April 24, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
541 
buoyant atmosphere’being maintained ; do not damp 
down early or late, but let it be chiefly done while 
plenty of air is on ; be sure that the roots are abun¬ 
dantly supplied with water, using manure upon each 
application ; liquid manure water put into pans in the 
house will also be of the greatest use in preventing the 
attacks of red spider and thrip. The crop of fruit in 
the succession Peach houses should now be thinned 
down, as it will be readily seen which will stand. 
Keep the young growths regularly tied in and the fruit 
exposed as much as possible to the light and sun. 
If the fruit in the early houses has begun the second 
swelling, give the borders a thorough soaking of liquid 
manure water, varying it according to fancy. The 
frame from which the early Potatos have been dug 
may now be profitably employed by sowing it with 
French Beaus, which will give a much better return 
than if sown in pots. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cold easterly winds still prevail with us, greatly 
retarding vegetation ; in fact, I am very much inclined 
to think record will be beaten by the spring of 1886. 
Notwithstanding frequent showers, we have sown our 
main crop of Carrots, and also Chicory and Salsafy. 
We have deferred sowing the remainder of the Beet 
seed, as, generally speaking, the roots attain a larger 
size than is liked, if sown too early. The Egyptian 
turnip-rooted is the earliest, but being so coarse, w r e do 
not grow it, and trust to Nutting’s alone. 
The bed of Sea Kale for next year’s forcing will now 
need forking over ; if the ground has been previously 
used for this crop, numerous crowns will appear other 
than in the row’s ; these must be forked out, and if 
properly sorted, and cut over, if the stock is short, be 
replanted at once. Keep the Dutch hoe in use among 
all the seed beds, and if slugs are at all troublesome, 
carefully sprinkle gas lime between the row’s, which 
will effectually protect the crops. We have not made 
the sowing of Peas and Beans, but, w’eather permitting, 
hope to do so to-day : the previous sowing is not yet 
through the ground. 
Our Celery square is prepared, and we have removed 
the early batch of plants to the cold frames, so as to 
harden them, ready for planting out. In very warm 
soils and situations, a sowing of dwarf Beans may now 
be made ; of course there will be a risk of losing them 
by late frosts. Look w r ell to the salad beds ; make 
frequent sowings of Radishes ; and if the weather is at 
all dry, well water. Mustard and Cress will now be 
the better if sown out of doors at the foot of the south 
wall ; protect with wire netting from birds. — Walter 
Child, Crooine Court. 
-->X<-- 
HINTS ON ORCHID CULTURE. 
Ax interesting paper on this subject was read on 
Saturday evening by Mr. William Swan, of Howick 
House, near Preston, at a meeting held under the 
auspices of the Preston and Fulwood Horticultural 
Society ; Mr. William Troughton presided, and there 
was a large attendance. 
Mr. Swan, in introducing the subject, alluded to 
Orchids being a class of plants that invariably gave 
pleasure to all who had the privilege of gazing upon 
them when gay in rich and showy blossom, after which 
he said that it w r as no wonder there was a desire of a 
fuller and more extended acquaintance with such a 
lovely race of plants. The strange forms, the singular 
method of growth, the gorgeous and attractive flowers, 
the sweet and fragrant odour of so many of the species, 
all combined to make the study of Orchidaceous plants 
a charming and fascinating pursuit. Proceeding, he 
dwelt upon their culture having been confined to a few 
wealthy patrons ; but now those with limited means 
were able to purchase and cultivate them ; he named 
the high prices that had been given for some varieties, 
and spoke of their habitats. With reference to the class 
of houses in which the plants should be grown, he 
admitted that fine specimens had been grown for years 
in lean-to houses or half-spans, and that good plants 
had come from pine pits ; but for all practical purposes, 
whether East Indian plants, Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, 
or Odontoglossums, there was nothing in his judgment 
to compare with low span-roofed houses. Perhaps, in 
some situations, a north house might be preferred 
for the Odontoglossums ; but in that district the 
amount of sunlight a house, were so situated, received 
during November, December, January, and February 
was so small that the benefit derived -was lost owing to 
the reduced sunshine and lowered temperature during 
summer. As to the dimensions of a house for a com¬ 
mencement, one 50 ft. by 18 ft., and 10 ft. high in the 
centre, with a middle stage 6 ft. wide, side tables 3 ft. 
wide surrounding it, with walks, with a glass division 
in the centre, would be found convenient for such 
things as Vandas, Dendrobiums, &c., in one portion, 
and Cattleyas, Lrelias, Ccelogynes, Epidendrums, and 
others requiring a lower temperature in the other. 
A span-roof house, 30 ft. long, 10 ft. wide, 7 ft. high 
to the ridge, with side tables 3 ft. 6 ins. wide, and a 
path up the middle, would be very serviceable for cool 
species—Odontoglossum Alexandra, 0. Pescatorei, O. 
triumphans, 0. Halli, Oncidium serratum, 0. macran- 
thum, most of the Masdevallias and Restrepias, as well 
as the beautiful Dendrobium Jamesianum and Disa 
grandiflora. 
The stages should not be open lattice wood-work, 
for the plants standing upon such stages were directly 
over the hot water-pipes, and so when fire-heat was 
necessary the air about the plants was of a dry and 
ungenial nature, injurious to the plants so far as growth 
w r as concerned. These conditions v’ere also most con¬ 
genial to the development of insect life. The stages 
should be covered wdth plain roofing-slates, with a back 
and front edging about 2 ins. high, upon which should be 
spread about 1^ ins. of cinder-ashes, sifted or washed so 
that all the dust was separated, or ordinary furnace- 
coke broken small. The latter w T as excellent, as it held 
considerable moisture v’hen watered, and took a long 
time to become covered with green mossy conferva that 
was so unpleasant to behold. It also formed a better 
under-surface to the plants than the dazzling white 
spar so often used. The spar was very objectionable in 
stoves ; it retained little water, and plants presented a 
more sickly hue when on a white than on a dark 
ground. It was also against natural conditions. In 
fixing the side stages a space of 2 ins. should be allow’ed 
between the back and the inside of the wall for free cir¬ 
culation of the air and the equal distribution of the 
heat from the pipes. There should always be sufficient 
pipes in the house to keep the divisions at the desired 
temperatures without severely driving the fires, and 
they should be 6 ins. at least from the floor. The heat 
ascended more rapidly because of a free circulation of 
air about the pipes, and the moisture under the stages 
did not dry up so quickly as when the pipes w’ere very 
low’. 
The object in shading should he to reduce the 
intensity of the sun’s rays and not to exclude light. 
They must occasionally shade their plants, or they 
w’ould have to mourn over scalded leaves that disfigured 
them for months. By fastening of strips of w’ood 3 ins. 
or 4 ins. wide about every third light for the blinds to 
run on the shading was just above the glass, which 
allow’ed a constant current of air to move between 
the blind and roof. This tended to keep the houses 
cool, and prevented the air getting so dry as it other¬ 
wise would do. He deprecated the constant use of 
blinds, it being surprising how much sunshine would 
benefit the majority of plants. When the plants were 
in active growth, a good share of water was needed for 
each. Where the house was devoted to Orchids alone, 
good dampings down were necessary twice, and in very 
hot w’eather thrice during the day. The plants when 
growing needed water often ; but the surroundings 
should be kept damp and moistened rather than that the 
soil be wet and soddened. 
Potting required care and forethought. In crocking 
the pieces should be placed as upright as possible, 
leaving open spaces for the quicker passage of the 
w’ater, and the entrance of fresh air to the roots. Some 
well-burnt charcoal might safely be used among the 
crocks, and some might be used in the peat and moss. 
The grower should superintend the crocking to guide 
him as to the quantity of water to use. The best 
time for potting the majority of epiphytal Orchids was, 
doubtless, early spring—February, March and April— 
but many plants might be potted later. For the greater 
number of the species good fibrous peat and clean 
sphagnum moss w’ere the best ingredients to use. The 
Cattleyas, Leelias, &c., should be treated to a larger 
quantity of peat than some others ; whilst the East 
India plants succeed best when potted in sphagnum 
only. For some of the stronger growing sorts good 
fibrous loam mixed with moss, sand and charcoal was 
a compost helpful in bringing about the most satisfactory 
results. Perhaps, the most showy group of Orchids, 
and those that could be grown with success, were the 
Lselias and Cattleyas. Each in their own department 
were rich in colour and distinct in the form and marking 
of the flow’ers, presenting great distinctiveness in their 
appearance and growth. Pots should be used for the 
tall-growing kinds, and pans and baskets for the 
dwarfer varieties. The latter were best when hun» 
near the glass. Stout bulbous species might be grown 
in baskets with perfect safety. C. Dow’iana, C. gigas, 
&c., revelled in more heat than the majority of Cattleyas ; 
they enjoyed a stronger sunlight, with an atmosphere 
much drier than w’as experienced by those on the tables 
or stages. 
In the W’inter they should have a night tem¬ 
perature of 55° rising to 60° in the day, with a rise of 
5° by sun-heat; in the grow’ing season and throughout 
summer 65° to 70° by night, with a rise by sunlight to 
85° or 90°, or even a higher reading. Plenty of air 
should be given, and every endeavour made in summer 
to induce a quick and sturdy growth, so that the bulbs 
might be thoroughly plump and matured ere winter 
sets in. It was wise to hang newly-imported pieces in 
a rather shady position without any soil or material 
attached. They should be syringed frequently. When 
the breaks had appeared, and by the roots attained a 
length that endangered their safety in handling, the 
plants should be potted well up in the centre of the 
pot, and placed by themselves so as to be under the 
eye of the grower that he might see every advance and 
stage of progress. It was preferable for many reasons 
to purchase large masses. Another section—Den¬ 
drobiums—differed from the foregoing because they 
mostly flowered along the bulbs, and brought the 
blooms in clusters or pendulous racemes. If colour 
and display were sought after, this genera, which was 
easily managed, might be so grown that many species 
in a year would produce most brilliant effects. The 
colours and forms were as various as it was possible to 
conceive, with markings as clear and distinct as the 
most fastidious could desire. To secure this group 
a decided period of growth and rest must be attended 
to, the former for the perfect development of growths 
and leaves, the latter for the maturing and formation 
of the blossoms. In potting, let the pots be only just 
sufficient to hold the plants, with no excess of material, 
for a continued damp soil had a tendency to cause the 
roots to decay, especially if the plants were over-watered 
during the rest season. These forms having small 
bulbs and of a light substance, should not be kept too 
dry, as many were liable to shrivel and die away before 
any apparent change had taken place in them. Some 
of the smaller East Indian sorts should be grown in 
baskets and hung up near the glass. The taller kinds 
were best when grown in perforated pots, for that being 
their most natural condition, the roots were not so 
liable to decay as when they were in ordinary 
pots. 
Perhaps the most popular Orchid, and one that could 
be obtained at a cheap rate, was the chaste and lovely 
Odontoglossum Alexandra. They required little heat 
in winter and none whatever in summer and autumn, 
a light house with coal-dark surfaces for the plants to 
stand upon ; a temperature of 40° to 45° at night, rising 
5° during the day in December, January, and February ; 
50° to 55° at night, with a corresponding rise in the 
daytime by sun-heat in March and April; and in 
summer, when strong sun-heat was certain to raise the 
temperature, every effort must be made to keep the 
house as cool and moist as possible. Very little rest 
was required for the Odontoglossums. They needed 
more shade-than any other class of Orchids, and plenty 
of air should always be admitted. In plant-growing 
they must bear in mind they were dealing with subjects 
possessing life in a high state of development; that the 
growth, the continued advance and progression, the 
display of gay and showy blossoms—yea, the perfection 
of beauty—depended entirely upon the surroundings of 
the plants ; and that it became them to make themselves 
acquainted with the conditions most certain to ensure 
success ; then, by a judicious application of the best 
methods, willingly and patiently wait whilst they 
eagerly anticipate a joyful realisation of their most 
sanguine expectations. 
A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Swan 
for his able paper. On his suggestion, it was resolved 
to take steps to establish a horticultural improvement 
association. 
