December 13, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
287 
considered in keeping the plants in a healthy condition. 
I would have the means of admitting fresh air through 
the wall opposite the hot-water pipes, and thus get 
warmed in cold weather before coming in contact with 
the plants. This will be found a useful means of giving 
air during cold weather and cutting winds. The front 
lights of the house should also be made to open, as 
well as ample means of ventilation at the top of the 
house. The free circulation of fresh air amongst plants 
in flower goes a long way in prolonging the length of 
time a plant will continue in bloom, hence the impor¬ 
tance of admitting air even if it should be necessary to 
keep a little more heat in the pipes to keep up the 
desired temperature. Care, however, must be taken at 
all times to prevent a strong current of air passing 
through the house, as such is most injurious to tender 
plants. 
Temperature. To enjoy the full advantages of a 
conservatory it is desirable that the temperature 
should be pleasant, neither too hot in summer nor too 
cold in winter. The winter temperature should there¬ 
fore range from 45° to 50° at night, allowing a rise of 10° 
or even 15° with the sun heat during the day. During 
the late spring and summer, the night temperature 
may he raised from 50° to 55°, with a corresponding 
rise of 10° or 15° during the day. This will 
enable us to use many interesting and beautiful plants 
from the stove and intermediate houses, as well as 
from the cooler plant houses, to he arranged together, 
and thus obtaining different arrangements and effects 
in the house. 
Shading. It will also be necessary to have some 
means of shading the plants from bright sunshine 
during the spring and summer months, and for that 
purpose I know of nothing better than blinds on rollers 
that can be used when wanted, and left off in dull 
cloudy weather. Thick shading of all kinds ought to 
be avoided. Permanent shading on the glass has its 
evils, but has sometimes to be applied where roller 
blinds cannot be easily worked, but wherever they can 
be fixed they will be found preferable. 
To keep the conservatory attractive at all times will 
bejjour great aim, and this can be done best by the 
harmonious arrangement of the plants and flowers 
together. Having other houses at our command in 
which to grow the plants, we can manage to get what 
plants we require in flower to fit in our ideas of arrange¬ 
ment. Here let me say one word about the habit yet 
too prevalent in a great many places, of endeavouring 
to prolong the season of different flowers nearly all the 
year round. This I consider a mistake, in consequence 
of which we have a heterogeneous arrangement of plants 
in the conservatory, consisting of one or two specimens 
of all the different things on the place ; the effect pro¬ 
duced is anything but satisfactory, and much the same 
effect is obtained all the year round. Now this ought 
to be avoided as much as possible, for however beautiful 
and pleasing the effect obtained, in time it becomes 
tiring and uninteresting. Rather let us strive to get 
large batches of one kind of plant in flower at one time, 
so that they will form a striking feature in the arrange¬ 
ment. By this means we can have so many different 
effects produced throughout the year that it is always 
interesting to inspect the conservatory, no matter how 
often we visit it. The old system of arrangement is 
happily gradually giving place to a more natural system. 
I think the groups of plants seen of late years at 
horticultural exhibitions, where arrangement for effect 
was taken as the leading feature, have had much to do 
with this change for the better; certainly they have 
shown what it is possible to accomplish by the combi¬ 
nation of a few kinds of plants. It is this more 
simple and natural system of arrangement that I would 
strongly recommend to be carried out in arranging 
plants in the conservatory, where bold groups of one 
genera of plants in flower can be arranged in a ground¬ 
work of another species of foliage plants. As an example 
of what I mean, let me point to the Gloxinia, and see 
the different effect produced between, say a dozen 
plants scattered through the house mixed with other 
plants ; and a group of say 100 plants arranged in a 
ground-work of Maidenhair Ferns with a background 
of Palms and other light foliage plants. Such a sight 
has only to be seen to convince the most sceptical of 
the advantage to be obtained by grouping in quantity 
for general effect. 
Our gardens are now so rich in flowering and 
foliage plants, that we have a great many beautiful 
things that can be prepared in large batches at a time, 
for grouping in the conservatory in this way. Their 
arrangement in groups, besides lending an additional 
charm to the conservatory, gives a more natural 
appearance to the house. Such plants as I have 
referred to, and recommend to be grown in large 
batches for grouping, would more especially apply to 
plants suitable for the arrangement on the side stages, 
where they can be arranged in a ground-work of dwarf¬ 
growing plants, such as Ferns of different species and 
varieties, Selaginellas and a host of other things 
suitable for this purpose. A row of plants of a 
drooping habit along the margin of the stage next the 
path, and allowed to hang down, will greatly help to 
relieve the stiffness of the side stages. Suitable plants 
for this will be found in Isolepis gracilis, Campanula 
isophylla and C. i. alba, Tradescantia, &c. 
The centre bed I would devote to large specimen 
plants of Palms, such as Kentia Fosteriana, K. 
australis, K. Canterburyana, Seaforthia elegans, and 
such Palms that have a like elegant appearance, also 
specimens of other light foliage plants such as the 
Araucarias, Phormiums, Aralias, &e. These I would 
mix with specimen flowering plants of Camellias, 
Azaleas, Acacias and other specimen stove and 
greenhouse plants as they come into flower. During the 
winter and spring months these could be considerably 
augmented by forcing hardy plants such as Lilac, 
Rhododendron, hardy Azaleas, Prunus, Deutzias, 
Spiraeas, &c. The large plants should be arranged 
thinly in the centre bed, guarding against crowding, and 
between these the space can be filled in with smaller 
flowering and foliage plants, filling in so as to hide all 
pots, making the large subjects look as if they were 
growing out of a natural undergrowth. The nearer we 
can approach this natural system of grouping the more 
pleasing will be the effect. Plants most suitable for 
filling up will be found in Spirpea japonica, Deutzia 
gracilis, Calla rEthiopiea, Aspidistra lurida, and A. 1. 
variegata. Ferns alone will be found to give a large 
selection to choose from suitable for this kind of work. 
In making a collection of plants for this kind of work, 
let our choice fall on a selection rather than a collection. 
A collection may be all very well in a botanic garden, 
but in our limited space let our aim be a selection of 
the more choice and showy flowers, also endeavour to 
grow the best species and varieties, where the selection 
of species and varieties is necessary from the large 
number there may be to choose from. Always keep 
in mind that it requires as much house-room, care and 
attention to grow a bad variety as it does to grow a 
good one, and there is infinitely more pleasure to look 
at a good variety than there is to look at an inferior 
one. Perhaps we cannot more strongly illustrate this 
than point to the difference in price being paid for 
a good variety of an Orchid, and the price that inferior 
varieties can be bought for. With the ordinary run of 
plants suitable for the conservatory, the difference in 
price between good and bad varieties will be found to 
be but trifling. 
In arranging the side stages of the conservatory, 
small flowering plants will be found the most suitable 
for this work, and fortunately we have plenty to choose 
from. For this work during the spring we can have 
Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Cinerarias, Primulas, 
Cyclamen, Calceolarias, Pelargoniums, Petunias, and 
Orchids in variety. If these are arranged on a green 
ground-work, with a background of light-foliaged 
plants, frequent changes can be carried out. Always 
avoid crowding, but see that the bare stages are not 
exposed to view. Besides lightness of effect, let us also 
aim at the combination of colours in the arrangement, 
as that adds considerably to the harmonious whole. 
In the arrangement during the summer months most 
of our stove and intermediate plants can be used, and 
which will give us still a greater variation 
--- 
TRITOMA UVARIA. 
I noticed during the late summer months that fine 
and showy spikes of this grand late-flowering plant were 
employed with great advantage in stands of cut blooms 
during the end of August and the month of September. 
This is by no means a new plant as some have supposed, 
for it was introduced from the Cape of Good Hope 
nearly 150 years ago, and though it has found its way 
into many gardens, and is valued as one of the very 
best of our late-flowering hardy plants, there are yet 
many gardens in which it might find a place with 
advantage. The plant forms a large dense bush, with 
long grass-like leaves, and throws up flower stems of 
from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in height, forming at the top a spike 
from 1 ft. to 14 ft. of closely-arranged scarlet and yellow 
tube-shaped blossoms. It is a hardy plant, but I 
would strongly recommend any one having some good 
clumps to take a little care of them during severe 
frosts, and my reason for that is that I well remember 
at the time of the very hard frost of 1859 and 1860, 
much injury was done to Tritoma uvaria in many parts 
of the country, probably because a great deal of 
moisture was iu the soil. Some are of opinion that wet — 
excessive wet during the winter—is a cause of decay ; 
and when hard frost and wet combine, the harm 
worked is no doubt greater. 
When old John Dobson, the founder of the once 
famous Isle worth Pelargonium Nurseries, was living, 
he used to make a great feature of the Tritoma, and to 
such an extent that it was the talk of the neigh¬ 
bourhood. Mr. Dobson used to take the trouble of 
lifting his plants in the month of October, dividing 
them, putting them into good-sized pots with plenty 
of drainage, and wintering them in a deep cold frame, 
while if the outer leaves were broken, though green, 
stakes were placed to the plants, the leaves being 
carefully tied up to them. Mr. Dobson always held 
that this plan proved a great protection to the hearts 
of the plants during winter. No water was given for 
a week or two. A few mats were placed on the frame 
during very severe weather, and then in March they 
were planted out in the open where they were to 
flower. The plant does well in a rich yellow loam, but 
does not appear to be very fastidious in the matter of 
a garden soil. It is a plant well adapted for mingling 
with Dahlias, Hollyhocks, &e.— D. E. 
-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
When severe weather occurs, such as we have recently 
experienced, hard firing has to be resorted to in many 
places to keep up the proper temperatures, and the 
houses very soon begin to smell unwholesome for plant 
life, therefore it is necessary to more frequently syringe 
the stages on which the plants stand, and also the 
brickwork in the vicinity of the hot-water pipes, by 
which means a healthier atmosphere may be obtained, 
though care should be taken not to cause an amount 
of steam by wetting the hot-water pipes. 
Houses are constructed now on so much better 
principles than formerly for Orchid-growing that worry 
and care on behalf of their contents are reduced to a 
minimum; but there are numberless places in which 
these plants are grown in houses ill adapted for the 
purpose, where the piping was adequate for the original 
purposes of the house, but now has to be heated to 
boiling pitch to keep up the temperature these are 
the places which need extra dampings to keep up a 
genial atmosphere, though it is far better to have a 
good amount of piping giving off a gentle warmth than 
half the quantity heated up to its utmost capacity. 
Rockeries, with Ferns and other plants growing 
thereon inside the houses, are very helpful in giving off 
moisture gradually, and any vacant spaces, instead of 
being cemented or tiled over, will be put to good 
account by being planted in this way. Selaginellas, 
Tritonias, Tradescantias, Cyrtodeira fulgens, Pileas, &c., 
are all useful plants in promoting the health of the 
occupants proper. Ventilation by means of the bottom 
ventilators is far best during very cold weather, unless 
the houses are lofty and the roof ventilators are a safe 
distance away from the plants, in which case a little 
chink open will do no harm. 
Plants in small hanging baskets, and those on bare 
blocks will want frequently looking at during hard 
weather, for I find that with the extra firing, many of 
them get as dry as during the summer months, because 
then the atmosphere is saturated with moisture, and 
the blinds are used overhead. Present temperatures : 
East Indian house, 65° day, 60°night ; Cattleya house, 
60° day, 55° night ; cool house, 50° day, 45° night.— 
W. P. 
Cypripedium hybridum Maynardi. 
The seed parent of this hybrid was C. purpuratum 
fertilised with C. Spicerianum. The leaves are short 
and broadly oblong, marbled somewhat with deep 
green on a lighter ground. The scape is about 8 ins. 
long, and one-flowered. The upper sepal is strongly 
revolute at the sides in the lower part, as in the case 
of C. purpuratum, white with a deep purple mid-rib, 
suffused with rosy veins almost all over the lower 
half, and greenish at the very base. The petals are 
undulated on the upper edges, greenish at the base," 
closely spotted with purple, and purplish on the apical 
portion, with whitish edges. The lip is brownish 
purple and the reniform staminode is of a deep violet- 
purple. It was shown at the Drill Hall, on Tuesday 
last, by Messrs. F. Sander & Co., and received an 
Award of Merit, 
