May 28, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
613 
gloriosum, 0. Sanderiana, 0. liebraicum, 0. citrosmum 
were all in flower, and represented by many and various 
forms. Lycaste Skinneri alba and many fine forms of 
L. Skinneri were here in perfection, showing that cool 
Orchids can be grown and grown well in the States, 
for a finer lot of healthier plants one could not wish 
for. 
No. 4 is a kind of show-house leading from the 
office, in which Orchids, mixed with fine-foliaged and 
various soft-wooded plants, were very attractive. 
Cattleya citrina, suspended from the roof on a raft, 
bore fourteen fine bright yellow flowers ; Odontoglossum 
Rossii had fifty fine flowers ; and a grand plant, with 
a magnificent spike, of a good variety of Oncidium 
varicosum was most conspicuous, suspended from the 
roof. Cinerarias, Calceolarias, Cyclamen, and Aqui- 
legias were the soft-wooded plants. These being well 
in flower, and nicely arranged with Palms, Dracienas, 
and Ferns, one can imagine what it was like. No. 5 
leads from the last, and contains a collection of stove 
flowering and fine-foliaged plants, such as Anthurium 
Scherzerianum, in many fine specimens and good forms ; 
with the gigantic, spathes of Andreanum and the 
peculiar Rothschildianum to create variation. A grand 
lot of Nepenthes adorn the roof, and these also have 
an abundance of pitchers. 
Leading from the stove last mentioned is the 
house devoted to the culture of the Phaltenopses, many 
dozens of which -were in flower, representing all the 
leading kinds. They are grown here very extensively, 
and there is always something in flower. Many fine 
forms of P. grandi flora, P. amabilis, P. Stuartiana, 
P. Sehilleriana, P. Luddemanniana, P. violacea, 
P. rosea, &c , were nicely in flower. Fine plants of 
Siceolabium curvifolium and S. pnemorsum were here 
in flower ; and at the back of the house, hanging 
against the partition, some gigantic specimens of the 
curious Scuticaria Stcelii were in flower. 
No. G is a large span-roofed house, in which gigantic 
specimen Lrelias are grown. Some good forms of 
L. majalis were in flower, also more of L. citrina. 
Epidendrum vitellinum was growing freely and 
flowering nicely. Hundreds of Lycastes were in flower, 
many fine distinct forms being noticeable. Odonto¬ 
glossum grande, 0. vexillarium, and 0. Roezlii are 
well grown, the plants being pictures of health. 
Other houses are devoted to the culture of Roses and 
other soft-wooded flowering plants. The Roses are 
planted out, and hundreds of flowers are cut daily 
through the winter. Another structure which attracts 
much attention is the aquatic house, 80 ft. long and 
24 ft. broad, with a fine span roof. Here, in the 
summer, the Victoria Regia is grown, hundreds flocking 
to see it. In the same tank all the leading Nymphieas, 
Lotus, Papyrus, &c., are grown. Baskets are sus¬ 
pended from the roof, and up the rafters Allamandas and 
Hibiscus grow and flower magnificently. Some fine 
specimen Imantophyllums and Strelitzias are also 
grown here, and specimen Palms, Pandanads, &c., are 
raised up from the water, giving the house a rich 
tropical appearance. 
The entire collection of plants is in the best possible 
condition, and a good representative collection has been 
got together in a short space of time. All the most 
popular Orchids are well cared for, and in addition to 
these Mr. Kimball has got together a collection 
of miniature Orchids of purely botanical interest, 
many of which, I must admit, were entire strangers to 
me. 
The inhabitants of Rochester owe much to Mr. Kimball 
for his kindness in admitting them at all seasons of the 
year to enjoy the wonders of plant life, which affords 
himself so much enjoyment. I have not enumerated 
one half of what there was in flower, as a few days 
before my visit Mr. Kimball had forwarded, not for 
competition, over one hundred varieties of Orchids to 
the New York Exhibition, consequently he had cut 
a great many fine flowers and grand spikes ; most of 
those sent were represented by many flowers and spikes 
of each variety, and I learn that they were greatly 
admired. 
It is to me at all times a great pleasure to meet 
such an enthusiastic gentleman as the owner of 
this grand collection, and especially when I see that 
he is supported by such an able man as Mr. Savage. 
Both are true plant lovers, and I trust their united 
efforts may be rewarded to their entire satisfaction.— 
Alfred Outram, Victoria, and Paradise Nurseries, 
Upper Holloway, 
HYACINTHUS CANDICANS. 
The cultivation of this stately Cape Lilywort has 
not reached its climax in this country. The more we 
become acquainted with it the more pliable it appears 
to be, and a subject of this nature always becomes a 
favourite with the million. It is essentially a plant 
for the people, and will flourish equally as well in the 
. peasant’s or cottager’s garden as in that of the noble¬ 
man. It can be, and is, grown with great vigour, 
whether in the open air or in pots in the cold frame, 
greenhouse or conservatory, and varies accordingly in 
its season of flowering. 
It varies in height—according to the size, vigour and 
cultural treatment the bulb receives—from 2£ ft. to 4 ft. 
or more, and the pendent white flowers are tubular at 
the base and bell-shaped upwards. The great sub- 
fleshy or succulent leaves are a measure or guide also 
of the treatment the plant receives, and although they 
can by no means be reckoned as a striking feature of 
the plant, they, nevertheless, add much to its general 
appearance when in flower. The slender upright stems 
should receive some support under all conditions where 
they have grown vigorously, to prevent their stateliness 
and beauty from suffering by twisting or falling about. 
In the absence of bulbs, plants may easily be raised 
from seeds when obtainable. They should be raised in 
heat and afterwards planted out in a soil ameliorated 
with peat and sand if at all of a heavy nature. By 
planting them out in this way the bulbs attain flower¬ 
ing size in two or three years. They are perfectly 
hardy in a well-drained soil that is moderately dry in 
HYACINTHUS (GalTONIA) CANDICANS. 
winter. An abundant supply of moisture, however, is 
necessary during the growing season to ensure a strong 
development of the leaves and flower stems. As they 
die down in winter no protection is necessary unless to 
throw off wet. To enable them to pass the winter 
safely, a perfect ripening of the bulbs should be encour¬ 
aged ; in pots this is easily done, by withholding water 
and standing them in a dry or sheltered place. If 
planted out in rich, light soil and kept well watered 
during the growing season, they will last in good 
condition for many years, requiring little or no atten¬ 
tion beyond staking and keeping the beds clear of 
weeds. 
The Cape Hyacinth is also very amenable to pot 
culture, requiring comparatively little pot room, and 
will flower strongly in rich soil. This is applicable to 
plants grown in a cool frame or in a warm house. In 
the former case they flower in the course of the sum¬ 
mer ; but, taking kindly to forcing, they may be had 
early in the season. An instance of this may be seen 
at Carville Hall, Brentford, where Mr. Morrison has 
some very tall plants, well furnished with foliage, and 
now coming into bloom. A 9-in. pot, in one instance, 
contains seven good bulbs, all of which have thrown 
up strong-flowering stems. The pots have been 
plunged in a bed in a warm or intermediate house, and 
will be put in the conservatory, where they will form a 
very conspicuous ornament, and last a long time in 
the cooler atmosphere of that house. The accompany¬ 
ing illustration, though small, shows the natural habit 
of the plant; together with a detached flower, and a 
piece of the stem with its attendant bracts.— B. B. 
DEEP CULTIVATION.* 
Curiosity led me, a few years ago, to weigh a small 
patch of the Banbury Onion, forming exactly the 
fifteenth part of an acre. The weight of this lot was 
3,960 lbs., which being multiplied by 15 (the one- 
fifteenth of an acre), gives 59,400 lbs., or 530 cwt. per 
acre, which at 8s. per cwt. amounts to the fabulous 
price of £212 per acre, that is calculating at the rate 
of about § d. per lb. Many of the specimens weighed 
from 1 lb. to 22 ozs. On the same piece of ground 
grew also a patch of the Newnham Park Onion, which, 
although a beautiful crop, did not weigh quite so 
heavy as the Banbury. A few also of the Bedfordshire 
Champion were grown, which gave heavier specimens, 
but they were not generally so satisfactory as the first 
two mentioned varieties. Hearing of the fame of these 
Onions, many people from the neighbourhood called to 
look at the crop as they grew, and again as they lay 
upon the ground to dry, remarking that no one could 
believe that such Onions could be grown outside of the 
Onion-growing districts, and felt inclined to admit that 
after all there might be something attributable to 
“deep cultivation ” which might also be applied with 
advantage on a more extensive scale on some of their 
strong land. To the piece of ground on which those 
Onions were grown, is attached a little bit of history, 
which in these transitional times, affecting farmers 
more especially, might perhaps prove interesting, and 
especially so to those who wish to philosophise on the 
merits or demerits of “deep cultivation” of clay land 
on the one part, and shallow cultivation of the same or 
any other description of land on the other. 
The history referred to is as follows : Some years ago, 
and for a purpose which I need not here explain, the 
whole of the surface of old garden loam was bodily 
wheeled away, leaving nothing but the sub-soil consist¬ 
ing of a stiflish clay, subsequently to be reduced to 
the form of a nice cultivable Onion bed, or bed for any 
other garden production. This bed of clay was roughly 
dug over, and exposed to the disintegrating influences 
of heat and rain, frosts and thaws ; plenty of farm-yard 
manure was mixed with it ; we also gave it a dressing 
or two of disused potting earth, always more or less 
sandy in its composition. We turned this over after 
every crop, persistently going deeper each time, but 
never bringing the bottom spit directly to the top, 
merely turning it over in the bottom, and leaving it 
there until next turning time, when it was mixed up 
with the strata forming under this mechanical opera¬ 
tion. We have now by this treatment obtained a 
cultivable bed of over 2 ft, and mean to persevere 
until the bed arrives at a depth of 3 ft. or more. Such 
is the history of the piece of ground on which our 
Onions of a few years ago were grown. 
To what agency then, allow me to ask, are we 
indebted for the success of this Onion bed. There are 
several agencies, the principal of which may be said to 
be (1) the necessity, (2) the spade, (3) deep cultivation, 
(4) the weather, (5) manure. Some practical farmers 
say—Don’t disturb the subsoil, it is bad, and is best 
left where it is ; the practical gardener says—Disturb 
your subsoil and “ deepen ” your cultivable bed ; and 
this has not only formed his argument but also his 
practice from the commencement of time : and his 
practice proves in this case that “deep cultivation,” if 
persevered in, will lead to a successful issue. In this 
simple, but successful instance of “deep cultivation,” 
and which is only one of many continually passing 
under the observation of every intelligent gardener, is 
a practical lesson which might, I think, be read with 
advantage by the practical farmer. If deep cultivation 
acts beneficially in gardening, why not also in farming ? 
If an acre of prepared clay land will produce, say, 
£200 in one place, why not in another? It is not 
necessary to enclose land with high walls to grow 
Onions. According to my experiment, ten acres of 
such Onions would realize in money something like 
£2,000 ; less, of course, labour and manure. And, 
admitting this to be an approximate estimate, it points 
to something radically wrong in farm management, 
leading to the belief, if not also to the conclusion, that 
our farms may be too large. There is no use closing 
our eyes to the fact that things generally throughout 
the country are at this moment undergoing very 
extraordinary changes over which we appear to have 
no control—changes effected by a combination of 
♦ Extracts from a paper read before the Monks Kirby Farmers' 
Club, on April 19th, by Mr. Win. Miller, of Combe Abbey 
Gardens, Coventry. * 
