360 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 2, 1889. 
different orders of plants. The first to be observed 
was the well-known Dionpea, or Venus’ Fly-trap, indi¬ 
genous to the southern United States, and the original 
mention of which we have in 1768. The leaves of this 
wonderful plant in figure resemble an ordinary rat-gin. 
Upon the palm of each lobe there are three green hair¬ 
like bodies, so exquisitely sensitive that the slightest 
touch causes the lobes to draw together, the fringes of 
strong bristles interlocking, so thatthe prisonerisdoomed 
for ever. I have many times watched the Dionpea im¬ 
prison a large fly. Shortly after 1768, attention was 
attracted in England to our own beautiful little Sundews, 
inhabitants in myriads of every peat bog. Withering 
tells us that in August, 1780, both the Drosera rotun- 
difolia and D. Anglica had been observed by a friend 
of his in Derbyshire to capture insects, just as we have 
all of us seen for ourselves upon Carrington Moss and 
Lindow Common, by means of the diamond-like but 
viscid drops at the extremities of the so-called hairs. 
“Hairs” they are not, but special prolongations of 
the substance of the leaf, very delicately organised, 
and exceedingly interesting when viewed with the 
microscope. Withering speculates upon the possi¬ 
bility of the Droseras putting their prey to some good 
use, in that case after the manner of the American 
Dionfea. 
Singular to say, from this time forward, the very 
minimum of attention seems to have been given either 
to the Dionpea or the Droseras for a very considerable 
period. At all events the notices in books are few and 
far between. I dealt with the subject in my Manchester 
Walks and Wildflowers, published in 1849, and 
hazarded the remark that the gaseous matter given off 
during the decay of the corpses of the captured insects 
might perhaps supply the plant with some kind of 
nutriment. I was greatly strengthened in my belief 
by finding that Sundews kept in saucers of wet bog- 
moss, and fed with fibres of raw beef, were decidedly 
fatter and happier than those in saucers alongside from 
which animal diet was withheld. 
But other plants addicted to fly-catching were mean¬ 
while becoming known. One of the earliest was that 
very pretty herbaceous perennial, the Tutsan-leaved 
Dogsbane (Apocynum androspemifolium), another North 
American, and a very old inhabitant of English gardens. 
The abundant pink flowers exhale, like the Azalea, a 
powerful honey-like odour, and to this may also be 
legitimately attributed, perhaps, the crowding to the 
plant of little flies. The spectacle when the plant is in 
full bloom, is enough to make one shudder. Such, at 
all events, was my own experience when possessed of a 
garden. Two or three, even four or five poor wretches 
may be seen fast, all at once, to a single flower, some 
dead already, others in mortal agony, striving by 
frantic efforts to disengage themselves. On a good- 
sized plant as many as fifty have been seen, simul¬ 
taneously, in this most miserable plight, hung up, as it 
were, in terrorem. The capture comes of the very 
peculiar structure of the flower, by which the harder the 
creature pulls more certainly is escape prevented. Doubt¬ 
less the process of fertilisation is furthered by what 
goes on, but it is rather hard upon the unsuspecting 
little visitors, benefactors at the same time, that they 
should have to starve to death in captivity. I have 
noticed that very small insects walk about in the 
flower with impunity, also that bees enter and depart 
without difficulty, and at their convenience. 
Yery soon, we may reasonably suppose, would follow 
observation of the now familiar Sarracenias, natives 
again of North America. The life history and the 
structure of these plants are both now so well known, 
especially to students and friends who have listened to 
my teaching at the Botanical Gardens and at local 
flower shows, that there is no need here to recapitulate 
the details. I may invite attention, however, to a 
specimen upon the table, out of which I scooped as 
many corpses as would half fill a tea-cup, with a wasp or 
two at the top, and an utterly humiliated dragon¬ 
fly, whose rash visit would have brought to mind, 
perhaps, had he been a reader of Dante, the famous 
and dreadful inscription over the entrance to Pluto’s 
world, 
“ All hope resign all ye who enter here.” 
Repetition is not needed either, in reference to those 
most wonderful productions of nature, the East Indian 
Pitcher plants, botanically called by the generic name 
of Nepenthes. Every particular respecting these has 
many times been given minutely at Old Trafford and 
elsewhere, and what may be desired is easily got from 
the text books. Observe, however, that there is a very 
curious pdant, with illustration before you, called 
Dischidia, one of the climbing Asclepiads, which also 
produces pitchers in figure not unlike those of the 
Nepenthes, but which are entirely destitute of cap¬ 
turing and retaining power. Insects go in, look round, 
and come out when they are so disposed. The use of 
the pitchers in the Dischidia seems to be purely that 
of water-tubs for private and personal comfort. 
Yery curious pitchers are produced by the Australian 
Cephalotus, a plant which I have also many times 
pointed out when at the Botanical Gardens, and with 
illustration now upon the table. The process of insect- 
capture appears to be much the same here as in the 
Nepenthes and the Sarracenia, and with similar results 
to the victims. 
Then we have that very elegant and desirable ever¬ 
green climber from South America, the Physianthus 
albens, another of the order Aselepiadacere, a plant 
producing wreaths of ivory-white and crispy flowers so 
abundantly throughout the summer and autumn that 
it ought to be found in every greenhouse. In the 
south of England it will grow out of doors. The 
flowers are again very fragrant, and abound in honey. 
Such is the construction, that in order to reach their 
sweet contents, any insect desirous of a taste has to 
insert its proboscis through a curious narrow cleft. 
But to withdraw it is quite another matter. This 
seems to be impossible. The insects chiefly captured 
are of the lepidopterous class. The plant is without 
question the most deadly of moth-traps. Six or eight, 
even as many as twenty, of the Plusia gamma in 
particular, may often be seen held fast in different 
parts. 
Upon peaty hill-sides we commonly find that very 
pretty flower which from its form and colour has been 
named the Snowdon Yiolet ; botanists call it the 
Pinguicula vulgaris. The leaves of this plant are so 
organised as to exude a clammy fluid, which implies 
insect-capture of the same general character. In pools 
of water we find its very near relative, the Utricularia, 
or Bladder Wort, so called from the number of little 
vesicles upon the branchlets. These vesicles, carefully 
examined, are found to be ingeniously organised 
traps, designed to capture animalcules, the decay of 
which, it is presumed, provides nourishment for the 
plant. 
I must also leave the subject of the digestion of the 
remains, expressing my belief only that assimilation, 
implying positive advantage to the plant, is by no 
means universal, perhaps quite the exception. Digestion 
may take place. Darwin and other writers insist that 
it does so. But it does not follow that there is 
assimilation of the products, unless in special cases, 
as that of the Droseras, when fed with beef. To find 
that there are insect-traps among plants and flowers, 
which still derive no sort of personal advantage from 
their action, would be in no degree more surprising 
than the fact that there are so many traps in human 
nature, in the shape of vicious longings and desires, 
which bring no advantage to the unfortunate men and 
women whose natures contain them, but only do 
mischief. Avarice, the love of drink, the passion for 
gambling, are the insect-eatchiDg plants of the human 
heart. Think not that the botanical plants and 
flowers capture and destroy purely with a view to 
deriving nourishment from what they kill. Their 
conduct is but another expression of the infirmities of 
human nature. There are more Azaleas and “ Venus’ 
Flytraps” in Manchester alone, than grow in gardens. 
-»>£<«- 
ffoTES ON UrUITS- 
Golden Noble Apple. 
Well-grown specimens of this Apple have a telling 
effect in a collection on the exhibition table. Its bold 
outline, as well as the clean and clear golden yellow 
skin, give it a tempting appearance, although it is only 
considered as a cooking Apple. The tine acidity which 
it possesses makes it particularly suitable for this 
purpose, and agreeable to the palate of most people. 
In the fresh state the flesh is yellowish, but when 
cooked it becomes of a clear amber, juicy and melting, 
still retaining its pleasant acidity. The fruit varies 
from a medium to a large size, and is freely produced 
on healthy well-grown trees. It succeeds remarkably 
well in the southern counties grown as a standard and 
not pruned in the ordinary acceptation of the term. 
If permitted to grow freely, and the weak or superfluous 
wood merely cut away from time to time, the fruits 
attain a large size and are produced in great quantity. 
It is in season from October to February when grown 
in the south, and ripens later as might be ex¬ 
pected when growm in the north, being yet in fine 
condition. 
ORCHID NO TES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Burford Lodge Collection. 
In Sir Trevor Lawrence’s superb collection at Burford 
Lodge something of great interest is always to be seen. 
At the present time amongst the many plants in 
flower, the following are worthy of notice, namely, 
the curious Bulbophyllum picturatum and B. auri- 
comum, many good Cypripedium callosum, C. calo- 
phyllum, C. Dauthieri, C. macrochilum, C. politum, 
C. Thibautianum, C. Warnerii, C. Williamsianum, 
very fine, reminding one of C. villosum and (J. 
Harrisianum, of which it appears to be a hybrid. 
Dendrobium splendidissimum is a gem, and is the 
best of the hybrids from the parentage of D. nobile 
and D. aureum, which are also the parents of D. 
Ainsworthii and D. Leechianum. Other fine hybrids 
are in flower between D. Findleyanum and D. Ains¬ 
worthii—one called D. Chrysodiscus being very dis¬ 
tinct, and a grand addition to the Dendrobium family, 
partaking of intermediate characters of its two parents. 
The recent importation of Oncidium splendidum is 
also partly in flower ; but the plants all vary more or 
less. They are, however, all types of 0. splendidum, 
the only difference being, as far as my memory serves 
me, that they are not all so compact in the spike, nor 
so rich in the colour of the labellum as the old 
variety ; but still they are good things, and those who 
purchased the imported plants will not regret having 
done so. The curious Saccolabium bellinum, from 
Burmah, in the way of S. calceolare, is also in flower, 
the blooms being larger than that variety. 
Many Cattleyas are showing for flower, also Lrelias, 
of which there are the latest novelties—the pure white 
form, Lrelia Hillii, L. anceps Schroder®, L. a. Dawsoni, 
many forms of Cattleya Percivaliana, a fine C. Triante, 
just open ; Odontoglossum Sanderianum, many forms 
of 0. Alexandra, 0. Andersonianum, 0. aspersum, 
0. gloriosum, 0. cucullatum, 0. Rossii majus, Lyeaste 
Skinneri, and several Masdevallias, both of the 
Chimerse section and M. Harryana, make an interesting 
and imposing display at this dull season of the year. 
Some fine hybrid Calanthes are just past flowering, and 
judging from the few blooms left, I should say there are 
some very fine things amongst them.— Rastieus. 
Odontoglossum blandum. 
This charming Odontoglossum is always admired by 
lovers of the genus not only for its chaste colouring, 
but also for its deliciously fragrant flowers. Owing to 
the difficulty in getting it imported to this country in 
a living state, it is still very scarce, and seldom met with 
in collections ; and when it is seen it is generally in a 
small state, little plants with one solitary spike bearing 
six to eight flowers. Being a great favourite of mine, 
T was much gratified the other day on receiving, through 
the kindness of Mr. W. Sharp, gardener to A. Curie, 
Esq., Prior wood, Melrose, a spike of fifteen flowers of 
large size and good form. I was prepared to hear of 
exceptional returns from such well-grown plants as I 
saw there last August, aud which I described in your 
columns at the time, but I was scarcely prepared to 
hear of specimens bearing thirty spikes, yet such is the 
.case, and it is probably the best result yet obtained. 
Mr. Sharp has reason to be proud of his success with 
this little gem. A good many growers have lost their 
plants of 0. blandum by keeping them too dry. It 
delights in an abundance of moisture, as in its native 
country, New Granada, at an elevation of 6,000 ft., 
the atmosphere is continually charged with moisture, 
hence the difficulty in getting the plants imported 
alive.— R. C. Fraser, Ardarroch. 
Odontoglossum crispum. 
Along with the spike of 0. blandum, alluded to above, 
I received a flower of a variety of 0. crispum, perfect 
in shape, of great substance, and of a shade of colour I 
have not previously noticed in this species. The 
ground-work is pure white, shaded with a delicate tint 
of mauve, which has a beautiful effect, the whole 
flower being densely spotted with a bright reddish 
brown. Perhaps the most interesting feature about 
this grand variety is the fact that the flower before me 
is one of forty on the same spike. No wonder 
0. crispum is universally admired. —R. C. Fraser. 
The Camden Wood Collection. 
Although situated on a hill at Chislehurst, Mr. 
Vanner’s garden does not quite escape the fogs, and on 
the 8th ult. he lost a good many of his Orchid flowers ; 
but there is now a nice show, comprising Phalrenopsids 
and Cypripedes in variety, and two good plants of 
Spathoglottis Ivimballiana are coming on. There are 
also several good forms of Cattleya Percivaliana, good 
