352 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May S, I8S». 
Heroine. —This beautiful self is now so •well known as not to 
need any description. If it had a darker tube it would be perfect. 
Mrs. Potts (Barlow).—A beautifully smooth self, with good 
petals ; it has a very long stem, which I fear is too slender to bear 
a good truss without support. 
Magpie (Horner).—A flower well named, as the contrast 
between the black body colour and the white edge is very good. 
Take it all in all I think that this is the best flower that Mr. Horner 
has raised. 
Reliance (Mellor).—Large, dark body colour, greyish white 
edge, very similar in character to Nigella, a new flower of Mr. 
Horner’s. 
Abbe Lizst (Douglas).—Good green edge, body colour very 
dark, tube somewhat large. I notice that this defect appears in a 
good many new varieties, and also the tube is out of proportion to 
the rest of the flower. 
'Monarch. —The edge good, body colour dark, but as shown 
certainly coarse. These coarse flowers do not improve by age, 
and will not, I think, find a place in the affections of any true lover 
of the Auricula. 
Green Plover (Horner).—A very pretty flower, reminding me 
somewhat of an older flower, Traill’s Anna, the edge being clear 
green, paste solid, tube yellow, and body colour dark. I look to 
this (if large enough) as a flower to make itself better known 
by-and-by. 
Sir Wm. Hewitt (Douglas).—A good dark maroon self, with 
good solid paste and smooth petals. 
Atalanta (Hornerl.—White edge, good paste, body colour very 
solid ; a promising variety. 
John Simonite (Meiklejohn).—This flower has now been out 
many years, but is still scarce, and I fear likely to be so. Its con¬ 
stitution does not improve, and the plant does not carry a good 
truss. There was indeed one plant of it that seemed better, but I 
think that the general verdict on it was that it does not improve. 
Of the seedlings shown I cannot say much. The green edges 
seemed to me to be coarse, and although it is quite true that this 
class is limited, yet we do not want to see seedlings honoured for 
that reason and the class increased by flowers not worthy. Of 
course, the seedlings may improve, and there is no doubt that any¬ 
one who can add really good flowers to it will be conferring a boon 
on Auricula growers. The greys and whites exhibited did not 
seem to be in advance of those we already possess, and Mr. 
Douglas’s Fanny Glass seemed to be a. very promising self. 
I have said but little on the older flowers exhibited, but Lanca¬ 
shire Hero in its green state, Prince of Greens, Leigh’s Colonel 
Taylor, probably as fine a truss of it as ever was shown ; George 
Lightbody, Read’s Acme, Read’s Dr. Horner being shown in good 
condition, and still assert their claim to be considered as amongst 
the best flowers grown.—D., Deal. 
EVENING NOTES. 
Ci.ivias or Imantophyllums. —Like Mr. L. Castle, I have often 
wondered that such useful and beautiful plants as Clivias or Imanto- 
phvllum should be so rarely seen in good condition. Perhaps the prices 
keep them back, as some of the newer sorts are expensive ; still Clivia 
miniata is within the reach of all, and it is that useful old plant I wish 
to say a few words about. I have had them in bloom from the first 
week in January till now, some of the trusses with as many as fifteen 
to eighteen flowers each. I have had them in the drawing room for 
nearly three weeks in good condition, where they are very much appre¬ 
ciated. So perhaps a few words as to their cultural requirements might 
be useful. In the first place I always have clean pots ; next we crock 
them well, for the plants like good drainage ; then over the crocks a 
layer of moss or bones is placed. The most useful sized pot I find is 
6-inch, though a few plants might be grown in 10 or 12-inch pots for 
conservatory decoration. The next consideration is the soil. I have 
always found them do well in the following—half good turfy loam, the 
other half consisting of equal parts of leaf mould and thoroughly 
decayed manure, with a liberal dash of sand and a few lumps of charcoal 
to keep it sweet, as they do not like stagnation, neither do they like 
potting too often ; about every two or three years is often enough. The 
best time for potting is after they have flowered. 
Clivias can be increased by seed or suckers, the latter making the best 
plants. The heat they require is from 60° to 65°, which I find is quite 
high enough ; if more, they are likely enough to throw up weakly spikes 
through the summer, which is best avoided. I always syringe them twice 
a day when they are growing. Clivias can be kept through the winter in 
a temperature from 40° to 45°, having the soil dryer, but on no account 
let them flag. Insects do not trouble them much ; thrips, mealy bug, or 
red spider may attack them. I have always found sponging with soft- 
soap water the safest plan to follow to get rid of these.—W. Jones, 
Dorset. 
Eucharis grandi flora. —Much has been said on this plant by 
men with a greater experience than mine, but I thought a short note 
would not be out of place. The plants here are now flowering for the 
third time in thirteen months.' They are grown in a stove, and their fine 
leathery foliage shows plainly that it does not disagree with them. 
E. Sanderiana is also making healthy growth, but, being only small 
plants, they have not been expected to bloom. They are potted in a 
compost of loam, leaf mould, and sand, with probably a greater quantity 
of leaf mould than most cultivators would give them.—A Youngster,. 
Gardeners’ Qualifications. —I assert, in spite of “ A Working 
Head Gardener’s ” and Mr. Dale’s asseverations, as well as the editorial 
remarks on page 312, that there are thousands of single-handed 
gardeners who originate from labourers, and young gardeners who have 
married or been compelled to accept situations before they are quali¬ 
fied gardeners. If they manage their places well and are able men 
that will not qualify them as gardeners to be placed in important 
positions for which they have had no training. In respect to certificates,, 
they are necessary because young men under glass would know that they 
could not pass an examination without a knowledge of kitchen garden- 
work, and would therefore note the work done in that department, and 
not be placed in the dilemma in which many have found themselves.— 
G. Revell. 
THE COOL OR ODONTOGLOSSUM HOUSE. 
As the plants come into flower it may be necessary, for the saka- 
of effect, to break up any arrangements that may have existed since- 
early autumn. As far as possible, however, Odontoglossum grande r 
0. Insleayii, 0. cirrliosum, Ada aurantiaca, Masdevallia tovarensis, 
and others should occupy the warm end of the house, while Odonto¬ 
glossum triumphans, 0. Pescatorei, and 0. Alexandra may be 
accorded the cooler end. The plants should be elevated if practi¬ 
cable, either on pots or on an open lattice stage, arranged just above 
a base of ashes, gravel, or water. If the material by which the- 
stage is covered is moderately rough and open the plants can be 
stood upon it. The object is to insure superfluous water passing 
away freely. This is important, for although these plants enjoy 
during the season of growth liberal supplies of water, they cannot 
endure it in a stagnant condition about the roots. 
SHADING. 
Overshading is detrimental to these plants. Fixed shading 
must not be employed ; it is almost certain to result in rendering 
the foliage weakly in the early stages of the plant’s growth, so that 
it will scarcely stand erect when fully developed. The finest 
flower spikes are produced by plants that make sturdy growth with 
firm leathery foliage. This is brought about largely by judicious- 
shading. Screen the plants from bright sunshine, but admit every 
ray of diffused light possible. When blinds are employed for this 
purpose they can be drawn down when it is necessity to protect the-- 
plants from the sun, and drawn up so as to admit full light during 
dull weather, or whenever the sun ceases to strike with force upon, 
the structure in which they are grown 
WATERING. 
With an increased temperature more moisture in the atmosphere- 
will be needed, and the plants will require more liberal supplies at- 
their roots ; but in this matter individual cultivators will need to 
use considerable discretion. Strong healthy plants will bear safely 
much more liberal supplies than those that are in a weak state or- 
have been recently potted. The material in which they are potted 
and the drainage in the pots must also be taken into consideration.. 
If the pots are nearly full of crocks and the material that has been 
used for potting consists of fibry peat, from which the particles of 
soil have been removed, more water may safely be given than when 
one-third of the compost consists of chopped sphagnum. The 
latter absorbs and retains a much greater quantity of water.. 
Many mistakes are made, and failures result from over-watering 
these plants at this period of the year. Because liberal supplies- 
are needed it is often given in an unstinted manner until a 
miniature bog is formed as a medium for the roots. This condition 
is often brought about by surfacing the plants with moss too early 
in the season, and then endeavouring to induce it to grow freely. 
Rootless plants—that is, plants that have lost their roots by unsuit¬ 
able treatment during the winter, or imported plants that are just 
breaking into growth, are better without a surfacing of sphagnum 
until they are growing and rooting freely. This is by no means 
