878 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ May IS, 1886. 
one or two other mistakes. I suppose I do not write in that copperplate 
character I used to, or else another compositor has arisen who does not 
know my caligraphy.” 
- At the ordinary meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society, to be held at 25, Great George Street, "Westminster, on 
Wednesday, the 19th inst. at 7 P.M., the following papers will be read :— 
“ The Severe Weather of the Past Winter, 1885-6,” by Charles Harding, 
F.R.Met.Soc. “ Description of an Altazimuth Anemometer for recording 
the vertical angle as well as the horizontal direction and force of the 
Wind,” by Louis M. Casella. “ Earth Temperatures, 1881-1885,” by 
William Marriott, F.R.Met.Soc. “ Note on the After-Glows of 1883-1884,” 
by Arthur W. Clayden, M.A., F.R.Met.Soc. 
- An exhaustive article upon the ORIGIN OF the Potato is given 
in the issue of Nature for May 6th, in which the references are given to 
a number of early writers who mentioned the plant, and some interesting 
quotations from various sources to illustrate the subject. The author) 
however, states that the “ whole question is by no means yet worked out,” 
but some of his most important conclusions appear to be that the Potato 
“ was known in several botanic gardens in Europe before the time of 
Gerard’s first catalogue and “ that Gerard in some way received infor¬ 
mation from or through Clusius that the plant was first discovered in 
America ; America here evidently means South America.” 
- A correspondent of the Glasgow Evening News says that 
“ having occasion to call at Kincardine School-house, Blair Drummond, 
recently, he enjoyed a great treat in an extensive display of the choicest 
stage Auriculas in bloom. Those unacquainted with these exquisite 
flowers have no idea of their rare and varied beauty, and growers of them 
would be even more delighted with the sight of their favourites so well 
grown and bloomed, as this fine collection is now about its best.” We 
happen to have before us a number of flowers of seedling Alpines raised 
by Mr. Kilgour, whose collection is above referred to, and without saying 
they are worthy of names as distinct varieties, they are still by far the 
best unnamed seedlings we have seen this year, and most if not all of 
them are worthy of preservation and culture.” 
- Ozone from Flowers.— It is said that a “ professor at Pavia 
has discovered that ozone is generated in immense quantities by all plants 
and flowers possessing green leaves and aromatic odours. Hyacinths, 
Mignonette, Heliotrope, Lemon, Mint, Lavender, Narcissus, Cherry 
Laurel, and the like all throw off ozone largely on exposure to the sun’s 
rays. So powerful is this great atmospheric purifier, that it is the belief 
of chemists that whole districts can be redeemed from the deadly malaria 
which infests them by simply covering them with aromatic vegetation. 
The bearing of this upon flower culture in our large cities is also very 
important. Experiments have proved that the air of cities contains less 
ozone than that of the surrounding country, and the thickly inhabited 
parts of cities less than the more sparsely built, or than the parks and 
open squares. Plants and flowers and green trees can alone restore the 
balance.” 
- “ W. I.” states that “The best Cinerarias 1 have yet seen in a 
private garden are now on view in the conservatory adjoining the resi¬ 
dence of A. R. Trotman, Esq., The Elms, Frome,. They form a grand 
bank along one side of the house, the front row standing on the tessellated 
floor, and as no bright sunshine ever reaches them, the plants also being 
perfectly clean, the display will most probably last till near the end of 
May. They are grown in pots ranging in size from 7-inch to 10-inch, and 
every plant will bear close inspection. The strain, it ought to be noted, is 
Messrs. Cannell’s, and contains a good per-centage of extra well formed 
flowers in various colours, including a remarkably fine white, which may 
be said to be the cream of the collection. This is no chance success, as 
Mr. Trotman's gardener never fails to grow them well, and one of his 
secrets—an open one, however—is cleanliness. At no time are green fly 
allowed to gain a footing, and little or no fire heat is ever given beyond 
what may be necessary to protect them from severe frosts when coming 
into bloom. Every plant is given plenty of room from the first, and the 
Cinerarias are never “ jumbled ” up among a miscellaneous collection of 
plants. They pay well for liberal treatment, as all who have seen Mr. 
Trotman’s collection will readily admit.” 
LIQUID MANURE FOR ORCHIDS. 
Although many of the epiphytal Orchids may not be benefited by 
the direct use of liquid manure I find that by syringing between the pots 
and damping any dry surfaces under the stages, &c., two or three times a 
week, an improvement takes place in the foliage, and the roots hanging 
from the pots and baskets evidently enjoy the application, and carry the 
constituents of the manure to other parts of the plants. Aerides, Vandas, 
Cattleyas, Masdevallias, Odontoglossums, and Phalacnopses all like the 
ammonia arising from it. But little difference is noticed between the use 
of Clay’s Fertiliser or the liquid drained from the cowsheds and stables, 
and which is diluted to the same strength as for Pelargoniums usually. 
Most of the terrestrial Orchids receive much nourishment from its use in 
the ordinary way from the watering-pot. Some of the Cymbidiums, 
Cypripediums, Cyrtopodiums, Mormodes, and Zygopetalums may be kept 
in the same pots for years and the roots remain in good condition, as they 
receive such food from the manure that the roots become so matted 
together it would be rather difficult to remove any of the old compost 
without injury to the roots. Anguloas, Arpophyllums, Ltelias, Gramma- 
tophyllum Ellisi, Houllettias, Lycastes, Phaius, Sobralias, and Trichosma 
do well with the same treatment.—G. W. C. 
EUPATORIUMS. 
No doubt many gardeners will agree with me when I recommend the 
Eupatorium to be cultivated for winter work. E. odoratum and 
riparium we find most useful for ordinary decorative purposes, and if 
the cuttings are taken off and inserted singly in thumb pots, placing them 
in a gentle heat, they will soon become rooted and be ready for their final 
shift. The sizes most useful for ordinary purposes are 48 and 32’s, but if 
large specimens are required three or four plants may be placed in a 16, 
or any other size the cultivator may require. 
Eupatoriums delight in a rich soil; loam and cowdung in equal parts, 
with a good dash of sharp sand to keep it porous will be found to answer 
well. After they have become established air may be admitted freely to 
prevent their becoming weak. Stopping is necessary once during the 
summer to make them break well from the bottom ; after the growth is 
almost completed they may be trained into the shape required. With 
small plants we find it best to insert fcur stakes round the edge of the 
pots, training the shoots down as to form flat heads after placing them 
near the glass to prevent their being drawn. Copious supplies of water 
will be necessary at all seasons, and liquid manure will be found very 
beneficial when the plants are making their growth. They last mode¬ 
rately well in rooms, and the flowers are very useful for using in a cut 
state, its white flowers and bright shining foliage making a good contrast 
with other plants of the season, and when given a fair trial I think 
professional or amateur gardeners will not regret the trouble bestowed 
upon them.—G. P. 
ORANGE CULTURE IN FLORIDA. 
C Continued, from page 304.) 
The more thorough the cultivation the better the results. The ground 
should be kept clear of weeds and grass. It should be planted with some 
kind of crop which will grow rapidly and speedily cover the land, afford¬ 
ing protection from the sun. If the planter does not wish to take anything 
from the soil it can be planted with cow peas. Several crops of these may 
be grown and turned under during the year, and add nitrogen—the base 
of ammonia—to the soil. Should the planter wish to gather crops from 
the soil while the Orange trees are growing, to lessen the expense or pay 
for the cost of cultivation, he can plant vegetables, Cucumbers, Cabbage, 
Tomatoes, Beans, &c. But if at the same time he would benefit and not 
damage the ground for Oranges, he must be careful to add yearly 
more fertility to the soil than has been taken from it by the crops re¬ 
moved. 
All material containing either nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or potash, pro¬ 
vided no one or two of these be given in excess, is beneficial. These 
materials enter into the composition of all plants in a certain ratio, 
governed by the particular Species. The Orange tree has its own formula, 
The intelligent planter should ascertain as nearly as he can what this 
formula is, and then as nearly as possible what his soil contains, and then 
supply the deficiency. When the trees are young they need more of 
ammoniated manures ; when fruiting they need more of phosphoric acid 
and potash. Stable manure is a standard. It should be well rotted before 
it is applied. It is better to compost it with muck, leaves, grass, or any 
other vegetable matter. When vegetable matter, with or without muck, 
can be obtained it is well to compost with bone, and some one of the salts 
of potash. When muck cannot be obtained sulphate of lime should be 
added to retain the ammonia. Many of the commercial manures are good, 
and can be used with great profit. Where the planter wishes to combine 
his own fertilisers the following is an excellent formula Equal parts of 
Cotton seed meal, ground bone, sulphate of lime, and sulphate of potash. 
Vegetable mould or muck can be substituted for sulphate of lime. When 
these substitutes are used they should equal in bulk all the rest of the 
material. The pile should be frequently turned to insure uniform com¬ 
bination. 
The following directions as to gathering and packing are suggested :— 
The fruit should be clipped with a stem as short as possible from the tree ; 
handled carefully to prevent any bruising, and cured before packing. 
The first handling of the fruit is most important, for then it is more easily 
bruised than later. Any Orange falling on the ground should be rejected, 
as it is likely to have been damaged by the fall. If the weather is warm 
and damp prior to packing the fruit it should be subjected to fumes of 
sulphur to destroy any germs of fungi. With proper care in handling and 
curing the Orange I doubt not it can be preserved for months after it is 
gathered, and so extend the time of marketing throughout the year. 
