most gardeners 
without much distress to themselves. I have to make my return in De¬ 
cember, and hope to show a good book. Readers please note this, and 
while fresh in your mind send on to me at once. These remarks apply 
more particularly to the Norfolk brethren, though I am allowed to solicit 
and receive subscriptions from anyone out of the county.— Stephen. 
Castle, Local Secretary, Went Lynn, JVo/folk. 
BALLAST BURNING. 
The approach of the calm wet months of early winter induces me 
to remind your readers that this is the best time of the year for burning 
clay, &c. Labourers will soon be unemployed, and small coal is cheap.. 
Is it not, then, wisdom on the part of landowners to set to work and 
thoroughly drain, their land by the ballast system ? I would suggest to 
everyone who has a garden, the subsoil of which is clay, to try the 
experiment of digging trenches 3 feet deep and say 10 feet apart over 
the entire area, putting at the bottom of the trenches 2-inch drain pipes- 
connected with the house drain, burning all the clay that is dug up, and 
turning the burnt clay back after passing it over a screen. The fine 
material that passes through the screen when dug into the surface soil 
will permanently lighten it, as well as supply a large quantity of soluble 
alkaline salts to the land. I am at present burning a hundred cubic 
yards of clay for this purpose, and, with your permission, will send 
particulars of the cost as soon as the work is completed. If any of your 
readers desire to see the operation in progress I shall be happy to show 
it to them. My address can be had from the Editor. 
In close proximity to the limestone rocks of this country there is 
generally an abundance of clay land which requires draining, liming^ 
and loosening in texture. Here ballast-burning would be invaluable, 
and where it is going on the lime problem is exceedingly simple. The 
cost of reducing a ton of limestone to quicklime on a ballast lire never 
exceeds Is. I may state that any description of clay will burn provided 
it does not contain too much sand ; in such a case what is wanted is, of 
course, the plough. 
A year ago, in describing the method by which clay is burnt, I 
recommended the use of the fine material as a manure for Potatoes.. 
This year I grew 600 feet run of Early Rose in a stiff yellow clay, with no 
other “ manure ” than fine ballast siftings. The yield has been 
120 gallons from the entire crop. As to the flavour, flouriness, &c., of 
the tubers you will be able to judge from the specimens I send herewith. 
Might I respectfully suggest to farmers that there are thousands of 
people who would rather pay £20 a ton for Potatoes with a fine flavour 
than £2 a ton for organised insipidity?—W. M. 
[Potatoes have assumed abnormal shapes this year in many places in 
consequence of heavy rains after a long period of drought ; still, taking 
this into consideration, we think the tubers sent are of the Beauty of 
Hebron, this variety being often sold as Early Rose by London vendors 
who are not experienced gardeners, nurserymen, or seedsmen. The 
tubers sent were cooked, and we never tasted either of the varieties 
named of better quality. We shall be glad to have the particulars of 
the cost of burning clay soils obligingly promised.] 
FLOWER GARDENING. 
Much discussion has taken place from time to time respecting 
the advisability of relying exclusively upon hardy plants for the 
adornment of the flower garden, thus saving the expense of 
annually propagating and wintering large numbers of tender 
plants. This, however, is not a gardener’s question so far as a 
decision rests as to the changing so marked a feature as the flower 
garden is in the majority of estates. It lies within the province of 
a gardener to bring the merits of all plants that he thinks may be 
suitable to the wants of the garden under his charge before the 
notice of his employers. If they or any of them are wanted there 
is no fear but the gardener will get full permission and encourage¬ 
ment to grow them ; and if not wanted there will be slight likeli¬ 
hood that he will be able to find a place for them longer than his 
master or mistress wishes. That has been my experience, and it 
is not by any means rare. 
Coming to the practical question as to the present position of 
flower gardening, there does not appear to be a great falling off in 
the employment of bedding plants. So long as proprietors are 
able to keep a garden the culture of flowers does not fall off 
appreciably. In cases where the house is closed it is only natural 
