April 19, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
525 
broadly margined with white, look the very picture of 
health. In the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, 
Forest Hill, it is stood about on the stages of the 
Odontoglossum house, where it looks quite happy. 
Cytisus filipes. 
The habit of this plant is strikingly different from the 
universally cultivated C. racemosus. The long, slender, 
twiggy shoots"are dark green, thinly leafy, and droop 
gracefully around the central and supporting stem. 
The flowers are borne few together in the axils of the 
leaves, and being pure white constitute a fine contrast 
to the stems and leaves, or in association with the 
popular and widely-spread yellow one. It is remark¬ 
able how a large number of good and ornamental species 
get neglected for the sake of one only. That under 
notice is a native of Teneriffe and consequently requires 
exactly similar treatment to that accorded C. racemosus. 
The latter is said to have come from Teneriffe, but some 
authorities question whether it is not of garden origin. 
For conservatory work C. filipes would be admired. It 
has been flowering for some time past in the nursery of 
Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, at Upper Holloway. 
Mushrooms in Melon Frames. 
It may interest, and be of practical advantage to some 
of your readers to know that I have secured a good 
crop of Mushrooms off a hot-bed after taking off a crop 
of Melons. Last year I planted a pit 16 ft. long with 
Melons, after it had been filled with hot manure from the 
stables, and when the Melons were cut, and before the 
heat in the bed had greatly declined, I broke up some 
pieces of Mushroom spawn, and inserted them in the 
bed in the usual way. At the end of the summer the 
surface was raked over, and about 1 in.- in depth of the 
top soil taken out, and replaced with coal ashes on 
which to stand bedding plants for the winter. The 
first lot of Mushrooms were gathered in January, and 
up to the present time I have not been without them. 
The only objection I find is that being more exposed to 
light the Mushrooms are not so white as those grown 
covered up. R Tolley, Nunwell, T. IV. 
The Culture of Onions. 
In compliance with “A. B.’s” request, at p. 508, I 
may say that I advised the roots to be laid in straight 
so as to avoid acute doubling up as much as possible. 
Plant the central fibres straight down, and the others 
around them at the same angle as the Onion blades 
grow, filling up between with fine rich soil. As 
“A. B.’s’’plants are in pots I would advise him to 
keep the soil intact, but should the roots have run 
much around the sides of the pots he should straighten 
the points, preserving the same natural incline as they 
come from the base of the plant. The true cause of 
thick necks cannot always be determined, Onions being 
in this respect very erratic. It may either be due to 
variety, locality, or treatment ; one of the chief causes 
is deep sowing or planting. Darkness and compression 
of soil around the young bulbs naturally tends to en¬ 
courage elongation at the expense of horizontal expansion, 
consequently experience teaches us that the base of the 
bulbs cannot be too near the surface of the soil. I fear 
“A. B.” must have last year overdone his plants with 
water and liquid manure, and should he detect any 
tendency in the same direction this season I would 
advise him to tie some matting round the necks for a 
week or two, and withhold water. This will tend to 
develop the bulbs in the right direction. There is no 
doubt whatever that autumn-sown Onions carry the 
palm for size, through having a longer period of growth. 
— B . L. 
Corydalis solida. 
Most interest is generally attached to those species 
which one seldom sees in gardens ; and they are 
generally those which, however beautiful or otherwise, 
are tender or short-lived, and soon get lost if left in the 
open ground to take care of themselves. That under 
notice was very early introduced to Britain from the 
Continent, where it enjoys a very wide distribution. 
So favourable is our climate to it that it has become 
naturalised in many places in various parts of the 
country. It is valuable in the spring garden, where its 
masses of flowers surmounting the biternately-divided 
and elegant leaves form a very conspicuous object 
during the months of April and May. The flowers are 
of a bright purple, with the tips of the outer petals 
tinted with blue when in perfection ; but they fade 
considerably as they get old. Some plants are now gay 
on the rockery in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, Chiswick. 
Burchellia capensis. 
The adaptability of this plant under different circum¬ 
stances is one of the points that recommend it to the 
notice of cultivators generally. In its native home it 
grows to a height of 12 ft. or 14 ft., although its 
attainments in this country fall much short of that. 
It may, however, be successfully flowered in sizes from 
6 ins. to 12 ins. high ; and under ordinary circum¬ 
stances grows very slowly, so that it may be kept for 
several years even in a small house. The ovate leaves 
are dark green, leathery, and therefore easily kept 
clean should they be attacked by insects, which is not 
often the case. The club-shaped or tubular scarlet 
flowers are erect, and borne in dense, terminal heads, 
adding brightness to a collection of stove plants in 
winter or early spring, when flowers generally are not 
very plentiful in that structure. We noted neat little 
plants of it recently in the nursery of Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. 
Magnolia stellata. 
From the fact of this small tree flowering before the 
development of the foliage, it bears considerable super¬ 
ficial resemblance to M. conspicua. The petals are, 
however, more numerous and much narrower, as the 
specific name would seem to warrant, and pure white. 
When they first expand they are erect or nearly so, but 
they ultimately become reflexed. It is a native of 
Japan, perfectly hardy, and in quite a small state more 
useful perhaps for planting in beds than the Chinese 
M. conspicua. Specimens about a foot in height flower 
freely. There is a bed of it on the grass at Kew, where 
it has been flowering for some time past in spite of the 
frost, which on several mornings recently has been 
rather severe. It is sometimes named M. Halleana. 
-- 
SEASONABLE WORK IN THE 
GARDEN. 
Ferns. —Now that Ferns of nearly all kinds are making 
rapid growth, they will require liberal supplies of water 
at the root, and in many cases to be syringed overhead. 
Gymnogrammas constitute an exception, and must not 
be syringed, otherwise the farina with which the fronds 
are covered on one or both surfaces gets washed off, 
thus spoiling their appearance. The stems of tree 
Ferns should be regularly moistened at least once a day, 
by the use of the syriDge or otherwise. 
Shading Ferns. —This is more frequently overdone 
than underdone. Notwithstanding the cold weather 
we have been visited with, the sun frequently comes 
out with great brightness, necessitating shading. The 
latter should consist of the thinnest material, and then 
be used only during the warmest part of the day. Too 
much heat, moisture, and dense shading, or if too pro¬ 
longed, causes the fronds to become drawn and thin. 
Carnations. —Those in pots must now be closely 
looked after, to prevent the ravages of green-fly, which 
increases with great rapidity at this season. Fumi¬ 
gation must be resorted to, or the plants may be dipped 
in a strong solution of soft-soap, syringing them shortly 
afterwards in either case. 
Carnation Seedlings. —If not already done, a 
sowing may now be made for flowering next spring or 
early summer. They supply, as a rule, a great quantity 
of flowers for cutting purposes ; besides which some 
fine kinds worthy of preservation may now and again 
be obtained in this way. Those who have taken the 
precaution to make a sowing should prick off the 
plants at an early date. 
Solanum capsicastrum, —If not already done, the 
old plants intended for preservation and fruiting next 
year should be well cut back, and stood in a cold 
frame or pit until the weather becomes warmer, so that 
they may be planted out. Seedlings raised this spring 
may also be planted with the others. A warm, shel¬ 
tered situation, but fully exposed to the sun, is the 
best place for them. Some use a frame, but this is 
unnecessary. 
Winter-flowering Subjects. — Old plants of 
Salvias,'excepting those of S. patens, also Eranthemums, 
Sericographis, Eupatoriums, and similar subjects, may 
be thrown away to make room for the younger stuff, 
which requires plenty of room to develop, with a full 
exposure to light from the earliest stages onwards. 
Cyclamens. —Seedlings should be encouraged in 
heat to make as much growth as possible early in the 
season. Later on they may be kept cooler in order to 
consolidate what growth they have made, and flowering 
will be more vigorous and prolonged during autumn 
and winter. This refers to seedlings that were sown 
last autumn. Old plants must not be dried off if they 
are intended for flowering again. 
Show and Fancy Pelargoniums. — The best 
position with regard to light must now be given the 
plants, and more space allowed them as the branches 
elongate, or they will assuredly become drawn and 
spoiled. Attend to the tying down of the shoots, so 
as to maintain a well-balanced plant. 
Roses. —Complete the pruning of Roses out of doors 
where that has not already been done. The work 
might have been accomplished with safety some time 
ago ; the effect now will simply be to cause a later 
development of young wood, and the flowering season 
will consequently be prolonged. 
Hardy Plants for Edging. —Where hardy plants 
are used for edging beds in the summer flower garden, 
they should now be planted if the beds are empty. By 
doing so now they will get established before the dry 
weather sets in ; besides which it will be so much work 
accomplished before the commencement of the bedding 
out season proper. This applies to such things as 
Cerastium tomentosum, Sedums, Saxifrages, Herniaria, 
and a host of others. 
Early Vinery. —More air should be given as the 
Grapes commence colouring, increasing it as they 
reach maturity, and the flavour will be greatly im¬ 
proved thereby. The temperature may be reduced 
when they approach this stage, but fire-heat should 
not be dispensed with while fruits still hang on the 
Vines, as the berries continue to improve in flavour by 
it for some time after they appear to be ripe. 
Melons. —As the fruits in the early house approach 
maturity, the atmosphere should be kept drier, and the 
plants less frequently syringed. If the foliage is in 
good condition and well firmed previously by judicious 
ventilation, the successful ripening of the fruits will be 
comparatively an easy matter, and the flavour will be 
better than where the house is kept close and moist. 
Cucumbers.— There will be no difficulty now in 
maintaining a supply of Cucumbers throughout the 
season. The plants must, however, be liberally treated 
while in bearing, to keep up their vigour. Give copious 
supplies of manure water, and when the roots are 
showing through in abundance, top-dress the beds with 
good but rather light loam, with a third of well-decom¬ 
posed cow-dung. 
French Beans.—A sowing may now be made on a 
warm sheltered border where the soil is rather light. 
If the seedlings escape the late spring frosts, they will 
come into bearing at an earlier date than crops that are 
sown later. Of course, they can be protected with some 
evergreen boughs or tiffany should there be any appear¬ 
ance of frost after germination. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
♦ 
_ ♦ * 
Cyrtopodium Andersoni. 
The pseudo-bulbs of this species attain a height of 5 ft., 
but the plant will flower in a much smaller state. The 
flower scape is developed in spring before the young 
growths, and reaches a height of 3 ft., bearing at its 
apex a panicle of flowers of very unwonted appearance, 
and although not so remarkable as those of some of the 
species in cultivation, they nevertheless afford some 
relief from the much-cultivated kinds. The sepals and 
petals are yellow, slightly tinted with green, but the 
three-lobed lip is bright yellow, with the lateral lobes 
very broad and erect alongside of the column ; the ter¬ 
minal lobe on the contrary is spreading and corrugated 
at the end. There is a flowering specimen of it in the 
nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Dendrobium atroviolaceum. 
The general habit of this Orchid resembles that of D. 
maerophyllum, to which it is closely allied, but the 
pedicel, ovary, and the outer surface of the sepals are 
not covered with hairs. Tne sepals and petals are pale 
yellow spotted irregularly with dark violet, and some¬ 
what wavy. The three-lobed lip is very dark violet 
internally, and tho terminal lobe is somewhat striated 
with green. This part of the flower strongly resembles 
that of D. maerophyllum. The pseudo-bulbs are 
somewhat spindle-shaped, tapering downwards to a 
slender stalk-like base, and bearing near their apex an ■ 
erect raceme of flowers. The species is a native of New 
Guinea, while its ally comes from the Philippines. It 
was exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, at 
the Drill Hall, Westminster, on the 8th inst. 
Dendrobium primulinum giganteum. 
This differs from the type chiefly in the great size of 
the lip, which is of a pale primrose colour, with rosy 
markings on the claw, and finely but shortly fringed at 
the margin. The sepals and petals are of a pale rose 
colour. As a species D. primulinum comes close to D. 
