December 29, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
563 
second year no repotting ought to be attempted, unless in the case 
of any badly furnished, but all should be encouraged to push up 
fresh growths from the base of the old ones. During the growing 
season abundance of water should be given them, and plenty of 
heat and overhead moisture, the autumn resting being again resorted 
to. 
As will have been gathered from the preceding, we believe in 
pruning D. nobile, as it is very certain since we have adopted the 
practice ours have greatly improved. It is the only sure way of 
securing even handsome heads of bloom, this being well set off by 
the fresh green foliage, and altogether more attractive in appearance 
than when the flowers are produced on the naked two-year-old 
growths. At the present time we have a row of healthy plants, the 
growths of which promise to flower at nearly every joint. Directly 
after they have flowered all will be cut down to near the swollen 
bases, and in a few days strong fresh growths will follow. If the 
plants are getting too large for their pots, a shift is given, as much 
of the old compost being picked away from the roots as possible 
without greatly damaging them, prior to being distributed through 
the fresh compost. Any not doing well are frequently improved 
by being shaken out of the sour compost, having the dead roots cut 
away, and then be repotted in a fresh mixture. Plants not repotted— 
and as before stated there is no necessity or wisdom in making this 
an annual proceeding—may well have a surfacing of fresh compost, 
this being much preferable to an unavoidable mutilation of the 
roots. Sphagnum we still dispense with as a surfacing, the plants 
doing as well, or better, without it. If a long succession of bloom 
is desired, batches of plants may be rested and re-introduced into 
heat at intervals of about three weeks or a month, the aim being 
to get them into flower early, or say at the present time, rather 
than to unduly retard flowering till late in the spring, and thereby 
lessen the chances of well ripening the late-formed growth. 
D. nobile is frequently described as a greenhouse plant, but it 
is altogether a misleading description, at all events I never saw any 
presentable pots of it wholly grown in a greenhouse. They require 
the brisk heat and moist atmosphere of a stove, forcing vinery, or 
forcing pit to cause them to form a long stout growth, then comes 
a spell in a greenhouse, followed by a return to heat to properly 
open the flowers. There are several forms of D. nobile commonly 
cultivated, some being more brightly coloured than others, but the 
D. nobile nobilius is by far the best, and is yet very rare indeed. 
An occasional possession of a single flower of it is all I can aspire 
to. The growths of this and other choice Dendrobes may be in¬ 
creased either by cutting into short lengths much as we would old 
Dracaena stems, or the growths may be coiled round on the surface 
of a pot of Orchid compost and pegged down, nearly every joint 
eventually producing a growth which may be taken off with strong 
roots attached when fairly firm. 
D. Bensonire, which usually flowers in May, is a very beautiful 
deciduous species, requiring much the same treatment as D. nobile. 
It succeeds admirably suspended in pans, and the growths being 
well ripened flower at nearly every joint. D. Falconeri I am 
anxious to succeed with, as it is a gem among even the beautiful 
and large family of Dendrobes. The growths or pseudo-bulbs are 
very small, knotty, and branching, but when kept in a compara¬ 
tively small pan suspended near the glass in a plant stove many 
fine beautifully coloured flowers are sometimes produced from both 
old and young growths. It flowers in May and June. It is ever¬ 
green, but does not need much water during the late autumn and 
winter months. D. Dearei, a comparatively but little known 
species, is worthy of a place in every collection, especially seeing 
that a mixed plant stove exactly suits it all the year round. It 
forms erect growths, which retain their leaves for a long time, and, 
what is a rather unusual occurrence, each growth is capable of 
flowering several times. Our plant gave us two spikes in June, and 
it is again beautifully in flower, this being a characteristic of the 
species. The flowers with us are of medium size and pure white, 
with the exception of a greenish stain on the lip, and they remain 
fresh fully two months. Altogether it is a remarkable introduction, 
which can be bought at a fairly cheap rate, and when extra well 
grown produces flowers larger than D. nobile. Mr. Cypher 
strongly advised me never to dry it off or rest it in any way, this 
being the cause of many failures. It succeeds in an ordinary well 
drained pot, and a compost similar to that given to the D. nobile. 
If found to be dry at any time it is treated to a dip in the tank of 
warm water kept in the house. D. formosum giganteum is, as far 
as my experience goes, the finest of all Dendrobes. It is of sturdy 
erect growth and evergreen—that is to say, does not shed its leaves 
the same season as formed. The flower spikes are produced from 
the point of every strong growth, and usually in August or Sep¬ 
tember. The individual flowers with us are usually about 4 inches 
across, but I have seen them still larger ; sepals and petals pure 
white, the lip also white with a yellow blotch near the throat. 
These again last a long time ; our best spike we kept six weeks, and 
was then quite fresh when cut. I prefer to keep both this and 
D. Dearei in the house where grown, being under the impression a 
cool house suits neither the bloom or plant. It succeeds admirably 
on a square of wood without any compost, or in a pot or basket of 
the rough porous compost previously described. It is a vigorous 
grower, requiring plenty of light and moisture, one successful 
grower giving his plants, when growing strongly, a little weak 
liquid manure. D. bigibbum is the latest to flower, and completes 
my limited selection. It is a very beautiful species, and very un¬ 
like the rest of the family. Mr. Cypher has a remarkably fine 
batch of it at the present time, worth going a long way to see, and 
I cannot do better than give his treatment. The plants are all kept 
in comparatively shallow pots or pans, these being well drained, and 
a compost consisting largely of good peat and sphagnum is used. 
AU are suspended near the glass in a brisk temperature, plenty of 
water being given the plants at the roots, and a moist atmosphere 
maintained. Thus treated they form unusually strong growths, the 
best being nearly 3 feet in length and proportionately strong. 
Rather less water is given in the autumn, but they are never 
wholly dried off or rested in a cool house. The flower spikes are 
produced from the points of the young growths, and also from the 
old bulbs, these continuing to flower for several seasons in succes¬ 
sion. There are several forms of this, as of so many species, the 
best having extra rich rosy purple flowers, but all are beautiful and 
acceptable at this time of year. A plant we grew near the thick 
rolled glass of a warm fernery is flowering from the old stems only, 
and this position will not again be tried. We also have plants of 
D. thyrsiflorum, which annually flower freely without any trouble 
being taken with them. The pendulous spikes of yellow flowers 
are very beautiful, but retain their freshness for a very short time 
only, and for this reason do not recommend it.—W. Iggulden. 
LJ2LIA ANCEP3. 
A grand specimen of the above may now be seen in the 
gardens at Clevely, near Liverpool, T. S. Timmis, Esq., carrying 
sixty spikes, with 140 fully expanded blooms of large size and 
good depth of colour. Mr. Cromwell, the able and enthusiastic 
gardener, informed me the plant was imported two years ago, and 
is believed to be identical with a variety known as L. a. grandiflora. 
I am also favoured with a bloom, which I enclose for your inspection. 
This is by far the largest number of spikes I have ever seen on this 
beautiful autumn-flowering Lfolia, and as far as I know, the largest 
number that has been produced at any time. The plant is in robust 
health, grown on a raft suspended in the usual manner. It is, how¬ 
ever, not the only plant worthy of special note. A bank of Calanthes 
Veitchi andvestita arranged with Ferns, Poinsettias, &c., are parti¬ 
cularly good. Orchids, generally, are in splendid health, the col¬ 
lection of which, already rich, promises to become one of the best 
in the north of England. —Bradwen. 
[The variety is a good one, the flower sent measuring 5 inches 
from tip to tip of the sepals, and 41 inches between the extremities 
of the petals.] 
EXHIBITING AND JUDGING BOUQUETS. 
“ A Learner ” is rather inconsistent in some of his remarks. la 
his first letter he strongly condemned the practice of inserting Fern 
fronds when the bouquets are ready for exhibiting. It has since been 
pointed out that the most straightforward course he could have adopted 
would have been to show his own bouquets, properly made, and then to 
have protested against the others not in accordance with his ideas. He 
now excuses himself by saying it is such a small matter that it would be 
disregarded by the judges. If that is so, why did he write in such 
strong terms respecting it ? I hope “ Learner ” is not a disappointed 
exhibitor ; for I am sure he could tell us much that is useful, but not by 
condemning the practices of other exhibitors and then following them 
himself. 
By the way, I consider that he is unduly severe with Mr. Chard’s 
exhibit; and I doubt if h; will ever equal that exhibitor in the tasteful¬ 
ness of his floral displays or in the number of his successes. I have 
seen many contributions from Mr. Chard and his wife that for simplicity 
of materials and grace in combination could scarcely be surpassed ; and 
I am certain that during his career as an exhibitor he has assisted 
greatly in the improvement of taste in these matters. That their merits 
have been widely appreciated is amply proved by Mr. Chard’s list of 
prizes won during the past three years—namely, ninety first prizes at 
Crystal Palace, Brighton, Croydon, Richmond, TunbridgeWells, Newcastle- 
on-Tyne, Southampton, Regent’s Park, Nottingham, Chiswick, Salisbury, 
Taunton, Matlock Bath, Exeter, and Hastings. These were awarded for 
bouquets, stands of flowers, baskets, table decoration, buttonholes, &c.; 
and if “ Learner ” can produce a list like that he may safely pose as a 
critic in floral decorations. I only know one firm that can equal it— 
namely, Messrs. Perkins & Son, of Coventry.— Amateur Florist. 
