THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
251 
February 7.] 
found the treasures I was in search of, and very 
beautiful things they were. I then marked the 
ground—intending to return later in the season, when 
the tubers might be safely removed. Towards the 
decline of the summer, I accordingly renewed my 
task; taking with me a bag to contain the tubers, and 
a garden-trowel to extract them from the earth—for 
I intended to bring away a mighty spoil. No diffi¬ 
culty was encountered in finding the land-marks I 
had previously placed; for I should explain, that the 
plants grew in vast uncultivated plains, which, pro¬ 
bably, had remained untilled since the expulsion of 
the Moors. Having, then, found the plants, I pro¬ 
ceeded to exhume them; but my first effort to force 
the trowel into the ground revealed the difficulty of 
the work I had undertaken. My strength of arm 
having proved insufficient to force the trowel into the 
earth, I therefore endeavoured, with the assistance of 
a large stone, to accomplish my purpose; aud in 
this way I succeeded in obtaining a tuber or two. 
But my poor tool could not long sustain the heavy 
concussion of the stone, and was soon broken; I 
therefore returned re infectd. It may be noted, that 
botanising in Andalusia is somewhat of a perilous 
undertaking, as the lonely traveller may expect to be 
suddenly surrounded by banditti, who, if they spare 
your life, will assuredly strip you of your property. 
'The merchants at Gibraltar, when they ride into 
Spain, invariably carry a doubloon, as a douceur to 
these gentlemen. 
“ I wished to say a few words on the subject of 
grape-growing in Andalusia, but I dare not encroach 
farther on your indulgence; I will merely mention the 
remarkable fact, that the grapes which produce the 
magnificent raisins we receive from Malaga never 
receive a drop of rain from the time that the berries 
are formed, in May, until the period of their being 
gathered, in September. Except the dew, the only 
moisture they receive during the subsequent period 
of their growth is derived from the dank vapour of 
the sirocco wind.” 
Our worthy correspondent should be informed, 
that ground orchids, if possible, should be removed 
during the time they are in flower, and not like the 
irids, and other bulbs, when they are at rest. No 
one knew this better than our lamented friend, the 
late Mr. Cameron, of the Birmingham Botanical 
Garden, when he lived at Bury Hill, in Surrey; in 
which neighbourhood some rare British orchids have 
their only habitation. He was in the habit of gather¬ 
ing them for distant friends; and he always made 
choice of their flowering time for removing them. 
We may further corroborate this testimony, by the 
following quotation from the Gardeners Magazine 
(vol. iii. 377), being the experience of Mr. W. Swain- 
sou, who said, “ So far back as the year 1810, I 
brought with me, on my return from Sicily, between 
200 and 300 roots of species (of orchids) indigenous 
to that island; nearly the whole of which flowered 
the succeeding year, in the greenhouse of the Liver¬ 
pool Botanic Garden, and in those of several of my 
friends. The method I adopted was as follows:— 
The plants were taken up in full flower, at which 
period the tuber or bulb for the following year had 
not begun to throw out its roots; the earth was care¬ 
fully removed from the tubers, and the plant laid 
in a shady, cool, dry room, for about three weeks, 
when they were lightly packed with hay, in a per¬ 
forated deal box.” In this assortment of Sicilian 
orchids were seven species of described orchis, five 
species of ophrys, and two species of serapias, “with 
three or four other species, apparently new.” In 
No. 150 of the Botanical Register (1827), it is said 
of these ground, or terrestrial, orchids, that Signor 
Mauri sent a collection of them from Rome to the 
Horticultural Society, in 1826; the roots dried, and 
packed in paper like seeds; and that “ they all suc¬ 
ceeded perfectly, although when the roots arrived in 
England they were so shrivelled in appearance, that 
it was not expected that they would have sur¬ 
vived.” We hope this experience will not be lost on 
botanical collectors, like our correspondent T. O. 
And we wish it had been stated at what stage of their 
growth those roots sent from Rome were taken up to 
be dried. At any rate, it must be of considerable 
importance to the collectors of this singular class of 
plants to know, that they can be removed while they 
are yet in flower. 
THE ERUIT-GAKDEN. 
Miscellaneous Matters. —So many are the ap¬ 
plications to The Cottage Gardener for advice of 
an off-hand character, that our weekly remarks will, 
occasionally of necessity, assume in this department 
a calendarial character; and it is very probable 
that this may be quite as acceptable to the generality 
of our readers, whom we are in duty bound to endea¬ 
vour to please. We, therefore, this week handle a 
variety of matters—whether in doors or out of doors, 
matters peculiarly applicable to the season, for 
we must no longer think of winter ; spring—cheerful 
spring—is at hand, giving activity to our hands, and 
elasticity to our spirits. Away, then, we say, with all 
lethargic feelings! and, once more, let us buckle on 
our armour and prepare in earnest for the coining 
campaign. 
Protecting Apricots. —This valuable fruit is noted 
for early excitement; the first beams of a returning 
spring have a powerful effect on their blossom-buds. 
They are, moreover, very tender, as is well known; 
and our purpose in adverting to them, is to shew, 
that with all our caution we are not sufficiently 
careful in attending to the needs of this most valuable 
adjunct of the confectionary, and the desert. There 
can be no doubt, that were apricots throughout the 
kingdom protected as they ought to be, and as soon 
as they ought to be, the produce would be doubled ; 
taking the average of seasons. Of course, we shall 
hear of expense. There is, however, such a thing as 
a niggardly economy—“ spoil a ship for a ha’poth of 
tar,” is an adage of as much weight now as it was a 
couple of centuries ago. Let any one consider the 
cost of building walls, of making borders, ol procuring 
and carefully trimming the young trees, and then 
say if such exjiensive processes ought to be nullified 
by a trifling fit of economy, at the eleventh hour. 
Besides, canvas, bunting, or other ordinary coveiings, 
is not so expensive when its durability under careful 
management is taken into consideration. Canvas , 
for instance, will last for at least six yeai’S. It costs 
about sixpence per square yard; and an apricot-tree 
occupying, we will say, twelve square yards, will, ol 
