October 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
49 
Orchis bifolia 
,, pyramidalis 
,, niaseula 
,, ustulat.a 
,, militaris 
,, inaculata 
Orcli is hircina( Saty ri um hircinum) 
Gymnadenia conopsca 
Oplirys muscifera 
,, apifera 
Epipactis latifolia 
Listera ovata 
There are several very nice things in this way found 
in the south counties. If I knew a good botanist 
resident in any of them, I should certainly request 
him to he so good as to look for the following, which 
I consider real gems in their way, and to myself 
would be a great prize:— 
Orchis fusca (Kent) 
Ac eras Anthropopliora ,, 
Ophrys arachnites „ 
,, aranifera „ 
Epipactis grandiflora (Kent) 
,, ensifolia ,, 
„ rubra ,, 
One of the most important things to bo observed 
is the getting of them up from their native habitat. 
1 have collected myself the greatest part of what I 
grow, and have always been very particular to take 
with me a good spade, and have taken them up with 
a good clod oi soil, so as not in any way to touch the 
root; lor I have ever found if the roots are meddled 
with, they seldom continue to thrive. The soil I use 
is the strongest best loam 1 can get. In planting, I 
am very particular to make the soil about them as 
firm as possible by pressing it well down, and mak¬ 
ing it as solid as possible. This border I never allow 
a lork, trowel, or spade, to come near, nor do I ever 
touch it afterwards in any way to lighten the soil; if 
the soil is loosened, the plants will immediately be 
affected, and will soon lose their healthy appearance; 
(hoy have the utmost dislike to be meddled with after 
being once planted in a garden. The Epipactis lati¬ 
folia I grow rather differently, as I have always found 
it in loose gravelly, or stony, soil. I, therefore, un¬ 
der this put a drainage of broken crocks, or stone, 
and mix. with the soil a small quantity of brown bog 
soil, in lumps about one and a half inch in diameter, 
and some broken stone. This plan answers well, and 
1 have some plants which 1 have had for many years 
still doing well with me. 
When friends have sent me plants I have always 
given them directions how to take them up, and re¬ 
quested they would send me word the situation in 
which they were growing; and from the soil sent 
with them I always knew how to plant them. When¬ 
ever they have not strictly followed these directions, 
the plants have not done well, and have frequently 
died. There is one most beautiful variety which 
grows in the wettest part of Ashton moss, which has 
hitherto mastered me ; it is a delicate white one with 
a yellow eye, and most deliciously scented; but 1 
have now thought of a plan which 1 am sure will an¬ 
swer. I have mostly found it growing with its roots 
in the sphagnum moss, with part of the fibres actually 
in the water. This I will plant for the future in a 
broad mouthed pot, in a compost of bog and sphag¬ 
num, in a similar way to what I grow my exotic 
plants, and let it stand in a saucer of water, and 1 
have no doubt of its doing well. In hot dry weather 
I always water them. 
With respect to shading them, the only sorts which 
at all require it are the following: these 1 have ever 
found growing the finest and flowering the best when 
shaded by trees:— 
Orchis bifolia 
Neottia nidusavis 
Cypripcdium calceolus 
Listeria ovata 
Epipactis latifolia 
Malaxis paludosa 
This latter one should have some bog and sphagnum 
around its roots, and be well watered in hot dry 
weather. 
Cypripcdium calceolus 
,, spectabilc 
» > y alba 
Cypripcdium pubesccns 
„ acaule 
These I grow in large pots in a similar compost to 
what I use for my tropical orchids, only that 1 break 
the bog smaller, and press it firmly about the roots. 
I never repot them unless 1 am absolutely obliged to 
do so, and 1 then take care, if possible, not to touch 
or meddle in any way with the roots. The following 
is a list of what 1 have been growing for years:— 
Orchis bifolia 
,, pyramidalis 
,, morio 
,, latifolia 
,, niaseula 
,, maculata 
,, albida 
,, hircina(Satyriuiuhircinum) 
Gymnadenia conopsca 
Ophrys muscifera 
„ apifera 
Neottia nidusavis 
Listerea ovata 
Gymnadenia viride 
Epipactis Latifolia 
Malaxis paludosa 
Hcrminium monorchia 
Cypripcdium calceolus 
„ spectabile 
,, alba 
,, pubescens 
,, acaulc 
I have also a few from Scotland, the names to 
which I do not know at present. 
G. T. Dale, Longsiglit, near Manchester. 
MY FARM-YARD. 
What a pleasing sight, does this title present to our 
imagination : the sleek well-fed cattle; the sow, with 
her litter around her, lxalf-buried in the clean straw ; 
the chickens scratching about, trying to find the grain 
which has escaped the merciless strokes of the flail; 
the ducks diving in the clear stream which runs at 
the bottom of the yard; the turkeys strutting about, 
looking so consequential, as if they knew they were en¬ 
joying more than neighbour’s fare; the guinea-fowls 
with their monotonous cries; and, to complete the 
picture, the noble peacock, perched on the bough of 
the “ old oak-tree,” spreading his tail of many colours, 
and “looking down with scornful glances on the igno¬ 
minious group beneath.” Is not this a pleasant, 
peaceful picture, worthy a place in every English 
person’s imagination ? I am sure you agree with me 
that it is; and, although we cannot all be the owners 
of such a farm-yard, yet we may, one and all, have 
some of its inmates, and my object will be to give 
you a few hints and directions respecting them. I 
will begin with the one I consider of most import¬ 
ance to my readers. 
The Pjg. — 1 hope by this time my cottage friends 
have purchased their’s, and, as this is the time most 
people are putting their pigs up to fatten, 1 think I 
cannot do better than tell you what I consider, or 
rather, I should say, what 1 have found (for I have 
tried most plans,) the best method of feeding them; 
therefore, 1 will at once conclude that you have a 
couple of pigs about six months old (they always fatten 
better in pairs), separated from your other pigs. (Save 
for them the best of your wash, and, as you have now 
dug up all your potatoes, you have, of course, picked 
out the small ones for your pig. Do not give these 
to them raw, but boil them in a copper with slices of 
mangold-wurtzel. When the potatoes arc soft mash 
them up, sufficiently to break their skins, which will 
prevent the pigs wasting them. Let this be their 
food for the first fortnight. You know the proverb, 
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” therefore, if 
you do not own a copper you will soon find something 
to answer the purpose, but, by all means, boil your 
potatoes. Also, if you have grown Swedes or carrots 
in your allotment gardens, you will, of course, give 
those to your pigs instead of the wurtzel. At the end 
of the fortnight you will see your pigs looking round 
and well. Then, instead oi giving them barley-meal, 
try the system I follow, which is, finishing them on 
whole oats : these you can buy, at the present time, 
for 2s 9 cl a bushel. One bushel a week you will find 
sufficient (in addition to the potatoes, &c.) for the 
