January 12,1868. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
25 
in that collection, and Mr. Fitch’s sketch, then made, appeared in 
the “Orchid Album” in May 1887 (t. 281) as an accurately 
coloured and faithful representation of this distinct species. At a 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on August 1.3th, last 
year, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., Buiford Lodge, Dorking, 
showed a plant in flower, and was awarded a first-class certifica{e 
for it. From this specimen the illustration (fig. 3) was prepared. 
It seems to have been first made known by Mr. Godefroy- 
Lebeuf, who found it in the mountains of Phu Quoch in Cochin 
C^ina, and it was subsequently named Habenaria pusilla, but larger 
living plants were afterwards brought by M. Regnier, and the 
specific title militaris was adopted as moi e appropriate. Like most 
terrestrial Orchids of this character it has fleshy tuberous roots 
producing a stem and tapering or elliptical leaves, which fall off 
■after the flowers have decayed—namely, towards the end of 
October. The flowers are borne on the upper part of the stem in 
a kind of raceme, the most conspicuous portion being the lip, 
which is deeply four-lobed with a long spur at the base, large and 
bright scarlet ; the sepals and petals small, greenish white, and 
mconspicuous. A compost of turfy loam and peat in equal pro¬ 
portions, w'ith plenty of sand, suit it wdth an intermediate tem¬ 
perature when it is growing, and a cool one when it is resting 
during the winter.—L, C, 
GARDENERS AND LOCAL MUSEUMS. 
It is exceedingly desirable that in every well-defined district of 
our country there should be a museum of natural history objects, 
more particularly of those that occur in the district. There 
should also be a register kept of all known species, as specimens 
cannot be usually exhibited of everyone that occurs, some being 
nare and exceptional. Such a list would bo of service to gardeners, 
amongst others, as indicating what insects are to be guarded against. 
In the formation of a local museum gardeners might, if inclined, 
render considerab'e help as regards insects and planfs. We might add 
birds also,for most gardeners have special opportunities for observing 
birds, aird can obtain, at times, nests and specimens that are of 
interest. Insects of all the orders are constantly seen by gardeners. 
Some of them are mischievous, ‘but many are harmless to culti¬ 
vated plants, and these are often hastily destroyed, when their 
preservation would be an advantage to the community if they were 
placed on view. Gardeners could help each other, and naturalists 
also, by taking observations as to the species of a district, their 
times of appearance, abundance or scarcity, when some outline 
list is constructed in which the principal injurious and beneficial 
species are embraced. Then as to our native plints. IIow often 
one may discover in a garden something generally regarded as a 
mere weed, but which is an example of some British species, local 
or unusual, which has arrived there by accident. As yet we fear 
the names of not a few familiar weeds are unknown to the majority 
of gardeners, possibly not so much from indifference as want of 
time.— Naturalist. 
THE CULTURE OF MISTLETOE. 
In your paper of December 22nd you have a very interesting 
article on the Mistletoe. At the end of the article the writer 
wishes to know “ why in these days of general depression it 
cannot be profitably cultivated at home,” and intimates that it is 
worthy of the attention of our agriculturists. I have had a good 
experience of Mistletoe, and have sold tons of it in this, as well as 
other seasons. Hundreds of tons are also sent out of this country 
to the various markets, but it is grown at a direct loss to the 
growers, as treble the value of App'es might bo grown on the 
trees from which it is cut. A fruit grower is indeed a sloven who 
allows Mistletoe to accumulate on his trees. Other reasons which 
add to the unprofitableness of its growth are the excessive charges for 
carriage and other restrictions made by the railway companies. They 
charge the very highest rate on their scale, compel you to prepay 
carriage, and to send entirely at your own risk. They will not 
carry except on these terms. How heavy these charges press your 
readers may judge when I state that I have paid over £5 per ton 
carriage this year for carriage to one market, and to other markets 
where the carriage is from 50s. to OOs. per ton, plenty of good 
Mistletoe has been sold wholesale at Gs. per hundredweight, sales¬ 
men’s commission to come off this. I may state I never saw the 
IMistletoe better and more berried than this season, and yet make 
lower prices. No ; our agriculturists must look to other sources 
of profit than growing Mistletoe, but I believe that fruit growing 
can be made to pay, and enclose you a short paper I read before 
the Herefordshire Chamber of Agriculcure in 1885, in which I state 
isy views on this subject, and after between two and three years of 
further experience I am more confirmed in this view. The great 
burden our growers have to carry is the cost of transit by railway 
to our markets against the cheaper water carriage of our com¬ 
petitors on the other side of the water.— Jno. Watkins, Pomona 
Farm, Hereford. 
[The paper referred to contains much sound information.] 
PREPARING EARLY POTATOES FOR FORCING. 
We dry our seed Potatoes in hampers in an open shed after 
they are dug, and then store them in a disused ice house with the 
well filled up. They keep excellently in this position, for the 
temperature is uniform. The early and second early varieties, for 
outside planting, are just showing signs of growth. This is a 
capital time to arrange them singly, eyes upwards, on the vacant 
shelves in the fruit room. If done at once they can be moved and 
arranged in much less time than is the case after they have started 
into growth. If they are allowed to remain in heaps after this date 
the majority will commence to grow rapidly and weakly, which will 
necessitate the removal of the sprouts. If plenty of shallow boxes 
are at hand, they may be arranged in them so that they can be 
taken direct to the position to be | lanted when that timeanives. 
Many store the boxes one above another, and this is certainly pre¬ 
ferable to no preparation, and saves time at planting, but where 
space is not limited this method is not advised. They are as well 
this way as any for a time, but after they start growth the shoots 
of all the low'er boxes grow rather weakly, even if a cavity between 
the boxes has been provided. If possible, the boxes should be 
placed singly, and the position selected not too dark, for we prefer 
strong green sprits to those that are blanched. There is no com¬ 
parison between the growth of early Potatoes that have been care- 
