428 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 22, 890, 
of Dicksonia antarctica, and various others, surrounded with a mass of 
flowering plants of various kinds. 
The kitchen garden is situated in close proximity to the house. One 
thing especially I noticed was Mr. Ford’s method of edging the walks ; 
instead of Box or tiles he has lines of the common Pink, which afford a 
wealth of flowers. The herbaceous borders were gay with various spring 
flowering plants, especially a very tine strain of seedling Pansies saved 
by the gardener. In the glass department two large houses have just 
been erected by Messrs. Foster & Pearson for large specimen plants. A 
span-roofed house was occupied with magnificent herbaceous Calceo¬ 
larias arranged on each side, the plants averaging from 2 to 2^ feet in 
diameter ; there were about a hundred of them. Mr. l^ord certainly 
excels in the culture of these plants, as all will admit who had the 
pleasure of seeing his group at the last Crystal Palace Show, which 
gained the first prize. I heard some of our leading gardeners remark as 
they were viewing them, that such a clean and healthy collection had 
not been staged for many years. He also gained first prize with six 
specimen stove plants, all of them meritorious. Cinerarias are 
also favourites with Mr. Ford, and he gained the first prize for a collec¬ 
tion of these on March 29th. In another large stove was a choice collection 
of plants of Anthurium Veitchi with magnificent leaves, A. crystallinum, 
and A. Lowi; also the comparatively new Aloc^sia Sanderiana, which 
by its habit of growth appears likely to make a good exhibition plant. 
Ixoras are grown well, several of which were in bloom ; I. Williamsi, 
I. Fraseri, and I. Pilgrimi, intermixed with Begonia corallina, pro¬ 
duced a rich effect. In addition to these there were choice Dracaenas, 
Crotons, and many other fine-foliage plants. There are about eighteen 
houses chiefly devoted to plants. They are systematically arranged so 
that each class of plant can receive its proper treatment and tempera¬ 
ture. Gloxinias are grown by hundreds, and there is also a very fine 
collection of Tuberous Begonias, with which Mr. Ford generally gains 
several prizes at various summer shows. 
In an adjoining house is a fine collection of Azaleas. A few of the 
best are Reine des Roses, about 4 feet in diameter ; Reine des Pays Bas, 
5 feet by 4 feet; a very fine pyramid plant of Fielder’s White, Bijou de 
Paris, and a very fine plant of the old Stella. Rhododendrons are 
also largely grown, a very large specimen of R. formosum, about 
(1 feet by 4 feet, the picture of health ; Lady A. Fitzwilliam, 
Bedowi, Princess Alice, and a very fine plant of Countess of Hadding¬ 
ton. Adding to the beauty of this house were large plants of 
Chorozema splendens, which well deserves a place in a cool green¬ 
house. Another greenhouse attached to this was aglow with various 
flowering plants, comprising well grown examples of Boronia serru- 
lata, and the sweet scented Boronia megastigma, the perfume of 
which completely filled the house. There were also several dozen 
well grown plants of Mignonette almost filling the centre stage. Melons 
are largely grown for dessert. Mr. Ford has been cutting good fruit 
some considerable time ; Golden Perfection and Reid’s Scarlet Flesh are 
the two principally grown. Cucumbers and Tomatoes are not forgotten, 
for houses are devoted to each, and good crops are advancing. Grapes 
are not extensively grown. The Peach house has a very fine crop. 
Lady Pigott being such a great lover of flowers gives the preference to 
them. It is a great pity many more do not take the same interest in 
their gardens as Her Ladyship does. Everything looks healthy and 
clean, nothing seems to be left undone.—J. Grandfield. 
ODONTOGLOSSUMS AND THEIR CULTIVATION. 
'A raoer reiA hefore the Ririnlngrham Garrtener.s’ Mutual Improvemeut Soe’ety at the 
Midlaud lustltute by Mr. W. Stevens, Walton Grauge Ga dens, St jne, Stoflordbhire ] 
(^Cimtinued from imcje 
From what has been already said we gather a few ideas as to what 
are essential to the successful cultivation of Odontoglots, and in practice 
we have found most of them amenable to cultivation. Thp plants must 
be grown in a suitable temperature, with plenty of atmospheric moisture 
and an abundance of air, but at the same time without draught and 
loaded with moisture. Next they want no great amount of heat and 
very little variation in temperature ; also they must have a certain 
amount of shade to be grown successfully. 
Cultivation. 
We will now review their cultivation as carried out in our everyday 
practice, and we may as well start with imported plants obtained from 
a nursery. Having received the plants we examine them, and if there 
are any decayed pseudo-bulbs cut them out down to the sound rhizome, 
and smear the cut with dry pounded chf.rcoal. This is important, as I 
have found some plants to bleed, and they are of course greatly weakened 
by the loss of sap. Trim the old roots, leaving enough to fasten the 
plant in the pot, place them on some slightly damp moss in a box, 
throw a sheet of paper over them, arrange them on a stage or somewhere 
safe from slugs, and examine them once a week. When showing fresh 
growth take them out and pot them, use some sound fibrous peat with 
all the dust out, give it a chop or two, add about half as much fresh- 
picked sphagnum and one-third of fine broken crocks to go through a 
quarter-inch riddle ; mix all together, and nearly fill the pots with clean 
fresh crocks. Keep the plants from half to three-quarters of an inch 
above the rim of the pot, and pot firmly. Some advise keeping them 
from 1 to 2 inches above the poc, but I have never seen the necessity 
for it; the plant is certainly more likely to be knocked out of a pot 
in handling. Place them in a close house, where the temperature will 
range from 55° to C0°, and keep plenty of moisture about them, and 
they will grow like weeds. Established' plants require exactly the sam« 
treatment as to soil, with the exception that as they increase in size the.v 
should be given potting material in proportion, but in larger pieces, and 
they will need more air. 
A word or two as to ventilation. Our chief house, facing north-east, 
has front ventilation by means of boxes about 2 feet long and G inches, 
wide in the front wa'l, and opposite to the hot-water pipes, with a lid 
on the outside to open and shut, and the inside iscovered with perforated 
zinc to keep vermin out. The ventilation at the top i< by means of i> 
narrow light, raised by a screw left inside. Then to begin with January, 
If cold but the wind is not strong the front ventilators will be open, say 
half an inch ; but if mild, with wind from any other quarter than north 
or east, they are opened 2 or 3 inches. In February the same treatment 
will sufilce, also in March ; but at the beginning of the latter month-, 
if the sun is very bright, the blinds will have to be used for an hour on- 
two on bright days, with plenty of water thrown about the stages and- 
paths. From April to September continue similar treatment, with 
plenty of front ventilation and water, and if on hot days the temperature 
rises very high open the outside doors, but not the top ventilators ; the 
reason for this I will try to explain. In the early part of the season the 
air through the front ventilators rises amongst the plants laden with 
moisture, and if you open the top lights out goes the moisture with the 
air, at same time creating a draught. So we keep the top ventilatora 
closed, turn off the heat if any has been required, and drop the b inds ; 
but later in the season, when the weather is warm outside and we have 
any difficulty in keeping the temperature down, we open one of the 
outside doors, and it seems to suit the plants better than top ventilation. 
The rest of the year, from September to December, is when we use the 
top ventilation most. IE we get, as we sometimes do at the end of 
September and the beginning of October, close hot moist weather venti¬ 
lation top and bottom is required freely, for the moisture in the air 
outside would be carried through the front ventilators, and amongst the 
plants, and out at top, doing no harm, but tending to promote a drier- 
atmosphere and a ripening of the growths. 
Watering is the next consideration, and of equal importance to the 
preceding points. The general advice in works on Orchid growing as 
to treatment of Odontoglossums is never to let them get dry. That 
advice is only correct so far as it goes. I used to follow the above 
advice, till I found by experience (sad in some cases) that I was wrong, 
and 1 say now. Never water an Odontoglossum till it is dry during winter, 
and not until it is comparatively so in summer ; in fact treat them as 
you would ordinary greenhouse plants as regards water at the roots. 
In winter we never water a plant till it actually wants it. We examine 
them every day, and water the dry ones only, and so on throughout the 
year, with this difference that perhaps a plant may not want it for a 
week or more in winter, and in summer they might want it every day 
for weeks at a time if the weather is hot and dry, but from October to 
Christmas very little will be required. 
The temperature of the w'ater is next to be considered, and if there is,, 
as there ought to be, a large tank in the house to catch the rain water 
nothing can be better, as it will be of the right temperature ; but if 
unfortunately you have to use pipe water have a tub or tank largo 
enough for a day’s supply, and let it stand the twenty-four hours full 
before using. Do not use pump water if it can possibly be avoided, for 
it not only kills the moss but the plants do not thrive ; they seem to 
become encrusted with a coating of lime which kills the roots. A 
caution, never use water out of the hot water pipes to warm that to be 
supplied to the plants. One winter w’e had plan's that lost the tips of 
their leaves, and could not make it out. They kept dying back till they 
looked as if they had been clipped with the hedge shears, caused by our 
constantly cutting the dead parts off. 1 attributed this to the stage 
being close, and not enough air circulating betw’een the plants. So I 
cleared everything in the shape of slates, &;c., off, and put them on the 
open trellising, but they still lost their leaves. I thought then it must 
be the use of warm water out of the pipes. We tried without, and we 
have never lost leaves in the same way since, and we have used water 
after cold rain or snow at 40°, but it is as well to let the wa'ering stand 
over for an hour or two till it has gained a little warmth. Do not water 
the plants while the house is cold. IE the temperature has fallen very 
much in the night let it rise a degree or two before placing water 
about. 
With regard to shading. A few years ago there was a great outcry 
about shading plants, and Orchids in particular, some people advocatin'^ 
no shading at all and others the reverse ; but whatever the result with 
the warm Orchids does not concern us here, but cool Orchids must have 
shade. With others I tried thinner shading, but the results were not 
satisfactory, and we returned to our rather thick scrim or Hessian 
canva.=. We also apply a thin shade to the glass of flour and water, 
which remains on all the summer, and in wet weather is almost trans*- 
parent. By doing this there is less danger of the plants being burnt, 
.and it often avoids the need for drawing down the blinds. Our blinds^ 
are supported on strips or a sort of framework, about 6 inches above the- 
glass, and it is a great help in keeping the heat down in hot sunny 
weather. I think we have now gone over most of the ground in regard 
to the cultivation of the cool Orchids, and of which Odontoglossum- 
crispum and O. Pescatorei m.ay be taken as the type. 
I will name a few that require a little variation in the above treat¬ 
ment, and will take them as they occur to me, not adopting any alpha¬ 
betical order. Odontoglossums crispum, Pescatorei, Andersonianum^ 
triumphans, tripudians, and all the hybrids belonging to them need ther 
