94 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 2 , I 8881 
CATTLEYA SCHOFIELDLANA, 
Also from The Woodlands, I am favoured with handsome 
flowers of this extremely distinct Cattleya, which in a genus re¬ 
markable for its variety of flo:al form and colours stands out very 
conspicuously. The flowers now on my table are nearly 7 inches 
in diameter across the outstretched petals, the diameter from the 
top of the upper sepal to the lower being nearly as much. Both 
series of divisions are of a peculiar tawny yellow freely dotted with 
crimson purple ; the upper sepal over 1 inch broad, straight and 
erect, the two lower shorter, broader, and curved inwards. The 
petals are narrow at the base, undulated at the margin, and 11 inch 
broad towards the lip. The lip has two lateral white lobes closely 
folded over the broad yellowish column, the central lobe being 
2 inches long, narrow at the base, yellow streaked with red, the 
apical portion an inch broad, densely covered with prominent 
crimson papillae and irregularly edged with white. The flowers are 
borne in pairs, and possess a strong and rather heavy odour. 
In the second volume of the “ Orchid Album ” (plate 03), 
Mr. B. S. Williams gave an excellent illustration of this Cattleya, 
prepared from a plant in the collection of G. W. Law-Schofield, 
Esq., New-Hall-Hey, Rawtenstall, near Manches'er, after whom it 
was named by Professor Reiclienbach, and at that time, 1883, it 
was believed to be the only plant in the country. It is evergreen, 
with terete stems 18 inches high, somewhat resembling both 
C. amethystoglossa and C. Leopoldi. The culture recommended by 
Mr. Williams is “ rough fibrous peat good drainage, the plants well 
elevated above the rim of the pots, and the same temperature as 
C. Trianse.”—L. Castle. 
ORCHIDS AT FOREST HILL. 
The following Orchids are now in flower at Messrs. John Laing 
and Sons’ Nurseries, Forest Hill, London, S.E. :—Aerides odoratum, 
Brassia verrucosa, Cattleyas Gaskelliana and gigas Sanderiana, 
Cypripediums barbatum, Roezli, and Sedeni, Dendrobium Pierardi, 
Dendrochilum filiforme, Disa grandiflora, Epidendrum vitellinum 
niajus, Galeandra species, Masdevallias Bonplandi, Lindeni, and 
Yeitchiana, Maxillaria venusta, Odontoglossums Alexandra, 
blandum, cordatum, crispum, Harryanum (fine), and Pescatorei, 
Oncidiums incurvum, Jonesianum, and orientale. There are also 
some good plants of Utricularia montana and Endresii in flower. 
DEGENERATION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. 
[A paper read before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society by Mr. 0. B. Hadwen, 
Worcester, U.S.A ] 
(Continued from page S3 .) 
The Cherry and Plum do not manifest a tendency to degenerate ; 
they seem to suffer through injury from insect enemies rather than 
from any inherent morbid condition. The varieties grown by the earlier 
cultivators are still known and esteemed ; manifesting, even under the 
influence of repeated engrafting and of artificial modes of cultivation, 
a decided tendency to long life. Cultural practices which seem to have 
impaired the longevity of the Pear and Peach apparently have little if 
any effect upon the Cherry and Plum, thus leaving the question of 
degeneration in these involved in considerable doubt. 
Among the “small fruits” the Strawberry furnishes the clearest 
evidence as to its duration of life. Of this fruit, as nearly as I can 
recall, the kinds that have been cultivated thrive about thirty years ; 
although there have been a few instances of longer duration, and some 
whose term has been shorter. Of twenty sorts grown by nurserymen 
and advertised fifty years ago, not one is known in cultivation, if we 
except the Alpine, which seems to be perpetual, as does also the wild or 
native Strawberry. Within the past forty years hundreds of varieties 
have been produced from seed brought into notice, and are now gone to 
give place to new seedlings ; and but few now extensively grown have 
been known to cultivation twenty years. Of fifty-one varieties grown 
in the nurseries of the late William R. Prince in 1839 not one remains. 
The Strawberry reproduced from runners gradually becomes enfeebled 
and unproductive and passes away, giving place to new and vigorous 
kinds raised from seed, which seems to be Nature’s mode of reproduction. 
The Raspberry, Blackberry, and Currant are long-lived, and sorts that 
were grown as far back as the memory of man runneth are as good now 
as ever, conditions being equal. New seedlings are brought out from 
time to time, which, as novelties, have a tendency to supplant the 
older sorts, but the Antwerp, Franconia, Falstoff, Knevett’s, and 
Northumberland Raspberries, and a dozen others are just as good as 
ever. Neither do the 31ackberries or Currants, when well grown, give 
much if any evidence of degeneration ; when they fail it may fairly be 
attributed to the influence of poor soil and cultivation. 
Vegetables, especially those annually grown from seed, cannot 
degenerate ; seeds may become mixed and new sorts may be produced, 
but the annuals cannot be classed among plants that degenerate. Some 
seasons are found unfavourable to the development and growth of 
certain kinds ; and new sorts are continually being introduced and 
tried. The Potato, indigenous to the mountainous sections of Mexico 
and South America only, is consequently, when cultivated here, far re¬ 
moved from its native home, and it affords us the best illustration of 
the importance of renewal by seed. As usually propagated from the 
tuber, it grows and thrives well for about twenty-five years, after which 
it manifests a very decided tendency to degenerate ; and new seedlings 
are resorted to, which in their turn will last a given time and produce 
good crops. Within my own experience, I have grown the Black Rusty 
Coat, Long Red, Chenango, Rohan, Peach Blow, Carter, Jackson White, 
Dover, Davis’s Seedling, Kidney, State of Maine, Early Rose, and 
Hebron, with several other sorts, but only two of all these are now 
cultivated. 
To attempt the inquiry into the growth, longevity, and decay of the 
fruits and vegetables we cultivate—to seek to learn the natural 
princiDles involved in the growth of each species, and the laws and 
principles of decay belonging to each, is particularly difficu’t where 
each seems to be governed by different and intricate forces pertaining 
to its peculiar organism. Nature, with man’s assistance, has produced 
fruits and vegetables in wonderful variety and profusion and of the 
highest excellence, and is still pressing onward ; every season brings 
some new success in the line of fruit or vegetable raising, and notwith¬ 
standing there is so much mystery clouding the whole subject—so much 
that we should know but do not—so much guesswork, instead of 
positive information, and so much that seems impossible for the mind 
to understand peculiar to each plant. Nevertheless, it appears worth 
our while to discuss these questions with the hope of new and increasing 
light pertaining to the philosophy and science of horticultural and 
pomological pursuits. There can be no end to horticultural investiga¬ 
tions ; and few if any conclusions in this hidden science can be con¬ 
sidered final; and the subject we have been discussing still affords a 
wide field for inquiry. 
The conclusions which I have been led to regal'd as provisionally 
established may be summarised as follows :— 
First, Each fruit-bearing tree and plant seems inherently endowed' 
with a certain given period of life ; this, however, is subject to be 
influenced by favourable and unfavourable conditions. 
Second, Each species and variety of fruit-bearing tree and plant 
seems governed by conditions pertaining exclusively to its growth,, 
maturity, and decay. 
Third, Some fruits appear to degenerate, while others furnish but 
little evidence of deterioration ; and the latter statement applies equally- 
to vegetables as a class during this century. 
Fourth, While there undoubtedly is a limit to the life of every plant 
and fruit, neither science nor philosophy has yet determined the data by 
which we can deduce with any degree of accuracy the duration of life- 
of any of the larger fruits or vegetables. 
The subject, as regards each fruit, seems to be governed by separate 
laws and conditions ; and where such infinite variety exists it renders 
equally limitless the extent of possible inquiry, and opens a wide field 
for experiments and experience ; and also may be prolific in topics for 
discussion. 
Mr. Charles M. Ilovey was called on by the chair, and said that the- 
subject had been treated by the essayist in a very able manner, and that 
it deserved the thought and attention of the members of the Society. 
That fruits degenerate we very well know, but whether from unfavour¬ 
able climates or from other causes is not settled. The old varieties of 
Peaches are still in perfection in England ; within a week he had seen 
the Grosse Mignonne and George the Fourth recommended for cultiva¬ 
tion as among the best varieties there. Of Strawberries the Keens’ 
Seedling, introduced in 1821, and the British Queen, originated about 
forty years ago, are still favourite varieties, though the latter is not 
suited to our climate. The Hovey’s Seedling and the Boston Pine were 
raised by the speaker in 1833, and in his ground still give as good crops 
of fruit as ever. The Wilson, which has been more widely cultivated 
than any other variety, is still very good. We cannot raise the Flemish 
Beauty and Easter Beurre Pears ; they have degenerated here, but in 
California they are as fine as ever, and whether their degeneracy here- 
is inherent in the variety is the question. Mr. Knight’s opinion that 
every tree propagated from a seedling, being a part of that tree, perishes 
when the lifetime of the original tree expires, has been proved fallaci¬ 
ous. The trouble is that the lifetime of one man, or even two, is too 
short to make reliable observations on this subject. Men must take it 
up in succession, if possible, but hitherto they have not done so, and 
the result is that we are continually beginning, and never come to any 
certain conclusions on the subject. 
Grafting is undoubtedly sometimes injurious, the stock and scion do 
not seem to be congenial. Many varieties will not succeed on the Quince 
stock ; with the speaker the Glou Morgeau and Duchesse d’AngouRme 
flourish ; and some of his trees have sent out roots from the Pear, while 
others have not. He could see no degeneracy in Pears except in a few 
varieties, such as the White Doyenn6, Flemish Beauty, and Easter 
Beurre. 
We can remember when we picked up the delicious Peaches under 
the trees, but we do not remember how many seasons there were when 
the crop failed. He had been out among his Peach trees and shaken 
them when the fruit almost seemed to fall into his mouth ; for six or 
eight years he got a crop one year out of two. He had read much on 
this subject and had been a pretty careful observer, and had come to 
the conclusion that to explain degeneracy we must not look for causes 
inherent in the variety, though perhaps this may exist to a certain ex¬ 
tent in some, but to other causes, climatic or residing in the soil. 
To the question whether grafted trees ever go back to inferior 
varieties he answered, No. He felt doubtful as to the influence of the 
