422 
THE GABDENING WOBLI) 
March 3, 1888. 
reader thinking ; and I shall be surprised if it does not 
set you who may read it doing as well. It offers hints 
about the improvement of fruits, vegetables and 
flowers. It gives more information about hybridising 
and cross-breeding than you will find in any other 
single book. I agree with its author in regarding it as 
a “popular handbook on plant propagation and 
improvement,” which will “serve young gardeners as 
a stepping-stone to works of a higher scientific char¬ 
acter, and more especially to those of Charles Darwin. ” 
No pleasure of which I have experience can surpass 
that of raising some improved flower, fruit, or vegetable. 
The field is sufficiently large for everyone, and the 
advances made during the last twenty years are 
sufficiently numerous and good to encourage us to hope 
that still greater advances will be made before the end 
of the present century, although it is so close at hand. 
Nearly all the improved varieties of vegetables now 
grown in our gardens are less than thirty years old ; 
many of our flowers in their present forms are of still 
more recent development. "VVhat encouragement there 
is in this knowledge for every intelligent gardener, to do 
something to effect further improvements, and with the 
almost absolute certainty of success as his reward, and 
at all events of much pleasure in making the attempt. 
If you want any proof of the value of scientific 
knowledge to the horticulturist, I would refer you to 
the work done by Thomas Andrew Knight, for twenty- 
seven years president of the R'byal Horticultural Society, 
viz., from 1811 to 1838. If you wantto know what he 
did for horticulture, get permission from Mr. Barron to 
look at the volume of Selections from Physiological and 
Horticultural Papers (published after Mr. Knight’s 
death), in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Library, 
and you will find that he did a quantity of most valuable 
original work, of which much has since been embodied 
in every book dealing with the subject of vegetable 
physiology, so far as it has a bearing on horticultural 
practice. Now I do not suppose that anyone who hears 
these words is likely to prove another Thomas Andrew 
Knight; but every one of you can follow in that great 
man’s footsteps, and bj r increasing observation and 
carefully made experiments can help to extend our 
knowledge, and perhaps add to our garden treasures. 
There is one other point I should like to allude to. 
When our gardeners as a body are familiar with the 
scientific side of horticulture, and know how to make 
accurate observations, it will be in their power to help 
men of science most importantly, for, passing their daily 
lives among plants, they have opportunities for the 
observation of the phenomena of plant life scarcely 
possible to anyone else. There are many points still 
waiting elucidation, and carefully made observations by 
trained observers may supply material of the utmost 
value to the scientist who is able to generalise about 
them. In this way, if in no other, it will be in the 
power of most of you to help in extending the bounds 
of real knowledge. 
In conclusion, let me urge such of you as may be 
willing to act on any of the hints I have offered for 
your consideration to be very thorough in your pursuit 
after knowledge, and to be always on your guard 
against growing conceited when you find yourselves a 
little better informed than your neighbours ; and do 
not allow yourselves to be discouraged if you find such 
a course of reading, as I have given some suggestions 
for, rather hard and somewhat irksome at first; read 
difficult passages again and again until you have 
extracted from them all that they can teach. Persevere 
for a few months, and then what is sure to be difficult 
at first will grow gradually easier, and at length you 
will find yourselves able to grapple with and master 
many problems which at the outset may seem to be 
past finding out. 
-—=*s>=g<e*=— 
DEV O N SHIRE HOUSE, 
STAMFORD HILL. 
Here, as well as at many similar establishments, fine- 
foliaged and stove plants generally are losing in favour, 
and the proprietor, W. F. Darnell, Esq., having a 
great love for Orchids, the latter are ousting the former 
from their accustomed places, while the space is being 
occupied by a varied collection of all the more beautiful 
or really valuable Orchids having true horticultural 
merit. Space is limited, and, therefore, valuable in 
this closely built and populous neighbourhood, so that 
the collection is being made up of selected and good 
representative forms of the different species and 
varieties. Mr. Elliott, the gardener, is enthusiastic 
over his charge, and the healthy vigour of the plants 
testify to their admirable treatment. 
Cattleyas and Odontoglossums claim the most at¬ 
tention at the present time, and both are grown in 
some quantity. The dark-lipped varieties of C. Trianse 
are really charming, and they are generally held in 
greatest esteem when the terminal lobe is broad, and 
the mouth well expanded, with a crisped or undulated 
border. The pale delicate blush and rose of C. 
Warscewiezii delicata is not without its charms for 
those who can appreciate them ; while the rich crimson 
and orange of C. Percivaliana goes to the opposite 
extreme. The few that now remain in flower are very 
attractive ; but the flowering of this Cattleya in winter 
is in a measure unfortunate, because a large per¬ 
centage of the flowers get destroyed at that season 
through the prevalence of fogs. 
Amongst Odontoglossums were some magnificent 
forms of 0. crispum, popularly termed 0. Alexandra. 
A handsome specimen we noticed w 7 ith a branched 
spike bore eleven flowers of good size and substance, 
suffused with rose and conspicuously blotched with 
purple. The charming little 0. blandum appeared in 
its best form, 0. Rossii majus in numerous dark and 
attractive varieties, together with 0. sceptrum in 
different shades, 0. pulchellum majus, 0. Roezlii, and 
its variety 0. R. alba, making up a varied and in¬ 
teresting collection. O. Roezlii and its white variety 
are great favourites and extensively grown. 
Some of the most popular and handsome Dendrobiums 
have been flowering magnificently for some time, and 
the improvement in the size of last year’s pseudo-bulbs, 
compared with those of the preceding year, testify to 
their treatment. D. Wardianum, D. Devonianum, and 
D. Ainsworthi were literally masses of flowers the other 
week, and one could not help admiring the charming 
character and fringed lips of D. Devonianum when 
well matured. The younger pseudo-bulbs of D. 
crassinode are twice the length of their predecessors. 
Angracum citratum is now in its prime, and the small 
size of the individual flowers is more than compensated 
for by the number produced on a gracefully arching 
spike. Some Cypripediums add their quaint forms to 
the assemblage, including C. Boxallii and a very dark 
form of C. Sedeni. A few late-flowering specimens of 
Loelia anceps still remain, exhibiting unusually rich 
colouring for this species. 
Here, as elsewhere, Nepenthes Rafflesiana is still 
considered one of the best for general cultivation, on 
account of the freedom with which it produces pitchers, 
and their durability till fresh ones are developed. The 
quaint, wrinkled ear-like spathes of Anthurium 
Andreanum were well formed, and of large size. 
Notwithstanding the struggle between Orchids and the 
other occupants of the house, some of the latter are 
still devoted to soft and hard-wooded subjects. 
Selaginella amcena and S. Lyalli are very distinct 
and beautiful forms ; but, all things considered, the 
former we should regard as the more valuable for gardeu 
purposes, on account of its freedom of growth, close 
and graceful habit. Greenhouse Rhododendrons and 
Camellias occupy cooler houses, in which R. 
jasminiflorum was gay with its now well-known and 
attractive flowers. R. multiflorum, another of the 
parents of the numerous progeny of greenhouse hybrids, 
is richly laden with buds that must exhibit a fine 
display before long. 
-- 
THE ABERDEENSHIRE LINKS. 
A most interesting and at the same time instructive 
paper on the above subject was read by Professor 
J. W. H. Trail (Botany Chair, Aberdeen University), 
at a meeting of the members of the Natural History 
Society of Aberdeen, held in Marischal College, Aber¬ 
deen, on Tuesday evening, 21st ult. After describing 
the Links which fringe the Aberdeenshire coast, from 
the mouth of the Dee (at Aberdeen) almost to Collie- 
ston, a distance of more than fourteen miles, the 
Professor said he would confine his remarks to the 
coast-line from Belhelvie to the mouth of the river Dee, 
a distance scarcely exceeding nine miles in length. 
The Links, though narrow, were divided into two well- 
marked belts of sandhills, and there was also a con¬ 
siderable expanse of sand exposed by the tide at low 
water, on which marine animals and sea-weeds might 
be picked up ; though now, he was informed, the sands 
were far less productive of interesting specimens than 
they used to be. In the two inner belts, plants were 
found that were scarcely to be got elsewhere in the 
north-east of Scotland. The banks of the Don, at the 
place where that river runs through the Links to the 
sea, possessed a vegetation in some respects different 
from that of any other region, but more especially on 
the north bank, which was very steep and covered with 
a tangled growth of wild raspberry, hog-weed, hemlock, 
toadflax (escaped from some garden), and other plants 
like those that are met with on similar banks inland. 
North of the Don the differences between the outer 
and inner ranges of sandhills were far more marked 
than to the south of the river. The cryptogamic 
flora of the Links was far from rich or varied, 
but yet amongst the fungi there were a good 
many microscopic species of no little interest. The 
vascular Cryptogams were few, the only one worth 
mentioning being the Moonwort-Fem, which was very 
plentiful among the short sward in the hollow of the 
Links from the Don northwards, though less common 
south of the river. The mosses were far from varied, 
yet abundant on favourable slopes. The Alga were 
few and of no very special interest, and of the fresh 
water species none were peculiar, the long line of sandy 
beach being most unfavourable to the existence of sea¬ 
weeds. The fungi of the Links possessed greater 
interest, and he had found a considerable number of 
micro-parasitic forms that were new to their flora or 
even to science when first detected by him. After 
giving interesting details regarding the various specimens 
he had discovered, the professor said a few words would 
comprise all he had to say by way of introduction to 
the zoology of the Links. The mammals were few, nor 
were there any noteworthy specimens among them. 
The birds were more numerous and varied, and a con¬ 
siderable number of rare kinds had been shot on the 
Links, especially between the Dee and Don ; but he 
would leave the birds to be discussed by others who 
had given more attention to them than he had. The 
reptiles and amphibia were restricted to the common 
lizard, the frog, the toad, and the smooth newt, so far 
as his own observation warranted a conclusion ; but 
other species might be known as occurring among the 
inner sandhills. The fish were almost confined to the 
sticklebacks, if those of the rivers and sea were ex¬ 
cluded—as they ought to be—from the restricted 
fauna. In giving details of his discoveries, the speaker 
said he had found on the Links 296 flowering plants, 
about fifty gall-making insects, and 45 galls upon 
plants. Several specimens of the flowering plants 
found on the Links were exhibited and examined by 
the members present. 
Mr. Murray, vice-president of the society, then read 
a paper on Lichens that were found on the Aberdeen¬ 
shire Links. The essay was a most interesting one, 
and showed that the writer had pursued his inquiries 
with great perseverance. He had to confess that his 
progress in search of Lichens had been slow ; but, on 
the other hand, his admiration and wonder had greatly 
increased at the beauties displayed in the fine tints 
of colour, the delicate chiselling, and the altogether 
marvellous examples of sculpturing shown in these 
humble members of the vegetable kingdom. In con¬ 
clusion, he urged the necessity for a larger number of 
workers among the Lichens, especially in a district so 
rich in specimens. Hearty votes of thanks were awarded 
Professor Trail and Mr. Murray for their admirable 
papers. -- 
WILD AND DOMESTICATED 
PLANTS. 
f Continu,cd from p. 408.) 
Another and even a greater change is often seen after 
the lapse of a few years, when a piece of ground over 
which cattle or sheep were formerly allowed to graze 
has been fenced off so as to exclude them. Destruction 
of herbage by rabbits in this country as well as in 
Australia is a fact that is well known to almost every¬ 
body. The destruction of herbage, trees and shrubs 
by goats, fire, the axe, and the introduction of foreign 
plants in the Canary Islands and St. Helena has 
resulted in driving the native vegetation into the 
mountains and fastnesses of those islands, while in 
many places the destruction of vegetation has resulted 
iu allowing the tropical rains to wash away the soil, 
rendering the naked rocks perfectly sterile. Two 
species of Trochetia, formerly natives of St. Helena, are 
now extinct. 
Coming nearer home an interesting case came under 
my notice of two large plantations, one of Picea excelsa, 
and another of Pinus sylvestris, from eighty to a hundred 
years old, which were cut down and the ground after¬ 
wards replanted. Previous to this the shade was so 
dense that in many places there was a complete absence 
of under-wood, or, in fact, vegetation of any kind. In 
three or four years after the old trees were cut down the 
whole aspect changed. Red and white-fruited Rasp¬ 
berries, Birches, Mountain Ash, Brambles, and other 
things of a woody nature, sprang up in great abundance. 
The herbaceous vegetation was even more profuse, and 
