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THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 2, 18S7. 
Melons and Tomatos. —We have made another 
sowing of Melons, which will succeed the house from 
which we are now cutting. We have also made a 
sowing of Hackwood and Nisbett’s Victoria Tomato 
for autumn and winter fruiting, which will be potted 
on and grown out of doors until such time as room can 
be found for them inside. Generally speaking, we 
train them over the walks in the Cucumber range, 
where they keep us well supplied with fresh-cut fruit 
until the new year. _ 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Watering. —Much time must unfortunately perforce 
be devoted to the watering of all crops ; to all quick¬ 
growing things we prefer to pour it on out of buckets, 
thus securing a thorough soaking ; the following day 
the hoe should be run between the rows to prevent the 
crusting of the surface soil. We have thinned out 
Beet, Salsafy, and Chicory, afterwards hoeing between 
the drills. The hoeing and moulding of all Potato 
squares is completed, but to prevent the seeding ot 
weeds, they should be looked over occasionally and 
removed ; rain is much needed by this crop, or the 
produce will be much smaller than usual. Already 
the early ones are dropping, the skin being quite set, 
so that they would derive but little benefit from rain. 
Should the drought continue much longer, we must 
start the planting out of green crops, or the plants will 
be spoiled from overcrowding, but we shall take the 
precaution of dipping the roots into a thick manure 
“batter,” by which means they start more readilyinto 
growth. We have made a good sowing of Hardy Green 
Colewort, which we find most useful, particularly in a 
severe winter ; one thing, we always give it a good 
open quarter. Keep the hoe at work amongst 
the Asparagus beds, and if procurable, a good dressing 
of salt to the surface of the beds may with advantage 
be given ; and as Peas are now plentiful, the cutting 
of grass should be discontinued. Cauliflowers turn in 
very fast, and it will be found advisable to break some 
of the leaves over the heads, so as to keep them of 
good colour. — Walter Child, Croome Court. 
-- 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. — Now 
that the flowers of Carnations and other things in the 
open ground are swarming with thrips and similar 
insect pests, their rapid multiplication under glass 
need not be wondered at, and the time spent in search¬ 
ing out and destroying them is therefore well bestowed. 
Continual sponging with weak tobacco-water is one of 
the best remedies, and the most effectual and least 
injurious ; but it takes time, however, and where that 
cannot be given a more rapid method must be resorted 
to. Fumigation has always been known to be a risky 
practice even to those who follow it most carefully, 
the quickly visible ill effects on such plants as Lycastes, 
Odontoglossums, &c., being proof positive that it could 
not be very beneficial even to more hardy and less 
susceptible subjects, although they might not im¬ 
mediately show it. 
In the Thanatophore, however, supplied by Mr. 
B. S. Williams of Holloway, from all the information 
I have received from those who have tried it, I believe 
a simple and ready means of keeping down insect pests 
in plant houses has at length been found, and one 
which is good either on a large or a small scale. Of 
the usefulness of the Aphicide and Fir Tree Oil of Mr. 
E. G. Hughes, of Manchester, when prepared and used 
according to their instructions, I can also speak highly 
from personal experience. There is no reason why 
plants should be so disfigured by insects as we see 
them sometimes, for even the most tenacious of them 
can be kept under, if not exterminated ; and, to my 
knowledge, in most of our best collections the dreaded 
yellow thrip has by careful watching, cleaning and 
good ventilation been almost got rid of. 
The Temperatures for the Month of July should 
be :—East Indian or warm house, 75° to 85° by day, 
70° at night ; Cattleya or intermediate house, 70° to 
80° by day, 65° at night; Odontoglossum or cool house, 
60° to 70° by day, 55° at night.— James O’Brien. 
LiSelia majalis.—Two lovely examples of this 
beautiful Orchid come from Reginald Young, Esq., 
Fringilla, Ullet Road, Liverpool. So many fail to 
bloom this plant that we wish Mr. Young would give 
particulars of how he grows it. The flowers are 
delicate rose-pink, with purplish markings on the 
labellums. The larger is 7 ins. across the petals from 
tip to tip, the petals and labellum being 1J ins. wide. 
The smaller had two flowers on a spike, and the 
labellum is the more handsome of the two ; both, 
however, are exquisitely beautiful. 
Vanda tricolor, Glasnevin var. —A spike 
of this from F. W. Moore, Esq., Curator of the 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, exhibits 
to us the finest form of V. tricolor we have seen ; it 
may be described as a marked improvement on V. t. 
Patersoni in every way, and that is saying something 
for it. The handsome old Stanhopea, with its pretty 
yellow flowers, with glowing orange pouches to the 
labellum, also accompanies it. 
Spathoglottis angustorum. — This lovely 
Orchid is flowering beautifully in the superb collection 
of J. Buchanan, Esq., Edinburgh. The spikes have 
had fully three dozen flowers on them, the latter being 
white slightly tinted with pale rosy purple. The 
shape and make of the flower very much reminds one 
of Epidendrum bicornutum. It is a lovely plant, and 
lasts a long time in flower. — A. O. 
Cymbidium Lowianum atropurpureum. 
—Under any form, this Cymbidium is one of the 
boldest and finest of the species, with its long, arching, 
many-flowered spikes. The greenish yellow sepals and 
petals contrast well with the whitish yellow lip. The 
upper and more prominent half of this is purple, ulti¬ 
mately changing to a maroon brownish purple, and 
here comes in the most prominent and distinctive 
character of the form under notice. The terminal lobe 
of the labellum is many shades darker than in the 
normal form, and retains its colour much longer, as the 
flower fades with age. Large plants of both the 
typical and varietal forms may be seen in the exhibition 
house of Mr. William Bull, at Chelsea. 
Vanda Batemanni. —A well-grown plant of 
this species is truly a magnificent object, both from its 
stateliness and the noble appearance of its flower-stem. 
The tall stem is of great strength, and densely clothed 
with horizontal, rigid, and strap-shaped leaves of great 
substance and deep green colour. A large specimen 
now flowering at Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons’ establish¬ 
ment, at Chelsea, has a flower-scape already over 3 ft. 
long, and furnished with bloom for the greater part of 
its length. They are yet unexpanded on the upper 
portion, so that the erect peduncle will yet elongate 
considerably. The sepals and petals are heavily 
blotched with crimson on a yellow ground, while the 
lip is purplish crimson, and the whole is of great 
substance. 
Odontoglossum vexillarium Chelsoni- 
ense. —Amongst the magnificent display of Orchids 
in Mr. William Bull’s show-house at Chelsea is a fine 
new variety of this universally popular species. The 
sepals and petals are rose coloured, while the labellum 
is somewhat paler, but furnished with a large deep 
purple blotch at the base, from which stripes of the 
same colour proceed for some considerable distance 
farther along the principal nerves. Distinct types 
like these add greatly to the value of a collection of 
the ordinary form, in which white and yellow in vary¬ 
ing proportion constitute the commonest colours on the 
basal portion of the labellum. 
Cattleya Schroderse. —Wherever this is grown 
it seems to be a special favourite for the size, distinct 
appearance and fragrance of its blooms. The sepals, 
petals and lips are blush coloured, with a large yellow 
blotch on the latter. These, however, vary in different 
individuals, and a nearly white variety is sufficiently 
distinct to bear a varietal name—namely, C. S. 
albescens. This Cattleya has recently been certificated, 
and will now find its way into many collections. Both 
the above-mentioned forms flowered quite recently at 
Mr. William Bull’s establishment at Chelsea. 
Phaleenopsis Marias. —A plant of this interest¬ 
ing and by no means common Orchid with a branching 
scape, has been flowering for the past fortnight in the 
stove at Kew. It is a pretty species, certainly, and a 
short inspection of the flowers reveals an affinity with 
P. speciosa and P. Luddemanniana, between which it 
would seem to be intermediate. The sepals and petals 
are heavily blotched with a lively chocolate-brown on 
a white ground, and shaded with violet at the base— 
similar to what occurs in P. Luddemanniana ; and the 
foliage is also similar to that of the latter. The lip is 
violet, with the exception of the small lateral lobes, 
and bearded, although not so heavily, as in P. speciosa. 
-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural. — June 2 8th. — At this 
meeting a lively display was made by the hardy plants 
ranged along both sides of the . conservatory, almost 
from end to end. The chief exhibitors of this class 
were Messrs. Barr & Son, Covent Garden ; Mr. T. S. 
Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham ; Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt ; and Messrs. Kelway & Son, 
Langport. The largest group of Orchids was staged 
by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Birt., M.P., Burford Lodge, 
Dorking. Some fine Apples were also exhibited, 
besides Melons and Cucumbers for the special prizes 
offered by nurserymen. Certificated plants are re¬ 
corded in another column. 
A Silver Banksian Medal was awarded Mr. T. S. 
Ware for a large group of hardy plants and cut flowers, 
conspicuous amongst them being Helianthus occiden- 
talis, about 3 ft., high, and the earliest Sunflower of 
the season, having bloomed a month ago. Well-grown 
specimens of Inula grandiflora had flowers 4 in. to 5 ins. 
in diameter. Many fine Gaillardias were shown, 
amongst which were Adonis, a grand new variety of a 
crimson-red colour, with the rays only tipped with 
yellow ; Aurora, having the ray florets tubular and 
orange-crimson ; and Diana, which had flat and highly- 
coloured rays. A similar award was also made to 
Messrs. Paul & Son, whose large group was enlivened 
by tree Paeonies, Broxbourne Poppies, Tropaeolum 
polyphyllum, Campanula glomerata, Erigerons, Lychnis, 
Roses, and other hardy flowers more or less grouped. 
The shoots of the Tropaeolum with their numerous 
yellow flowers were very effective. Messrs. Barr & Son, 
who were awarded a Bronze Banksian Medal, exhibited 
a great quantity of the Flag Iris, twenty-five varieties 
of herbaceous Paeonies, Pyrethrums, Spanish Iris, and 
fifty varieties of Persian Ranunculus in various colours. 
The Paeonies were mostly varieties of P. albiflora ; and 
Triomphe de Paris is peculiar in the slender central 
mass of petals being yellow when the flower expands, 
but afterwards changing to white. Comte de Paris 
was a similarly-formed flower, with blush centre and 
rose-coloured outer petals, and fragrant. Messrs. 
Kelway & Son exhibited a box of Iris laevigata (syn. 
I. Kaempferi) in numerous variety, two of Gaillardias, 
several of Delphiniums, and others of Paeonies. The 
Delphiniums were especially fine, the doubles being 
more elegant and less lumpy than many of the old 
double forms to be seen in gardens. Two of these 
were certificated. A Bronze Banksian Medal was 
awarded for the group. 
A Cultural Commendation was accorded Sir Trevor 
Lawrence for a fine group of Orchids, including 
Cattleya gigas Sanderiana, intensely coloured; 
Galeandra dives ; the rare Phakenopsis Marias ; a 
beautifully spotted Lycaste Deppei punctatissima, in 
which the ordinary green ground-colour was replaced 
by a fine rose; Cypripedium Lawrencianum and C. 
superciliare, the latter being certificated. Bulbo- 
phyllum barbigerum elicited much attention from the 
general public on account of the movements of the lip 
caused by the slightest breath of wind playing on the 
heavy beard of long black hairs. A Bronze Banksian 
Medal was awarded G. Neville Wyatt, Esq. (Mr. 
Simcoe, gardener), Lake House, Cheltenham, for a 
magnificent plant of Cattleya gigas: one spike bore 
nine flowers, two others had each six, and a fourth 
had five flowers ; in all, twenty-six. Besides those 
certificated, F. G. Tautz, Esq. (Mr. J. C. Cowley, 
gardener), Studley House, Hammersmith, exhibited a 
fine plant of Phalsnopsis Mariae. A Cultural Com¬ 
mendation was accorded T. B. Haywood, Esq. (Mr. 
J. Ridout, gardener), Woodhatch, Reigate, for Odonto¬ 
glossum vexillarium regina. F. Wigan, Esq., Clare 
Lawn, East Sheen, showed a fine white variety of 
Odontoglossum crispum. Odontoglossum vexillarium 
Hollingtoni was forwarded by A. J. Hollington, Esq., 
Forty Hill, Enfield (awarded a Botanical Certificate), 
and O. v. Pagei by Messrs. H. Page & Son, Teddington. 
Some Odontoglossum blooms and a Trichopilia were 
forwarded by Messrs. E. Vervcet & Co., Ghent. 
A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. H. Bennett, 
Pedigree Rose Nursery, Shepperton, Middlesex, for 
