76 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Oet. 4th, 1884. 
THE 
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Watering Orchids.—This is one of the most 
important matters connected with Orchid culture, and 
one to which the experienced Orchid grower pays 
the strictest attention; but it is a matter on which 
amateurs who are beginners invariably err, some of 
them literally starving their plants, and others drown¬ 
ing them. A little consideration would prevent any 
one from falling into either of these errors, for any 
ordinarily thoughtful man, by looking at the plants, 
can tell whether they require much water or but a 
limited supply. But the mistakes generally arise from 
treating a whole houseful of plants alike, and in not 
considering the requirements of each individual plant in 
that manner which can alone secure their good health. 
Any intelligent person, by looking at Odontoglossums, 
Oncidiums, or, indeed, almost any class of Orchids, may 
tell by their appearance whether they are making growth 
or not; and as a good general rule it may be said that 
when they are growing they require keeping moist, and 
that after the growths are fully made and “ hardened 
up,” they one and all require a smaller supply, varying 
in degree acco'rdingto the different genera to which they 
belong. 
Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, and most of the 
occupants of the cold-house, although they should be 
watered more sparingly when their growths are com¬ 
pleted than when they are growing, should never be 
allowed to get dry—that is to say, should never be 
dried off. Most of the Brazilian Oncids require a 
thorough resting dry season, and so also do the 
Dendrobes, which lose their leaves ; but the evergreen 
kinds, such as D. Farmeri, D. densiflorum, D. thyrsi- 
fiorum, &c., are impatient of a severe drying-off in 
the resting season, unless a cool temperature is given 
them. Cattleyas, too, require much watching in the 
resting season, as if allowed to shrivel the next 
coming growth is weakened by reason of its having to 
wait until the old bulbs plump up before it gets its 
full supply of nourishment; therefore our best growers, 
Mr. Wm. Lee, Mr. R. P. Percival, and others, never 
thoroughly dry them off, but give them enough water 
in winter to keep them as plump as they are just after 
the growths are finished, of course it being understood 
that the plants are in a genial pure atmosphere at all 
times. 
It may, therefore, be said that all Orchids tell 
whether they require water or not, and during the 
resting season the first wrinkle in a bulb should be 
taken as a warning that water is wanted, or that too 
much heat is being given. With Vandas, Aerid.es, 
Saccolabiums, &c., it is not so easy to determine 
whether they are growing or not, but practice soon 
tells the grower by looking at the points of the roots, 
and at the leaves in the centre of the plant. 
A great many Orchids start the young growths some 
time before the new and imbibing roots are sent 
forth, and therefore such plants should not be very 
profusely watered until the roots appear; but afterwards 
a good supply may safely be given, as there is the 
wherewithal to carry it off and convert it to the uses 
of the plants. 
Rain-water is by far the best for Orchids, and where 
possible none other should be used. So important, 
indeed, is it, that any reasonable expense spent in 
tanks for storing it, is money well invested. So very 
marked is its effect on the plants, that I consider a 
grower using it on his Orchids has an incalculable 
advantage over one using water from any other 
source. Care should therefore be taken in summer, 
or at any other season when the supply is likely to 
run short, that the rain-water be used for watering only, 
and that that required for cleansing the floors, &e., 
be brought from where it can better be spared. In 
days gone by (and with some persons even now) it 
used to be considered absolutely necessary that one 
or more hot-water pipes should run through the tanks 
in the Orchid-houses; indeed, in some instances, the 
poor plants had to be poisoned with water from which 
the heat had eliminated all the feeding-gases. No 
greater mistake could possibly be made, for even the 
hottest house plants do better with the unheated 
water taken from the tank in the house in which they 
are growing. In many places where pipes are run 
through the tanks in order to warm the water used in 
watering, the plants are saved by the hot-water pipes 
not acting, but where the object in placing them 
there is attained, the mischief is sudden and unmis¬ 
takable, unless some method of tempering the water 
by letting it stand in an unheated tank before using it 
be adopted. 
With regard to the time of day for watering Orchids, 
it is best to vary it according to the season of the year. 
As it is not well to water them in summer when the 
sun is strong, it is best to begin watering as early as 
possible in the morning in that season in order to get 
it done before the sun gains power; but in winter and 
in the duller parts of spring and autumn it is better 
to leave it until 9 a.m., or even later in the day, 
according to the condition of the weather outside. 
For the rest, it may be said that a careful hand at 
watering is generally a good grower, and that his two 
main points are not to allow a resting plant to shrivel 
for want of water by allowing it to remain in too high a 
temperature, and never to allow a plant to become 
soddened by watering it when wet, as be it ever such 
a lover of moisture, it cannot fail to be injured by so 
doing.—James O'Brien. 
ORCHID NOTES. 
The Dunlop House Collection.—The splendidly - 
grown collection of Orchids formed by the late Mr. 
Cunningham Graham, of Dunlop House, Ayrshire, 
and left by him to his gardener, Mr. D. Kemp, came 
under the hammer at Stevens’s Rooms on September 
25th, and realized about £740. The highest price, 
31 gs., was obtained for Cattleya intermedia, a 
splendid specimen with over one hundred bulbs and 
twenty young growths. Next came a grand specimen of 
Veitch’s variety of Vanda suavis, 30 gs.; Cypri- 
pedium grande, 10 gs.; Dendroclrilum filiforme, > 
12 gs.; Cattleya Trianae Massangeana, 10 gs.; 
Cypripedium selligerum magus, 14^ gs.; Vanda 
suavis, Veitch’s variety, a very large specimen, 6 ft. 
high, 21 gs.; Cypripedium Dominianum, 11 gs. ; 
Vanda Lowii, 16 gs.; Masdevallia Harryana, 
splendens, 14 gs.; Angrrecum sesquipedale, 15 gs. and 
18 gs.; Epidendrum prismatocarpum, 15 gs.; Lfelia 
purpurata alba, 13 gs.; Vanda tricolor, a very large 
specimen, 16 gs.; Vanda suavis, Manchester variety, 
£17; and Cymbidium Lowianum, a plant of the 
rare Sobralia zantholeuca, realized £710s. Mr. Kemp 
is to be congratulated on his skill as a cultivator, 
and still more so on his good fortune in obtaining the 
plants in so gratifying a manner. 
Orchids at Priorwood, Melrose. —The Orchids 
here are at present looking remarkably well. Odonto- 
glossum Pescatorei, with two spikes from one bulb, has 
sixty-one flowers on one spike and fifty-four on the 
other, and very fine ones too. Zygopetalum maxillare 
in a 7-in. pot bears twelve fine spikes. Vanda coerulea 
is also doing grandly, and has seventeen flowers on 
one spike.—TF. T., jun. 
Aerides Hohanianum. —This pretty new species 
is now in flower with William Lee, Esq., of Down¬ 
side, Leatherhead, his noble specimen bearing twelve 
long spikes of its pretty, bluish, wax-like flowers, with 
yellow centres. It is a very desirable Aerides to 
grow, being very pretty, fragrant, and floriferous. 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co., of St. Albans, discovered 
and imported it. Also in bloom in Mr. Lee’s magni¬ 
ficent collection, among a great many other rare 
things, are the neat and handsome Pachystoma 
Thompsoni, the large white, yellow, and crimson 
Trichocentrum orthoplectron, quite a giant among 
Trichocentrums; and a new and very distinct 
Dendrobium.— J. 
Oncidium Jonesianum.— Orchid growers may 
be interested to know that this pretty new Oncidium 
is rising in value. At Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’s 
sale on Friday week a plant with one spike realized 
£5.15s., and as it was probably one that was bought 
not so long ago at the cost of a few shillings, the 
grower cannot be said to have obtained a bad return 
for his outlay. 
FLORICULTURE. 
Early-flowering Chrysanthemums. —Of late 
years there has been a marvellous development in the 
way of producing early-flowering Chrysanthemums— 
that is, varieties that will flower during July, August, 
and September, and so preceding by three months 
the ordinary varieties. Pretty little plants of Chry¬ 
santhemum nanum, a charming very dwarf and early- 
flowering form, are common in Covent Garden Market 
from July onwards. It, and others of similar character, 
have found their way into flower gardens, where they 
make excellent decorative plants. Only a few days 
ago we saw a little forecourt garden in the north front 
of a suburban villa residence, in which was a bed of 
dwarf compact plants of C. nanum covered with 
creamy-white flowers, and forming a cha rmin g floral 
setting within a circle of box edging. And perhaps 
some of our readers will be surprised to leam that 
there are a few very early-flowering dwarf Japanese 
varieties that can be put to the same purposes as 
those for which C. nanum is so well adapted. The 
names of these are M. Pynaert van Geert, yellow, 
striped with bright red, a good grower, and very free ; 
and an excellent companion to this will be found in 
Madame C. Desgrange, with large pure white flowers, 
flushed with yellow when grown under glass. The 
flowers are large and very handsome, and yet the 
habit is dwarf and early. Others of the early-flowering 
Japanese section are Isidore Feral, very delicate, 
lilac, with golden centre ; Simon Delaux, rich crimson 
red; Mons. Henri Jacetot, brilliant crimson, edged 
with scarlet; and Bacchus, rich velvety crimson, 
very fine. 
But the most useful varieties will be found among 
the Pompon section. Such as Anastasio, dwarf, very 
fine, soft violet purple ; Curiosity, bluish-lilac, dwarf 
and compact ; Jardin des Plantes (this is the old 
yellow variety so much seen on the costermongers’ 
barrows in September), flowers yellow, dwarf, and 
very free ; La Petit Marie, pure white, tinted with 
yellow out-of-doors, very dwarf, seldom exceeding one 
foot, will flower in June ; Madame Jolivart, soft rosy- 
peach, very dwarf, and excellent in every respect; 
Pompon Toulousain, bright red, very dwarf and free ; 
Little Bob, bright crimson-brown, and Virginia, dwarf, 
white, distinct. 
Now as to the treatment of these early-flowering 
varieties, for it is obvious they need to be managed 
differently from the ordinary Chrysanthemums. For 
pot culture, cuttings may be struck at almost any 
time, but those struck from October to March gene¬ 
rally give the finest blooms. The October-struck 
plants will flower in May and June; those not struck 
until February and March flower in July and August. 
These are points worthy of being borne in mind, and 
the plants should be stopped only once. For planting 
out in beds they need not be struck until the middle 
of February, or even up to the end of March, and they 
will all bloom well from July to September. One of 
our best Chrysanthemum-growers writes as follows:— 
“ The early flowering kinds have hitherto been nearly 
all of the Pompon class, but we are now getting an 
early strain of larger flowers. There are a few early- 
flowering sorts I would particularly mention ; the first 
is La Petite Marie, a gem of the very first water, 
suitable for any culture, and which can be had in 
bloom nearly all the year round, though the early- 
struck cuttings give the best flowers; it grows from 
8 in. to 12 in. high, and is smothered in pure white 
flowers of good substance, similar to those of Mdlle. 
Marthe. La Petite Marie will, when known, have such 
a demand as to rival the Scarlet Pelargonium as a 
pot plant. The other variety is Madame C. Desgrange, 
a large Japanese flower, bearing magnificent large 
white flowers slightly tinted with yellow, fully 6 in. 
across, rivalling the much-vaunted Elaine if treated 
in exactly the same way. Strike the cuttings at 
different times from December to May, and disbud 
to one bloom on a stem. They may be stopped or 
not, but they will only come to perfection by good 
culture, well-ripened wood, and liberal doses of liquid 
manure while the buds are swelling.” Have we not 
said enough forthwith to drive all your readers to 
resolve that henceforth early-flowering Chrysanthe¬ 
mums must be cared for by them ? Cuttings and 
plants can both be had from the growers at inex¬ 
pensive rates, and the brief cultural hints given above 
will suffice, we think, to put admirers on the right 
track towards attaining success.— R. 1). 
