December 4, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
219 
fair for both. It certainly can be but a small pleasure 
to a man who is working in a garden all the year round 
to win a prize from one who, perhaps, never was seen 
in a first-rate garden from one year’s end to another. 
But to proceed. Another good point about this 
society is that in the month of November it distributes 
in each village, fruit trees, such as Apples, Plums and 
Damsons, and afterwards sends packages of assorted 
vegetable seeds to the head gardeners for them to 
deliver to the recipients, with the proviso that no one 
shall receive them two years in succession. This, in 
my humble opinion, is an example well worth follow; 
ing by much larger societies than the one referred to. 
Horticulture has taken immense strides during the last 
thirty years, and will advance rapidly in the future, if 
the all-absorbing interest that is taken in it at the 
present day continues. Patience and perseverance are 
most necessary essentials to an horticulturist, and these 
combined with industry will not fail to bring success 
to those endowed with such qualities. I would 
earnestly recommend every cottager who takes an 
interest in his garden to purchase “Carter’s Practical 
Gardener,” which is the best book he could have, 
because it is plainly and sensibly written. — JVm. 
Smith, The Gardens, Springfield, Alderley Edge, 
Nov. 22nd. 
DEATH OF M. VAN GEERT. 
We regret to record the death on Nov. 23rd, at Ghent, 
of Mr. Aug. Van Geert, senior,after a few days’ illness. 
Tliedeceased gentleman had manvfriendsin thiscountry, 
especially among the elder members of the trade, and 
was much respected. He came over here from Belgium 
in 1830, when quite a youth, to learn his business as a 
nurseryman at the famous establishment of Knight & 
Perry’s (now Messrs. James Yeitch & Sons), Chelsea, 
and when, after being three years at Chelsea, he 
joined his father in Ghent, became a regular im¬ 
porter of the best English novelties, and maintained 
a regular correspondence with our leading nursery¬ 
men until he retired from business some years ago. 
His extensive business at MontSt. Amandpassed into the 
hands of the present esteemed proprietor, his son, Mr. 
Aug. Yan Geert, junior, but his love of plants, especially 
of Orchids, was so strong that even in his retirement 
he spent most of his time among them. Of Orchids 
he maintained a nice private collection in the nursery 
of his son-in-law, Mr. Edward Pynaert, and greatly 
enjoyed the pleasure of attending to them himself. In 
private life his amiability and kindness of heart endeared 
him to all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. 
The funeral took place in the cemetery at Ghent, on 
Friday, Nov. 26th, in the presence of a large as¬ 
semblage of friends and deputations from the various 
bodies with which Mr. Van Geert was connected, 
the chief mourners being Mr. Aug. Van Geert, Junior, 
and Mr. Pynaert. The bier was literally covered with 
magnificent crowns and wreaths of the rarest natural 
flowers, and, altogether, the ceremony was most im¬ 
pressive ; a detachment of infantry attending to do 
honour to the deceased as a Chevalier of the Order of 
Leopold. M. le Comte de Kerchove de Dentergliem, 
president of the Societe Royale d’Agriculture et de 
Botanique of Ghent, pronounced the funeral oration, 
in which he touched feelingly on the loss the 
society had sustained by the death of him whom 
they had assembled together to say a last fare¬ 
well, Mr. Van Geert being the one who had most 
contributed to the success of the Society. After 
glancing at the intimate and friendly relations which 
Mr. Yan Geert enjoyed with other nurserymen, and 
with those who were brought into contact with him, 
M. le Comte briefly sketched the active and 
illustrious career of their departed friend, from the 
early age at which he entered Messrs. Knight & 
Perry’s nursery, at which time he commenced a 
cordial understanding with English nurserymen, 
which has never abated since his return to Belgium 
to enter his father’s nursery, there to introduce 
new methods of culture, new business arrangements, 
and above all new plants, and by his general energy 
and straightforward habits to raise the establishment 
into the position of one of the best in Europe In 1844, 
Mr. Aug. Yan Geert was made a member of the 
Societe Royale d’Agriculture et de Botanique, taking his 
seat beside his father, who was elected in 1819, and 
soon became a leading spirit in the society, more es¬ 
pecially in connection with its exhibitions. In 1873, 
the King conferred on him the badge of Chevalier of 
the Order of Leopold, and many other honours fell to 
him as a citizen, and also as one of the best exhibitors 
of plants of the day. Through all he deported himself 
humbly and ever kindly towards his fellow-man, of 
whatever degree or station he might be. In substance, 
these and many other kindly remarks were made by 
M. le Comte, and echoed in the breasts of those around, 
but not more, we are sure, than in the breasts of the 
many friends the Van Geert family has in the 
British Isles. 
-- 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar.— No better 
work can be done at the present time than looking over 
the plants to make sure they are clean, and in stamp¬ 
ing out thrips, &c., in the incipient stage by sponging 
with tobacco water, or dipping. Odontoglossum vexil- 
larium, 0. Roezlii and the varieties of Masdevallia 
Chimera want specially looking after in this respect in 
winter. Any of the Cypripediums, as they go out of 
flower, may be repotted, and in the case of those which 
have formed growth too tufted, and likely to impair 
the quality of the flowers, they should be broken up 
and divided out in the pots or pans destined to receive 
them. Pleiones, as they go out of flower, should be 
repotted if they require it, but these plants when care¬ 
fully handled go two years or more without repotting. 
Whether repotted or not, they should be placed in a 
position near the glass of the roof, and be watered from 
time to time, but not too heavily, until they send forth 
new roots from the young growths. 
The Cattleyas, Lrelias, &c., want to be kept well 
down to the temperatures prescribed for them, and only 
sufficient water given to keep them plump. 
The Temperatures for the month of December 
should be :—Warm house, East Indian, 65° to 70° by 
day, 60° at night ; Cattleya or intermediate house, 60° 
to 65° by day, 55° at night ; Cool or Odontoglossum 
house, 50° to 55° by day, 45° at night. 
It is needless to say that the greatest amount of 
light possible should be given, as one of the greatest 
drawbacks to Orchid culture is our long sunless periods. 
—James O'Brien. 
Labels for Orchids.— “R. N.” (p. 203) is wise in 
thus early in his career as an Orchid grower, turning to 
the important question of naming or labelling Orchids. 
Nothing adds so much to the pleasures of the amateur 
as a correct numbering or labelling of his specimens, so 
that on flowering he may know where he procured them, 
out of whose importation they came, and so forth. In my 
own opinion this matter is never so properly dealt with 
as when a proper stock-book is started, with a separate 
number for each genus, or a letter for the genus and a 
number for the species, and the plants'are marked with 
corresponding lead numbers on their pots, the labels 
being turned over and made to clip the rim of the pot. 
In this way a correct and perfect register can be kept, 
and one the least likely to get disarranged by loss of 
labels or other causes. * 
But, at the same time, such numbering or labelling 
is open to the objection that it is not of easy reference, 
and is, in many cases, of no avail without the book 
being consulted. It is well, therefore, in the case of 
special plants, proved good varieties, &c., to supple¬ 
ment the use of the lead number, or depart from it in 
special cases where it is desirable to call attention to 
particular plants. In such cases it is best to have im¬ 
perishable labels, such as those supplied by Mr. J. Pinches, 
of 27, Oxenden Street, London, S.W., which always 
look neat, and are far preferable to the ordinary wooden 
tally, so very objectionable on account of its decaying 
quickly. In the fine collection of Wm. Lee, Esq., a 
clever compromise is made between the -wooden and 
the metallic label, by having small, square, smooth 
labels of boxwood, on which the name and any other 
information desired is written. In the lower edge of 
his tablets holes are bored, and stout wire pins inserted. 
These pins are stuck in the pots, and not being amen¬ 
able to rot or decay, they have all the advantages of 
a metallic label, while giving the more convenient 
writing surface of wood. They are, perhaps, the neatest 
labels extant. 
But, nevertheless, for general purposes on a large 
scale, we must return to the lead number and accurately 
kept stock-book. Of course with large batches of one 
importation, it is only necessary to number two or 
three of the batch to ensure the identity of the whole, 
and leave the numbering of the individual plants until 
they flower.— James O'Brien. 
Orchids at The Dell, Egham.— There is 
always something good and interesting to be seen at 
Baron Schroeder’s. The latest addition in the glass 
department is a splendid new house 80 ft. long and 
20 ft. wide, which at present is filled with a well-grown 
collection of Chrysanthemums of all the leading sorts, 
magnificently flowered. Amongst the many fine 
examples of cultivation to be seen in the stove, most 
noticeable is the splendid specimen of Anthurium 
Veitchii, with about fifty leaves, many of which are 
nearly 5 ft. long, and without a blemish. The 
Nepenthes house is a grand sight just now ; and the 
various Orchid houses contain, as is well known by 
many, a most valuable collection of plants of all the 
leading and most rare kinds ; the innumerable spikes 
and sheaths on the various Loelias and Cattleyas speak 
volumes for the display that is in store. 
The following, at the present time, are a few amongst 
the many to be seen in flower :—Cattleya Bowringiana, 
which is new to me ; a splendid small-growing Cattleya, 
something in the way of C. dolosa, having four charm¬ 
ing flowers, sepals and petals of the colour of the well- 
known Skinnerii, the lip of a rich plum colour, with a 
peculiar yellowish white tinge at the back. Several 
fine forms of C. Dowiana, C. labiata, C. Fausta Bella, 
very rare ; the charming C. Exoniensis ; and of 
Calanthes a large quantity, well grown. Cym- 
bidium giganteum is a fine variety, with four good 
spikes ; Burlingtonia decora, Brassia antherotes, Cypri- 
pedium Spicerianum, many very excellent forms ; the 
pretty C. Godefroyte, C. Harrisianum superbum, C. 
purpuratum, C. Haynaldianum, C. vexillarium, and 
the old C. barbatum, C. Schroederii, C. Sedeni, C 
Dominianum, &c. ; Aerides Rohanianum, with two 
fine spikes; Dendrobium formosum, D. Dearii, D. 
bigibbum and I). superbum, fine varieties ; Epiden- 
drurn xanthinum, Dendrochilum Cobbianum, Lailia 
elegans ; Masdevallia macrura, M. Winniana, M. 
Wagnerii, M. Bella, M. Tovarensis, M. chimtera ; Mil- 
tonia Moreliana ; Odontoglossum Alexandra, very 
many extra good ; O. AYilckeanum, O. Godefroyse, a 
very fine yellow form, with bright reddish brown spots, 
a thorough good thing ; O. Andersonianum lobatum, 
another fine O. Andersonianum, O. Rossii majus and 
0. constricum are only a few that are to be seen ; 
Oncidium varicosum, many varieties of the grand 
0. tigrinum, very sweet ; 0. umbiculatum ; Pleiones, 
all the best forms, charmingly flowered ; Yanda 
coerulea, good spikes ; V. tricolor and V. suavis, good 
plants, fine varieties, well-flowered and very sweet. 
The charming bright Sophronitis and the old Maxil- 
laria picta are also figuring well. Trichosma suavis is 
well done ; its sweet-scented flowers are fine for cutting. 
The above are only a few I noticed when walking 
through the houses ; the grand condition and the fine 
growth the various Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, Lsslias, 
Coelogynes, Amandas, Aerides, Saceolabiums, too, are 
making, shows the treatment that they receive suits 
them admirably. The good condition the various 
departments are in, convinces one that they are 
managed in a thoroughly skilful and practical manner, 
the credit of which is due to Mr. Ballantyne.— A. 0. 
A Few Good Orchids from Glasnevin.— 
Steadily advancing in importance, under the earnest 
guidance of Mr. F. AV. Moore, the Orchid collection at 
Glasnevin Botanic Gardens, Dublin, is alread} r of great 
interest, and bids fair to be one of our best repre¬ 
sentative collections in any public garden. The flowers 
at present sent are a spike of the golden Epidendrum 
xanthinum, also mentioned from another garden in 
our last issue ; a massive inflorescence of the rare 
Catasetum viride flavum, with large wax-like flowers 
of bright yellow and green ; some blooms of the true 
Promenrea Rollisoni, which, notwithstanding its being 
an old plant, is again scarce ; although the pretty 
Promentea citrina and others of the genus, which once 
were scarce, are now tolerably plentiful. Also comes a 
flower of the best variety of what we should call 
Cattleya Dominiana we have ever seen, the whole 
flower very large and bold, and the labellum a glorious 
bit of violet-mauve colouring. This plant is invariably 
named Lrelia Dormaniana in collections : but if there 
is any virtue in the general tests for the genus—and in 
particular of the pollen-masses (four developed for 
Cattleya, eight for Lslia)—it is certainly a Cattleya. 
Zygopetalum Gautieri. —Hitherto we have 
always seen this plant imported growing on stems of 
Alsophila ferox ; but in Mr. AVm. Gordon’s Orchid 
nursery, at Twickenham, are some good specimens of 
it on stems of a Fern, which, by its newly put forth 
leaves, seems to be an Angiopteris. The stems of this 
Fern are also prickly, the same as the Alsophila. 
