426 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 3, 1888. 
what stimulants, containing due proportions of the 
elements of plant nutriment, are most fitted for the 
purpose. They should not be misled by statements, 
nor be governed by the argument of cheapness. Depend 
upon it, as a rule, the highest priced goods are the 
best worth the money. 
Within the last four or five years, the horticultural 
press has done more to open out and throw light upon 
this subject than all other factors put together, during 
the same or any previous period. Scientific horti¬ 
culture has been, and is now, making rapid strides, and 
I believe we are near the time when the old grooves 
will wear out, and intelligence, combined with educated 
knowledge, will show the way. I cannot help, in 
closing, expressing a regret that we have not been 
equally fostered and guided in the same direction by 
the nearly defunct Royal Horticultural Society. Neither, 
candidly, do I expect much from the new departure ; 
their analysis is too consanguineous. — B. B. 
I have read Mr. Jacob Rose’s remarks on the over¬ 
feeding of market plants, at p. 411, and think, not¬ 
withstanding, that every gardener or market grower 
should try to grow his plants as near perfection as 
possible, to do which he must have the aid of manure 
of some kind ; and especially the London nurserymen 
and ^market growers, who have to fight against the 
long, dark, dreary winter with'-very little or no sun, 
and cannot admit air on account of the foggy atmo¬ 
sphere which is so continual. If Mr. Rose’s neighbour 
had diseased Primulas sent to him, why did he not 
return them at once ? The mere fact of having faith in 
the firm he dealt with will not stamp out the disease. 
Mr. Rose does not say what kind of treatment the 
plants received at the hands of his neighbour or his 
neighbour’s customers ; two months is a very short 
time for the plants to live after leaving the nurseryman, 
and surely the proper treatment was not known to those 
who bought them. 
A good many gardeners are not aware how the plants 
have been treated in the nursery ; they are very often 
sent from a warm house to the gardener, who puts them 
at once into an airy greenhouse or some cold pits, 
should they be greenhouse plants, instead of encouraging 
them by a little warmth and hardening them off gently. 
Remember, the nurseryman and market grower grows 
for sale, his chief aim being to get his plants ready for 
the customer as soon as possible ; therefore they are 
pushed into quick growth by a warm greenhouse or pit. 
This causes stunted growth, as when the customer has 
had them a week they begin to go back, get weaker 
and smaller, and soon linger away and die. 
I have a batch of the old double white Primula, all 
young plants, which I struck about five months ago, 
from six old plants which were not worth picking up, 
but the young plants are now flowering freely. I can 
measure many blooms over 2j ins., and many of the 
finest blooms are tinged with pink. They have had 
manure put in their water ever since December 12th, 
and I still continue it .—Edward Coleman, Camilla 
Laccy Gardens, Dorking. 
A NATIONAL SCHOOL OP 
FORESTRY. 
The good people of Southampton and its neighbourhood 
are showing considerable energy iD their endeavours to 
have the New Forest—the largest forestal area in the 
kingdom—made the seat of the National School of 
Forestry which it is proposed to establish. The New 
Forest seems to be the most advantageous site, not 
only on account of its great area, but also because it 
has already ample material upon it to exemplify forestal 
teaching and practice. Still further, it has immense 
spaces in whie'h the pupils of any forestal school might 
have the advantage of studying from the very first 
the diversity of soils and their suitability for various 
trees, drainage and reclamation of extensive wild or 
boggy areas to cultivated and planted tracts, an average 
climate under which most of the desired trees would 
thrive, and a near contiguity to that admirable college, 
if it may be so termed—the Hartley Institution at 
Southampton, which the authorities would be only too 
pleased to see more fully utilised than is now the case 
as a national forestal school. 
It would seem that the chief competitors with the 
New Forest and Southampton for the honour of having 
the school are found in the Cooper’s Hill College, at 
Englefield Green, with "Windsor Forest and Park 
adjoining for practising ground ; the Royal Agricultural 
College, at Cirencester; and Lord Bathurst’s Park. 
Whilst we cannot overlook the advantages offered at 
Windsor—and especially the existing influence of 
Cooper’s Hill College as a Government institution—it 
is impossible to feel other than that for all really 
practical purposes the New Forest presents, in an over¬ 
whelming degree, for the reasons above stated, the 
most suitable site ; and with a desire to make the 
National Forestal School a really practical institution, 
we hope the New Forest may win. 
-- 
ORCHIDS AT OLDFIELD, 
BICKLEY. 
The Fhal»nopsis house belonging to F. A. Philbrick, 
Esq., Q.C., proves the fact that these lovely plants are 
manageable and not short-lived when properly treated. 
That they are also amenable to different kinds of culture 
Mr. Philbrick has also demonstrated, for at his old 
establishment near Regent’s Park the Phalsenopsids were 
kept very cool, and yet throve marvellously ; whilst at 
Oldfield their house, without being what is called hot, 
is kept at an even and comfortable temperature of from 
60° to 7o°, and still the plants thrive as under the old 
treatment ; better need not be desired. The house in 
which they now are has been often described. The 
plants are suspended from the roof, the beds beneath 
them being covered with Cyrtodeira fulgida, Fittonias, 
&c., while at the present time the whole house is a mass 
of bloom and scarcely less beautiful foliage. Foremost 
among the beauties is that model flower P. casta— 
round and perfect in all its parts, pure in its white, 
which displays a suspicion of a pearly tint over it, 
brightened by the two specks of purple on the bases of 
the petals next the column, and the yellow and crimson 
markings of its well-formed labellum. Importations 
of late have brought to us many new and lovely 
Phalsenopsids, but nothing like, or equal to, a good 
P. casta. Phalsenopsis Sanderiana, which appears in 
several pretty rose-pink forms, and P. Stuartiana, 
among which the variety P. S. puuctatissima is in 
bloom, here display themselves as well worthy to 
associate with the older but still favourite P. Sehil- 
leriana (which also gives a sweet odour), P. amabilis, 
and P. grandiflora, all of which are blooming in quantity 
in Mr. Philbrick’s house. Phalfenopsids, when grown 
in this way, are grand, and it is pleasant to see that 
each year brings success to some of those who have 
before failed with them. 
The next best show is in the Cattleya houses, where 
the Trianres are flowering in their usual effective 
manner. Most of the fine-named sorts have gone out 
of bloom ; but C. T. Backhousiana, C. T. delicata, 
and a fine well-formed improvement on the latter, 
with a few others, are still open. Beyond these there 
are some grand things in bloom out of purchased 
imported plants. Two are noble specimens, one 
having a broad open labellum and dark orange throat, 
in the way of C. T. Eboracensis, and the other the rich 
maroon-crimson of C. T. Backhousiana, but without 
the dark tip to the petals. In the same houses 
also the fine collection of Lcelia anceps is finishing up 
the season with fine spikes of the true L. a. Dawsoni, 
L. a. stella, L. a. "Williams!, and some very large- 
flowered varieties of the red L. anceps. With them 
are well-flowered specimens of Cattleya Percivaliana ; 
many large Coelogyne barbata, with twenty growths ; 
Coelogyne cristata, including great masses of C. c. 
Lemoniana and C. c. maxima ; Lfelia flava, L. cinna- 
barina, many bright orange L. harpophylla ; Cattleya 
Wagneri, with four sheaths; Zygopetalum Clayii, 
Z. intermedium, and a fine batch of large plants of 
Odontoglossum pulchellum majus, which has in this 
collection been nursed and grown on for years. 
Among the Cypripediums, too, the advantage of age 
and good culture is seen on the plants, especially the 
varieties of C. insigne, as witness the great masses of 
C. i. violaceo-punctatum, which here bear twenty or 
thirty blooms each ; and among some other new 
imported forms with immense flowers one now open is 
an advance in size and marking upon all other named 
varieties, and it should be distinguished as the Oldfield 
insigne. The other Cypripediums in bloom are several 
fine varieties of C. Boxalli and C. B. atratum, with 
about two dozen flowers each ; still larger C. villosum, 
C. v. Maulei, C. liirsutissimum, C. Haynaldianum, 
C. Dayanum, C. Harrisianum, C. biflorum, C. bar- 
batum Warneri, C. argus, and C. politum. The latter 
is a Venustum cross, which when weak is not thought 
much of ; but when grown as with Mr. Philbrick it is 
a very fine plant, with very large and handsomely- 
marked flowers—a proof that one ought to be slow to 
pass an adverse opinion upon a weak plant with im¬ 
perfectly-developed flowers. 
In the warm houses, among a well-grown collection 
of Vandas, Aerides, &c., are blooming Saccolabium 
bellinum, manyDendrobes, Miltonia cuneata, Angrsecum 
sesquipedale, A. citratum, and Angrsecum arcuatum, 
with four spikes of nine to ten white and delightfully 
fragrant flowers each, which are formed like those of 
A. Chailluanum, but more densely set on the spikes; 
their odour is very delightful, especially towards 
evening, when not only will they scent the house in 
which they are placed, but those adjoining. 
The cool houses, which at first gave Mr. Heims some 
trouble and anxiety here, are now in splendid order, 
the plants being sound, healthy, and floriferous. 
Before the present new cool raDge was built, the bright 
0. Reginse and several other natural hybrids showed 
evidence of going back, but they are now safe, and 
better than ever. The 0. crispums are coming in, and 
there are some good 0. Pescatorei, 0. blandum, 0. 
Cervantesii, 0. aspersum, and others in flower as well 
as the usual brilliant display of scarlet Sophronitis, 
always to be found here in their season. In pots 
suspended in the coldest house near the glass are some 
very sturdy plants of 0. Harryanum, which seem to 
enjoy their cool position, and are making up their 
bulbs very plump. It may be as well to mention this 
as some are afraid to put this plant in the cold frame. 
ADIANTUM CUNEATUM. 
Feexs are almost everybody’s favourites, and the above 
is probably the greatest and most generally cultivated, 
whether as pot plants for the decoration of plant houses, 
indoor furnishing, or for their fronds to associate with 
cut flowers, the choicest of which would not be set off 
to advantage without greenery, and this Fern is almost 
always used as such an appendage. It also plays a 
prominent part in nearly all floral decorations ; it is 
besides largely grown for market, which causes it to 
come into the possession of many who know it by no 
other name than the Maidenhair Fern. Now is the 
time to determine the size of the plants that will be 
most suitable for all requirements during the coming 
season. A few large, well-furnished specimens are an 
ornament in any house, and some strong plants should 
now be potted on to supply such. Any large clumps 
may be divided for growing in pots of a suitable size, 
which will be very useful for furnishing and for table 
plants. The soil should be light and open, and when 
potted they require a good top heat combined with a 
slight bottom heat to encourage root action. 
Failing stove accommodation or a fernery, a 
vinery at work will suit them well as regards heat and 
moisture, especially if they can be stood on a bed of 
sweet fermenting material, or good Oak and Beech 
leaves, to supply a gentle bottom heat; but a sharp 
look-out must be kept to prevent the ravages of slugs 
on plants in such a position, as they clear off the young 
fronds as fast as they appear if not seen and captured. 
They require plenty of water when well rooted, and 
sufficient room to develop themselves. During summer 
the Vines will supply the necessary shade, and the air 
that is given will consolidate the growth, so that it 
will be better available for cutting purposes, as the 
fronds of those grown in a high moist temperature do 
not last long after their removal from the plants, very 
soon becoming akin to dried Parsley ; but my principal 
object in penning these lines is to point out the amount 
of cool temperature they will successfully stand when 
in good health and well established. In the year of 
that “terrible Tuesday,” with its blinding snowstorm, 
we had a conservatory that was insufficiently furnished 
with piping for such a winter, and among the occupants 
were a considerable number of these Ferns, grouped 
with other subjects on the floor. "We frequently found 
the thermometer nearly down to 32° in the morning, 
although we had been on our stoking peregrinations at 
1 a.m. ; yet for colour, size of fronds, and healthy 
appearance I have never seen them excelled. But then 
they had been cultivated on the cool system ; stove 
heat and peat—that supposed necessity for the successful 
cultivation of Ferns—-they had never known, for they 
were potted in a compost of turfy loam, leaf-soil, and 
old Mushroom-bed manure, the latter being rubbed 
through a sieve, with a good sprinkling of sand, and 
a thorough drainage secured. Those were the sort of 
plants from which decorators delighted to pick their 
fronds. In a great many gardens the supply of this 
Fern is insufficient to meet the demand, the consequence 
being that the plants are picked to death and weakened 
so that they produce nothing but puny fronds. This 
is similar to the treatment of Rhubarb, which is 
frequently pulled while any stalks remain.— George 
Potts, Junr. 
