732 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 14,1888. 
Begonias. —The earlier-sown seedlings—that is, 
those which were sown in February—are now fast 
coming into flower. All the stronger plants should be 
potted on if that has not already been done. Their 
vigour will be greatly increased, and the flowering 
period prolonged, by the operation. If grown in an 
intermediate house, or in a structure specially devoted 
to them, better results are obtained than when grown 
in small quantity and stood about amongst other 
subjects in the conservatory. Young plants should 
always be so treated, if possible, and their real cha¬ 
racters can be pretty accurately determined the first 
year, except, perhaps, in the case of doubles, which, as 
a rule, come much better the second year. In the case 
of single varieties, the size, shape, and colour of the 
flowers, together with the habit of the plant as to 
height, floriferousness, and whether the flower stalks 
are erect or pendulous, can all be pretty 'well determined 
the first year, and all worthless material thrown away 
in order to make room for more. A few years’ rigorous 
selection in this way soon furnishes a careful and 
enthusiastic grower with the very best of material. 
Cyclamens. —If the last year’s plants have been 
rested as advised, they will now or very soon be showing 
an inclination to make fresh growth. "When they 
show signs of this re-pot them without delay—in fact, 
before the young roots are pushed out—otherwise they 
may suffer serious harm by the breakage in the 
operation. Carefully remove all decayed portions of 
last year’s roots before putting the corms into the fresh 
compost. The old soil should, of course, be wholly 
removed, as it is not desirable to use larger sized pots 
than can be helped—a matter which depends entirely 
upon the size of the corms. Few cultivators, however, 
manage to grow the same corms and flower them 
successfully for several years running, so that in most 
cases the corms will be of moderate size, and 5-in. or 
6-in. pots will be found quite sufficient. The plants 
should be liberally treated with water after they 
commence to grow freely, and with liquid manure 
when they come into flower. Feeding may, however, 
be entirely dispensed with, provided the compost in 
which the plants are grown consists of a good fibrous 
substantial loam. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
The Peach Houses. —For some time past the weather 
has been very unsettled, cold and wet, which, coupled 
with the late spring, is greatly retarding fruit of all 
kinds, so that in some cases it may be necessary to use 
a little fire-heat early in the morning and at night, in 
order to keep the temperature up during those hours 
and to hasten the ripening of the fruit. Where the 
fruits are rapidly undergoing their final swelling give 
the borders an abundant watering if the drainage is 
good, and in doing so liquid manure should also be 
applied. Attend to the tying in of the shoots and the 
removal of those which are not wanted for next year’s 
work. Keep the fruits as well exposed to light as 
possible, and give ventilation at night, especially if 
they are approaching maturity. Syringe well in the 
morning and afternoon to keep down red-spider and 
insect pests generally. As the fruits begin to get soft 
discontinue syringing, and ventilate more freely to 
improve their flavour. 
Yineries. —Vines from which the crops have been 
removed should have the house fully thrown open 
top and bottom, and an abundance of ventilation on at 
night as well. If the foliage is in any way crowded 
by an excessive production of laterals the latter should 
be shortened back, so as to admit all the sun and air 
possible to thoroughly ripen the wood. The Vines 
must not, however, be subjected to a drying off process, 
but given a copious watering if the borders are at all 
dry. If thoroughly healthy, the foliage should be 
retained for some time to come. Syringe heavily if the 
foliage is at all infested with red-spider or thrip till 
the pest is destroyed. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Strawberry Runners. —Not a day should now be 
lost in making preparation for next year’s supply of 
plants for forcing. It may seem strange to the 
uninitiated that attention should be required all the 
year round for the necessary supplies of this favourite 
fruit—that, in fact, the plants have to be kept in pots 
all that time. The first batch of runners should now 
be well rooted in pots, sunk in the ground amongst the 
beds and squares for the purpose. The abundant rain 
which we have been getting for some time past will 
have favoured the operation, obviating the necessity of 
artificial watering. When thoroughly rooted they may 
be severed from the old 'stool, and the pots removed 
to a house where a close moist atmosphere is maintained, 
and where shading may be employed if necessary to 
prevent the plants flagging till they become established, 
and can draw their own supplies. Some prefer pegging 
the runners into the fruiting pots at once ; but better 
results are obtained by using deep 3-in. pots, and 
shifting on when the plants become well established. 
A sound rich compost should be used on both occasions. 
Successional batches may be layered as they become 
fit, and the old plants relieved of the runners when a 
sufficient number of young plants have been obtained. 
Peaches, &c., on Walls. —Attend to the pinching 
of laterals on strong-growing gross shoots, so as to 
repress their vigour, and incline them to fruitfulness. 
Nail or tie in all extension shoots and others that are 
required for next year’s work, but on no account allow 
crowding, which is both useless and harmful. All 
breast-wood should be cut away, or rather prevented 
from forming. Apricots and Plums should also be 
carefully looked after in the matter of pruning. 
-—- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Peculiarities of Orchids. 
A writer in the American Horticultural Art Journal 
thus alludes to the Orchids seen at an exhibition in 
Philadelphia :—“ They are the aristocracy of the plant 
kingdom. They are the coquettes of the floral com¬ 
munity, forever jilting the gardener with futile 
promises. Exclusive they certainly are—distinct and 
distinguished, their very eccentricities and grotesqueness 
giving them distinction. They defy any set rules in 
matters of growth, and do as they please or else disappear 
from sight. They grow in the earth or bulge out of 
their confines, hang by their feet and swing downward. 
They do not belong to our part of the world, or to our 
matter-of-fact era ; but belong to the age of myths, 
when gnomes, fairies and nymphs were seen of men. 
In the mystical bygone time they have posed as the 
models of idols for devout heathens. No wonder the 
fanciful Mexicans link them with the joys and sorrows 
of human life, using them as symbols at christenings, 
marriages and funerals, at feasts, fasts and devotional 
ceremonies. 
“The Orchids are ‘fellows of infinite jest,’ and full 
of pranks as the king’s jester. They wink at the stars 
and make faces at the moon, slide on sunbeams, mimic 
in their own bodies the nests of orioles, stare at frogs 
and recoil at the touch of things they do not like, 
swing about among the trees and climb up to the 
squirrel-houses, and peep into holes where the owls 
have their nests. They know all about the secrets of 
the woods, and to only a few who can comprehend 
do they tell any part of what they know.” 
The Orchid Grower’s Calendar. 
The present is a bad season for keeping plants free 
from insects, both indoors and out ; indeed, it seems 
to me that when insects are numerous and thriving 
outdoors they are always in force inside the Orchid 
houses. Throughout the summer therefore, and 
indeed at all times when other work permits, the 
Orchid grower should make it a rule to hunt over his 
plants to see if they want cleaning, as in this way a 
damaging crop of thrips or aphis can often be stamped 
out before mischief is done. There are few species 
especially which should be looked over whenever the 
chance offers itself—viz., Odontoglossum vexillarium, 
0. Roezlii, Pescatoreas, Bolleas, and any other plants 
which have displayed themselves as being infested 
with thrips, of which the yellow kind is the worst 
and most tenacious of life. "With plants infested 
with thrip, dipping in weak tobacco-water or properly 
mixed Fir Tree Oil should be resorted to, and even 
when apparently clean a sponging over with a 
weak solution is good as a preventative. Calanthes 
and other things making growth should be pushed on 
in a warm house, and in all the houses the temperature, 
shading and ventilation should be carefully attended 
to, although the changeable and bad weather makes 
it a difficult matter to regulate all satisfactorily .—James 
O'Brien. 
Grammangis Ellisii. 
This Orchid is best known in gardens under the name 
of Grammatophyllum, but neither of the two are very 
elegant or agreeable to those who dislike technical 
names. Notwithstanding this, however, it is a striking 
thing when in flower, and is not by any means common, 
although some cultivators succeed in flowering it 
regularly, while Grammatophyllum speciosum is a shy 
plant indeed. The former is now flowering grandly 
in the collection of G. Firth, Esq., Manningham 
Thorpe, Bradford. A moderate size plant for the species, 
bears two flower-stalks, one carrying twenty-nine, and 
the other twenty-two blooms. These have a waxy con¬ 
sistency, with a shining lustre, the sepals and petals 
being heavily marked with brownish black on a yellow 
ground ; the lip is paler ; the pseudo-bulbs are squarish, 
and from 4 ins. to 6 ins. in length, giving rise to the 
pendulous or drooping flower-stems from their base 
about the time that the young growths are being 
developed. It is a native of Madagascar, and, there¬ 
fore requires the temperature of the East Indian-house. 
Rhynchostylis retusa. 
A fine specimen of this plant has been flowering at 
Tower House, Chiswick, for some time past. It is 
known under various names—such as Saecolabium 
Blumei, S. guttatum, and Sarcanthus guttatus, and 
passes most frequently in gardeus under the name of 
Saecolabium Blumei majus. The generic name above 
given refers to the shape of the column. There are two 
or three species known, but that under notice is the 
best. It is a native of the East Indies, and therefore 
delights in warm treatment. The two-ranked leaves 
are deep green, arching, and leathery. The plant at 
Tower House has four spikes, one of which, when in 
full flower, bore 150 blooms, densely arranged on a 
long, pendulous, cylindrical raceme. The sepals and 
petals are finely barred transversely with rosy purple, 
and each segment is tipped with the latter colour. 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei. 
A spike of this Orchid bearing 125 perfect flowers, 
sent to us by Mr. William Sharp, gardener to Alex. 
Curie, Esq., Priorwood, Melrose, shows what the 
species is capable of producing when under the treat¬ 
ment of an able cultivator. Unfortunately, however, 
it is rarely we see it in such vigour, so that Mr. Sharp 
has either luckily hit upon an excellent method of 
treatment, or this unwonted vigour is a peculiarity 
amounting to a varietal difference according to the 
district in which it grows. The flowers were pure 
white, with the exception of a yellow blotch at the base 
of the lip, and a few violet markings. As might be 
expected, the flowers were only of medium size, but 
numerous as they are, the spike would have borne a 
greater number even had it not been somewhat crippled 
in its early stages. As evidence of Mr. Sharp's 
previous skill it might be mentioned that he has 
previously had from eighty to ninety flowers on a spike 
with an aggregate of 141 flowers on two spikes, figures 
which speak from themselves. 
Cattleya Gaskelliana alba. 
It would seem that this summer-flowering Cattleya is 
about to diverge into colours as various and as beautiful 
as characterise the other forms of C. labiata. There 
are two very fine forms flowering at present in the 
collection of F. G. Tautz, Esq., Studley House, 
Hammersmith; these are C. G. superba, and the 
subject of this note, the whole of the flower of which is 
pure white with the exception of the golden yellow 
blotch in the throat, and which runs to the base of the 
tube. The habit and vigour of the plant appears 
equally good as that of the parent type. The variety 
superba is chiefly notable for the size and rich colour 
of the lamina of the labellum, which is beautifully 
crisped at the margin, as are the petals, although not 
to the same extent. 
Masdevallia coriacea. 
Those who grow Masdevallias, generally lay most 
stress upon such species as M. Harryana, M. ignea, 
M. Lindeni, and M. Yeitchii, but do not seem to 
recognise the full value and the quiet beauty of a well- 
grown plant of M. coriacea. We recently noticed some 
very fine pieces of it at Gunnersbury Park, Acton, 
where its value seems to be fully recognised. Some 
pieces in a healthy and vigorous condition were very 
profusely flowered, the blooms just rising above the 
foliage. They are of good size, of great substance, and 
pale yellow with deeper yellow veins on the lower lip, 
and violet veins with some blotches of the same colour 
on the upper lip. 
The Leafy Orchis. 
Many of the hardy Orchids are but miffy at the best 
or difficult to cultivate ; but this does not apply to 
the hardy Madeira species (Orchis foliosa), which 
thrives finely, whether grown in pots in a cold frame, 
or planted out on the rockery. Of course, the object 
should be to secure an even supply of moisture during 
the heat of summer, even if that amount should be but 
little. An abundance of healthy foliage is produced 
compared with British or even continental species 
generally, the stems ranging from 12 ins. to IS ins. 
or more in height, and being terminated by long, 
compact spikes of deep purple flowers. The size of the 
sepals, petals and lip, together with the close arrange¬ 
ment of the flowers themselves, renders this a subject 
that no hardy plant lover should remain without, even 
if his special hobby is not -Orchids. 
