March 10, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
445 
abnormal'in the number of parts. The lip is deeply 
three-parted, the lateral lobes appearing as petals at 
first sight. The whole flower is yellow, variously 
blotched and spotted with brown. The habit of the 
plant is terrestrial, as is that of all the other species. 
With few exceptions, plants of this habit are neglected 
in this country. 
Odontoglossum crispum, yellow. 
Yet another grand variation in this fine species is in 
bloom with Sydney Courtauld, Esq., in the Booking 
Place collection. The spike has twelve flowers, each 
4 ins. across from point to point of the sepals, which 
are, like the petals, broad and fringed. The labellum is 
bright yellow, petals sulphur-yellow, whiter towards 
the edges. The sepals, which have each three to five 
large reddish brown blotches, are pale yellow on the 
surface, except in the parts where the heavy crimson 
colour of the reverse side shows through. In fine, it is 
a grand form of spotted 0. crispum, but yellow instead 
of white. An exceptionally fine form of C. Trianee with 
exactly the appearance of a good C. Gaskelliana, with 
petals nearly 3 ins. in width, and fine circular labellum 
comes from the same collection .—James O'Brien. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
—-j-- 
THE STOVE. 
Tuberous-rooted Plants. —See that all such things 
as Caladiums, Achimenes, tuberous-rooted Begonias and 
similar things are potted up as soon as the tubers have 
commenced to grow. In the case of those that have 
been wintered in pots in the old soil, give a good 
watering an hour or two previous to turning them out 
of the pots, as this will greatly facilitate the operation, 
and greatly reduce the risk of breaking any young roots 
that may have been made. The longer such things are 
allowed to remain in the old soil now, the free and 
unstinted growth of the plants will be the more delayed. 
Calatheas: Spathiphyllum. —The first of these 
genera include the greater number of plants that are 
useful for horticultural purposes, although a few 
of the Spathiphyllums are ornamental subjects. The 
Marantas are included in the first genus, though 
generally grown under the latter name in gardens. 
All should now be potted without further delay. 
Owing to their fast-growing nature they should be 
re-potted every season, using a compost of loam, peat and 
leaf-soil in equal proportions, with a liberal addition of 
sand ; and the material should also be used in as 
lumpy a condition as possible to permit of its penetra¬ 
tion freely by the large fleshy roots of this class of 
plants, and to maintain the porosity of the soil 
necessitated by the quantity of water required during 
the growing season. If division is necessary, shake 
away the old soil thoroughly, and separate the crowns 
with a knife, so that no loss or waste may accrue. 
Anthueiums. —A looser compost even than the 
above is necessary in the case of Anthuriums to ensure 
a free and healthy growth. Fibrous loam, peat, 
sphagnum moss, potsherds, and charcoal, with a 
liberal addition of sand, make a good compost, while 
drainage must not be neglected. Division may also be 
effected if necessary in the same way as that mentioned 
for Calatheas. 
Seed Sowing. —Make sowings of such things as 
Rhodanthe, Acroclinium, Gomphrena, Celosia, Cocks¬ 
combs, Petunias, and whenever sufficiently germinated, 
gradually inure to a cooler temperature to prevent 
drawing. _ 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Pelargoniums. —Pot on the Pelargoniums of the show 
and fancy class without further delay ; keep them well 
exposed to light, and do not permit overcrowding, as its 
effects are inimical to the best interests and welfare of 
the plants. 
Eupatoriums. —A stock of these for next year’s 
work should be propagated frbm cuttings, so that they 
may have plenty of time to develop to a useful size 
before they are required for winter and spring work. 
Few of the species of this vast genus are cultivated, 
but of these the following will give a long succession of 
bloom in the respective order given, namely, E. 
odoratum, E. riparium, E. (Hebeclinium) ianthinum, 
E. (H.) atrorubens, and E. Weinmannianum. The 
last three flower pretty much about the same time, 
from now onwards. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
The Vineries.— During the long spell of severe 
frosty weather, together with north or north-east dry 
cutting winds which we have experienced for some 
weeks past, the recently-started Vines have not been 
making very favourable progress, owing to the deficiency 
of sunlight and the impossibility of giving proper 
ventilation. This is also telling upon the earlier 
vineries, and the only remedy is to keep the temperature 
as low as possible consistent with that necessary to 
prevent actual check to growth. 
Tomatos. —Those intended for growth in pots should 
now be potted up without further delay, and placed in 
a position where they will secure the greatest amount 
of light, which for some time past has been anything 
but satisfactory. Those that are to be planted in beds 
for training under glass should also receive due 
attention, otherwise satisfactory results cannot be 
expected. If room cannot be afforded for potting on a 
batch to be ultimately planted outdoors on the accession 
of suitable weather, another sowing may be made for 
that purpose, so that they may become thoroughly 
established and strong plants by that time. 
Celery.— Sow seeds in pans for the main crop, as 
the seedlings take some time to attain size. As soon as 
fit to handle, prick off into boxes, which may be placed 
in a vinery to urge them onwards. Use rough material, 
or even flaky but well-decayed pieces of manure for 
drainage, in+o which the young plants will root, and 
transplant easily. _ 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Potatos. —The season is by no means far advanced, 
but no favourable opportunity of getting a large breadth 
of Potatos into the ground should be lost, as other work 
will come on apace. Unless rainy weather should set in, 
the ground will be in a favourable condition for 
operations on the accession of a few days of mild 
weather. 
Peaches.— It is well to be prepared beforehand with 
everything ; and the advancing or expanding buds of 
Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots on open walls should 
be protected with hexagonal netting, or better still, with 
Spruce or Cherry Laurel branches. Tiffany can also be 
used, but it entails removal during the day, while the 
others do not. 
Pruning. —All arrears of this wcrk should now be 
completed, not only for the welfare of the trees them¬ 
selves, and other subjects, but other work will quite 
occupy all the labour at command until seed-sowing and 
various garden crops are got in. 
-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Manchester Horticultural Improvement. 
March 1st. 
This being the final meeting of the session, there was 
a large attendance of members, and Mr. Bruce Findlay, 
the president, occupied the chair. The paper read 
was on the Bhododendron, the author being Mr. 
Robert Kerr, who said that in no city or neighbourhood 
had so much been done to popularise the beautiful 
genus of plants known as the Rhododendron as in 
Manchester. For a period of quite thirty-five years the 
public spirit and love of the beautiful, which was so 
strong in the citizens, had been potent for the spread 
of gardening and its kindred arts, and it was with 
some diffidence that he came before the society to speak 
on this subject. Prior to the introduction of the 
Rhododendron, the evergreen shrubs of our landscapes 
and gardens were very few, and no plant had so altered 
the face of the country and all our gardens as the 
Rhododendron, embellishing and beautifying as it did 
all parts of our islands, and becoming almost as plentiful 
as if it were an indigenous plant in many localities. 
Only 120 years had elapsed since the first arrival of 
Rhododendron ponticutn, which came from Gibraltar ; 
but the investigations of botanists proved that this was 
not the original habitat of the plant, as it had migrated 
from Asia Minor (one province of which was called 
Pontas), either by natural agency or by the hands of 
man in his westward progress, as the shores on the 
Mediterranean were gradually colonised from the east. 
The name Rhododendron was a significant one. It 
came from the two Greek words, rhodon and dendron. 
Students of language told us that in olden times—and 
all ancient writers bore out their statement—there was 
no real knowledge of trees, shrubs, or plants, and that 
the term rhodon was applied to all gay red flowers, 
just as the word Lily was now applied to totally diverse 
flowers because of their chaste and beautiful forms and 
colours. The second half of the word, dendron, was 
the term for tree, and it was very certain that the 
compound word was first applied to any red-flowering 
shrub. The name was undoubtedly first applied by 
Pliny to the Oleander about the Christian era, and 
from that time to that of Elizabeth—a period of 1,500 
years—botanical knowledge remained almost a blank ; 
but with the revival of literature and art in Italy at 
the end of the fifteenth century, Csesalpinas published, 
at Florence, a history of plants, and in it he gave the 
name Rhododendron to the Alpine Roses, as they were 
then and are still called. 
About 1750 a genera linterest in the improvement 
of gardens began, and Rhododendron ponticum was 
easily cultivated and propagated. So much so, that by 
the close of the century this now old-fashioned species 
had been planted freely by all the great landed pro¬ 
prietors, and was to be found embellishing most gardens, 
with what beautiful effect is very evident at the present 
day. The colonists in New England and Canada, 
partaking of the old tastes and liking for all that was 
beautiful, began to send specimens of their flora to the 
mother country. The first Rhododendron sent here 
appears to have been a tall straggling species, to which, 
from its being supposed to be the largest of its race, the 
name of Maximum was given. The present glorious 
race of Rhododendrons had been raised as clearly and 
absolutely by the highest form of gardening as was the 
finest marble statue the work of the sculptor’s hands. 
He feared that too many of those people who saw these 
splendid plants at our exhibitions and in our gardens, 
failed to realise the fact that they did not grow in any 
part of the world as wild or native plants, but were the 
result of skill and knowledge in improving even nature 
itself. To Messrs. Waterer and Godfrey, and Mr. 
Cunningham must be awarded most of the praise for 
these results, and he regretted very much that the real 
history of these now indispensable plants would much 
of it be lost, for little was recorded in the gardening 
papers, and it was greatly to be desired that a history 
should be written something like that of the Clematis 
by the late Mr. Moore, of Chelsea, and the late Mr. 
Jackman. Unless something in that direction were 
done soon, much that would be of interest to those who 
follow us would pass into forgetfulness. He had 
nothing to say as to the cultivation of the shrub, but in 
selecting varieties he bade growers be careful. All the 
kinds which were good at Bagshot, Woking, or Ascot 
were not Lancashire plants, but many of the very best 
did partake of Lancashire traits in being hardy and 
vigorous, thriving under great adversity, and by their 
flowers, even in the smoke of our cities, casting a halo 
of beauty around them. 
Mr. W. J. Upjohn, Worsley, said he did not know 
what would now be done in that district without the 
hardy Rhododendron. If it were taken away from their 
woods and shrubberies, almost perfect desolation would 
be the result. Its foliage in the winter months and 
clusters of beautiful flowers in summer were a charming 
sight. Another matter of interest was that game, 
which destroyed so much undergrowth in the woods, 
did not interfere with the Rhododendron. Too much 
could not, in fact, be said in praise of this shrub. 
Mr. Abraham Stansfield said the reason the Rho¬ 
dodendron did so well in England was because we had 
a humid climate. With regard to the cultivation of 
the shrub, it was a great mistake to plant them on a 
high and dry sandy bank. To do so was to torture and 
really to kill them. Another matter to remember was 
to keep them away from lime. The hybridist had 
done a great deal for the Rhododendron, and had, in 
fact, accomplished no greater wonders than in this class 
of plants. The president, Messrs. H. Driver, H. 
Bennett, Plant, W. Lunt, E. G. Hughes, and F. 
Robinson each also said a few words. 
The president said this was the most successful 
session the society had had in its history. An attempt 
would perhaps soon be made to establish a library, and 
the papers read during the session were about to be 
printed in full for the benefit of the members. 
Royal Horticultural.— March 6th. 
A meeting of the council was held at South Ken¬ 
sington, on Tuesday, when the agreement as to the 
lease of the premises at 111, Victoria Street, S.W., was 
finally settled, and a sub-committee was requested to 
see the details of furnishing, &e., promptly carried out, 
as the exhibition on March 13th will be the last held 
at South Kensington. Reports were received and 
adopted from the Finance and Chiswick Committees, 
whereby it is hoped that both increased economy and 
efficiency maybe introduced into the society’s work. 
It was resolved to ask the advice of the Fellows’ 
Committee on the following subjects, viz. :—1. The 
appointment of local secretaries in the provinces. 
