236 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 11, 1886. 
thoroughly. In the case of Chinese Primulas damping 
round the stages, have them removed to a more airy 
position, and when—as we may shortly hope—a more 
buoyant air prevails, they may be returned to their 
previous positions. Take care that all 
Newly-forced Plants are staged at the warmest 
end of the house, and out of cutting draughts, or the 
flowers will be very short-lived. Particularly is this 
the case with Azalea indica, the flowers of which, when 
forced thus early, being rather flimsy ; and if not 
required elsewhere, they will be much more at home if 
placed in the intermediate house, and last much longer 
in bloom. We have placed a good batch of plants in 
the forcing-pit, consisting of Azaleas of kinds, Lilacs, 
Forsythias, Deutzias, .Spineas and such-like ; and to 
keep up the supply, we shall introduce a few of each 
kind weekly. 
Perpetual Roses are, for the present, better left in 
the plunging-border, as they seldom dowellif introduced 
now ; but not so with Teas, some of which may be 
brought on slowly in the most suitable place, and as 
they advance, and before the flowers open, have them 
removed to cooler quarters. The blossoms, if cut from 
any great degree of heat, seldom last more than one 
day ; whereas, if kept cool when opening, they afford 
lengthened enjoyment. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Pruning and Cleaning Vines. —It is now high 
time that the Grapes from the Muscat vinery should 
be cut and bottled, that is, what remains of the crop. 
The other vineries having been washed and put in 
order, gives leisure for a thorough cleansing of this 
house, which is most necessary, as with the higher 
temperature maintained, requisite for the production 
of good Muscats, there is always the more danger of a 
visitation of red spider. If such was the case last 
season lose no time. 
Prune the Vines immediately the crop is removed, 
and then thoroughly cleanse the house : commence by 
washing the entire roof, after which the rods of the 
Vines may be rubbed with the hand to remove any 
loose bark, and afterwards be dressed with Gishurst 
Compound, and when dry tied into position. The 
walls should also be whitewashed with quicklime, to 
which may be added a good sprinkling of flour of 
sulphur, after which let the house be thrown completely 
open until required to start, and there is a reasonable 
hope that the pest may be eradicated. 
In the Early Vinery, while the present dull 
weather prevails, continue to keep a low night tempera¬ 
ture so as not to over-excite or cause an unsatisfactory 
growth ; if it is done the crop cannot be otherwise than 
unsatisfactory. It will be advisable now to make 
another sowing of Cucumbers of some reliable sort; 
very frequently the plants which have been bearing fruit 
throughout the winter die off in a rather mysterious 
manner early in the spring, and unless more plants 
are kept in reserve, an awkward break occurs. The 
batch of plants with us carrying fruit have been 
surfaced with good fibry loam, and they have also had 
a dose of liquid manure to assist in the swelling of the 
fruit 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
The Weather being still so unsettled, it is neces¬ 
sary to exercise caution before commencing the digging 
of large squares, as if the land is at all heavy, and the 
work is carried on indiscriminately, later on the soil 
will be unworkable. "We have made good progress with 
ground work, so that now attention will be turned to 
the burning of all refuse preparatory to being returned 
to the garden when frosty weather prevails. 
Forestry Planting, too, will occupy much of our 
time, and as it is on turf, the work can be done expe¬ 
ditiously, and will be out of hand, and so give relief 
when garden work is more pressing; a little care and 
forethought in this respect greatly relieves the pressure 
later on. 
General Work. —With the somewhat sharp visita¬ 
tion of frost (12°), we found it necessary to place litter 
over Celery ridges, mat Parsley, and otherwise protect. 
Still, things appeared to suffer much more than usual 
from the amount of frost registered, which may, I 
think, be accounted for by the unusually lengthened 
mildness of the season. Complete the pruning of all 
Currant quarters as speedily as possible, so that digging 
may proceed as the weather permits. — Walter Child, 
Crocme Court. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Lesser Cattleyas and Lselias.— The 
species comprising this section, and which I enumerate 
below, are often lost, or so far impoverished in condition 
as to render them useless, by being kept too hot and 
too dry in winter. If placed in too high a temperature, 
and especially if at the same time they have a short 
allowance of water, they shrivel, the old bulbs get 
infested with scale, and push weak growths of no use for 
the purpose of furnishing flowers. At the same time, 
and although the varieties of Ltelia pumila and some 
of the others grow very well in the cold or Odonto- 
glossum house in winter, where it is not allowed to go 
below the prescribed limit it is not safe to house them 
there. 
The cooler parts of the Cattleya or intermediate 
house is the best place for all this section, aud the 
nearer they can be brought to the glass of the roof the 
better will they thrive. It is for this reason that 
blocks, rafts, baskets or suspended pans are the best 
for growing them in, especially when in a small state, or 
when they are not in good condition ; and if grown in 
the last-named, a very thin layer of good fibry peat is 
sufficient, as all the species alluded to are impatient of 
too much material around them, and are particularly 
liable to be damaged by it in the event of its retaining 
water too long. 
What is desired with them is to have them in a 
quickly draining material, which admits of frequent 
waterings without keeping wet too long after each 
watering. The cooler the plants can be kept, in reason, 
the less water will they require, as it should be borne 
in mind that all that is needed is to keep them plump 
and sound until they are actively growing again. 
The section alluded to as the lesser Cattleyas and 
Lidias are C. Acklandife, C. calumniata, C. Walkeriana 
and its allied varieties, C. nobilior and C. dolosa, C. 
Schilleriana, C. Regnelli, Lselia pumila, L. Dayana, 
L. prcestans, L. monophylla, L. Lindleyana, L. flava, 
L. acuminata and L. peduncularis. The two last 
qiroperly belong to the Mexican Lselia section, and may 
be grown with L. anceps, L. autumnalis, &c. Indeed, 
the whole of the Cattleyas and Lcelias here mentioned 
would do better with the Mexican Lidias in winter 
than the hot close places they are too often kept in. 
—James O'Brien. 
Odontoglossum crispum gattatum fas- 
tuosum ( Reich .).—This beautiful variety is again in 
flower in the collection of F. Jacomb, Esq., at Amhurst 
Park, Stamford Hill, and it still maintains its character 
of being one of the prettiest varieties of 0. crispum 
which has yet appeared. The flowers are large and 
well formed, their attractiveness being greatly enhanced 
by the deep serrature and frilling of the lip and petals. 
The sepals, which are plain-edged, are white, marked 
with large and small irregular blotches of chestnut- 
brown. The petals are fringed and similarly marked 
to the sepals, but with fewer spots ; and both sepals 
and petals are richly coloured with a violet staining, 
which is even brighter on the reverse of the flowers than 
on the front. The labellum is white and beautifully 
crimped, bright yellow in the centre, and where that 
colour merges into the white edge are numerous 
cinnamon blotches. The apex of the column is rich 
crimson, and altogether it is a lovely thing, and one 
which is all the more attractive as no two of its flowers 
are marked alike. This aud a few more of its type 
came in a lucky importation by Messrs. Hugh Low & 
Co., of Clapton. 
Masdevallia tovarensis.— At Welham Hall, 
Retford, there is a charming display of this Orchid. 
It is generally supposed to be of easy culture, but 
one seldom, if ever, sees such a remarkable amount of 
modest beauty remain such a length of time in per¬ 
fection. Although it is reckoned by many good 
authorities to produce its pure white flowers in pairs 
only, this is by no means the case; as I was curious 
enough to look into one batch of about a dozen, in 
6-in. and 7-in. pots, and the smallest of them had a 
crop of fifty-one spikes, with two, three, four, five, 
and a few six flowers on one spike ; and what I sup¬ 
posed to be the largest plant had seventy-five spikes, a 
great many of which bore four, five and six flowers on 
a spike. Those which bore so many flowers were old 
spikes of last year’s growth, left on the plants, and 
which Mr. "Wynch, the gardener, leaves with the 
intention of securing a double crop. This year’s 
spikes generally run about two and three flowers on 
each, and last year’s carry about four and five flowers, 
with a good many six. A later batch, which will come 
in flower about the second week in January, promises to 
be equally successful. Lovers of Orchids, if in the 
neighbourhood of Retford, ought to pay a visit to 
Welham Hall, the seat of "W. Berks, Esq., and see for 
themselves this very interesting genus at home in a 
cool-house, and under the care of a gardener who 
evidently thoroughly understands them.— J. D. 
-~>Y<--7— 
FLORICULTURE. 
Dahlias of the Olden Time. — There was a 
variety upwards of fifty years ago, figured and described 
in Sweet’s Florists' Guide, under the name of Painted 
Lady, which was quite distinct, and classed as an 
Anemone-flowered variety. It was said to have been 
raised by a Mr. Drummond, and sent out by Mr. J. 
Lee, of Hammersmith, and is thus described ; “ The 
centre of their flowers were composed of narrow 
radiated florets, like the small .petals in the centre 
of a double Anemone, having an outer row of guard 
petals as in the case of the single sorts ; flowers very 
handsome, rose coloured tinged with white and blush. ” 
Although in my early days, I was acquainted with very 
many of the varieties then cultivated, I do not re¬ 
member this Anemone-flowered variety ; but should the 
original have been accurately represented, and it could 
be re-introduced at the present time, as was the grand 
old Dahlia picta formossissima a few years since, I fancy 
it would secure a great many admirers for its colour, 
novel and striking appearance. 
There was another variety figured at the same time, 
viz., the Crimson Globe, also sent out by Mr. J. Lee. This 
I was perfectly familiar with, as it was grown at the 
place where I was employed, and although so many 
years have elapsed, I have a very vivid recollection of 
this one particular variety ; the plant was dwarf, i.e., 
from 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, the petals somewhat quilled, 
very close, compact and globular ; in fact, when fully 
developed the flower formed a perfect ball, aud the 
pendulous habit of the plant rendered it graceful and 
effective as a border and bedding variety. I am under 
the impression, that could these two old varieties be 
re-introduced, they would secure, perhaps, as many 
admirers as the single kinds have done during the last 
seven or eight years. But the floricultural tide flows 
on unceasingly, and in its course, good things as well 
as inferior ones are swept into the vortex of oblivion ; 
and anon supplemented by novelties that are con¬ 
tinually coming to the front—as “ R. D.” once said, 
“it is the fashion to change.” It appears to be an 
established custom to repudiate the old and make room 
for the new, but in this wav I am thoroughly convinced 
that many a worthy subject has been left in obscurity. 
No doubt commercial enterprise necessitates this issue of 
events, and perhaps properly so. All must pass onward 
as one grand floral panoramic spectacle or pageant ; 
and, although in form, colour and general contour the 
Dahlia may be said to be faultless at the present time, 
yet we cannot stop, the floricultural machinery must 
be kept in motion, so as to keep up a constant supply of 
something that has the semblance of originality—some 
distinctive features and characteristics of one form or 
another to induce the plant-loving enthusiast to add 
something new to his collection. In this way through¬ 
out my long career a healthy action has been kept 
up, thousands made exceedingly happy, and in a 
pecuniary sense many have been benefited. If we 
could estimate the aggregate amount that has been 
expended during the last fifty years on novelties alone, 
such calculations would assume alarming proportions. 
—George Fry, Lewisham. 
Carnations and Picotef.s. —The careful cultivator 
of these charming subjects—one who grows a select 
collection of varieties—will now have his plants in their 
winter quarters, standing on a good ash-bed. Just 
now, the duties of the grower are those of careful 
attention, keeping the plants thoroughly clean from 
decaying foliage, the soil fairly moist, but nothing 
approaching to soddenness, giving them abundance of 
air, and taking care that showers of rain do not fall 
upon them. If the plants are in a cold frame, the 
lights should be so tilted up as that while the falling 
rain cannot reach the plants, air can circulate freely 
among them, and anything like crowding the plants 
