July 28, 1894. 
THE gardening world 
?5S 
The Questions. 
Eight questions only to be answered; four from Division 
A, and four from Division B. 
Division A.— Elementary Principles. 
1. —Write as full a description as you can of the 
Potato plant in the various stages of its growth, 
from the sprouting of the tuber to the formation of 
the flower. 
2. What is meant when the soil is said to be 
sour ? What steps should be taken to remedy that 
condition ? 
3 How do the roots of a plants grow, and 
what circumstances are favourable to their 
growth ? 
4. How is it that one particular manure may be 
useful to one crop and valueless to another ? 
5. Explain the cause of growth in an Onion, 
from the seedling stage to the formation of the 
bulb. 
6. Describe the method of fertilisation in the 
flower of the Cabbage, or in any other common 
garden plant. 
J. Explain the evil results that arise from thick 
sowing or planting ? 
8. What causes produce clubbing in Cabbages ? 
What remedies can be applied ? 
Division B. —Horticultural Practice. 
g. Describe the preparation of the ground and 
the manner of planting such fruit trees as the 
Apple, Pear, Plum, Cherry, &c., and point out 
the manner of preparing the trees for planting. 
10. What position in the garden should Peach, 
Nectarine, and Apricot trees occupy ? To what 
diseases are they subject, and by what insect pests 
are they liable to be attacked. Mention the remedies 
to be applied in each case. 
ir. Describe the preparation of the ground for 
vegetable crops, and briefly describe the rotation of 
cropping a kitchen garden. 
12. How would you proceed to obtain a succes¬ 
sion of Peas, Beans, and Runner-Beans for as long a 
period as possible. State the best varieties to culti¬ 
vate, and the quantities required for a given length 
of row. 
13. Describe the culture of Cucumbers and 
Tomatos under glass, and show their value as crops 
for market purposes. 
14. Give the details of Mushroom culture out 
of doors, as well as in the usual Mushroom- 
houses. 
15. How are Roses propagated ? Mention the 
best method of culture. Enumerate the insect 
enemies and diseases to which they are subject, and 
point out the best ways of dealing with them. 
16. Mention the time of planting, and indicate 
the general method of culture suitable for the flower- 
garden. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Cattleya labiata alba. 
A FINE form of this has flowered in the collection 
of Mr. P. Mc.Arthur, 4, Maida Vale, London. It 
turned up amongst an importation of Cattleya 
labiata, and which was obtained amongst others sold 
at the rooms of Messrs. Protheroe & Morris. The 
plant which bore the flower sent us has just bloomed 
for the first time, and is consequently a little out of 
season, as often happens with newly imported 
Orchids. The bloom is the best we have seen under 
the name of C. labiata alba, and measured close 
upon 7 in. across the petals, but was slightly flagged 
and shrunken when the measurement was taken. 
The petals were also very broad, and the lamina of 
the lip much undulated. The whole flower was 
pure white with exception of a pale yellow blotch in 
the throat and tube. A well-grown plant of this, 
with several leads would be a desirable acquisition 
for any collection, but we may hope to see it one 
day when time has allowed it to develop. Judging 
from the flower sent the plant is of vigorous con¬ 
stitution, and we are informed that it has the true 
C. labiata habit of growth- The possessor is to be 
congratulated on his chance acquisition. 
-- 
TIE VEilTAILE liiDEN. 
Lettuce. 
The showery weather we have been experiencing of 
late has been just the kind to produce good, crisp 
uicy hearts without the aid of the watering pot, 
and those who have taken the precaution to make 
frequent sowings of different varieties, will have 
abundance of firm hearts to use. There is a great 
difference in the flavour of those grown quickly to- 
those that are a long time in arriving at maturity 
therefore the aim of the cultivator should be to 
have a piece of well prepared ground in readiness 
to transplant the plants from each sowing as soon 
as they are large enough to handle. On dry, gravelly 
soils it will be necessary to go to extra pains to pre¬ 
pare a place for them to grow on in hot weather if 
the finest results are to be obtained, for the lettuce 
is a moisture loving subject as well as a gross feeder, 
therefore, unless plenty of nourishment be put 
within the reach of the roots, they will not grow 
satisfactorily. 
Different soils and situations must be taken into 
account where a continuous supply has to be main¬ 
tained through all seasons, for it is often as difficult 
to get good Lettuce in the height of summer as it is 
in the depth of the winter. In early spring both the 
quick growing Cabbage and cos varieties should be 
sown, and successions of these may be put in from 
time to time till the latter part of July, after which 
date the more hardy kinds should have the prefer¬ 
ence, as they will be found the most serviceable, 
particularly on stiff land in low lying situations, for 
these, not growing so rapidly as the tender summer 
sorts, will resist the cold better. On dry, sandy 
ground the summer kinds often keep good till late in 
the season, and on such the more tender sorts may 
be grown during the autumn with advantage. It is, 
however, much the best plan even in those places to 
sow one or two hardy kinds at the end of July, as 
from such sowings a supply may often be obtained 
till the end of the year, especially if they are planted 
out when protection can be afforded them in case 
severe weather should set in early. 
Those sown in August should be transplanted 
when small into a temporary frame, or if this be 
not available where such can be put round them 
before the winter sets in. The August sowing is 
one of the most important of the whole lot, for from 
it a supply will have to be obtained to carry over 
the dull winter months, unless heated pits are pro¬ 
vided for that purpose, which in but few establish¬ 
ments, are found. Where it is intended to protect 
by a temporary frame, six rows may be planted a 
foot apart each way, it is better to allow plenty of 
room as the plants grow more hardy, and will 
therefore stand better should it be found necessary 
to cover them up, for any length of time should 
there be a continuation of severe weather. When 
the plants have completed their growth a couple of 
floor boards put up edge ways and fastened to stakes 
driven in the ground will form a protection. Round 
the outside of these about a foot of leaves or other 
material should be placed to prevent the frost from 
penetrating the sides, shutters or old lights may be 
used for covering over the plants and these may be 
covered during a sharp frost with mats or some kind 
of litter. It is much the best plan to leave on the 
covering, unless the weather should be mild, for 
when very changeable the covering sometimes 
gets left off, and the whole lot is found frosted to 
death. 
There are now so many good kinds in cultivation 
that it difficult to say which are the best, and as 
different people have their own peculiar fancies we 
will not attempt to say which which would be best 
for them to grow, but for winter use we have found 
Hick's Hardy White and the old Brown Cos two of 
the best of that class, the latter of the two is the 
most tender. Of Cabbage there are several that 
will resist the frost of an ordinary winter. Victoria, 
Stanstead Park, All the year Round, and Hardy 
Hammersmith are the best. For early sowing there 
is none so good as Golden Ball or Golden Queen. 
This variety forms hearts close to the ground, may 
be planted six inches apart each way, when it is 
surprising the amount of crisp, tender hearts that 
can be grown on a small space. Perfect Gem is 
another compact early cabbage variety of delicate 
flavour. Of the Cos varieties for summer use we 
have not found any so good as Sutton s Mammoth 
White and Sutton’s White Heart. The latter is not 
a large kind, but the leaves fold so closely over each 
other as to form a compact heart without the trouble 
of tying. Both these when well grown are very 
tender and deserve a place in all gardens where 
good Cos Lettuce are appreciated .—Kitchen Gardener. 
THE MAMMOTH LONG-POD BEAN. 
The Mammoth Long-pod is an excellent Broad 
Bean. It grows about 3 ft. high, is a fine free 
cropper, and bears long pods containing six to seven 
Beans of very delicate flavour. 
©I^aninfls fiiom th^ SDurlti 
nf Science. 
Desert Plants.—A paper on this subject appears 
in the Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. xxx. 
No. 208, and is the outcome of the observations 
made by the Rev. George Henslow, M.A., F.L.S.. in 
the deserts around Cairo and elsewhere. He says that 
plants are confined to the water courses, which are 
dry at all times except in February and March. 
Nowhere can a vegetation be seen resembling that 
of our native flora. The ground is sparely occupied, 
not covered by the tew plants which are able to sub¬ 
sist in that arid region ; and what is remarkable, is 
that there is no competition amongst them for 
possession of the soil. The struggle they have for 
existence is with their arid and unfavourable environ¬ 
ment We are wont to talk of xerophilous plants as 
if they really loved the drought and arid conditions 
of their environment, but the fact is that they have 
a severe struggle to exist at all. Their pliant nature 
enables them to change their character sufficiently 
to adapt them to their surroundings. The plants 
are stunted in growth, and appear of a uniform gray 
tint. This is due to excessive hairiness, or to coat¬ 
ings of a wax bloom, which serve to resist the in¬ 
fluences of drought by preserving the moisture 
already stored up in the tissues of the plant. Other 
plants again become fleshy for the same purpose. 
Spiny Plants.—Associated with a dwarf and 
stunted habit is a spring condition of one or other 
part of the plant. This the professor considers as 
a result or outcome of the arid and uncongenial sur¬ 
roundings. The brances, stipules, or bracts may be- 
become spiny, and this he believes is due to a de¬ 
ficiency of moisture whereby the plants are starved 
and prevented from developing their parenchy- 
matrous or cellular tissue, as many of them are 
capable of doing under more favourable circum¬ 
stances. At the same time the vascular tissue and 
that immediately surrounding it becomes woody and 
hardened, forming spines of various degrees of 
hardness and sharpness. Some of the plants raised 
from seeds by way of experiment, and under condi¬ 
tions favourable to a more vigorous growth, lost 
their spiny character to a considerable extent. This 
was the case with Zilla myagroides, and we have 
seen the same thing happen to Capparis spinosa 
under cultivation. In this plant the stipules harden 
and become spiny when grown under dry conditions, 
but when plentifully supplied with moisture the 
spines are more or less reduced in size and quite 
soft. Other plants from various parts of the world 
are mentioned, which develop a spiny character 
in one or other of their members or organs. It is a 
means of resisting the intense heat of the desert, be¬ 
cause such tissues contain little moisture to lose by 
evaporation. While admitting all this, may we not 
be justified in assuming that the spines also serve 
another useful purpose ? If they do not absolutely 
prevent browsing animals from feeding upon them, 
they would at least prevent the animals from effect¬ 
ing the the destruction of the plants so rapidly as 
would otherwise be the case, and some portions would 
generally have a chance of escape. We are here re¬ 
minded of a remark made by one who had been in 
the tropics, that the poisoning of dried specimens of 
plants or animals would not prevent their being 
eaten, because so many animals would have a nibble 
at them, that although every one which tasted might 
be killed, as many others were ready to try the same 
fatal experiment. 
Spines of Pears and Roses.—The writer goes 
on to say that these plants " are well known to lose 
neir spines under cultivation.” That may be so to 
ome extent, and is merely an evidence of their 
liable nature generally. The young and strong 
terns of Rosa spinosissima, or the weak ones for 
he matter of that, even in the double garden forms, 
eem as spiny as ever. Rosa lucida develops bristly 
irickles on its young stems, but they mostly fall 
way after a time. The strong and hooked spines 01 
arious Tea Roses are often a marked feature ot 
heir vigorous young shoots. Our native Roses gen- 
rally continue to produce prickles or thorns in 
.bundance, so that they must be intended to serve 
ome useful purpose, and have not been developed 
)y the aridity of the climate. The Hawthorn and 
lubi offer other instances. Crab Apple trees and 
eedling Pear trees, used as stocks, often show spines, 
spineless trees may often be due to varietal differ- 
nce and to man’s selection. 
