364 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 8, 1890. 
To put these thoughts to the test, and as there is 
always the standing invite to all who are interested in 
flowers to “come and see,” I determined to go and 
see on the first favourable opportunity. This op¬ 
portunity was not long in presenting itself, and the 
23i'd. ult found mo journeying down to Swanley on 
what proved to be one of the stormiest days of the year 
up to the present at least, and was far from a pro¬ 
pitious one to pay a visit even to the “Home of 
Flowers.” 
Once there I lost no time in making my presence 
and the purport of my visit known to whom you have 
rightly and appropriately styled the “Sage of Swanley.” 
I was accorded a kindly and courteous welcome, and 
Mr. Cannell was soon conducting me through the many 
houses, almost bewildering in their number. The first 
to go through was the one in which the immense stock 
of Chinese Primulas, double and single, were growing 
and blooming ; and such a sight, and such bloom, too, 
to greet one’s eyes, was worth a day’s journey to see, be 
it stormy or otherwise. My first exclamation on 
beholding the sight was, “ Ah ! it is here truly that 
the Chinese Primrose is to be found at home.” Here 
they were to be seen and represented not by a few 
score, but by the thousand, and all so equally good 
throughout, that there was barely the difference of a 
pin’s point between one plant and another, save in the 
colour of the flowers. Every plant was well grown, 
short, and sturdy in habit and leaf, and equally 
balanced, with an amount of thick robust-looking 
flowers ; indeed, it was most difficult to tell which were 
the more plentiful and robust, flowers or leaves. It was 
difficult to particularise where all were so equally good, 
but I think the variety called The Queen was the 
clipper of the lot for size and substance of flower, vigour, 
and freedom of bloom ; colour white, and flower the 
size of half-a-crown piece. Swanley Blue, as seen in 
its native light and air, is quite a different thing to 
what it appears when seen in the cruel light of the 
Aquarium, and London fogs. A shade or two more 
worked into it, and it will come out a true blue. 
The double varieties, and especially the Burleigh 
varieties, were wonderful for the size of their flowers, 
more like small Camellias, and extremely useful for 
buttonholes, wreaths, &c. Thinking I might pick up 
a wrinkle or two in the cultivation of Primulas, I 
asked my guide how they managed to throw so much 
substance'into the flowers. “ Well, I suspect it is our 
‘Real Manure’ that does it,” was his reply, and I 
mentally added, combined with the real abilities of 
knowing when and how to apply it, for I had in my 
mind’s eye at that moment a collection of Primulas 
that were exhibited a short time since at one of the 
metropolitan shows, with a wonderful amount of 
vigour in the plants, in fact with leaves like Rhubarb 
leaves, and only the solitary ghost of a flower or two 
on each plant, the result, no doubt, of somebody’s real 
manure applied with a too free and mistaken hand. 
Real manures will at times give some wonderful 
realities, but how to use Mr. Cannell’s Real Manure, so 
as to produce just the realities he has to show, is the 
wrinkle I want, and when he has given it me I shall 
readily confess that there is no trade trick practised 
with the collections of flowering plants sent to be 
exhibited from the “ Home of Flowers.” 
Other interesting things which I saw at Swanley and 
are worth recording I will reserve for another issue.— 
J. Kipling, Knebworth. 
--sK&e--- 
SEASONABLE WORK IN THE 
GARDEN. 
"Winter-flowering Plants. —A stock of cuttings 
should now be got in without further delay, of such 
things as Centropogon Lucyanus, Jacobinia (Serioo- 
graphis) Ghiesbreghtiana, Plumbago rosea, Libonia 
fioribunda, or L. penrhosiensis, if that is preferred ) 
Euphorbia fulgens, Jacobinia magnifies, Justicias, and 
others of that class, according to the requirements of 
the place. 
Tuberous Begonias. —Sow seeds for the main 
batch in pans filled with rich but light sandy soil and 
leaf-soil in equal proportions. Stand the pans in a 
warm pit, and cover with a pane of glass till the seeds 
are up, then a light position near the glass will be the 
most suitable for them. After the first batch of 
seedlings has been pricked off, the pans may be replaced 
if more is required, for many of the finest are of slow 
germination. 
Ferns.—T hose in the stove or warm house should be 
potted during this month, and the earlier the better, 
provided the plants are showing signs of fresh growth. 
If time will not permit of the whole being done at once, 
all those commencing to grow may be singled out, and 
re-potted at once. 
Stephanotis, Bignonias, &e.—These are liable to 
get infested wtih bug during the winter months ; but 
happily they permit of rough handling, and may be 
forcibly syringed with a solution of soft soap, Gishurst 
Compound, paraffin, or other insecticides. Paraffin 
may be used at the rate of a wineglassful to the gallon 
of water, and well stirred while being used. 
Camellias. —Whether in pots, tubs, or planted out, 
the buds of most kinds are now in a very advanced 
state, and must not be neglected in the matter of 
watering, otherwise they will drop. Soot or liquid 
manure given twice a week will prove of great assistance, 
and care should be taken that it is given in a clear state, 
otherwise the surface of the soil gets coated over, to 
the injury of the roots. 
Seed Sowing. —In order to get them sufficiently 
well advanced by planting-out time, such things as 
single Dahlias, Lobelias and Golden Feather should be 
sown at once. To flower w r ell the first season Dahlias 
should be well advanced before they are planted out in 
June. For indoor flowering a batch of Mignonette 
may also be sown now. Make the soil rich, drain well, 
and press down firmly before sowing the seeds. 
Planting Lapageria rosea. —Those who con¬ 
template planting this useful greenhouse climber 
should first well drain the bottom of the tub or border 
with soft brickbats, so as to allow of the free passage 
of water. Then fill up the allotted space with turves 
of good fibrous peat as it is cut. Arrange the pieces as 
compactly as possible, using silver sand rather liberally 
between. 
Peaches. —Attend to the fertilising of the flowers 
in the usual way as succession houses come into bloom. 
After the flowers have dropped, the syringe may be 
employed to wash down the remains of the calyx, and 
to prevent the inroads of insects until the leaves have 
become sufficiently firm to permit of fumigation. Dis¬ 
budding should be attended to from the commencement, 
and closely followed up. 
Melons. —To prevent cold air from playing upon 
the tender foliage when the ventilators are opened 
during rough windy weather, a piece of thin tiffany or 
several layers of netting may be fastened over the open¬ 
ing so that the force of the wind may be broken and 
caused to filter through gently, so to speak. Supply 
plenty of atmospheric moisture on bright days. 
Cucumbers. —Plants in hearing should be kept at a 
night temperature of 65° or 70°, with a 10° or 20° rise 
during the day with bright sunshine. At this season 
of the year they should never be cropped heavily—that 
is, all fruits should be removed as soon as they are fit 
for use. By this means the plants will be relieved of 
the stress that would otherwise be placed upon them. 
Gladioli. —Whenever the ground becomes sufficiently 
dry to permit of planting being done, it should be 
carried out at once. It is no advantage to keep the 
corms in the store room till they commence to grow ; 
because in doing this in the absence of roots they get 
weakened, and cannot be expected to make that growth 
which is necessary to a good display of bloom. 
Funkias. —The foliage made by F. Sieboldi, F. 
ovata, F. grandiflora, F. sub-cordata, and others, is 
capable of producing a fine effect in the flower garden ; 
and for large beds a line of these plants is preferable to 
many of the more gaudy subjects used. The plants 
may be lifted now, divided carefully, and planted in 
the positions they are intended to occupy. 
Onions and the Grub. —Ground intended for the 
planting out of Onions that have been raised in heat, 
later on, should receive a sprinkling of gas-lime to 
destroy the grub. That intended to be sown as soon 
as the weather becomes favourable should not be so 
treated unless a month can elapse previous to the sow¬ 
ing of the seeds. Gas-lime should be applied in autumn. 
Fruit Buds and Bullfinches.— These rapacious 
birds will soon commence operations now if they have 
not already done so. A mixture of soot and lime 
should be made up, and the trees or bushes well 
sprinkled or syringed with the mixture, which should 
be of the consistency of thin paint. The jet nozzle 
should be employed, using the finger to spread the 
liquid. 
Planting Fruit Trees. —This may still be done 
in the case of young trees that are hardly expected to 
bear fruit, or at most a small quantity. Provided the 
soil is naturally well drained the holes should not be 
taken out to a great depth, the object being to keep 
the roots near the surface. A layer of good turf, as cut 
from the field, placed faced downwards in the holes, 
would, however, prove of great advantage if the natural 
soil is light or not very rich. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Orchids from Clovenfords. 
We received the other day a box of Orchid flowers from 
Messrs. W. Thomson & Sons, Clovenfords, Galashiels, 
N.B. Prominent amongst them was a bloom of 
Odontoglossum crispum, with sepals and petals of 
enormous breadth, all more or less toothed on the 
margin, and the petals greatly overlapping the sepals. 
The column and lip were spotted with brownish purple, 
the rest being pure white. A form of 0. luteo-purpureum 
was equally good in its way. The sepals were wholly 
of a deep chocolate-brown, with the exception of the 
base and tip. The toothed petals were also richly 
spotted. A fine and richly coloured flower of Sophro- 
nitis grandiflora measured over 2f ins. or almost 3 ins. 
across the petals. Two distinctly coloured flowers of 
Dendrobium superbiens Goldiei reminded us of a fine 
Dendrohe less common in cultivation than it might be. 
The paler rosy violet one was much the larger, but the 
dark violet-purple of the other was very telling. The 
white margin of the sepals was brought out very 
prominently in the darker one, and this alone added 
another charm to it. The lip is greatly intensified in 
hue. Amongst others was the sweet-scented Laelia 
albida bella, with the upper portion of its lip of a 
beautiful rose colour. We should hardly have expected 
to see Miltonia vexillaria in flower so early in the season, 
yet a well-formed bloom turned up amongst the rest. 
All parts of it were pure white with the exception of a 
large purple blotch in front of the yellow disc and crest 
of the lip. 
L/elia elegans blenheimensis. 
The flowers of this tine variety measure about 5 ins. 
in diameter, and are borne on short racemes, con¬ 
sisting of two, three or more blooms. The sepals are 
pale rose with darker margins. The petals are 
narrowly elliptic, several times broader than the sepals, 
and of a deep rose-purple. The three-lobed lip is a 
conspicuous organ of the flower, with the terminal lobe 
of a rich magenta-purple, paler towards the margin, 
and striated with numerous darker veins ; the side 
lobes are rose with darker veins ; the throat is 
yellow, and the tube externally of a pale, almost 
white hue. The variety is a vigorous-growing one, 
bearing one or two linear-oblong leaves of a rich dark 
green colour on the top of the pseudo-bulbs. Its usual 
flowering time is February, a very unusual circum¬ 
stance among the dark-flowered varieties of L. elegans, 
the most of which flower in late summer and autumn. 
The variety flowered for the first time at Blenheim, 
the seat of the Duke of Marlborough. There is a 
good coloured figure of this grand variety in the 
Orchid Album, pi. 393. 
Pescatorea cerina. 
The beauty of this Orchid is such, that the wonder is 
it is not more generally -cultivated. There is no 
denying, however, that it proves somewhat precarious 
in the hands of the cultivator, and although many 
succeed with it under different treatment, it is liable to 
die, especially if grown in large pieces. There is no 
pseudo-bulb, but the evergreen foliage is ample and 
strongly ribbed and plaited, reminding one of a 
Lycaste. The flowers are borne singly on peduncles 
emerging from amongst the outer leaves, and shorter 
than the latter. The sepals are very broad, and the 
petals much smaller ; but all are similar in shape, 
strongly incurved and pale yellow. The lip is of a 
clear bright yellow, and striped with red on the 
prominent ridged crest. The Pescatoreas form a 
section of Zygopetalum, just as several other old genera 
do. There is a fine plate of it in the Orchid Album, 
pi. 394. 
Oncidium saltabundum. 
The flowers of this species are neither large nor 
individually very striking, but they are produced in 
wonderful numbers. The pseudo-bulbs are ovate, 
elongate and glaucous, bearing leaves from 2 ft. to 3 ft. 
in length. The inflorescence runs up to the remarkable 
length of 8 ft. Under cultivation it may be trained to 
wires, or twisted round some stakes in the same way as 
O. maeranthum is treated, and as may be seen at 
present in the nursery of Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., 
Clapton. Along the greater part of the flower stem, 
lateral zigzag branches bearing flowers are given off, and 
this character, no doubt, suggested to the late Professor 
Reiehenbach the specific name, which means “dancer.” 
The lanceolate sepals and petals are chocolate, streaked 
transversely with yellow. The small triangular lip is 
chocolate, streaked with yellow, and bears a prominent 
yellow crest. 
