January 30, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
349 
again, but not for Cattleyas yet, indeed I scarcely know 
how we should use it for these unless we shook a little 
among the crocks, as my ideas of potting Cattleyas now 
are different to what they were years ago. We use a 
little sand (of which I enclose a sample) for Odonto- 
glossums, Masdevallias, Cypripediums, and a few other 
things ; we have the coarse Bedfordshire sand, and with 
a fine sieve separate the smaller particles from the larger, 
taking the coarser particles for Orchids, and the finer 
for potting greenhouse plants, &c.— C. Woolford. [The 
sample of sand, or rather grit, received, is similar to 
that which was extensively used, mixed with sphagnum, 
in more than one good collection a few years ago, but 
with disastrous results as the plants went rapidly back. 
It is probable, however, that those who tried the experi¬ 
ment we allude to, used the sand much more freely than 
does our correspondent. As regards the proper time 
for potting we should remark that Mr. O’Brien’s 
advice was given more for the benefit of the hundreds 
of amateurs who have small collections, and who have 
more to learn than growers like our correspondent who 
have charge of a large number of plants, and to whom 
autumn potting is more a matter of convenience 
than of necessity. With small collections in or near 
large towns it is of vital importance that the plants 
should not be disturbed during dull, foggy weather.— 
Ed.] 
Odontoglossum crispum. — “ J. T.” has 
misconstrued the meaning of my query. If he had 
written on p. 299 “one plant had its,” there would 
have been no need to question his statement, but his 
wording of the paragraph that called forth my query 
reads as if one spike bore the 140 flowers. I am quite 
satisfied with the explanation, and if this meets Mr. 
Grossart’s eye, I should be very much pleased if he 
would send me sample blooms of the largest and the 
smallest size on the plant. “ J. T’s ” references to 
large spikes on other Orchids than Odontoglossum does 
not touch on the question, except that collectively 
they may all be taken together to prove that northern 
and mountain air is I believe more conducive to heavily 
bloomed spikes than our southern air is in regard to 
cool house Orchids. In Laelia superbiens I can match 
his “ nearly 7 ft. long ” in my own plant (though the 
buds are not yet in sight), and perhaps even beat that 
length when they have completed their length. His 
conclusion on p. 332 is correct, as were there any 
exaggeration in “An account of Orchids in Scotland,” 
it would be even more questioned than I did in asking 
for an explanation of a paragraph which “ J. T. 
must allow on a second reading is not clearly stated, 
that the plant and not the spike bore the 140 blooms. 
England is pleased ! Is Scotland? —De B. Crawshay, 
Bosefield, Sevenoaks 
Odontoglossum crispum.— Mr. Crawshay 
denies that flowers of 0. Alexandras deteriorate in size 
and shape after the first year of blooming in this 
country. Is he also prepared to assert that they do not 
lose their colour, especially the roseurn varieties ?— B. 
D. K. 
-->;£<-- 
SYRINGING ORCHIDS. 
As I have some very decided experience in the good 
results to be obtained in Orchid culture by totally 
abandoning the use of the syringe on them overhead, I 
think it will be in the interests of your readers if I 
briefly state it. Some years ago I had charge of the 
collection of Geo. Wood, Esq., of Eochford, Essex. 
Before going there the syringe was no favourite of 
mine, but I was hardly prepared to agree with the 
strict rule which Mr. Arnold, the head gardener, 
enforced, viz., “Hot a drop of water overhead, either 
from syringe or water-pot, on any pretence whatever.” 
However, I submitted, and during the whole of the 
four years I had charge of the plants the rule was 
worked out to the letter, and I may say that never did 
I see plants make such satisfactory progress before. 
The Saccolabiums, Cattleyas, Lailias, Odontoglossum s, 
and Yandas were especially grand, some of the Vandas 
being over 7 ft., and leaved down to the pots. Some 
of your readers will doubtless remember the praise they 
received when sold by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris. 
One nice plant of Vanda suavis, I recollect, fetched 
twenty-two guineas, a Cattleya speciossissima twelve 
guineas, an Angraecum sesquipedale fifteen guineas, and 
so on. 
My opinion is that anyone w’ho has once grown his 
Orchids without syringing them will never return to 
the practice, although I know that many of them will 
bear it for a time. Noting that Mr. Dumper includes 
Odontoglossum Eoezlii among the few he waters over¬ 
head, I may say that it was one of the last plants I 
gave up syringing, but now I know that although most 
growers syringe it, those who grow it successfully 
without get finer, broader leaves and better flowers. 
Those' who want evidence of this need only go to 
Messrs. Veitcli’s, where, in their north Phalsenopsis 
house, they will see some grand masses of it which 
have never had water overhead, and which, for size of 
growth, more nearly resemble 0. vexillarium than 0. 
Eoezlii as usually seen. Syringing certain Orchids 
may be done by a clever grower mindful of degrees, 
times, and seasons, although, in my experience, it is 
unnecessary even where not harmful; but for a beginner 
I am sure it multiplies his sorrows exceedingly.— H. A. 
Tracy, Grcvillc Lodge, Twickenham. 
-- 
THE NURSERY AND SEED 
TRADE ASSOCIATION. 
The annual meeting of this association was held at 
25, Old Jewry, E.C., on the 25th January, instant, 
Mr. Sherwood (Messrs. Hurst & Son, 152, Houndsditch) 
the president, occupying the chair. From the ninth 
annual report, which was read and adopted, it appeared 
that in 1884 it was proposed to wind up the association, 
as the principal members had withdrawn their support 
in consequence of the want of energy on the part of the 
executive, but as several members were of opinion that 
an association was a necessity to the trades, it was 
decided to resuscitate it and to amend the articles of 
association enabling members to join in January or 
July of each year ; and that the members should give 
mutual information to each other, through the secretary, 
concerning the stability of persons with whom they 
had business transactions, and thereby obtain reliable 
information which could not be obtained through the 
channels of ordinary trade protection societies. The 
operations of the association since its resuscitation 
had been very satisfactory, and , the association was 
considered to be on a satisfactory basis and was being 
energetically worked. Many foreign members who 
sent goods to the United Kingdom had avaded them¬ 
selves of the advantages afforded by the association. 
The balance sheet which was read was also of a very 
satisfactory character, a balance of £48 7s. 5 d. being 
carried forward to the present year. 
In the evening several of the committee and members 
dined together at the Guildhall Tavern, Mr. Sherwood, 
the president, again taking the chair. Mr. Harrison, 
of Leicester, in proposing the toast of the officers and 
committee, referred in detail to the report and thought 
the executive had, in a short time, done wonders. 
They had rescued out of the fire the burning brand and 
saved the association from collapsing, and the condition 
in which it had been now brought forward was most 
satisfactory. Mr. A. H. Clarke, the treasurer, in re¬ 
sponding referred to the state in which the association 
was allowed to drift, and that when the committee 
met there was a desire in their minds that it should 
not be allowed to break up, but that they should do all in 
their power to resuscitate it and make it a success ; but, 
as a great deal had to be done, and the committee had 
worked very hard to get the association into its present 
shape. He asked those who were not on the committee 
to v'ake the committee up if necassary, and it would be 
found that if they fell short in any respect they would 
answer to the whip. 
Mr. William Paul, who also responded on behalf of 
the committee, thought that too much praise could not 
be bestowed upon the solicitor and the secretary for 
what they had done to resuscitate the association ; but, 
although it had done a great deal in the way of giving 
status reports and collecting debts, that was only a 
small part of what the association ought to accomplish. 
He thought more ought to be done for the purpose of 
uniting the members of the nursery and seed trades. 
Singly their power was small, but united it 
would prove for the good of both. There were a 
great number of intelligent people in the trades. 
Horticultural literature was now represented by 
nine weekly papers besides those issued monthly 
but these did not exercise the influence they might if 
the nurserymen and seedsmen were a more united body, 
in which case they might retain their rights which they 
were not then doing. Mr. Paul referred particularly to 
the question of rates and income-tax, and stated that 
nurserymen were paying far more than they ought to be 
called upon to pay, and instanced this by what occurred 
on a re-valuation of his parish being made for the 
purpose of rating, on which occasion he (the speaker) 
appealed to the Quarter Sessions, and succeeded in 
reducing the amount of rating by one-half. If this 
question had been taken up by such an association as 
the present one, a principle would have been established 
which would have affected nurserymen all over the 
country ; but as it was only an isolated case, it could 
not be utilised on behalf of others. He also referred to 
the question of railway rates, which required con¬ 
sideration, and which could only be effectually dealt 
with by a large body engaged in the nursery and seed 
trades with any hope of bringing the same to a 
successful issue. Speaking as a contributor to the 
horticultural papers, he was of opinion the latter had 
not stood by the nurserymen as they ought to, 
but he thought that if they made their power felt 
as a body, not only they but the trade itself would 
find it to be of great service. He referred to the 
rules of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, which pre¬ 
cluded nurserymen being on the council, and thought 
that if this matter were properly represented by an 
association of nurserymen, such as the present, an 
alteration would be effected. 
Mr. Hooper proposed the health of Mr. C. Butcher, 
the solicitor to the association, and, in responding, that 
gentleman pointed out that the articles of the associa¬ 
tion were sufficiently large to enable the matters 
referred to by Mr. Paul being taken up by the associa¬ 
tion, and that if those engaged in the production of 
seeds and flowers thoroughly united themselves as a 
body they would be sufficiently strong to have a voice 
in the Chamber of Commerce upon the matters con¬ 
sidered by that body. He advocated legislation in the 
interests of nurserymen, giving them the right to 
demand compensation on expiration of tenancy from 
their landlords or succeeding tenants in respect of 
buildings erected and improvements to the land. 
Mr. Harry Veitch proposed success to the Nursery 
and Seed Trade Association, to which Mr. Sherwood, 
the president, replied in suitable terms. Other toasts 
followed, and a very successful meeting was brought to 
a close. 
--- 
HORTICUL TURAL SOCIETIES, 
Manchester Botanical and Horticultural. 
—January 25th .—The 58th annual general meeting of 
this society was held at the Town Hall on the above 
date, Dr. E. F. Ainsworth presiding. The report of 
the retiring council, of which an abstract has been 
already published, was taken as read, and its adoption 
was moved by the chairman and seconded by Mr. J. 
Hough.—In the course of a brief explanatory statement 
Mr. Bruce Findlay, curator and secretary, said reference 
was made in the report to the new house about to be 
put up in the gardens. Had it not been an absolute 
necessity it would not have been taken in hand. Any one 
who would at the present time take a walk through the 
exhibition and other houses would see at a glance that 
it was a question of either destroying some two or three 
hundred magnificent specimen plants—some of them 
above a century old, and natives of various parts of the 
world—or providing a home for them. The council had, 
he thought, wisely adoped the latter course. Opera¬ 
tions had already commenced, and by Whitsuntide the 
new structure would be complete. He ventured to pre¬ 
dict that the building would be an ornament to the 
gardens and a source of great attraction to visitors. 
The financial question was the only one about which 
there was. any anxiety, inasmuch as an additional 
.£1,000 would have to be raised during the present year 
to pay for the building. It was a most unfortunate 
circumstance that all these extraordinary items of ex¬ 
penditure should have come upon them at once. Two 
years ago they had to build a new exhibition-house, 
which cost £2,000. Four years ago the old range of 
glass-houses had to be removed and a new one 
erected, and various other additions had to be made, 
so that in about nine years .£6,000 had been spent 
upon the property in the way indicated without 
adding anything to the liabilities of the institution. 
The reason for all this was explained by the state¬ 
ment in the report that the present was the 58th 
