524 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 18th, 1885. 
THE 
<®rrMir (fexoinm Calmbm\ 
o 
Forcing 1 Odontoglossums. — I have been asked 
this week as to the best means of hastening the 
flowering of these plants, and in view of the coming 
Shows, thinking many might like a hint on the 
subject, I send you the following note. My experience 
is that great caution must be exercised in the matter, 
as excessive heat in an unsuitable house or position 
defeats the end in view, and only results in spoiling 
the flowers. 
The best way is to place those in bud near the glass 
in a house of the same character as to moisture, 
&c., as the Odontoglossum-house, but 7 degs. or even 
10 degs. warmer than it, and when so placed to see 
that they are well supplied with water at the root, 
and otherwise carefully tended. By these means the 
desired object will be attained, and the flowers will 
come of good quality. When fully expanded they should 
be returned to the drier part of the Odontoglossum- 
house, where their flowers will keep good for as long 
a time as though they had never been treated to the 
higher temperature. 
The same remarks apply in a degree to the hasten¬ 
ing on of all. Orchids, the secret of success lying 
in estimating properly the time to be allowed, and 
giving only just the required increase of temperature. 
From miscalculation of these matters I have seen the 
most lamentable failures. For example, I once saw a 
grand mass of Cattleya Skinneri, which was required 
as the telling plant in a collection at a certain date, 
but which, being backward, was put into a hot, close 
house. The excessive heat given in this case acted in 
precisely the same manner as I have seen it do in 
similar cases with other Orchids—it acted in just the 
same manner as too low a temperature would have 
done, and the buds refused to move at all. That this 
was caused by the excessive heat and unsuitable 
atmosphere of the house was proved by the flowers 
rapidly progressing and opening when the plant was 
returned to the Cattleya-house after the experiment 
was seen to be a failure; but the sojourn in the 
unsuitable house ruined the flowers and excluded the 
plant from being available for the show. All, there¬ 
fore, who wish to force Orchids into bloom must be 
careful not to overdo them with heat, and to place the 
plants in a light, comfortable situation as near to the 
glass as convenient .—James O'Brien. 
The Orchid Houses at New Hall Hey, 
Hawtenstall, are just now very gay with bloom. 
The last remaining flowers of Cattleya Trian® are 
fast fading away, but the wealth of beauty that 
immediately steps into their place, though it is of an 
altogether different stamp, is most attractive and 
showy, and equally interesting on account of the 
length of time they remain fresh and presentable. 
The Dendrobiums are most beautiful, sixty plants 
of D. Wardianum being in full flower, not single 
bulbs, but many of them masses and large clumps. 
One plant has 270 flowers open. This is an entire 
piece as imported, and potted into an 8-inch pot, 
grown remarkably free and strong, and now present¬ 
ing a most pleasing and interesting sight. This plant 
is one which Mr. Schofield is justly proud of, as it 
comes from a batch bought a short time ago, and which 
cost only 2s. 6 d. each, yet in less than two years it has 
the number of flowers upon it I have just stated. 
Other plants are only slightly inferior in size, but all 
are equally well bloomed. Of D. crassinode a large 
number also are flowering, and D. Devonianum and 
D. nobile in many pieces, and large plants, make a 
display worth going far to see.— W. Swan, Fallmcfield. 
Orchids at South Kensington.— At the meeting 
of the Floral Committee on Tuesday, Baron Schroder 
exhibited a flowering plant of Dendrobium macro- 
phyllum Burkei, a variety with large, pure white 
flowers; and the magnificent Lielia bella, Messrs. 
Veitch’s fine hybrid, which has lovely rich, rosy- 
violet sepals and petals, and a fine rich purple lip. 
First-Class Certificates were awarded to both. From 
J. Day, Esq., Tottenham, came a cut spike of Vanda 
ecerulescens Lowiana, a pretty variety, with pale lilac 
sepals and petals, and rosy-purple lip. Mr. H. M. 
Pollett sent Odontoglossum Pollettianum, a hybrid of 
the Alexandra type, of a beautiful rose-tinted ground 
colour, richly spotted with chocolate—a four-branched 
spike; and from the collection of C. Dorman, Esq., 
Lawrie Park, Sydenham, came Dendrobium Dormani- 
anum, a novelty with a Wardianum bulb and crassinode 
flowers, but with two maroon spots on the lip; and 
Odontoglossum constrictum album, with buff sepals 
and petals, and a white lip. Mr. B. S. Williams had a 
fine variety of Odontoglossum Andersonianum, named 
grandiflorum, the large flowers of which were of a 
pale, almost white ground. Another very pretty 
variety of the same species, named pictum, was 
shown by Mr. James O’Brien, and awarded a First- 
Class Certificate. The ground colour is a bright 
lemon-yellow, and the spots bright crimson. A 
pretty hybrid of the Alexandras section also came 
from B. H. Measures, Esq., Streatham, pale rose- 
tinted ground, with rich chestnut spots. 
FLORICULTURE. 
National Auricula Society. —Allow me to 
remind your readers who are interested in this 
Society that the Exhibition will be held on April 
21st, in the Conservatory of the Boyal Horticul¬ 
tural Society. Entries should be sent at once to 
Mr. A. F. Barron, South Kensington. Those ex¬ 
hibitors who bring their plants out of the pots will 
have pots provided to place them in, and green moss 
to cover over the surface. It is absolutely necessary 
that all exhibits be placed ready for the judges by 
11 a.m. Those who have been accustomed to exhibit 
seedlings will kindly take note of Buie X. in the 
Schedule—“ That all plants submitted for certificates 
must be staged separately from the collections.” 
It may not be generally known that there is a 
separate fund for seedlings, the subscribers to which, 
according to the last published balance sheet, are six 
persons interested in seedling raising, and the balance 
in hand is £7 4s. It may also be well to state that it 
is proposed to hold a Primula Conference in 1886, 
and the preliminary arrangements will be made on 
the 21st. The luncheon will take place at 2 p.m., 
when John T. D. Llewelyn, Esq., will preside ; the 
subject for discussion after luncheon being the 
proposed Conference. The Council have appointed 
Colonels Clarke and Beddome, the Hon. and Bev. J. 
T. Boscawen, Messrs. Loder, G. F. Wilson, Llewelyn, 
and Godman to confer with the Society. Tickets for 
the luncheon may be obtained on application to 
Mr. Bolt, Hartfield Boad, New Wimbledon .—James 
Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. 
Chrysanthemums and their Culture is the 
title of a paper which was read at Yeovil in January 
last by a leading grower and exhibitor of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums in the West of England—Mr. John Bradner, of 
Arley Hill Nursery, Bristol, and which has been 
reprinted for publication in the form of a sixteen-page 
pamphlet. Mr. Bradner gives sound instructions on 
the management of the plants, from the rooting of the 
cuttings in November or December to the cutting of 
the perfect blooms for exhibition, and in his pages 
will be found many “ wrinkles ” of a useful character 
to both amateur and professional growers. All who 
have grown Chrysanthemums know that the plant is 
a gross feeder, but we confess that we have to include 
ourselves among those persons “ who think it rather 
strange that, although the Chrysanthemum cannot 
use a knife and fork, it is very fond of meat; ” but 
Mr. Bradner assures us that such is the case, and 
gives the following directions for administering it 
“ About the second week in May, procure a quantity 
of greaves, which are mostly used for feeding dogs, 
and can be obtained at any tallow chandler’s. Have 
them chopped fine, and add 12 lbs. to half a bushel of 
good loam and half a bushel of dry manure. Mix the 
whole well together, and put it in a box or barrel 
where it can be kept dry. In about four days it will 
be fermenting, and should be turned over once or 
twice. This should be done occasionally for three or 
four weeks, when it will be ready for use, but it must 
be kept dry.” This is used with other ingredients in 
making the compost for the final potting in June, and 
which is prepared as follows :—“ To three parts of good 
turfy loam add one part of thoroughly decayed manure, 
and half a part of sea-sand, and to three bushels of this 
put 4 lbs. of crushed bones, 6 lbs. of greaves, and 6 lbs. 
of crushed oyster shells and lime rubble. Mix the lot 
well together by turning it over five or six times, but 
do not sift it, and keep it under cover till wanted.” We 
should add that Messrs. Clinker & Tite, of Yeovil, are 
the publishers. 
Concerning Dahlias.—If any amateur cultivator 
of the Dahlia is desirous of possessing himself of a 
dozen really fine Exhibition Dahlias, not including 
fancy varieties, he will find them in the following :— 
Mrs. Gladstone, Lord Chelmsford, Miss Cannell, 
William Bawlings, Henry Bond, The Hon. Mrs. Percy 
Wyndham, Prince Bismarck, Joseph Ashby, Henry 
Walton, Joseph Green, Prince Arthur, and Georgiana. 
I do not give the colours or any description of these, 
because they can be found in any catalogue. I 
content myself with simply saying that I think they 
are the best dozen that can be selected for Show 
purposes. But supposing that our amateur wishes to 
go into a class for twelve or eighteen blooms, then it 
is obvious he should add another dozen to those 
already named, and they will be found in the follow¬ 
ing:— Canary, Constancy, Emily Edwards, James 
Cocker, Herbert Turner, Condor, Mrs. Stancomb, Mr. 
William Dodds, Prince of Denmark, Vice President, 
Earl of Badnor, and Walter H. Williams. 
Fancy Varieties. —And now as to the best fancy 
varieties. Undoubtedly the best twelve will be found 
in George Barnes, Professor Fawcett, Flora Wyatt. 
Jessie McIntosh, Bebecca, Bev. J. B. M. Camm, Fanny 
Sturt, John Forbes, Mrs. Saunders, Henry Glasscock, 
Gaiety, and Frederick Smith. I will now do with these 
as I did in the case of the Show varieties, and add an 
additional twelve, so as to make twenty-four; and I 
indicate the following:—Charles Wyatt, Chorister, 
Parrot, Hercules, James O’Brien, Maid of Athens, 
Bliss Annie Blilsome, John Saunders, Madame Sou- 
beyre, Mandarin, BIrs. N. Halls, and Mons. Chauviere. 
Self and Tipped Flowers. —Seeing that Show 
Dahlias may be divided into self and tipped flowers, 
it may be asked which are the best of the former, 
especially as it has been indicated in your columns 
that in some country districts only the self flowers are 
regarded as Show Dahlias. Here, then, is a list of 
eighteen fine varieties, viz.:—Imperial, Canary, Earl 
of Badnor, Emily Edwards, Georgiana, Henry Bond, 
James Cocker, Joseph Ashby, Joseph Green, Lord 
Chelmsford, Prince Arthur, Prince Bismarck, Cardinal, 
Thomas Goodwin, Walter H. Williams, William 
Bawlings, Herbert Turner, and Tice President. As 
the self-coloured flowers preponderate in point of 
numbers over the tipped flowers, I will content myself 
with giving one dozen only of the latter, as follows: 
—Henry Walton, Lady Gladys Herbert, Harnett 
Petterell, Hon. BIrs. Percy W T yndham, Bliss Cannell, 
BIrs. Harris, H. W. Ward, BIr. Hodgson, Mr. John 
Downie, Picotee, Boyal Queen, and Cremorne. 
It will perhaps be helpful to some of the amateur 
cultivators of the Dahlia who are readers of The 
Gardening Would, if I also divide the fancy Dahlias 
into two sections, one of edged or tipped, the other of 
striped and flaked flowers. The best twelve tipped 
Fancies will be found in the following :—Fanny Sturt, 
Jessie BIcIntosh, Blaid of Athens, Bliss Browning, 
Bliss Bodwell, Mrs. N. Halls, Mrs. Saunders, Bliss 
Annie Blilsome, Peacock, Polly Sandell, Lady 
Antrobus, and Queen Blab. The best twelve striped 
and flaked varieties are Flora Wyatt, George 
Barnes, Chorister, Frederick Smith, Gaiety, Henry 
Glasscock, Hercules, John Forbes, Blons. Chauviere, 
Bebecca, Bev. J. B. BI. Camm, and Prof. Fawcett. 
To the cultural hints given last week, it is scarcely 
necessary to add anything at present, save to impress 
upon buyers the necessity of giving their orders at 
once, so that they can have then 1 plants early and pot 
them on, in order to grow into size before planting 
out. It is a very late spring, but it is not much 
affecting the Dahlias. Presently, when, as we all hope, 
the present dreary spring weather will change to 
something warm and quickening, things will come on 
with a tremendous rush, and the watchful florist 
should by all means avail himself of the material 
help Nature will then afford him.— B. D. 
