January 27, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
337 
with the view of securing Orchids which had never 
been imported into Europe. The Roraima is 8,6oo 
ft. high, the difficulty of the ascent being very great. 
This was achieved, however, by Mr. Kromer and 
his companion, Mr. Seyler, who remained on the 
mountain until the following day, although deserted 
by their Indian followers. This was the first occa¬ 
sion on which human beings had been known to 
spend a night on the Roraima. The views exhibited 
had all been taken by Mr. Kromer during the 
expedition, and added much to the interest of the 
lecture. A number of curiosities obtained from the 
native tribes were also on view. At the close a 
cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Kromer for 
his interesting lecture. 
Mr. Bruce Findlay on Kitchen Gardening.— On 
Monday night, in the Memorial Hall, Albert-square, 
Manchester. Mr. Robert Cock, of Stafford, deli¬ 
vered the second of a series of four lectures on 
horticulture, which had been arranged in connection 
with the technical instruction scheme of the Lanca¬ 
shire County Council. The chair was taken by Mr. 
Bruce Findlay, Royal Botanical Gardens, Old 
Trafford, who, in opening the proceedings, said he 
dared say some thoughtless people considered it a 
senseless thing to meet together to talk about the 
cultivation of vegetables, which was the subject of 
Mr. Cock’s lecture. But he held it was a question 
of very great moment to the whole community, for 
anything that tended to improve and increase the 
vegetable productions of the country was of the 
greatest national importance. British people, he 
was afraid, did not give that serious consideration 
to the subject of horticulture that our neighbours 
did. The subject did not attract that attention which 
was commensurate with its importance. Any nation 
that boasted of civilisation and refinement had 
always shown a love for gardens and gardening, but 
he feared we were somewhat behind in this matter. 
The grants given from the Imperial Echequer to 
horticultural establishments were not commensurate 
with the importance of horticulture to the commu¬ 
nity. It was the custom, and one against which he 
protested with all the energy he was capable of, to 
separate the kitchen garden from the flower garden. 
He held that the should, where it was practicable, be 
combined, so that beauty and usefulness might go 
hand in hand. It was so amongst the Greeks and 
Romans. It was true poetry to have beauty and 
usefulness combined in equal proportions. The 
question was one which deserved the consideration 
of all who laid out gardens. If they visited the old 
gardens in the country they would find that there 
the two were combined. He thought it desirable 
that we should go back to gardening as it was 
amongst the ancients. He hoped that a satisfactory 
result would be shown for the assistance which the 
Lancashire County Council had given. 
GARDENERS’ TESTIMONIALS. 
Reading your reply to a correspondent last week on 
the subject of notice to leave and giving characters 
to young gardeners, I am tempted to ask you to 
allow me to say a few words on a matter that is of 
the greatest importance and interest to all gardeners. 
How easy it may seem to some to give a man a 
testimonial deserving or undeserving, yet for my 
part I have always looked upon a testimonial as a 
document that should be written according to a 
man s conscience, and have always so written them 
myself. Indeed, I have never until now had 
occasion to hesitate over a man, and the exception is 
one that I am now parting with ; but I think all will 
agree that such a one should not get a testimonial, 
and not only so, but should leave the profession, and 
all like him. There are already too many weeds in 
our profession, and they should not be treated the 
same as a deserving man. To give testimonials in 
such cases is an insult to the deserving and a dis¬ 
grace to those who give them, besides tending to 
make testimonials of no value. I have myself seven 
excellent testimonials and I prize them much better 
than I would bank notes, as I believe them to be 
truthfully written, and they show no blank time, the 
end of one corresponding with the commencing of 
another. 
Now to return to my young man. Nearly two 
years ago he came to me from a seedsman, who said 
he was represented to him as having a good practical 
knowledge of his profession, to be a good workman, 
and aged twenty-three. I engaged him as leading 
journeyman out-doors amongst six to ten more lads 
and he was to be capable of leading and showing the 
others a good example. I had him a very short 
time when I found he came very far short of what I 
expected. About the first job I gave him was 
nailing ; I saw he was but an apprentice at it, and a 
very dull one. I took him in hand, got him through 
it in a way, as I had not a great deal of time just 
then to be with him. I next gave him a piece of 
ground to level, rake, and prepare for sowing Peas— 
a job I would have got through myself in half or 
three-quarters of an hour. Knowing what he was I 
left him alone, that is as long as my patience would 
permit ; but at the end of three hours I went to him, 
and—oh, horror ! the hills and holes. To tell the 
truth it looked better before he went near it, because 
what was level he had to make correspond with his 
ups and downs. But I found it was not only one or 
two things, it was everything he put his hands to; 
but I would look over that if he could learn. I 
think nearly every head gardener with a little feeling 
will excuse a young man for his shortcomings if he 
will learn when he is shown how to do a thing. I 
am sure if he had been an apprentice instead of a 
leading journeyman I could not have taken greater 
interest in him or done more to improve him. I dis¬ 
missed him three times, but reinstated him on his 
appealing for another trial and promising to try and 
do better, but that was a mistake. Still I thought 
we must all get our bread, and if I send him away 
what will become of him, for I cannot recommend 
him to another gardener. In truth I often wished 
that those who recommended him so strongly had 
him back again. Anyhow, I can stand him no 
longer ; but as to his character, what am I to do ? I 
have written to the seedsman who sent him to me 
trying to get him to take him.back, but he asks if I 
can very strongly recommend him. Now I respect 
that seedsman and cannot deceive him, as un¬ 
doubtedly he was deceived before. 
Of course, during about twelve years bothy life in 
the three kingdoms I have met with some rather dull 
fellows, but I never met one before who was not 
anxious to and could learn. I think it is a great 
shame for head gardeners to keep apprentices nearly 
all their time at trifling little jobs. They should be 
sent the round of the profession, taking in turn the 
spade, scythe, nailing, pruning, potting, watering- 
in fact everything that will- be of use to them, and 
then when the day comes for them to go out into the 
world, they heed not be afraid to go, and you will 
not be ashamed to recommend them. I hope you 
will pardon me, Mr. Editor, for taking up so much 
space, but thinking perhaps that your questioner 
might be a young man such as mine, and his chief be 
placed in a similar position to myself, I could hardly 
resist writing. It is well to know the rights of young 
men, but I would urge again that while it may be 
easy to give a man a character, it may be very 
difficult for him to keep it, and if good, bad, and 
indifferent are all to get testimonials, of what value 
does a testimonial become.— Pinkie. 
-- 
ORCHIDS AT DULCOTE. 
Having a few hours to spare on Boxing Day, I 
thought I could not do better than avail myself of 
the invitation" to look over the fine collection of 
Orchids which Mr. Walter Cobb, formerly of 
Sydenham, has established at Tunbridge Wells. 
There were a good number of fine things in flower. 
The East India House was gay with Phalaenopsis, 
such as T.eucorrhoda, very fine ; P. gra«diflora, P. 
Amabilis, with sixteen leaves on three leads, and 
carrying two good spikes of bloom; P. Stuartiana, 
P. Sanderiana, and P. Shilleriana, all in fine con¬ 
dition. In the same house were fine pieces and 
varieties of Cypripedium calurum Rougerierii, C. 
T B. Playwood, C. Chamberlainianum, Angraecum 
sesquipedale, Dendrobium Wardianum, and D. 
Phalaenopsis Schroderianum, whilst amongst those 
not in bloom I noticed good plants of D. macro- 
phyllum giganteum superbum, with bulbs over 3 ft. 
in length, D. Rhodostoma, D. thrysiflorum, D. 
Cooksoni, D. Dominyanum, and D. Owenianum, 
coming into flower. 
The intermediate division contained in bloom fine 
pieces of Cypripedium Leeanum superbum, C. 
Cobbianum, also several plants of the sweet-scented 
Vanda Amesianum. V. Kimballiana too was repre¬ 
sented by several nice pieces, but of course not in 
flower. Suspended near the glass were some nice 
pieces of Coelogyne cristata, C. cristata maxima, C. 
cristata hololeuca, which will be fine later on. 
Maxillaria Sanderiana too was quite at home, here 
the plants having made splendid growths from the 
base of which their purplish-looking spikes are just 
in sight. In this house the somewhat rare Odonto- 
glossum, Kramerii alba, finds suitable quarters, the 
little extra warmth seeming to be just what it re¬ 
quires. I was too late to see the autumn-flowering 
Cattleya labiata in bloom, but Mr. Howse told me 
they had been grand. Most of the varieties that are 
worth growing are to be found here, such as C. 
Wagnerii, C. Mossiae Reineckiana, and C. Skinnerii 
alba. Of Laelias there are fine pieces of Purpurata, 
L. elegans, L. elegans Turnerii, L. anceps, L. a. 
alba, which, like most peoples make fine bulbs every 
year, but are shy to bloom, but with the increase of 
light and air upon that which they had when at 
Sydenham, they will surely reward employer and 
employed for their trouble. Sobralia virginalis and 
S. xantholeuca were in good condition in the adjoin¬ 
ing division. 
The Odontoglossums have a house specially built 
for them. The structure is a lean to, and faces 
north, and is I should think quite eighty feet long ; 
I was given the exact length but forgot to make a 
note of it. It is in too divisions, the first containing 
on the front stage all the best kinds of Masdevallias, 
of which there were several of that most useful 
species, Toverensis in bloom, which are grown in 
small pans, a system which suits them admirably. 
Intermixed with these were nice pieces of the 
brilliant Sophronites grandiflora. The back stage 
was gay with all the best forms of Cypripedium, 
insigne, which includes C. I. Chantinii, C. I. 
punctatum violaceum, &c., in all quite fifty plants, a 
grand sight. A very dark variety of C. Boxallii too 
must be noticed ; of Lycastes there was a fine batch 
on a shelf up near the glass. The other division was 
almost entirely devoted to Odontoglossum crispum, 
of which Ihere are three thousand in various stages 
of development; a few were just opening their 
chaste flowers, but the bulk of them will not be in 
flower for some time. Amongst them we noticed some 
very distinct looking unbloomed plants, which if 
appearances go for anything will be fine indeed ; but, 
alas ! experience teaches us that with Orchids as with 
most things the least expected happens. The fine 
large bulbs turn out more often than not an ordinary 
variety, the good ones taking longer to come round 
as imported plants, and are generally speaking miffy 
doers. There is however any amount of pleasure to 
be had from a batch of newly imported plants, in 
watching them coming into flower for the first time. 
The plants in question are said to have vastly 
improved since they have been located in this new 
structure which was built to produce the best possible 
results, and I feel certain they will be realized. At 
one end close to the wall, on which at the time of my 
visit the moisture was standing in great beads, was 
a wonderful batch of Oncidium macranthum and 
Odontoglossum Edwardii with broad dark leaves 
quite a yard long. Much more might be said about 
this interesting collection, but enough has been 
written to show that it still retains its reputation for 
fine things well grown. It was with a firm conviction 
that I had made the best possible use of the holiday 
that I took leave of the able and genial gardener 
Mr. Howse, and made tracks for home.—S. 
_ , ♦ , _ 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
Carnation Sir Henry Calcraft.— The flowers of 
this tree Carnation are large, very full, and of a deep 
crimson-red. The petals are broad, almost entire, 
and of a glowing tint when closely examined. 
Unfortunately there is little or no scent to the 
flowers. The leaves are broad and glaucous. 
Carnation John Peter Rugus. —While this 
presents the same general feature as to size and 
form as Sir Henry Calcraft, the colour is a brilliant 
scarlet. The petals are broad, by no means crowded, 
but rather deeply toothed at the margins. In a 
purely florists’ or exhibition flower, the last named 
characteristic would be a defect, but for decorative 
purposes in winter it will offer no serious impedi¬ 
ment to the usefulness or popularity of the variety. 
The foliage exhibits a robust character. Both of 
the above were exhibited at the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the i6lh inst. by the 
Duke of Marlborough (gardener, Mr. Whillan), 
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, when each was 
accorded an Award of Merit. 
