620 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 26, 1888. 
The Gardeners' Calendar. 
THE STOVE. 
Tyd-EAS, Gesneras, &c. —The batches of these in¬ 
tended for late autumn and winter flowering must not 
be overlooked in the multiplicity of duties that devolve 
upon the gardener at this busy season. Success in the 
culture of these fine subjects will much depend upon 
the treatment they receive at this time. The rhizomes 
and tubers in which the reserve of material has been 
laid up should not be allowed to waste their energies in 
the development of weak shoots, that are liable to be 
broken off during the operation of potting. The same 
remark applies to Achimenes, which require similar 
treatment. Remove them from under the stage or 
wherever else they have been stored, and place them in 
a pit, where they will have the full advantage of light, 
and receive attention in the matter of watering. A 
good compost for these things would consist of peat, 
leaf-soil, a small quantity of loam, and sand. The 
Tvdaeas, which are now included in the genus Isoloma, 
enjoy a more substantial compost than the others, and 
might have the addition of more loam. Use it in 
rather a lumpy condition, do not press too firmly, give 
ample drainage, and do not over-water till they have 
fairly started into growth. 
Gloxinias. —Some of the most forward of the earliest 
sowing will now be fit to put in their flowering pots, 
which may be 4S’s or 32’s, according to the size and 
vigour of the plants. They will flower satisfactorily in 
both, but in the smaller size they require a great deal 
of attention and feeding in order to get substance into 
the leaves, thereby enabling them to support a large 
quantity of flowers. 
_ Ferns.— Evergreen kinds, that should not at any 
time be defoliated, will now have made their young 
fronds, and partly matured them. In order to give 
them the full advantage of light, without exposing 
them to the full glare of the sun, they may be placed 
in vineries or other houses formerly occupied with 
bedding plants, where they may be lightly shaded. 
In the vineries the requisite amount of shade will be 
afforded by the foliage of the Vines. Then, in order to 
let the light play more freely amongst the fronds, all 
the old and brownish or shabby ones may be removed. 
This will greatly improve them ; and the freer atmo¬ 
sphere of these houses will tend to harden and mature 
the young fronds, and make them more durable by the 
time they will be required for decorative purposes, or 
for the exhibition table. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Chrysanthemums.— Wherever the plants are suffi¬ 
ciently advanced—that is, have become established 
after being recently potted, stop them to get the 
required number of shoots. As soon as this has been 
done, remove the plants from the pits or houses where 
they have been kept till now, and place them on a bed 
of ashes in the open air. Those who have not this con¬ 
venience should stand them by the side of a walk where 
they can have a hard bottom, so as to prevent the 
ingress of worms. In either case they should be fully 
exposed to the sun, and not under the drip of trees or 
other injurious influences. They should, on the other 
hand, be favourably situated and sheltered from rough 
winds on the north and east. If they are properly 
attended to in the matter of potting, no manure of any 
kind will be required for some time to come. 
The compost for the final shift should be made up at 
the earliest opportunity, so that the materials may 
have time to become thoroughly incorporated and 
mellow. At this season of the year we cannot expect 
deluging rains, but the compost should be placed where 
it will not be drenched and made pasty just before use. 
In the absence of any other covering, a mat may be 
placed over it till required for use. 
Lachenalias.— If good results are expected next 
year, the bulbs that are now hastening to maturity 
should not be neglected, but placed where they can be 
attended to in the matter of water, and be fully exposed 
to light. The object should be to induce them gradually 
to go to rest; and after the leaves have become 
thoroughly dried up, the pots or baskets may be put in 
some cool place, where they may be kept till wanted 
for potting up. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peach Houses.— The earliest houses that have passed 
the stoning period, may be urged on to make their 
second and final swelling by means of artificial heat, of 
which, however, comparatively little will be required 
except at night, owing to the greatly increased power 
of the sun. Fuel can be economised, of course, by 
closing up earlier in the afternoon. The late houses 
must not be so treated, otherwise the greater part of 
their fruit will drop. All badly placed fruits may, 
nevertheless, be removed, and -where they are crowded, 
thinned out, thus greatly assisting the trees to support 
and nourish a fair average crop. See that the borders 
in which the roots are situated do not lack sufficient 
moisture, a matter that is generally overlooked where 
trees are grown in narrow borders. 
Vineries. —Now is a critical time with the early 
forced Vines, as they are so liable to attacks of thrip 
or red-spider during the maturing period, owing to the 
drier atmosphere that is being maintained. Should 
this be the case, and the evil be not arrested, the Vines 
will lose their foliage before the crop can be cut even, 
much more before the foliage itself becomes mature. 
Fumigate lightly on several occasions for thrip, and 
paint the hot-water pipes with sulphur to eradicate 
red-spider. __ 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Peaches on Walls. —During the prevalence of dry 
weather keep an eye upon wall trees, to see that they 
are not attacked with the aphis. If so, the garden- 
engine should be brought to bear upon them. Provision 
should also have been made by this time that water 
applied to the foliage may be absorbed the borders, 
and not allowed to drain away off the surface. 
Remove all blistered and suspicious leaves as soon as 
they make their appearance. Continue to disbud and 
tie in the required number of shoots for next year’s 
fruiting. 
Bedding Plants. —Thoroughly harden off such 
things as Pelargoniums, Lobelias, Fuchsias, Gazanias, 
Tropseolums, Tagetes, Zinnias, Saponaria calabrica, 
Perilla, Iresine, and such other things as are to be 
bedded out, commencing with those that are naturally 
the hardiest. Obviously this hardening off entails a 
great amount of extra work, owing to the greater 
necessity for watering. Hardening may be done by 
leaving the lights off night and day, unless there be a 
decided appearance of frost at night. 
-- 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
Cattleya Fly and Root-Galls on Orchids. 
It is well at this season to advise attention to the work 
of the Isosoma orchidearum (illustrated by us on 
May 16th, 1885), and watch carefully any swollen 
growth buds on Cattleyas, or knotty appearance on the 
air-roots of those or other Orchids. After dissecting 
one or two, if the larvae be found in them, instantly 
remove all which can be determined as being affected. 
In the case of Cattleyas, the young growths, which 
seem remarkably healthy at first, instead of growing 
upwards, become swollen at the base ; these, after 
making sure that they contain larvae, it is best to cut 
off and burn, and the same applies to the roots which 
have protuberances like small oak-galls. If taken in 
time the pest may be entirely got rid of, but if the 
larvae causing the present mischief be allowed to hatch 
out, the evil will be indefinitely multiplied for another 
season. It seems a pity to sacrifice leading growths, 
but if left on they come to nothing, and harbour a great 
and disfiguring enemy to the plants. Most old Orchid 
growers know how to deal with this pest, but a season¬ 
able word may put some amateurs on the look-out, and 
save their stock from great damage. It is well also to 
look out for the fly, which resembles somewhat a small 
black-winged ant ; where it exists it may readily be 
caught with the hand, and a little patience in looking 
after it is well bestowed. It is not to be killed by 
fumigating, I believe .—James O'Brien. 
Disa racemosa. 
The bounteous exhibit of this remarkably fine plant 
which was staged from the Royal Gardens, Kew, at the 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on Tuesday, 
where it was awarded a First Class Certificate, displayed 
it as a plant certain to become a general favourite, its 
tall spikes of rosy crimson flowers rising from fresh 
green leaves being extremely attractive, and in point of 
showiness next to the fine D. grandiflora now so well 
known. It flowered for the first time last year with 
Mr. James O’Brien at Harrow. The Kew plants, we 
understand, were brought from the Cape by Mr. Watson, 
who has grown them to perfection, and it is with pleasure 
that we compliment him on his cultural skill. The 
plant will grow in any cold house or frame. 
A Two-lipped Coryanthes. 
A raceme of a Coryanthes under the name of C. 
macranthum, bearing a number of flowers, has reached 
us from Mr. R. Grossart, gardener to James Buchanan, 
Esq., Oswald House, Oswald Road, Edinburgh. The 
Orchid in question, however, turns out to be C. 
maculata, which differs from C. macrantha by the 
absence of the curious wart-like excrescences from the 
back of the labellum, so characteristic of the latter 
species, and which give the lip the appearance of a 
skeleton, representing the upper part of a man’s body, 
especially the vertebrae of the neck. These singular 
organs are entirely absent from the specimen sent us, 
and the whole flower is of a dusky yellow colour. The 
interior of the lip is much blotched with dark purple 
markings. The curiosity consists in the production 
of two lips not much inferior in size to what they 
would have been if single. All the flowers are alike, 
and the lips are perfectly separated from one another 
even to the base, and including the claw. They are 
inserted on the foot of the column, close to one another, 
but right and left of the median line, and the pouch of 
the one is inside that of the other, owing, no doubt, 
to its being the most convenient way of stowing them 
away in the bud. Two lips are of frequent occurrence 
in the order, but we should not have expected it in this 
genus, and are indebted to Mr. Grossart for the oppor¬ 
tunity of seeing this curiosity. 
Cattleya Schilleriana. 
Those who know C. Aclandire will be able to form an 
opinion of the general appearance of this one, which is 
also considered synonymous with C. Regnellii. It is 
undoubtedly a handsome species, that might oftener be 
seen in collections, which are, as a rule, overcrowded 
with varieties and forms of C. labiata. The sepals and 
petals are of a pals olive-green closely blotched with 
purple. The tube of the lip is rose-coloured, and 
folded over the huge bluntly three-angled white 
column, which is rose on the back. Upon the large, 
orbicular, deeply-bilobed lip the beholder’s attention is 
rivetted, as it is by far the prettiest and most con¬ 
spicuous part of the flower, being closely netted and 
lined with carmine-rose coloured veins on a white 
ground. A large plant grown in a basket was exhibited 
at the Inner Temple Gardens show by Mr. Ballantine, 
gardener to Baron Schroder, The Dell, Egham. The 
pseudo-bulbs are only a few inches in length, and bear 
two ovate or oblong, leathery, dark green leaves. 
Several of the pseudo-bulbs were flowering. 
Scuticaria Keyseriana. 
The flowers of this new species, as exhibited by Messrs. 
F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, at the Inner Temple show 
last week, are much larger than those of S. Steelii, to 
which it is most closely allied. The habit is precisely 
similar, and the whip-like leaves hang down from the 
raft on which it is grown to a length of 4 ft. or 5 ft. 
The flower-scape, as usual, is only a few inches in 
length, so that it rests almost on the rootstock, and 
therefore in a suitable position when the plant is sus¬ 
pended from some object. The flower is of great size, 
and the sepals are yellow stained with a bronzy colour 
on the back, and spotted with purple on the base. 
The petals are of a fine clear yellow blotched with 
brown, and the large lip is beautifully striated with 
purple on a white ground, while the crest is yellow. 
Lissochilus giganteus. 
The flowering of this extraordinary Orchid is considered 
by Reichenbach as one of the greatest achievements of 
horticulture, and it has been effected by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, at Burford Lodge, Dorking, since September 
last. One out of the two specimens he possessed pro¬ 
duced a flower stem nearly nine feet in length, and was 
exhibited by him at the Inner Temple show, last week. 
In its native country, Angola, it is stated to attain a 
height of sixteen feet. Specimens were collected on 
the Congo, and sent home by Monsieur Auguste 
Linden. At the top of its gigantic stem the drooping 
flowers are borne in a raceme, and are both large and 
attractive. The sepals, however, are small, yellow and 
insignificant, while the petals are large and of a beau¬ 
tiful deep rose. They, like many others in this genus, 
are turned down over the labellum, and together with 
the latter organ constitute the most conspicuous parts 
of the flower. The large labellum is orange at the 
base, spotted purple at the disk, and has a large lilac- 
purple lamina. Notwithstanding its beauty and the 
immense interest attaching to it, there is little chance 
of its getting widely disseminated in this country 
owing to the size it attains, the space or rather head 
room it requires, and probably the uncertainty of 
flowering it, at least with any degree of regularity. 
This of course remains to be proved, as Sir Trevor 
Lawrence’s success may soon be paralleled by other 
cultivators, or even by himself. In its native haunts 
it gets submerged in water during the wet season, but 
is afterwards baked by the drying up of the water. 
