1884.] 
GAEDEN GOSSIP. 
79 
as soon as the seed is ripe get strong and bloom freely 
the next year if properly handled.—M. 
— (IThe beautiful Phaius tubeeculosus 
is very successfully managed by Mr. Billiard, 
the gardener at Laurie Park, Sydenham, who 
has succeeded not only in growing it well but also 
in flowerintr it freely. P. tuhercidosus w-as collected 
in Madagascar by Humblot, and introduced, together 
with the equally beautiful P. Rumblotii and P. 
Ilenryi, bv Messrs. Sander & Co., of St. Albans. 
In 1881 Sir Trevor Lawrence flowered it, but since 
that time the efforts of most of the growers have 
been defeated by the plant, Mr. Billiard alone having 
obtained continued success. This year his plants 
have again flowered, one of them, a very grand 
variety, having eleven flowers on two spikes. The 
plants are growing in a shady corner of the Phalm- 
nopsis-house (temp. 65°—70°), where they get plenty 
of air, but no cold current. They are kept moist all 
the year round, and, wdiat is considered as important, 
they are generally sponged over once a week, as that 
has been found to be the only means of keeping off 
the thrips which seem very fond of the plant. The 
manner in which the plants are potted is peculiar, 
and it may supply a clue to others by means of which 
they mav get better success in future. The pots 
(which must'be large) are filled two-thirds wuth 
crocks and charcoal, a layer of peat is placed on this, 
then the plant is hell in position and filled round 
with living sphagnum moss. When so fixed the 
plant is in precisely the same condition as it would 
be if growing on the surface of a bog, and it is pro¬ 
bable that that is its natural position. So potted, it 
may receive copious waterings with rain-water and 
never get sodden. The chief points to be observed 
after the plants are so potted, are to keep them shady 
and always moist, to sponge them frequently, and to 
keep them in a warm but not close place. There is 
great variety in the plant; sepals and petals white; 
lip crimson, rose, and yellow in different shades. 
— JIThe best Stock foe the Camellia is un¬ 
questionably the old single red variety, cut¬ 
tings of the young ripe wood of which can be 
put in either in spring in heat, or in a cold frame in 
November. In the latter case a callus is gradually 
produced, which is the precursor of roots that will be 
developed by the aid of a little moist heat (60 deg. to 
65 deif.), iu March or April following. A gentle 
hotbed, or the bed of a small propagating house, will 
answer well for striking them. Whatever the 
medium used to obtain bottom heat—whether tan, 
dung, leaves, or a hot-water tank or pipes—a layer 
of about three inches of suitable soil consisting of 
turfy loam and fibry peat (two parts of the latter to 
one of the former), with a liberal admixture of silver 
sand, must be put, and on this an inch of sharp silver 
sand. Cuttings of the ripe young wrod must then 
be prepared and inserted at convenient distances, 
each cutting being fixed quite firmly and no leaves 
being removed except those just at the base of the 
cutting. When the cuttings are inserted, they 
should be watered overhead through a fine rose, to 
settle the soil about them; and when the leaves be¬ 
come rather dry a clean well-glazed hand-glass is to 
be placed over them, pressing it down, so that its 
lower edge may pass into the wet sandand completely 
exclude the air. Success will mainly depend on the 
closeness of the covering, shading from mid-day sun, 
and a moist soil. The growth of young wood, and 
the firm adherence of the leaves, will indicate the 
development of roots. 
— 212^e learn that a Committee has been 
formed with the view of rendering much needed 
pecuniary aid to David Jackson, the Mid¬ 
dleton Floeist. The Committee consists of the 
Eev. F. D. Horner, Mr. S. Barlow, Mr. E-. Gorton, 
and Mr. W. Brockbank, of Brookhurst, Didsbury, 
who acts as Secretary. During the last fiity years 
there has been no better known or more remarkable 
florist amongst the working men of Liucashire than 
David Jackson. In his hands the Tulip, the 
Auricula, and the Polyanthus were successfully 
cultivated, and so exact was his knowhdge and so 
sound his judgment that no one was more frequently 
chosen to act as qudge in floral matters. David 
Jackson is respected by every one who knows him as 
a sterling, honest, and uprii<ht working man, and a 
first-rale florist. He has been a weaver b)"^ trade, 
his wife also plying the shuttle by his side; but 
hand-loom weaving is now slack, the aged couple 
cannot further pursue their calling, their hardly 
earned and carefully saved store is nearly exhausted, 
and the time has arrived which throws a duty upon- 
those who have the means, and are willing to help 
so deserving a couple in their old age. 
— ^The New Japanese Oak, Quercus 
serrata, is a highly ornamental species with 
foliage exhibiting a decided resemblance to 
that of the Sweet Chestnut of Europe. It is quite 
hardy in this country, and from its handsome 
appearance and distinct habit is thoroughly worthy 
of more general cultivation. In Japan it is widely 
distributed, and forms one of the most useful timber 
trees. It has lance-shaped leaves 4—8 inches in 
length, deep green above and lighter below, the 
parallel veins produced beyond the edge of the 
leaf into slender spine-like teeth. Q. serrata is also 
found in China, the Himalayan region, and in Persia. 
— J^YACiNTHS it seems are sometimes- 
SPOETivE. Thus Mr. Krelage of Haarlem, 
writes to the Gardeners' Chronicle concerning 
the reversion of the Single Eed Charles Dickens to 
the original blue variety. He writes—the single 
blue Hyacinth Charles Dickens is one of those 
varieties generally known and appreciated; it is 
cultivated in Holland on the largtst scale, and not 
only tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands 
of bulbs are sold annually to foreign buyers. As is 
generally known in Holland, occasionally a single 
plant of Hyacinth will change its colour, although 
grown in the same way as others — a form of 
“ atavism,” or reversion to the colour of one of the 
parents from which the variety was raised. The 
usual alteration in colour, although others occur, is 
from blue to white or red. So among the jlants of 
the blue variety Charles Dickens, plants here and 
there have been fouud which gradually or at once 
become red. This red sport of the blue Charles 
Dickens was found at the same time in more than 
one garden, so that several different stocks were 
grown, among them some which have never changed, 
and of which all the off-spring keep the pure red 
colour; hut one which proves changeable, and in 
which some of the blooms are half-red; half-blue; 
these variations do not become fixed, as the half¬ 
blue, half-red flowers are sometimes totally red in the 
following year. 
— Smong Basket Ferns, the pendulous 
Asplenium longissimum from Penang is one of 
the best when the basket is of large size. Its 
blackish stipes with its pinnate dark glossy green 
fronds reach from six to seven feet in length, and 
