May 16th, 1885. 
583 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
at the Horticultural Society’s Shows at the famed 
Chiswick Gardens, where in those days a good 
collection of Orchids was to be found. Among the 
best exhibits for many years appear those from 
Mrs. Lawrence’s renowned collection at Ealing Park, 
that home where our worthy President, Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, first acquired that love for Orchids which 
he has turned to such good account in forming and 
keeping up, always in good condition, the best repre¬ 
sentative collection of Orchids which was ever got 
together. 
Among the specimens exhibited in 1845-6-7 are 
enumerated: from Mrs. Lawrence, Ealing Park, 
Aerides odoratum, with sixteen leading growths and 
between thirty and forty flower-spikes; Cattleya crispa, 
with over twenty spikes; Saccolabium prfemorsum, 
covered with bloom ; Epidendrum bicornutum, with 
many spikes ; Oncidium ampliatum majus, with many 
spikes, forming a head of golden flowers over 4 ft. 
across, and Odontoglossum grande, quite worthy of 
being a leading plant in a collection. J. H. Schroder, 
Esq., of Stamford Green, is also credited with Calanthe 
veratrifolia, with 'eighteen spikes, and many other 
fine plants. J. J. Blandy, Esq., with Saccolabium 
guttatum, with eighteen flower-spikes. E. S. Holford, 
Esq., of Weston Birt, with Aerides odoratum, with 
twenty-seven to thirty spikes. Sigismund Rucker, 
Esq., also produced specimens which it is pleasant 
to read about; and among other things, Robert 
Hanbury, Esq., in November, 1845, exhibited a robust 
plant of the autumn-flowering Cattleya labiata, with 
four spikes, bearing sixteen flowers between them, and 
forming a specimen which any of our best collections 
would be glad to give room to at the present day. 
Of plants described as being very fine in different 
places forty years ago, but which are yet rare, and in 
some cases the specimens mentioned are not to be 
matched, are Renanthera coccinea, in the gardens 
belonging to A. Palmer, Esq., at Cheam, with seven 
panicles on a plant, each bearing from 100 to 110 
flowers, and an equally good one of it in the possession 
of R. S. Holford, Esq., on one of the panicles of 
which were 117 of its showy scarlet flowers; good 
specimens are also mentioned of the yellow Calanthe 
cureuligoides, from the Straits of Malacca; Angrtecum 
bilobum, with a dozen long flower-spikes; the rose- 
coloured Eulophia guineensis ; and in the gardens of 
the Horticultural Society, in 1847, a Laslia superbiens, 
with nine large heads of bloom. 
These notes show that the love for Orchids, which 
existed from the time the first plants came into the 
country, has steadily increased, and that their widely- 
diffused culture of the present day, far from being 
a modern fashion in flowers, is but the result of 
the steady progress of that which always existed, 
and always will exist, as long as that love for 
flowers, which is one of the chief characteristics 
of the inhabitants of these isles, remains. For 
those who want novelty as well as beauty, too, 
there is as good a prospect still as for those who 
wish simply for the beautiful, for if we turn to 
the works of Dr. Lindley, Professor Reichenbach, 
and other writers on Orchid lore, we there see 
such a host of lovely things figured or described, but 
not yet imported, as to prove bewildering even to one, 
like myself, who has made Orchids a study from 
childhood. So far as I am concerned, I never could 
see that there was any difficulty in growing the 
greater part of our handsomest Orchids, provided 
the one who took them in hand had a real liking for 
them, and a determination to use his own eyes and 
his best judgment for their benefit. In such a case 
success follows invariably, for Orchids, like the 
domestic animals, soon find out when there is one 
who is fond of them about them, and they seem to be 
happy and to thrive and establish an understanding 
with such a guardian, indicating to him their wants 
in many important matters as plainly as though they 
could speak. 
It is this kind of understanding that should be 
aimed at, as it goes a great way towards securing 
success, as well as giving pleasure to the pursuit; 
and it is the existence or the want of this kind of 
relation between the plants and their master which 
makes all the difference between a good grower and a 
bad one—between a healthy collection and a shabby 
one. Be sure, that without someone takes an un¬ 
feigned and steady interest in the plants, they will 
not thrive, but if one can be found to be watchful 
over their interests, and apply what knowledge he can 
get by what he sees or reads of in other collections, 
a good measure of success is sure; and hence some 
of our smaller amateurs, by their diligence and real 
liking for their plants, often grow things to perfection 
which have puzzled more scientific men. In growing 
a general collection of Orchids, however, many stub¬ 
born subjects will be met with, but as the bad-doers 
of the past have given way, those of the present will 
follow, no doubt, in the case of all who steadily 
persevere. Every point in Orchid culture is of im¬ 
portance, one neglected item often causing failure in 
some direction or other. Let us glance at a few of 
the most important matters, beginning with 
The Orchid-house. 
In this particular, we certainly have the advantage 
over those of former years, in that we now have 
compact, well - ventilated, and comfortably - heated 
structures; but these changes were not made until the 
Orchid-growers themselves took to designing their 
own houses or advising with the builders about them ; 
and from that time a new era in Orchid culture 
commenced; the running lights, which were so fond 
of slipping down in the night, were done away with ; 
the swinging-sashes on a level with the plants on the 
side-stages were doomed ; those neat little sliding- 
traps at the base of the house, and those convenient 
top ventilators, substituted, and many other sanitary 
matters arranged, which anyone may see to perfection 
in that fine new Cattleya-house, and those other 
recently-built structures belonging to William Lee, 
Esq., at Downside, Leatherhead, where one of our 
largest, best, and best-housed collections will be 
found, many of the convenient arrangements in those 
houses being of Mr. Lee’s own designing. At Baron 
Schroder’s, too, at The Dell, Egham, some of the 
best of our modem improvements, combining useful¬ 
ness and ornament, will be found ; and as the plants 
contained in the houses are of the best and rarest, a 
visit to them is a great pleasure to any Orchid-grower. 
In former times, it used to be considered imperative 
to build the Orchid-houses running east and west, 
and many adhere to that plan still; many also con¬ 
sider that a lean-to or three-quarter span facing north 
is the best for Odontoglossums and cold-house plants. • 
For my part, I cannot say that houses of any other 
aspect are not as good as these, provided they be 
properly arranged in other respects. A north house 
is certainly very cool, and good for cold-house plants, 
and particularly Masdevallias in summer, but, from 
the very conflicting evidence I have gathered in 
different parts of the country, I should say that 
anyone having houses which they wish to devote 
to Orchids need not be deterred by their facing this 
way or facing that, or in building new ones, to greatly 
inconvenience themselves to make their houses run 
in any particular direction. 
Tolerably low span-roofed houses are the best to 
build for most Orchids, and in building them, no 
two should be placed together side by side, but each 
should be built apart, in order to allow of the bottom 
ventilation being effected by traps opening into the 
outer air. In some cases, where this has been 
neglected, chambers from end to end, with openings 
at intervals, and other intricate contrivances, have 
been resorted to, but all to no purpose, as the houses 
have gone back to the style of those of very many 
years ago, and are practically unventilated, as we 
now understand the word. It is to the even balancing 
of the ventilation, by means of the bottom ventilator 
opening into the outer air, and the top ones at the 
highest point of the house, that we, in a great 
measure, may attribute our much better culture of 
Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, Cattleyas, &c., than 
the Orchid-growers of former years displayed. Next 
in importance after the ventilation, comes 
The Staging. 
This, by common consent, seems to be best when 
an open wood-work staging is raised over a close one, 
containing either water or shingle, which is kept 
moist. Some, indeed, grow Moss on this close 
staging, and Ferns underneath them ; but although 
such arrangement is perhaps beneficial whilst the 
Ferns keep clean, they are so liable to thrips and 
other insects that they are better kept out of the 
Orchid-houses, in my opinion. The open woodwork 
staging is certainly very good above the close and 
moisture-supplying one, and great need of it might 
be seen formerly in the presence of large numbers of 
inverted flower-pots for raising the plants. 
As a further means of giving moisture and storing 
rain-water, which alone should be used wherever it 
can be obtained for watering Orchids, too much space 
cannot be devoted to open rain-water tanks under the 
stages. Plants watered with rain-water alone have a 
great advantage over those watered with water from 
any other source, and Mr. Bateman records his 
opinion that they are not attacked by those small 
snails which are so troublesome where they abound. 
From my own observation I can say that I believe 
there is a good foundation for the statement. 
Watering Orchids. 
The watering of Orchids is a matter on which much 
depends. It is now pretty generally understood that 
all evergreen Orchids, either terrestrial or epiphytal 
require plenty of water -when growing freely, and less 
when not growing ; that those which lose their leaves, 
such as some Dendrobes, invariably require a period 
of rest, during which water is entirely withheld and a 
lower temperature given, and that Odontoglossums, 
Masdevallias, and the other cold-house things, want 
water summer and winter, but I find the resting or 
drying-off system is often overdone, and plants injured 
accordingly, and that in some collections the plants 
would be much better if watered all the year round 
than dried as they are to such an extent that they 
cannot recover in the growing season what they lose 
in the so-called resting period. 
My own opinion is that any drying-off which causes 
shrivelling is wrong, and that Cattleyas, Laalias, and 
similar plants, if properly potted, do best kept moist, 
even when not actively growing, but care must be 
taken to see that they are not in bad peat. As a rule, 
it would be much better for the plants we often see in 
small collections if they had one half the quantity of 
potting material about them and twice the quantity of 
water they get given them. Syringing a house of 
Orchids should never be done, and the syringes should 
be only used for moistening the staging and back 
walls, or doing any other work on which it can be 
certainly employed without harm. When used on 
the plants the operator cannot tell what he is doing, 
and in the hands of a thoughtless person the syringe 
is the most mischievous instrument ever introduced. 
There can be no rule for its use among Orchids as a 
means for distributing water, and certainly no benefit 
that can be set against the loss of young growths and 
decayed flower-spikes which must follow an indis¬ 
criminate use of it. 
(To be continued.) 
■ — 0-=—TC -^ CT> .— o - 
NEW GARDENING PATENTS. 
[Compiled by Messrs. Lulman <£• Co., Patent Agents, 
8, Essex Street, Strand, London, W.C .] 
3,914. Lawn Tennis Marker and Mixer (W. 
Hampson, Rock Ferry).—A kind of covered wheel¬ 
barrow has a wheel which is the marker at one end 
and a handle at the other. The whitening and water 
or other materials are put into a box through a lid at 
the top, and mixed by means of a flat bar running 
from end to end of the box and rotating by the action 
of the machine. A brush projects from the under 
part of the machine to clear the wheel from dirt and 
grass. 
10,982. Garden Gates (H. V. R. Read, West¬ 
minster).—For opening and closing gates the hinged 
pin is made of two small cranks connected by links 
with treadles at each side of and some distance from 
the gates; when one of the treadles is depressed by 
wheel of cart or otherwise, the crank hinge pin is 
turned. This has the effect of lifting the gate out of 
its catch. The gate then swings open. When the 
other treadle is depressed a reverse action takes place. 
11,108. Artificial Asphalte for Garden Paths 
(F. Bosshardt, Market Place, Manchester).—Natural 
or artificial stones, ore, earth, wood, sand, glass, or 
paper substances are powdered, mixed mechanically 
with finely-powdered pure bitumen, sprinkling the 
mixture if necessary with petroleum, and warming it 
in a rotating vessel. 
— -_p — 
“Begonia socotrana,” says M. Duchartre, “ besides 
its natural reproduction by means of seeds, possesses 
a rapid means of multiplication, thanks to the 
abundance with which it produces on the lower and 
underground portions of the stem bud-shoots of a 
special organization, which develop rapidly after a 
period of repose into a new floriferous stalk.” 
