March 22, 1S88. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
235 
rich firm soil. A mixture of three parts fibrous loam, one of half- 
decayed manure, and a liberal dash of sand suits them admirably. 
If plunged in a bottom heat of 70° or 75° they will start more 
rapidly into growth than without this assistance, but they will also 
grow well and robustly in a temperature of 65° or 70° without 
bottom heat. Supply water very sparingly until they have rooted 
into the new soil, and never allow them to suffer afterwards. Cala- 
diums are the best of all plants to resist the attacks of insects. 
Indeed, they are hardly ever troubled by any pests, and this is 
greatly in their favour.—M. M. 
ARTIFICIAL MANURES FOR PLANTS. 
It is a matter of considerable satisfaction to me to find my remarks 
■on the .above subject criticised by Mr. M. Coombe, because I consider it 
a matter concerning which a great amount of useful information may 
be elicited by the friendly exchange of opinons that have been arrived 
at by close and constant observation, and if others may be induced to 
join ill this discussion in the frank and practical manner that my critic 
has done, another good lesson may be added to those alreadj’- learnt from 
the Journal. With the first two and a half lines of the article by Mr. 
■Coombe I thoroughly agree ; in fact, I am inclined to think that I 
helieve in the views there expressed to a greater extent than does the 
writer himself, if I am to judge by his subsequent remarks. He begins 
by saying—“ That artificial manures are of the utmost utility to plant 
growers there is no disputing, but in regard to their various qualities, 
•composition, and ac-iion, there is a wide field for discussion.” Now, 
he overlooked the inconsistency of his subsequent remarks, because a 
little further on he adds, ‘‘ I am led to believe that many of the arti¬ 
ficial m.anures are overcharged with ammonia-yielding substances ; ” 
then, still farther on, he says, “ That if the manure applied in the first 
instance is a properly iiroportioned combination of the elements needed 
for the plant’s support, no diminution of the plant’s vigour will ensue 
■even after a protracted application.” If artificial manures contain, as 
he asserts, “too great a quantity of ammonia-yielding substances,” they 
■cannot, by his own showing, be of the utmost utility, simply because 
they do not possess a properly proportioned combination of the elements 
needed for the plant’s support. 
In another place he does not appear to believe that members of the 
■vegetable kingdom are similar to those of the animal kingdom in the 
matter of sameness of food causing distaste, while towards the end of 
his article he says, “ I sometimes think there is an analogy between plant 
and animal life, between the way we should treat a plant and the way 
we should treat ourselves.” Yes, then I say give them a change of 
food, food that is varied in its chemical constituents according to the 
nature of the plants that are to receive it, the object for which they arc 
intended, and the condition they are in at the time it is applied. If you 
want to induce a strong and vigorous growth, give them stimulants in 
which ammonia-yielding substances preponderate. If they show signs 
of becoming gross and unfruitful give them manures containing a larger 
per-centage of potash and phosphates, which solidify and build up the 
woody tissues. ^ 
My opinion is that there are various reasons why plants do not 
thrive so well after one kind of stimulant has been continued for a time 
AS they do when it is first applied. In the first place I do not believe 
that any one kind of manure, whether artificial or otherwise, contains 
-all the constituents necessary for supplying the right kind of food for 
plants generally, and although a knowledge of chemistry may enable 
ns to form various manures which are considered likely to supply the 
most suitable food, yet it is only by practical experience and close ob¬ 
servation we can find out whether or not these anticipations are correct, 
and then how often is it that the results are different from what were 
expected. Another idea has occurred to me in thinking the matter over, 
and I wish to be clearly understood that I advance it only as a probable 
■cause. It is this, that as earths, acids, alkalies, salts, &c., are formed 
by combinations of other substances, such as lime, potash, soda, carbonic 
.acid, ammonia, &c., and these again when brought into contact with 
other substances in some cases unite and form an altogether different 
compound, is it then not probable that after several applications of 
the same food the soil in which the plants are growing must gradually 
'become of a different nature from what it was when the first supply was 
given ? Then is the time to supply something that will hasten the dis- 
■solution of the accumulated substances, and convert them into suitable 
plant food. A good illustration of this may be found in old kitchen 
gardens that have received heavy dressings of farmyard manure for 
years, till by their very richness they become distasteful to many crops. 
Give such land a good dressing of lime, and the results are surprising. 
But this must be followed up by liberal feeding again, or the rapid de¬ 
composition of vegetable matters which the lime has brought about 
■would leave the soil in an exhausted condition. 
There are two reasons for mixing Peruvian guano with Clay’s fer¬ 
tiliser. Although a very valuable manure when used .alone, it clogs the 
surface of the soil with a pasty sediment, but by mixing it with guano 
this sediment is very much lessened, and with .an occasional rubbing of 
the surface soil with the hand before watering will keep it in a sweet 
and healthy condition, and it also has the effect of causing a greater 
■amount of root action. Your coiTrspondent says I am not much inclined 
to use nitrate of soda for pot plants. Now I consider its use very 
beneficial in certain c.ases when used as 1 described for plants that get 
into a sickly condition, and those thatirequire something to hasten their 
growth. Plants that no other kind of manure seemed to impro've c<an 
often be brought into a healthy condition by this means, and if Mr. 
Coombe will try the effect of a few iloses on j)lants of Erica hycmalis 
during the growing season, I think he will be convinced of its utility in 
their case, as it will cause a quick, vigorous, and healthy growth.— 
H. DUNICIN. 
ONCIDIUM SPLENDIDUM. 
Until quite recently this handsome Orchid, which Sir Joseph 
Hooker described as “ without doubt the finest Oncidium hitherto 
discovered,” has been very scarce, and consequently valuable. 
Now, however, after a long se.arch its native home has been re¬ 
found, and a large importation is offered for sale at Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms, Cheapside, on Frid'iy this week. It 
is closely related to 0. tigrinum, and several botanists describe it as 
a variety under that species, but it was allotted specific rank by the 
botanist, A. Richard, in an MS. description, and adopting this, 
Reiclienbach and others also regard it as a species. The typical 
O. tigrinum was introduced in 1840, but it was fully thirty years 
after that before 0. splendidum became generally known. It 
appears from the account given by M. Louis Van Houtte th.at it 
is a n.ative of Guatemala, whence plants were first introduced by 
M. Herment of Caen. From him some were transferred to MM. 
Thibaut and Keteleer, thence to MM. Linden and Van Houtte, to 
Mr. B. S. Williams and others—in fact all the plants hitherto in 
cultivation are supposed to have been obtained from M. Herment’s 
introductions. Attention w.as prominently called to the plant in 
Fig. 23 .—Oncidium splendidum. 
England in 1870, in which year Lord Londesborough sent a group 
of Orchids to South Kensington on February the 16th. These 
Orchids were conveyed from Yorkshire to London under the care 
of Mr. Denning, and to insure their s.afety at such an unfavourable 
time of year a van was specially constructed and heated with hot 
water. Many beautiful plants were included in this group, but the 
special attraction was a fine plant of Oncidium splendidum bearing 
a grand panicle of twenty large flowers, and the first-class certificate 
awarded for it was never better merited. 
A demand arose for this Oncidium, and many efforts were made 
to import it, but without success, O. microchilum, which closely re¬ 
sembles it in habit, frequently being mistaken for it when not in 
flower. After a long search, however, Messrs. Sander & Co. 
have succeeded in finding what is undoubtedly the true plant. 
0. splendidum differs from 0. tigrinum in having larger flowers, 
broader sepals and petals, and a bolder lip, with a shorter neck. It 
is also much richer and brighter in colour, the sepals and petals un¬ 
dulated, yellow barred with rich reddish brown ; the lip is bright 
yellow, of a very clear tint. 
