August 22, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
817 
than others. All kinds of deciduous trees ars subject 
to it in warm close confined situations like the Castle 
gardens here. If once they get a strong footing it is 
almost impossible to eradicate them by any means. 
Mildew may be destroyed by sulphur in some form 
or other. Gum and canker cause the leaves of the 
affected treees to silver, and the branches to die 
back. When such is the case I know of no remedy 
except taking the trees out and planting young ones 
in their place. 
There are many varieties of Plums to choose from, 
culinary and dessert. The following are what are 
chiefly grown in the Castle gardens:—Victoria, 
Denniston's Superb, Nectarine, Prince Englebert, 
Bryanston Gage, Transparent Gage, Kirke’s Purple, 
and Coe’s Golden Drop. I have thus endeavoured, 
in as plain and practical a way as I could, to deal 
with the subject I was invited to speak upon ; and I 
trust the remarks I have offered may have the effect 
of causing more attention to be paid to the culture 
of our hardy fruits.— A. Pettigrew. 
-_ 
Hardening ;Ni iscellany. 
AN ACCOMMODATING PLANT. 
Royle's Balsam (Impatiens Roylei) is getting so 
common a plant in gardens that we are apt to over¬ 
look the fact that it is a native of different parts of 
India, chiefly in the north and on the Himalayas. 
It was for a long time confused with I. glandulifera 
from Ceylon, and that again was spoken of under the 
name of I. cornigera. Its frequency in gardens is no 
doubt due to the fact that it can take care of itself 
after having been sown or planted and allowed to 
bear seed, which it scatters freely in every direction. 
These seeds lay dormant in the soil till the conditions 
are suitable for their germination ; hence seedlings 
may appear at intervals for many years afterwards 
after the soil has been dug. The owner of the 
garden is thus saved the trouble of collecting the 
seed annually, and can leave the plants to grow up 
where they germinated or can transplant or other¬ 
wise regulate the seedlings as he pleases. In its 
native country, Royle's Balsam sometimes attains a 
height of ioft., and in this country it varies from 
i ft. to 6 ft. or 8 ft., according to the soil in which it 
is grown and the degree of crowding of the seed¬ 
lings. The plants now to be seen in the cottage and 
villa gardens everywhere in Surrey, Middlesex and 
elsewhere in the south of England, grow from 4 ft. 
to 6 ft. in height, and vary with purple or pale rose, 
sometimes almost white flowers. In the gardens of 
the northern counties of Scotland the plants become 
dwarfed to a height of 18 inches, forming healthy, 
bushy plants, with dark green foliage, and a pro¬ 
fusion of dark purple flowers. Dahlias, Hollyhocks, 
Chrysanthemums, and other subjects become 
dwarfed in the same way, and the effect upon I. 
Roylei is no doubt similar to the dwarfing effect 
that northern regions and high altitudes have upon 
Alpine plants.— S. 
FUCHSIA CORYMBIFLORA. 
This fine old Peruvian species is now a striking 
feature in one of the conservatories at the Botanical 
Gardens, Edgbaston, Birmingham. Fuchsias are 
much grown as decorative agents ; there is a good 
collection of modern varieties, and among them 
towers F. corymbiflora, with its pendulous corymbs 
of flowers. It is a fine object in a cool conservatory, 
for it seems to like the heat that fills the roof of the 
building from solar effects. I fear it is a plant 
gradually falling away into neglect. I can remember 
the time immediately following its introduction, and 
about 1850 it had found a place in many conserva¬ 
tories, and was admired as it deserved to be. Since 
then a whole flood of novelties of one kind and the 
other have burst upon the country, and many a fine 
old-fashioned subject has been swept away into com¬ 
parative obscurity. So it is pleasant to see that Mr. 
Latham gives it a foremost place, and it was cheer¬ 
ing to see it in such good character. At our 
exhibition at Ealing last month, a cottager exhibited 
a very finely grown specimen of Fuchsia fulgens, an 
earlier introduction from Mexico than F. corymbi¬ 
flora, and a capital subject for windows and fore¬ 
court gardens. This plant, put up as a specimen 
plant shown by cottagers—and it would have done 
credit to the best gardener in the district—was passed 
over by the judges because it was not in flower, 
through the schedule simply required, “ A Specimen 
Plant.” Judges sometimes do curious things !— R. D. 
DIPLADENIA BOLIVIENSIS. 
The free flowering nature of this climber is wonder¬ 
ful, when grown under suitable conditions. Like 
many others of its class it must be fully exposed 
to sunlight close to the glass, as it is at Gunnersbury 
House, Acton. Here it is trained to wires under the 
roof, and fully exposed from April to 'November. 
The plant was but a small cutting two years ago, 
and is now in a large pot, furnishing a supply of cut 
bloom two or three times a week, and yet looks well 
furnished. The flowers are considerably smaller 
than Allamanda Hendersoni, and others of that type, 
but being white, with a golden-yellow throat, they 
are highly ornamental and useful for many purposes. 
SPIRAEA LINDLEYANA. 
Whether for town gardens or in country places, 
this Spiraea constitutes a bold and handsome subject 
during July and August. It is perfectly hardy and 
requires comparatively no attention from one year’s 
end to the other, unless perhaps to prune back any 
straggling branches, for which there was no accom¬ 
modation in small gardens. As a plant for the lawn, 
it is simply grand during the summer months, 
whether in flower or not. The long, pinnate leaves 
have a peculiarly plumy and graceful appearance, 
and when we add to this the huge panicles of small 
white flowers, which terminate the shoots, the 
species has a strong claim upon our attention. 
S. sorbifolia is something in the same way, but 
smaller and considerably less imposing although fine. 
There is a fine old plant in the gardens at Gunners¬ 
bury House, Acton, and which consists of numerous 
stems, extending on all sides to a width of 20 ft. The 
central stems are 12 ft. high, and the inflorescence 
alone measures from 12 ins. to 18 ins. long. 
THE AMERICAN COCKROACH. 
I notice in your issue for August 8th, a reply to a 
correspondent as to how to kill the American Cock¬ 
roach. About two years since I was troubled with 
this pest, and tried syrup in a bottle but did not find 
it so effectual as phosphorus paste on a piece of 
sponge cake or bread and butter, which, put down 
fresh twice a week for about two months, cleared the 
lot out.— A. Russell, Lewes. 
FLOWER SHOW ATTRACTIONS. 
In your issue of August 8th I noticed an allusion to 
the Monymusk Horticultural Association having 
organised some cavalry sports to take place in con¬ 
junction with the annual Flower Show. At South¬ 
ampton, Shrewsbury, York and other places such 
sports were introduced into the annual programme 
some years ago, and no doubt in the granite county, 
as at the places named they will have a material 
effect on " the gate.” In most places now some¬ 
thing more than flowers and music are wanted to 
attract visitors to horticultural exhibitions.— 
Rusticus. 
NATIONAL 
CO-OPERATIVE FLOWER 
SHOW. 
The sixth National Co-operative Flower Show, which 
was held at the Crystal Palace on Saturday last, 
provided a very enjoyable day’s outing for a large 
number of co-operators from all parts of the country, 
though, owing to the unsettled weather, the number 
of persons attending the festival was not so large as 
in previous years. Neither was the display of fruits 
and vegetables so extensive as last year, but the 
falling off in numbers so far from being a cause of 
regret was a positive gain to the exhibition as a 
whole, and the absence of considerable quantities of 
inferior produce bore eloquent testimony to the 
value of competitive exhibitions from an educational 
point of view. From the first exhibition held in the 
old gardens at South Kensington, to the last of the 
series, each has shown a marked improvement on 
the previous one, until, as was the case last Saturday, 
as regards vegetables in particular, the cottagers can 
hold their own with the professional gardeners. 
The improvement shown in the plant classes was 
also of the most gratifying character, but the cut 
flower section still leaves much th^t could be 
desired. 
The total number of exhibits staged was 4,459, of 
which some 3,000 were staged by working-class 
members of various provincial Co-operative Societies, 
and the remainder by members of the Agricultural 
and Horticultural Association, which organises the 
exhibition and contributes half of the sum of /300 
offered in prizes. The greatest number of entries 
was in the Potato classes, of which some 240 dishes 
were staged, and a grand lot they were, even though 
running too much on size. Next in point of numbers 
came the Beans, some 230 dishes, and all admirable 
of their kind, especially the Runners. Peas also 
were largely represented, the number 
being 118 dishes. Other totals were 231 of Carrots, 
102 ©f Onions, 97 of Beetroot, 85 of Turnips, 81 of 
Lettuces, 76 of Vegetable Marrows, 61 of Shallots, 
54 Cucumbers, 49 of Celery, 39 of Parsnips, 36 of 
Cabbages, 33 of Tomatos, 21 of Cauliflowers, 20 of 
Raddishes, and 6 of Leeks. The latter was a poor 
class, which is somewhat surprising, and the Tomatos 
a weaker one than we should have expected. The’ 
hardy fruit classes were hardly so good as last year in 
point of quality, for which the season must be held 
accountable, but the collections of choicer fruits 
shown by "members” were of am admirable 
character. There was also a remarkably good 
competition in the several classes for Honey, and 
anything finer than the numerous samples shown 
could hardly be desired. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
Orchid Growers Calander. 
The principal work amongst Orchids at the present 
time will be attention to watering and cleaning. 
Where Cattleyas and Lselias have completed their 
growths less water should be given, but on no account 
allow the pseudobulbs to shrivel. The plants as 
they finish their growth should be moved to the cool 
end of the house where the syringe can be kept off 
them. Should there be any Cattleyas or Laelias that 
have been overlooked they should be seen to at once, 
and be repotted or top-dressed as required, using 
good peat and sphagnum with a few pieces of char¬ 
coal, which will help to keep the material sweet. I 
am no strong advocate for top-dressing, yet there are 
plants which may with advantage be so treated and 
not require potting so often. Cattleyas, LSelias, and 
others whose roots adhere to the pots W'ould come 
under this head. On the other hand such as OdoU- 
toglossums, Oncidiums, Masdavallias, &c.,’are better 
to have the plants turned out of their pots when they 
get into a bad condition, and have all the old and 
decayed material removed, and the plants be 
repotted. 
Finish potting Odontoglossum vexillarium as soon 
as possible so that the young roots may get hold of 
the fresh material before the winter. O bictonense 
should now be seen to also. I grow this in sphagnum 
and peat, in the same house with O. vexillarium | 
and one plant just finished flowering, produced six 
flower spikes—three from each side of the pseudo¬ 
bulb. Continue to use weak manure water about 
twice a week, for Calanthes, Pleiones, &c. Have the 
blinds rolled up early in the afternoon as the plants 
will be benefitted by more light as they complete 
their growth.— A. IV. 
Cypripedium mact’ochilum, 
The leaves of this hybrid are linear, channelled and 
of a bright shinning green, resembling those of the 
C. longifolium type. The latter was indeed the seed 
parent, while Uropedium Lindeni was the pollen par¬ 
ent. The flower scape of a plant exhibited by Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, at the Drill Hall, West¬ 
minster, on the nth inst., was about 18 ins. high, 
and carried four flowers. The sepals are lanceolate 
acuminate, more or less wavy at the margins, and of 
a pale yellow with numerous longitudinal green 
veins. The petals are linear, quite pendent, and of 
a pale rose, except near the base, where they are 
greenish yellow, and 8 ins to 10 ins. long. They may 
even attain a much greater length when the plant 
becomes established, as they take strongly after 
Uropedium Lindeni, or in other words Cypripedium 
caudatum. The lip is of enormous size, as the name 
would indicate, elongated, somewhat compressed 
laterally, and yellowish, tinted with brown. Two 
