74 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January £7,1887. 
pet. broadly obovate, overlapping, and very spreading or reflexed ; stamens 
numerous j ovary flask-shaped. A very handsome and desirable shrub. 
California. 
Caryota plumosa. ( Cat. Comp. Cont. d'Ho f., p. 8.) Palmae. S. Stated 
to be a beautiful Palm, but no description given. 
Castanea vesca, vars. foliis ai.bo-marginatis and aureo-mar- 
ginatis. (R. H. 1886, p. 398.) Cupuliferae. H. trees. These ornamental 
vars. have the leaves respectively bordered with creamy-white and yellow. 
Garden varieties. 
Catasetum Bungerothi. (L. pi. 57.) Orchidese. A very distinct and 
striking species, with a fine raceme of white fl. 2j in. in diam. Sep. and 
pet. lanceolate acute, stellately spreading; lip very large, transversely 
oblong, deeply concave, gibbous behind. Trop. America. 
Catasetum glaucoglossum. (G: C. xxiv., p. 552.) A fine and curious 
species, with a stout several flowered deflexed raceme of large fl. Sep. 
ligulate acute, brown. Pet. much larger, oblong, acute, glaucous with 
brown spots. Lip with a depressed rounded sac and a triangular mouth, 
■quite glaucous with brown spots inside. Mexico. 
Catasetum Lehmanni. (GJi. 1.1223, f. a. g.) An interesting but un¬ 
attractive species, with fusiform bulbs 6 in. long, narrow-lanceolate 1. 
16-18 in. long, and a long peduncle, bearing a few fl. about an in. in diam. 
Sep. connivent in a globose form, green ; lip deeply saccate, subhemispheri- 
cal, with the apex projecting in an obtuse point, dull orange-yellow. 
Columbia. 
Catasetum macrocarpum, var. bellum. ( G. C. xxv., p. 74.) A variety 
with brown-purple pet., and a large purple-brown blotch on each side the 
lip. Brazil. 
Catasetum tabulare, var. serrulatum. ((?/?., 1.1223, f. h. m.) A good 
variety, with the dorsal sep. and pet. greenish yellow, the pet. dotted with 
red, the long lateral sep. greenish, and the lip green, with the very thick 
central crest white, and the margin finely serrulate. Andes Columbia. 
(To be continued.) 
THE THAMATOPHORE. 
Just on the eve of going to press we have received from Mr. B. S. 
Williams of Upper Holloway, blocks illustrating a new fumigator, which 
has been carefully tried in his nursery and found very satisfactory in 
all respects. We can only give one of the illustrations now, and a few 
words of explanation, but as we have seen the fumigator in operation 
and can testify to its utility we shall have occasion to refer to it again. 
It is a French invention, and has been tried extensively in France, 
where M. Boizard, gardener to the Baronne de Rothschild, has success¬ 
fully demonstrated the efficacy of the steam of tobacco juice as an 
insect destroyer. It is upon this principle that the machine is con¬ 
structed, the lower portion (A) containing the fire, above this is a 
boiler (c) filled with tobacco juice, the steam from which is forced 
through the pipe (d) into the house. The steam has been found to be 
most rapid in its action, but while so effectively destroying the insects 
it has not injured the flowers of the most delicate Orchids. It is con¬ 
structed in three sizes, No. 1, heated with a spirit lamp, suitable for 
small houses and frames ; No. 2, rather larger (shown in fig. 12), and 
No. 3, a still larger size, employed in large conservatories. 
THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS. 
I HAVE not had much time for thinking lately, and less for putting 
my thoughts on paper, but I perceive Mr. Bardney has “cornered” me, 
and I must try and extricate myself. But a few other topics may be first 
disposed of, and in the meantime sufficient mental strength may perhaps 
be gained for the great effort of telling our incredulous friend why fires 
burn brighter on clear frosty nights than in dull and damp weather. 
I think Mr. W. J. Murphy has on page 41 set a more difficult puzzle 
than that, and on a subject of far greater importance. Many will regret 
the collapse of the Scotch Champion Potato in Ireland. There is no 
wonder at the degeneracy of the variety under the circumstances indi¬ 
cated. No variety of Potato can long retain its vigour when the first 
and strongest growths are rubbed off the tubers, and the second and third 
weakened issues are depended on for the production of crops. The 
growth of tubers, including those of the Champion, can be retarded when 
there is space for storing them in a light, dry, cool, yet frost-proof place ; 
but I know from experience how difficult it is to prevent tons of tubers 
starting prematurely. It is unfortunate that Magnum Bonum is not good 
in Ireland till February. In extensive culture in England, to which I 
am not a total stranger, Magnum Bonum is still the most reliable and 
profitable f r market where most sorts are tried and hundreds of acres 
grown. A very widespread desire exists now amongst all classes and 
creeds for the improvement of Ireland and its population, though there 
are differences as to method ; a practical way of doing good would be for 
persons who have strong-growing varieties of Potatoes that they think 
likely to be adap'ed to the Irish soil and climate to. send samples to Mr. 
Murphy, and let him test them. He is, I think, very competent to do so, 
ani has the means of carrying out experiments of this nature at Clonmel. 
I HAVE been rather glad to see that the large flat Onions that I 
ventured to suggest had been over-honoured at shows have found few 
champions. It is not Onions of that type that can successfully compete 
with the foreigners, as Mr. Murray has said in his able article ; and, like 
that expert cultivator, I believe we have ourselves to blame for much of 
the foreign competition that presses so hardly on home cultivators. If 
Onions 2 lb3. in weight can be grown in Scotland, surely bulbs can be 
produced in England equal to tons that are imported. To sell well 
Onions must be large, bright in colour, and round. For home use small 
bulbs are as good as large, and possibly keep better, but they do not 
“take” with greengrocers and their customers ; nor do flat Onions, as, 
however large these may be, buyers will hardly look at them if the huge 
round foreigners are in sight. It is a question if more Onions, ordinary 
summer Onions, ought not to be sown in the autumn and transplanted 
the same as the Tripolis are. In some soils, where the Onion maggot is 
so destructive, that is the best plan for evading it, and finer, earlier, and 
belter ripened bulbs are produced than by the orthodox plan of sowing 
in spring. 
Mr. Ollerhead does not often favour the public with his views and 
experience, but when he does write he invariably says something worth 
reading. He appears to raise Gladioli as easily as he raises Onions, and 
there ought soon to be no lack of spikes of these beautiful flowers for 
cutting during the late summer andau'umn months. Your correspondent, 
I think, deserves a vote of thanks for his valuable communications. 
Speaking of “votes of thanks” naturally carrie s the mind to the 
Committees of the Royal Horticultural Society, who distribute these and 
other marks of recognition ; well meriled, no doubt; but I cannot help 
thinking that many a man does more good with his pen in this and other 
Journa's, and in books, for the cause of horticulture, than do those who 
happen to find Primroses a little different from ordinary forms, and get a 
card for them, or who buy plants that others raise and fur these obtain 
certificates ; yet it is rare that workers in the press, however able and 
diligent, are accorded any official recognition, and posthumous praise 
appears to be their only reward. I am free to allude to this subject, as 
the nature of these erratic jottings obviously places the author of them 
beyond the pale of the solid workers to whom the remarks apply. This is 
one of those peculiar matters in which these who do the most can say 
the least, and those who do the least can say the most; hence my oppor¬ 
tunity. I think, for instance, such books as Hogg’s “ Fruit Manual,” 
Masters’ “ Plant Life,” Robinson’s “ Flower Garden,” Barron’s “ Vine 
Culture,” Veitch’s “ Coniferse,” Thomson's “Fruit Culture Under Glass,” 
Wright’s “Mushrooms for the Million,” Molyneux’s “ Chrysanthemums,” 
Williams’ “ Stove and Greenhouse Plants,” Castle's “ Orchids,” with such 
useful works as have been produced by Messrs. Hibberd, Paul, Rivers, 
and others, are as well deserving of official recognition as are a good 
many plants and cut flowers to which medals are awarded. But it is all 
“show ” nowadays. No matter whether you grow, borrow, or buy a few 
plants, flowers, or vegetables, so long as you “ show ” them that is enough, 
and generous societies and memorial trustees will shower honours on 
your calculating heads. If you “do” little but “show” much you will soon 
be somebody ; but if you do much but “ stage ” nothing, nobody will 
know yon out of your own little corner. Perhaps the Royal Horticultural 
Society will get out of the “show” groove some day, and may possibly 
attend to these other little matters suggested some time during the next 
century. 
We have had some delightfully written ar.icles in the Journal of late, 
like dessert with the so'id literary fare. Read Mr. John Edmunds’ 
