October 13, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
105 
Cotyledon (Echeveria) metallica, Aloe frutescens and 
similar subjects do not keep well during autumn and 
winter if they have been in any way injured by frost. 
If already in pots they will suffer less inconvenience by 
removal than those which have been planted out. It 
may be necessary to place the latter in a warm house 
for a time till they take fresh root. In any case they 
must be kept very dry to prevent damping. Cotyledon 
(Echeveria) secunda glauca is nearly hardy, but suffers 
greatly from damp, so that it must be planted in a 
cold frame where it can be well ventilated on all 
favourable occasions, and kept thoroughly dry amongst 
the leaves, otherwise the latter are liable to damp off, 
commencing at the crown. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —The trees in the earliest 
houses will now be leafless or nearly so, and when that 
has happened may be pruned. If they have been 
carefully attended to while making their growth, little 
pruning, however, will be required. In some cases the 
sashes are entirely removed after the crop has been 
gathered, while at other places the sashes are merely 
kept wide open. In view of the recent bad weather, 
the sashes in the former case should be got in readiness 
to put on if required. But unless the weather is 
thoroughly bad there is little necessity for putting on 
the sashes till the end of the month. As the young 
wood gets ripened in later houses fire-heat may be 
discontinued. 
Melons. —Owing to the want of light and, above 
all, sunshine, it is altogether unprofitable to cultivate 
Melons in winter, even when a crop can be secured at 
all. With fair weather, however, and a tolerable 
amount of sunshine, Melons of moderately good flavour 
may be ripened up to the end of next month. As 
fruits advance towards maturity, the atmosphere of the 
house should be kept tolerably dry, damping the paths 
only during the middle of fine days so as to maintain 
the plants in a healthy vigorous condition. During 
fine weather they will stand a deal more forcing than 
when the light is bad. A temperature of 70° to 75° 
may be allowed at night under these conditions, with 
a rise of 10° by sun-heat. 
Cucumbers. —Where young plants were put in 
during the earlier days of August, they will now be 
approaching the bearing stage. If a continuous supply 
is required from these, every attention must be given 
them in the way of surface dressing, so as to encourage 
root action. Heavy crops should not be allowed at 
any time, otherwise the plants soon become exhausted. 
If there are two or more batches coming on, of 
course the most forward may be allowed to bear heavily, 
if any of the batches are in a backward condition, they 
may be urged onward while the light is still good, in 
order to get them into a strong and vigorous condition, 
so that fruit-bearing by them may be possible. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Eruit Collecting. — As the season advances, and 
frosty nights become more common, every attention 
should be given to the ingathering of fruit in dry and 
sound condition as soon as fit for storing. Pears that 
are now ready, or almost so, include Beurre Hardy, 
Marechal de la Cour, Fondante de Automne, Marie 
Louise, Comte de Lamy, Beurre Superfin, Beurre Diel, 
Beurre Bose, Louise Bonne (of Jersey), Seckle, and 
Pitmaston Duchesse d’Angouleme. Amongst Apples, 
gather as soon as in proper condition Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, Kerry Pippin, King of the Pippins, Alexander, 
Cellini, Golden Noble, Mank’s Codlin, Wormsley 
Pippin, Ribston Pippin, Margil, and Blenheim Orange. 
General Work. —Continue to earth up late Celery, 
as much growth has lately been made. Clear away all 
Vegetable Marrows, French Beans, Scarlet Runners, 
and such other things as have been cut down by frost. 
Keep the hoe going amongst growing and winter crops, 
and clear away all weeds before they scatter their seeds 
on the ground. 
-►»$«-- 
ORCHID DOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
At this season the Calanthes of the Veitchii and Vestita 
section having completed their growths should be 
placed in a light, warm, airy situation where they can 
get a little sunlight to aid in ripening them, a restricted 
supply of water being given until the flowering is over, 
when it should be altogether withheld. During the 
decaying of the leaves and until the flowers are open 
these are not attractive-looking plants, but they amply 
repay afterwards with their bright flowers in the dullest 
season. Catasetums, Cycnoches and Mormodes which 
have fully made-up bulbs should be treated in a like 
manner, very little water being given. Deciduous 
Dendrobes which have completed their growth should 
be removed to a cool and airy house when they are 
ready, and placed in the sun. Before removal from 
the warm house it is better to let them get dry there, 
as they feel the change less than if removed wet. 
The roller blinds will not be wanted down now on 
any of these houses, except on rare occasions. — 
James O'Brien. 
Orchids during Summer. 
The effects of the past sunless summer are very 
apparent amongst Orchids by the inferior size and 
quantity of the blooms that have been borne. This is 
not to be wondered at, for it is the very essence and 
soul of this class of plants to revel in sunlight. Most 
of the Odontoglossums no doubt have benefited by the 
dull weather ; 0. grande certainly has not. Bulbs that 
normally should have sent out a spike of five or six 
flowers have borne only one or two at most, and even 
then of very inferior size, but this plant delights in 
almost unclouded sunshine. Even Cypripediums have 
been far less floriferous than usual, proving that, like 
everything else, they have felt the want of the sun. 
Those growers who affect to ignore the use of artificial 
heat during summer time must have experienced a bad 
time of it. 
A recourse to artificial heat has been imperative. 
During an ordinary summer this is hardly necessary, 
yet even then it is wise to steer a medium course. 
After such an abnormal summer, the winter will prove 
a trying one for Orchids. Unripened bulbs and incom¬ 
plete growths will require well looking after. It is to 
be hoped that we shall experience few such seasons as 
the summer we have passed through, although vege¬ 
tation generally appears to be none the worse for it.— 
Henry Tacy Beck. 
L/elia purpurata Russelliana. 
A fine example of this beautiful variety, which is so 
distinct that it was named L. Russelliana originally, is 
now in flower in the Orchid houses of the Liverpool 
Horticultural Company, Garston, Liverpool. It is the 
most beautiful of light-coloured Purpuratas. The sepals 
and petals are white, with a faint pearly tint; the front 
portion of the finely formed labellum is lavender, the 
disc beyond bright light rose, the throat yellow, the 
whole inside of the labellum being beautifully veined 
with dark rose. Other fine forms of L. purpurata are 
also in bloom, some of the light-petalled forms having 
unusually rich maroon labellums tipped with rose. 
Aspasia lunata. 
This pretty species is also now in flower at Garston. 
Although an old plant it is little known. The sepals 
and petals are greenish, blotched with chocolate, and 
the showy inch-wide lip white, with violet median 
area. 
L/elia porphyrites. 
The pseudo-bulbs of this new Laelia are rather slender, 
about 3 ins. or 4 ins. long, and bear at the apex two 
oblong, leathery, shining leaves. The plant is supposed 
to be a natural hybrid, with the dwarf habit of L. 
pumila, and has flowers about the same size but very 
different in colour. The sepals and petals are of a soft 
rosy purple, with darker veins ; while the three-lobed 
labellum is mostly of a rich crimson-purple ; towards 
the base of the tube externally it fades to a soft rose. 
Exhibited by Mr. Ballantine, gardener to Baron 
Schroder, and awarded a First-class Certificate on 
Tuesday. 
-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural.— October 9th. 
The severe weather told badly on the extent of the 
exhibition, and the number of the exhibits at the 
meeting on Tuesday last. The sharp frosts with which 
we had been visited for some days past, ranging from 
8 ° to 13°, had destroyed the Dahlias, for which the 
previous meeting was notable, and hardy flowers in 
general, so that all of these were conspicuous by their 
absence. The two largest groups consisted of Ferns 
and Plums, both of which were extensive in variety. 
Only one Orchid made its appearance, the cold weather 
having kept such things at home. 
A Silver-gilt Banksian Medal was awarded to 
Mr. H. B. May, Dyson’s Lane Nurseries, Upper 
Edmonton, for a magnificent group of Ferns, extending 
along the whole length of one side of the hall. The 
specimens exhibited were very choice, few duplicates 
being shown and they were also large, well grown, 
and finely coloured, each according to its kind. 
Conspicuous amongst others were the Adiantums, 
including A. Farleyense, A. tetraphyllum gracile, A. 
reniforme, A. Weigandi, A. Capillus-Veneris cornu- 
biense and many other fine varieties, A. Fergusoni, 
and others. The Davallias were represented by such 
fine things as D. elegans, D. Mooreana, D. Tyer- 
manni, D. affinis, D. bullata, &c. The species of Pteris 
were numerous, and included P. geranifolia (otherwise 
known as Doryopteris geranifolia), P. cretica Mayi, 
P. hastata adiantoides, P. tremula grandiceps. Others 
picked at random will show that Mr. May only 
exhibits such as will sell in the market, and not useless 
curiosities. Very pretty were Cheilanthes elegans, 
Nothochlsena chrysophylla, Anemidictyon phyllitides, 
Asplenium Baptistii with its jagged pinnae, A. bulbi- 
ferum in many forms, A. Belangeri, Nephrolepis 
Bausei, N. Duffii, Doryopteris palmata, Osmunda 
regalis palustris, Pelaea tenuifolia, and others too 
numerous to mention. They were also effectively 
arranged. 
A small group of various interesting subjects, in¬ 
cluding a group of Begonia John Neal, the type of the 
new winter-flowering Begonias, was shown by Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, they being dwarf and finely 
flowered. They also showed a fine basket of Bouvardia 
President Cleveland, plants of Amasonia calycina, 
Amaryllis Autumn Beauty, Canna Ulrich Brunner, 
and Nepenthes Dicksoniana. Some double-flowered 
tuberous Begonias in pots were shown by Messrs. 
H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent. These were 
Camelliffiflora, rose ; Mrs. Stark, pale yellow ; Mrs. 
Larkman ; Mrs. Brunner, pink; Hon. Mrs. Byron, 
rose-pink ; and General Chichester. Messrs. John 
Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, showed four stands of cut 
blooms of single tuberous Begonias, showing a remark¬ 
able number of shades of colour, some being par¬ 
ticularly bright, others delicate. A vote of thanks was 
awarded them. The executors of Henry Walton, Edgend 
Nurseries, near Burnley, exhibited a group of Adiantum 
Farleyense, being part of a large number of seedlings 
raised from spores. The latter were sown on the 23rd 
of February, 1887, and took about six months to 
germinate. The spores were taken from a plant in the 
possession of Edward Ecroyd, Esq., Edgend House, 
Burnley, Lancashire. A vote of thanks was awarded 
to Mr. C. Fordy, Warkworth, Northumberland, for 
some seedling Gladioli. Messrs. William Paul & Son, 
Waltham Cross, exhibited an H.P. Rose, named 
Denmark, sent from Elsinore, which was of a soft 
rose colour. Nerine coruscans was shown by Mr. S. 
Ford, The Gardens, Leonardslee, Horsham. 
At a meeting of the Fruit Committee, a Silver 
Banksian Medal was awarded to Messrs. J. Veitch & 
Sons, Chelsea, for a large collection of Plums, including 
five dishes of Pond’s Seedling, Goliath, Jefferson, Reine 
Claude de Bavay, Coe’s Golden Drop, Belle de Sep- 
tembre, Grand Duke, Kirke’s, White Magnum Bonum, 
and Cooper’s Lange. A large number of Damsons 
was also shown by them, including Blue Damson, 
White Damson, W T hite Bullace, Damas de Septembre, 
Winesour, Royale Bullace, Mirabelle Jardine, Poupart’s 
Plum, and others. William Roupell, Esq., Harvey 
Lodge, Roupell Park, was awarded a Cultural Com¬ 
mendation for a basket of Cannon Hall Muscat 
and Gros Colmar Grapes. They were splendid 
samples, both well-coloured and flavoured, and had 
been grown in 11-in. pots over hot-water pipes kept 
slightly warm. The same rods of Gros Colmar have 
borne for three years in succession. Plenty of foliage 
and air was explained as the cause of success. He also 
showed Black Hamburgh Grapes produced by Vines 
grown in an unheated greenhouse, where they have 
produced good crops for more than fifty years. Keir’s 
Black Hamburgh was brought up from the society’s 
gardens, at Chiswick. Lady Downshire, a large white- 
berried new seedling Grape, was shown by Mr. T. 
Bradshaw, Hillborough Castle, co. Down, Ireland. 
The berries seemed somewhat stained, otherwise they 
would have looked well. A white seedling Grape was 
also shown by Mr. C. Ross, Welford Park, Newbury. 
Late Duke Cherry was shown by Mr. G. Bolas, Hopton 
Hall Gardens, Wirksworth. Well-ripened and firm 
specimens of Carter’s New Model Onion, a cross between 
Rousham Park Hero and Magnum Bonum, were shown 
by Messrs. Carter & Co., High Holborn, London. Mr. 
R. Dean, of Ealing, exhibited two small plants of 
Laxton’s Open Air Tomato in pots, and heavily loaded 
with fruit. 
