184 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 27, 1894. 
itself, for unless performed by careful and experi¬ 
enced hands too much is given, and the surface roots 
suffer, the plant, as a matter of course, sustaining 
proportionate injury. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
The undermentioned Orchids were certificated 
according to merit by the Royal Horticultural 
Society, on the 23rd inst. 
Cattleya Clonia, Nov. hyb .—The seed parent of 
this hybrid Cattleya was C. Warscewiczii crossed 
with the pollen of Laelia elegans Turneri. The 
sepals and oblong petals are of a soft blush pink. 
The lamina of the lip is of a rich dark purple tinted 
with crimson towards the base, and having a narrow 
lilac edge, the throat has a transverse band of lemon- 
yellow, and lower down the tube is pale purpie; 
externally, the tube is white except just under the 
lamina. Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Oncidium ornithorhynchum album.—The 
flowers of this variety are borne in long, graceful 
sprays, and are creamy-white, with exception of the 
prominent and much lobed yellow crest. The 
plant shown being large and well flowered, a 
Cultural Commendation as well as a First-class 
Certificate was awarded it. There were seventeen 
panicles upon it and over 1,700 flowers. Exhibited 
by R. I. Measures, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Henry 
Chapman), Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell. 
Pleurothallis lepanthiformis. —The oblong- 
ovate leaves of this species are very leathery, dark 
green above and leathery beneath. The flowers are 
small, brown, and produced in clusters beneath the 
leaves by which they are sheltered. Botanical 
Certificate. Exhibited by R. I. Measures, Esq. 
Masdevallia Laucheana, Nov. sp .—The lanceo¬ 
late leathery leaves of this species are about 3 in. 
high, and the one-flowered scapes slightly surmount 
them. The sepals are white and form a cup with 
triangular free points;- the tails are ij in. long, 
reflexed and orange-coloured. The small petals are 
white, the lip yellow, and there is some purple on 
the column. It is a distinct and pretty little species. 
Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by R. I. Measures, 
Esq. 
Masdevallia attenuata. —The oblanceolate 
leaves are deep green and very leathery. The scape 
bears a single campanulata flower of a creamy, 
white with seven purple lines in the tubes and three 
triangular lobes terminating in pale yellow tails less 
than an inch in length. The minute petals and lip 
are white. Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by R. 
I. Measures, Esq. 
Sophronites cernua.—This pretty little species 
is seldom seen ; it is like a miniature of S. grandi- 
flora. The leaves are roundly cordate, leathery and 
olive-green. There were seven orange-scarlet 
flowers upon a scape of the plant shown. The wings 
of the column are violet-purple. Botanical Certifi¬ 
cate. Exhibited by Messrs. W. L. Lewis & Co., 
Southgate. 
Dendrobium Coelogyne, Nov. sp .—The 4-5- 
angled pseudo-bulbs of this curious species are 
produced on running rhizomes; they terminate in 
two oblong-lanceolate leaves and a flower scape 
bearing a solitary bloom. The dorsal sepal is sub-erect 
while the lateral ones are broader and more spread¬ 
ing above the middle. The whole surface is netted 
with brownish-purple overlying yellow. The petals 
are linear, erect and similarly coloured. The three- 
lobed lip is nearly black, except towards the base of 
the lateral lobes. Botanical Certificate. Exhibited 
by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton. 
Miltoniopsis Bleuiana rosea, Nov. Var .—The 
flowers of this variety of the hybrid M. Bleuiana are 
of huge size. The upper sepal is tinted with blush 
on the lower half, and the lower half of the petals is 
rosy-purple. The lip is lightly tinted with pink, 
and there is a many-rayed buff blotch at the base. 
First-class Certificate. Exhibited by M. Jules Hye 
Ley son, 8, Le Coupure, Ghent. 
Odontoglossum Wattianum superbum, Nov. 
Var .—The sepals are heavily blotched with rich, 
chocolate on a bright yellow ground. The spots and 
markings on the petals are smaller and more numer¬ 
ous. The lip is somewhat concave, ovate, white, 
finely spotted with violet at the base, and having a 
large, ovate deep purple blotch along the middle of 
the upper half. The lip is both beautiful and distinct. 
Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. F. Sander 
& Co., St. Albans. 
Odontoglossum asperum fulvidum, Nov. var. 
The sepals and the base of the petals of this form 
of O. Rossii are blotched with brown on a yellow 
ground. The rest of the petals and the lip are 
fulvous. Award of Merit. Exhibited by Walter 
Cobb, Esq., Dulcote Park, Tunbridge Wells. 
Laelia monophylla. —The dwarf, compact habit 
of this showy little West Indian orchid should render 
it a general favourite. It is fairly plentiful in 
Jamaica, being found at an altitude of from 3,000 ft. 
to 5,000 ft. Coming from a situation such as this, 
it will be found to succeed best when grown in 
baskets, suspended near the glass, in a cool part of 
the intermediate house; or, lacking space there, in 
the Odontoglossum house. Equal parts of peat and 
and sphagnum answer best as potting compost, and 
abundance of fresh air and water must be given 
when growing.— Rex. 
Oncidium ornithorhynchum. —Although not 
among the showiest of the Oncidiums, the floriferous 
habit, and sweetly-scented flowers of this species, 
combine to make it well worthy of a place in 
collections. The flower scapes are produced from 
either side of the pseudo bulbs, and a sharp watch 
should be kept on them, as thrips are extremely 
partial to the tender spikes and buds. It is a native 
of Mexico, having been known since 1826.— Rex. 
* 
Stove. 
The cold damp season of the year is just upon us. 
The coming mouth is possibly the most trying time 
of the whole year. The light will be very much 
reduced, and in districts that are low lying, and on that 
account particularly subject to the visitations of fogs, 
very few hours of bright sunlight will be experienced. 
As the mean temperature of the ensuing month is 
only just over 40° Fahr., fire heat must be applied 
pretty vigorously. The regular and consistent 
syringings carried out in this department must now 
be discontinued entirely. A light dewing overhead 
may be given, however, on very bright days, and 
this always in the mornings. Watering, too, must 
be performed in the fore part of the day—in fact, 
many plants, even if not dormant, will at least pass 
through the winter much better if kept upon the dry 
side. It will not be possible to give much ventilation, 
indeed, in very many instances the top lights and 
lanterns are closed for the winter, and the grooves in 
which they work packed so as to preclude the 
necessity of too vigorous firing. Air should, how¬ 
ever, be given whenever possible through the bottom 
ventilators. During foggy weather the house should 
be closed as tightly as possible, particularly if the 
fog be heavily charged with injurious gases. On 
such occasions the atmosphere of the house may be 
kept fairly moist, and not allowed to get too dry. 
Plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima that are develop¬ 
ing their flower heads may be given a little weak 
manure occasionally. This stimulation is very 
necessary if good flower heads and large, well- 
coloured bracts are looked for. 
Euphorbia jacquinaeflora. -This pretty Mexican 
plant ranks among the most useful stove flowering 
plants known to us. It is very suitable either for 
growing as small plants in pots or for adorning 
pillars, rafters, etc., in which latter position it looks 
singularly handsome. It should also be given 
occasional doses of manure to assist in the produc¬ 
tion of large flowers. It is very suitable for cutting, 
and is a general favourite on that account. 
A sharp eye must be kept upon Anthuriums and 
Alocasias, which together with many other members of 
the Aroid family, are very liable to rot off at the 
root if kept too wet. Too much stagnant moisture 
round the roots during winter is often the real cause 
of these beautiful plants looking so unhappy during 
great part of the summer, from the simple reason 
that they have no healthy living roots at the com¬ 
mencement of spring to assist in the work of 
absorption. 
Greenhouse and Cool Conservatory. 
Here the greatest enemy, and the one calculated to 
do the largest amount of damage at the present 
season, is damp. Strict attention should therefore 
be paid to the instant removal of old and useless 
leaves, blooms, etc. These, if left on the plants for 
long, will be sure to foster the growth of the fungus. 
Great discrimination will be necessary in the use of 
the watering can, and except in cases of vigorously 
growing plants like Salvias Richardia, etc., water 
must be very sparingly given. All the plants may 
be allowed to get a great deal drier than was the 
case during the spring and summer—many, indeed, 
will need very little water at all. Plenty of air 
should be given on all possible occasions, but it will 
no longer be safe to leave the ventilators open all 
night. They should, therefore, be closed the last 
thing at night and opened the first thing in the 
morning if the weather is mild and open. 
Chrysanthemums. —These, of course, are the 
most attractive feature of the cool houses at present, 
and as a consequence they will absorb a great deal 
of the gardener’s time and attention. A sharp eye 
should be kept for decaying petals upon those which 
are now in bloom. If these are picked out as soon 
as seen the flower may be made to last for a much 
longer period than would be the case were this very 
simple but necessary precaution neglected. Manure 
water must be given those plants which are develop¬ 
ing their flowers, and staking must receive the most 
careful attention, for nothing detracts so much from 
the appearance of good plants as bungling, untidy 
staking. If green stakes or bamboos are not obtain¬ 
able, rough hazel stakes may be used. How often 
do we see plants stuck full of hop-pole like arrange¬ 
ments that look sufficiently substantial to uphold a 
sapling oak, but which certainly do not tend to 
increase the natural beauty of the plant. 
Pits and Frames. 
The earliest batch of Freesias may now receive a 
little more heat, and as soon as the pots are fairly 
well filled with roots occasional supplies of liquid 
manure may be given with great advantage. For 
the purpose nothing is more productive of good 
results than Clay's Fertiliser or Guano. 
Batches of Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, etc., in 
pots should be introduced into heat at appropriate 
intervals to afford suitable successions. It must be 
borne in mind that it takes a much longer period of 
forcing to enable a plant to flower at this the fag 
end of the year than it does after the turn of the 
new year. Accordingly sufficient allowances must 
be made with regard to time. It is usual to start 
with the Roman Hyacinths, and this is both a safe 
and a wise plan. White flowers are always in 
request, and particularly so at Christmas time, and 
the Roman will stand hard forcing much better and 
will produce more flowers under such treatment 
than will the other Hyacinths. 
Frames which are not furnished with heating 
appliances must be covered at night with either 
tiffany, tarpaulin, or Russian mats to exclude frost. 
Covering up should be just as much a matter of 
course at this time of year as watering, and should be 
as regularly performed, no matter what the weather 
might be. The weather is particularly liable to great 
and sudden changes, and a very little time will 
often suffice for the mercury to drop ten or fifteen 
degrees, which it often does vdth disastrous results 
to the unprepared gardener. 
Hybrid Pelargoniums should receive their final 
potting if this has not been done already. The soil 
used should not be too wet, and after potting, great 
care should be taken that too much water is not 
given. Cinerarias, Primulas, and herbaceous Cal¬ 
ceolarias will by now have filled their pots with 
roots. Liquid manure should therefore be given to 
assist the plants in the production of healthy and 
vigorous growth. 
Plants of Deutzia gracilis, Staphylea colchica, 
Lilacs, Ghent Azaleas, etc., that are intended for 
forcing may be plunged deeply in ashes out-doors. 
This is a necessary precaution, for if left exposed a 
few sharp frosts will inevitably cause many of the 
pots to break. No water at all should be given, and 
the plants may be lifted and taken into the forcing pit 
as occasion requires. 
Carnations. —Layers of these potted up from the 
open ground may be plunged in ashes in a cold 
frame. No fire heat will be necessary, and we may 
add, but very little water. Under no circumstances 
should the plants be coddled, but abundance of 
air always given in the absence of frost, The lights 
should be entirely removed whenever it is possible 
to do so. 
Cuttings of bedding plants which are to furnish 
next year's stock should be kept well on the dry 
