130 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ February IG, 18t8. 
spread on the surface and forked well in. The same practice is 
followed when the borders are planted with Cos Lettuces and 
Kidney Beans between them. The earliest Cabbage Lettuces are 
produced by planting two or three rows at the foot of the boards, 
as well as in the manner described. In this position they grow 
rapidly, and are cleared from the ground just before the Cos 
Lettuces are ready, therefore pay well for the trouble and ground 
they occupy. The Cos Lettuces planted on the open quarters form 
a capital succession to those on the warm borders. These seldom 
realise less than 8d. per dozen, and are often fetched from the 
ground at that price. Fi-om this ground another valuable crop can 
be taken, for they are all cleared from the ground by the end of 
June. But we rarely occupy the ground fully with Lettuces, 
taking them principally between other crops, except on the north 
borders, and these are planted from sowings made after the middle 
Ol April to the end of May. When we plant the principal portion 
of the ground on the open flats in every alternate row of Lettuces 
we miss planting every other plant. This allows of Brussels 
Sprouts or Veitch’s Autumn Giant Cauliflowers being planted 
when they are ready, and then occupy the whole of the ground 
when the Lettuce is cleared away. 
But I must return to the south borders, and may here say that 
the variety of Kidney Bean grown is Osborn’s Forcing, and we 
think most higldy of one called Emei’ald Gem—a new one ; the 
pods are beautifully green, better in this respect than Osborn’s, but 
it is a few days later. For the main crop Canadian Wonder alone 
is grown. It is a most prolific Bean if the ground is well and 
deeply worked and liberally manured ; 2 feet from row to row is 
too close to plant it ; to give it a chance of developing itself the 
rows should be G inches, or even 1 foot further apart. They will 
pay weU for the room ; nothing is gained by crowding them. Let 
it be understood that double rows are planted in the case of both 
varieties, the former 4 inches from bean to bean, which are 
angled, and the latter G inches apart. By placing them at the 
proper distance when they are sown, which may take a little 
longer, but thinning afterwards is dispensed with. Boys are better 
than men for putting in the seed ; they soon become experts ; offer 
them a small prize of 2s. or so for the boy that plants them most 
quickly and best. Half the resources of the Kidney Bean are 
never developed, especially in private gardens, where they are only 
demanded now and again. If they are only attended to they will 
continue growing and fruiting for a remarkable length of time. 
We gather twice a week, and if a bean has been missed and shows 
signs of being too old it is not left on the plants for seed, but 
puUed off and thrown away. They should be picked close every 
time, then they will continue growing and yield tender beans, but 
once allow them to devote their energies to the production of seed, 
growth is quickly brought to a standstill, and tender produce that 
can only be appreciated will be out of the question. I know 
nothing amongst vegetables more objectionable than tough Beans ; 
they are far worse than old Peas, but if this simple metlod is 
followed useful highly prized produce will result. 
The early Potatoes planted in rows 2 feet apart, and about 
8 inches from set to set. The sets are well sprit and are planted 
moderately deep, then earthed up. They are planted on the ridge 
fashion. I have no faith in the lazy method of laying them on the 
surface and covering them over with a few inches of soil. Those 
that plant on these principles have them through the ground first, 
and may after be heard to boast, “ Our Potatoes are up.” But do 
they dig first ? that is the main object we must keep in view. 
I know arguments in favour of shallow planting may be adduced, 
and the objections to the principle are too strong to tempt me to 
follow the plan. My object in jilanting moderately deep and 
I'berally covering them witli earth is not to have them up, but to 
keep them under the ground as long as possible. They are safe 
there, they are not when their tender tops are through the ground. 
Directly they show signs of coming through, more soil is scraped 
over them until this is impossible, then they take their chance. 
When once they are through the ridges are lioed well down to stop 
small weeds that may start, and then earth them up again. They 
are not touched again until they are dug. It is surprising after 
the last operation how they grow, and people that see them can 
scarcely i-ealise that they have only had the protection that the 
ground affords. They are not so very late in the market, for all 
from the south borders averaged 1 id. a pound, after the expense of 
taking them to the market had been deducted. The variety 
formerly grown was the old Ashleaf, which by accident we lost; 
since then we have grown a variety called Kidney Dwarf Top, and 
if it is not the old Ashleaf it is a very near relation. The haulm is 
no larger, and the tubers, wliich scarcely seem so long, are aU 
clustered close together. 
What I have to say about other Potatoes will be deferred for 
the present, but if Walcheren, Eclipse, or Autumn Giant Cauli¬ 
flowers liave not been planted between these early Potatoes, the 
ground is filled directly they are dug with small Cabbage, such as 
Heartwell Early Marrow, Little Pixie, Ellam's Early, or Coleworts, 
generally the last, because they are hardiest, and often sell well if 
other vegetables are scarce ; but if there is anything that can be 
had larger, there is no market for these small but delicious little 
Cabbages. They are valuable crops and pay well in some localities ; 
but in my neighbourhood they look with disdain on anything much 
less than Robinson’s Champion Drumhead. When this was dis¬ 
covered I decided to leave most of the Cabbage growing to some¬ 
body else, and generally take Cauliflowers as the second crop, or if 
they are not planted and showery weather follows the lifting of 
the Potatoes, the border is planted with Cos Lettuces, or Turnips 
are sown. This year, although very dry at planting time, Lettuces 
proved a remunerative crop, but this is a matter that in each 
individual case must be decided by the locality and the require¬ 
ments of the market. 
All my difficulties were not overcome by the erection of boards 
for the provision of north and south borders. No, they had only 
just begun, and I quickly saw before me another outlay, as no 
provision had been made for raising the plants, and to tliis a few 
words must be devoted another time.— Mauketkr. 
CYPRIPEDIUM FAIRRIEASUM:. 
A of this beautiful but rare Orchid was shown at South 
Kensington last year by Mr. F. G. Tautz, Studley House, Hammer¬ 
smith, and from this the drawing was prepared represented in the 
engraving (fig. 18). It is now over thirty years since this Cypri- 
pedium was introduced from Assam, and it first flowered in Mr. A, 
Fairrie’s collection at Aigburtb, Liverpool, in whose honour it was 
subsequently named. Owing to the plant being of slower growth 
than many oiher members of the same family, it still remains 
scarce, and is valued accordingly. In habit it is dwarf, with small 
light green leaves, but the flowers are very conspicuous and distinct, 
both in shape and colour. The dorsal sepal is white, with a greenish 
tint, heavily and regularly veined with purplish crimson ; the petals 
are curiously deflexed, with the points upturning, also greenish- 
white with crimson-purple veins and a ciliated margin ; the lip is 
neat in form, greenish, with a few faint reddish veins. It will be 
remembered that C. Fairrieanum is one of the parents of the choice 
hybrid C. vexillarium, which was raised in Messrs. Veitch & Sons’ 
establishment by Mr. Dominy some years ago.—L. C. 
dendrobium; hilli. 
Your correspondent “ G.” is in error when he states that this 
species is dedicated to Mr. C. G. Hill of Nottingham. It is 
figured in the “ Bot. Mag.” (t. 52G1), and is there stated to have 
been received at Kew from Mr. Walter Hill, Superintendent of the 
Botanic Garden at Moreton Bay, and Sir W. Jackson Hooker says, 
“ we gladly dedicate it to him.” It is a distinct and very pretty 
species, and may also be seen in flower at St. Albans in the nurseries 
of Messrs. F. Sander & Co.—J. D. 
In my note last week I was in error in supposing the above to be 
named in honour of C. G. Hill, Esq. 
It is beautifully illustrated in Bateman’s “ Second Century of 
Orchidaceous Plants,” plate 195. The accompanying note may be 
useful at the present time, as there appears to be some confusion 
between this and D. speciosum. “ In his notice of this plant (18G1) 
Sir William Hooker wrote as follows :—‘ Many years ago Mr. J. 
Smith assures me living samples of this fine Dendrobium were sent 
from Moreton Bay to the Royal Gardens of Kew, with an opinion 
expressed that it might possibly be the D. undulatum of Brown’s 
‘ Prodromus,’ p. 332. I do not find that they ever flowered, but 
one thing is certain, that I possess in my herbarium a specimen of 
the true D. undulatum of Mr. Brown with the correct name in Mr. 
Cunningham’s handwriting, and another specimen from Albany 
Island from A. C. Gregory, and also from Port Curtis, gathered by 
Mr. M'Gillivary during the voyage of the ‘Rattlesnake’ (1847). 
It is a very different species from that now under consideration. 
The D. undulatum has, as its name would imply, singularly un¬ 
dulated petals and sepals of very lurid colours and sharp segments 
to the lobes of the lip, and it is also a native of Java. Dr. Bindley 
has shown that his D. discolor, from the latter country, figured in 
