126 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r Teltnary 13, IfM. 
Another great point is to allow them plenty of time. If the plants 
are forced to spindle up* it will be at the expense of size and 
quality ; but if kept merely moving, with plenty air at all suitable 
times, good blooms may be fairly looked for. 
As to what are Malmaisons, it might be thought there would be 
no question ; but that is not so. I have bought at least six spurious 
varieties, four of which were from the continent. The Souvenir de 
la Malmaison Carnation is of a blush white shade with a strong 
clove scent, distinct in foliage, in growth, and in its inflorescence. 
Of this there is a sport of a rosy pink shade, known as the Pink 
Malmaison ; this is a beautiful variety. The former is catalogued 
on the continent as “ Blanc,” the latter as “ Rose.” There is also 
a sport from the pink variety named Lady Middleton. This is the 
pink form with clearly defined blush stripes. I have not seen this 
in continental lists. During the present winter a Brussels firm has 
distributed a true sport, with flowers of a vinous red, named 
Madame Warocque. This will be an acquisition of the greatest 
value, and will no doubt become as popular as the other better- 
known kinds. A fifth variety is in the market ; this is named The 
Witley Court variety. I have not had an opportunity of seeing 
this, but it is either the pink form, or else very like it in every 
respect.—N. B. 
IMPEOVING LAWNS. 
1 NOTICE in your recent issues a few remarks on this subject. 
May I, as an ex-farmer, and one who has had some experience in 
grass land, grasses, and laying down land to permanent pasture, 
venture to make a few remarks also ? I have always treated 
my lawn in the same way as I treated my grass fields or 
meadows that I was constantly in the habit of mowing, and 
I think if people would treat their lawns in the same way 
they would find my system to be light. A farmer who mows 
certain fields year after year knows that unless he manures 
them constantly his stock of hay will become abundant and his 
land poor ; but it never seems ito strike the majority of people 
who have the care of the lawn that if they constantly mow 
the lawn must eventually suffer. That Daisies, Dandelions, and 
other weeds will take the place of the finer grasses is a certainty if 
the lawn is allowed to get in an impoverished condition, for most 
weeds thrive best on poor soils. It only stands to reason that this 
must be the case, and if people would feed their lawns in the same 
way as the farmer feeds his fields, comparatively speaking, instead 
of a poor yellow-looking piece of turf they would have a green 
velvety piece of sward. 
It is quite useless to sow expensive grasses and Clovers on land 
that has no virtue in it, the result will only be disappointment and 
waste of money. But if a good dressing of cow manure or road 
scrapings is applied to the poor lawn for two or three years con¬ 
secutively, and after that every other year, you will find the 
Daisies, moss, and Dandelions disappear, and good grasses and 
Clovers take their place. I know of no better manure than road 
scrapings applied in a dry state for the tennis lawn. Sulphate of 
ammonia, superphosphate, and such like, are only stimulants, and 
act on poor land like brandy does to the dying man. Soot is a 
good and valuable manure for the lawn, but it will not make poor 
land rich, and should be used when you have got your lawn round ; 
and my advice to those whose lawns are in a poor state is. See 
that they are properly drained and then feed them, remembering 
that if you reap you must sow, and if you mow you must apply 
manure.— Ex-Faiimer. 
Hybridism furnishes horticulturists with one of the most 
interesting studies in connection with plant life, and its commercial 
importance can scarcely be over-estimated, for amongst both useful 
and ornamental plants skilled hybridists have produced astonishing 
results. The fact cannot, however, be disregarded that after the 
exercise of every care and thought in effecting crosses for definite 
purposes, selection becomes necessary, and much depends upon the 
way this is performed ; keen critical observation must be enlisted 
in the service of the would-be plant improver, or much of his 
labour will be lost. A celebrated breeder of dogs was once asked 
to explain his uncommon success, and he replied, “ Oh, I breed 
a great many and I hang a great many,” and the success 
of some plant raisers could be summarised in similar terms, 
as in any experiments there is sure to be a large proportion of 
seedlings that must be rejected, and the greater the number raised 
the better the chance of obtaining those worth preservation. 
Some have succeeded in adding many beautiful novelties to our 
flowering plants simply by selection from a great number of 
seedlings raised annually for several years, and by indiscriminate- 
crosses. There can be no doubt, however, that much more may 
be accomplished by an intelligent and methodical system of 
crossing than by any haphazard mode of working, and every credit 
is due to those who within the past quarter of a century have- 
assisted so much in the development of new and improved plants- 
by means of hybridising. 
One of the most important matters in regard to this subject is^ 
the relative influence of the pollen and seed parents ; but though 
the subject has been treated exhaustively by highly competent 
observers, the numberless facts are so varied, and indeed so contra¬ 
dictory, that it is impossible to draw up any rules applicable to 
plants generally. In many cases it has been proved that the charac¬ 
ters of the seed parent greatly predominate in the seedlings ob¬ 
tained by crossing with pollen of another species or variety. A 
skilful and successful hybridist, who has for many years been com- 
cerned in the production of florists’ flowers, such as Chineser 
Primulas, Cyclamens, and Cinerarias, gives as the result of his- 
experience that three characters out of every four in the progeny 
from a cross will be due to the seed parent. This he proved to my 
satisfaction by reference to records of crosses extending over ten 
years, and showed conclusively what a methodical plan and con¬ 
tinued perseverance can accomplish, for in nearly every case he- 
had succeeded ultimately in attaining his object. Mr. Peter Grieve^ 
who performed good service amongst the variegated Pelargoniums, 
has stated that in his opinion the constitution of a plant is chiefly 
due to the seed plant, and he attributes the delicacy of many of 
the Pelargoniums named to the employment of the plants with- 
variegated leaves as seed bearers. He further says, “ The most 
vigorous and in all respects the best I have raised have been from- 
green-leaved seed parents.” This we can easily understand, but 
my observations teach me that considerably more depends upon- 
what may be termed the individual characters of the seed plant 
than upon the specific or varietal distinctions. Thus the selection 
of a strong healthy plant for seed-bearing is likely to give better 
results than a w'eakly individual of the same species, whatever the-^ 
cross may be. 
A peculiarity has also been observed that is in a measure con¬ 
fined to the plant world—namely, when a cross has been effected 
between two species and resulted in the production of seedlings- 
possessing well marked characters, the reverse cross has given 
practically the same result. This seems somewhat contradictory to 
the above statement respecting the influence of the seed parent,, 
but it is true, though of course it applies chiefly where the- 
characters of the two parents are nearly balanced in the seedlings. 
Amongst the Orchids this comes out strongly, and it may be safely 
asserted that in three-fourths of the hybrids raised little difference- 
is caused by reversing the crosses. Such is the experience of the- 
most successful Orchid hybridist of the present time, and it is the 
more remarkable when the very strongly marked characters of the- 
majority of Orchids are considered. In some cases there is a pre¬ 
dominance of one parent, but they are few, and do not seem to- 
follow any rule. 
No family of plants presents so many interesting points im 
hybridism as the Orchids, and it would be impossible to review 
them all even briefly in the limit of a paper like this. The subject 
has also been exhaustively dealt with by such authorities as Mr. 
H. J. Veitch, which renders it all the more diflficult to say any¬ 
thing fresh. But to illustrate some of the chief phenomena in 
Orchid hybridising I have selected two genera—the Odontoglossums- 
and the Cypripediums—which have given most diverse results- 
under artificial treatment. First, as regards the Odontoglossums we- 
have two curious facts to consider, one is that numbers of Odonto¬ 
glossums are found in a wild state so exactly intermediate in floral 
form and colouring between other well known species as to leave no- 
reasonable doubt that they are natural hybrids, they have beeni 
introduced freely, and have puzzled botanists and horticulturists- 
not a little. The other fact is that notwithstanding this evident 
variability and tendency to intercrossing in a wild state, the Odonto¬ 
glossums have not yielded to the cultivators’ attempts to obtaia 
hybrids under artificial conditions, indeed they have stubbornly 
resisted all efforts, and have caused more disappointment than any 
other Orchids. Seedlings have been raised in a few instances, but 
invariably lost, and the strangeness of this circumstance induced 
me a few years ago to make some experiments with a view to 
testing the matter. I had several healthy plants of Odontoglossums, 
and amongst them were six each of two favourite species—0. Pes- 
catorei and 0. triumphans. They were in good condition for 
