January 14, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
300 
than the base of the plant to he potted, but always 
avoid over-potting. It is sometimes necessary when a 
plant has not been doing well to put it into a smaller 
pot than the one in which it has been growing. 
Newly imported plants, or any that are top-heavy, 
will require to be staked, and these should be put in 
before the crocking begins, resting them on the bottom 
of the pot. Then fill the pots three parts or more full 
of crocks, placing the larger ones in the bottom as 
upright as possible, and making the stakes firm as the 
process goes on. When the proper quantity has been 
put in, place a little sphagnum over the top, then a 
little of the moss and peat mixture on which to place 
the plant, which should be raised 2 ins. to 3 ins. above 
the rim of the pot. With a piece of mat tie one or 
two bulbs to each stake, then proceed to finish off the 
surface by placing some of the potting compost over 
the roots, working in a few crocks or bits of charcoal, 
with a tuft of sphagnum here and there. When all is 
finished, the surface should have a neat rounded 
appearance sloping to the edge of the pot. 
{To be continued). 
.-->X<-- 
ORCHIDS AT WOODHATCH 
LODGE, REIGATE. 
I HAVE before alluded to the collection of Orchids 
owned by J. B. Haywood, Esq., at the above place, 
and it must indeed be gratifying to this gentleman to 
find his collection doing so well, for it contains many 
novelties of sterling merit, and numerous grand 
examples of cultivation, the credit of which is due to 
Mr. J. Ridout, the enthusiastic gardener, who has been 
in charge here a good many years. This collection of 
Orchids has been formed since he has had control ; 
therefore, their grand condition owes its reputation 
entirely to his cultural skill. Those who have had the 
pleasure of visiting this place, like myself, no doubt, 
have been agreeably surprised ; and to those who may 
do so I will guarantee a treat, as that is what I had on 
January 5th, the date of my visit. 
In the Odontoglossum house hundreds of fine healthy 
plants are to be seen in various sizes. Just now a 
grand display of flowers—fully 100 strong spikes of 
various fine forms of O. Alexandra and 0. Pescatorei— 
meet the eye. Of the former, all the various forms 
now so familiar to us, ranging from pure white to deep 
spotted ones, are in excellent condition. A conspicuous 
variety in the way of O. A. flaveolum is a distinct 
thing. O. Rossii and its forms are well represented, 
one attracting my attention as being unusual, with six 
fine flowers on one spike ; there were several with four. 
0 . tripudians is also in flower, and the bright 
Sophronitis grandiflora, with several fine flowers, is 
attractive suspended in a basket. There are hundreds 
of spikes showing, and a grand treat is in store for the 
future ; in fact, among such a superb lot there is 
always something of interest in bloom. A house 
devoted to 0. vexillarium is a grand sight. I question 
whether a finer lot of such healthy plants can be seen 
anywhere in better condition, for they are making 
extraordinarily strong growth. 
Phalrenopsids find a place, a small house being devoted 
to their culture, and, judging from their healthy ap¬ 
pearance, are receiving that treatment which suits 
them admirably. A house devoted to the culture of 
Masdevallias is very attractive, including some two 
dozen plants of the fairy-white M. tovarensis, pro¬ 
ducing in all over 870 spikes of flowers, many of the 
spikes having six flowers. Those with the larger 
number of flowers are from the old spikes of last year ; 
they seem to bear on an average four to six flowers, 
while the new spikes have only two and three, showing 
how requisite it is to have the old spikes to produce 
such a result as this. A fine specimen of M. Chelsoni 
was well flowered ; beside it stood M. Chelsoni 
splendens, differing from the former in having more of 
the purple hue in it. M. Yeitchii and M. Harryana 
are fine forms when in flower ; also three distinct forms 
of the quaint M. Selilimii with six and seven flowers on 
a spike. This house contains many fine specimens and 
good varieties, pictures of health, and must produce a 
fine lot of blooms at the proper season. 
Cypripediums comprise a good collection of the 
leading sorts, such as C. calosum, C. Spieerianum, C. 
Leeanum superbum, C. calurum, C. Sedeni, and 
forms of C. insigne, and all are well flowered in the 
Vanda house. Amongst the many grand examples of 
cultivation, C. insigne, a fine form, and C. insigne 
Schroderi, paler than the former, are both in flower. 
Vanda tricolor, bearing ten flowers on a spike, with 
V. Boxallii and V. coerulea, fourteen flowers, are also 
in bloom. Saccolabiums are doing well; and a very 
fine distinct form of S. giganteum is very conspicuous. 
In the Dendrobium house are some of the grandest 
examples of cultivation of this family that I have 
ever seen, and all the leading sorts are well represented, 
and, what is more, are well grown. D. densiflorum, 
D. thyrsiflorum, D. chrysotoxum, D. nobile, and D. 
Wardianum, of which there are several fine specimens, 
are indeed extraordinary, and will make a fine display 
shortly. 
Cattleyas and Lielias occupy other houses, and are 
in fine condition, showing an innumerable quantity of 
sheaths. C. Triame, C. Holfordii, Lafiia albida, L. 
autumnalis, L. anceps, and such-like, were in flower ; 
and shortly the C. Trianm section will make a fine 
show. These are only a few of the many, as these 
notes were taken on a hurried run through ; so one-half 
of what might be enumerated I have had to leave out. 
Not only are Orchids well cared for, but stove and 
greenhouse and florist flowers receive the same attention. 
Some fine hardy specimens of hard-wooded Ericas 
attracted one’s attention. Another house was gay with 
Primulas and Cyclamens, many dozens of each being in 
flower, well grown, and from a fine strain. The stove 
also contains a choice collection of flowering and foliage 
plants. A considerable quantity of the latter are 
required for house decoration, and from the quantity 
and style of plants to be seen, they are well suited for 
the purpose. The fruit houses are in fine condition, 
and ready to start at any time. The cleanliness and 
order noticeable in this establishment, combined with 
the practical manner in which everything is managed, 
must be gratifying to the owner, and speaks volumes in 
favour of the abilities of the gardener-in-chief.— A. 0. 
-»>X<-- 
CLOVER AND GRASS SEED. 
From Messrs. Hurst & Son’s annual report, we learn 
with regard to English Red and Cowgrass that the 
crops in most producing districts are smaller than 
usual. The quantity saved from the first cut shows 
fine colour, chiefly small in grain but well ripened. 
The prolonged drought of last summer prevented a 
strong growth for the second cut, and although the 
heads filled well the fields were so thinly covered that 
the yield must be below the average. Large-grained 
unmistakably English samples are expected to command 
high prices throughout the season, and unless foreign 
seed rules low, the prices of all grades of home-grown 
will have an upward tendency. Single-cut Cowgrass : 
a good crop of very fine quality. Foreign Red Clover 
is generally an under-average crop ; some good samples 
as usual will come from Brittany, the north of France, 
and some districts of Germany ; the crop in the south 
of France is short and of poor quality. Some consider¬ 
able quantity of large-grained sifted Foreign Red was 
held over and will command favour. The American 
crop is reported to be an average one, and already some 
consignments have been made to this country. These 
show fair quality although somewhat small in grain. 
Of white Clover, the English crop is about an average 
and of good quality. France has a fair crop : the 
German crop is larger than usual, while qualities as a 
rule are clean and of good colour. Our home-crop of 
Alsike is heavy and of good quality ; the German crop 
is an average ; and the Canadian crop is reported to be 
a good average and quality fine. Trefoil is a medium 
crop and prices open at a low level; the Continental 
crop is reported below the average. Lucerne is reported 
to be under an average, but the quality is certainly 
fine. There is a large crop of English Common Sain¬ 
foin, but Giant is very scarce ; the French crops of 
Giant and Common are much under average. The 
French crop of Italian Rye Grass appears to have been 
much over-estimated, and alreadj' the finest upland 
samples are all taken from the producing district ; a 
strong advance in price has taken place. Following 
the advance in French seed, Irish has become dearer, 
but as there is such a great disparity in quality between 
the two there should always be a relative difference in 
price. Perennial Rye Grasses are unusually fine in 
quality, the average natural weight being about 26 lbs. 
to the bushel, indicating strong germinating power ; 
weights under 24 lbs. per bushel will be very foul this 
season. 
Natural Grasses vary much in yield and quality; 
some varieties such as Timothy, the Poas, Tall Fescue, 
and Crested Dogstail are scarce. Cocksfoot is below an 
average yield, and much of it very poor in quality ; on 
the other hand, Hard and Sheep’s Fescue and Meadow 
Fescue are plentiful and good. White Mustard : a 
large crop of fine quality. Rape : a short crop of poor 
quality ; fine black samples are already scarce and 
command full prices. 
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 
At the usual fortnightly meeting of the Manchester 
Horticultural Improvement Society, held on the 5th 
inst., the president, Mr. Bruce Findlay, read a paper 
on the propagation of plants, in which he said :—There 
is only one natural mode of reproduction, and that is 
from seed ; all other modes of increase are artificial. 
We know from experience that the only means of 
perpetuating many varieties of plants is by artificial 
means, inasmuch as there are varieties which will not 
come true from seed. When the seed has reached 
maturity in the due and regular course of the develop¬ 
ment of its several parts, it detaches itself sooner or 
later from the parent plant, either singly or along with 
its pericarp, and drops into the soil, when it again 
germinates and takes root, springing up into a new 
individual. Socrates said to his instructor Ischomachus, 
“As to spreading the seed over the ground, is there 
any artful way of doing that?” “Yes,” replied 
Ischomachus, ‘ ‘ for some men can spread it evenly and 
others cannot. In this respect the hand requires 
exercise, like the players on the harp, that it may obey 
the mind.” The essence of this short passage is 
contained in the few short words, 
“Spread it Evenly,” 
That is, spread the seed you put into the ground, of 
whatever kind it may be, evenly. The raising of 
plants from seed is not that simple thing which many 
suppose; the success of the process depends very 
much on the operator. It is a very common thing 
to hear gardeners and others say, “ The seed was bad, 
it would not come,” the truth being that the sower 
was bad, and therefore the seed did not come. 
Nothing so completely kills the germ in a seed as 
alternations of wet and dry. It matters very little about 
the cause why these alternations kill them, but having 
proved it many times, I hesitate not to say such is the 
effect. Next to this in point of mischief is cold and 
wet; and next to that, heat and drought. From repeated 
trials, I have proved that heat and moisture will cause 
seeds of all kinds to germinate, but there are many 
that will grow with so little of either as to require 
very little care or attention. The easiest mode of 
securing this is to sow in a seed pan of peat and loam 
with a little sand. Water it with a very small-rosed 
syringe, throwing the wet like moist dew, and as 
lightly covering it with moss. In a fortnight, or 
rather more in some cases, and in others a month, 
the seed will germinate, when they must be shaded 
with white thin cloth or paper over a hand or hell glass, 
which should be placed on to protect them from 
draughts and alternations of atmosphere. As soon as 
they are large enough to conveniently get hold of, 
plant them out in similar pans an inch apart; water 
them gently from time to time, cover again with a 
hand glass, and lightly shade them until the roots 
get established. In this pan they may grow until 
they have not room enough, giving them warmth no 
longer than to establish the roots, and then move them 
into the greenhouse, keeping them protected with the 
glass, and shade as before. When they need re¬ 
potting it is still better to get other pans and increase 
the distance apart, for the larger the body of soil 
they are in the better. In the case of hardy plants, 
they may be bedded out in a soil composed of peat 
and loam, such as Azaleas and Rhodendrons are 
grown in. The after management, however, is not 
so much my object on this occasion as the 
Germination of the Seed. 
I have known sowing after sowing to fail in the hands 
of some of our best authorities, but on trying the moss 
and heat they have succeeded completely. When once 
the seeds have fairly begun to grow it does not matter 
how soon the heat is reduced; for both the plants I 
have mentioned, and, indeed, all New Holland plants, 
are impatient of warmth, and an hour or two neglected 
would perhaps kill them all; still, moisture generally 
prevents any rapid dissolution. It must also be 
remembered that an hour or two’s hot sun would clear 
off and dry up the whole batch in its young state. On 
this account, soon after they are fairly established and 
begin to grow, you may begin to lessen the heat, first 
by putting them in the coolest part of the stove, and 
next by removing them to the warmest part of the 
greenhouse, and after that to the coolest. The means 
by which seeds are dispersed over the earth’s surface is 
a subject of great interest. One of the most common 
modes by which they are conveyed to a distance from 
their place of growth, is the instrumentality of animals. 
The agency of winds is one of the most effective modes 
of dispersion instituted by nature. Then there is the 
