December 5, 1SSS* 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
219 
often happens that we have to make use of a quantity 
of pot plants to fill up corners and other places in 
domestic decoration during the winter months, and 
large branches of Holly heavily laden with berries, in¬ 
serted in pots of earth and staked so as to form miniature 
trees, are very effective when grouped amongst other 
plants. I have used other shrubs in the same way, and 
shall use the Holly largely this winter. — T. W. 
The late Stoke Newington Show. —There 
is a slight error in your report of the late Stoke 
Newington Chrysanthemum Show, which I should be 
glad if you would allow me to correct. I won the cup 
there for twenty-four incurved varieties three years 
in succession. Mr. Udale, Shirecliffe Hall Gardens, 
Sheffield, succeeded in winning it last year, but I 
secured it again this year, and not Mr. Monk as reported 
by you.— S. Gilley, gardener to B. B. Booth, Esq., The 
Cazenove, Upper Clapton. [Having to attend so many 
shows within a few days, we are not surprised to find 
that some of our facts got a little “ mixed. ” We regret 
this error, however, very much, as our constant aim is 
to render honour only to whom honour is due.— Ed.] 
Chrysanthemum, Dr. Barrie.—I think the 
remarks made by Mr. Clark, at p. 186, were quite un¬ 
called for. I cannot see how Mr. Davis could be doing 
wrong in staging the variety in question as a new 
kind. I think that if a variety were raised by any of 
the Continental firms twenty years ago and did not 
find its way here till this year that variety should be 
regarded as new in England, and why not ? I think 
we should have something to do if we had to search all 
the foreign catalogues, of both known and unknown 
firms, previous to staging a flower of any kind as new to 
this country. If a variety is shown and certificated at 
any of the exhibitions that has been lost sight of and 
brought forward again in two or three years and again 
certificated, I consider it would not be right or honest, 
but in the case of Dr. Barrie this does not appear to be 
the case. Look at the variety Belle Pauline, which has 
been so much honoured and admired this season ; this 
variety was in commerce in England last season, but 
did not happen to be much known, now this season it 
is regarded as a new kind, and has rightly been certifi¬ 
cated. Lord Alcester was in England several years 
before it was well grown and brought out, but not 
known by reason of its not having been cultivated 
sufficiently well to bring out its true character.— E. 
Molyneux. [We have'received another communication 
from Mr. Clark ; but as it is in confirmation only of his 
previous statements, and contains no fresh facts, it 
would serve no useful purpose to publish it. Until it 
is proved that the variety in question was in this 
country before the time stated by Mr. Davis, we must 
consider that his defence holds good.— Ed.] 
Boilers and Heating' Apparatus.—I note 
an enquiry by “G. B.” in your last issue as to the best 
mode of heating a small greenhouse. The experiences 
of amateurs are so varied that no wonder their opinions 
become bewildering. If, however, my experience is 
worthy of a corner in your very useful paper, I am only 
too glad to give it with a view to helping mjr fellow 
amateurs. I have tried furnaces and flues, upright, coil, 
and suspension boilers, all of which have proved far from 
satisfactory. I have now a Horse-shoe boiler at work, 
and so far it is certainly superior to any I have tried or 
met with, it being remarkably economical and regular, 
and worked with very much less trouble than others. 
I was induced to try this boiler by my friend, Mr. 
W. C. Burden, the well-known Lily grower of Leicester, 
to whom, for further information, I should advise 
“G. B. ” to write. Mr. Burden’s address is Bond 
Street, Leicester, and I am sure he will courteously 
answer any inquiries. I may add that Mr. Burden has 
suggested an improvement in this boiler which, if 
carried out by the makers, will, I feel sure, contribute 
very much to its effectiveness.— A. Piundell, Amateur, 
26, North-wood Road, Highgate, N. 
-—- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Potting and Potting Materials. —No delay 
should take place in seeing that all the requisites for 
pottiDg are to hand and properly stored ready for use. 
Orchid peat and sphagnum moss particularly should 
now be got, or when the time arrives for using them it 
maybe difficult to get those articles from stocks collected 
at the proper time. One of the reasons why good 
Orchid peat always commands a good price, is that it is 
above all things necessary to cut it during and after a 
long run of fine weather and to store it dry, which together 
Avith the difficulty of getting access to a good sample at 
any price, of course makes it a much more expensive 
thing to deal in than other potting materials. HoAvever, 
areally good peat, principally of Fern, is to be obtained 
at prices not of much consequence, when the importance 
of the results of its use is considered. 
Peat should be stored cool and dry, either in the 
potting shed or in any other convenient place where it 
is sheltered from the weather. Sphagnum moss I always 
found kept best in the open air under the shade of a 
north Avail, a mat being thrown over it in summer ; in 
this situation it will keep for any length of time, and 
its growing poAvers be retained, Avhereas, if kept dry for 
any length of time in a potting shed it is killed, and 
when used for potting it decays and injures the plants. 
A small quantity of sphagnum should be brought in as 
Avanted, and roughly picked over with avieAvtoremove 
sticks or other objectionable matter, and also to break 
up the lumps into Avliich it masses in collecting. 
Crocks intended for using again should be thoroughly 
cleaned by being placed in a tub of water and Avell 
brushed round Avith and old birch-broom, they should 
then be exposed in the open air to sAveeten, and Avhen 
dry stored near to where they are to be used ; crocks 
should never be used a second time without being 
submitted to this process. Baskets, rafts, pots, and all 
other requisites should immediately be put in stock if 
required. 
During this mouth it is very important to keep the 
temperatures in the houses Avell down to those pre¬ 
scribed beloAA T , and to avoid excessive moisture, especially 
among the Cattleyas, Lielias, Saccolabiums, Aerides, 
Vandas, &c. The Cattleyas and Lrelias plump up more, 
and those which are rooting root better at this season 
when an atmosphere is kept up, Avhich, without being 
harshly dry, is not too moist; the Avatering of the 
plants at the same time being Avell attended to, so that 
each one is allorved to get nearly dry before it is again 
watered. If the smaller plants are kept well up to the 
glass, and the Avatering and heating is regulated as 
directed, the plants will pass through the dull season in 
good order, and AAnthout giving trouble. Cypripediums, 
evergreen Calanthes, and Phajus should be placed 
in the moister and duller parts of the houses, as these 
situations suit them well, and leaves brighter places for 
other things. 
Pleione lagenaria, F. maculata, and other varieties 
which are out of bloom, should uoav be repotted. Once in 
tAvo or three years is often enough to shift them, and even 
then they would go on longer equally Avell, but that it 
is necessary to separate the bulbs when they get too 
croAvded. ShalloAV pans or lialf-pots suit them Avell, 
and they groAV best near the glass in a Avarm part of 
the cool-house, or the cooler part of the Cattleya-house. 
The neAV roots being active, AA'ater should be given 
them. Any fibry compost groAA’s the Pleiones Avell 
AA’here they are properly managed; half of peat, a quarter 
of loam, and a quarter of sphagnum moss, generally 
suits them Avell. 
The Temperatures for the Month of December 
should be :—"Warm or East Indian house : 65° to 70° 
by day, 60° at night. Cattleya or intermediate house : 
60° to 6o p by day, 55° at night. Cool or Odonto- 
glossum house: 50° to 55° by day, 45° at night. 
Degrees, Fahrenheit. — James O'Brien. 
Leelia xanthina and L. grandis.— I notice 
in some of the catalogues of nurserymen Avho deal in 
Orchids, that Lielia xanthina and Lielia grandis are 
stated to be one and the same thing, AA-liile in others 
they are said to be quite distinct. In Bateman’s 
Second Century they are both figured and there descri¬ 
bed as quite distinct plants, L. xanthina floAvering 
noAV, A\-hilst grandis does not fioAver till May. Mr. B. 
S. Williams, in his Orchid Album, also makes them 
quite different. I remember seeing a fine plant of Lielia 
arandis in bloom in Stevens’ Rooms, at the sale of the 
O 
collection of Mr. Smith, of Brentham Park, Stirling, 
which took place at the end of May, showing its time of 
flowering to be quite different from that of Lrelia zan- 
thina, which I have had in flower for some weeks. Mr. 
Ballantine, who, if I mistake not, has charge of the 
plant of Lielia grandis I refer to, might give us his 
opinion regarding this subject. I knoAV that Leelia 
xanthina is often sold under the name of Leelia grandis, 
but, I think, those Avho do this are doing Avrong, 
at least, that is the opinion of An Orchid Grower. 
[Although somcAvhat resembling each other in form 
and colour, these tAvo Orchids are quite distinct, as 
stated by our correspondent, and there is no excuse for 
anyone selling one plant for the other.—E d.] 
Ccelogyne Massangeana. — This graceful 
Orchid with its long pendulous spikes has proved itself 
to be a good groAver and a free bloomer. We have a 
plant consisting of four bulbs Avith leaves, and from the 
oldest or four-year old bulb a good groAvth is coming 
arvay ; the tAvo-year old bulb is also shoAving a good 
break. This year’s bulb has produced tAvo floAver spikes, 
one in September bearing eighteen floAvers, another, this 
month (November) with sixteen floAvers. I sarv a fine 
specimen the other day at H. Lovatt’s, Esq., Loav 
H ill, Wolverhampton, which Mr. Raffell the gardener 
told me had borne a spike of tAventy-eight floAvers. 
This Ccelogyne thrives in an intermediate house and 
will flower freely with less exposure to sunlight and air 
than its invaluable ally C. eristata. — J. Simcoe, The 
Gardens, Lake House, Cheltenham. 
Zygopetalum Mackayii. —This sweet and 
handsome old plant seems coming into faA r our again, if 
AA-e may judge by the number of specimens we have had 
sent us lately. The latest is just to hand from Messrs. 
John Laing & Co., AA-ho certainly do, A\*hat Orchids they 
attempt, well. Their Zygopetalum Mackayii is of 
the best original type Avith massive floAvers of fine 
substance, the bright violet veining in the large AA’hite 
labellum, being very clear and distinct. 
-—- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
No opportunity should be lost in pushing forward to 
a finish any work that may have got in arrears. The 
rubbish heap Avill by this time have accumulated to a 
goodly size, and have been turned over a feAv times, 
and divided into separate heaps according to the state 
of decomposition, in readiness for present and future 
use. Take up sufficient Jerusalem Artichokes at one 
time to serve for a couple of Aveeks ; but in case of frost, 
a portion of the ground containing the crop should be 
covered Avith litter to prevent its being frozen. The 
stock of Onions, Shallots, &c., should be looked over 
occasionally, and any bad ones that happen to be 
amongst them removed fortliAvith, so as to prevent 
them from affecting their neighbours. 
Forcing Department.— If not already done, no 
time should be lost in throAving together a good heap 
of long stable-dung and oak or chestnut leaves (about 
two-parts of the latter to one of the former), Avhich 
should be turned over a couple of times betAveen iioav 
and the middle of the present month, with which, at 
that time, to make the necessary number of hot-beds 
for the forcing of Potatos, Carrots, Radishes, &c. 
The beds should be made sufficiently high at the onset 
to admit of their subsiding 2 ft. during the next ferv 
months, after which, in order to retain a moderate heat 
in the beds, they should be about 4 ft. high. When 
the frames are placed on the beds, it will be necessary 
to put a little dung and leaves inside them to make the 
depth correspond Avith that of the first, and over this 
2 ins. thick of rotten dung, then 9 ins. or 10 ins. of 
garden soil and leaf-mould (about three-parts of the 
former to one of the latter); this should be in the frames 
a ferv days to become slightly warmed before plant¬ 
ing the Potatos. These should be planted in rows 1 ft. 
apart, and 7 ins. or 8 ins. in the rows. Before putting 
the soil on the bed, tread the latter firmly over, and in 
doing so, alloAV the centre to be fully high, inasmuch 
as it is the hottest part of the bed, and consequently 
the first to decompose and subside. 
Previous to soAving Early Nantes Horn and James’s 
Scarlet Intermediate Carrots (two excellent varieties 
for early Avork) inroAVS, 1 in. deep, from 9 ins. to 12 ins. 
from row to row, sciatcli a dusting of fresh soot into the 
soil with the rake when levelling the latter ; this wil 
save the roots from the attack of wire-worm, as well as 
enrich the compost. Where accommodation of this sort 
is not plentiful, a toav of Wood’s Frame Radish may be 
soAvn betiveen the Carrots, covered Avith § in. thick of 
sifted soil, and patted Avith the back of the spade or a 
board to compress it. At first these frames will require 
