May 2, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
S53 
important when the plants are in the hands of an experienced 
grower, but the inexperienced can decide with greater certainty 
when to apply water. 
TEMPERATURE. 
The low temperature often advised for these plants often leads 
beginners astray, and they discontinue the use of artificial heat too 
early in J;he season. The night temperature should range from 
55° to 50°, the latter being the morning reading ; by day it should 
range from 60° to 65°, or even 5° higher. The temperature given 
is for cold nights when the thermometer falls moderately low, but 
on mild occasions gentle warmth should be maintained in the pipes, 
oven if the temperature rises to 60°. 
VENTILATING. 
The ventilators should for the present be closed during the 
night. During the day air may be admitted on all favourable 
occasions. When there is a prospect of a bright warm day commence 
ventilation early in the morning at the top, to prevent the tempera¬ 
ture of the house rising too suddenly and running up too high. 
Tncrease it gradually as the temperature rises. Open the ventilators 
on the shady side of the house. Be careful not to admit to the 
'plants large volumes of cold air. They enjoy aix - y treatment, but 
by no means appreciate draughts. When the air is very cold, or 
drying winds prevail, it is much better for the plants to allow the 
temperature to rise considerably than to ventilate freely, so as to 
maintain the desired day temperature. The former will have the 
•effect of insuring genial atmospheric conditions, while if ventilated 
freely on such occasions the material about the roots will soon 
become too dry, as well as the atmosphere, for the well-being of 
the occupants of this structure.— Orchid Grower. 
MASDEVALLIAS AT CHESHUNT. 
The Phalaenopsis at the residence of E. J. Partington, Esq., 
Heaton House, was described in this column last week, but they are 
by no means the only Orchids that are thriving well under the 
-charge of Mr. Searing. The Masdevallias occupy a long lean-to 
house on the north side of the same wall, and in a week or two 
there will be a grand show of blooms. These plants, like most of 
the other Orchids, are elevated well above the rim of the pot; they 
■are exceptionally dwarf in habit, with broad and thick leaves, which 
is partly due to the amount of light they receive. Numerous 
blooms will soon be expanding on vigorous spikes. Although the 
largest flowering species, such as M. ignea, M. Harryana, and 
M. Veitchi predominate, yet those of botanical interest also find a 
congenial home, among them being several well-flowered examples 
of the recently certificated M. triangularis. M. Wageneri, and 
M. Swertuefolia, with pink flowers of peculiar shape on slender 
racemes resembling a ram’s head. The bright Epidendrum vitel- 
linum majus is admirably grown close to the front lights, and on 
some of tbe largest in 8-inch pots I counted as many as fourteen 
•spikes advancing. Ada aurantiaca, grown in 6-inch pots, is 
extremely showy with eight drooping spikes on a plant ; the flowers 
are of a bright orange colour. A large specimen of the sweet- 
scented Trichosma suavis is also growing in the same house. Some 
of the Masdevallias requiring more heat are grown in the Cattleya 
house, notably M. tovarensis, and the quantity of old flower stalks 
on the scores of large plants lead one to imagine how fine they 
must have been a few weeks since laden with pure white blooms. 
ONCIDIUM JONE3IANUM. 
This beautiful Oncidium, which frequently puzzles some 
growers, is in perfect health at Heaton House in the Cattleya 
house. The plants have been established on bare pieces of teak, 
which are now covered with roots, and had there been larger pieces 
of that wood obtainable it would have been used in preference to 
the oak blocks now employed, but the results are so far satisfactory. 
The plants are fastened on the new blocks without’ disturbing the 
old, and the roots are taking kindly to them. 
PLANTS IN BLOOM. 
Among the plants recently in bloom, in addition to those 
already noted, was a large specimen of Dendrobium Dalhousie- 
anum with many racemes, and the pretty Epidendrum Stamfordi- 
anum, Cattleya chocoensis, C. citrina, C. intermedia, C. Lawrenciana, 
<1. Mendeli, C. Schrcederoe, C. speciosissima, Chysis bractescens, 
Cypripedium Lawrencianum, Cymbidium aloifolium, Dendrobium 
chrysotoxum, D. macrophyllum, D. nobile (large plants, well 
bloomed), Laelia elegans, L. harpopliylla, Lycaste Skinneri, Odonto- 
glossom crispum (heavily blotched), 0. citrosmum, O. hystrix, 
O. Pescatorei, 0. pulchellum, O. Wilckeanum sulphureum, Onci¬ 
dium ampliatum majus, 0. obryzatum, 0. sarcodes, Trichopilia 
coccinea, with twelve blooms in a small basket, and the quaint- 
looking Uropedium Lindeni.—G. W. C. 
DROITWICH AND IMPNEY. 
For some weeks past I have been wanting to say a little about 
Droitvvich and its neighbourhood, but “ something happened ” prevent¬ 
ing this and other matters, perhaps of greater importance, being attended 
to at the proper time. 1 did not visit the district with the inten¬ 
tion of writing, and took no notes with that object, and I daresay I have 
forgotten about half of what I saw ; still, I remember seeing a sinking 
and a rising town, the blackest of smoke and the whitest of salt; the 
electric light worked with water ; two interesting fruit gardens, one 
experimental, the other commercial; about 20,000 gallons of perry in a 
barn, a few Chrysanthemums, which may possibly be heard of again, 
and an example of Apple tree canker, on which I hope to say some¬ 
thing by-and-by, not entirely in accord with the views of Messrs. Tonks 
and Hiam, however entitled to respect those views may be. As I do 
not intend confining myse f to gardening, I will commence by saying— 
SOMETHING ABOUT SALT. 
It would not be difficult to write a column or two about salt as a 
manure, as I have proved it3 value during hot summers in a dry district, 
and have seen the effeet of using a few scores or perhaps hundreds of 
tons, but at present shall refer to what salt has done in other respects. 
It has for one thing made Mr. John Corbett, M.P., a successful man. He 
possesses one of the finest estates in the county, in the midst of which 
is the magnificent and superbly furnished mansion of Impney. It 
has raised the owner, or he by its aid and his enterprise has raised him¬ 
self, from the honourable position of an assiduous worker to the exalted 
station of “ salt king.” His extraordinary success has been of benefit 
to thousands, for something like a town has been erected near his great 
works at Stoke, and everything that could be done for the moral and 
material benefit of its inhabitants has been done by the founder of 
this remarkable establishment. That, however, is some distance from the 
ancient salt town of Droitwieh, which also affords evidence of Mr. 
Corbett’s affluence in the form of a public hall and baths, and in many 
other ways of a less public nature. The estate of Impney, too, which 
adjoins the town must of necessity be advantageous to it by the em- 
p'oyment of labour in the maintenance of park, gardens, and farms, for 
there is no lack of means for keeping everything in the best order. 
I have described Droitwieh as a “ sinking and a rising town.” The 
ancient part, and there is no doubt about its antiquity, has sunk 
considerably. I am told that within the memory of persons still living 
the main street was level, or at least with a slight incline enabling the 
water from rains to pass through it without any appreciable accumula¬ 
tion through inequality of surface ; but the case is very different now, 
for the street slopes from each end to the centre, the depression being 
7 or 8 feet. This subsidence is the result of the extraction of brine, 
which has been going on for more than a thousand years. It used to 
rise to the surface, but is now pumped from a depth of 150 to 200 feet. 
But what of the houses ? Obviously they must sink with the street. 
They have an inebriated appearance in places, as if one were holding 
the other up, and several of them not quite equal to the task. It is 
certain they would not stand alone. To a stranger they look dangerous, 
and I should not choose one of them for a habitation, but perhaps there is 
no real or immediate danger ; indeed in one respect it would seem to be 
less than formerly, for passing an ancient church I was told it had been 
closed for some years as unsafe, but has been opened again for public 
worship, and this would not have been done if there were any reasonable 
doubt of its instability. The old town, then, may perhaps look more 
“shaky ” than it is, notwithstanding that so many buildings are a long 
way out of the perpendicular, and they can be correctly described in 
gardening parlance as “ lean-to’s.” So much for the sinking ; now to 
the “rising.” 
Droitwieh is raising in repute, not only as a health resort, but as a 
great curative centre for the most obstinate and painful diseases to 
which the human frame is liable, and from which thousands of persons 
suffer excruciatingly—rheumatism, gout, sciatica, lumbago, and other 
complaints of a kindred nature. The efficacy of the brine baths of 
Droitwieh has been long known in the locality. These baths have been 
long established, and from time to time extended to meet steadily 
increasing requirements. Their virtues have also been “ found out ” by 
the outside world, and those existing no longer sufficed to meet the 
demands of visitors. They were not sufficiently modern and replete 
with the conveniences which have been provided at German Spas and 
other continental establishments. But everything that was lacking 
in modern methods, including me lical supervision and trained attend 
ants, is now supplied, for a large and splendidly appointed establishment 
has recently been completed by Mr. Corbett, as complete in its details 
probably as any other establishment of the same nature in Europe. 
Everything that science and experience could suggest has been pro¬ 
vided, and Droitwieh, the old Salinm of the Romans, is probably 
destined to become a British Mecca, which many an afflicted pilgrim 
will visit and leave his pains behind. As searchers for health have the 
privilege of visiting the beautiful park and excellent gardens at Impney, 
Mr. R. Parker, the gardener, was able to tell me with gladness of what 
he had heard and seen of peisons carried screaming into the baths, and 
in a few weeks joyously recounting their experiences, as they “tripped 
