196 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 8, '.888. 
Grapes in cultivation. In long ranges of well furnished Peach houses 
large crops are annually produced, and the appearance for the coming 
season is alt that can be desired. In some frames we find a capital 
stock of Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury Strawberries for forcing. This 
variety seems to be the popular favourite for forcing everywhere, its 
constitution, as well as its productiveness and flavour, rendering it 
most valuable. The forcing house was well filled with Azaleas and 
bulbs to meet the large demand for cut flowers, and the Cucumber house 
was not allowed to rest after its summer work. A brace of Cucumbers 
cut from here, and awarded a certificate by the Liverpool Horticul¬ 
tural Association, were models. A constant supply of Mushrooms is 
maintained in a house devoted to their culture, the supply bed at the 
time of our visit being literally covered. The good results obtained in 
all departments bear testimony'to the general knowledge and skill of 
Mr. Jones, who very generously attributes much of his success to his 
foreman, now awaiting an appointment as head gardener,—S. 
LACHENALIAS, 
The.se beautiful greenhouse bulbous plants are not grown so much 
as they deserve to be. They cannot be too strongly recommended for 
winter and early spring flowering in pots or baskets. They are easy of 
culture, and will grow in almost any position, flowering at a time when 
flowers of their colour are scarce in the conservatory. To those who 
have a desire to try them, and are not acquainted with their culture, 
a few simple hints may be useful. Procure the bulbs not later than the 
middle of September, placing six to eight in 5-inch pots in a compost of 
half loam, the remaining half equal parts of leaf soil and well decom¬ 
posed cow manure, with a dash of sand. These pots may be placed 
in a cold frame till the bulbs start growing, then transfer them to 
a greenhouse, or any other place where frost is excluded. These plants 
then require very little attention until the flower spikes appear, as 
insects scarcely ever attack them. About Christmas, or when the flowers 
are growing freely, a little weak liquid manure once a week will benefit 
them. If wanted early they can then be placed in a temperature of 50°, 
when they will be in flower in .about six weeks. They continue 
attractive for six to eight weeks, and their beautiful ereet yellow spikes 
have a charming effect when arr.anged with other flowers. They in¬ 
crease freely, each bulb producing four to six others, which flower the 
following year. The "two best varieties I am acquainted with are 
Nelsoni and pendula.—T. H. 
ORCHIDS AT MOUNT VIEW, SHEFFIELD. 
The proprietor of the above-named place, D. Ward, Esq., has 
long been well known locally as an ardent lover and supporter of 
horticulture in general, and of hate years his attention appears to 
have been more especially devoted to Orchids, of which he has 
from time to time made extensive purchases, so that now he is the 
possessor of a very extensive and valuable collection of plants, 
which appear to be in the most robust health and vigour, reflecting 
high credit upon the head gardener, Mr. Page. In a rapid run 
through the numerous houses a few days since some notes w'ere 
taken, which are appended. 
A house is specially devoted to Phalfenopses, and nearly all the 
known v.arieties are represented. Especially noticeable was a re- 
mai'kably fine variety of P. amabilis with flowers fully 4 inches in 
diameter. The flowers of many have suffered much from recent 
dense fogs, which have caused the buds to fall unexpanded. Most 
of the larger plants are grown on teak wood cylinders 9 to 12 inches 
in diameter and 18 inches deep. These cylinders were recommended 
in the Journal a few weeks since for Phalaenopsis culture, and are 
evidently well adapted for the purpose, the large stout roots running 
freely over the w'hole outside surface. The leaves also produced 
last season were very large. Growing in the Phalcenopsis house 
are about thirty plants of Odontoglossum Roezli, which are 
very vigorous, and appear quite at home ; also twelve plants of 
Cvpripedium Lawrencianum, one in a large pan 3 feet across, and 
all with very large and highly coloured foliage. 
In the Cattleya house large specimens of C. Trianse are flowering 
freely. Several plants of C. Percivaliana M'ere also flowering, with 
C. amethystoglossa and the pretty Lfelia acuminata on a side stage 
filled with he.althy plants of C. Mossias, C. Mendelli, C. gigas, and 
others. Over 260 flowers were counted. One plant of C. Mossiae 
in an 8-inch pot has eleven strong sheaths. In the same house are 
strong plants of Dendrobium Wardianum, the growths of which 
averaged 3 feet in length. D. albo-sanguineum w.as here seen 
with growths equalling in size good specimens of D. nobile. 
D. luteolum was in flower, and is very distinct .and pretty, also 
D. crassinode very strong. D. nobile was represented by numerous 
large specimens, the growths averaging 2 feet long and very stout. 
Mr. Page, the gardener, is a believer in pruning, and certainly as 
practised at Mount Yiew it appears to be a very commendable 
practice. He tells me he follows no hard-and-fast rule, but prunes 
according to the vigom’ of the plants. We noticed, however, that 
on few of the plants were any growths left, except those 
flowering and those made during the past season. Cattleya citrina 
is represented by large plants, which have all made vigorous growths 
and are showing flowers freely. Lmlia anceps has been very fine, 
one specimen has carried twenty flower spikes. Odontoglossum 
vexillarium is represented by about fifty strong plants grown in a 
low span-roofed house with a collection of Lycastes, and in which 
a temperature of about 65° is m.aintained. In the Odontoglossum 
house some hundreds of fine he<althy plants are to be seen of all 
the best varieties. Of Odontoglossum crispum there are some fine 
varieties; 0. Rossi majus is flowering, also a large number of 
Sophronitis grandiflora. In the conservatory is a splendid display 
of Coologyne cristata and Lemoniana, a pan of the latter carrying 
thirty-five strong flower spikes.—W. K. W. 
CALA.NTHE9 IN TANNERS’ BARK. 
Two years ago after potting what I required there were a few 
small pseudo-bulbs left, which I was about to throw away, when it 
so happened that at the time there was some bark from the Pine 
pit laying on the potting table, as it is used for mixing w'ith com¬ 
posts here in place of leaf mould ; and having noticed that various 
plants root readily into and grow vigorously after their contact 
with it, I thought I would put the few small ones into pots with 
nothing but the bark, just for an experiment. These were placed 
along with the others, received the same treatment as to heat and 
moisture, but the growths they made were so much superior to the 
others in comparison to the size of the pseudo-bulbs that I was 
astonished, and when they were shaken out of the old compost 
there was the same marked difference, for whilst all had made good 
roots those in the bark were masses of roots. I was so s.atisfied 
with the small experiment that I resolved (right or wrong) to grow 
them all in bark again last year. As the result all who saw them 
were astonished at their strength and vigour. The query was. 
What are they grown in ? On being informed one or two of my 
neighbours who have no bark pits were so favour.ably impressed 
with the treatment that they asked me to let them have a little 
b.ark this spring to grow theirs in. 
I have just been shaking the plants out .again, and the pots 
were' so full of roots that it was difficult to disentangle them—in 
fact impossible, without breaking some of them. The pseudo¬ 
bulbs of Calanthe Veitchi gr.aduate in length up to 9A inches full, 
with a girth of 6 inches. The flower spikes varied in length from 
2 to nearly 4 feet. Calanthe vestita did equally well and made 
pseudo-bulbs much larger th.an I have had them before. It struck 
me whilst busy M'ith them that as others would be preparing for 
potting for another season the result of this experiment might be 
interesting, and might bring out the experience of others. I have 
never seen nor heard of their being grown in bark before, and 
should be glad to hear if anyone else has. All our plants will be 
grown in it for the future. 
I generally start them in boxes in moss placed upon the 
evaporating troughs in the stove, always keeping the moss moist, 
until they begin to show their leaves, when they are placed into 
6 and 7-inch pots, three in a pot, well drained, and the material 
covered with moss to prevent the b.ark running into it. This size 
pot I find is better for them than larger ones. The pseudo-bulbs 
are placed firmly into the bark, and the bark well covered w’ith 
sphagnum to keep it from being washed out when watering. 
Noticing the dark colour of the water which ran from the plants I 
thought it was a pitj it should be w.asted, besides staining the 
shelves, so I placed them in feeders, which seemed to suit them 
well, besides saving time in watering, as there was always a 
moisture about them. Beyond this I simply used the syringe 
freely in the growing season, and had them on a shelf as near the 
glass as possible with a slight shading.—J. Smith, Leeds. 
ORCHID8 AT LEEDS. 
Mk. Walter Clifee's Orchids at Western Flats, Wortley, 
Leeds, though not very numerous, are highly attractive, and re¬ 
markably well grown, and reflect the highest credit on the c.areful 
gardener, Mr. Hyam. Three small houses are devoted to their 
culture ; No. 1, the Odontoglossum house, containing some 200 
plants or more, principally 0. crispum (Alexandra), several of 
them in flower, others sending up strong spikes, amongst which 
