546 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ December 17, 1885. 
required to bloom early should take place in the first week in June, and 
for plants required to bloom later, in the first week in July. As they 
advance in growth the branches will require to be tied out with sticks, to 
make round and well-formed plants. 
When the plants are growing freely they are sometimes attacked with 
a disease at the base, which is produced by the moist and confined atmo¬ 
sphere that is required for their free growth. To prevent this allow the 
surface to become quite dry once a week, during which the plants are 
supplied with moisture from feeders or pans, in which the pots are 
placed for a few hours, beiDg careful not to allow anj stagnant water to 
remain about them. As soon as the blooms begin to expand keep a 
drier atmosphere, and expose them to more air and light, which much 
improves their colour. 
PRUNING DENDROBES. 
I WAS glad to see Mr. Prinsep bring the above matter forward once 
more, as it is interesting to all Orchid growers. No doubt many have 
tried the experiment during the past season, and I hope we shall hear the 
results of the practice from many different growers. Last spring I 
pruned several in a half-hearted kind of way—that is to say, I did not 
cut all growths away that had flowered, but left those of the previous 
year. The result with me, I am sorry to say, is far from satisfactory, for 
in nearly every case the growths of the past season are both shorter and 
weaker than the preceding ones, while on the other hand the unpruned 
plants have increased in both respects in a satisfactory manner ; for 
instance, D. Wardiannm has increased in some cases from 31 feet to 
4 J feet in length, D. fimbriatum oculatum from 29 inches to 57 inches, 
D. nobile 19 inches to 29 inches, D. Dalhousianum from 28 inches to 
43 inches, D. fimbriatum undulatum 17 inches to 28 ; in fact, scarcely any 
unpruned plants have failed to improve, while the pruned ones in 
only one or two cases have maintained their ground, but, speaking gene¬ 
rally, have decidedly deteriorated. Perhaps the most striking instance 
was that of a pan of D. chrysanthum, which usually made growths 
about 4 feet long. As it was growing very strongly, I cut the whole of 
the old growths away after the young ones had got a start of 10 inches or 
12 inches. After pruning they did not make much progress, and finally 
stopped at about 18 inches or 20 inches in length and flowered very poorly, 
but I am glad to say it is now looking as if it would make up for lost 
time. I am not disposed to regard my little experiments as conclusive of 
the failure of a system which Mr. Prinsep, and, I believe some others, can 
practise with success ; still, any further experiments, as far as I am con¬ 
cerned, will be on a still more limited scale than in the past. 
I find D. nobile usually flowers on the earliest growths of the pre¬ 
ceding year, while later growths stop until the second year. Some have 
bloomed from six nodes, and are now showing flower at several more, 
both above and below where they flowered last spring. I believe Mr. 
Prinsep grows his Dendrobes at a higher temperature than is usually con¬ 
sidered necessary for them. I think he mentioned in a former communi¬ 
cation 100° to 110°. 1 must say I do not like working at such high tempera¬ 
tures. I find 90° quite warm enough, allowing 5° or 6° extra on special 
occasions ; and if the loss of old pseudo-bulbs must be made up by employ¬ 
ing so much more heat I shall prefer retaining the growths, but if 
both are important to success, why not employ both at once ?—J. J., 
Lancashire. 
TRAINED SPECIMEN CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
On page 491 Mr. W. Monk alludes to what I have written concerning 
these, and is pleased to find that “ D., Deal," has spoken in favour of 
trained plants, adding, that in his opinion, “ a show without good specimen 
plants is not worth visiting.” For my part, I should not grieve if speci¬ 
men Chrysanthemums, such as I imagine Mr. Monk admires, were alto¬ 
gether excluded from shows, and 1 believe many more share in this 
opinion. I have before stated that those trained specimens which win 
premier honours at good shows, represent a great amount of skill and 
attention, and fully deserve all that is awarded to them ; but the qnestionf 
is, Are these specimens profitable ? or, in other words, Is the amount o 
pleasure they give, especially to their owners, at all proportionate to t,h,® 
labour expended on them ? What do they look like when “ at home, , 
and do they not require much more house room than they deserve 
Properly set up at a show they may be effective, but who that saw the m 
daily would not soon tire of their formality, and much prefer tho se 
ordinarily staked conservatory plants that may be made to perfect equally 
as fine blooms, many of which may be cut without any disfigurement. 
My principal objection to providing so many classes for trained plants 
is the certainty of this, inducing many to attempt their cul ure who have 
neither the skill nor the convenience for bringing them to perfection, and 
what is more unsightly than these miserable failures with their forests of 
stakes, coarse unpainted ones, too, not unfrequently shabby foliage and 
inferior bloo.ms ? Pompons, even, we often see trained, and pretty objects 
they sometimes are. In the case of Japanese varieties there is now less 
cause for adverse criticism, as many of them lend themselves to the work, 
and some of the least objectionable trained specimens I have seen lately 
were Bouquet Fait, Madame Bertie Rendatler, Source d’Or, James Salter, 
Lady Selborne, Baron de Prailley, and L’Ue des Plaisirs. In this case 
there was abundance of bloom with few or no stakes visible, a very different 
state of affairs prevailing in the first-prize plants of incurved varieties 
staged by the same exhibitor. 
We must have plants at Chrysanthemum shows, and in considerable 
numbers too, when a large hall has to be made attractive, but if good 
prizes for more naturally grown plants of each section of Chrysanthemums, 
as well as at least two classes for groups, were offered, the great improve¬ 
ment that would rapidly be accomplished would soon more than compen¬ 
sate for the loss of the trained specimens, and this would very probably 
increase the number of competitors, owing to owners of plants sharing in 
the approval of this method of exhibiting. I have seen nothing this 
season to cause me to modify my opinions as noted by Mr. Monk. At the 
same time public caterers must endeavour to please all classes of visitors, 
and for this reason it may be necessary to still offer prizes for trained 
plants, but let these classes be fewer in number, in order that funds may 
be available for those more naturally grown. So far is this mania for 
trained plants in the ascendant, that even the classes provided for con¬ 
servatory plants are invaded by them, and at Bath, owing to there being 
no clause to prevent it, they were awarded all the prizes in that class. It 
is this laxity in the framing of schedules that often leads to misunder¬ 
standings and unpleasantness. I am of opinion that groups of plants 
should be more encouraged, and shall not easily forget the results attend¬ 
ing this phase of exhibiting at Kingston-on-Thames and elsewhere during 
the season of 1884. Every society ought to provide two classes for these, 
one for good-sized, and another for smaller groups. Those of a semi¬ 
circular form, with a wall for a background, should, I think, be preferred, 
the largest being say 10 feet by 5 feet, and the smallest 6 feet by 5 feet, 
but perhaps these dimensions may be improved upon. It is somewhat 
surprising that such a very old-established Chrysanthemum Society as that 
of Liverpool should still be behind the times as far as groups are con¬ 
cerned, and another equally as well-known old society, the Bristol or 
Clifton, has only quite recently offered prizes for them.—W. Iggulden. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
The Orchid Or over's Manual.—Sixth edition. By B. S. Williams, 
F.L.S. London : Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway. 
Thirty-three years ago Mr. B. S. Williams, who had then gained 
considerable fame as an experienced Orchid cultivator, issued the first 
edition of his “Orchid Grower’s Manual.” The plain, practical, and re¬ 
liable character of the instructions it contained led to a most favourable 
reception, though orchidists were then not nearly so numerous as now. 
In a comparatively short time a second edition was called for and issued ; 
third, fourth, and fifth editions following in due course, the last being 
published in 1877, greatly enlarged. The past eight years have, however, 
seen a surprising extension of Orchid culture, large numbers of plants 
have been imported, many new species and varieties added to the lists, 
and handsome garden hybrids have been raised in this country. The 
beauty and interest of Orchids have been more generally recognised, and 
for usefulness may have obtained a place amongst the best plants grown 
for flower-yielding or floral decoration. The attention which Mr. C. 
Darwin drew to these plants a few years ago awakened the interest of 
the scientific world generally, and served also to render them the fashion 
of the age. In most gardens where the owners take a genuine interest in 
plants the Orchids now constitute an important part of the collection. 
Many gentlemen who take a special interest in them have expended for¬ 
tunes in acquiring the choicest and most beautiful members of the family, 
while commercially the amount of money invested in them is enormous. 
Taking these facts into consideration, Mr. B. 8. Williams, in preparing 
a sixth edition of his Manual, acted wisely in determining to enlarge and 
imjfrove it, so as to render it a standard work suitable to the demand for in¬ 
formation now existing and the extent of the subject. That these objects 
have been satisfactorily accomplished all must admit who obtain the new 
edition just issued, for, while still preserving its practical character, it has 
also been endeavoured to render it of scientific value as a work of 
reference. A brief comparison of the fifth edition with the present one 
will show how this has been accomplished. The previous edition con¬ 
tained 326 pages, the present one has 659, the number of species, varieties, 
and hybrids described having been increased to 1470, besides giving 478 
synonyms. The introduction, which now occupies ninety pages as com¬ 
pared with sixty in the fifth edition, has additional or much-extended 
chapters on “ The Season for C dlecting Orchids,” “Bisks of Collecting,” 
“Raising Orchids from Seels,” “Orchids for Boom Decoration,” 
“Shading Orchid Houses,” “Growing Specimen Orchids for Exhibition,” 
“ Insects and Diseases,” besides the other chapters on general cultural 
matters comprised in the older edition, and from which any novice can 
gain sufficient knowledge to enable him to master the chief requirements 
of Orchids. 
Turning to the “ Select Orchids,” we find the improvements have 
been numerous. Under each genus is given the essential culture, and, 
where some of the species need particular treatment this is described 
under their names. The botanical authorities are given for the names of 
both genera and species, while under the latter are given references to 
the most readily accessible works containing coloured plates. In this 
portion of the work Mr. T. Moore of Ctielsea has rendered the author 
valuable assistance, which is duly acknowledged. As examples of the 
increase in the number of forms described we give the following genera 
as they occur in the two last editions. The Aerides have been advanced 
from 38 to 57; the Angraecums from 12 to 26 ; the Anoectochilus are only 
22 as compared with 26, owing to transferrence of A. Dayi and A. Lowi 
to Dossinia marmorata, A. Petola and A. Veitchi to Macodes Petola, 
A. querceticola to Physurus, and other changes. Calanthes have increased 
from 14 to 25, Cattleyas from 100 to 161, C. Mossife varieties being 35 
* against 28 in 1877, and C. Trianse varieties 18 against 7. Coelogynes now 
