January 7, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
301 
7. —Never use the crocks which accumulate during 
re-potting from the plants turned out without pre¬ 
viously having them washed. 
8 . —Keep the back bulbs or growths nearer to one 
edge of the pots than the leading growths are to the 
other, to allow for coming growth. 
9. —Always clean every plant just before re-potting 
or during the process. 
Top-dressing. —This used to be much in. favour, 
and much mischief in the pots has been concealed until 
too late by the new surface occasionally put on. 
Happily, it has now fallen into disuse, and, for my part, 
I say it should never be done unless in an exceptional 
circumstance for an occasional plant or so. 
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; Odontoglossum or cool 
house, 50° to 55° by day, 45° at night. — James 
O'Brien. 
Odontoglossum crispum guttatum. 
Among the many Orchids in flower in the neat collec¬ 
tion of Sydney Courtauld, Esq., at Booking Place, 
Braintree, on Christmas Day, was a handsome form of 
this beautifully - spotted Odontoglossum. The fine 
spray consisted of eleven clear white flowers, their 
sepals and petals each bearing from four to seven 
reddish blotches, irregularly arranged, but in such a 
manner that the flowers always exhibit a clear white 
margin. The labellum has one large and several 
smaller blotches, in uniformity with the other segments. 
It would not need a connoisseur in Orchids to pronounce 
Mr. Courtauld’s variety a great beauty. 
Lycaste Skinneri alba. 
A capital variety of this interesting plant has just 
been in flower in the Orchid houses of Reginald 
Young, Esq., Linnet Lane, Liverpool. Though one 
of the more recent establishments where Orchids 
have been made a speciality, and where the numbers 
are not quite so great as at some other places, 
there are yet many nice pieces coming on which 
in time will, without doubt, gladden the heart 
of the enthusiastic grower. The Lycaste in question 
is grown in the Cattleya house, receiving thus a 
little more heat than is often given to Lycastes; 
and, doubtless, this is right, for since it is met with in 
its native habitat at a much lower altitude and nearer 
the coast, the heat will be greater than in the locality 
from whence many Odontoglossums come, these being 
found much further inland and at considerably higher 
elevations. Mr. Young’s flowers were of fine size and 
substance, and very clear in their whiteness. Cattleyas 
do well here, as also many of the cool Odontoglossums. 
Yanda tricolor was flowering, with twelve flowers on a 
spike; Cypripedium Spicerianum, with ten flowers, 
was also very showy. Other choice things were coming 
on nicely, and with the return of brighter days will 
push up their growths and flowers. May there be 
many such growers, continually adding to their stock 
and ever experiencing a fresh delight with the blooming 
of every new comer !— Vanda. 
Maxillaria picta. 
After reading the note on this Orchid at p. 286, 
I have arrived at the conclusion that the plant we 
have growing under the name of M. picta can be no 
other than M. punctata. The flowers are not nearly 
so highly coloured as the figure of M. picta in the 
Botanical Register , t. 1802. In the figure there are 
only seven flowers to two pseudobulbs ; but on six 
bulbs we had ninety-three flowers, forming a fringe 
about 3 ins. deep j ust above the rim of the pot, and 
which lasted for nearly three weeks in perfection. The 
segments of the flowers were spread out exactly as 
described, and there were only a very few spots on the 
hack of the sepals and petals. The pseudo-bulbs are 
also longer than those shown in the plate. It is well 
worth growing as a variety, flowering as it does in 
December, when choice flowers are rather scarce ; but 
I should fancy M. picta was much more attractive. It 
increases rather freely, each pseudo-bulb producing two 
breaks. I find they like plenty of water at all times, 
as they soon suffer if allowed to get dry. Most of our 
Orchids have flowered very freely this winter. At the 
present time we have Oncidium flexuosum with two 
flower-spikes to nearly every pseudo-bulb, the majority 
of them being 5 ft. long, with over 200 flowers on each 
spike—a mass of golden beauty ; and one plant has 
seventeen spikes. Oncidium sphacelatum is throwing 
up much stronger than I have ever had it before. 
Cypripedium insigne has also been very good ; the first 
flower opened September 22nd, and the last one faded 
December 24th. During that time they have been 
standing in a conservatory amongst Chrysanthemums 
and other greenhouse plants, and certainly look none 
the worse for their sojourn there, the foliage being 
quite as healthy as that of plants left in the stove 
during the same time.— A. Whibley, Osborne House, 
Eastbourne. 
Ansellia africana nilotica. 
How seldom is this charming Orchid grown to perfec¬ 
tion, and yet it is one of the easiest to' manage. It has 
at least three merits to entitle it to a place among East 
Indian-house Orchids. The first of these is the freedom 
with which it grows and flowers if it receives the 
required treatment; the second is the exceeding beauty 
and perfume of the flowers ; and the last, but not the 
least, is the length of time it continues to bloom, 
extending from four to five months, provided it is kept 
dry at the roots and removed to a cool house when the 
flowers begin to open, that being exactly the treatment 
it likes. The enclosed flowers are from a branched 
spike bearing sixty blooms, the growth which produced 
it exceeding 4J ft. As I have said, it should be grown 
in the East Indian house, with plenty of moisture at 
the roots. When the first flowers begin to open, it 
should be removed to an intermediate house, and water 
withheld—-as in the case of deciduous Calanthes—until 
it shows signs of starting into active growth again ; 
this it will do about the time the last of the flowers 
have faded, when it should be returned to its former 
quarters.— R. C. Fraser, The Woodlands, Streatham. 
-- 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY’S FRUIT AND FLORAL 
COMMITTEES, 1888. 
Eloral Committee— Chairman, George F. Wilson, 
F.R.S., Heatherbank, Weybridge Heath. Vice- 
Chairmen, Rev. W. Wilks, Shirley Vicarage, Croydon ; 
Major Lendy, F.G.S., F.L.S., Sunbury-on-Thames; 
H. Herbst, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey. Secretary, 
Archibald F. Barron, Royal Horticultural Society, 
Chiswick. 
Baines, Thomas, Fern Cottage, Palmer’s Green, N. 
Ballantine, H., The Dell Gardens, Egharn 
Bates, W., Poulett Lodge Gardens, Twickenham 
Bennett, H., Shepperton, Walton-on-Thames 
Cant, B. R., Colchester 
Dean, R., Ranelagh Road, Ealing, W. 
Druery, C. T., 10, Philpot Lane, E.C. 
Dominy, John, 11, Tadema Road, Chelsea, S.W. 
Duffield, G., Bramford Lodge, Winchmore Hill, N. 
Fraser, John, Lea Bridge Road, Leytonstone, E. 
Goldring, Wm., 52, Gloucester Road, Kew 
Hibberd, J. Shirley, 1, Priory Road, The Green, Kew 
Hill, E., The Gardens, Tring Park, Tring 
Holmes, W., Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney, E. 
Laing, John, The Nurseries, Forest Hill 
Lowe, Dr. W. H. Woodcote, Inner Park Road, Wim¬ 
bledon 
Masters, Maxwell T., M.D., F.R.S., Ealing, W. 
Nicholson, G., Royal Gardens, Kew 
Noble, C., Sunningdale Nursery, Bagsliot 
O’Brien, James, West Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill 
Paul, George, The Old Nursery, Cheshunt, Herts 
Pilcher, Charles, 84, Ringford Road, Wandsworth, 
S.W. 
Pollett, H. M., Fernside, Bickley, Kent 
Walker, J., Whitton, Middlesex 
Wildsmith, W., Heckfield Place, Winchfield 
Wynne, B., 17, Catherine Street, Strand, W. C. 
Fruit Committee.— Chairman, RobertHogg, LL.D., 
F.L.S., 99, St. George’s Road, Pimlico, S.W. Vice- 
Chairmen, T. F. Rivers, Sawbridgeworth ; Arthur W. 
Sutton, Reading; H. J. Veitch, F.L.S., Royal Exotic 
Nursery, Chelsea, S.W. Secretary, Archibald F. 
Barron, Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick. 
Adams, H. J., Roseneath, London Road, Enfield, N. 
Barr, Peter, 34, King Street, Covent Garden, W.C. 
Blackmore, R. D., Teddington 
Burnett, J., The Gardens, Deepdene, Dorking 
Cheal, J., Crawley, Sussex 
Crowley, Philip, Waddon House, Croydon 
Cummins, G. W., The Grange Gardens, Wallington 
Denning, W., Norbiton, Surrey 
Ford, Sydney, The Gardens, Leonardslee, Horsham 
Haywood, T. B., Woodhatch Lodge, Reigate 
Howe, C., Benham Park Gardens, Newbury 
Lee, John, 78, Warwick Gardens, W. 
Marshall, William, Auchinraith, Bexley 
Miles, George T., Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe 
Norman, G , Hatfield House Gardens, Hatfield 
Paul, William, Waltham Cross, Herts. 
Pearson, Alfred H., The Nurseries, Chilwell, Notts. 
Roberts, J., The Gardens, Gunnersbury Park, Acton, W. 
Ross, Chas., The Gardens, Welford Park, Newbury 
Saltmarsh, T. J., The Nurseries,'Chelmsford 
Smith, James, The Gardens, Meutmore, Leighton 
Buzzard 
Warren, W., Worton Gardens, Isleworth 
Weir, Harrison, Lansdowne Road, Tunbridge Wells 
Willard, Jesse, Holly Lodge Gardens, Highgate, N. 
Woodbridge, John, Syon House, Brentford 
Wright, John, 171, Fleet Street, E.C. 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Bouvardias.— Where these were headed down in 
good time, the young shoots will now be ready for pro¬ 
pagation. Owing to their useful nature as cut-flowers, 
and the demand made on gardeners generally at Christ¬ 
mas and New Year’s time for flowers of all kinds, 
many are tempted to leave their plants alone if 
producing any bloom at all. The festive season being 
now over, there should be no excuse for any further 
delay, as, in order to get good results next autumn, 
propagation should be begun early. The best cuttings 
are those produced from the very base of the plant, so 
that those having young, or comparatively young 
plants (if last year’s cuttings all the better) should 
unflinchingly cut them down to within a few inches of 
the pot. Allow them to stand for a few days, after¬ 
wards shaking them clean out of the soil. Now plant 
them in cocoa-nut fibre, close to the hot-water pipes in 
the propagating house, where they will provide excel¬ 
lent cuttings in less than a fortnight’s time. Take 
these off with a heel, and insert them in cutting-pots 
in the usual way. As soon as rooted, pot off singly in 
thumb-pots, and keep them steadily growing in a light, 
airy position, never allowing them to become pot- 
bound. By this means the foundation for a good 
stock of plants will be laid. The most satisfactory 
results with Bouvardias are obtained by commencing 
early so as to give them the whole length of the growing 
season, and by always using young plants, destroying 
the old ones after a sufficient stock of cuttings have 
rooted. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Chrysanthemums.— Few of the varieties of the 
popular C. sinense will now be in flower ; but where 
the late varieties are still in presentable condition, they 
cannot be kept too cool provided the atmosphere of the 
house is sufficiently dry to prevent the flower-heads 
damping. Should this be the case a little fire-heat 
with plenty of ventilation must be given to dispel the 
moisture. The Marguerites or Paris Daisies, forms of 
C. frutescens, are still very gay where properly cared 
for and tended. A good recommendation they possess 
is that old plants, when healthy and in growing con¬ 
dition, flower as freely as young ones, and large bushes 
at this season are by no means to be despised. As 
improvements continue to be wrought in this as well as 
other species of Chrysanthemums, even annual forms, 
we shall be able to produce a display of yellow and 
white varieties both useful, ornamental and acceptable. 
Richardias.— The flower scapes are now pushing up 
freely and in grand form. As soon as the scapes make 
their appearance, liquid manure applied twice a week 
will greatly assist them, increasing the size of the 
spathes wonderfully. Plants that have been grown in 
the open air during summer and well supplied with 
water, will now repay the trouble by the greatly 
increased vigour of the crowns, which, if potted up 
singly, are productive of the finest spathes, as their 
roots monopolise the whole soil and their energies are 
concentrated in one set of leaves and one flower stem. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
French Beans. —Keep these as near the light as 
possible, and syringe frequently on fine days to keep 
down red-spider, to which they are very subject. As 
they attain some length, gradually earth up with rich 
material to maintain a healthy, vigorous, and free- 
growing condition. Make fresh sowings to maintain a 
succession later on. Ensure perfect drainage so that 
the soil may not become sour by the frequent waterings 
that their rapid-growing nature necessitates. Half fill 
the pots only with rich but good fibrous loam ; sow 
and cover lightly, placing the pots in a warm position, 
which may even be in darkness ; but as soon as they 
germinate, put them as near the glass as possible. 
Vines must not be neglected, especially during such 
weather as we have been experiencing more or less all 
the week. Loop down all shoots that are likely to 
come in contact with the glass, otherwise they will 
soon get damaged or rendered useless by coming in 
contact with it when frozen. This is more necessary 
at the present time than later on, when hard frost is 
less likely to occur. With regard to temperature, hard 
forcing should be avoided when the light is deficient. 
When the shoots are just commencing to push, 50° at 
night and 60° by day is quite sufficient till the Vines 
are breaking into leaf, when a rise of 5° may be allowed 
from fire-heat. 
