440 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 3, 1886. 
formed an important argument, the right of taking premiums would soon 
disappear. In the first place, it is very questionable if the term apprentice 
applies to 5 per cent, of gardeners; there is seldom any legal tie. And, 
again, in most cases it is not the youths that are first entering gardens 
who pay premiums, but young men who have already served some years, 
and for improvement seek a beneficial change, and when he will certainly 
have a full share in all duties. This beiDg so, may I ask where “ An 
Outside Foreman” sees the resemblance between gardening and other 
trades? Singularly enough establ shments which deal most ia premiums 
are often in the habit of paying the lowest wages. I could enumerate a 
few rather glaring shortcomings of premium-payers, but have no desire to 
slight young men. 
In my opinion, however, receiving premiums is not a good practice. 
If a young man wishes to learn nothing can prevent his doing so; and, 
on the other hand, if he is slothful he will never be a competent gardener, 
and the sooner he retires to some other calling the better for all.— 
-Lathykus, 
STRAWBERRIES. 
As it is proposed to have a Strawberry election to prove which are the 
■most useful sorts to grow, I will give my evidence. I have grown upwards 
of a hundred varieties, one-half of these being seedlings. Owing to ill 
■health I have lost sight of half a dozen extra good seedlings, and in this 
climate I cannot grow successfully earlier sorts than Garibaldi, nor later 
ones than Dr. Hogg or Elton Pine. I have a seedling of the British 
Queen type, coloured to the very point, and very hardy. I have tried 
Dr. Roden’s Early Prolific and others, but it appears we are too far north 
Tor the successful cultivation of his seedlings. The soil is light, resting 
upon a bed of gravel at a depth of from 1 to 2 feet. Rcses will not 
thrive in it, but Strawberries do well, only they must not be kept long in 
the same place. As annuals they do extra well. Care must be taken, 
too, that a new plantation be not formed earlier than six years after a 
plot has been dug- 
Garibaldi, which, with me, is distinct from, and superior to, Yiscomtesse 
Hericart de Thury, I place first as a prolific, strongly constituted, free 
grower, good sized, and of a Keens’ Seedling flavoured fruit. 
Almost as early, but having much larger fruit, and lasting longer, is 
Dr. Livingstone. This is a seedling from Admiral Dundas, not unlike 
President, but it is rather firmer, has a brighter appearance when growing, 
hut does not colour so well on the side farthest from the sun, is fine 
flavoured, and produces more fruit ihan any other variety I have grown. 
For marketing purposes I am told it stands first in Glasgow. The Editor 
of this Journal reported favourably of this Strawberry Borne fifteen or more 
years since. So did Mr. Barron. There is no Strawberry I have seen 
That will produce a crop beneath trees as this one does. It appears to be 
at home in all soils and situations. If I were confined to one sort it 
would be this one. If two, Garibaldi and Dr. Livingstone. For a firm, 
fine-formed, and good flavoured Strawberry, Sir Joseph Paxton, but with 
me it is uncertain after the first year, and many plants come blind. 
Were this not so it would be a great favourite. 
As Dr. Livingstone lasts so long. I go from it to the later sorts. Dr. 
Hogg is a handsome variety, and should be in every collection. Duke of 
Edinburgh does not grow well with me, aDd as flavour is the first thing in 
a Strawberry, I discard it, and James Yeitch as being defective. 
Cockscomb at one time grew large berries and was well flavoured 
and very prolific, but after a while refused to grow. Although coarse- 
looking, it is an interesting fruit, and I would not exclude it from a 
collection. 
Frogmore Late Pine did not do well here, being too tender, but 
otherwise a handsome well-flavoured fruit. Elton Pine, although soft 
and a little acid for dessert, is good f >r preserving, is very prolific ; with 
large, well-formed fruit. It does well here. 
Although these are my selection, I would advise for their great prolific¬ 
ness and earliness some Black Princes. If grown right it is not at 
all a small berry, and has a peculiar piquant flavour strictly its own. 
Then where Keens’ Seedling can be had true, it, in addition to its fine 
flavour, seems to be an everlastins Strawberry. Near me there is a bed 
of them still doing good service that has not been disturbed for thirty-five 
•years, and yet it does well, but it is the true sort.—W. Thomson, 
Auchinraith, N.B. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Orchids: Their Structure, History, arid Culture (Illustrated), Second 
Edition. By Lewis Castle. 171, Fleet Street. 
The still-increasing demand for Orchids is exemplified in the numerous 
recent publications devoted to their culture. By one post I received the 
excellent treatise alluded to above, and the “ Reiehenbachia,” by Mr. Fred. 
Sander. The last, a magnificent serial monthly publication, containing 
four coloured plates, which no doubt every Orchid grower will eub-cribe 
for. In Mr. Castle’s book no less than forty-one publications on Orchids 
are enumerated, but as the author justly observes, many of them are far 
too expensive for those who have slender purses. We cannot be all so 
careless of money as the gentleman described by a celebrated American 
author who “ handed his servant a bill without looking at it, and pocketed 
the change without counting it.” Nevertheless, I make bold to say that 
hundreds of young gardeners, and old ones too, spend more money on 
tobacco, and waste more time and money in public houses, than would be 
required to purchase the “ Reiehenbachia,” and many other expensive and 
useful books. I make no special charge against gardeners that might not 
be made against any other class. The only remark I make about Mr. 
Castle’s book in respect of its price is that it is too cheap. It costs but a 
shilling, and half of that sum must have been spent on the binding, lhe 
book itself contains 104 closely printed pages brimful of most useful and 
suggestive information, gleaned, as the author states, from “many years 
observation.” The book opens with a chapter on “ floral fashion, and 
some interesting information is given there and elsewhere about the prices 
of Orchids. Rire and beautiful Orchids will always command a high 
price, but, as the author remarks, a nice little collection may be purchased 
for £5 ; and, to confirm this, I may say a gentleman told me last week be 
paid £5 for his first lot of Orchids, forty plants, and sold ha.f of one ot 
them subsequently for 20 guineas. Rare varieties of Orchids, worth 1 
guineas, have been purchased in the usual way for half-a-crown , but e 
large proportion of Orchid fanciers comprising an ever-increasing number 
of busv city men, grow Orchids for nothing but love of their plants ; 
they are fascinated by the quaint forms, endless variety, and sweet per¬ 
fume of the lovely flowers. ... . 
A chapter is devoted to a description of Orchid flowers, which will be 
of the utmost value to young gardeners and amateurs ; the descrip¬ 
tive remarks are illustrated by woodcuts of the pollen masses, stigma, 
column, labellum, nectary, ovary, &c. A study of this chapter and that 
on “Fertilisation” would enable anyone to commence hybridisation 
without going any further for information. The cultural remarks are 
very trustworthy, and may be followed by the most nervous cultivator 
without fear. The use of manures is alluded to, but to be applied with 
caution, “ or much injury will result, and beginners had better abstain 
from dangerous experiments until they gain more knowledge ot Orchid 
culture.” Mr. Borwick’s Orchids at Higham Hill, Walthamstow, are 
alluded to as being much improved by the use of Jensen s fish manure, 
and used with caution excellent results have followed. In all cases when 
this or any other manure is used it is best to proceed by taking a se o 
say twelve plants all alike, use the manure upon six of them and none at 
all upon the other six, grow them together and watch the result for twe ve 
months. Another hint may be useful. A gentleman read somewhere 
that he was to use so much guano sprinkled on the surface ot the soil 
in a 15-inch pot. This seemed plain enough, hut he measured lound a 
5-inc.h pot, gave his plant an over-dose and killed it. Haying seen Mr. 
Borwick’s plants, I can say that his examples of Lycaste Sklnneri grown 
in pure leaf mould and “ fished,” as he calls it, have grown with amazing 
vigour, the pseudo-bulbs formed last year being in many cases quite 
three times as large as those formed the year previously, '-)ther 
mens, such as Maxillaria grandiflo ra, were equally remarkable. Mr. 
Castle’s chapter on culture and the use of manures should be read by 
every Orchid grower. This being the only cheap and at the same time 
reliable work on Orchid culture, it will doubtless soon be out of print. 
For my own part I am puzzled beyond measure to understand how sue 
cheap books can be sold at a profit to the publishers. I fancy some of 
them must be in the case of a caterer of shilling dinners for a great 
exhibition, who at last found himself in the bankruptcy court, and it 
came out in evidence that the average cost of the dinners was one shilling 
and three halfpence, and he had trusted that the large number of dinners 
required would pay in the end. _ . 
I ought to add that the frontispiece is a life-like portrait of the Presi¬ 
dent of the Royal Horticultural Society, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, M.I •» 
and the conclusion is an Orchidist’s Directory and a capital index.—J as. 
Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. 
GLOXINIAS FOR AUTUMN FLOWERING. 
The system recommended by Mr. Udale, page 394, of planting out 
Gloxinias in frames so as to have a good supply of blooms with a small 
amount of labour and expense, is well worth a trial by all who grow these 
plants in large numbers for cutting. Gloxinias can also be had in fljwer 
in abundance during the autumn months if treated in the following 
manner. About the middle of June place some Gloxinia leaves in small 
pots, using a light compost, such as leaf mould and a good sprinkling ot 
sand, plunge in a steady bottom heat, keep a moist atmosphere in the 
house or pit, but not too moist, or the leaves will damp instead of making 
roots freely. When they have rooted, transfer them into 4-mch pots. 
Use for this potting two parts good fibry loam, one of leaf mould, and one 
of sand, also adding some well-decayed cow manure if it is to be obtained, 
not made fine, but in lumps about the size of a walnut. After potting, 
place them again in a brisk bottom heat, keeping plenty of moisture 
around them. Be careful in watering till the roots have taken possession 
of the new soil, then, every third watering or so, give weak liquid manure, 
and, if so treated, good results may be anticipated, and would serve to 
keep up a succession of bloom. Some flowers produced by plants grown in 
the manner stated were in the hand bouquet which was awarded the first 
prize atone of the leading Chrysanthemum exhibitions held last November. 
—G. Gaenek, Ambernood, Hunts. 
VIOLET FLORIBUNDA 
In perusing the interesting article on Violets in your last week s 
issue, I was rather surprised to find floribunda classed amongst the 
spring-blooming varieties. This variety I raised from seed (The Giant) a 
few years ago, and if there be a perpetual-blooming Violet I consul er 
floribunda is the one. It is always in flower by August, and you tnay 
often find a few flowers on it even earlier than that. It is certainly the 
freest bloomer I know and as early as any, and although not quite so 
