396 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 20, 1886. 
Where the early Vines are approaching the flowering 
state, a good soaking of water should be given to the 
border, as from being kept rather dry just at that 
period the roots are apt to suffer if not previously 
looked to ; damp the surface of the border morning 
and evening but keep dry at mid-day, tap the Vines 
■with the hand each time when passing through the 
house for ventilating or other purposes, to distribute 
the pollen, and where any shy setter may be in the 
early compartment, obtain pollen from the Hambro’ 
and apply it to the bunches when quite dry ; this is 
particularly necessary where, as in many cases, a rod 
or two of a -Muscat is inarched in the early house for 
exhibition or other purposes. 
According to the length of supply, so will it now be 
necessary to study how long the present lot of beds in 
the Mushroom house will carry on in bearing, if any 
doubt exists as to running short, collect manure with¬ 
out delay, for making another good bed, making an 
allowance for the last bed not yielding nearly so good a 
supply as those made earlier in the season, as beds 
made up late in the season, in a house, are never what 
one may call satisfactory ; just now we are cutting 
some splendid quality Mushrooms, as firm as it is 
possible to get them, and we have another bed spawned 
a month since, which will carry us well on, but still we 
intend to make up one more the latter end of this week, 
to prepare for eventualities. 
The standard Roses we introduced into the early 
Vinery are showing a splendid lot of bloom, and we 
hope to place another batch into the intermediate 
house early this week for succession. See that the 
supply of Asparagus and Seakale does not fall short. 
The hot-bed for the former will now need renewing 
before placing another batch of roots in, as nothing 
delights more in a strong bottom-heat than Asparagus. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
In this department I can only advise that not a 
single moment be lost in getting all digging completed, 
more particularly where it is intended for spring crop¬ 
ping ; because, if this is neglected now, it is utterly 
impossible for the ground to be in a fit condition to 
receive seed. Although our ground is ready, we have 
not been able to put in parsnips yet, which we regret, 
as the roots never attain goodly proportions when late 
sown. 
As soon as possible, make a good sowing of second 
early and main crop Peas, and also another of Broad 
Beans, and between the rows of Peas may now be sown 
spring Spinach. I would, for this purpose, strongly 
recommend the Monstrous Viroflay. It is very much 
superior to the ordinary round variety, and quicker in 
growth. As soon as the state of the ground will 
permit, transplant autumn-sown Onions, giving them, 
as before advised, a good rich quarter. For first draw¬ 
ing, those in the seed-bed may be left standing, say 
4 in. to 6 in. apart; but they must not be relied upon 
to make bulbs.— Walter Child, Crocntie Court. 
-->i<-- 
TABLE, WINDOW, AND INDOOR 
PLANTS. 
The Palms supply us with many of our most 
durable and elegant plants for table decoration, and 
one of the most elegant, to my mind, is, Cocos Wed- 
deliana, which has elegantly cut foliage, and is, more¬ 
over, of a most pleasing green. Following closely on 
it, however, is Geonoma gracilis, which curves its 
foliage over even more gracefully than the Cocos, 
although it loses a little in other respects. These two 
are now to be had at an ordinary price, and as they 
are easily kept in a cool conservatory or greenhouse, 
when not in use for the table, they are available for 
most people. 
Areca lutescens, with its golden tinted leaf stalks, is 
another good Palm for the table, but in my experience 
it is much more tender than the two previously named, 
and consequently not so good for winter use, at all 
events. Kentias of all kinds are perhaps the most 
durable of Palms, for indoor work, and as they are now 
becoming more plentiful they may be got at a reason¬ 
able price. Other Palms, which I have found both 
elegant and lasting for table decoration, are all the 
Phcenix (Date Palms), Areca rubra, any of the Chamse- 
doreas, while small enough ; Lantana borbonica, 
Chamierops humilis, Seaforthia elegans, Ptychosperma 
Alexandra;, and Coryplia australis. 
The most economical method is to obtain a small 
stock of these so as to use them -in turns, and give 
them as much rest for recuperation in the greenhouse 
as possible, keeping them clean the while. So 
managed, table decoration is not an expensive thing. — 
M. A., Camb. 
LEUCOJUM iESTIVUM. 
This plant though a native of most of our meadows, 
is of rare occurrence in a wild state, under cultivation, 
however, it is of frequent occurrence. A plant at home 
in any soil though flourishing best near the margins of 
streams ; this is not, however, to be regarded as es¬ 
sential to its successful culture, for it will attain its 
recognised height, and flower with its wonted freedom 
in light sandy soils. Judging by its specific name it 
is generally regarded as summer flowering ; this is not 
so, as more frequently it may be met in full flower in 
April. Individually its flowers strongly Tesemble some 
of the larger flowered Snowdrops, and it is popularly 
known as the summer Snowflake. 
It is of tufted growth, not unlike a Daffodil prior to 
its flowering, and has leaves 1 ft. or more in length, 
from which issue its flower stems which generally 
attain about 18 ins. in height; these are terminated by 
a cluster of large Snowdrop-like flowers, giants, how¬ 
ever, as compared with the Snowdrop flowers generally. 
Its flowers are pure white with green tips, which latter 
render it very pleasing and somewhat inclined to be 
cupped. It is suited for the border or for naturalising 
in woodlands, or for association in the wild garden 
among Narcissi and similar things in places where the 
grass is not mown ; the effect is very pleasing among 
the grass, and seeing that it is one of those inexpensive 
LEUCOJUM iESTIVUJr. 
bulbous plants that may be had in quantity, there is 
no reason why it should not be planted on a large 
scale. — J. 
-- 
PYRETHRUM GOLDEN 
FEATHER. 
This old favourite holds its own against any of the 
more recently-introduced forms that we expected would 
supersede it. Take Osborn’s laciniatedform, forinstance, 
with its deeply-cut leaves ; how seldom one sees it, and 
it has made but little impression on the minds of thegar- 
dening public. I go into a great many gardens, large and 
small, where I am certain to see the old Golden Feather, 
but scarcely or never laciniatum. That handsome 
dwarf variety, selaginoides, sent out by Mr. B. S. 
Williams, makes a charming edging plant, but one 
seldom sees it. I think it is a very valuable subject for 
embroidered beds ; but then you can pinch back the 
old Golden Feather to such an extent as to make it as 
dwarf as you like. Mr. Wildsmith, in his wonderful 
summer garden at Heckfield, keeps it as dwarf as 
salaginoides, and it never looks ragged through 
pinching. I well remember when Messrs. E. G. Hen¬ 
derson & Son first exhibited the Golden Feather 
Pyrethrum ; it was undoubtedly a very lucky and 
useful sport. As a matter of course, when it came 
before the floral committee of the R. II. S. —and I was 
a member of that body at the time —the first inquiry 
was, will the golden colour stand the heat and drought 
of summer 1 The committee have to exercise due care 
in making awards to new plants, and as no one had had 
experience of the durability of the Golden Feather, 
some hesitation was shown by that body ; but the value 
of the sport was soon universally recognised. I re¬ 
member Mr. Bard taking it to one of the meetings of 
the United Horticultural Society, then held in the old 
Green Dragon, in Bishopsgate Street, and the interest 
the plant excited was very great, and a useful future 
was predicted for it. With whom did it first originate ? 
There is a good useful variegated Pyrethrum known as 
Golden Gem. This, too, has handsome cut-leaved 
foliage, it is of a good colour, and produces pure white 
double flowers. I often wonder this is not more gene¬ 
rally grown, for it is a very effective bedding plant; 
but somehow it has not hit the popular taste. Per¬ 
haps it is not to be wondered at, for the old Golden 
Feather is so useful all round that gardeners of all 
classes have a profound faith in it. We want a good 
yellow-foliaged evergreen plant that will stand the 
winter, and be as effective in early spring as the 
Pyrethrum is in summer. Such a plant would immor¬ 
talise the name of its producer.— R. D. 
■ -->!£<- - 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS, 
Orchids at Woodhatch, Reigate.- At this 
place a nice collection of Orchids has been got to¬ 
gether during the past few years, and the good condition 
they are in is well worthy of notice. J. B. Haywood, 
Esq., the worthy owner, is anxious and Milling to obtain 
novelties of sterling merit, and though the collection 
contains none of the gigantic specimens we hear of, there 
are fine examples of cultivation, to wit, Denbrobium 
Wardianum, several plants with fine stout growths, 
bulbs over 5 ft. long, and 3 ins. in circumference, with 
over two dozen flowers. I well recollect the first plant 
I ever saw in flower, -which was amongst the first, if not 
the very first imported, when I considered it one of the 
finest of this fine family. I am still under the same 
impression, a good specimen well flowered is one of the 
finest objects possible to behold. Another plant grown 
well and in great quantities, is Odontoglossum vexil- 
larium ; there are dozens of fine bold vigorous growing 
plants, with grand foliage without spot or blemish ; and 
amongother plantsgrown in thesamehouse, and vigorous 
likewise, showing that the same treatment suits the two, 
are some Pescatorias, these are not always seen in such 
good health as here. Mr. Ridhout, to whom the credit is 
due, is to be congratulated upon his success. The 
collection of Orchids contains a fine lot of Cattleyas and 
Lselias, many of which are sheathing well ; some of the 
Triame section are now in flower, as well as Lidia anceps 
and albida, the last a fine variety ; some good Lycastes 
are also here flowering freely. In the cool house dozens 
of Odontoglossum Alexandra, and Pescatorias are in 
flower, some very fine varieties there are too, Trium- 
phans, Rossii, Cervantesii, gloriosum, and pulchellum, 
Oncidium cucullatum, are all well represented. These 
with Masdevallia Veitchii, ignea (very finely flowered), 
and the pure white ‘Tovarense, in quantities well 
arranged, form a very nice display at this season of the 
year, the whole reflecting great credit upon Mr. Ridhout, 
Mr. Haywood’s enthusiastic gardener.— A. Outram. 
Cypripedium Lindleyanum.— This very dis¬ 
tinct plant is blooming for the first time with Messrs. 
James Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea. It comes from British 
Guiana and is of very stately habit, its broad shiny 
green leaves, resembling those of C. grande, constituting 
it an ornamental plant always presentable. Its flowers 
are borne on tall spikes, and are greenish white deli¬ 
cately traced with brownish orange lines. The backs 
of the sepals and petals are hairy, and altogether it is a 
widely separated and well-marked form of the Seleni- 
pedium section. 
Cypripedium Germinyanum, a new hybrid 
between C. hirsutissimum and C. villosum, is also in 
bloom with Messrs. Veitch, the raisers. The plant 
bears traces of both parents ; but luckily, in the cha¬ 
racter of its flowers, partakes more strongly of C. hir¬ 
sutissimum, which is a coveted plant by all growers, 
but complained of because it is often found a stubborn 
grower. C. Germinyanum, however, by its free growth 
seems to say that it will never have to be accused of 
such a failing. 
In the Lake House Collection there is now 
a grand show of Coelogyne cristata, both of the ordinary 
and Cliatsworth varieties, large masses literally a sheet 
of white flowers ; also a grand lot of Odontoglossum 
pulchellum majus (true), and a lovely plant of Den- 
drobium Ainswortliii, one mass of bloom on three 
strong bulbs. These are only a few of the good things 
now in bloom in the well grown collection of Mr. G. 
Nevile Wyatt, whose gardener, Mr. Simcoe, may justly 
be proud of them. 
