January 1, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
285 
gain, and simplify their culture by doing away with 
the syringe on plants overhead altogether. I fear I 
have not conveyed much in this note ; but it may serve 
to point out my firm belief in the subject in question, 
and may cause others to try the experiment. 
It was, perhaps, bold in me to address you at all ; 
but I did so as I am convinced that if small growers 
would state their failures and successes, and ask and 
convey information to each other, not necessarily to 
professional growers, much good would result, and at 
the same time the growers might help us by either' 
backing or condemning our opinions in a kindly 
spirit.— A. C. 
-- 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. — The 
potting should now be commenced in the cool house, 
beginning with the Masdevallias, continuing with the 
Odontoglossums, and proceeding with the cool house 
Oncidiumsand other plants, good sweet living sphagnum 
moss, fibry peat, clean pots and crocks being used for 
all. A lengthy article on this subject will be found in 
The Gardening'World, Jan. 10th, 1885. If a suffi¬ 
cient stock of these materials is not ready, no time 
should be lost in preparing it, and let the work of re¬ 
potting such plants as require it be commenced as soon 
as all the requisites are at hand. During the changes 
of weather we are sure to experience, care must be taken 
during the coldest part of the time, and when the 
heating apparatus is kept going briskly, to keep the 
brickwork of the house and the staging moist, and this 
should be effected without raising a steam from the 
pipes, which would be likely to prove injurious ; and 
during the milder weather every opportunity should 
be taken to give free ventilation evenly balanced, a 
little top and bottom. Nothing tends to tide Orchids 
well over our winter than thus taking advantage of 
mild periods, such as we get in our worst seasons. 
Even in the worst weather, rather than let the tem¬ 
perature get too much above that prescribed, air should 
be admitted freely whenever it can be done without 
coming into direct contact with the plants. 
The Temperatures for the month of January 
should be :—Warm or East Indian house, 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.— James O'Brien. 
Orchids from Garston. —Mr. John Cowan 
sends us a box of blooms from Garston, among which 
we find ten examples of a fine strain of Odontoglossum 
Rossii majus and O. Rossii majus albens ; one of the 
ordinary forms of Lielia anceps, two of the Garston 
varieties alluded to last week, and one bloom of the 
original L. anceps Percivalliana delicata ; a very bright 
form of Oncidium unguiculatum from a plant stated to 
have a branching spike of seventy flowers ; a bloom of 
the fragrant white Epidendrum ciliatum ; a curious 
species of Spathoglottis, marked Eulophia species, 
which we will refer to again in a future number ; and 
a beautiful series of Lselia albida, including the original 
form—L. albida Mariame, L. albida bella and L. albida 
sulphurea. A very interesting lot. 
-- 
FLOR ICULT URE. 
Selections of Dahlias. —What are the best Dahlias 
to grow for exhibition purposes ? is a question that is 
frequently being put, and especially so in the early part 
of the year, when growers of florists’ flowers are 
speculating upon what is best worthy their attention 
in the coming season. Already florists’ societies—the 
Auricula, Carnation and Picotee, Dahlia, Rose, &c.— 
are making their arrangements for the coming year, 
and their announcements inspire the exhibitor to con¬ 
sider what he shall cultivate for exhibition. 
I venture to name the following thirty-six show 
Dahlias, as comprising the very finest flowers :— 
Burgundy, Clara, Constancy, Elag of Truce, George 
Rawlings, Georgiana, Goldfinder, Hope, Henry 
Walton, Herbert Turner, Imperial, Hon. Mrs. P. 
Wyndham, James Cocker, James Stephen, James Vick, 
John Bennett, John N. Keynes, John Standish, 
Joseph Ashby, J. B. Service, Lady G. Herbert, Miss 
Cannell, Mr. G. Harris, Mrs. Gladstone, Mrs. Langtry, 
Mrs. Harris, Mrs. S. Hibberd, Harry Keith, Mrs. G. 
Rawlings, Prince Bismarck, Prince of Denmark, Ruby 
Gem, Sunbeam, Seraph, T. J. Saltmarsh and William 
Rawlings. 
A thoroughly good twelve, selected from the foregoing, 
will be found in Clara, Constancy, George Rawlings, 
Hon. Mrs. P. Wyndham, Mrs. Langtry, Mrs. Gladstone, 
Miss Cannell, Mr. G. Harris, Sunbeam, Prince of Den¬ 
mark, Mrs. S. Hibberd and Prince Bismarck. 
As to the Fancy Dahlias, a very fine selection of 
twenty-four varieties is as follows :—Charles Wyatt, 
Duchess of Albany, Edward Peck, Fanny Sturt, 
Frederick Smith, Gaiety, George Barnes, Grand Sultan, 
Henry Eckford, Henry Glasscock, Hugh Austin, James 
O’Brien, John Forbes, Laura Haslam, Mandarin, Miss 
Browning, Mrs. N. Halls, Mrs. Saunders, Peacock, 
Professor Fawcett, Rebecca, Pelican, Rev. J. B. M. 
Camm and Mr. G. Head. The best twelve will bo 
found in Charles Wyatt, Duchess of Albany, Gaiety, 
George Barnes, Henry Glasscock, Hugh Austin, John 
Forbes, Miss Browning, Mrs. N. Halls, Professor 
Fawcett, Rebecca and Rev. J. B. M. Camm. 
The promoters of the National Dahlia Show, which 
is held at the Crystal Palace, having decided to create 
new classes of dark, light, tipped and striped flowers, 
I cannot do better than give lists of sub-varieties as 
may be admissable in these classes. Shaded and self¬ 
flowers :—Clara, George Rawlings, James Cocker, Im¬ 
perial, John N. Keynes, Mr. G. Harris, Joseph Ashby, 
Mrs. Gladstone, Prince Bismarck, Seraph, Prince of 
Denmark and Sunbeam. Twelve tipped varieties will 
be found in the following:—Constancy, Goldfinder, 
Hon. Mrs. P. Wyndham, John Bennett, Miss Cannell, 
Mrs. Langtry, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. S. Hibberd, Ruby 
Gem, T. J. Saltmarsh, Henry Walton, and Mrs. G. 
Rawlings. It should be stated that the foregoing are 
all classed among the show varieties ; and the same can 
be said of what may be regarded as a dozen good light 
flowers—viz., Buttercup, Condor, Emily Edwards, 
Ethel Britton, Flag of Truce, Georgiana, Herbert 
Turner, J. N. Keynes, Mrs. Gladstone, Muriel, Seraph, 
and Sunbeam. 
And now for a dozen good-tipped fancy Dahlias:— 
Fanny Sturt, Laura Haslam, Miss Browning, Mrs. N. 
Halls, Mrs. Saunders, Peacock, Jessie McIntosh, Lady 
Antrobus, Mrs. Carter, Maid of Athens, Mrs. Friselton, 
and Miss Rod well. The following make a fine selection 
of twelve striped fancies :—Charles Wyatt, Duchess of 
Albany, Gaiety, George Barnes, Henry Eckford, Hugh 
Austin, Henry Glasscock, John Forbes, Rebecca, 
Rev. J. B. M. Camm, Professor Fawcett and W. G. 
Head.— R. D. 
-- 
HORTICUL TURAL S OCIETIES. 
Manchester Horticultural Improvement. 
— Dec. 15th. —At this meeting, which was presided over 
by Mr. Robert Tait, Mr. Abraham Stansfield read a 
paper in which he gave some valuable suggestions as to 
the best town trees, with special reference to the 
Manchester climate. Mr. Stansfield said if he had not 
for fully twenty years very closely observed with his 
own eyes the action upon vegetation of the Manchester 
climate, he certainly should not venture to speak in any 
tone of authority upon this matter. The real question 
before them was, what trees aud shrubs can be expected 
to live if planted within two or three miles, as the crow 
flies, of the Manchester Exchange, and in those directions 
where the smoky or sulphurous emanations from in¬ 
numerable chimneys hang about, making a dense cloud 
which not only prevents vegetation from receiving that 
direct light and heat of the sun so essential to its well¬ 
being, but which sheds and showers down a thousand 
matters and substances all in the highest degree pre- 
judical to plant life. The summer of the town is not 
the summer of the country ; it was unfortunately much 
shorter, and the question, therefore, was how to prolong 
a summer aspect in smoky towns. If this can be done, 
even to the extent of a few weeks, how enormous the 
boon, how immense the service done to our crowded 
populations ! He submitted that by a judicious selection 
of the objects to be planted, the summer aspect of our 
towns, even the smokiest, can be to a greater or less 
extent prolonged. 
With regard to evergreens, certain varieties, which he 
named, of the Rhododendron, Holly and Laurel were 
to be preferred to all others for resisting at once the 
damp, smoke and other hardships of our Manchester air. 
This was chiefly because their leaves were smooth and 
glossy, enabling each plant to wash itself in every 
shower of rain and'to cleanse'away the impuritiesithat 
otherwise would choke or poison it. With regard to 
the beautiful and important class of evergreens known 
as conifers, they were wholly unsuited for planting 
within the limits defined. The choice of deciduous 
subjects for town planting was very considerable, but 
first let him indicate the kinds to be placed, with deep 
regret, in the town planter’s index expurgatorious. 
They were the oriental and occidental Planes, the Lime, 
Horse Chestnut, Birch, Mountain Ash, the Service Tree, 
Acacia and Beech. After taking from'the planter so 
many of his favourites, he had still left him a very 
considerable choice of subjects for town planting. As 
regards tall-growing trees, there was the beautiful Ash 
family in great variety ; a number of Maples, including 
the Sycamore and its variegated forms; Elms and their 
varieties ; many Poplars and some Willows. He had 
even seen the Turkey Oak, scarlet Oak and the mossy- 
capped Oak pulling along wonderfully well within the 
smoky boundary. 
Then there was a very great resource in the Thorn 
family. Of Thorns for the very heart of Manchester, 
the vigorous-growing North American species would 
be found to supply the largest number of eligible 
subjects, and several of them had already been exten¬ 
sively planted on the recommendation of one or two 
gentlemen. With reference to the Laburnum, he 
thought all would agree that there is no more charming 
feature of suburban Manchester in the spring and early 
summer than the abundance of this beautiful town 
subject, which flings its wealth of golden tassels with 
an incomparable grace over almost every wall and 
paling ; but we seldom see certain kinds, most of which 
he had proved to be eligible subjects for smoky dis¬ 
tricts. The fact was, there are about our hundreds of 
small suburban residences too many forest trees, and 
too few deciduous flowering shrubs ; but upon this 
matter he purposed to speak at some length on a future 
occasion. In the short discussion which followed, the 
golden Elder tree was very favourably mentioned as 
suitable for town planting, an opinion which vas 
endorsed by Mr. Stansfield. 
-- 
@§ifucm?. 
The Late Canon Bushby. By the death of this 
gentleman at The Parsonage, Dalkeith, on Sunday, 
December 26th, the community has sustained a severe 
loss, and horticulture has been deprived of one of its 
most enthusiastic supporters, and most ardent admirers. 
Canon Bushby’s success as a Grape grower has been 
at times recorded in the gardening papers, and for 
horticultural subjects in general he always displayed a 
lively interest and a very intelligent appreciation. 
The house of Muscats, which for many years in succession 
Mr. Bushby was fortunate enough to be able to show 
to anyone calling on him, was indeed a fine one. 
Span-roofed, and, if memory fails me not, about 40 ft. 
long, this house was invariably heavily cropped with 
fine bunches of Muscats, which were always models of 
cultivation in every respect. 
Canon Bushby will be sorely missed by the poor, the 
sick and sorrowing. Wherever there was affliction— 
anu more especially amongst the poor—Mr. Bushby 
was to be found, with sympathy of the most practical 
kind. The writer has often seen him, laden with a 
large basket of vegetables and flowers, gathered from 
his garden, making his way to the railway station, 
en route to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where he would 
distribute the various flowers with a kind and sym¬ 
pathetic word to each poor sufferer, and also see that 
the vegetables were handed over to the parties who 
would serve them to the patients. Canon Bushby -was 
resident at Dalkeith thirty-eight years, as chaplain to 
His Grace The Duke of Buccleuch, and it was the good 
fortune of the writer to live near him and to enjoy his 
friendship for sixteen years, from early boyhood, and for 
fourteen years more to have still enjoyed his friendship, 
though separated by circumstances some thirty miles. 
These thirty years, with their mingled joys and sorrows, 
their clouds and sunshine, have left no brighter spots 
on memory’s mirror than the thoughts which rise when 
I think of the loving heart and the cheering voice of 
one who now has passed away from this earthly scene. 
His memory will be long enshrined in the hearts of 
many who have experienced his practical sympathy, or 
who have heard his hearty kindly voice, giving either 
counsel or reproof, though, it may be added, reproofs 
from Mr. Bushby were almost like commendations from 
most people, so kind and sympathetic was his nature. 
After a long and painful illness, borne with true 
Christian resignation, Canon Bushby has passed away, 
but “ he being dead yet speaketli ” to many who knew 
him, and his memory will be cherished as that of one 
who showed in a practical manner his sympathy for 
those in distress, and his love of nature in all her varied 
forms .—John Thomson, Clovenfords. 
