Juae 5, ISM. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
459 
•expect to be successful in any business without brains and business 
■capabilities, and this applies not only to fruit growin" in Florida, 
l»ut to business enterprises all the world over.—W., Waldo. 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES. 
iTii the last week of May the spring flowers show with no 
•uncertain signs that their glory has departed for another year. 
T'he last of the Narcissi, the Gardenia-flowered Narcissus, Poeticus 
dl.-pl., is finely in flower, while the single Poeticus has scarcely left 
us as yet. The early Tulips are all past, but some of the 
‘bybloemens and bizarres, with Gesneriana and the wondrous Parrot 
varieties, ornament the garden, although somewhat marred by the 
hail showers we have had of late. I grow a few of the named 
bybloemens and bizarres for garden decoration, for which they are 
well adapted, and they increase so freely on my sandy soil that 
"the e.xtra cost of named varieties is not so much felt, as a short 
time will stock the garden with floivers much superior to the 
mixtures usually sold. Ixiolirion tartaricum is now in bloom, and 
IS a fine plant among a good collection of bulbous flowers. Its 
purplish flowers are very pleasing. 
N^r by is a clump of Camassia esculenta, a welcome blue, 
which will be followed shortly by the splendid blues of the princely 
Delphiniums. The Aubrietias are past their best except in some 
iialf shady spots, but the Saxifrages, Encrusted and Mossy, are 
covered with flower. High on rockwork, or uprearing their heads 
•of pendulous blooms above dwarf plants in the beds and borders, 
are some fine plants of Rawson's Aquilegias, among which are to 
'be found some fine shades of colour and large flowers. Several 
plants of Linaria anticaria have been flowering profusely since the 
beginning of the month. On light soils and in sheltered situations 
■this species will be found a great acquisition. Onosma taurica has 
begun to flower, and will continue for three or four months to 
produce its beautiful almond-scented yellow flowers. 
“ Golden Drop ” is perfectly hardy, but should be pro- 
te<^ed overhead from the excessive wet from which it seems to 
suffer in winter. The beautiful little Iris cristata is making itself 
^ite at home on a sunny level spot on the rockery in light soil. 
spreading rapidly, and producing freely its beautiful 
sight blue flowers. Close at hand, but slightly shaded. Anemone 
^Ivestris displays its white drooping flower buds, which, when 
fmly open, show a slight resemblance to those of A. japonica alba, 
•of which it is said, but only by a stretch of the imagination, to be 
^ i^c-simile. In the same corner of the rock garden, but still more 
shaded, Dodecatheon integrifolium, the “ Shooting Star ” or Cow- 
■“■P of North America, displays to our admiring eyes its clusters 
of Cyclamen-like reflexed red flowers with yellow rings. It is 
■quite happy in joint possession of its shady nook with the exqui¬ 
site Trillium grandiflorum. la another shady spot in stronger 
soil some plants of Primula japonica are beginning to show 
their fine blooms on whorled heads, and their noble foliage is the 
very picture of health this year. The once brilliant golden 
AJyssum saxatile is beginning to look somewhat disconsolate, but 
a good plant of Cheiranthus alpinus perched high on a rockery 
seems to think that its season has come, and that it may now claim 
for its clear yellow blooms the admiration the “ old gold ” of the 
Alyssum once undisputedly received. Iberis correiefolia, the whitest 
•of the perennial Candytufts, is now a mass of snowy white. The 
varieties of the Spanish Squill (Scilla campanulata) are in full 
flower, accompanied by S. patula, and a fine plant of Lupinus poly- 
phyllus tricolor, in my opinion the finest of the varieties of the 
species ; in fact, coming into full flower. The only Poppies yet in 
bloom are Meconopsis cambricus, the Welsh yellow Poppy, and 
autumn-sown plants of Papaver umbrosum. I was much struck 
with the beauty of the former a few days ago on seeing a very 
large mass in a cottage garden. My own plants are small, but the 
effect of the ma.ss of delicate foliage and light yellow drooping 
flowers was surprisingly fine. P. umbrosum appears to have 
'become naturalised in my garden, as no seed has been purchased 
for about four years. Autumn-sown plants of this beautiful 
Poppy are certainly superior to those from seed sown in 
spring. 
_ One of the finest of front-row plants in a good border of rich 
soil is Ranunculus rutaefolius, which has large white flowers with 
bright orange centre. The old-fashioned Ornithogalumumbellatum 
•is in full flower, and another scarce little member of the same 
genus, 0. montanum, only 2 inches high, is in full flower. Of the 
former there exists in the minds of some of my neighbours a belief 
that it flowers as a Crocus early in the season and afterwards 
fiowers as the Star of Bethlehem. In vain do I assert that the 
bulbs must have been mixed. They are of the “same opinion 
still,” and one should^ believe that the Magi had conferred some 
wonderfully bi-generic nature on the Ornithogalum-Crocus. But 
I must draw to a close, leaving much unnoticed, lest this “olla 
podrida” should need curtailment, or even, sadder fate! be con¬ 
signed to the editorial basket, which in ordinary conversation has 
two ominous words prefixed.— S. Auxott. 
DESTROYING MILDEW IN FRANCE. 
I HAVE for many years paid periodical visits to the claret pro¬ 
ducing districts of France, and a few years ago noticsd with great 
regret the fearful devastation among the Vines caused by mildew ; 
but the destruction caused by this pest is now ai’rested by a simple 
remedy, which is generally adopted by the Vine growers in thi» 
country, and as it is proved to be equally efficacious in other crops, 
I send it for publication in your Journal, and if applied in the early 
stages of growth, crops of Potatoes, Tomatoes, Roses, &c., &c., 
will be entirely freed from the troublesome fungus. 
The mode of application here is as follows A large tin can 
containing 2 to 3 gallons is carried on the back, straps passing under 
the arms keep it in position. From this can a tube of sufficient 
length to come easily to the front of the body is provided with a 
syringe, which enables the operator to apply the liquid in any 
direction required. By the aid of this simple machine hundreds of 
plants may be treated by one man each day. The mixture consists 
of 14 lb. quicklime, 3 lbs. sulphate of copper, and 20 gallons cold 
water. 
Dissolve the sulphate of copper in cold water for two hours in 
one vessel. In another pour a little water by degrees on the lime, 
mixing it well till it becomes a milky liquid ; then pour the latter 
into the former, stir them well, and add to the 20 gallons of water 
already provided. It should be applied at intervals of three weeks, 
and always used fresh. — W. Smith, Bordeaux. 
Odoxtoglossum vexillarigm foe Table Decor.atiox. 
The popularity of Odontoglossum or Miltonia vexiUarium is 
rapidly extending, and the difficulties of its culture are being over¬ 
come by many who at one time found it a most unsatisfactory 
Orchid. Really healthy collections are more frequently seen than 
formerly, and one of the chief secrets of success—keeping the 
plants clean and free from insects—is now familiar to all engaged 
in Orchid culture. The variations, too, are so numerous, from 
pure white to the deepest rose, with all intermediate gradations. 
The flowers are large, showy and distinct in form ; they are produced 
freely and they last well on the plants. It has been complained, 
that the flowers are not sufficiently durable when cut for decorative 
purposes, but this does not apply when young fresh flowers are 
chosen and they are at once placed in water. 
An admirable example of what can be accomplished with 
0. vexillarium flowers for table decoration was afforded on the 
occasion of the Queen’s recent visit to Baron Rothschild’s residence 
at AVaddesdon, when the luncheon table was almost exclusively 
adorned with these flowers. Mr. Jacques succeeded in making a 
most tasteful effect with long spikes of 0. vexillarium in stands 
and glasses, from which rose a few spikes of O. crispum, with a 
groundwork of Adiantura fronds. The soft tints of the flowers 
were most pleasing as a daylight effect, and I remember once before 
seeing a table similarly decorated for some distinguished guests 
who were charmed with the result. At AVaddesdon the floral 
decorations were well managed by Mr. Jacques throughout, and 
the bouquet of Vanda teres and 0. Pescatorei presented to the 
Queen by Baron Rothschild was also a portion of Mr. Jacques’ 
work.—L. 
Orchids .at Mertox Park. 
It often happens that the gardens of enthusiastic amateurs 
afford some of the best examples of success in the culture of certain 
plants, and this applies Avith special force to Orchids, nearly every 
species of which repays for a careful study both as regards their 
structural peculiarities and their cultural requirements. An admir¬ 
able instance of what can be effected by close observation and 
attention to plants is seen in the collection of Orchids formed by 
AV. II. Cannon, Esq., at Avenue liodge, Alostyn Road, Alerton 
Park, where at the present time a house full of Odontoglossum 
