October 1, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
77 
and suspended it in a cool house where Maidenhair 
Ferns were growing, and in a few weeks it sent forth 
new roots most profusely, becoming a thoroughly- 
established plant. Out of the same importation, I 
know that many who got better plants than I did lost 
them on putting them at once into the East Indian 
house ; they perished before they could plump up and 
get the sap into flow. When once thoroughly rooted, 
they do not mind the heat, as they have then become 
fit for work. It is during the process of plumping up— 
and especially the tender part of the stem from which 
the new leaf springs—that is the critical time with 
Vandas, Aerides, and such plants. It should either be 
. done gradually, with the plants hanging head down¬ 
wards in a moderate temperature, or, according to a 
friend of mine, immediately, and in no half-hearted 
way. On receiving Aerides or Vandas, no matter how 
shrivelled, he at once throws them into the rain-water 
tank, where they are left for two or three hours, and, 
if necessary, removed for a time, and then cast in again 
for a short period. On removal they are as plump as 
possible. The leaves -which are to go soon fall, and the 
plants move off, according to his account, without a 
hitch, they being kept cool for a time. I have often 
tried this plan, and can say that it is far preferable to 
placing them in a hot dry house, after the manner 
usually practised. I may add, as a note of interest, 
that at a well-attended sale of imported plants of this 
species, at Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms, on the 
23rd ult., a piece with eleven strong growths realised 
75 guineas.— James O’Brien. 
Watering Orchids. —The case of injury result¬ 
ing from watering Orchids with pump or hard water, 
as described in your last issue, is by no means an 
isolated one. I have had brought under my notice 
several instances this summer, where through the 
ordinary tanks in the houses failing and the supply of 
rain-water giving out altogether, recourse has been 
taken to any other supply that might happen to be at 
hand; and as the past summer has been most intensely 
hot and trying for plant life in all forms and under all 
conditions, the consequence has been that a larger 
quantity of injurious water has been given to the plants 
in watering and syringing, than would have been 
necessary in an ordinary season. A friend of mine 
assured me, only a few days ago, that some hard- 
wooded plants had succumbed altogether. Another 
pointed out a number of roots of various Orchids that 
showed distinctly the portion of growth that was made 
whilst the hard water was being used ; when the rain¬ 
water came into service again, the points of the roots 
pushed out plump and were green and shiny—a sure 
indication of health with most aerial roots. Again, 
some other roots I examined were positively encrusted 
with a deposit left upon them from the lime im¬ 
pregnated water. If water of this description is used 
for syringing overhead it acts most injuriously upon 
foliage, causing the edges to turn brown and curl up, 
and many other parts to become spotted, to the loss 
of health of the plant and, hy-and-bye, ruination of the 
specimen altogether. There can be no doubt that the 
past summer will have taught many a good gardener 
a severe lesson, and, in many cases, the mischief will 
take far longer to cure than it has taken to produce. 
The moral, therefore, is to use extra efforts to obtain a 
larger quantity of rain or soft water, and if it has been 
proved that the present amount of storage room is not 
sufficiently large, to set about at once to make fresh 
tanks for the storage of this heaven-sent blessing. 
Then with a large and ample supply treat the plants to 
a share sufficient for their wants, and always feel 
certain there is enough left to tide one over if such a 
dry summer should occur again.— Vanda, Sept. 2ith. 
Large Cypripedium Stonei.—At Oswald 
House, Oswald Road, Edinburgh, is a grand specimen 
of this valuable ornamental and greatly esteemed 
Slipperwort. It is grown in a tub 2 ft. in diameter, 
and is by no means overpotted, as the mass completely 
fills the space in which it is grown. Every year sees a 
large accession of fresh growths, and the plant must 
either receive fresh space to develop, or be broken up 
into smaller pieces. We should regret if this manipu¬ 
lation were resorted to, as the mass in question is very 
healthy, and must present a fine appearance when in 
bloom. 
"Vanda Sanderiana. —It may be interesting to 
Scotch growers especially to put on record that this 
comparatively new and gorgeous Yanda was flowered 
for the first time in Scotland by Mr. A. Laing, gardener 
to Mrs. Nelson, Salisbury Green, Edinburgh. Many 
fine Orchids are grown at this place, and Mr. Laing 
succeeds very satisfactorily in flowering them. 
FLORICULTURE. 
Carnations and Picotees. —My annual batch of 
seedling Carnations and Picotees, which, as a member 
of the Carnation and Picotee Union, Mr. Dodwell 
always sends me, have come to hand, and very nice 
young plants they are. They are potted singly in 
small pots, they are in a cold frame, and will be watered 
sparingly for a few days, until they establish them¬ 
selves. Mr. Dodwell kindly gives me a choice of 
unbloomed or tested seedlings, and I always prefer the 
former, because of the greater interest that attaches 
to them, as they are from choice seeds and will be 
certain to produce something good. Who knows but 
what some unexpected gem may reveal itself, as S. B. 
Robert Houlgrave did among the seed sent by Mr. 
Dodwell to Mr. Barlow. There is one great privilege 
in becoming a subscriber to the Carnation and Picotee 
Union at Oxford, one gets back the value of their 
subscriptions ; and, indeed, something more than the 
value in Carnation and Picotee stock of some kind. 
This season Mr. Dodwell kindly sent me some seedling 
Pinks, so another interest is added to the blooming time 
next year. My advice to all lovers of Carnations and 
Picotees is to become a subscriber to the Oxford Carna¬ 
tion and Picotee Union, and partake in the distribution 
of the overflow of stock of its venerated treasurer and 
secretary, Mr. Dodwell. 
I have been trying to get a good, a thoroughly good, 
purple self Carnation, and I have found it in Mr. 
Dodwell’s Neptune. It is a fine flower of a rich 
purple colour, has an excellent pod, and is a good 
doer. Any one who secures it will, I am sure, be 
delighted with it. He also sent me Cleopatra, another 
purple, but it failed with me ; but I have secured 
it again for flowering another season. Purple Emperor, 
raised by Mr. J. Douglas, is being distributed by Mr. 
Turner, and it is said to be the finest purple-self grown. 
Cremorne, Imperial Purple, and Purple Gem are also 
fine purple seifs. 
When I was at the Royal Nursery, at Slough, a few 
days ago, I was much struck with the wonderful vigour 
shown in the case of the new yellow-ground Picotees 
raised by Mr. Douglas, and to be distributed by Mr. 
Turner this season ; they are, Almira, a large, full, 
bright yellow flower, almost a self, having the slightest 
flakings of rosy pink ; Annie Douglas, yellow ground, 
heavily edged with bright shaded pink ; Agnes Cham¬ 
bers, yellow ground, with a narrow margin of reddish 
pink ; Colonial Beauty, buff ground, heavily edged 
with bright pink ; Dorothy, bright huff, edged and 
slightly flaked with reddish pink ; and Terra Cotta, 
large and smooth, edged with bright pink on a terra 
cotta ground. That these are all good growers there 
can be no doubt. One or two good yellow Self Carna¬ 
tions have been seen this season, among them, Amber 
(Maunder), an amber-coloured self, wonderfully free 
and with an excellent petal; Will Threlfall (Threlfall), 
a large, bright yellow self, in the way of Pride of Pens- 
hurst, but with large and smoother petals ; and Mrs. 
Reynolds Hole, a very free-blooming, dark terra-cotta 
coloured variety, which is remarkably free. The two 
former of these will be distributed by Mr. C. Turner, 
the latter by Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, Chester. 
Other good yellow self Carnations are : Edith 
(Findlayson), bright yellow, extra fine ; Florence 
(Wallington), bright buff ; and that general favourite, 
Pride of Penshurst, a fine bright yellow self, which is 
very free and excellent for cutting. A few good yellow 
ground Picotees cf older date will be found in Alice 
Warte, edged with bright crimson ; Flavius, crimson 
edge ; Lightning, heavily edged with crimson ; Hon. 
Mary Lascelles, light crimson edge; Miss Abercrombie, 
edged with rose ; Mrs. Colman, slightly striped with 
rosy crimson ; Prince of Orange, edges of bright crim¬ 
son ; Princess Beatrice, narrow bright crimson edge ; 
Princess Marguerite, nice edge of crimson ; and Thomas 
Page, edged and striped with pink. 
We are now at the beginning of October—the month 
when the florist should lay his foundation work for 
another season. Thus it is that Mr. E. S. Dodwell, in 
his valuable book on the Carnation and Picotee, 
counsels that—“ Every plant of every variety proposed 
to be grown for the next season’s bloom, should be 
obtained, if required to be obtained, and firmly 
established in its winter quarters during this month. 
One plant properly established now will give results 
worth ten got in mid-winter or spring. Let the 
potting for winter be pushed forward without delay 
until completed. Carefully clean the plant from dead 
or decaying foliage, dust, dirt or insects. There is 
nothing like a weak solution of soft soap for polishing 
off ‘ Mister Green-fly ; ’ plunge the plant overhead in 
it, or brush him off with a brush dipped in it, and keep 
the frames closed for a week after potting. Water 
sparingly, and only if needed to prevent the plants 
from flagging. Should water be required, air must be 
given until the foliage is dry, keeping the plants 
effectually sheltered from the winds. When fairly 
started, give air abundantly day and night, guarding 
carefully from the saturating rains usual at this period. 
Nothing more surely promotes disease than a thorough 
saturation at this season, and it requires to be guarded 
against, both before and after the removal of the layers 
from the parent stool. Firm potting is of course 
essential.”— B. D. 
Dahlia Show in Sheffield.— One of the best 
exhibitions of cut blooms of Dahlias ever held in 
Sheffield, was to be seen in a large room at the house 
of Mr. T. Robinson, Peniston Road, on September 24. 
The number of blooms staged exceeded 1,000, and the 
greater part of these were grown by cottagers and 
amateurs in and around the town. The blooms, 
generally, were of a superior quality in colour, form and 
size. In the open class there was a strong competition, 
there being ten lots staged ; Mr. Throng was first with 
bright and fresh blooms ; Mr. Gill, second; Mr. Bower, 
third ; Mr. Dungworth, fourth ; Mr. Pineher, fifth ; 
and Mr. Simonite, sixth. Among the many stands 
which were not exhibited for competition, were some 
very fine examples sent by Messrs. Keynes, Williams 
& Co., Salisbury, also from Mr. J. T. West, Brentwood. 
The flowers produced by these noted growers were the 
centre of attraction to hundreds of the Sheffield flower- 
loving “blades” who know what constitutes a good 
flower when they see one. Great credit is due to Mr. 
Robinson for having got together such a splendid show, 
which must have been a great treat to the public and a 
satisfaction to himself. — Visitor. 
-- 
HORTICUL TURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural.— September 27th. —The 
leading feature of the meeting on this occasion was 
Dahlias, which were well represented in all the classes 
or sections into which it is now found convenient to 
divide them. These classes are, show, fancy, Cactus 
or decorative Dahlias, singles and Pompons. So well 
were these represented, each in their several divisions, 
and so fine was the quality generally in each individual 
case, that the meeting constituted a Dahlia show in 
itself of no mean proportions. The leading exhibitors 
were Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt; Messrs. Rawlings 
Bros., Romford, Essex ; Mr. T. S. Ware, Plale Farm 
Nurseries, Tottenham ; Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, 
Crawley, Sussex ; Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
Kent ; and Mr. West, gardener to W. Keith, Esq., 
The Cornwalls, Brentwood. Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P. ; Mr. Cowley, gardener to F. G. Tautz, 
Esq., Studley House, Hammersmith, and Mr. S. 
Smith, Silvermere, Cobham, were the only exhibitors of 
Orchids. A large collection of Tomatos that have been 
on trial this year at the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
gardens, Chiswick, was also a strong feature of the 
exhibition. 
Messrs. Rawlings Bros, exhibited a fine collection of 
show and fancy Dahlias that were much admired. 
One was certificated, and a great number were seedlings 
that have been raised by the firm within the last five 
or six years. Some of these were John Henshaw, 
brilliant red with a magenta shade towards the circum¬ 
ference ; R. T. Rawlings, yellow; Queen of the 
Belgians, blush ; Mr. G. Harris, bright scarlet ; Henry 
Eckford and Charles Turner, both striped and mottled 
crimson on a yellow ground. Older varieties were Mrs. 
H. Glasscock, white ; James O’Brien, striped and 
spotted with scarlet on a yellow ground ; Mrs. Glad¬ 
stone, delicate blush, and Pelican, striped and mottled 
with lilac-purple on a white ground. A Bronze Bank- 
sian Medal was awarded for the exhibit. Messrs. 
Cheal & Sons exhibited Cactus Dahlias, Lady Kerrison, 
yellow margined with crimson ; Mr. Tait, white and 
distinct: Picta formosissima, crimson, suffused and 
margined orange ; and Empress of India, maroon. 
Their single Dahlias were also fine, and included Mrs. 
Daniels, white and red with a scarlet margin ; Negress, 
blackish maroon ; James Kelway, white, margined 
purple ; Paragon and Beauty of Uplands, scarlet with 
a gold tip. Pompon Dahlias included attractive 
forms, named Eli Millard, white ; Little Duchess, 
purple on a rosy ground ; Gem, scarlet, and Hedwig 
Polwig, white and scarlet. There were also single- 
flowered seedlings of some merit ; they were awarded 
