168 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 14, 1891. 
Tomatos, Satisfaction Potatos, etc. The other 
awards went to Mr. C. J. Waite, Glenhurst, Mr. S. 
Haines, Coleshill, and Mr. A. Miller. 
Messrs. Webb & Son's special prizes for a collec¬ 
tion of six dishes of vegetables went to Mr. A. Mil¬ 
ler, Mr. Lye, Mr. Waite, and Mr. Ridgewell, the 
first-named having first-rate samples of Snowdrop 
Potatos, Perfection Tomatos, Rousham Park Hero 
Onions, Autumn Giant Cauliflowers, and Webb’s 
Matchless Brussel Sprouts. This also was a capital 
class. 
Mr. C. Fidler, of Reading, also offered special 
prizes in three classes for Potatos, and was rewarded 
with an excellent display of the special varieties 
identified with his name. Mr. Wiles secured the 
whole of the premier awards in these competitions, 
his twelve consisting of very superior samples of 
Marvel, Mr. Bresel, Satisfaction, Purple Perfection, 
Fidler's Seedling, white, Edgcote Purple, Fidler’s 
Onwards, Pink Perfection, and Fidler's Alpha. Mr. 
Ridgewell was second in two of the classes, and Mr- 
Peckover in the third. 
Mr. Whitehead Cousins also offered prizes for 
nine varieties of white skinned Potatos sent out 
wdthin the last three years. The first also went to Mr. 
Wiles for Alpha, Holborn Reliance, Wonderful, 
Marvel, Purity, White Rose, Edgcote Early, 
Advancer, and Windsor Castle. 
. 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural, November loth .—The counter 
attractions “over the way" brought about a thin meet¬ 
ing of the usual attendants, and a correspondingly 
attenuated display of exhibits at the Drill Hall on 
Tuesday. The special features were a most interest¬ 
ing group of Orchids, from Messrs. B. S. Williams 
& Son ; one or two striking new Orchids, and a few 
Chrysanthemums. The successful winners of prizes 
for Chrysanthemums in pots were Mr. Vince, of the 
Highgate Cemetery, and Mr. J. Weston, gardener 
to D. Martineau, Esq., Clapham, but none of the 
exhibits call for special comment. Messrs. Cannell 
& Sons took a Bronze Banksian Medal for a box of 
forty-one cut blooms of Louis Boehmer Chry¬ 
santhemum. From the Royal Gardens, Kew, came 
a small collection of single and Japanese Chry¬ 
santhemums in pots, conspicuous among which were 
well flowered bushes of the single variety, Mary 
Anderson, a sort of glorified Marguerite, worthy of 
extensive cultivation ; and Miss Rose, another single 
variety, resembling a -fully opened [Rhodanthe 
nearer than anything else we can compare it to. 
Messrs. Paul & Son exhibited some nine or ten 
species and varieties of Cypripedium of the C. 
insigne type. Mr. Wythes, gardener, Syon House, 
received a Silver Banksian Medal for a fine group of 
well flowered Chrysanthemums. From Lord Roths¬ 
child, Tring Park (gardener, Mr. Hill), came a very 
fine photograph of a specimen of Vanda coerulea, 
bearing fourteen spikes, and which measured 3ft. gin. 
by 2 ft. 6 in., a very fine production. Several new 
plants were certificated, but descriptions of them we 
must hold over until next week. 
At the meeting of the Fruit Committee there were 
exhibited from the Society’s gardens, collections of 
Pears and Carrots. Mr. Myles, gardener at Appley 
Towers, Isle of Wight, received a Cultural Commen¬ 
dation for fine examples of his new late Grapes, 
Appley Towers, black, and Lady Hutt, white. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., Rothesay, received a Bronze 
Medal for twelve very fine examples of their 
Champion Leek, Curled Parsley, and striped French 
Marigolds. The former were especially fine, show¬ 
ing 15 in. of blanched stem, quite 2 in. in diameter. 
_ ♦ 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
The principal work amongst Orchids, at this season 
will be keeping the plants clean and paying attention 
to watering. The cool Odontoglossums require plenty 
of moisture all the year round, and the Sphagnum 
on the pots should be kept green and growing, 
decaying material being injurious to the plants. On 
bright days the plants should be syringed overhead, 
and the stages kept well damped down. I have 
adopted the plan for some years now of planting 
the stages on which the Orchids stand with some 
green foliage plant, but so far I have found 
Selaginella Kraussiana and the green Tradescantia 
the most suitable. The Tradescantia may be 
allowed to trail over the front edge of the stage, and 
hang down almost to the floor. I am aware that in 
recommending the stages to be covered in this w'ay, 
that the objection is raised that it offers shelter for 
slugs and woodlice, but since I have adopted it I 
have found less injury to the plant than when the 
stages were covered with shingle. The inverted pots 
on which the Orchids stand form a good trap, as they 
seek shelter under them ; they can be inspected 
periodically and so be kept from doing much damage. 
The stages when covered with a green groundwork 
in this way, and the plants kept in a healthy condi¬ 
tion, retain and give off a more equal supply of 
moisture in close contact with the roots of the 
Orchids than could be obtained where the stages 
are simply covered with shell or shingle. The 
appearance of the house is also improved by being 
clothed in this way. 
Continue to place a few plants of Dendrobiums 
which are showing their flower buds in the cool 
house in which they have been placed to rest, into 
heat, and supply them with more moisture. When 
the plants are treated in this way they seldom pro¬ 
duce growths on the pseudo-bulbs, as they frequently 
do if left in heat and given too much water. 
Cattleyas will now require less water. Plants in 
flower should be kept free from damp. The tem¬ 
perature will now be reduced, the cool house to 
50° at night, the Mexican or Cattleya house to 6o°, 
and the hottest section to 65 Q at night with a rise of 
about io° by day.— A . W. 
The Violet Phalaenopsis. 
The figure of Phalaenopsis violacea given in the 
Lindenia, pi. 303, would suggest that the name Violet 
Phalaenopsis is inappropriate, but various importa¬ 
tions of it have proved its variable nature. The 
coloured illustration in question shows the ground 
colour of the sepals and petals to be creamy white 
shaded with greenish-yellow at the tips, and with 
purple or violet-purple on the lower and contiguous 
sides of the lateral sepals. The lip here, as in all 
other varieties of the species, retains its dark colour 
while the base and lateral lobes are yellow. From 
this pale hue the flowers vary through different 
shades to a uniform violet shade, and in all cases 
probably they give off a strong but agreeable odour 
that pervades the atmosphere of the house in which 
the plant is grown. In its native habitat, the forests 
of Palembang in Sumatra, it grows on the trunks of 
trees overhanging the streams and watercourses, 
where it gets a continuous supply of moisture. 
Cochlioda Noezliana. 
As the importations of this new Orchid get estab¬ 
lished and flower, our estimate of its ornamental 
value increases. The first flowering specimen that 
made its appearance in public had very small, though 
fairly well-coloured flowers ; but with the flowering 
of a number of specimens it becomes evident that 
the species is capable of variation to a much greater 
extent than C. sanguinea, M. rosea, or C. vulcanica, 
especially the two former. Some of the finer forms 
have relatively broad segments, the lateral sepals 
are lanceolate, and the upper one oval or almost ob- 
ovate. The petals are broadly ovate. The terminal 
lobe of the lip is obversely heart-shaped, and much 
broader than in any other species. With exception 
of the four-lobed crest on the lip, which is yellow', 
and the purple apical portion of the column, all the rest 
of the flower is bright scarlet. Other flowers have 
narrower segments, which vary from orange through 
various shades of scarlet. A batch of plants recently 
appeared at the sale rooms from Messrs. Linden, of 
Brussels, showing all the above variations. 
Renanthera cocclnea. 
After much study and care in the treatment of this 
lovely Renanthera, Mr. Tranter, gardener to Sir F. 
Mappin, Bt., Thornbury, Sheffield, has been rewarded 
for his industry and perseverance with a fine spike of 
thirty-two blooms ; his treatment recently has been 
to grow it on a block and keep it close to the glass.— 
J. McNab. 
Dendrobium formosum giganteum 
Some particularly fine forms of this grand autumn 
flowering Dendrobe have been seen in various 
parts of the country this autumn, but amongst the 
finest that have come under my observation, were 
some plants in the collection of Orchids formed by 
C. Perkins, Esq., Gallow Hill, Belsay, Northumber¬ 
land. The plants in question were growing in 5-in. 
baskets, their pseudo-bulbs had attained a measure¬ 
ment of 30 in., and each plant carried on an average 
twenty huge blooms, which measured individually 
5 in. across. Great credit is due to Mr. Lamb for 
his skilful manipulation of this lovely Dendrobe.—■ 
J. McNab. 
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN, 
Temperature of the Stove. —During mild 
weather the minimum night temperature of the stove 
should be kept as near 60° as possible, allowing it to 
drop 2 0 or so on cold windy or frosty nights. A con¬ 
siderable rise by sun heat during the day may be 
permitted, but should sunshine be bright a liberal 
amount of ventilation during the middle of the day 
would contribute materially to the ripening of the 
wood and keeping the plants at rest. 
Poinsettias. —The earlier batches of this class of 
plants will now be making a display. They may be 
kept pretty warm till the bracts are fully developed, 
after which they may be placed in the conservatory 
or in an intermediate and well lighted house, where 
they will last in good condition for a long time, pro¬ 
vided they are well attended to in the matter of 
watering and not subjected to cold draughts in venti¬ 
lating. Late batches should be kept as near the 
light as possible to prevent them from getting drawn 
or turned to one side in quest of light. 
Rivinas. —Of the three species of Rivina in culti¬ 
vation, R. laevis with red, and R. flava with yellow 
berries are the best and certainly very distinct. A 
raceme or two of berries may be taken at once, the 
pulp removed from the seeds and the latter sown at 
once. The seedlings will have plenty of time to 
make good growth and take the place of the old 
plants next year. Some cultivators simply take up 
and pot those seedlings which germinate on the 
benches ; but where two kinds are wanted, the more 
certain method of securing the requisite number of 
each is to sow the seeds in pots and label them. 
Winter-flowering Plants. —Batches of Serico- 
graphis Ghiesbreghtii, Linum trigynum, Thyrsa- 
canthus rutilans, Salvias, Eranthemum, and other 
subjects of a similar nature while developing their 
flower buds should receive frequent but weak supplies 
of liquid manure to keep them growing vigorously. 
Free exposure to light is necessary to a perfectly 
balanced growth and good foliage. Ventilate freely 
jn fine weather. 
Cameliias. —For early flowering, plants should 
be selected which were started into growth, their 
wood ripened, and their buds well set early in the 
season. Such will be more inclined to come away 
freely than those still in a more backward condition. 
Only a slight rise of temperature should be given, 
for Camellias cannot bear forcing in the ordinary 
sense of the term. Plenty of atmospheric moisture 
must also be given, otherwise the buds are liable to 
drop. 
Chrysanthemums. — Ventilate freely in mild 
weather, but more especially when dry. The main 
object should be to keep the plants as cool as pos¬ 
sible, and when artificial heat becomes necessary no 
more should be given than will induce a gentle 
circulation of air, aided by a small crack of top 
ventilation to expel damp. 
Cucumbers. —Fresh additions of soil will have 
to be made to the mounds on which the plants have 
been placed as soon as the roots show through the 
soil. This of course applies more especially to 
recently made plantations, the growth of which must 
be encouraged while the light remains fairly good. 
A mulching of well decayed cow manure would do 
much to prevent the escape of moisture from the 
soil, and also encourage root development by the sub¬ 
stance of the manure getting washed down to them 
in the process of watering. The latter is best done 
by an experienced man at this season of the year so 
that the requisite degree of moisture may be main¬ 
tained. A night temperature of 75 0 to 80 9 will be 
quite sufficient. 
Fruit Trees. —Take advantage of the more suit¬ 
able nature of the weather and the drier state of the 
soil than prevailed a short time ago. The advantages 
consist in the more workable condition of the soil 
and its not getting puddled in the operation. Every 
care should be taken to prevent the roots from be¬ 
coming dried up by exposure while being transferred 
from one place to another. The new places should 
be fixed upon and the holes got out before the roots 
of any large trees are exposed to the drying influence 
of the atmosphere. 
Tea Roses.—In order the more effectually to 
guard against injury to the more tender varieties 
during the coming winter, a good mulching of farm¬ 
yard manure placed over the soil and close up to the 
stems would do much to prevent damage to that 
part of the stems where they enter the soil. Even 
should the upper and more exposed parts get killed 
by frost, new and vigorous shoots are generally 
thrown up from the base and flower freely during 
summer. 
