270 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 28, 1895. 
Mr. Jones is never so happy as when imparting to a 
sympathetic ear the history of his researches and 
the beauty of his Ryecroft gems. 
Mr. Jones is married, and is fortunate in having a 
help-meet whose enthusiasm in her husband’s enter¬ 
prise is only equalled by the practical help she 
renders him. He is equally fortunate in the selection 
of his staff engaged in the working of the nurseries, 
every man amongst whom shares a mutual eagerness 
that the Ryecroft collections shall maintain their 
eminence. 
To the interests of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund 
Mr. Jones devotes much practical help, and in many 
ways has tangibly illustrated his sympathies with 
this well-deserving object, not the least successful of 
which was the big “ But ” announcement at his 
home display last November, and figured the same 
week in The Gardening World. 
He is also an ardent worker in the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, whilst at the shows of the 
principal provincial societies in all the three 
kingdoms Mr. Jones’s, features are well known as a 
successful exhibitor, his collections of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums alone having won for him no less than seven 
Gold Medals. He has, in fact, set many new 
fashions in the way of exhibiting, and to the 
diversified examples of decorative work staged with 
a richness and completeness difficult to equal and 
probably impossible to excel, the public owes and 
accords liberally a vast appreciation of these 
artistic achievements. 
That he deserves all the success he has attained, 
is conceded by all who know him—of enemies he 
probably has none—for the same genial and earnest, 
hearty friendship is extended alike to all with whom 
he comes in touch. That he may live for many 
years to realise and enjoy the fruits of his labours, 
years of prosperity and happiness will be the cordial 
wish of the many who have found in our Ryecroft 
hero a man of no ordinary attainments, one, who 
from the foot of the ladder has possessed the desire 
and the ability to make for himself a place amongst 
the leading celebrities of his profession.— Gyp. 
- «*■ - 
LOOK TO YOUR SHRUBS! 
Now that the season is approaching when there is 
a greater demand than usual for evergreen and 
variegated foliage of hardy shrubs, and at the same 
time plenty of unscrupulous persons ready to supply 
the demand without any scruple as to their mode of 
obtaining such plants, a word of warning may not be 
out of place, especially to those whose gardens or 
any portion of them are near the public highway. 
One of these gentry, caught in the act of helping 
himself from a shrubbery running alongside of the 
road, was armed with an innocent-looking stick with 
which he ostensibly hobbled along when within 
sight, and which, when taken from him, was found to 
have an old rag carefully wrapped round the head, 
concealing the short, sharp blade of a clasp knife, 
which had been fixed firmly in an oblique, hooked 
manner, and was used to reach choice shoots and 
out-of-the-way sprigs. It matters little how choice 
the specimens; in fact I think the more valuable a 
shrub or tree may be, the greater the mutilation. 
Tradesmen's lads are frequently, if no one is about, 
prone to help themselves. This has been my 
experience for several years when foreman in a large 
garden in the western suburbs. Those who value 
their specimens and shrubs would do well to keep a 
sharp lookout for the next few weeks. The dinner 
hour, or Sundays, and early morning and evening 
are mostly selected for the job.— A.P., Tht Gardens, 
Worton Hall, Isleworth. 
-- 
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES. 
As is often the case during a warm dry autumn, this 
has in many localities been flowering. To some, its 
doing so seems a rare event; but in our own 
experiences it has been only in wet and cold seasons 
that we have not been favoured with a few flowers. 
We think that in climates where it would ripen its 
seed, there is a good work open to the hybridist in 
the raising of seedlings with a view to the production 
of new and improved varieties ; and, considering the 
popularity of this useful vegetable, it is, at least, a 
little surprising that nothing appears to have been 
attempted to produce varieties of different form, 
flavour, or texture. Solanum tuberosum, the parent 
of the untold varieties of the Potato, was only 
introduced to Europe some twenty years in advance 
of the Artichoke, but from the fact of its seeding 
freely in our climate, the raising of seedlings and 
cross-breeding is comparatively simple and has been 
followed up with the most satisfactory results till 
our modern Potatos are a very different article to the 
original from which they were derived. 
The Artichoke, with one single exception, remains 
just the same as when introduced in 1597. The 
exception we allude to is a white-skinned variety, the 
result of an accidental variation. There are other 
varieties of Helianthus which produce fleshy roots. 
We pen these few notes hoping that they may fall 
under the notice of someone in a happier clime than 
ours, and who may be induced to take them in hand 
and give to the world something new in the way of 
tuberous-rooted esculents. We may add that the 
height to which they grow if left alone deters some 
from growing them in small places, but who would 
like to have a plantation of them for their own use ? 
To those so situated we may say, having our own 
experience to go by, do not be afraid, but top them 
when about 2£ ft. to 3 ft. in height, and the produce 
will be little, if any, inferior to that yielded from 
plants allowed to grow to the full height.— W. B. G- 
<«» 
RICHARDIA AFRICANA AND ITS 
TREATMENT. 
Planted out versus Pots. 
There being such a divergence of opinion amongst 
gardeners as to the best mode of culture for the 
above plant, it prompts me to pen a few words in 
favour of the latter method of treating these, I may 
say, indispensable early winter 'and spring-flower¬ 
ing plants. I do not think I shall err to say that the 
majority of gardeners plant them out towards the 
end of May or early in June. 1 have served in 
several large establishments, but only at one place 
was the pot method adopted, and that with the best 
result. 
My practice is, when they have done flowering 
and late spring frosts are past, to stand them out 
under a north wall and water them about twice a 
week if the weather proves dry, and if too wet they 
are laid on their sides. Towards the end of June 
they are all shaken out and have their roots cut in a 
bit and re-potted into similar-sized pots, ranging 
from 6 to 10 in. according to size of rhizome, using 
good loam, cow manure, soot, a little leaf soil, and 
enough rough sand to keep it porous, as the above 
plant requires abundance of water when growing. I 
tie up any foliage they may have to a neat stake. 
They are then placed under this north wall again 
and kept syringed two or three times a day and 
watered when necessary; the latter is given freely when 
you see new leaves pushing up. The plants are given 
plenty of room and turned round occasionally. 
They can remain here till the appearance of frost, 
which most of us know is very destructive to the 
foliage, when they should be removed to a cold 
house or pit. By this time they will have made 
plenty of roots and should be afforded manure water 
from the cow yard twice a week ; and I find they 
take this fairly strong. A watch must be kept for 
their worst and only enemy, green fly. If they can 
be fumigated once a week this pest will be kept at 
bay. By the end of November there should be 
plenty of spathes, large and of good substance, 
pushing up. With plants treated thus I have at 
present about a score unfolding, more or less (and 
have cut several out of a batch of fifty plants) 
according to the temperature afforded them. 
My plants stand in a loog greenhouse with a 
division ; one end is kept about 50° at night, the 
cooler end often sinking to 38° on cold nights this 
season with a rise of 5 0 or io° by day. I find if 
they are kept in more heat than about 6o Q the plants 
get drawn and smothered with the green fly in a short 
time, so do not advise this warmer treatment unless 
the flowers are required at a given date. It stands 
to reasoD, when they have been planted out and you 
start to raise and pot them up in September, a large 
quantity of fibrous roots must bd sacrificed to get 
them into a medium-sized pot ; consequently this 
gives them a severe check and retards their flower¬ 
ing.— James Mayne, Bicton, East Devon. 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
The undermentioned were awarded certificates by 
the Royal Horticultural Society on the 10th inst. 
Laeliocattleya Lady Rothschild, Nov. hyb. 
bigen .—The seed parent of this bigeneric hybrid was 
Laelia Perinii, and the pollen bearer Cattleya 
Warscewiczii, and although the potency of the seed 
parent is very strong, the progeny has been largely 
modified, especially in size, by the male parent. 
The sepals and petals are of a beautiful and rich 
mauve-purple. The lip has the base of the tube 
very narrow and closely clasping the column, but it 
widens considerably, becoming more open and 
funnel-shaped upwards, and is light purple at the 
edges ; the lamina is rich crimson-purple with a 
broad creamy band across the base, and the throat 
is beautifully striated with purple. On the whole it 
is a distinct and choice Laeliocattleya. Award of 
Merit. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Calanthe Harrisii, Nov. hyb. —Notwithstanding 
the numerous hybrid varieties now in cultivation this 
one will find its way into collections on its own 
merits. The flowers are of large size and good sub¬ 
stance, and when the plant has attained its full 
vigour they will be even finer and more numerous. 
The scape at present is about iS in. high, and the 
flowers are pure white, the lip being four-lobed. 
Award of Merit. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. 
Oncldium tigrinum.—A magnificent variety 
of this popular Orchid was exhibited by De B. 
Crawshay, Esq. (gardener, Mr. S. Cooke), Rosefield, 
Sevenoaks. The sepals and petals are heavily and 
closely blotched transversely, with purple on a 
creamy-yellow ground. The huge lip is of a uniform 
bright yellow colour, 2 in. in diameter, and propor¬ 
tionate in length. Award of Merit. 
Cypripedium Ashtonii, Nov. hyb .—The seed 
parent of this hybrid was C. ciliolare superbum, 
and the pollen bearer C. selligerum majus, itself 
a hybrid. The scape attains a height of 20 in., and 
bears two huge flowers of rich and attractive colours. 
The upper sepal is broadly ovate and rosy, with 
numerous claret ribs, paler at the edges, and tinted 
with green at the apex. The oblong petals are about 
3 in. or more in length, glossy purple, and closely 
spotted with blackish-crimson, except at the tip. 
The lip is large and dull purple with darker veins. 
Award of Merit. Messrs. W. L. Lewis & Co. 
Southgate. 
Dendrobium treacherianum.—A figure of this 
beautiful Bornean species was given in the Botanical 
Magazine, t. 6591. The pseudo-bulbs are tetragonal 
and curiously decumbent along the rachis. The 
scape rises 6 in. to 10 in. above the pseudo-bulbs, 
and bears five to ten flowers ; it rises from between a 
pair of leathery leaves. The sepals and petals are 
pink, fading at the pointed apex. The lip is of an 
intense crimson at the base as well as the lateral 
lobes, and the lamina is rosy fading almost to white 
at the apex. It is the most distinct and pretty of 
recently-introduced Dendrobiums. A well-flowered 
specimen was shown by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, 
(grower, Mr. W. H. White), Burford Lodge, Dorking. 
First-class Certificate. 
Masdevallia macrura.—A very beautiful variety 
of this Masdevallia, in which the ordinary brown 
colouring matter has been washed out, leaving the 
ground colour of a tawny-orange, was exhibited by 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. The segments are 
spotted with crimson in lines, and the lateral ones 
have six strong ridges running along them. The 
yellow tails are 4A in. to 5 in. long. Altogether the 
variety is very choice. Award of Merit. 
Masdevallia pachyura.—This species was 
originally described by Reichenbach in 1874. The 
flowers are small and pretty, though by no means 
the smallest in this genus. The segments are short, 
nearly triangular, ana the upper one is deeply 
hooded, purple, and yellow along the centre. The 
yellow tails are only J in. long. Botanical Certifi¬ 
cate. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. 
Mormodes lawrenceanum, Nov. sj. —The 
sepals are deflexed, yellow, and finely dotted with 
purple in lines. The petals are spreading, but other¬ 
wise similar. The lip is creamy-yellow and folded 
backwards along the middle. There were eight 
flowers on the scape as shown by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart. Botanical Certificate. 
