508 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ June 24, 1886. 
lent. The Liliums amongst them are now advancing; they are not bo 
tall as usual owing to the cold weather, but sturdy and promising to flower 
well, L. Krameri having nine buds on one stem, a number that we do not 
remember having hitherto observed. Though Mr. MTntosh’s health is 
very far from being such as his many friends desire, they will be glad to 
hear that he has been able to enjoy his garden of late when the weather 
was favourable for outdoor exercise, 
- A correspondent, “ J. W. II.,” desires to be informed as to 
the best way of preserving Peaches in their whole state, and as near 
ripe as possible. If there is any other than the ordinary way of bottling 
them, he will be glad to have particulars. We will readily publish any 
information on this subject that maybe sent for that purpose. 
- The second edition of the Official Guide to the Museums 
of Economic Botany, Royal Gardens, Kew, has just been issued. 
It is devoted to the Dicotyledons and Gymnosperms, the guide to the 
Monocotyledons, which are grouped in No. 2 museum, not having been 
prepared yet. This issue has been revised and increased by the addition 
of twenty pages, giving a variety of information relating to the uses and 
properties of plants. 
- “A.” writes—“The late Mr. R. Kyrke Penson of Denham 
House, Ludlow, who died May 22nd, aged seventy, was well known as 
one of the National Auricula and Carnation Society’s supporters, also as 
a grower and exhibitor of Auriculas, but to the horticultural world he 
was less generally known as a professional architect and an able land¬ 
scape artist. Some of his pictures have been exhibited in London, and 
gained him considerable reputation.” 
- Beds of the very fine variety Viola Queen of Lilacs are 
now in full beauty at the Botanic Gardens, Birmingham, in the Viola 
garden, where it shows how superior it is to the old “ Blue Bell ” for 
bedding. It is a stronger grower, of excellent habit, with larger flowers 
and brighter colours, and of sound constitution, as it will stand very hot 
summers and very severe winters. It is one of Mr. W. Dean’s many fine 
seedling varieties sent out a few years since. 
- “W. T.” sends the following note on blackbirds: —“In a 
garden near me at The Cottage, Mount Vernon, a pair of blackbirds built 
their nest early in January amongst the Ivy near the kitchen window, 
from which the birds were regularly fed. Notwithstanding the inclement 
season, the fifth brood was hatched out end of May. In the same garden 
I observed rather novel-looking borders, composed of champagne bottles 
turned upside down. A hole was broken in the bottom of the bottle with 
a chisel, then filled with earth, in which were planted Sedums, Saxifragas, 
Echeverias, See. They looked pretty in woods and round rockeries when 
placed in a diversified manner.” 
- Masdevallias for Buttonholes, &c.— “ W. D.” writes :— 
“ I think the varieties of M. Hairyana will before long become prominent 
features for decorative work, for they are so easy of cultivation, are such 
profuse bloomers, and are so very beautiful in the richness and variety of 
colours, that before long we shall find it a Covent Garden plant, and in 
great demand in a cut state, for they can be kept in good condition so 
long after they are cut. At the recent Orchid Exhibition at the Botanic 
Gardens, Birmingham, a special class for Masdevallias brought out a 
beautiful display ; and just now Mr. Latham has in the Botanic Gardens 
a number in bloom. When the market growers take this plant in hand, 
as they will do by-and-by, it will become one of our most popular deco¬ 
rative indoor plants.” 
- The time has now arrived when an estimate may be made of the 
FRUIT crop in Kent. Red and Black Currants have thinned lately 
through the cold east winds ; the Dutch Blacks are the best. Cherries 
a large crop, but dropping. Plums and Damsons will be an average 
crop. Apples and Nuts are very short, and are much infested with 
maggot and caterpillar. Gooseberries are plentiful and cheap, Apples 
scarce, Pears fair. Owing to the general depression in agriculture and 
trade Kentish fruit-growers do not look forward very confidently to 
realising good prices for their produce. 
- The monthly meeting of the Belgian Horticulturists was 
held in Ghent on the 1-lth inst., those present comprising MM. Blancqnaert, 
Arth. Desmet, Louis Desmet-Duvivier, V. Cuvelier, Bernard Spae, Moens, 
A. Eosseel, Edm. Vervaet, Ch. Van Gaert, and J. Closin; M. James Bray 
presiding and M. Alex. Dalliere was Secretary. Certificates of merit were 
awarded for Fagus atropurpurea tricolor, from M. Ed. Pynaert-Van 
Geert ; Pandanus discolor, shown in flower for the first time on the Con¬ 
tinent by MM. Jacob Makoy Sc Cie. of Liege ; Masdevallia macrura, from 
M. Aug. Van Geert j Cypripedium grande and Cattleya Mossise, from M. 
Jules Hye-Leysen ; Odontoglossum Pescatorei var. and Vanda insignia' 
from MM. Vervaet & Cie.; Sambucus canadensis filicifolia, from M. Ch. 
Van Geert, d’Anvers. A cultural certificate was awarded for Odonto¬ 
glossum vexillarium, from M. L. Desmet-Duvivier, and honourable mention 
for Caraguata sanguinea, from MM. Jacob Makoy & Cie. of Liege ; Elceo- 
dendron (Aralia) Cfaabrieri, from M. Ed. Pynaert-Van Geert; Pavetta 
montana, from M. Desmet-Duvivier; Phoenix senegalensis, from M. 
Bernard Spae ; Croton Gladstonei, from M. Alex. Dalliere; Ceanothus 
americana flore pleno, from MM. Fr. Desbois Sc Cie. ; Sobralia macrantha 
nana, from M. Aug. Van Geert; Cattleya Mossias var., from MM. Vervaet 
and Cie. 
- Mr. B. S. Williams’ Exhibition of Orchids at the Vic¬ 
toria and Paradise Nursery, Upper Holloway, still continues very attrac¬ 
tive, the fine plants of Lselia purpurata making a handsome display. 
Cypripediums also add considerably to the number of flowers, C. super - 
biens being beautifully represented by well-grown plants with large 
flowers, the dorsal sepal regularly striped with green, and the petals bearing 
numerous dots. The white and useful Dendrobium Dearei is in capital 
condition, one exceptionally fine plant having twelve racemes of four and 
five flowers each. As these flowers last well when cut the plant is likely 
to become a favourite wherever white flowers are in request. The white 
Phaius Marshalli, the peculiar reddish Anguloa Euckeri sanguinea, and 
the strange green-flowered Cycnoches chlorochilon are flowering, the 
latter being a very remarkable Orchid, with a long slender curved column 
similar to some others in the “ Swan Neck” genus. Maxillaria grandi- 
flora, with wax-like flowers, the sepals and petals white, the lip brownish 
yellow, is notable. Saccolabium retusum has some handsome racemes of 
flowers. The distinct Cypripedium Druryi is not seen very often. The 
flowers are of medium size, of yellowish tint, striped with brown down 
the centre of each. Odontoglossums are numerous. 0. cordatum and 
0. luteo-purpureum are represented by strong plants of good varieties. 
The graceful little 0. Ehrenbergi is also flowering ; it is apparently inter¬ 
mediate between 0. Rossi and O. cordatum, with narrow tapering sepals 
thickly spotted with pale brown on a white ground. The petals are 
broader, white or very faint blush, with a few spots at the base ; the lip 
is similar, but with an undulated margin and without the spots. The 
flower-stalks are very slender, and the plant has a pretty appearance. 
RED SPIDER ON MELONS. 
“ Discretion is the better part of valour,” and I would impress this 
on the minds of those who have not used sulphur for the destruction of red 
spider. I have found that if the pipes are painted with sulphur when 
they become warm the fumes, if strong enough to kill the spider, will kill 
the Melon plants ; also if the walls are whitewashed and the sun shines 
on them the fumes are injurious. I once had to hold up the leaves of 
some Melon plants whilst the foreman blew sulphur on with the fumi¬ 
gating bellows. The result was a six-light pit of dead plants before forty- 
eight hours had elapsed.—J. Gadd. 
CHOICE PERENNIALS IN FLOWER. 
The spring and early summer months are decidedly the richest among 
hardy herbaceous, alpine, and bulbous plants, and in a few remarks re¬ 
specting them at their season of flower I have placed them collectively 
under the heading of “ Perennials.” So great is the variety of flowering 
perennials which any border 100 yards long may contain, and so many of 
which are of such great service in a cut Btate, that it is surprising herba¬ 
ceous borders are not oftener met with in private gardens. Surely there 
is sufficient scope for their accommodation, and apart from the intrinsic 
value of the plants the abundance of flowers which they yield, to say 
nothing of the attractiveness of such a border at the present time, would 
well repay any moderate outlay. I do not refer to what too often 
bear the name of herbaceous borders in many establishments, and which 
contain a fair complement of plants, giants far better suited for mingling 
in shrubbery borders, and at the same time make room in the herbaceous 
border proper for really good and select plants, of which there are abund¬ 
ance, for I have no hesitation in saying that hardy plants were never more 
popular, nor were they ever grown in greater numbers than now. 
Another point may also be gained by having a good collection of hardy 
perennials in all establishments, by a suitable arrangement in the first 
place, and then in a clear and well defined hand place its full name in 
front of each. If this were adopted a little more frequently than it is we 
should see a greater number of the rising generation of young gardeners 
possessing a knowledge of the plants, who are unfortunately in many cases 
entirely ignorant in this respect. Still, it is so, and so little really is 
known of the best of our hardy perennials that many young gardeners and 
not a few old ones have from tuition been accustomed to regard hardy 
