116 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 24, 1885. 
are, after all, in Pear culture, brought down to 
the common-place query, Can the culture of 
good Pears be made to pay 1 Of course we do 
not here refer to any ordinary free-bearing 
orchard kinds, such as in Pear seasons find their 
way into the markets for a few weeks in great 
abundance. We should like to know what may 
be the cost of production of a bushel of Marie 
Louise, Beurre Diel, Doyenne du Comice, or 
other superior kinds this year but spread over 
a series of years, for if we get good crops only 
once in four or five years we must carry the cost 
of production over the whole of those years, 
and not over that of the present season only. 
Really the crux of extended Pear culture must 
be found in the item of expense. The un¬ 
happy resxdt to the grower of Pears for sale, 
when crops are produced so intermittently, is 
that whilst when scarce he could get a good 
price for his fruits, the moment a good season 
comes which favours everyone else as it favours 
him, then the markets are glutted and the 
returns are miserably disappointing. 
Without doubt,' exceptional soils and situa¬ 
tions are favourable to the production of fruits, 
but those favoured positions are limited. Yery 
likely many of the grand fruits shown at South 
Kensington last week Avould to the grower have 
been a loss if sold at one shilling each, and yet 
no one can hope to see such a price as that paid; 
indeed, it is undesirable that any hardy fruit 
should be so scarce that such prices should be 
rendered necessary. If we cannot obtain Pears, 
good luscious Pears that are worth eating, at 
something like a reasonable cost, we must never 
hope to make their culture popular or profitable. 
The promoters of the Congress, whilst doing 
something useful to correct nomenclature, and 
perhaps gather up some interesting information 
respecting soils, situations, stocks, and culture, 
may well find their efforts most worthily directed 
to an endeavour to solve the problem involved 
in profitable culture. We can ensure quality on 
pyramid or bush trees now fairly well by the 
simple plan of working on Quince stocks ; but 
still there is, with many of the better sorts, a 
want of greater hardiness hi the blooms, and 
capacity to ripen without the aid of walls. 
Probably the greatest of all problems is found 
in how to protect the blossoms during the 
treacherous month of April. If we could master 
that difficulty, without materially adding to 
the cost of production, a great deal would be 
achieved, and Pear produce on existing trees 
would be doubled, whilst twice the present 
number of trees would soon be planted. Our 
earnest desire is to induce the Pear Congress 
Committee to get something practical out of 
the gathering. It will be but poor consolation 
to learn (as, perhaps, we may) that such another 
gathering may not be possible for another ten 
years. We should very much prefer to learn 
that new methods or practices would soon enable 
such a gathering to be held every two or three 
years at least. 
-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Exhibitions for NextWeek. —Tuesday and Wednesday, 
Chrysanthemum Show in the Conservatory at South 
Kensington, and Exhibition of Vegetables. Wednes¬ 
day, meeting of the Floral Committee of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, at the Westminster Aquarium. 
Sheffield Chrysanthemum Show. In consequence of 
the flowers being so late in the Sheffield district, the 
date of this exhibition has been altered from November 
13th and 14th to November 20th and 21st. 
The Lord Mayor's Banquet. —The floral decoration 
of the Guildhall on Lord Mayor’s day, has, we hear, 
been entrusted to Mr. B. S. Williams, of Holloway. 
Aloe in Flower. —In Mr. Somerville Gurney’s garden 
at North Runcton, King’s Lynn, there is a large Aloe 
in flower for the first time. It was brought from Vesu¬ 
vius in 1815, and its flower stem measures 24 ft. in 
height. 
Manchester Horticultural Improvement S-ciety.— 
The first meeting of the session will be held in the 
Memorial Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, on Thurs¬ 
day evening next, when the election of officers, &e., ■will 
take place, after which a resume of the work of the past 
session will be given by Mr. Bruce Findlay (presi¬ 
dent). Chair to be taken at 7.30. 
Mr. Wilson's Experimental Garden. —Those of our 
readers who have had the pleasure of visiting Mr. G. 
F. Wilson’s most interesting experimental garden at 
Oakwood, may be interested to know that a series of 
illustrations, taken in the garden by a good artist 
appear in the current issue of The Graphic. 
Vallota purpurea magnifica. —The New Plant and 
Bulb Company, Colchester, have succeeded in import¬ 
ing a small stock of this fine bulb, and are now sending 
it out. In the size, form, and brilliant clear scarlet 
colour of its flowers, it is certainly the best of the 
Vallotas. It is a tall grower, and when it gets well 
established it will form a very stately plant. 
The Rose Shows of 1 886.—The Metropolitan exhi¬ 
bition of the National Rose Society, will be held at 
South Kensington on July 6th, and the Provincial show 
at the Botanic Gardens, Birmingham, on July 15th. 
The following Provincial Rose show fixtures have 
also been announced—Farningham, June 30th; Reigate, 
July 1st ; Tunbridge Wells, July 2nd ; Eltham, July 
3rd ; Sutton, July 7th ; Hitchin, July 8th ; and 
Wirral, July 10th. 
Registered Telegraph Addresses. —Messrs. R. Smith 
and Co., Worcester, “Smith, Worcester” ; Mr. B. S. 
Williams, Holloway, “Williams, London”; Mr. B. 
Field, Swan Place, Old Kent Road, S.E., “Floriculture, 
London ” ; Messrs. Thomas Perkins & Sons, North¬ 
ampton, “Paragon, Northampton” ; Mr. R. Tucker, 
The Nurseries, Farringdon, Berks, “Tucker, Far- 
ringdon.” 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, —We un¬ 
derstand that Baron Schroder, The Dell, Egham, has 
been elected a Vice-President of this Institution, in 
the place of Edmund Wilder, Esq., deceased. As the 
fifth annual card collection will close on the 1st of 
November, it is desirable that all cards that have not 
been sent in should be returned to the Secretary, Mr. 
Cutler, 20, Spring Gardens, S. W., as soon as possible, 
as upon the result of the collection in a great measure 
will depend the number of pensioners that can be 
added to the list in January. 
New Ivy-leaved Pelargonium. —Last week we called 
attention to the splendid new Ivy-leaved Pelargonium, 
Alice Crousse, and have now the pleasure to record the 
appearance of another truly grand variety, which comes 
from Mr. Robert Owen’s Floral Nursery, Castle Hill, 
Maidenhead. It is one of a batch of seedlings raised by 
Mr. Owen, of which one very fine variety has been 
named Souvenir de Charles Turner, and certificated by 
the Floral Committee. The new-comer is semi-double, 
having two rows of broad flat petals, the pip measuring 
2J ins. in diameter, w’liile the colour is of a rich shade 
of rosy cerise ; a decided acquisition. 
Decorative Ferns.— In the admirable group of dec¬ 
orative plants shown by Mr. H. B. May, of Edmonton 
last week at South Kensington, we noticed some made 
up specimens which showed how to utilise to the best 
advantage for decorative purposes, some of the species 
which do not make nice small plants by themselves, 
but which in combination with others are all that can 
be desired. Take for instance Pteris hastata, in a 
small state it does not make a nice table plant, but 
grown in the same pot with Pteris argyrea, the com¬ 
bination is most pleasing. Other pots were made up 
of Pteris argyrea and P. cretica, and of Doryopteris 
palmata, and Adiantum cuneatum, and few things can 
be more beautiful for room or table decoration. The 
hint may be useful to some who may want to make a 
change. 
A New Book on Roses. —Mr. Samuel Ryder, juur., 
has written, and Messrs. Ryder & Son, florists, Sale, 
Manchester, are now publishing at the modest price of 
sixpence, a handy and trustworthy little manual on 
the cultivation of Roses in the garden, and in pots 
under glass. In his introductory chapter, Mr. Ryder 
impresses upon his readers the sound axioms that if 
success is to be obtained in floriculture, it is to be at¬ 
tained only by effort; and that all flowers, and espec¬ 
ially the Queen of flowers, must have constant attention, 
if they are to be grown well. Bearing these primary 
points in mind, the author proceeds to discuss in a 
practical manner the preparation of the soil, the selec¬ 
tions of a site for the Rose garden, the best sorts of 
Roses to plant, and how to plant them. In another 
chapter he dilates upon the various forms of Rose Trees. 
He does not recommend the standard, preferring the 
dwarf or bush Rose Trees as the most natural and ratio¬ 
nal form. The various classes of Roses are also dealt 
with, and the subjects of pruning and propagating are 
very sensibly handled : after which we have a few con¬ 
cise instructions on growing Roses in pots, which will 
prove acceptable to many an aspiring amateur ; and 
brief, but instructive, remarks on exhibiting Roses, and 
a calendar of work for each month. Ye commend 
Sir. Ryder’s little work to the notice of our amateur 
readers, who will find many useful hints in its pages. 
-- 
ODONTOGLOSSUM HALLII 
MAGNIFICUM. 
Odontoglossum Hallii is distributed over a very 
wide range, from Peru along the Cordilleras, and each 
importation seems to differ in character from the 
others. Probably out of the whole of the importations 
received into this country, no variety has been equal 
to that which we here illustrate, and which flowered 
in the collection of H. SI. Pollett, Esq., of Fernside, 
Bickley, Kent. The sepals and petals are clear yellow, 
blotched with brownish crimson, and the labellum, 
which forms the grandest feature in the flower, is pure 
white, blotched with the nearest approach to scarlet 
which an Odontoglossum gives. The crest, too, gives 
additional attraction to the flower, it having bright 
yellow with occasional crimson lines. It is a grand 
and showy Orchid, and very easy to manage in a cold 
house. 
The plant which flowered with Slessrs. James Back¬ 
house & Son, of York, in 1866, and which was figured 
in the Botanical Magazine, seems to approach Mr. 
Pollett’s variety, and was probably obtained from the 
same locality. Since that time, several batches have 
been received from other localities, and flowered ; but 
none of them are equal to those of the old importation. 
The variety with yellow ground to the labellum is 
often called O. H. xanthoglossum, and that with a 
white lip, O. H. leucoglossum. 
All the varieties do well in a cold house, and are 
assisted in producing their flowers by being suspended 
as soon as the spikes appear. In fact, it is a good 
plan to suspend any of the rare Odontoglossums while 
making their flower-spikes, as they all like such treat¬ 
ment, and the chances of their getting injured by insects 
or slugs are greatly reduced by isolating them in this 
way .—James O'Brien. 
-—i>¥<-- 
A NEW REMEDY FOR MILDEW, 
RED SPIDER, &c. 
The fungoid and insect enemies of plants are forces 
so opposed to the gardener that they have to be com¬ 
batted vigorously, or the gardener has to rue his neglect. 
Of the former, mildew is one of the most formidable. 
It is a scourge which crops up everywhere, and few 
plants escape its ravages, and they sometimes, as in the 
case of Roses, are often very destructive. The nostrums 
which have been employed to combat them are innu¬ 
merable ; but most of them have proved so useless that 
gardeners, as a body, have come to regard nearly all as 
equally unreliable. A scientific amateur, early in the 
present year, announced in the columns ol one of the 
gardening journals that he had discovered a perfect 
remedy for mildew—viz., “Sulphide of potassium.” 
This communication so arrested my attention, knowing 
the thoroughness and reliability of the writer, that I 
determined to put this new remedy in the hands of a 
number of trustworthy gardeners, in order to test its 
efficacy. So far, the reports I have received are alto¬ 
gether in its favour, no case of failure hating yet reached 
me. I therefore feel that I am justified, in the interests 
of the gardening community, in drawing the attention 
of every horticulturist to this seemingly valuable boon ; 
for in addition to its undoubted efficacy, it has the 
merits of being extremely cheap and easy of application. 
And, further, not only is it destructive of mildew at the 
same time that it does no injury to the most delicate 
foliage, but it seems to be equally effective in destroying 
red spider and aphis; and if further experiments confirm 
