January I. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
215 
find that the embers and the sulphur are quite effectual 
of themselves, as combustion proceeds slowly. I have 
no doubt that Mr. Errington’s mode of mixing dry saw¬ 
dust is an admirable one. Whatever is mixed with it 
must be dry. Use no other noxious matter with it. To 
make assurance doubly sure, 1 have burnt tobacco and 
bruised laurel-leaves with the sulphur ; but in every 
case the painting was affected, being rendered brown or 
black—a matter of no great moment in a pit, but of 
great consequence in an ornamental house. 
2. The growth must be finished , and the wood hard and 
firm .—If not well-ripened, the bark will be injured in 
places, as if burned with a hot iron. I once had a 
number of peach shoots injured, hut, though the hark 
was injured, they bore well, and care was taken to get 
rid of them the following year. Equal care would be 
necessary with all shrubs of a deciduous nature, whether 
grown for ornament or use. The dryness of the wood is 
indispensable. 
3. Equally indispensable is the dryness of the house, 
especially on all parts covered with paint. If wet, a 
grey sulphuret of lead is apt to be formed, and covering 
the paint with a dark powdery substance, if there is 
enough of moisture for sulphureted hydrogen to he 
formed—of this our chemical friends will be the best 
judges. Whatever be the rationale of the formation, 
there it is likely to be; and though it will wear off in 
time, and may be washed off with labour, it would be a 
great annoyance to our friends who like to see clean 
paint. 
4. Quantity .—In this I have never been particular ; a 
small handful or two good tablespoonfuls to a house 
twelve feet by eight, repeated according to size, is an 
average quantity. 
5. Circumstances .—A quiet day or night, every cranny 
in the house stopped, and no door or window opened 
for at least a dozen of hours after it is seen that com¬ 
bustion has fairly commenced. 
Used with caution, sulphur, more than it has been, 
will be found a great auxiliary; used carelessly, it will 
bring deep disappointment. The field being now open, 
I have no doubt hut Mr. Errington will give us still 
more definite directions. R. Eish. 
EXOTIC OBCHIDACEiE. 
plants that thrive well in pots (Continued from 
page 179). 
Zygopetalum cochleare (Spoon-lipped); Trinidad.— 
Sepals and petals narrow, forming a kind of crest above 
the lip ; they are pure white, and a little bent back ; the 
lip is very large, with the edges turned a little upwards 
and inwards, so as to assume a form something like a 
spoon, or sugar-scoop; hence its name. It is of a pleasing 
pale blue colour, streaked with purple. It is a hand¬ 
some species, well worthy, hut rather difficult, of culture. 
This has been described as Huntleya cochleare. 42s. 
Z. crinitum (Hair-lipped Z.) ; Brazil.—Sepals and 
petals ground colour, buff, richly barred with brown; 
lip white, broadly striped with purple, and covered with 
hair. There is a variety with red stripes; the lip has 
also several longitudinal ridges covered with coloured 
hair, which adds greatly to the beauty of the flower. 
The flower-stems, when the plants are strong, are nu¬ 
merous, growing only about six inches high, producing 
numbers of flowers on each stem. Its dwarf habit, 
handsome flowers, and easy culture, render this a de¬ 
sirable plant. 42s. 
Z. Macicayii (Mackay’s Z.); Brazil. — Sepals and 
petals yellowish green, spotted and handed with brown¬ 
ish red; lip large, broad, white, striped and spotted with 
blue, and in one variety with deep brown. There are 
several varieties of this fine plant, all very beautiful. 
The flower-scape rises two feet, producing seven or eight 
noble flowers. When a plant is large and healthy, few 
orchids have a more noble appearance. We have seen a j 
plant in the fine collection belonging to R. S. Holford, 
blsq., at Weston Birt, in Gloucestershire, with nearly 
twenty stems upon it. It was growing in a pot fourteen I 
inches across, and the plant completely filled it. It was 
a truly magnificent specimen of good culture. Every 
collection of orchids ought to include this species; good 
plants may be purchased for 31s. fid. 
Z. maxillare (The jawed Z.); Rio Janeiro.—Sepals 
and petals ground colour, a pleasing green, barred with 
deep chocolate colour; lip curiously formed, having 
much the appearance of a coronet, or the lower human 
jaw ; it is deeply indented, and the colour is a rich blue. 
This also is a very fine species, lasting a long time in 
bloom. We have had a plant in bloom for four months 
at a time. A good plant will cost 42s. 
Z. Murrayanum (Mr. Murray’s Z.) ; Organ Moun¬ 
tains.—Sepals and petals yellowish green, without much 
marking—often self-coloured. The lip is of a beautiful 
pure white ground, elegantly striped with purple. The 
column, too, is large, and forms a conspicuous part of 
the flower. It is striped with red, upon a yellow ground. 
Though not so showy as some other species, this is 
worthy of cultivation, on account of its singularly well- 
defined colours. 2 Is. 
Z. rostratum (The beaked Z.); Demerara.—Sepals 
and petals pale brown, very narrow and long ; the lip is 
very large, broad, and pure white; the column at the 
end is elongated into something like the form of a bird’s 
beak; hence its specific name. It is rather a scarce 
plant, being somewhat difficult to cultivate. fi3s 
Z. stenochilum (Narrow-lipped Z.); Brazil.—The 
sepals and petals in this species are very large in com¬ 
parison with the lip ; they are of a brownish green, 
spotted and barred with chocolate red. The lip, as the 
name implies, is narrow, and appears still more so on 
account of the edges being turned inwards. It is white, 
and striped with pale blue. 15s. 
Culture in our next paper on Orchids. 
T. Appleby. 
THE VEBBENA. 
(Continued from page 195.) 
Situation to keep Plants in Pots in, to be ex¬ 
hibited therein.— The plants intended for exhibition 
in pots, should be in a pit or frame deep enough to keep 
them from the glass at least nine inches, when in bloom. 
The best plan would be, first, to cover the bottom of 
the pit or frame with a layer of dry coal-ashes two or 
three inches thick ; then to turn a sufficient number of 
empty pots upside-down to set the pots containing the 
plants upon. When they are first placed in the pit 
they should be within six inches of the glass. This 
distance will enable them to grow stout and bushy. 
Afterwards, as they advance in growth, they may be 
lowered accordingly, which may be easily done by using 
lesser pots, or even bricks, for them to stand upon. 
It even may be necessary to lower them so much as to 
place them upon the bed of ashes itself. This, however, 
will depend much upon the methods adopted to train 
them, so as to show the blooms off to the greatest 
advantage. 
Potting .—The winter season having passed away, it 
is then time to think of choosing the plants to cultivate 
for blooming in pots. Much of the success depends 
upon the kind of plants chosen for the purpose. In the 
first place, they must be healthy, clear from insects, and 
well furnished with leaves. Secondly, they ought to 
be low, bushy plants, with numerous branches as close 
to the soil as possible; and lastly, the kinds chosen 
