July 1. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
217 
bulbs; the sepals and petals are of moderate size, in¬ 
clined to reflex.; they are white, delicately tinged with 
rose in streaks; but it is the labellum, or lip that is so 
truly magnificent. The flowers are quite four inches 
long; the throat is a clear yellow, beautifully streaked 
with rich brown; this colour, and the stripes, terminate 
in an even line just where the labellum begins to expand; 
the rest is of a rich crimson-purple, with a shade of 
white in the centre; the edges are flat, and without any 
fringe; this part measures nearly three inches across at 
the widest part, altogether forming a truly splendid 
flower. It is one of the finest of orchids, and was im¬ 
ported from St. Catherine’s, in the Brazils. There were 
two plants exhibited, aud we understood they comprised 
the whole stock. The same gentleman sent a new 
Saccolabium, named crassifolium, which was, we believe, 
purchased at the sale of J. Blandy, Esq., of Reading. 
Though the flowers were small, they were numerously 
produced on a single spike, with nine branches on it. 
Though not so conspicuous as the Laelia, it is never¬ 
theless a very interesting and curious plant. 
T. Appleby. 
CONIFER2E. 
(Continued from page 165 .) 
Arrangement and Planting. — The extent of the 
pinetum being determined upon, the ground duly 
trenched, and exposed for several months to become 
improved and pulverised by the weather, the next point 
is to procure the plants. These may either be purchased 
at some nursery at the time, or may be procured some 
two or three years previously, and nursed, by either 
repotting them, or by planting them out thinly in rows 
in a part of the ground, which ground should be fenced 
so closely that hares and rabbits cannot have access to 
them. If this previous training or nursing is practised, 
much smaller, and conseqnently cheaper, plants may be 
purchased. This course is much to be commended, for 
plants so treated have their roots more spread abroad, 
and are not so much coiled in the pots as they must 
necessarily be in public nurseries, however carefully 
managed. Besides, there is less danger from removal, 
because a few at a time need only bo taken up, and 
those few planted immediately before any more are 
disturbed, i 
Arrangement .—This is a very important point, and 
requires a knowledge of the habit of each plaut. No¬ 
thing is so annoying as to find, after several years’ 
growth, that the trees are encroaching upon each other; 
and, if not timely cut down, the lower branches will 
have grown and spread so far that they will begin to 
interlace each other, and thus soon die, and so injure 
the general contour and character of each other. Better 
is it by far to be content with a smaller number, and 
arrange them at the first so as to allow plenty of space 
for them to display their several characteristics natu¬ 
rally, without crowding too thickly upon the ground. 
If the situation is much exposed, it may be advisable to 
plant what are called nurses, to protect and shelter the 
more costly and beautiful species. The best kinds for 
nurses are, for high situations, the common Scotch fir, 
and, for lower, the equally common Spruce fir. In order 
to arrange them properly, there should be either a plan 
of the piece of ground, or a book, if it be large, with a 
portion of the ground drawn on each leaf—the book so 
folded that each successive portion drawn on each page 
should join that which precedes it; then, having pre¬ 
viously ascertained the probable diameter the branches 
i of each tree intended to stand alone when the nurses 
: are removed will occupy, mark the exact spot on the 
plan where the stem of the permanent tree is to be, 
place a number on that spot, and let that number be 
entered in another book, with the name opposite to it; 
and so proceed till a place is arranged for all the trees 
or shrubs intended to remain in after the nurses are cut 
down. In order to observe the beauty of each tree so 
arranged, walks should be formed so that the spectator 
might walk comfortably and dry through the whole 
pinetum. 
If game abounds on the estate, each tree should be 
protected from their ravages by a circular wire trellis, 
high enough to prevent them from leaping over to feed 
upon the young and tender shoots, or on the bark. Or, 
what would be infinitely preferable, a wire fence should 
surround the entire site of the pinetum. This, though 
expensive at the first, will be found the best aud most 
satisfactory protection. All this arrangement and pro¬ 
tection having been properly and effectively attended to, 
and the season for planting having arrived, then 
proceed to put in the plants, irrespective of their size at 
the time, in their proper places, as indicated on the plan. 
By this methodical arrangement there will be no 
difficulty or hesitation at the time. 
It was mentioned that March is the best month to 
plant Conifer® in, and the reason given was that the 
roots will then be ready to start into action and growth. 
Now, if the ground is in good order, and the plants have 
made their annual growth, and it is thought desirable 
they may be planted early in the month of August, 
for there will then be heat enough in the atmosphere, 
and in the ground, to cause them to strike fresh roots 
before the autumnal rains and cold nights set in, and 
these fresh roots will keep the sap slowly moving 
through the dreary season of winter, and the plants will 
be ready to start into growth as soon as the genial days 
of spring arrive. But never plant in winter, or even so 
late as the middle of September, especially in the more 
northern parts of Great Britain 
Planting .—The great point to attend to in planting, 
whether the plants are turned out of pots, or planted 
from the nursery row, is to gently disentangle the roots, 
and spread them out equally on every side. In dry, 
hilly situations, the plants should be planted quite level, 
the upper roots being covered about two inches ; but in 
lower grounds they should be elevated a little above the 
level, the roots being covered the same depth. If planted 
in March, in hilly localities, it will even be desirable to 
leave a little hollow round each tree to hold the spring 
rains longer about the roots; these hollows to be filled 
up early in the following autumn. But if planted in 
August, it is better to give a good watering, if the 
weather is dry, and fill up the holes quite level. We 
have a great horror of retaining moisture close to a tree 
during winter; it can do no good, and will certainly do 
harm if a wet autumn and winter succeeds the planting 
season. After the permanent trees are all planted, then 
put in the nurses, if desirable, on account of the situa¬ 
tion being bleak and exposed; but be sure and remove 
them as soon as the permanent trees are fairly esta¬ 
blished. These nurse trees may be planted as the pro¬ 
prietor ploasos, but they should never be nearer to the 
permanent trees than seven or eight feet, even in the 
most exposed situations; but in such situations no 
doubt they will be useful, and consequently desirable. 
The only thing, we repeat, is to remove them in time ; 
they will make excellent fire-wood, or even stakes, or 
they may be used to plant out in situations far removed 
from the site of the pinetum. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
GLASS FOR FORCING PITS, &c. 
It is not without some degree of reluctance that we 
venture on this fertile subject of contention; aud it is 
only at the request of a correspondent, whose case we 
believe to be a common one, that we enter this hitherto 
unsatisfactory field of controversy, on a subject of the 
