September 18, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
43 
Oilontoglots have a zone of about 500 ft., the limits 
pretty sharp!}' defined. If you remember, we saw 
first 0. Phalfenopsis, then crocidipterum, then tri- 
umphans, then Peseatorei, tripudians, and the so- 
called nsevium majus, then Oncidium superbiens and 
Ada aurantiaea, and here we are among, to my 
mind, the grandest of all, 0. eoronarium. Look at 
that one crawling up yon branch like a snake ; there 
is another with a grand head of crimson-chocolate 
flowers. Don’t put your hand on that tree, it is covered 
with “fire ants ” ; if one of them bites you, you will 
have a “bad quarter of an hour.” 
Here we are nearly at the end of the forest, and this 
is the home of Oncidium cucullatum. I must tell you 
a curious fact about this plant in the Western Andes, 
it grows below the other cool kinds not more than 
5,000 or 6,000 ft. 
Here we are at last among the Hasdevallias, about 
9,000 ft. ; very few trees here, mostly scrub and grass. 
On these mountain tops grow over twenty different 
species, many pnly botanical curiosities, but others, 
which rank among the best, such as Ignea, coccinea, 
Lindeni, and the best of all, M. elephanticeps. What 
a difference between the Magdalena and here. There 
the forest was heavy and thick, and here there is hardly 
any shade, and though we are sitting in the full blaze of a 
tropical scene, we really feel quite chilly. All the way 
up the vegetation has been becoming smaller, and the 
trees farther and farther apart, but to compensate for 
that the air is so Tariffed, and so charged with the 
moisture of these heavy clouds that every few moments 
roll over us and send a cold shiver through our bones, 
that the sun's rays are nearly deprived of their forco. 
And then the wonderful evaporation that goes on in 
these high altitudes adds also to the coolness of the 
air. Why 60° Fahr. would be the highest day tempera¬ 
ture, and 40° at night, nothing uncommon. In all the 
forests through which we have passed to-day the trees 
have been thickly covered with mosses, Ferns, lichens, 
which retain the moisture from the clouds and dew, 
and so the Orchids growing among them’ do not suffer 
from drought. You, perhaps, noted that when we 
started this morning, all the herbage was wringing wet 
from the dew, and this, though it is not now the end of the 
dry season, and there has not been more than two or 
three showers for two months. 
Down again to our hut, and to-morrow for the river. 
Some other day we may, perhaps, be fellow travellers 
again.— Edit). A. IVallace, Colchester, 
-- 
Hardening Miscellany. 
Schizanthus pinnatus.— This beautiful and 
wondrously free-flowering annual blooms in spring, and 
would not be a seasonable subject for mentioning just 
now only that this is the time for sowing the seeds with 
a view to nest spring’s display. Visiting the great 
Whitsuntide exhibition at Old Trafford, a few years 
ago, I was much impressed with the fine plants which 
Mr. Findlay had in bloom (as, indeed, he has every 
year), and resolved to grow some myself. When in 
flower they are exceedingly showy, and I do not think 
we shall soon get tired of them. Sow the seeds now in 
a fairly light compost, and put the pan3 in a frame 
antil the seeds germinate. As soon as large enough, 
pot the seedlings off singly into 60’s, and through the 
winter keep them on a shelf in a light airy house from 
which fr«st is just excluded. Early in January go over 
the stock, and select for potting-on those which show 
a neat pyramidal habit of growth, discarding all that 
show a tendency to assume a straggling habit. Give 
the selected plants a liberal shift into a good compost, 
mainly of strong sandy loam, water carefully, stake as 
required, keep in a light position near the glass in a 
greenhouse temperature, and from early in April for 
several weeks they will make a grand show in the con¬ 
servatory. — X. 
Francos 133vis.—Whilst on the subject of 
white flowers, I think this plant deserves a passing 
note. However roughly it may be treated, it will be 
sure to throw up some spikes of flowers, but give it 
liberal treatment, that is, a moderate amount of pot- 
room and feed it well, it will then give a great pro¬ 
fusion of its white flowers, which are always valuable 
during the autumn months. It may be stood out of 
doors during summer, and brought into a eool green¬ 
house to open its flowers during September, in fact, if 
kept inside all through the summer, it will bloom 
much earlier, when its flowers will not be appreciated 
so well as at the present time. It is easily raised from 
seed or cuttings, and will flower the first season, but 
plants about three years old, are generally the most 
useful. After this age they may be thrown away, 
providing you have always a few succession plants.— 
W. G. 
Sulphide of Potassium.— When this was first 
recommended as a remedy for mildew, I procured some 
from Messrs. Harris & Co., Birmingham, to make sure 
of getting the genuine article, which I used at the 
maximum strength given in the directions with no 
better result than that experienced by your corres¬ 
pondent, “A. P.,” in last week’s issue, though in my 
case it was chiefly for mildew on Roses that it was 
used. I then gradually increased the strength to over 
1 oz. to the gallon of w’ater, both for dipping and 
syringing, but still the mildew was not destroyed ; so 
I came to the conclusion that it was not so useful as 
the old remedy of black soap and a little sulphur. 
The way in which it discolours white paint would 
alone prevent its use for plants growing on a trellis, 
under a roof, or anywhere that its use would bring it 
in contact with the paint, though it does not per¬ 
manently disfigure it, as after a while it washes off.— 
Alexander Laing, The Gardens, Salisbury Green, 
Edinburgh. 
Polygonum cuspidatum.— Having a plant ol 
this knot-grass which had considerably overgrown the 
space allotted to it last season, I thinned the young 
shoots out very severely in the spring, and am much 
pleased with the result, as the few growths left have 
made a more robust growth, and are now flowering in 
a way that I have never seen equalled before, the shoots 
being most beautifully clothed with its short panicles 
of small white blossoms. The plants are quite 8 ft. 
high, and rival in beauty anything we have in bloom 
in the borders now. If not allowed to grow too freely, 
and so take possession of too much space, this is a 
very fine town plant, and makes one of the best summer 
screens for an ugly corner that I know. — J. C. 
Chrysanthemum La Petite Marie. —I have 
not yet been able to bring myself in harmony with 
those who like the large early-flowering Chrysan¬ 
themums such as Madame Desgrange, in bloom in 
September—I think they are out of season, and not 
wanted before chill October comes in, but some of the 
small-flowered section are great favourites. For a small 
garden, and a small greenhouse like mine, La Petite 
Marie, which I have grown for two seasons proves a 
perfect gem. It is the smallest growing Chrysan¬ 
themum I know, being now that is in full bloom only 
8 ins. high. Spring struck cuttings potted twice, the 
last time into 48’s, and stopped twice, the last time at 
the end of June, have grown into charming little 
bushes, every shoot of which carries a bloom or a bud. 
The flowers are very neat and pleasing in form, and 
pure white—a real good thing.— H. Noble. 
Anemone japonica alba (Honorine Jou- 
bert.) —This is another useful autumnal white flower, 
and too much cannot be said in its favour, for it is a 
continuous bloomer till frost destroys its spikes. 
Planted in beds and protected from heavy rains, &c. 
—the same as recommended for Matricaria—its flowers 
are much cleaner and are most serviceable for any pur¬ 
pose white flowers may be required. I find it does not 
care to be shifted too often. It is only when the plants 
become thoroughly established in their quarters that 
they yield such a profusion of bloom. I have seen it 
grown in pots and taken inside to flower ; but I prefer 
having them planted in beds and protected with frame- 
lights ; the flowers are much stronger and finer. It 
will grow in almost any garden soil. — IV. G. 
Eupatoriums. —These plants are easily propagated 
and grown, and well repay the grower for a little extra 
time he may give them by the quantity of flowers they 
give in return. Cuttings are easily rooted in the spring 
months, in a sharp heat, and from this time forward 
the plants should not be allowed to become pot-bound, 
but kept moving along—at the same time having an 
eye to pinching the points out, so as to cause the plants 
to become bushy. By the middle of June they should 
have made good bushy plants, and may be placed out 
in the frame-yard, and kept well looked after to see they 
do not suffer for water. If a few plants are wanted 
extra large, they should be potted on before being 
placed out in the frame-ground. All pinching should 
be stopped by about the middle or end of July, and the 
plants allowed to develop their trusses ready for flower¬ 
ing in the autumn. They may be lifted into a cool 
house by the middle of September, and afterwards, if 
they should not develop their flowers fast enough, put 
a few at a time into an intermediate house, when they 
will keep up a succession of flower for some time.— 
W. G. 
Notes on Peaches. —I send you a photograph 
of an Alexandra Peach tree, one of twenty-two trees on 
our Peach wall, consisting of an equal number of 
Peaches and Nectarines, on which we havo a capital 
crop. I took the trees in hand when they were young 
ones in May, 1882, and they are much admired by 
practical men who call here. I also send you a fruit 
each of Alexandra and Gros Mignonne. Galando does 
well here, so also does the Downton Nectarine. Alex¬ 
andra with us comes in at the end of August, being 
preceded by about a fortnight by Early York, which 
is our best early variety.— Charles Bowers, The Gardens, 
Castle Hill, Cerne, Dorset. [The photograph shows a 
well-balanced and admirably furnished tree ; and the 
fruits were large, well coloured, and of excellent 
flavour.—E d.] 
The Potato Disease. —"When the reports came in 
that the crop was almost or quite exempt from disease, I 
thought, looking to the character of the season, that in all 
probability we should find that a little later on it would 
break out with a greater or less degree of virulence. 
In many places this, unfortunately, is the case, and, as 
generally happens, cottage gardeners suffer the most ; 
it always appears first in close confined places, which 
they frequently are ; and as Early Rose, which is one of 
the worst to take it, is a great favourite with them they 
often lose from half to three-parts of their crop. If the 
varieties known as being extremely susceptible to its 
attacks were kept out of cultivation, would it not tend 
to the stamping out of the disease ?— W. B. G. 
Mrs. Pearson and Royal Vineyard 
Grapes. —A first prize was recently won by two bun¬ 
ches of Grapes labelled Mrs. Pearson, which were taken 
from a vine of Royal Vineyard, planted before Mrs. 
Pearson was sent out, as can be easily proved, and the 
same vine produced two bunches last year, which 
won a prize when labelled White Frontignan; are 
these three Grapes so near alike that judges are unable 
to tell the one from the other, or is this particular 
vine more accommodating than any other 1— M. 
[May not the Royal Vineyard have been inarched 1— 
Ed.] 
Zephyranth.es Candida.—One seldom sees this 
charming Peruvian half-hardy bulbous plant, but it is 
very chaste and pleasing at this season of the year, 
throwing up its white Crocus-liko blossoms. I have 
two clumps of it in pots, 6 ins. across, well established, 
that are now flowering freely and successionally, too, 
as all the blossoms do not appear at one time. They 
greatly resemble those of a Crocus, and they are pro¬ 
duced singly on strong stems. My plants are growing 
in a greenhouse fully exposed to the sun, but they have 
plenty of water. I do not know whether it is the rule 
to starve the plants to make them bloom ; but I have 
not starved mine, and they are flowering almost as well 
as one can desire them. It is a plant well worth culti¬ 
vating.— B. D. 
Earwigs and Chrysanthemums.— Having 
read the various comments on this subject that have 
recently appeared in your columns, I am constrained to 
throw in my lot with those who affirm that the Ear¬ 
wigs do eat both the stem, foliage, bud, and flowers of 
Chrysanthemums, having proved it by my own per¬ 
sonal observation. Especially have they done us much 
mischief lately by eating into the stem close under a 
bud that had been “ taken ” the preceding day. The 
caterpillar, mentioned by Mr. Kidson, usually appears 
about the time the buds are forming, having been 
hatched in one of the young leaves near the top of a 
shoot in which it may sometimes be found rolled up, 
and from which it emerges and feeds over the top of the 
shoot, bud, leaves and all, thus making the shoot of no 
more value for producing a bloom. From what I could 
gather from Air. Kidson’s note, the Earwigs have put 
on their best behaviour at Hull this year, whilst they 
have been most mischievous with us at Chelmsford. 
For whilst doing us much mischief amongst Chrysan¬ 
themums, &c., they also visited a long orchard house 
and partly destroyed a splendid crop of Peaches and 
