June 5, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
631 
exposed to light and air. Black Aphis is generally an 
unwelcome visitor at this season ; it is well to take 
steps to prevent the pest from making a lodgment 
on the young shoots by syringing the trees with a 
little soft soap put in some soft water, in which a quan¬ 
tity of tobacco powder has been mixed ; this may be 
repeated, and to some extent it will act as a prevent¬ 
ative. 
Peaches and Nectaries will now he growing rapidly, 
and timely attention to disbudding, moderately 
thinning the fruit, and cleansing them with the engine 
are their chief wants ; stop gross shoots or get rid of 
them altogether if they can be spared, and lead the 
main growths straight in their positions. Blistering 
may become prevalent (this I have seen less in the 
north than in the south), and hand-picking may be 
put into practice to get rid of the injured foliage. 
Young trees of all kinds should have plenty of water 
if they require it; a good soaking succeeded by mulch¬ 
ing will keep them safe for a long time. While we 
read of the heavy rainfalls in so many parts of England, 
we have only had slight refreshing showers here, enough 
just to sustain healthy growth. Strawberry plants do 
well with a good drenching at this season, and if not 
already mulched, they should now have timely attention, 
and a good dusting of soot among the crowns to dislodge 
slugs ; lime also answers well, and when the fruit is 
formed there is no fear of its being defiled when the 
dustings are done in good time. It is now time to be 
looking after Strawberry runners to grow for forcing ; 
pot them early and rest them well. — M. T. 
Grapes for Late Supplies. —In late northern 
districts where there is difficulty in ripening Grapes 
during the autumn (without a large proportion of fire- 
heat), it is well to push the Vines on during the next 
three months while the sun is powerful, shutting up 
early in the afternoon—husbanding as much sun-heat 
as possible ; 85° or more of heat with an abundance of 
moisture, and airing early in the morning will facilitate 
the maturing of the fruit at a double rate compared 
with the objectionable practice of some “who rest on 
their oars” and then make a “spurt” with artificial 
heat w'hen the sun is declining. The unripe Grapes of 
all kinds on our exhibition tables in September tell 
their own tale. The number of Vineries being put 
up everywhere on a small scale, to be managed by the 
proprietor or someone in the domestic circle, are very 
great, and such suggestions as this, will doubtless 
prove acceptable. Artificial borders should now have 
a thorough soaking of water; if the soil is not 
rich, liquid manure may be given. A mulching 
of short litter may then be applied over all the 
border.— M. T. 
Presentation to a Gardener. —Mr. John 
M’Lean, gardener to John Watson, Esq., of Earnock, 
on the occasion of his leaving the district to fill the im¬ 
portant position of head gardener to W. Pearce, Esq., 
M.P. for Govan, at his coast residence, Wemyss Bay, 
was recently presented with a valuable gold watch with 
inscription thereon, as a mark and token of the appre¬ 
ciation and esteem of his friends. In making the 
presentation, Mr. Strang said that during the number 
of years that Mr. M’Lean had been in the district, he 
had been thoroughly appreciated and respected for his 
many good qualities of heart and head, and that it was 
on rare occasions that one man had so many friends and 
well-wishers. No one, he said, who saw Earnock 
gardens and pleasure grounds before Mr. M’Lean’s time, 
and who has seen them since, but must be struck by 
the immense improvement which had been made on 
them by Mr. M’Lean’s skill and industry. He also 
referred in glowing terms to Mr. M’Lean’s connection 
with the Hamilton Horticultural Society, of which he 
was, and had been for some years, the president, and 
of the good work he had done for that society. It 
then devolved on Mr. Barrie to present Mr. M Lean, for 
acceptance on behalf of his wife, a beautiful gold brooch 
set with pearls, brilliants, and rubies. Mr. M’Lean 
suitably and feelingly replied. He said he would long 
cherish happy thoughts and feelings of Hamilton and 
his friends there, because in it he had spent some of the 
happiest of his days. He appreciated much the kind¬ 
ness shewn to himself and his wife in presenting them 
with such visible tokens of their friends’ liking for them. 
In after years when looking at his watch, he would see 
in its face many kindly countenances he had been in¬ 
timate with in Hamilton, and which he would 
remember while he lived. 
COLLECTING ODONTO 
GLOSSUMS. 
“Although the geographical range of Odontoglossum 
crispum is comparatively limited, there is a marked 
difference in the varieties found in various localities. 
The Pacho Mountains is the home of the finest forms, 
and here the plants grow on the lower branches of the 
forest trees in company with 0. gloriosum and 0. 
Lindleyanum, two inferior species in point of beauty, 
but which have, perhaps, in a great measure, been 
instrumental in producing the beautiful narrow-petaled 
supposed hybrids, such as Andersonianum, Rucker- 
ianum, Jenningsianum, and others. It is peculiar 
that, whereas the starry-flowered forms, similar to 
Lindley’s type specimen, abound exclusively on the 
north of Bogota, the woods on the south, about ten 
days’ journey distant, are rich in the fine round- 
flowered varieties. Although this Orchid is imported 
in larger numbers than any other from South America, 
the risks and expenses are not slight even now. In 
our case, we purchase the exclusive right to collect 
plants in the woods in certain districts ; natives are 
employed to gather them, for which purpose parties of 
from four to eight go into the woods, returning in about 
a fortnight with the result of their labours. After the 
plants have been cleaned and prepared, and kept on 
wooden stages for several weeks, they are ready for 
packing. 
They are then fastened to stout sticks, and these 
are fixed in wooden boxes so as to leave air space 
around them. The cases are carried on mule-back to 
Bogota, a journey of about ten days, and here they are 
received by an agent, who sends them by mules to 
Honda, w’hich is reached in another six days. This 
place is situate on the river Magdalena, and here the 
cases are put on board a river steamer, which takes 
them to the seaport town of Savanilla, a journey 
occupying about five days. Owing to the intense heat 
on the river journey the plants often perish. The cases 
then come, as a rule, by mail steamer, vid Colon and 
St. Thomas, to England, the passage being made in 
about twenty-seven days. The risks, therefore, of 
importing this Orchid are great, and, owing to the 
peculiarly soft nature of the plants, they are so liable 
to decay, that in some instances seven-eights of the 
consigment are dead on arrival here. The havoc made 
in the native forests, too, must be considerable, for we 
calculate that for every three plants actually established 
in European gardens a tree has been felled.”— Eeichen- 
bachia. 
-- 
NEW SOUTH WALES. 
Everything that can be grown in England can be 
grown in New South Wales, and I have known the 
Potato to give heavier crops than have ever come under 
my notice either in England or America. I have seen 
thirty tons, but twelve to fifteen tons to the acre are 
not at all an uncommon yield. Sorghum and the various 
sorts of imphee are grown chiefly as forage plants, and 
not the purpose for which they are usually cultivated 
in America, viz., the production of syrup, which is 
so largely used by the farmers and country people in¬ 
stead of sugar. Wheat, Barley, Oats, and Maize are, 
however, the principal crops. The latter is grown on 
the deep alluvial river flats, and produces heavily. Its 
cultivation is easy, and the yield is sometimes as high as 
100 bushels to the acre for the first crop. Large quan¬ 
tities of Maize are exported to the other colonies. 
The cultivation of the sugar-cane is limited to the 
north-eastern river banks and brush lands. The acre¬ 
age under cane increases year by year, but the low price 
of sugar sadly retards the progress which would other¬ 
wise be made ; but on the Clarence, Richmond, and 
Tweed rivers the industry shows that it must eventually 
become one of the most important. The Colonial Sugar 
Company, having recognised the facilities which the 
land above-mentioned afforded for cane-growing, offered 
liberal inducements to the farmers of the locality for 
growing cane, and to further this, erected mills and 
sugar works to crush the cane and for the conversion 
of the juice into sugar ; the company thus providing a 
market for the smallest growers by purchasing the cane 
by weight. The variety known as “ribbon cane” is 
the one usually planted, but as this takes two years to 
mature, and is more costly to cultivate, the annual 
varieties are being experimented upon. The crop may 
be averaged at about thirty tons of the “ribbon cane” 
and twenty tons of the annual 3orts. 
The farmers contract to supply cane from a certain 
area for a stated number of years, the company taking 
delivery of the standing crop in the field and paying 
the farmers 10.?. per ton for growing. The farmers can 
—if they wish to do so—make arrangements to cut and 
cart their own cane to the mills, for which they are 
allowed an adequate remuneration. Land suitable for 
cane cultivation is very valuable, and tenants give as 
much as from £2 to £3 per acre annual rent. Most of 
the farmers, however, own the land they cultivate. 
The crushing season commences in July or August and 
lasts until Christmas. The raw sugar is taken to the 
company’s refinery in Sydney, where it is refined and 
rendered fit for the market. These sugar works are 
very extensive, and sugar is made equally good in 
colour and quality with the kinds imported from Europe. 
Tobacco grows luxuriantly. All varieties thrive, 
from the high-priced Cuban, which I have grown my¬ 
self on the Lachlan River, and had made into excellent 
cigars, to the coarse Virginian sorts, which are usually 
grown for the purpose of manufacturing the ordinary 
plug and cut tobacco. Its successful cultivation depends 
greatly upon the seasons, especially at the time when 
planting out takes place ; the plants are raised in seed 
beds and planted out like young cabbage plants. 
Should the weather be very dry at this time, hand 
watering is absolutely necessary, or the crop is lost. 
At present tobacco growing is mostly in the hands of 
the Chinese, whose skill and patience in the matter of 
small cultivations are proverbial.— Ed. Combes, in the 
Society of Arts Journal. 
-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Where a few Roses are grown in pots their possessors 
will be well repaid now, for the plants can be had in 
flower at this time without any forcing, and they bloom 
much more freely and naturally. A good display can be 
maintained in the greenhouse until Roses come outside, 
and these charming flowers are always welcome at 
whatever period they are obtained. Pelargoniums are 
also very bright and free, varieties of the show, de¬ 
corative and fancy types being much appreciated for 
such houses and general ornamental work. The former 
are, however, the best, as the fancies are somewhat 
delicate in habit, and not always satisfactory, while 
such floriferous varieties as the Duchess of Bedford and 
Volante Nationale album are indispensable. The 
principal enemy of these and the Roses is green-fly, 
which increases extremely rapidly if not checked by 
fumigation. If it is not convenient to fumigate the 
whole of the house at one time, the infested plants 
should be removed to a frame or other suitable place to 
undergo the operation. 
Calceolarias are now in first-rate condition, and 
though the old florist’s fancy named varieties have 
disappeared, and the practice of naming has been 
discontinued, calceolarias are more popular now, and 
larger numbers are grown than has ever been the case 
before. They are found in nearly every garden where there 
is glass accommodation of any kind, and large quantities 
of seed are saved every year to meet the demand. It 
is most important to obtain a good strain of seed, for 
unless this is done, the efforts of the best cultivators 
will be useless. They may succeed in growing vigorous 
plants, but when the floivers are produced, they will 
be very disappointing in size and colour. Some time 
is required, and constant careful selection, to form and 
maintain a reliable strain of Calceolarias, and purchasers 
should, therefore, be particular where they procure the 
seed if they wish for the best results. Liliums are now 
coming forward rapidly, and plants of L. longiflorum 
and L. Harrisi are flowering beautifully now, these 
with L. speciosum and its varieties, are especial 
favourites with us for indoors, while most of the others 
that will succeed outdoors, are worth a place in any 
garden. L. Harrisi has proved superior to L. longi¬ 
florum in several respects, the principal being the 
larger number of flowers produced on the stems. Of 
L. speciosum, the white and red varieties are charming, 
and a succession of plants can be kept up for some time, 
by growing them in cool quarters or out of doors in a 
slightly shady position. We have an abundance of 
Mignonette and Musk in pots, these fragant plants 
being general favourites, and serve admirably, especially 
the latter, for front row plants on the stages or shelves 
