424 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Narcli 2, 1889. 
yellow, and the blotches of a deep chestnut-brown on 
all the segments, including the lip, where the blotch is 
of great size. Taking all things together, then, the 
variety is a very fine one, especially as far as the colour 
is concerned. 
The Collection at St. Leonards hill, 
Dunfermline. 
Year by year Mr. Beveridge’s collection steadily 
improves, and a casual glance round at once convinces 
the visitor that Mr. Grant, the enthusiastic cultivator, 
knows what he is about. A note of what are in flower 
may be of interest to some of your Orchid readers:— 
Angrsecum sesquipedale, Ccelogyne cristata, several fine 
plants in good varieties; Cypripedium Argus, C. insigne, 
C. punctatum violaceum, and C. venustum ; Dendrobium 
heterocarpum, D. Kingianum, D. Wardianum, and D. 
nobile ; Lycaste Skinneri, some very dark varieties ; 
Masdevallia triangularis, in a small pot with over 
seventy flowers ; Odontoglossum Alexandra, 0. roseum, 
0. constrictum, 0. pulchellum, 0. Pescatorei, some of 
the latter with between seventy and eighty flowers on 
a spike ; 0. Rossii majus, all in hanging baskets ; 
0. triumphans, Sophronitis grandiflora, Oncidium 
Cavendishianum, 0. incurvum, with forty flowers on 
each spike ; and Pilumna fragrans. The following 
though not yet in flower are promising well:—Oncidium 
obryzatum has a spike 6 ft. long with twelve branches ; 
O. altissimum. which had 465 flowers on three spikes 
last year, promises this season to be quite as good. 
The Cattleyas look well, having grand bulbs and 
fine dark healthy foliage ; they are bound to flower 
satisfactorily.— P. D., February 20 111, 1SS9. 
Oncidium sphacelatum. 
The flowers of this vigorously-growing species are 
produced in large panicles late in spring or early in 
summer according to treatment. It does best grown 
in a pot with peat and sphagnum, and produces an 
ample quantity of leaves, of considerable length and 
of a pleasing light green colour. The flowers indi¬ 
vidually are above the middle size for an Oncidium, so 
that a single panicle has a very pleasing effect; but a 
good-sized plant produces several or even many spikes, 
which all expand their flowers at the same time. They 
are of a bright yellow, with transverse bands of deep 
chestnut-brown across the sepals and petals, and the 
lip is also marked with the same colour on and around 
the crest. The specific name means scorched, which 
evidently refers to the appearance of the bracts, which 
are large, prominent, and of a brownish straw, with a 
scorched appearance. A remarkable feature of the 
plant is the length of time between the first appearance 
of the flower-spikes and the expansion of the blooms. 
A large and healthy plant at The Grove, Teddmgton, 
has been developing its flower-stems for more than two 
months past, and will not bloom for many weeks to 
come. 
Odontoglossum Rossu Humeanum. 
In this we have one of the most distinct forms of the 
popular 0. Rossii, and which if more plentiful would 
find its way into many collections. Individual 
plants show considerable variation, and we have seen a 
pretty variety in the collection of Messrs. Shuttleworth, 
Carder & Co. The sepals were heavily blotched with 
brown on a yellow ground ; the petals, on the other 
hand, exhibited a pale but distinct sulphur-yellow 
throughout, with the exception of two or three brown 
blotches at the very base. The white lip was crenate 
at the margin, with the crest of a bright lemon-yellow. 
Other specimens flowering in another house had petals 
of a much darker yellow. 
-->$<-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE STOVE. 
Propagation of Fine-foliaged Plants.— For next 
summer’s work no better time than the present could 
be selected for rooting a supply of young stuff. 
Dractenas that have become tall and leggy may be 
ringed or cut underneath the leafy top, and be mossed 
round or put between two halves of a pot till they 
emit roots, when they may be severed and potted up ; 
or the whole top may be cut off and plunged in a brisk 
bottom heat, in a propagating case, if the cultivator 
has such at his command. Thus treated they will form 
roots in a few weeks, without the loss of any except 
the very oldest leaves. If a large stock is required the 
old stems may be laid on their sides and covered with 
coco-nut fibre in a propagating pit. Numerous buds 
will in the course of time be thrown up, and may be taken 
off and treated as cuttings. In the case of coloured 
varieties, such as D. terminalis, the plants obtained in 
this way are green at first, and require some time to 
acquire their normal colour. Large cuttings of Crotons 
rooted with all except the lowermost leaf or two will 
make nice plants in a short time. Take off well- 
coloured suckers of Pandanus Veitchii as they become 
fit, inserting them as cuttings. Likewise propagate 
P. javanicus variegatus, P. gramineus, variegated Pine 
Apple, and Aspidistra lurida variegata. The latter 
must be propagated by division of the crowns. Some 
of the Palms, such as Rhapis flabelliformis and Areca 
lutescens may also be propagated by removing partly- 
rooted suckers. Ficus elastica variegata may be 
readily increased from eyes, retaining the leaf to each, 
and securing it to a small stake to keep it steady. 
Salvias. —The plants of these that were cut down 
some time ago and placed in heat will now have made 
shoots sufficiently long to be inserted as cuttings. A 
pot or two of these, of each kind, will supply enough 
for the requirements of most private establishments. 
Gesneras, Achimenes, &c. —Batches of Gesneraceous 
subjects, if the tuber3 and rhizomes are introduced to 
heat now, will come into flower in the early part of 
summer. Achimenes may receive a watering and be 
allowed to start before being put into pots, pans, or 
baskets, as the case may be, when they may be sorted 
and arranged according to their strength. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Peaches. —The earliest house should not be kept at a 
higher night temperature than 60°; in fact, if allowed 
to fall a little lower it will be advantageous rather than 
otherwise to the young fruit which has now commenced 
to stone. If growth is hastened at this period, many 
of the fruits will drop or become imperfect. The 
weather is now tolerably mild, and a little air both top 
and bottom may with more safety be left on at night. 
Work in later houses where the trees are just passing 
out of flower, will consist in attending to disbudding 
from time to time, and the syringing of the trees, 
morning and afternoon. The light being stronger, 
there will be less risk in obtaining a good set of fruit 
in those houses where the buds are not yet expanded or 
just opened. Ventilate freely and keep the atmosphere 
of the house dry so as to assist in the dispersion of the 
pollen. 
Roses. —Tea Roses, Hybrid Perpetuals, and Noisettes 
in pots, if introduced to a house with an intermediate 
temperature, will now start away readily, and if 
allowed to come on gradually will make useful stuff for 
the decoration of the conservatory. The flowers prove 
much more durable than when the plants are subjected 
to hard forcing earlier in the season when light is 
deficient. Ventilate freely, syringe on fine days, and 
keep a watchful eye on aphis and other insect pests. 
Assist with manure water. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Fruit Trees. —Complete without delay any pruning 
of Apples and Pears that has from some cause or other 
been left undone. Planting] should also be hastened 
and completed before the buds become too far advanced. 
This is more especially applicable to Pears than Apples, 
particularly in the case of varieties that push their buds 
early. In northern districts, planting is frequently 
deferred till well into spring, and it is not infrequently 
the case that the trees are heeled into the soil to await 
a convenient period. All this time, however, the trees 
are losing, and must be later in starting into growth 
than those planted earlier. Head down those trees 
intended to be grafted with better kinds. Good healthy 
trees are to be preferred for the purpose, and only loss 
of time and waste of space can accrue to the grafting of 
old and decaying stocks. 
Sea Kale, Horse Radish, &c. —Make fresh planta¬ 
tions of these without further delay, as good results 
cannot be obtained if neglected till the roots are making 
fresh growth and pushing their crowns. 
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LAW NOTES. 
Important Prosecution for Dyeing Clover Seed. 
At the Southwark Police Court, on Thursday, February 
21st, 1889, before Mr. Sheil, John Matthews, of 53 
and 54, New Church Street, Bermondsey, was sum¬ 
moned under the Seeds Adulteration Act for dyeing 
Clover seed. Mr. J. P. Grain (instructed by Mr. C. 
Butcher, solicitor for the Nursery and Seed Trade Asso¬ 
ciation, Limited) prosecuted ; and Mr. Slater, solicitor, 
defended. Mr. Grain, in opening the case, said :— 
This is a summons for dyeing, or causing to be dyed, 
certain seed on or about the 29th and 30th January 
last, the seed being Clover seed. The prosecution is 
taken up by some of the largest seed merchants in 
Mark Lane, and the reason for its being taken up is 
that for many years past very great frauds have been 
going on in reference more particularly to Clover seed, 
which is a very expensive article, and a seed which 
very rapidly deteriorates. Clover seed is of great 
value, and when sown should, as a rule, germinate to 
the extent of 90 per cent. If it is mixed with old seed 
there is a very large diminution of the germinating 
power ; therefore, it is not only a question of defrauding 
the seed merchant (because, of course, if they could 
dye old Clover seed to give it the appearance of new, 
they are enabled to undersell the bond fide merchants 
dealing in that article), but it is also defrauding the 
farmers who purchase from the merchant, because when 
they have sown their seed, instead of coming up in the 
proper way, it does not come up at all. The process 
which has been adopted for a long time has been to 
buy up old worn-out Clover seed, and submit it to a 
certain process of dyeing, which will be explained to 
you in the evidence. This having gone on for some 
time, the large merchants in the trade made up their 
minds to put a stop to it, and we availed ourselves of 
an informer in the matter—that is to say a person 
who had been connected with the defendant in sending 
old seeds to him to be dyed for the purpose of selling it 
as new seed. The course adopted was this—Messrs. 
Hurst & Son, who are very large seed merchants, and 
others in connection with them, purchased three sacks 
of old Clover seed from a firm, and it was consigned 
through the Great Western Railway Company to a 
person of the name of Titchmarsh, who is the informer ; 
and in order that the matter should not become known 
to the defendant it was sent first of all to Plymouth, 
where Titchmarsh had been carrying on some business. 
From Plymouth it was sent back again to Paddington 
to the order of Titchmarsh, and the old Clover seed was 
sampled at Paddington by a clerk of Messrs. Hurst & 
Son in the presence of the officials of the Great Western 
Railway Company. These samples will be produced. 
Thence from the Great Western Railway Company the 
seed was sent by the Great Western Railway Company’s 
carts to Mr. Matthews, the defendant, at his place of 
business, which is at 53 and 54, New Church Street, 
Bermondsey. Prior to that, Titchmarsh had written to 
the foreman of the defendant, named Foster (who has 
been subpoenaed), a letter, and an answer was received 
by Titchmarsh in these terms :— 
“ Mr. Titchmarsh, January 7th, 1889. Dear Sir,—I 
was very much surprised to hear from you. They put 
it about you had gone to America with old Robinson. 
I have sent you four samples of R. C. and W. C. (Red 
Clover and White Clover). We shall be happy to do 
anything for your firm. I have not told Mr. Matthews 
I received a letter from you. I have not got anything 
to offer. I hope you will try and send me £2 or £3 off 
the old account. It would come in handy just now. 
The trade is getting busy ; prices are very firm. It will 
be a good season. Wishing you a happy new year, I 
remain, yours truly, C. Foster, 28, New Cross Road, 
Hatcham, London, S.E.” 
Mr. Sheil : What is Mr. Matthews ? 
Mr. Grain : Beyond the trade he carries on, I don’t 
know ; he has some premises, and I believe his business 
is to carry on the dyeing of seeds. The seed arrived 
back from Plymouth on 29th January, and Titchmarsh, 
on the 28th, went to the premises of Mr. Matthews, 
and saw Foster and some other person of the name of 
Matthews—a relative of the defendant—and it was 
arranged that the seed which was coming from the 
Great Western Railway was to be dyed, and to be given 
the appearance of new Clover seed. That will be 
detailed by Titchmarsh. This was done between the 
29th and 30th January, and then Titchmarsh went and 
inspected the seed at Mr. Matthews’ premises, and 
thought it was not of a sufficiently bright colour, and 
he then agreed to pay an extra price per cwt. for the 
process to be gone through again, in order that it might 
be made to look like the real new Clover seed. That 
was done, and if was arranged that the seed, when 
done, should be sent by Matthews back again to the 
Great Western Railway Company. It was so sent back 
in its dyed state, and the officials from the Great 
Western Railway Company are here to prove they 
received it. When they received it a gentleman was 
there representing the prosecution, and askilled witness, 
who will be called—Professor Dyer, a public analyst— 
who took samples at the Great Western Railway, had 
them sealed up, and left them in the possession of the 
Great Western Railway Company, and also took some 
himself. He will tell you undoubtedly that this seed 
has been subjected to a process of colouring, and describe 
to you how it is done, and that it is, in fact, fraudulent 
seed, which is really the charge made against the 
defendant. The invoice for tne dyeing of the seed, 
with the additional price for giving it a brighter colour, 
was sent, and before me is the invoice of Mr. Matthews, 
who describes himself as hop and seed warehouseman, 
53 and 54, New Church Street, Bermondsey, and 
charges Mr. Titchmarsh £1 6s. for cleaning the seed, 
and carrying it back to the Great Western Railway. A 
receipt was given, which will be produced. There is no 
dispute about the fact of our having employed one who 
himself has been guilty before now of selling the seed 
again. We purposely employed him, but without his 
evidence we can satisfy you that the defendant has 
brought himself within the provisions of this Act. 
Evidence was then called to prove the various facts 
detailed by Mr. Grain. 
The defence was that Mr. Matthews himself had 
nothing to do with it. 
Mr. Sheil : If it was done on Mr. Matthews’ 
premises I shall hold him liable. 
