August 7.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
agreeable, peculiar perfume. The leaves are large, fre¬ 
quently three or four feet long, and six inches wide in 
the centre. They spring upwards for more than half 
their length, and then bend gracefully downwards. 
These noble, graceful leaves render the plant handsome 
even when not in flower. When the plants are healthy 
and strong, the pseudo-bulbs are nearly as large as a 
turkey’s egg, and are of a bright, lively green. Where- 
ever there is room to grow this really fine species 
it ought to make one of the collection. A moderately 
strong plant may be obtained for 42s., but a blooming 
plant is usually priced 63s. 
P. guttata (Spotted P.); Rio Janeiro.—The flowers 
of this handsome species are large, pendulous, and of a 
pale yellow colour, especially when fading. They are 
thickly spotted with dull purple, and are powerfully 
fragrant. 42s. 
P. pendula (Drooping P.); Panama.—Sepals and 
petals of a greenish-white outside, tinged with pink 
within, and spotted with clear purple. They have a 
pleasing fragrance, and are produced thickly on a droop¬ 
ing stem six or eight inches long. This has the largest 
flowers of any species of the genus—measuring full two 
inches across. 42s. 
P. stapeliotdes (Stapelia-like P.) ; S. America.— 
The flowers are of a pleasing yellowish-brown colour, 
thickly spotted with dark brown. They open wider 
than most of the genus, having a star-like appearance. 
This causes them to look like the flowers of a Stapelia. 
They have also a powerful scent, like the flowers of that 
genus, which, when approached too closely, becomes 
offensive to delicate nerves. 31s. 6d. 
Culture. —Soil.—As the whole of this genus is of a 
strong, large habit, they require a rather richer compost 
to grow them in than most orchids. We have found 
them to thrive best in a mixture of very fibrous loam, 
rough pieces of sandy peat, and the half-decayed leaves 
of the beech or oak, in equal parts, adding about one- 
eighth of pieces of charcoal about the size of a walnut, 
and a portion of broken potsherds. These latter are 
used to keep the rest of the compost open and porous, 
to allow the necessary waterings to pass quickly through 
it. The pots should be large in proportion to the size 
of the plants, especially for Peristeria elata. They 
should be well drained, but not so much as is recom¬ 
mended for Cattleijas, Oncidiums, and most other orchids. 
When potted, a difference should be made. The “Dove 
Plant” sends up its flower-stems away from the soil, 
therefore it should be potted pretty nearly level with the 
rim of the pot; but the flower-spikes of the rest being 
of a drooping character, the plants should be placed 
upon a mound of the compost in the centre of their 
respective pots. The flower-scapes will then have space 
to grow downwards, without coming in contact with the 
sides of the pot, or being in danger of damping off, as 
when the plants are potted level. Water must never be 
applied extravagantly, because the roots are tender, and 
soon rot if the compost is too wet or soddened for any 
length of time. This will take place even when the 
plants are growing rapidly, therefore great care should 
be taken that the soil is never swampy with too much 
water. The plants will bo much benefited if tbe surface 
is frequently stirred, to keep the surface free and open, 
only be careful not to bruise the young and tender- 
roots with the instrument used for the operation. 
Heat during Growth. —Our readers will observe that 
these plants are found in the warmest parts of Central 
America; they, consequently, require great heat during 
their summer growth. Let it be 75° to 80° by day, and 
allow the heat to fall ten degr-ees at night. 
Heat when at Rest. —This is also found now to be 
advisable to be much lower than in the growing season : 
60° by day and 55° by night will be the proper and 
health-preserving temperatures. During this season of 
293 | 
rest a large reduction of water is absolutely necessary ; 
for if too much is injurious when the growth is going 
on, and the plants require food in quantity to increase 
their size, how much more so is it dangerous to apply ! 
it in excess when the growths are completed, and the 
roots in a state of rest. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 
MR. GLENNY ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Roses (Mr. Burgess, Colchester). —Roses to be sent 
for opinion should be gathered before they are quite 
open. Many of those sent had come to pieces, and the 
box was full of petals. Perhaps, however, this was one 
proof of the value of thick petals. No. 2, a small very 
double rose of dead crimson, with good leathery petals, 
is new, and, looking at the hundreds of flimsy things we 
have, we may say, good, notwithstanding it is a little 
sunk in the centre; thickness of petal will give it that 
estimable quality, standing a long time in bloom. Of 
course we can know nothing of its habit. No. 39, a 
rich carmine, is another which stood the carriage, and 
has a good tliick petal, is very double, and worthy of 
cultivation ; it will, at least, enable us to throw some 
flimsy one away. This is also a little low in the centre, 
aud somewhat larger than the other. No. 19, which is 
something like the last, but has a purply shade on the 
carmine, is a kind which we should try the growth of 
All this, however, is presuming the habit to be unex¬ 
ceptionable. The rest cannot be spoken of from their 
condition. We shall place them in water, and see if any 
of the buds open. 
The Dahlia you sent is too much like some we have 
to be of any great value, but is a sound useful quality, 
like Lady Grenville and others of that red and white 
fancy class. We should like to see the roses over again, 
gathered in a half-opened state, packed light on then- 
sides, with damp moss; because on so short a journey 
there is not time to heat. 
Geraniums (J. B. P.). —It is too late to judge the 
true character of seedlings opening now, except that so 
far as all those sent are concerned, the narrow bottom 
petal condemns the whole. No Geranium can be useful 
unless the bottom petals be short and broad, and the 
bloom forms something like a round flower. The hang¬ 
ing of the lower lip, or narrow petals, cannot be tole¬ 
rated now. The flowers sent for name form such a con¬ 
trast to the seedlings, that we wonder how J. B. P. 
would think an opinion necessary. No. 1, is Crusader; 
No. 2, is Christohel; No. 3, Dulce of Cornwall; whoever 
sent them for show flowers did justice; No. 4, we do not 
know; 5, is Prince of Orange, valued for its colour ; and 
6, is Orion. We do not know the remainder. The seed¬ 
lings may be thrown away. 
Calceolarias (J. F., Bedford). —No advance. They 
are clearly all herbaceous varieties. We wish some 
good, persevering florist, or amateur, would go back to 
the true shrubby kinds, and begin agaiu. The Horticul¬ 
tural Society did more harm by giving prizes for her¬ 
baceous, as well as shrubby, kinds, than they can ever 
do good to this flower by seven years liberal encourage¬ 
ment to shrubby varieties only. It got men into the 
bad habit of growing the good and the bad, and perpe¬ 
tuated a race of unmeaning, worthless Calceolarias, with 
neither one character nor the other. 
Strtped Panstes. —Societies for the encouragement 
of seedlings, as now composed, would not recognise the 
striped Pansies, perhaps, but we look upon them as 
novelties, which may become as complete a class as tbe 
fancy class of Dahlias; and when we first gave prizes 
for them in a show, where we had the control, all those 
who had none were loud in their grumbling at our 
encouraging worthless,rough, starry, semi-double things; 
