458 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 17, 1888. 
non-professional hearers, as any attempt to force the 
Cineraria will end in utter failure. To make myself 
clear on this point, supposing in the late autumn or 
early winter months you have some plants throwing up 
their flowering stems, and that by now introducing 
them into a forcing house you will hasten them into 
flower, I say, do not attempt it ; the pedicels or short 
flower stalks will quickly become drawn so weakly that 
they will not support the flowers upright, and in a very 
short time green-fly, their greatest enemy, will attack 
them in earnest. If you follow my instructions as to 
the times of sowing and other work, they will come in 
at the times stated. 
Sow in well-drained pots or pans made up with 
a compost of a light nature, equal parts of loam and 
leaf-soil with a little sand ; place the pan in a house 
or frame where the temperature is about 48° to 50°, 
and the seedlings will be up in a week.or ten days. It 
is a good plan to place a square of glass on the top 
of the pan, and if where the sun is likely to shine on 
it a piece of paper is placed over the glass, taking 
care to remove the paper as soon as the seedlings begin 
to appear, and also the glass before they are likely to 
become drawn. M hen they have thrown up the first 
rough leaf, which is the third leaf they make, pot them 
into small pots, using the same compost as previously 
recommended, still keejring them in a moderately cool 
place, as this is the key to success in the cultivation 
of these plants. In potting them off from the seed pan, 
do not take all the strongest, but use a good proportion 
of the small ones, as it has been proved that the weaker 
plants from the seed pan almost invariably produce the 
lighter coloured shades. As soon as you find the roots 
have filled the small pots, which will be from a month 
to six weeks, shift them on into pots two sizes larger, 
using a little well-rotted manure in the soil at this 
stage, and not quite so much leaf-soil. If you can 
accommodate them with a cold pit or frame facing 
north, they will do best in that position all through 
the summer. Mark, they must have plenty of air day 
and night, and in fine weather draw the lights entirely 
off at night as they enjoy the cool dewy atmosphere. 
Put the lights over them during the day, as to some 
extent it confines the moisture, which suits them. 
Some cultivators place them out in the open air 
altogether after the second potting, putting them in a 
shady position ; but if you have frames to accommodate 
them, as described above, they do better in them, as 
heavy storms of rain or hail may do them great damage 
outside. 
Some time about the first week in September, they 
will be ready for their final shift into the pots in which 
they are to flower, and 6j-in. or 7-in. ones are quite 
large enough for all ordinary purposes. About this 
time, too, they will be throwing up their flowering 
stems ; and should it be desirable to have some larger 
specimens, pinch out the leader about three leaves from 
the base, which will cause them to throw up several. 
In this case they will require another shift later on into 
9-in. pots ; and when the fresh breaks are 6 ins. high, 
run a strip of bass around beneath the rim of the pot, 
and carefully tie out the growths by drawing them 
down towards the rim. Bear in mind that this makes 
them a little later in flowering. Wherever you may 
have grown them through the summer, by the third 
week in September they should be placed -where frost 
cannot reach them, in a pit or airy house, where they 
are well up to the light. Though they require to be 
grown quite cool from first to last, they will not stand 
the least frost. If by any accident they should become 
frozen, sprinkle them gently overhead with the coldest 
water at hand before the sun gets on them in the 
morning. 
Named Vaeieties. 
Named varieties are kept true, of course, from 
cuttings, and the method of procuring them is somewhat 
as follows : After flowering, the plants are cut down and 
placed in a shady position, where they throw up 
suckers. These are taken off, and the treatment as 
for seedlings is applicable to them ; or if you have 
some very good forms amongst your seedlings, they 
may, after danger of frost is over, be planted in a 
sheltered position in the open ground, the suckers 
being taken off and treated as above. But seedlings, 
either of your own saving or from a respectable seedsman, 
will give such a range and variety in colour and quality 
of the flower, that I do not recommend growing them 
from cuttings to any extent. As regards insects 
attacking them, the green-fly is almost the only foe 
which gives much trouble, and it must be kept under by 
gentle fumigations of tobacco smoke, always doing it in 
time. Dipping the plants I do not recommend, as unless 
done very carefully the leaves are so apt to get damaged, 
and which being so woolly, they hold the dipping 
material so much, that if not washed off in time it 
makes them unsightly. Mildew does sometimes attack 
them, and if so, sulphur dusted on them is the remedy; 
but if attended to as advised above, mildew will give 
but very little trouble. To sum up, then, very briefly, 
grow them cool from first to last ; do not attempt to 
force them into flower, as this will end in utter failure. 
Always take time by the forelock, and fumigate as soon 
as you suspect green-fly attacking them, and always keep 
them safe from frost.— J. Meadows. 
—-■*->££<- a - 
EASTWOOD PARK. 
Eastwood Park, Thornliebank, the residential estate 
of David Tod, Esq., is pleasantly situated in a country 
district about five miles from Glasgow, and lying in a 
southern direction is happily not affected by the city 
smoke or fogs, which are a source of so much trouble to 
Orchid growers. The collection of Orchids is both 
varied and extensive, and a visit is always interesting, 
but the display in the month of March is a sight not 
soon forgotten, there being hundreds of Odontoglossums 
in flower, most of them large specimen plants, bearing 
from a dozen to fifty blooms on a spike. 
The first range we enter is in three divisions and is 
half-span, with side stages and a passage up the centre; 
this is the range for growing the plants, but just now 
nearly everything is in bloom. Amongst many others 
too numerous to mention we noted the following :— 
Some grand specimens of Coelogyne cristata (Chatsworth 
variety) were just coming to their best; C. Lemonianum 
is largely grown and is thought much of, the lemon 
blotch on the labellum being very pretty and distinct. 
A large quantity of Mesospinidium sanguineum is 
grown, part in pots, and a part in hanging pans, and 
they do well in either ; it forms a fine contrast where 
so many white flowers are grown. M. vulcanicum is 
also very fine, and will be attractive later on. Oncidium 
tigrinum (var. unguiculatum) had a splendid branching 
inflorescence 3 ft. long ; the labellum is not so large as 
the type, but it is much superior for decorative pur¬ 
poses. Dendrobes are in large numbers. A grand 
batch of D. Jamesianum in 8-in. pots, with growths 
about 2 ft. long. Mr. Ewart is particularly successful 
with this species, and I notice that he keeps them in 
the same position in the house from year to year, the 
temperature a little higher than that for Odontoglossums 
suiting them well. Of D. Ainsworthii many fine 
specimens were densely covered with bloom, making a 
grand display. 
Enjoying this mild atmosphere were some of the 
rarer forms of Odontoglots, and amongst others 0. 
blandum had a fine inflorescence and was growing 
vigorously ; 0. aspersum was a good companion and 
is a very desirable plant. A specially fine form of 0. 
pulchellum majus (true), a large branching inflorescensc 
of 0. nrevium, the best form of which is rarely seen, was 
considered the true type. 0. cirrhosum is plentiful, 
and the variety grown here is of a dwarf branching 
habit, and a decided improvement on the ordinary 
long-spiked form, which is so common. Lselia harpo- 
phylla was just opening its fine orange-coloured flowers. 
Cypripedium Chantini was well represented, as well as 
Pilumna nobilis (giganteum), and Masdevallia bella. 
In one of the warmer divisions of this range a number 
of Cattleyas (Trianae) were in fine bloom and good form. 
Calanthe Turneri w T as specially fine, and Dendrobium 
Freemanii was singularly beautiful, and very attractive. 
Odontoglossum vexillarium (now called Miltonia) 
is grown here to perfection ; the large plants, in 10-in. 
pots, are a mass of beautiful healthy foliage, and 
without a spot. Thrip is apparently unknown, while 
the vigour of the plants bear good testimony to its 
absence. The Orchid show house is a large span- 
roofed structure in two divisions. It stands north and 
south, outside blinds being used on both sides of the 
house, which are already in use when the sun is bright. 
Odontoglossums are the most prominent feature, many 
rare sorts being in flower ; indeed, the collection of this 
genus can safely be said to be unrivalled in the West of 
Scotland. Nothing of a secondary nature is tolerated, 
and all the plants as they flower are labelled and housed 
according to merit, the secondary forms beingrelegated to 
a compartment by themselves. Here are numerous 
large specimens ofO. Pescatorei, one plant having about 
300 blooms, while many have fifty blooms on the raceme; 
the form of most is good, and some are of the Veitchii 
type. 0. crispum is very largely grown of the maximum 
type, the finest spotted ones being also in great abun¬ 
dance and variety. 0. Halli leucoglossum is very 
striking, the large pure white labellum adding greatly- 
to its beauty. 0. triumphans in some good forms are 
numerous ; a variety of 0. gloriosum, had very broad 
sepals, and a fine lemon colour ; 0. odoratum, 0. 
Chestertoni, in quantity, and very showy ; 0. Jenkins 
ianum, 0. Ianthoglossum, 0. coradinei ; 0. Edwardii 
had immense spikes of its fine purple flowers ; 0. priona- 
petalum, 0. limbatum, 0. Sanderianum ; 0. elegans, a 
splendid plant with three leads. These are a few of the 
more prominent ones. Numerous pots of Ada auran- 
tiaca, its fine orange colour contrasting well with the 
great quantity of white Odontoglossums. Two very 
distinct varieties of Oncidium serratum, trained along 
the roof, were covered with flowers, one of them very 
light in colour, while the other was very dark. 0. 
macranthum was showing strong spikes, and will keep 
up a succession of bloom for a long time ; these are large 
plants with immense pseudo-bulbs, and are grown in 
12-in. pots. 
The interest of this place is not exhausted when the 
'Orchids have been seen. The many other structures, all 
of which are filled with healthy vigorous plants, being 
well worth a visit. A huge specimen of the old 
Camellia alba, covered with snow-white blooms, has a 
house all to itself, which it very nearly fills. Fruit is 
not neglected ; two large vineries, greenhouse, conserva¬ 
tory, and Peach-house form a good range, while to the 
north of this range is one of the earliest as well as 
the best fernery in this part of the country. The 
rockwork is most artistically arranged to present the 
form of a pretty glen with a stream of water 
running through it ; the side walls are very high, and 
spanned with a curved glass roof. Large plants in 
vigorous health of Cyatheas, Cibotiums, Dicksonias and 
C. alsophylla are planted on the rocks, which they 
seem to enjoy, as the abundance of roots testify. Mr. 
Ewart, seeing how well they did on the bare rocks, has 
devoted a portion of the structure to Todeas alone. 
This is like a small cave, and is entered at the end of 
the house. The Todeas are planted on the free-stone 
rock, no other plants being allowed to shade them. A 
glance is sufficient to show the success of this treatment; 
seedlings are springing up everywhere, and cover the 
rocks like Hymenophyllums. The Eucharis house has 
also a north aspect, and no suspicion of the bulb mite 
has ever appeared. 
The proprietor of Eastwood is a real lover of plants, 
Orchids having the largest share of his attention; while 
his gardener, Mr. Ewart, is no less devoted, the success 
he has obtained in the cultivation of Orchids being well 
known in the "West, and is the outcome of constant 
and intelligent attention paid to all the varied details 
of their culture.— Q. B. 
--- 
PRIZES AND EXPENSES. 
With reference to your remarks in last week’s issue 
concerning Mr. Lewis Castle’s observations on the 
proportion between the prize money offered and the 
expense of distribution, allow me to call your attention 
to one of the clearest cases of mismanagement connected 
with a “ Mum ” society that it has ever been my misfor¬ 
tune to stumble against. I enclose you the report and 
balance-sheet for the year ending December 31st, 18S7, 
of the Lewisham and District Floral Society, which is 
signed by the chairman and the honorary secretary, 
together with a notice convening the annual meeting. 
This society has had a short life and a merry one—at 
least, so far as its officers are concerned—and first 
made its appearance before the public about three years 
ago. Now, alas, it is no more ! and, judging from its 
record for the time it has been in the field, few who 
were connected with it will be inclined to mourn over 
its demise. 
The society finished the year 1886 with a deficit to 
the tune of about £56, so to get a start in 18S7 the 
good-natured committee lent the society £40, the sub¬ 
scriptions, donations, money for special prizes, &c., 
came in, followed by the money received for admission 
to both summer and winter exhibitions (for in addition 
to a Chrysanthemum Show they held a summer show), 
and these with sundry other items brought their total 
income for 1887 up to £267 4s. 7 d., and a very fair 
income too for a local society ; but the most extra¬ 
ordinary part of the balance sheet is the statement 
showing how the committee disposed of this sum. The 
first item is for “the treasurer, £56 7s. 9rf.,’’ which 
clears off the 1S86 deficiency ; then follows the prize 
money paid at the summer show, £40 6s. 6 d. Winter 
show medals and certificates only £10 Is., so that out 
of £267 4s. 7 d. the men who actually produce the 
flowers, and make the exhibitions, get £50 7s. 6d., and 
