February 29, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
413 
The expenditure on the parks and open spaces in 
London last year amounted to £101,936. 
The Onion Fly has a weakness for Onions, thus 
displaying very bad taste. 
A new kind of Fruit.— She : “ I wonder what that 
man is doing up that telegraph pole.” He: "He’s 
after fruit I think.” She : "After fruit! What 
kind of fruit could he get up there, I should like to 
know ? ” He: " Electric currents, to be sure.” 
Early flowers in the London parks. —During the 
month of January last early blooms of Saxifraga 
umbrosa, Double Red Daisy, Pyrus japonica 
Primroses, Doronicum, Snowdrop and Crocus were 
noted, whereas the same kinds last winter did not 
commence till March or April. 
A New Insecticide.—A new inodorous and cheap 
antiseptic is being talked about, called " antinonine.’’ 
It is a German discovery, and is said to be potassium 
orthodinitrocresolate. In the proportion of one part to 
1,500 or 2,000 parts of soapsuds, it is reported to be 
capable of killing all the ordinary vegetable parasites 
without injuring the plant.— Midland Counties Herald. 
Horse Chestnuts and Chestnut Horses are generally 
considered to have little or no relation to one 
another ; but, if it be true, as stated, that a quarter of 
a pound per day of the former will cure broken- 
windedness in the latter, then, methinks, there is a 
great deal more virtue in Chestnuts than was ever 
dreamt of in our philosophy.— Le Vert. 
A Record Circulation. —We are able to announce a 
fact which, in this age of “ records,” should command 
much interest. The circulation of a London weekly 
newspaper now exceeds a million copies. This 
paper is Lloyd's News, of which 1,004,406 copies were 
circulated on the 16th inst. This is probably a 
world's record. The Petit Journal, of Paris, has an 
enormous circulation, often roughly described as 
approaching a million, but we are unaware whether 
exact figures have been published to prove this. 
Chinese Primula, Carter’s Bouquet. —What has 
been an accomplished fact amongst Primroses and 
Cowslips for many years has now been secured by 
Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, London, 
amongst Chinese Primulas in Carter’s " Bouquet.” 
The calyx segments have become transformed into 
green leaves, 1 in. to 2 in. long. The flower itself, or 
to be particular, the corolla, is white and of the usual 
size, so that a single pip constitutes a natural and 
ready-made bouquet for the buttonhole, and is a 
novelty in its way. 
Hereford Fruit and Chrysanthemum Society.—The 
annual meeting of the subscribers to this society 
met on the 12th inst., at Messrs. Jakeman & Carvers, 
High Town, Hereford. Mr. W. J. Humfryspresided. 
Mr. Ough, who recently retired from the secretary¬ 
ship, was presented with two handsome volumes of 
the Herefordshire Pomona, on behalf of subscribers. 
In replying, Mr. Ough said he regarded the present 
as an expression of their goodwill towards him, and 
it was a great pleasure to him that he had been of 
any service to the society. The election of officers was 
carried out satisfactorily. Amongst the committee 
men elected is Mr. S. T. Wright, late of Glewstone 
Court, and now superintendent of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society of London, whose name they 
evidently wish to retain on their books. A sub-com¬ 
mittee was appointed to draw up rules for the 
constitution of the society. 
Peeblesshire Horticultural Association.— The meet¬ 
ing of this society on the nth inst., was presided 
over by Mr. G. Slater, and Mr. Andrew Dickson, 
The Gardens, Glenmoriston, read a paper entitled 
"The Plum in Peeblesshire.” He confined himself 
to the county, so as to make his remarks interesting 
and instructive to local horticulturists. The Plum 
he considered the hardiest of our stone fruits, and 
next to the Apple in importance. A continuous 
supply of fruits could be had in Peeblesshire from 
July to November by planting a suitable succession 
of sorts. In dealing with cultivation, he said that 
Plums should have plenty of light, air, and shelter 
from bleak exposures; but in Peeblesshire they 
required a wall to grow them successfully. The reader 
gave lists of varieties which would suit different 
kinds of soil. Mr. Dickson dealt very exhaustively 
with general cultivation, and was thanked at the 
close of the meeting. 
A Lucky Gardener and Foreman. —The late Mr. W. 
B. Miller, of The Elms, Ramsgate, who was justly 
celebrated for his many splendid zonal Pelargoniums, 
and which have been distributed for a great number of 
years past by Mr. H. Cannell, left in his will the 
sum of £20 to Mr. A. Mayes, Messrs. Cannell's 
Geranium grower and foreman. Also the like 
amount to Mr. Blackett, who was for a considerable 
time gardener to Mr. Miller. 
Well-kept Grapes in February. —Even in the mild, 
moist climate of Devon it is possible to keep Grapes 
hanging in the most perfect condition, as was amply 
demonstrated by a fine bunch of Lady Downes sent 
us by Mr. J. Mayne, The Gardens, Bicton, East 
Devon. The berries were of large size, carried a fine 
bloom, and apparently not one of them had been 
removed from the bunch on account of decay. They 
were also perfectly plump, and being now perfectly 
mellowed by the long time they have been allowed 
to hang, they are now fit for the table and will fill up 
a blank in the supply till the crop in the earliest 
vinery has been brought to maturity. Those sent 
appeared as if they would keep good for many weeks 
to come. 
- »*»- 
ORCHIDS AT WOOLTON WOOD. 
Here we have at all seasons representatives of this 
huge family showing forth their quaint forms and 
colours, and for the first three months of the year 
the Coelogynes are pre-eminent and well worthy of 
a visit. They may well be termed monsters, for 
half a dozen at least measure from 4 ft. to 5 ft. in 
diameter, and possibly one would surpass the larger 
measurement given. These are arranged in a small 
span-roof house with specimens of other kinds inter¬ 
mixed, whilst overhead, suspended from the rcof, are 
varieties that delight in that form of culture. A few 
Ferns are dotted amongst this mass of bloom, and 
enhance the charm and beauty of the exhibit. The 
Coelogynes cannot boast of very great variety, those 
in flower at the present time being C. cristata and 
C. c. maxima. The Chatsworth variety, the gem of 
the family, is still to flower, this proving especially 
valuable, not only from its improved flowers, but for 
its extension of the season. Amongst the other 
plants Cypripedium villosum is represented by a 
very fine specimen with fifty-six flowers of a very fine 
variety ; a few other varieties are in bloom, including 
some choice hybrids raised at Woolton Wood, and 
those in flower were forms of C. spicerianum. 
Dendrobiums are fairly numerous, and include 
some of the rarer kinds in addition to the well-known 
and popular varieties. D. wardianum is conspicuous, 
and its variety, D. w. japonicum, a pure white 
variety and sweet-scented, is certainly a valuable 
acquisition. D. Ainsworthii is in good form ; D. 
fytchianum is also especially attractive by its 
peculiar shape. Other sorts in flower are D. 
leachianum, D. nobilis in variety, D. fimbriatum, 
D. heterocarpum, D. moniliforme, etc. Cattleya 
Trianaei was in evidence with its showy flowers. 
Calanthes could only boast of a few late spikes, 
whilst Odontoglossum Roezlii, which might be 
named perpetual flowering, helped with trusses of 
its elegant flowers. Dendrochilum glumaceum was 
carrying some eight or ten spikes of its small but 
sweetly scented flowers. Mr. R. Todd is to be con¬ 
gratulated on his extensive and varied display, whilst 
the health of the plants is most satisfactory.— R. G. 
Waterman. 
-- 
ROSSLYN, STAMFORD HILL. 
In the thickly-populated neighbourhood of Stamford 
Hill one would hardly expect to find gardens, far 
less fine collections of Orchids. Nevertheless, 
behind the spacious modern villas that face the 
main thoroughfare are gardens that extend back for 
some distance, and give ample scope for the genuine 
lover of plants to enjoy his hobby as far as London 
smoke will allow. H. T. Pitt, Esq., Rosslyn, Stam¬ 
ford Hill, has not only got a good-sized garden, but 
has added those originally belonging to other houses 
with glass structures in each of them. Orchids are 
facile princeps the leading feature of the establishment, 
and include the best of the more popular kinds, to 
which rare, beautiful, and valuable sorts are added 
from time to time, for Mr. Pitt is a connoisseur of 
this class of plants. In his care for the subjects of 
his choice he is well seconded by his gardener, Mr. 
R. Aldous. 
The first house we entered contained some healthy 
and thriving pieces of Dendrochilum glumaceum. 
The beautiful Cypripedium Exul was beautifully 
distinct in its markings. Odontoglossum vexillarium 
in variety will bloom presently, while its congener, 
O. Roezlii, seems seldom out of season. Angraecums 
were represented by A. sanderiana and the pretty A. 
citratum. A fine variety of Saccolabium bellinum 
attracted our attention. Vanda Bensoniae anchori- 
ferum has the apex of its lip like an anchor. The 
rare and beautiful Pescatorea klabochorum superbum 
gives no difficulty in flowering it here. Dendrobium 
wardianum album is notable for the small size of its 
two eye-like spots. The top shelves of this house 
were occupied with such showy things as Anthurium 
scherzerianum, A. andreanum in variety, including 
A. a. album. Beautiful also is the hybrid A. Madame 
Pynaert, with blush-white spathes and a red spadix. 
The pretty Stenogastra concinna, suspended from 
the roof, was also in bloom. 
The next two houses entered were devoted to 
Odontoglossums, and one of them was kept cooler 
than the other. The warmer house contained a fine 
piece of O. coronarium on a raft; it flowered last 
year. Others here were O. maculatum, O. m. 
donnianum, O. Pescatorei, and O. triumphans, some 
of them being heavily and finely blotched. Ada 
aurantiaca, Lycaste lawrenceana, and L. lanipes 
added their quota of bloom. In the cooler structure 
was the finest variety of Odontoglossum excellens in 
cultivation. We also noted O. Alexandrae Outrami, 
O. vuylstekeanum, O. crispum in variety, O. 
Odontoglossum wilckeanum pittianum. 
