August is, 1894. 
Tttfi GARDENING WORLD 
803 
Cauliflower. 
In all the more northern districts, Cauliflower 
seeds may be sown now to give a supply of plants to 
put out in spring. A sheltered south border is a good 
place on which to sow the seed, for on such the 
plants will stand without harm till the frost com¬ 
mences, when they should either have a frame put 
over them or be transplanted into one. Whichever 
plan is adopted, care must be taken to keep the 
plants as hardy as possible, or they will, in all 
probability, bolt when put out in spring. We prefer 
the plan of pricking the plants out in a cold frame as 
soon as large enough to handle, for by so doing the 
points of the roots are broken oif, thus causing them to 
make more fibres. The soil used in the fra me should be 
of a light, sandy nature, not too rich, for if the winter 
be mild, the plants would grow too large were the 
soil of a too fertile nature, and before it was safe to 
plant them out in spring they would become drawn. 
A distance of three inches should he allowed 
between the plants each way, and if there are signs 
of overcrowding take them up in February, pot one- 
half and after working a little leaf soil into the 
soil prick the others out again about four inches 
apart, by so doing it will prevent the necessity of 
having to plant them out in the open ground too 
soon. 
In some districts where it is diflScult to get good 
Cauliflowers during summer from seed sown in the 
spring, some of the autumn varieties may be sown 
now in addition to such kinds as Walcheren, Early 
London, Autumn Giant, and Mammoth may be sown, 
as these will turn in after the others are over. They 
must, however, be planted on an open piece of 
ground a good distance apart. Much depends on the 
district as regards the date of sowing the seed,butabout 
the 20th of this month will be soon enough in most 
places, while in the south the beginning of Septem¬ 
ber is a favourable time. The great secret is to 
have a good seed bed sown rather thinly, and when 
the plants are large enough prick them out in a cold 
frame so that they may become rooted before severe 
weather sets in. They must by no means be coddled 
or they will be of but little worth at planting-out 
time. On all favourable occasions the lights ought 
to be removed ; only in severe weather should they 
be kept closed. 
Celery. 
Owing to so much wei the growth of this crop has 
been very rapid of late, so that the early planted 
lots will now be reading for earthing. Before this is 
attempted look carefully over the plants to see there 
are no suckers or off-sets starting from the base of 
the leaf stalks, as this sometimes happens to the 
early planted ones. If any be found they 
should be removed before any soil is put to them. 
Earthing is not done as was at one time supposed by 
some to promote growth, it has the opposite effect. 
It is simply to blanch the leaf stalks and make them 
more tender, and if this can be effected without the 
aid of soil, so much the better, though in the case of 
that which is required to stand the winter the soil 
acts as a protection against frost. 
Blanching at this time of the year takes from a 
month to five weeks to accomplish, therefore, earth¬ 
ing must be done so as have them ready for use 
when required. Great care is needed to do the work 
well; no soil should be put to the plants while the 
foliage is wet, therefore, take advantage of fine 
weather, when both the ground and leaves are in a 
suitable condition. Each plant should have its 
stalks tied loosely together before any soil is put to 
them, and if the latter be of a retentive nature 
some finely sifted ashes mixed with it will help to 
keep it porous. The stalks of the plants may also be 
dusted with soot, to prevent the slugs from entering 
the hearts. In earthing be careful to keep the 
plants in a perpendicular position, for if they are 
pushed on one side their hearts will become so 
crippled as to render them useless. Hold the leaf 
stalks together with one hand while with the other 
the earth is pressed round them ; in this way none 
of it will get into the centre of the plants. 
Corn Salad or Lamb’s Lettuce. 
This should now be sown to give a supply of leaves 
for mixing with salads. This plant is not often cul¬ 
tivated except in large gardens, and not always there 
in the best manner. The seed should be sown on a 
warm, dry border in rows eight inches apart, and 
when the plants are large enough to handle should 
be thinned to a distance of six inches from each 
other. The leaves, which form a substitute for 
Lettuce, are gathered in the same way as Spinach, 
and when well grown make a good ingredient for the 
salad bowl. 
American or Land Cress. 
A SOWING of this may also be made now to produce 
plants for use in spring. It is seldom cultivated, but 
where glass accommodation is scarce, and salads are 
much in request, this hardy plant will be found very 
useful early in the season when Lettuce are scarce. 
Very little care is needed in its cultivation, a dry 
soil suiting it best .—Kitchen Gardener. 
ORCHID DOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
East India House. —The season has been very 
favourable to the growth of the Sphagnum Moss on 
all the plants where used. This may be accounted 
for by the abundant supply of rain water which we 
have had and the sunless weather. These conditions, 
too, would seem to have been just what the slugs ap¬ 
preciate, if we may judge by the quantity that have 
made their appearance this summer, attacking the 
young leaves and new roots of the Phalaenopsis to 
an alarming extent, and necessitating an ever watch¬ 
ful eye to be kept on them to prevent them from 
crippling and disfiguring the plants. Where the 
Moss has made an over luxuriant growth covering 
up the collar of the plants, it should be pressed down 
moderately firm and kept in position by a sprinkling 
of crocks broken up small. 
Stanhopea tigrina. —This handsome old Orchid 
still holds its own, partly on account of its curiously 
formed flowers and the easy manner in which it may 
be cultivated. This is one of those Orchids that 
does not require a specially constructed house to 
grow it to perfection. Anyone with an ordinary 
plant stove would be successful with it if given 
plenty of water at the roots when growing, and 
sufficient shade to keep the sun from doing any 
damage to the foliage. It does well when grown 
under Vines, where it can get plenty of heat and 
moisture during the spring months, and plenty of 
air during the summer, which is just what it 
requires to mature the growths, and for the proper 
development of the flowers. 
Laelia crispa. —This fine old Orchid, better 
known perhaps as Cattleya crispa, takes a lot of 
beating when well grown and flowered. It is just 
now opening its chaste blossoms, which will last 
about ten days in full beauty. They require about 
the same treatment as L. purpurata ; a position on 
the middle stage where they will get plenty of mois¬ 
ture about them seems to suit them best. We think 
they require more moisture than some Laelias, and 
should never be allowed to become dust dry, not 
even in winter. Peat, Moss, and plenty of crocks 
mixed with it we find the best compost for them. 
Fire Heat.— We have been obliged to have 
recourse to fire heat even in the day time on some 
occasions lately so as to admit of a free circulation 
of fresh air through the top and bottom ventilators. 
This keeps the plants free from that sticky sub¬ 
stance always to be found on plants where the air is 
insufficient and the temperature low. 
Shading. —This, of course, requires constant 
attention during such tricky weather. The blinds 
must be rolled up as early as possible in the after¬ 
noon, or the new growth will be drawn and 
sappy. 
Syringing.— This requires to be done with almost 
as much care as in the winter time, even with 
Odontoglossums, which are essentially moisture- 
loving plants, but then we do not drown ours, not 
even during the summer months.— C. 
Orchis foliosa. 
Visiting Balbirnie, Markinch, N.B. recently, I 
observed in passing through the kitchen garden, 
along with Mr. Henderson, the able and enthusiastic 
gardener, a superb bed of Orchis foliosa. Becom¬ 
ing a little curious as to the number of spikes, I took 
the trouble to count them, and greatly to my sur¬ 
prise the grand aggregate exceeded 1,000. The size 
of the bed was i2 ft. by g ft.— J. McNab. 
The Amateur Orchid Grower’s Guide Book. By H. A 
Burberry {Orchid Grower to the Rt. Hon. J. Chamberlain 
M.P.). Containing sound, practical information and advice 
for Amateurs, giving a List with Cultural Descriptions of 
those most suitable for Cool-house, Intermediate-house, and 
Warm-house Culture, together with a Calendar of Operations 
and Treatment for each Month of the Year. In Cloth (Crown 
8vo. 5 by yi), price 2S. 6d.; post free, zs. gd. Publisher, Garden¬ 
ing World, i, Clement’s Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
®I^amn00 fitom fh^ K)oilh 
flf Science. 
Origin of Species. —Charles Darwin was the 
author of the book written upon this subject, and 
the revelations as well as the remarkable facts which 
he brought to bear upon the subject are peculiarly 
his own ; but he was not alone in the field of research 
in his attempt to solve that problem. Most readers 
are now aware how nearly he was forestalled by Mr. 
A. R. Wallace, the interesting writer olTravelsin ike 
Malay Archipelago. Lord Salisbury in his presidential 
address at the opening of the meeting of the British 
Association made some remarks concerning Darwin 
and his work, and said that " the most conspicuous 
event in the scientific annals of the last half-century 
has been the publication of Mr. Darwin’s work on 
the Origin of Species, which appeared in 1859.” Like 
a true sc.’entist, Darwin did not attempt to preach 
dogmas in the expression of his ideas, and the 
revelation of his discoveries. His whole aim and 
object was simply to relate what he saw and what 
he thought of it, without bias or attempt to conceal the 
simple truth. Before his time the labourers in the 
field of natural history were content with piling up 
mere statistics and with little attempt to deduce 
facts or inferences which might be deducted from 
those statistics. The naturalists were content with a 
mere description of the animals or plants which they 
collected without any inquiry into their history or 
probable predecessors. 
The immutability of Species— Before Darwin’s 
time most authors, if they held any opinion at all, 
believed that species were the work of design, that 
is they were created, and not liable to change in 
form, nature or character. Lord Salisbury said that 
" another lasting and unquestionable effect has 
resulted from Darwin's work. He has, as a matter 
of fact, disposed of the immutability of species.” 
Until recently Agassiz was the only defender of the 
the theory of immutability, who could command 
the attention of the world. There are few who 
now doubt that even species belonging to different 
genera, have descended from common ancestors. 
To what extent this theory may be carried there 
are, however, people who differ from others in 
their assumptions. 
Natural Selection.—At present the greatest 
controversy raised by Darwinian theory, has 
centred round natural selection as the sole or at 
least the main agent concerned in bringing about 
the remarkable changes in the history of animal and 
plant life. There is as yet no unanimity or general 
acceptance of the theory that natural selection will 
account for the changes that are assumed to have 
taken place in extinct forms of life, and their modifi¬ 
cations into those that are still extant. In short the 
speaker said that the " deepest obscurity still hangs 
over the origin of the infinite variety of life.” 
Antiquity of Life. —On this point there is even 
less unanimity than as to the agency by which 
changes in living forms were brought about, Accord¬ 
ing to the calculations of Lord Kelvin, the period 
of organic life commenced about a hundred million 
years ago (100,000,000), but Professor Tait, in a more 
penurious spirit, cut that figure down to ten millions 
(10,000,000). On the other hand geologists and 
biologists have hypothetically assigned a much 
longer duration to the earth’s existence. These 
calculations, however, leave the door open for any 
number of equally indefinite surmises. Within the 
historical period (3,000 years) no changes have been 
detected in the forms of animal or plant life. As a 
mere laymen of science. Lord Salisbury declined to 
intervene in the controversy. 
Natural selection not proven. —No one has 
ever been able to demonstrate any detailed process 
of natural selection as it occurs in a state of wild 
nature. It is difficult to imagine even, said the 
noble Lord. Professor Weismann, cne of the keenest 
of modern controversialists, accepts the theory, 
because says he, ” it is the only possible explanation 
that we can conceive.” Hence the argument is 
merely hypothetical and remains to be proved. 
The president thought that there was nothing but 
the merest chance of a possibly advantageously 
varied bridegroom at one end of the wood meeting 
with a similarly varied bride at the other end of the 
wood, and forming a union by which the progeny 
should have an advantage over all others in the 
struggle for existence. Our opinion is that an 
advantage occurring in one individual might have 
many chances of being perpetuated. 
