556 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 2nd, 1885. 
THE 
©rdjitr (Srofooers Calendar. 
The Work of the Month.—The present is a 
very busy season with the Orchid grower, for besides 
the potting of many of the yet unpotted Dendrobes 
and the placing of them and other growing plants into 
comfortable situations where their growths will come 
on vigorously, are the numerous other matters which 
the increasing power of the sun and the consequent 
need of shade and lessened necessity for artificial heat 
brings. From now until the frosts come there should 
be no artificial heat on the cold-house in which the 
Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, Ac., are kept. 
Insect Pests of all kinds are most prolific and 
troublesome at this season, and it is better to look 
well after them at once than to let them establish 
themselves. When they are routed in spring they 
never get so bad to deal with during the rest of the 
year. There are now several good insecticides, and 
some are in favour of one and some of another. Many 
speak very highly of Hughes’ Aphicide as a means of 
applying the Fir-tree oil, which, when properly mixed 
according to the instructions, is a safe and certain 
destroyer of all plant pests, mealy-bug included. The 
temperatures for May should be :— 
Warm-house : East Indian.— 70 degs. to 75 degs. 
by day, 65 degs. at night. 
Cattleya or Intermediate-house. — 65 degs. to 
70 degs. by day, 60 degs. at night. 
Cool or Odontoglossum-house. —60 degs. to 65 degs. 
by day, 55 degs. at night.— James O'Brien. 
— r > — 
ORCHID NOTES. 
Shading Orchids.—As Mr. O’Brien, at p. 540, 
asks other correspondents to give their opinion as to 
what they find “the best, cheapest, and most durable” 
material for blinds for Orchid-houses, I venture to 
give mine. The Parisian blinds have been in use 
here for four years, and although more expensive at 
first than the ordinary shading material, they have 
the advantage of lasting much longer; in fact, they 
are almost imperishable. “ They are made of thin 
wood laths, painted green, connected together with 
strong zinc chains.” They break the direct rays of 
the sun, and yet there is a narrow space between 
each lath which admits sufficient light on the plants 
beneath. A cord running over a pulley rolls up 
each blind from the bottom. The air can circulate 
underneath as the blinds on our houses rest on the 
rafteis, and cannot “sag” or touch the glass, as 
tiffany or other such like material does. I believe 
they are made to any size; ours are 4 ft. and 5 ft. 
wide. They are the best blinds that I ever used. 
Messrs. Richardson & Co., of Darlington, are the 
agents for them in this country. Anyone in doubt 
as to what to use should endeavour, where practicable, 
to call on gardeners where these blinds are in use, and 
judge for themselves.— G. IF. Cummins, The Grange, 
Wallington. 
Orchids at Kew. —On the 19th ultimo I visited 
Kew. I had read in the papers glowing accounts of 
the Orchids grown there, and, being a great admirer 
of this class, I anticipated both pleasure and informa¬ 
tion. In my ignorance, I expected to find special 
houses for Aerides, Cattleyas, Dendrobes, Ac., but I 
saw nothing of the kind. I was directed to house 
No. 12. The Orchids occupy but a small part of it, 
most of the space being devoted to economic plants. 
I was greatly disappointed, or rather disgusted. Is 
there a country having such facilities as England to 
secure the pick of the fauna of both hemispheres ? 
And here, in the Royal Gardens, we behold a show 
which would disgrace a third-rate nurseryman. 
Thousands and thousands of people journey to Kew, 
and there is a grand opportunity to educate the taste 
of the masses, but it is neglected. The gorgeous 
colours, the wonderful forms, where are they ? Rub¬ 
bish, rubbish is the name of what I saw. 
Twenty-one genera (out of 334) were represented by 
one, and occasionally by two specimens. Excepting 
a good Dendrobium nobile and a fine Masdevallia 
Shuttleworthii, the rest was rubbish. Here is the 
complete list:—Ada aurantiaca ; Bletia purpurea ; 
Cattleya amethystina, citrina, Skinneri, Trianse; 
Cypripedium barbatum, Boxalli, Bulleni, Haynaldi- 
anum, Roezlii, villosum, virens; Chysis bractescens; 
Cymbidium eburneum; Dendrobium fimbriatum 
oculatum, Freemani, nobile, Pierardi, thyrsiflorum, 
Wardianum ; Epidendrum ellipticum, fragrans, 
nutans ; Ipsea speciosa ; Masdevallia Chelsoni, 
chimiera, gibberosa, ignea, octhoides, Shuttleworthii, 
triangularis, Yeitchii; Maxillaria arachnoides ; Odon- 
toglossum bictoniense, cirrhosum, gloriosum, luteum 
purpureum, nebulosum, Oerstedi, Pescatorei, pulchel- 
lum, roseum, Rossii majus, Sanderianum, triumphans ; 
Oncidium hetheranthum, and Phalaenopsis ; Or- 
nithidium species; Phajus grandifolius, macu- 
latus, Wallichii; Phalamopsis Parishi, Stuartiana ; 
Thunia fragrans ; Ponthieva maculata ; Saccolabium 
gramineum ; Stenorynchus speciosus ; Vanda suavis. 
— A. F. L. 
The New White Laelia anceps.— Inquiries 
having been made among Orchid growers as to the 
well-doing or otherwise of the many plants of this 
new Orchid which were sold at the sale-rooms a few 
weeks ago, it may interest those who have not yet 
succeeded in inducing the plants to make roots to 
know that in Messrs. John Laing & Co.’s steadily 
increasing collection at Forest Hill, all the pieces 
which were put in baskets with a moderate quantity 
of peat and sphagnum, and a small quantity of charcoal, 
are both rooting freely and breaking well, while those 
put on blocks, with and without sphagnum, are not 
doing so well. Those who put them in crocks only, 
have, we fear, lost time by so doing. 
Oncidium sarcodes. —At Westfield, Welling¬ 
borough, the other day, I saw the above Orchid bearing 
a spike of sixty-five flowers, and Oncidium Caven- 
dishianum with four spikes. In an adjoining house I 
noticed a fine plant of Oncidium incurvum showing six 
spikes. At this place may be seen Orchids associated 
with Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, and other half-hardy 
decorative or conservatory plants, which shows that 
anyone nowadays with small means can purchase 
Orchids and get a certain amount of pleasure out 
of them without going to the expense of heating or 
building a house expressly for them. At Westfield 
Dendrobiums, Caslogynes, and various other Orchids 
are placed in structures that appear to be better 
adapted for growing Asparagus in, as the only means 
of access is by lifting up a light. Mr. Hibbard, the 
gardener, who is worthy of a better charge, apologized 
for not being able to show me more. I saw enough, 
however, to convince me that Orchids, to give lasting 
pleasure, should be treated as such, and not as green¬ 
house plants.— T. Simcoe. 
Cymbidium aloifolium.— This is a fine old 
Orchid and worthy of far wider cultivation. Its 
beautiful drooping spikes of flowers, which are cream- 
coloured, striped with dark crimson, hang over the 
side of the pot to a depth of 2 ft. or more, according 
to the strength of the bulb. Its cultivation is of the 
easiest. I pot mine in a mixture of loam, peat, and 
bone-dust, with sand to keep the whole porous. It is 
taken into a temperature of from 55 degs. to 65 degs., 
and during growth it is supplied with plenty of water. 
Aftergrowth is completed it does not require so much, 
just enough to keep the soil moist. In March it begins 
to push forth its spikes, which continue in perfection 
for three weeks or a month if kept in a dry atmo¬ 
sphere. I have a plant at the present time 
in an 8-in. pot carrying seven spikes, the largest 
having forty-two blooms on it. It is a native of the 
East Indies, and is sometimes grown under the name 
of A3 rides Borassi.— 11. P. 11., Liverpool. 
--*$<- 
Orchids in Flower at Great West Hatch, 
Chigwell. —A correspondent informs us that there 
is a very good form of Cattleya Mendelii, with large 
flowers, now in bloom at this place ; also specimens of 
C. Mossioe, Lrelia elegans and L. purpurata, Dendro¬ 
bium Devonianum, D. thyrsiflorum, Odontoglossun 
Roezlii, a very dark variety, and O. Roezlii album, 
Phalaenopsis grandiflora and P. amabilis, and Masde¬ 
vallia Lindeni. 
The Orchid Conference Banquet. —We are 
requested to state that the Orchid Conference Banquet 
will take place at The Albion, Aldersgate Street, on 
Tuesday, May 12th, at 6.30 p.m. Sir Trevor Law¬ 
rence, Bart., M.P., will take the chair, and gentlemen 
who propose to be present should send in their names 
at once to W. Lee, Esq., Downside, Leatherhead. 
Further particulars will be found on our front page. 
Cyrtopodium punctatum. — This handsome 
terrestrial Brazilian species is now in bloom in many 
collections, and notably among other places at Syon 
House, Brentford, under the care of Mr. Woodbridge. 
The plant bears a strong spike of yellow blossoms, 
spotted with dull red or brown, and, even when not in 
bloom, it is a striking plant in a collection by reason 
of its long curved leaves. 
NEW GARDENING PATENTS. 
[Compiled by Messrs. Lulman & Co., Patent Agents, 
8, Essex Street, Strand, London, W.C.] 
4.903. Glazed Wall and Frame (J. Munro, New 
Barnet).—A vertical shelter wall is constructed of 
upright posts framed into a sill, and grooved to receive 
sheets of glass, which may be readily slid out at the 
top. Frames similarly constructed project at the 
ends at right angles to the main wall. The glass may 
be removed from the main wall and inserted in short 
grooved bars affixed to the top of the posts. Sashes 
are hooked on to wires strained between the posts at 
various heights, and are supported in an inclined 
position to serve as a roof. The glass being held in 
the grooves without putty, the sheets from the main 
wall may also be used in the roof frames. 
2,764. Entrenching Tool (W. A. J. Blakeney).— 
A pick has a broad end formed with a shoulder, so 
that it can be used as a shovel and a wooden handle 
fitting into a socket. This handle is cased w T ith metal 
at the end, so that it can be used as a chisel for 
tearing down bricks. 
9.903. Portable Buildings (J. Farret, Chalons, 
France).—The framework of these is composed of 
wooden bars jointed together by iron shoes of various 
forms, to suit circumstances, covered wnth tarpaulin or 
any suitable waterproof material. The pieces may be 
joined also in such a manner as to form shelves or 
berths for various purposes. 
6,039. Spade (E. B. Hoyle, Fowey, Cornwall).— 
The spade has a folding handle partly of steel, with 
a short wood portion with a cross handle. It is 
pivotted on a steel bar fixed in a recess at the top of 
the spade. A projection catches the back of the 
spade when the handle is up, a broad ring with a 
groove, in which a long stud on the handle works, 
slides down and holds the handle in position ; another 
ring prevents the broad one from sliding too far up 
the handle when the spade is folded. 
— g—■ ■^r,j «0» CT~‘ ■_a — 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Botanical Society of Manchester, 
April 28th.— The second Spring Show of this Society 
took place on the above date at the Town Hall, Albert 
Square, and in combination with it was also held the 
National Auricula Society’s Northern Exhibition. The 
show on the whole was a most praiseworthy one, the 
most successful exhibitor being J. Broome, Esq., 
Didsbury. This gentleman’s group filled the whole of 
the space in front of the large organ, and was well 
balanced, having large Azaleas, Palms, Yuccas, 
Anthuriums, Ac. at the back, with choice plants of 
lesser size in front; whilst a green edge of Adiantums 
finished the group off in a very pleasant and effective 
manner. Amongst the Orehids in this collection were 
some good Dendrobiums, such as nobile, Devonianum, 
lituiflorum, thyrsiflorum, densiflorum, crassinode, and 
its pure white form, chrysotoxum, Pierardi and Wardi¬ 
anum, all well bloomed ; three plants of Vanda Suavis 
Gotteschalkii, a fine form which was much admired ; 
Cattleya citrina, Zygopetalum Gautierii, Arpophylluin 
spieatum ; several specimens of Oncidium Marshal- 
lianum, Phalamopsis amabilis and Schilleriaua, 
and several Odontoglossums. A well-bloomed Ataccia 
cristata was also conspicuous. The Society’s Gold 
Medal was awarded to this group. 
