476 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 28th, 1885. 
THE 
#rdjiir (Sinters’ (folmter, 
Dendrobium fimbriatum occulatum. — In 
response to the suggestion of your excellent corre¬ 
spondent “ J. W., S.,” at p. 444, I have much pleasure 
in giving you the details of the cultivation of this 
Dendrobium as practised here, and I may remark 
that the same will apply also to D. Gibsoni, D. 
Griffithianum, D. Paxtoni, D. calceolus, D. moscha- 
tum, and similar kinds. Almost all the species of 
Dendrobium in cultivation require an abundance of 
heat, air, light, and water during the period of 
growth in order to attain their maximum of develop¬ 
ment and floriferousness; and it is equally essential 
that they should have an abundance of air and light, 
with a slight diminution of heat and moisture, as 
they are about completing their growth, in order to 
thoroughly mature it, after which the plants should 
have a good rest of two or three months by giving 
them a still lower temperature and withholding water 
almost entirely, giving them only sufficient to prevent 
shrivelling. Such are the general principles of culti¬ 
vation of the genus Dendrobium, and the species 
from all parts require the same treatment, with a few 
exceptions. 
Dendrobium fimbriatum and its variety with the 
“dark eye” (occulatum) are natives of Nepaul, in 
North-West India, a country having almost the 
greatest known average annual rainfall, viz., 500 ins.; 
it also has a high mean summer temperature of 
86 degs., which of course varies according to 
altitude, and a mean winter temperature of about 
60 degs; thus giving a difference of about 25 degs. 
between the growing and resting seasons, the average 
spring and autumn temperature being intermediate 
between the two, or about 70 degs. (see Collins’ 
Physical Geography for the above data). My practice 
is to pot the plants in the most fibry portions of peat, 
sphagnum, and charcoal, giving an abundance of 
drainage ; copious supplies of water at the roots and 
frequent syringings are given during the growing 
season, together with a free exposure to light and to a 
free circulation of air, and a mean day temperature of 
80 degs. and a night temperature of 68 degs. During 
the resting period, water is given just to prevent 
shrinking, and the plants are submitted to a mean 
temperature of 60 degs.— J. Udale, Shirecliffa Hall 
Gardens, Sheffield. 
Orchids in Flower at Messrs. Jas. Veitch & 
Sons. —The grand display of Cattleyas in the immense 
new house now waning, gives place to the no less 
beautiful display in the cool Orchid Show-house, 
where a magnificent sight meets the eye, made 
up of large numbers of heavily-bloomed spikes of 
superb forms of Odontoglossum crispum (Alexandra?) 
arranged with finely-bloomed specimens of O. pul- 
chellum majus, O. Pescatorei, O. Rossi majus, O. 
triumphans, O. hystrix, O. Hallii, 0. Buckeriana, 0. 
Andersoni, O. mulus, 0. Corradinei, 0. membrana- 
ceum, 0. blandum, 0. cirrosum, 0. Oerstedii, 0. 
nebulosum; the violet O. Edwardii, the rare and 
lovely 0. Humeanum (0. Eossi majus and 0. cor- 
datum), the rare Oncidium anomalum, pure golden- 
yellow, 0. unguiculatum, 0. serratum, Cymbidium 
eburneum,numerous Lycastes,brilliant scarlet Sophro- 
nites, Ada aurantiaca, and numbers of other lovely 
things, among which some presumably new forms of 
spotted Odontoglossum Alexandra? hybrids in bud 
promise w T eU. 
Messrs. Veitch are always making alterations, but 
they are made in such a manner that even their 
visitors seldom notice the work until it is finished. 
Their alterations, too, are always improvements, and 
this new cool Orchid-house has been a good step, both 
for use and ornament. A visit to it now would be a 
treat to any lover of beautiful flowers. 
In the rest of the Orchid establishment, plants in 
flower are distributed through all the houses, while 
the Phalasnopsis-house, with its showers of rosy P. 
Sehilleriana, good spikes of P. Stuartiana, and pretty 
specimens of P. intermedia Portei, with its white 
petals and amethyst lip, may be called a Show-house, 
and so also may the houseful of Lycaste Skineri 
in bloom and the Dendrobe-houses well filled with 
bright flowers. In the last-named the specimens of 
Messrs. Veitch’s hybrid Dendrobes out of D. hetero- 
carpum are grand. D. splendidissimum is the best, 
but D. Ainsworthii and the pretty white D. endocharis 
are lovely enough. Quantities of D. Wardianum, D. 
crassinode, D. densiflorum, a few good masses of D. 
Farmerii, and many other good things, make a fine 
display, while one hundred and thirty flower-spikes of 
Vanda tricolor and V. Suavis varieties, quantities of 
Dendrobium thyrsiflorum, Cattleya Mossiae, C. citrina, 
the never-ending hybrid Cypripediums, &c., show well 
for the future. 
A new hybrid Zygopetalum, too, which surpasses 
all its predecessors for beauty and fragrance, is in 
bloom. Its seed-bearing parent was Z. Mackayii crossed 
with Z. maxillare, and consequently the cross is the 
reverse of that which produced the handsome Z. Sedeni. 
The plant is of robust habit, with a tendency to run up 
like Z. maxillare. Flowers of perfect shape, petals 
pale green, barred with reddish-brown, lip large, pure 
white, veined with velvety blue. It is a lovely thing, 
with the Hyacinth scent of Z. Mackayii. 
-- 
Orchids at South Kensington. —Comparatively 
few of these ever attractive plants were staged at 
South Kensington on Tuesday, but there were one or 
two examples of good cultivation which call for a 
passing word. The first to claim our attention was a 
specimen of the fine old Triehopelia suavis, bearing 
forty of its large white, pink spotted blossoms. It 
was grown and exhibited by W. Soper, Esq., 108, 
Clapham Eoad, S.W., and well deserved the Cultural 
Commendation that was bestowed upon it. The next 
noteworthy specimen was one of the handsome 
Odontoglossum Wilckeanum, bearing three large 
branching spikes, a first rate variety exhibited by 
H. M. Pollett, Esq., Bickley, and which -was also 
awarded a Cultural Commendation. A new variety 
of the same species, named 0. Wilckeanum albens, a 
pure white ground flower with very bright spots, came 
from the collection of E. H. Measures, Esq., Streatham, 
and gained a First-Class Certificate. A Certificate of 
the same value was also voted to Mr. B. S. Williams 
for the new Calanthe Sanderiana, a late blooming 
form with light rosy purple blossoms. Amongst cut 
flowers we noted some extra large blossoms of the 
white Phalrenopsis amabilis grandiflora, and a flower 
of a grand variety of Odontoglossom coronarium, 
waxy, chestnut brown and yellow, which came from 
John C. Bowring, Esq., Forest Farm, Windsor; and 
some fine forms of Cattleya Triana? and Cattleya 
Mendelii from Messrs. W. Thomson & Sons, of 
Clovenfords. 
-- 
FLORICULTURE. 
Concerning Dahlias.— Thirty-three years ago, I 
was engaged at a large forists’ nursery, where florists’ 
flowers were grown on a very extensive scale. That 
was about the height of the rage for florists’ flowers : 
Carnations, Dahlias, Cinararias, Pelargoniums, Pinks, 
Picotees, Verbenas, Ac., were being improved with 
wonderful rapidity. One thousand eight hundred and 
fifty-three was the year when Mr. C. Turner sent out 
Foster’s Optimum Pelargonium at two Guineas a 
plant; two others, by the same raiser, at one-and- 
a-half guineas, and several of Hoyles’ new varieties at 
one guinea. Those were the days when raisers 
received a high price for good things; and they 
realized good prices when sent out. That was the 
year when Mr. C. Turner sent out Dahlia Queen 
Victoria, for the stock of which he paid Mr. George 
Wheeler, of Warminster, the raiser, the sum of one 
hundred guineas. High as this was, it was yet not 
so great a sum as that paid by Messrs. Brown, of 
Slough, for Yellow Defiance, namely two hundred 
pounds. 
Mr. Turner’s Sir John Franklin was sent out at 
the same time, and it became a standard exhibition- 
flower for several years after. Queen Victoria proved 
an unfortunate speculation. It was a very fine 
Dahlia when in the best form—yellow distinctly tipped 
or margined with red, of superior form, fine petal, 
and close high centre; it was finely shown during 
1852, and received several first-class certificates of 
merit; it was largely propagated in the spring of 
1853, and when it came to be grown that season, it 
came universally hard-eyed; the centre was imperfect, 
and it had to be thrown aside. This was one of the 
risks purchasers had to run then after paying a high 
price for a new variety. 
Dahlias were then propagated by the thousand. 
Mr. Turner and Mr. John Keynes did an immense 
business with plants. Propagation commenced about 
February: the roots were placed in a propagating- 
house, and half-covered with soil, they threw up many 
cuttings, these were taken off and placed several in 
a pot, plunged , in a brick dung-bed, where they soon 
rooted, then potted singly imto thumb-pots, returned 
to a hot-bed to establish themselves, then gradually 
hardened off, and finally placed in a cold-frame by 
the second week in April. The varieties were kept 
under number, and as they were propagated as fast 
as cuttings could be had from the several varieties, 
when they come to occupy the cold-frame they were 
all mixed up together. Then on some genial morning 
in April, a gang was set to work to sort the varieties, 
for until this was done, orders could not possibly have 
been executed with anything like, rapidity. The 
contents of a 12-light frame were sorted and then 
put back again, each variety by itself in the order 
of their numbers; the plants were then sprinkled 
over head, the lights shut down close for a time, and 
then they were ready for selection for orders. 
This was done before breakfast, before the sun could 
materially affect the plants and cause them to 
droop. 
Dahlias were never sent out until the first of May. 
All other plant-orders were cleared out of the way so 
that there might be a clear stage for the Dahlia trade 
Two or three or more gangs set to work despatching 
orders with the greatest rapidity. The prunings of 
fruit-trees in the previous winter made excellent stakes 
or supports, one of these was placed to each plant, 
leaving it about an inch taller; then another worker 
tied the plant to the stake; others covered the soil 
neatly with moss ; others then tied it securely in a 
way peculiar to packers of plants, and then the plants 
were laid down on their sides in strong square or 
oblong hampers, placed in layers and covered with 
soft moss. It was surprising what a number of plants 
a good packer could put into one of these hampers, 
and by simply noting the number of plants he had 
to pack, could select a proper sized hamper with 
almost unerring certainty. As soon as packed, they 
were dispatched to their destination by the quickest 
conveyance. This w T ent on all through the month of 
May, and it was the general practice to send out 
orders in the strict rotation in -which they were 
received. 
All the unsold young plants were placed out-of- 
doors in a frame, and kept watered during the 
summer. In the autumn, when they began to wither 
at the tops they were allowed to dry off, and eventually 
were shaken out of . the pots, and put away secure 
from frost, and sold as pot-roots or dry roots. At 
that time the wholesale seedsmen used to sell a good 
many of these. It is w-orthy of remark that better 
show-flowers—that is in better form for exhibition 
purposes—can be had from pot-roots than from green 
plants. That is an item of experience gained by the 
cultivator. Indeed the Dahlia, in common with other 
exhibition-flowers, is an interesting study. It possesses 
many peculiarities that reveal themselves to the 
cultivator as time goes on, of which a mental or 
written note is made and treasured up for another 
season. Indeed, the peculiarities of some popular 
flowers are so marked that they seem to possess a kind 
of intellingence, and they reveal an amenity to care 
and attention as if they were conscious of it, and 
valued the attention just as would a sentient being.— 
Ivy-leaved Chinese Frimulas. —A few weeks 
ago, when looldng over Messrs. James Carter & Co.’s 
extensive Show of Chinese Primulas at Forest Hill, 
we were shown a seedling of a very strange character, 
of which we give an illustration, a little less than 
natural size, not in order to proclaim its beauty to the 
world—for there is nothing beautiful about it — but 
simply to put its advent on record. There can be no doubt 
as to its being an entirely new departure, distinct in the 
form of its leaves from any other Primula, and though 
at present its flowers have not a single redeeming 
point, its progeny will be watched with great 
interest. 
