February 1, 1891. 
THE OA11 HEXING WORLD. 
the ripe age of seventy years, and has passed away 
after a life of singular activity and usefulness. The 
firm with which he has been so long identified is one 
of the oldest of its kind in Scotland, and at the time of 
his death deceased was one of the best known seedsmen 
in the Border districts. 
Lintlenia.—We have received from M. Lucien Linden, 
100, Rue Belliard, Brussels, Belgium, part I. of the 
English edition of Lindenia, a publication devoted 
solely to the description and illustration of Orchids. 
The number in question contains four beautifully- 
coloured illustrations, life size, of the plants they repre¬ 
sent. The first is Cattleya rex, with white sepals and 
petals, and a richly-coloured and variegated lip. This 
is followed by a fine plate of the recently-introduced 
scarlet-flowered Cochlioda Noezliana ; that again by 
Peristeria aspersa, a dwarf species with orange flowers 
closely spotted with purple. The fourth is a plate ot 
Cattleya Warocqueana amethystiua, one of the very 
numerous varieties of a batch of plants recently intro¬ 
duced, and some of the specimens of which are believed 
to represent the old autumn-flowering Cattleya labiata. 
The Mammoth Tree at the World’s Fair, Chicago.— 
The largest specimen of Sequoia gigantea which has 
yet been discovered in California is to be shown as a 
specimen at the World’s Fair, Chicago. It measures 
90 ft. in circumference, and grew in the forest of the 
county of Tulare. The operations for throwing or 
felling the tree are already commenced, and it is said 
that it will take ten men two months to finish it. 
When felled, the weight of the tree will be 65,000 lbs. 
(nearly 31 tons), and this is to be transported on three 
large flat waggons. At present it is a question of 
sending to Chicago only a part of this gigantic tree. 
At one time there were several projects submitted for 
transporting the whole tree in one piece. 
Employes’ Supper and Bonus Distribution.—On the 
evening of the 24th ult., Mr. George Phippen, Reading, 
invited the whole of his staff to a supper in the large 
room of the “British Workman,” Abbey Square. 
Over seventy sat down to a capital repast. The usual 
loyal toasts were honoured, after which Mr. H. T. 
Pugh gave “Success to the Royal Berks Floral 
Establishments,” which was heartily received ; others 
followed. A varied programme of vocal and instru¬ 
mental music was then proceeded with, and an im¬ 
portant feature of the evening was that of the employes 
receiving a participation in the profits of the business 
of the past year, which showed a considerable increase 
on that of the preceding one. Mr. George Phippen 
occupied the chair. 
Geutiana lutea.—This superb plant, indigenous 
and sufficiently common in the mountainous region of 
the Alps (in Switzerland and the Tyrol) is being exter¬ 
minated by the inconsiderate rooting up which is being 
made for commerce. Water of Gentian (used in medicine 
for its bitter and tonic principles) is made from it. 
The Government of the Tyrol desires to put a stop to 
the destruction which menaces the beautiful yellow 
flower, and the Landtag of Salzbourg has made a law 
interdictirig the rooting up of plants whose roots 
measureless than two centimetres (a little over f in.) in 
diameter. The lifting of roots having attained that 
development is less grave, because they have then been 
able to dower and disseminate their seeds. It would 
be good ip this base to encourage the raising of the plant 
from seed. Why, besides, seeing that it is a commercial 
plant, is it not specially cultivated ?— Bulletin d’ 
Arboriculture de Floriculture, Ac. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. — At the usual 
monthly committee meeting, held on the 30th ult., the 
honorary secretary reported the receipt during the 
month, from various sources other than annual 
subscriptions, of the sum of £79 15s. The list included 
£15 from Mr. Todd Edinburgh ; £5 from the Scottish 
Horticultural Association ; £15 from the Ealing Gar¬ 
deners’ Mutual Improvement Association ; £7 13s. Id.', 
the result of a skating fete in the grounds of E. M. 
Kelson, Esq., Hanger Hill House, Ealing ; £5, the 
result of a skating iete in the grounds of R. A. Scott, 
Esq., The Ems, Acton ; £2 2s. from the Liverpool 
Horticultural Association ; £2 2s. from the Bristol 
Chrysanthemum Society ; £1 16s., the result of, a 
concert at Chertsey; £10 from Mr. Macfarlane ; ' 
£6 10s. 9 A. collected by Mr. J. Hughes, Birmingham • 
and a number of small amounts from collecting boxes. 
A letter was read from Mr. Veitch, treasurer of the 
B. S. Williams Memorial Fund, offering the sum of 
£250 on condition that two children, to be nominated 
by Mr. H; Williams, be granted the benefits of the 
fund, whieh was gratefully accepted. Mr. Barron also 
mentioned that, although in December last all the 
applicants up to that time had been provided for, he 
had now a list of eight for the election which could not 
take place for twelve months hence, and all of them 
were distressing cases, in which the assistance given by 
the fund would be of the greatest service. 
THE SUGAR CANE SEEDING, 
The paper containing my article on the raising of 
Sugar Canes from seed, in Barbados and British Guiana, 
p. 246 having been sent out to British Guiana 
Professor Harrison and G. S. Keeman, Esq., were shown 
the article, and the latter gentleman has forwarded me, 
through a friend, some criticisms on my work, as 
follows: 
“You have fallen into several errors in your notice 
in The Gardening World, - on the Sugar Cane 
seeding. 
“ 1st. The Cane is not propagated by ‘ suckers, and 
suckers only.’ It is propagated by cuttings, usually by 
the upper parts of the stem, w hich planters call ‘ tops,’ 
which, as this part of the Cane contains little sugar, can 
be used for the purpose without loss. Occasionally the 
root stocks are divided and planted, but only to a 
relatively small extent. 
“ 2nd. There is not an atom of proof ‘ that the plant 
is liable to sport.’ This was published some years ago 
as a conjecture and possible explanation of how the 
large number of varieties known had come into exist¬ 
ence, but it has never received the least confirmation, 
and now we know they must have arisen in seminal 
generation. 
“3rd. Dr. Soltwedel was not the discoverer of the 
Cane’s seminal fertility. It had been discovered and 
published by Mr. J. W. Parris, of Barbados, a quarter 
of a century (namely, in 1858), before Dr. Soltwedel 
began his experiments in Java. 
“4th. The fact of the Cane’s fertility was not brought 
to the notice of Messrs. Harrison and Bovell by Dr. F. 
Benecke, but by planters in Barbados, Mr. Carter and 
Mr. J. Wiltshire Clarke, who had followed Mr. Parris 
in successfully raising seedling plants. 
“Messrs. Harrison and Bovell had grown seedling 
plants to maturity before they knew that Dr. Soltwedel 
was carrying out similar experiments, and it was, in 
fact, evidently the publicity given to their woik in the 
Demerara Argosy, that led Dr. Benecke to publish in 
a special pamphlet, with valuable figures, Dr. Soltwedel’s 
woik, though the latter had before published his result 
in a local Java paper.” 
The above information may probably prove as inter¬ 
esting to your readers as it was to me.— S. J. Ale Intire. 
-•>=£<»- 
A GROSS IMPOSTURE. 
Since some twenty-five years ago when one Hullett 
astonished the gardeners of the British Isles by 
introducing a series of floral and pomological “novelties” 
that would have delighted the heart of Munchausen him¬ 
self, no one has had the effrontery to put before the 
British public such a story of palpable humbug 
and gross imposture as an American nurseryman who 
has lately been pushing the sale of a “novelty ” in the 
advertising columns of some of our gardening con¬ 
temporaries. 
The “novelty” in question is dubbed Amorpho- 
phallus campanulatus, and its fl iwers are described as 
being of “ the size of a large tub or barrel”—the largest 
in fact “ the world has ever seen.” Now Amorpho- 
phallus campanulatus happens to be a plant well 
known in this country, and what the cute American 
appears to have done is to get out a striking illustration 
of the inflorescence of the plant in question, and attach 
to it the description of Amorphophallus Titanum, the 
extraordinary Aroid which flowered for the first time in 
Europe, at Kew, in 1889. He has even gone so far as 
to dub it “ Stanley’s bathing tub,” oblivious of the 
fact that A. Titanum comes from Sumatra, and not 
from-Africa. Nor is the persistent rootstock a bulb as 
described, but a corm. The floweis are stated to be 
“ 2 ft. or 3 ft. across,” and “ the one recently flowered 
at Kew ” is stated to have “ measured 4| ft. across.” 
This description and statement of fact applies solely to 
A. Titanum, the inflorescence of A. campanulatus being 
only,about 2 ft. in diameter, while the cultural details 
given would suit A. Rivieri, and A. campanulatus in a' 
less degree, but certainly would not meet the require¬ 
ments of A. Titanum. Whether planted in potsorinthe 
open ground, the plants are stated to “ bloom very 
soon,” and to be “of the easiest culture, growing as 
freely as a Gladiolus under the same treatment.” 
Such a medley ot fact and fiction, exaggeration and im¬ 
posture, has never been put before the gardening com¬ 
munity since the days of the “museum Hullettiauum ” 
and we bid our readers beware of the wonderful 
“ novelty ” until they really know what it is that this 
“ enterprising ” American has to sell by sample post at 
5s. each. The corms of A. campanulata weigh from 
,8 lbs. to 10 lbs., and that; of A. Titanum, found by 
Dr. Beccari, measured nearly 5 ft. in circumference and 
was so heavy that two men could scarcely carry it ! 
THE WINTER AND ITS LESSONS. 
I fear that the work of the late long frost will bring 
you many moans from the borders i I send an early one. 
Looking round our plants at Oakwood yesterday I 
found that many species of Cistus and of Veronicas 
had been killed, at least to the ground ; Veronica 
parviflora (sometime.s wrongly called V. salicifolia, which 
has broader leaves and larger flowers), which we always 
thought winter-proof, has been killed to the root in 
most places ; in dwarf hedge borders of this every plant 
seems dead. We hope, however, that some plants amoDg 
shrubs may have escaped, or at least, as it sows itself 
so freely, that seedlings will spring up. 
Even V. Traversii has some branches already brown, 
thougn a hedge of this in a most exposed windy 
situation shows hardly any signs of injury. Of all the 
Cistuses the old Gum Cistus seems to have stood best. 
Oa the other side of the account some plants of 
doubtful hardiness, specimens of which have died in 
other winters, appear not to have been seriously hurt, 
but of course it will be several months before these cau 
be considered safe. 
The long hard winter will give valuable lessons as 
to what situations will best enable plants to resist 
severe frosts. Notwithstanding good air holes in the 
ice, our ponds contain many dead carp, chub, and 
roach, but the trout seem to have suivived. 
In my note on p. 325 I feared that Iris Bakeriana 
would not have stood this winter. It is now in 
beautiful bloom in the open border, its only protection 
having been a few oak leaves, and the colours are even 
brighter than those of the flowers grown under glass._ 
George F. Wilson, Heatherbank, JVeybridge. 
-- >X< «-— 
CULTURE OF STOVE PLANTS. 
The year is advancing so fast that we are within 
measurable distance of spring, and the advent of longer 
days brings increased activity in all departments of the 
garden. Plans and schemes have to be drawn up or 
thought out, preparations to be made, aud much fore¬ 
thought exercised to ensure success. It is obvious then 
that there is nothing to be gained from leaving too 
much undone towards the last moment ; delays are 
daugerous, and this applies equally to horticulture as 
other matters, and the man w ho would be wise in his 
generation must commence early to act accordingly. 
Here then is something tending to success in connection 
with the stove section of the plant department. 
As a first step a quantity of good loam should quickly 
be got under cover if not already done, as also of peat, 
leaf-soil, sand, aud charcoal. 
Draghnas. 
Dractenas are so well known to all that it would be 
useless to dilate on their merits farther than to say 
that at all tunes they ate outh useful and attractive_ 
iudeed, indispensable iu a collection of stove plants 
aud ot much value for house decoration. The compost 
for them should consist of one-half loam, and equal 
parts of peat and leaf-soil, with some silver sand and 
charcoal. In potting care should be taken not to give 
too large a shift, as such a mistake has resulted either 
iu the ruin of many plants, or been detrimental to their 
welfare. Pot moderately firm, leaving sufficient room 
to enable the plants to receive plenty of water when in 
a flourishing condition. Just after potting, some care 
must be exercised iu the matter of watering. Some of 
the plants may be somewhat leggy, therefore it is not 
advisable to re-pot them, but they can be cut down and 
the tops struck if worth keeping. The stems can be 
cut into short lengths and inserted in pots or in the 
propagating bed itself. In a few weeks’ time they will 
require potting, and will, if treated properly, make 
useful plants for autumn work. Heat and moisture 
are necessary to the well-beiug of Drawenas, and air 
should given during warm weather. At present the 
night temperature shou d be maintained at about 65°, 
which will increase, of course, as the days lengthen. 
j Shade from the hot rays of the sun, as the foliage is 
easily scorched, and the plants permanently disfigured, 
especially if there are any defects iu the glass. 
Roller blinds, too, are preferable to permanent shading. 
Next to all this cleanliness is important, for scale and 
red-spider are often troublesome. The sponge must be 
used to remove these pests, and the syringe to prevent 
their appearance as much as possible. Among varieties 
the narrow-leaved ones are the m >st suitable for house 
decoration, of which may Re mentioned D. Cooperi, 
D. termiualis, D. gracilis, 1). amabilis, D. Guilfoylei, 
and D. angustifulia, while for other purposes D. 
magnifies, D. Baptistii, D. Shepherdii, D. Lindeni 
D. Goldiana, and D. Bausei may be named. 
