February 28, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
407 
moment was only £21. Mr. Carr responded for the 
Chrysanthemum Society, and Mr. Baxter for the 
Mutual Improvement Society. 
Mr. W. Wickham Jones, in an able speech, proposed 
the “ Royal Horticultural and other kindred Societies,” 
to which the Rev. W. Wilks responded ; Mr. G. W. 
Cumming proposed the “Gardening Press,” to which 
Mr. T. W. Saunders responded ; and Mr. Carr gave the 
“Local Press,” for whom the representative of the 
Croydon Guardian replied. 
Mr. E. W. Grimwade proposed the “Health of the 
Mayor,” who, in reply, said it had given him the 
greatest pleasure to be present that evening, for he 
felt that these societies were doing a great deal of 
good in Croydon. The horticultural shows throughout 
the country had put into the hearts of the people of 
England the love of all flowers, and a desire for their 
cultivation. Beyond that, it had set up a large trade 
in flowers, which might be seen from the beautiful 
show of blooms in the shop windows all the year round. 
Not only had they set up this trade in flowers, but 
they had inculcated a desire on the part of the people 
to grow vegetables and flowers themselves. He pointed 
to the fact that all the Corporation allotments had 
been taken up, as showing that the growth of these 
societies had unmistakably tended to encourage the 
desire for the cultivation of market garden produce. 
He also threw it out as a suggestion that the show 
might at some future time be held on one of the 
recreation grounds, which they were enabled to do 
under a recent Act of Parliament. In regard to the 
Improvement Society he wished it every success, taking 
it as a sort of technical school, an institution which 
was very much in favour just now. He thanked them 
heartily for their cordial reception of the toast, and 
proposed that a cordial vote of thanks be accorded to 
Messrs. John Laing & Sons, of Forest Hill, for their 
great kindness in lending plants'and flowers, and in 
arranging them so effectively. 
- 
DIELYTRA SPECTABILIS. 
When dividing some large Toots of these Lyre flowers 
the other day, for the making of stock, I was led to 
wonder whether it was possible that the roots if made into 
cuttings possessed the same property as do roots of Sea 
Kale, Horse-radish, &c., and developed crowns. If such 
were the case it would lead to a very rapid increase of 
stock, as fresh plants could be thus produced in great 
abundance. Dielytras divide badly, as it is so difficult 
to retain portions of roots with single crowns. 
I have not tested the plan, but I think it is possible 
that were crowns, with but short pieces of root-stalk 
attached, dibbled up thickly into pans, or put singly 
into small pots, and stood in warmth, they would very 
soon become established ; then if later turned out in the 
open ground, would quickly form good clumps. Still 
even the process of crown-forming is a comparatively 
8low one. Just now the crowns are breaking up out¬ 
doors, and the appearance is pleasing, because of the 
reddish hue of the shoots. 
Apart from the beauty of the flowers, the plants from 
the first show much that is attractive, not only in the 
foliage, but in the elegant drooping habit of the 
branches. We rarely see Dielytras in full beauty when 
grown under glass ; the flowers fade quickly in warmth, 
and the plants are never so fine or effective as when 
grown naturally out in the open, or rather beneath 
trees, or in sheltered places where late spring frosts 
produce no harm. Strong clumps bloom for a very long 
time if caied for. 
If the finest racemes of flowers be cut for house 
decoration—and they are lovely in vases—others will 
break out from below, and the plant will thus be 
induced to flower over a longer season.— D. 
-- 
PHALiENOPSIS AT CLAPTON. 
In the Phalsenopsis house, close to the entrance, of the 
nursery of Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., there has been a 
fine display of the various species of Phaltcnopsis for 
some time past. When we saw them last week 
there were about 600 spikes of bloom, by far the greater 
proportion of which consisted of P. Schilleriana. 
Another long house is, however, devoted to the culti¬ 
vation of Moth Orchids, and there were also a number 
in bloom, including P. amabilis and P. rosea. 
Lovers of this class of Orchids should see the dis¬ 
play of P. Schilleriana while at its best, for there is a 
wonderful amount of variety. Some have long panicled 
scapes bearing numerous flowers without any evident 
mode of arrangement ; but others, again, confine them¬ 
selves to a double ranked scape, bearing the flowers so 
regularly in two rows and so close together as if the 
whole were an artificially made spray. The flowers 
themselves vary greatly in size, those on the two- 
ranked scapes being by far the largest. Now and again 
a sweet-scented variety crops up amongst them, and we 
noted one of them which strongly reminded us of the 
sweet odour emanating from P. violacea. The flowers 
of these fragrant individuals are never so large as those 
that are not odoriferous ; at least this has been the 
experience so far of the Messrs. Low, who have ample 
opportunities of ascertaining amongst the large impor¬ 
tations which they make. The large flowers have broad 
segments overlapping one another ; some have dark 
sepals and petals, others have a dark lip spotted with 
purple, with the lower side of the sepals more or less 
spotted also. 
Numbers of P. leucorhoda are dotted here and there 
through the house. The sepals and petals of this 
supposed hybrid resemble’ those of P. Schilleriana, 
while the marbled foliage is also comparable to that 
species. The triangular epichile of the lip is spotted 
with purple, and evidently owes its form to P. amabilis. 
The tails of the lip are of moderate length, so that 
P. amabilis may be considered the female, and 
P. Schilleriana the male parent. This order is reversed 
in P. Cynthia, another supposed natural hybrid. The 
flowers of this are paler than those of the last named, 
and the triangular epichile is closely spotted with 
purple, and has short tendrils. Other individuals have 
nearly white flowers, with the base of the epichile 
yellow, spotted purple. Still a third kind must be 
mentioned, and that is the recently-imported and named 
P. Curnowiana. The sepals and petals are of a pale 
rosy violet on the back, and white tinted with blush 
on the face ; they are entirely without spotting. The 
same applies- to the lip, for, with the exception of the 
bright yellow crest, it is pure white. The tails of the 
lip are of moderate length, and falcate. The leaves 
are marbled with grey above, and of a deep purple on 
the back, as in P. Schilleriana. It is quite distinct 
from P. Schilleriana alba, for the leaves of that variety 
are green on the back, and the scape, also is green. 
Standing here and there amongst the rest were 
flowering plants of P. amabilis, showing some amount 
of variation in the colour and markings of the lip ; 
while some had flowers of great size and almost pure 
white. Nor must we omit mentioning a variety named 
P. leucorhoda magnifies, with rosy violet sepals and 
petals, deepest along the centre. The triangular 
epichile of the lip was of a deep rose colour with 
long twisted tendrils. 
The whole of the plants are grown in baskets of 
moderate size, and are arranged on staging, consisting 
of shelves rising one above the other in tiers. The 
flower scapes are allowed to assume their natural arching 
habit, so that the plants beneath are overhung by the 
sprays of flowers from those next above them, and 
being mixed here and there with the white-flowered 
kinds, the effect is both graceful and charming. 
DEATH OP MR. PRANK OASEY. 
Following closely on the decease of Mr. John 
Dominy, it is with great regret we have to record the 
very sudden death, at the early age of fifty-five years, 
of Mr. Frank Casey, of The Nursery, Upper Clapton, 
whose kindly disposition and genial bonhomie will be 
greatly missed by his large circle of acquaintances in 
the horticultural world. Mr. Casey left home shortly 
after noon on Thursday the 19th inst., apparently in his 
usual good health and spirits, and suddenly fell 
down in Liverpool Street Station while entering the 
train on his return home in the evening, expiring 
immediately. At the inquest held on the 24th inst., 
the medical evidence showed death to have resulted 
from syncope, consequent on fatty degeneration of the 
heart. 
Francis Linnreus Casey was born near Youghal, 
Ireland, about the year 1836, and as his name indicates, 
was connected with horticulture from the cradle. One 
of a family of eleven children, of whom two brothers, 
'William and James, have been for many years and 
still are connected with the Clapton Nursery, he 
received his early training from his father at home, but 
his energetic character soon drove him to seek a larger 
sphere of action, and crossing to England he obtained 
a situation with Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, St. 
John’s Wood, when about the age of eighteen. At the 
Wellington Road Nurseries young Casey remained 
for some eight years, and in February, 1862, entered 
the service of Messrs. Hugh Low &Co., of Clapton 
Nursery. Commencing under Mr. Hugh Low, the 
founder of the firm, he, one of a band of willing helpers, 
most of whom are still living, for twenty-eight years 
worked shoulder to shoulder with the late Mr. Stuart 
H. Low, first as a salesman, and afterwards as general 
manager to the firm, and on the death of the latter 
gentleman in April last, continued his faithful service 
on behalf of the sons, who by his death lose not only a 
valued servant of the family for three generations, but 
a dear and trusted friend. His kindly nature endeared 
him to all with whom he came in contact, and it may 
be said of him that he was one of those few men who 
pass away without leaving an enemy behind them; 
while none who knew him intimately will receive the 
news of his decease without feeling they have lost a 
true friend. The funeral took place at Kensal Green 
on Thursday, the 26th inst. 
-- 
Gtamiurjs Jjrum tip 
dj jSricnro. 
- -z* - 
Apples in India.— A good many native families in 
the district around the city of Bangalore, which is the 
head-quarters of the Government in Mysore, one of the 
native States of southern India, make their living by 
growing Apples. It is surprising to see what excellent 
fruit they raise from small stunted bushes, native 
grown. Apples when very scarce sell at the rate of 
about 4s. 6 d. to 6s. per dozen. The plants never 
become trees, as may easily be imagined when the 
natives plant them only 4 ft. to 5 ft. apart. There 
are about twenty varieties, including Rib3ton Pippin, 
Dutch CodliD, and other well-known kinds. Amongst 
the natives they are universally known by their 
numbers only. The city of Bangalore stands in the 
centre of the Mysore table land, at an elevation of 
3,113 ft. above sea-level.— Kew Bulletin. 
The Origin of Cryptogamic Plants. — An 
interesting paper on “Plant Life” was lately read by Mr. 
Morris Miles, bon. secretary of the Southampton 
Literary and Philosophic Society. The author advo¬ 
cated the exhaustive study of the lowest foims of 
vegetable life as offering a simple epitome of the 
physiological processes of more complex forms. He 
also sketched with much ability the geological story of 
the cryptogams, and expressed his opinion that the 
whole of the cryptogamic tribes, being fertilised by 
free-swimming motile cells, were originally of aquatic 
origin, and that they still pursue the modes of repro¬ 
duction common to their ancestors. — Science Gossip. 
European Leaf-roller in America. —As in the 
case of several other European insects, Cacoecia rosana 
has found its way to America just in the same way as 
some American pests are reputed to have found their 
way here. In the case under notice it is probable that 
it reached America by means of eggs deposited on Rose 
bushes, or other shrubs or trees which have been con¬ 
veyed from this country or from Continental Europe 
to America. Already it is common in some parts of 
the latter country, but hitherto, according to the 
Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station, 
Cornell University, America, it has only been detected 
on Black Currant bushes. During experiments, some 
eggs which had been collected, hatched out, and no 
Black Currants bushes being at hand, the larvae were 
tried on the Red Currant, and they were quite satisfied. 
As they roll up the leaves, amongst which they live 
for protection, no insecticides can be applied for their 
destruction. It is recommended to prune the bushes 
affected, and burn the shoots bearing irregular pads of 
leaves at their tip so as to destroy the larvs. 
The Average Life of a Tomato.— The Tomato 
is one of the most variable and inconstant of kitchen 
garden plants. As a rule varieties differ but slightly 
from their allies, and a considerable plantation and a 
critical eye are needed to determine many of even the 
common sorts. It is certainly true that at least half 
of the varieties which have been offered in the last few 
years are practically the same as other varieties. 
Tomatos are, as a rule, short lived. Ten years may be 
considered the average profitable life of a variety, and 
many sorts break up and disappear in two or three 
years. This inconstancy of type is largely due, no 
doubt, to the haste with which new sorts are put upon 
the market. A variety should be selected and carefully 
handled for some time before it is offered to the 
public.— Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment 
Station, Cornell University. 
