May 17, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD- 
585 
THE “STOTT" INSECTICIDE 
DISTRIBUTOR. 
In our issue for the 28th September last, a Preston 
correspondent called attention to a very ingenious 
insecticide distributor, the invention of Mr. S. Howard 
Stott, The Lindens, Fulwood, near that town, and 
which has met with considerable favour since it was 
put upon the market. At the late Daffodil Conference, 
at Chiswick, Mr. Stott had one of his apparatuses on 
exhibition, and so admirably did it do its work, that 
we venture to bring it more prominently under the 
notice of our readers by means of a few illustrations. 
Fig. 1 shows the distributor, partly in section. It is 
a six-celled machine, which can be attached at the 
inlet end to an ordinary tap, by means of a short piece 
of hose, while any length of hose can be attached to 
the outlet end for distributing the insecticide through 
a fine spray nozzle, shown in fig. 2. The distributor 
is constructed as follows :—At the inlet end there is a 
zinc division, with perforated holes round the outer 
edge ; in the division between the first and second cell, 
the perforated holes are in the centre ; and in the 
other four divisions the holes alternate from outer edge 
to centre, thus causing the water in its course from 
inlet to outlet to flow zig-zag, and so thoroughly act 
on the material put into each cell. Each cell also 
contains a small wooden ball, which, by its rotary 
motion, causes a regular mixing of the insecticide. 
The caps shown at the top of the cells unscrew for the 
purpose of charging the machine, the sixth cell not 
being charged, but left for the better solution of any of 
the materials forced forward from the other cells. The 
process of charging, Mr. Stott informed us, was 
originally tedious, but ■with the aid of a contrivance 
which he calls a filler, the machines can now be charged 
in two or three minutes, without waste or soiling the 
fingers. Fig. 2, the sprayer, already alluded to, 
embodies in a practical form an old detail in garden 
practice, i.e., the application of the tip of the fore¬ 
finger of the left hand to the jet of the syringe, for the 
purpose of producing a fine spray. This form of nozzle 
was soon found in practice to be much better than the 
ordinary fine rose end, which is so liable to get choked 
up by particles of insecticide not thoroughly dissolved. 
To ensure effective distribution and economy of 
materials, it is essential that the insecticide should be 
applied in the form of a fine spray, and this the small 
size of the aperture in the sprayer and the force of 
the water behind gives, while ensuring that none of 
the insect-killing material is wasted away irregularly. 
Fig. 3 illustrates Mr. Stott’s latest patent, the 
application of a mixing chamber or cell (a) to an 
ordinary syringe. The insecticide is put into the cell, 
and dissolved for distribution while suction and 
expulsion is taking place. For small gardens this will 
be found a very serviceable article. 
The illustration on p. 584 shows the attachment of 
a distributor to a garden engine, such as must, of neces¬ 
sity, be used where water pressure is not available. 
This particular engine only shows one delivery ; but 
larger engines, with two deliveries, can be used, if 
required, for washing hops or fruit trees. 
Having got the distributor, the next thing was to 
find a compound of insect-killing materials that is 
soluble in cold water, and that can be most effectively 
and economically used with its aid, and here the in¬ 
ventor met with great difficulties. Many insecticides 
can be incorporated with hard soap, but still are not 
soluble in cold water, owing to the tallow used in the soap ; 
but Mr. Stott has overcome this difficulty, having suc¬ 
ceeded, after many experiments, in producing a material 
that does dissolve in cold water, and which he claims 
is certain death to most insect pests. The article 
which he calls “ Killmright,” Red Ticket, Mr. Stott 
states is effective against mildew, red-spider, black and 
green-fly, thrips, and caterpillars ; but when used in 
plant houses leaves a deposit of sulphur on the 
leaves, which is a drawback. “Blue Ticket” is effective 
against most of the enemies just named, and does not 
leave any deposit that some experimentors consider 
need be washed off the tenderest growths ; but we 
believe that, to avoid all risk of injury, Mr. Stott 
himself does syringe with clear water about an hour after 
using the insecticide. Mr. Stott is experimenting with 
the larger machines in the distribution of manuiial 
substances, about which more may be heard anon. 
-->X<-- 
CULTIVATION AND SELECTION 
OF POPULAR ORCHIDS. 
By Alexander Wright. 
( Continued from p. 553). 
Let us now turn our attention to the house described 
at p. 553, and see what may be done with it. Having 
agreed to adopt a minimum winter temperature of 50° 
to 55° with a proportionate rise with sun heat during 
the day, and a minimum summer temperature of 60° 
with the corresponding rise in the day-time, we shall 
have a house in which a great many of the most 
beautiful of our popular Orchids may be successfully 
grown. 
Odontoglossums.— Coming first on the list of 
popular Orchids would be Odontoglossum crispum 
(perhaps better known as 0. Alexandras), one of the 
most beautiful and useful of Orchids. This, along 
with its other varieties, will always form a very 
attractive feature in the house, for wherever a quantity 
of it is grown, the house will seldom be without some 
plants in flower. Other Odontoglossums that would 
find a place amoDgst popular Orchids would be 
Andersonianum, Cervantesii, Chestertoni, cirrhosum, 
citrosmum, Edwardi, gloriosum, grande, Hallii, 
Insleayli, and its varieties splendens and Leopardinum, 
luteo-purpureum, maculatum, CErstedii, Pescatorei, 
Phalsenopsis, pulcbellum, Rossii majus, triumphans, 
and vexillarium (this last at the warm end of the 
house). 
Of Cypripediums, Boxallii, barbatum and its lovely 
varieties, Harrisianum, insigne and varieties, Leeanum, 
Leeanum superbum, Schlimii, venustum, villosum, 
&c. 
Of Oncidiums, dasystyle, Forbesii, incurvum, 
macranthum, Marshallianum, ornithorrhynchum, 
tigrinum, varicosum, and Rogersii. 
Cattleyas, citrina, crispa, Lawrenceana, labiata, 
Gaskelliana, Mendelii, Mossiae, Skinneri, Trianae and 
its pretty varieties. 
Lilias, albida, anceps, autumnalis and varieties, 
Dayana purpurata and varieties. 
Epidendrums, atropurpureum, fragrans, vitellinum 
maj us. 
Dkndrobiums, Ainsworthii, crassinode, Devonianum, 
aureum, nobile, Pierardii, thyrsifiorum, andWardianum. 
Ada aurantiaca. 
Anguloas, eburnea and Clowesii. 
Ccelogyne cristata and its varieties. 
Cymbidiums, eburneum, Lowianum and Mastersii. 
Lycastes, Skinneri and its numerous varieties, 
aromatica, citrina, and plena. 
Masdevallias, amabilis, Chelsoni, Chimiera, 
Harryana and varieties, ignea, Lindeni, and 
Yeitchiana. 
Pleiones, humilis, lagenaria, maculata, and 
Wallichiana. 
Sophronitls grandiflora. 
Some of the above species are not generally given as 
cool-house Orchids, but in the temperature recommended 
above I have found them to grow and flower satisfac¬ 
torily. I have also omitted many of the beautiful 
named varieties of different species, but with them it is 
only the question about their price which keeps them 
from becoming popular. 
Potting. —The material used for potting purposes is 
in itself so simple that it loses much of the mysterious 
properties attached to various compounds often recom¬ 
mended for potting different stove and greenhouse 
plants. For the epiphytal Orchids, good fibry peat, 
sphagnum moss, that grown under trees to be used in 
preference to that found growing in water ; the former 
being shorter in its growth, and more compact, a neater 
finish can be given to the plants when potted, and I 
find that it grows better and lasts longer than that 
found growing in water. Charcoal may be used with 
advantage, but if not readily obtained broken pots may 
be used instead. In crocking the pots keep the pot¬ 
sherds on edge, rather than lay them flat, as' it will 
allow a stick to get a firmer hold in using one to tie the 
plant or flower-spike to. In using the peat knock all 
the dust out on the bench before using, employing 
only rough pieces, with about equal parts of sphagnum, 
and the addition of a few pieces of charcoal or pot¬ 
sherds, which help to keep the material open. Finish 
the pots neatly by using the compact-growing pieces of 
sphagnum, placing them so that they will grow on the 
surface. 
In potting Odontoglossums I do not recommend the 
plan of keeping the plants raised above the top of the 
pot as is often seen. If the base of the pseudo-bulbs is 
just elevated above the edge of the pot that will be 
sufficient. Nor should the pot be filled to the rim 
with the potting material ; rather allow about J in., so 
that should the plant get dry at any time it can be 
watered with the watering-can, and without having 
recourse to dipping, a plan that requires much time to 
carry it out. 
There are plants on the other hand that are better 
raised, such as those that emit roots freely, and prefer 
to grow out of the material rather than in it. Examples 
of this kind will be found amongst the Oncidiums, 
Vandas, Aerides, &c. The Cypripediums are often 
raised unnecessarily high in their pots. In potting them 
there ought to be room left for watering. Most of the 
Cypripediums will be benefited by the addition of a 
few small pieces of turfy loam to the peat and sphagnum 
in potting, and for some of them, such as niveum, con- 
color, &c., the addition of small pieces of limestone will 
make a great difference in the well-being of the plants. 
The terrestrial Orchids will require more substantial 
material to grow in. Calanthe Veitchii, Phajus grandi- 
folius, Peristeria elata, Anguloas, &c., can best be 
grown with good loam, manure, and leaf-soil, to which 
some bone meal maybe added. Nor will the plants be 
required to be raised in the pots like the epiphytal 
group, but enough room should be left for watering. 
Ccelogyne cristata and Lycaste Skinneri are improved 
in their growth by leaf-soil being added to the peat 
and sphagnum, and the Pleiones are the better for leaf- 
soil and bone meal. 
Let me here strongly recommend that all Orchids 
should be re-potted every year at least, and all decaying 
material, or any not having roots in it, removed and 
replaced with fresh material. This will be found to 
keep the plants in better health than where the system- 
of top-dressing is resorted to and the plants allowed to 
go on for, perhaps, two or three years without being 
potted. The consequence of such treatment is that 
when the plants are turned out of their pots, the roots 
are found in a very bad state. The plants thus receive 
a check from which recovery is often a slow business. 
There are a few plants that may be allowed to go for 
two or three years without re-potting, and they are 
those the roots of which adhere firmly to the sides of 
the pots or baskets, rather than to the material in 
1 
THE DISTRIBUTOR 
The “Stott” Insecticide Distributor. 
