November 24, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
199 
returning them to the Cattleya house to flower, we 
have no difficulty in growing and flowering them 
well. They are best grown in shallow pans or 
baskets, as they require but a small amount of 
material about their roots. This, however, should 
be of the best, and be removed every season just as 
they begin to grow. They do not like being much 
disturbed at the roots, so that extra care should be 
taken with them when the work is done. There are 
several varieties, but the type has flower scapes about 
a foot long, with six or seven flowers, and is not such 
a strong grower as the variety known as Atrorubens, 
which is in every respect superior when in bloom, 
but I hardly think it is so free in flowering as the 
type. 
Laelia albida. —This sweet-scented little gem is 
generally considered to do best when grown cool, 
but treated in the same way as L. Autumnalis, it 
does much better, making larger bulbs and pro¬ 
ducing more blooms to a spike. Like the preceding 
Laelia it does best with very little material about the 
roots. Some growers recommend bare blocks, but 
we find they require a little material to root in if 
they are to be kept in good condition for long 
Laelia acuminata rosea.— Another pretty little 
Laelia rarely met with now that requires the same 
kind of treatment is L. acuminata rosea. It cer¬ 
tainly cannot compare with some of the larger 
flowered kinds, but flowering as it does during the 
winter months it is not to be despised. 
Laelia majalis.— This is a very beautiful Orchid 
when in bloom, but it has a will of its own, and 
under seemingly the best of treatment refuses to 
flower. It requires a very long season of rest. The 
best place for the plants when at rest is, we think, a 
cool vinery or greenhouse, where they get any 
amount of light and air. When in the springtime 
they show signs of starting into growth they should 
be put into heat, still keeping them as much up to 
the light as possible. When growing they will take 
any amount of moisture at the root. This, with the 
necessary amount of heat, insures a quick growth, 
and most likely bloom, which comes up with the 
young growths. Blocks or small baskets suit them 
best, with very little peat and moss about their 
roots.— C. 
• I -- 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Preparing for Winter. 
Owing to the excessive amount of rain during the last 
fortnight, the ground has got thoroughly saturated, 
especially where the soil is at all retentive, so that very 
little can be done on the land while in that condition. 
The first favourable opportunity, however, should be 
taken advantage of to earth up the late Celery and 
so secure it from frost, in case severe weather should 
set in. Have sticks got ready and bent over the 
Lettuce beds where the plants are ready for use so 
that they may be readily covered with mats should 
frost visit us suddenly. Endive, too, will need 
protecting in the same manner. Where there are 
any spare lights, these may be used for this purpose, 
or the plants may be lifted and transferred to cold 
frames. Look over all Broccoli and Cauliflower and 
instead of bending the leaves over any that are 
turning in, bring all together and tie them at the top 
as this will protect'the hearts much better than by 
any other plan. Parsley should also be transplanted 
into cold frames to give a supply during severe 
weather as more plants are killed through removing 
the snow from them to gather the leaves while frozen 
than by the severity of the weather. 
Globe Artichokes. 
These should be looked to and plenty of litter put 
round the roots to keep away the frost, but do not 
cover the foliage unless the weather is severe, then a 
little litter may be put over each root. It is a good 
plan where space can be afforded under glass to 
take off some of the smallest suckers and pot them 
up to give an early supply of heads. The soil should 
be removed from round the old stools for this 
purpose in order that those proceeding from the 
base of the roots may be taken off, as such produce 
the finest heads. Take up a quantity of Jerusalem 
Artichokes and store them away in a cool place out 
of the reach of frost. Cover Asparagus beds with 
short manure, and those intended for lifting should 
have some litter spread over them to keep away the 
frost in order that they may be lifted when required 
for use. Lift a supply of Rhubarb roots when the 
weather is favourable and pack them close together, 
afterwards covering with rough litter of some kind 
to keep them safe till wanted for the forcing house. 
Seakale may also be lifted so soon as the leaves have 
fallen and laid in close together at the back of a 
north wall. If covered, they may be drawn from as 
required. A portion, however, should be left in the 
open ground till February, if lifted then and taken 
to a cool cellar these will come on gradually and 
give a supply after all the other is over. Take up 
and store in sand a supply of Horse Radish. 
Scorzonera, Salsafy, Chicory and Dandelion, also 
turnip rooted Celery. 
Hotbeds. 
With so many fallen leaves it will not be difficult to 
make up these as required, the wet, however will 
cause them to rot much quicker than if put together 
when dry. Particular care must be exercised in 
making the beds, as a too violent heat would soon 
spoil the plants put into them. Better wait a few 
days till the heat has gone down a little, than to 
have the roots scorched. 
Mushroom House. 
Continue to collect droppings and prepare them 
ready for forming beds as the others get exhausted. 
At this time of the year it will be necessary to make 
the beds a little thicker, so that they may retain the 
heat longer. Avoid using fire heat as long as 
possible, as too much of this has a tendency to cause 
the Mushrooms to be thin. If the temperature of the 
house can be kept up to 55 0 without the aid of fire 
heat, this will be quite warm enough. Should the 
wind blow from the direction in which the door is 
situated do not open it more than is actually neces¬ 
sary, as this has a tendency to lower the temperature 
of the house. 
General Work. 
Whenever the ground is firm take advantage 
of this to wheel on manure so that it may 
be spread over the surface. The heavy rains will 
then wash the properties into the soil, thus 
causing it to be more fertile to a greater depth. 
All vacant ground should be trenched two spits 
deep,where the soil is of sufficient thickness to affoid it. 
If after the first spit has been turned over, the other 
is found to be too poor, this should be loosened and 
left in the bottom of the trench. It is very bad 
practice to bring up the poor soil to the surface, 
particularly where it is intended to sow small seeds, 
as these cannot draw sufficient nourishment from it 
to cause them to grow away quickly in which 
case they are more subject to the attacks 
of the various enemies all vegetable crops 
are subject to. When digging two spits deep, that 
turned into the bottom of the trench should be 
broken up fine, and that which is brought to the 
surface be allowed to remain as rough as possitle in 
order that a greater surface may be exposed to the 
action of the weather .—Kitchen Gardener. 
-- 
©leanings from the iDtulfi 
Bf Ifn'llTU'E;. 
A New Species of Scurvy Grass.— Notwith¬ 
standing the ever increasing diligence of British 
botanists, it rarely happens nowadays that any new 
species is discovered, whether common to the Con¬ 
tinental flora, or otherwise. The glens and moun¬ 
tains have doubtless been well ransacked from time 
to time. Mr. Marshall comes forward, however, in 
the Journal of Botany with Cochlearia micacea, 
which he describes as a species of Scurvy Grass new 
to science. It was discovered upon Ben Lawers ( 
notwithstanding the fact the mountain has been the 
happy hunting ground to botanists for many years 
past. We hope that the discovery is genuine and 
not likely to fade into thin vapour like the mist upon 
the same hunting ground, like so many of the 
reputed discoveries of the energetic botanist Don, 
and which no succeeding traveller or plant collector 
on the same ground has ever been able to confirm, 
far less to corroborate. The testimony of books 
shows that the British botanists of a bygone age 
were not very particular about the genuine character 
of their finds, and possibly some of them planted 
the reputed finds, and certainly a larger number of 
them sowed seeds, some of which got established for 
a number of years at least. This is hardly as 
genuine, however, as the records and descriptions of 
waifs, strays, escapes from cultivation, and other sub¬ 
jects, that occasionally obtain a more or less firm 
footing upon the British Islands, for such plants are 
really fairly numerous and their arrivals in many 
cases difficult to trace. The Scurvy Grass that is 
new to science must, however, be genuine, provided 
it has valid characters by which it may be dis¬ 
tinguished from native forms. 
Seeds Refusing to Germinate.—Professor 
Somerville after visiting the Botanical Laboratory 
at Tharandt, and conversing with the director Herr 
Nobbe, speaks of certain seeds which have retained 
their germinating power for a period of twenty years, 
although they refused to germinate previous to that 
when put under what appeared to be favourable 
conditions. The kinds which behave in this way 
belong to the leguminous family, and include Lucerne 
(Medicago sativa), Sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa), and 
Clover. The first has a pod which is coiled up after 
the manner of a snail, and never opens to liberate 
the seeds, which can germinate only if moisture can 
penetrate or rot the pod. The moisture has to pene¬ 
trate two coats, namely, the pod and the skin of the 
seed, before reaching the embryo so as to excite 
germination. The pod of Sainfoin is jointed, each 
joint containing a single seed, and is thick and corky, 
so that when it has once dried up moisture would 
often have great difficulty in penetrating it. Clover 
to some extent resembles Lucerne inasmuch as the 
pod of several species does not open to scatter the 
few seeds it contains, but the outer coat or seed 
vessel is not very thick. 
A Provision of Nature.—The above species 
grow, as a rule, in dry places, and most frequently 
upon the chalk in a state of nature, and the ground 
is often very dry about the time they are ripening 
their seeds, so that when the outer husk or pod gets 
dried up moisture cannot penetrate it even when it 
does come. Under these conditions many of the 
seeds may and in all probability do remain quiescent 
for some years and yet retain the faculty of germina¬ 
tion. When such seeds are to be sown they should 
previously be dressed or milled, as the term is 
employed, to remove the dry, corky, outer covering, 
otherwise a good and even germination cannot be 
expected. Many cruciferous seeds behave much in 
the same way. 
Variations of Temperature and Germina¬ 
tion. —Professor Somerville also states that germina¬ 
tion takes place much more readily and regularly 
when the temperature is allowed to vary than under 
a constant degree. Thus only 50 per cent, of a 
sowing of grass seeds germinated when kept in a 
temperature of 8o° Fahr. for three days, whereas in 
another case the temperature was allowed to drop to 
50° half the time, and 80 per cent, of the seedlings 
came up. Seeds of hardy plants are often sown by 
gardeners in too high a temperature, and bad results 
often follow without the true reason being detected. 
Even the Shepherd's Purse (Capsella Bursa-pastoris) 
often germinates very badly even in a greenhouse when 
sown during the warm summer months, whereas if a 
part of the same seed is kept in a dry state till 
autumn and then sown the seedlings come up freely 
and quickly. The conclusions would be that the 
high temperature and the dry atmosphere are 
unfavourable to the germination of this hardy 
subject. This should be taken into consideration 
when trials of seeds of hardy subjects are being 
made in the laboratory. 
_ 
SEFTON PARK, LIVERPOOL. 
There is at the present time a fine house of Chry¬ 
santhemums open to the public, adjoining the 
residence of Mr. Herbert, the superintendent, in 
Sefton Park. The house is 120 ft. long and 20 ft. 
wide, and contains some 700 plants in all the leading 
varieties. They are arranged in the centre bed and 
are beautifully blended as to colours. The side 
stages are filled with dwarf Chrysanthemums and 
well-flowered Zonal Pelargoniums, a bright and 
effective combination. Thousands of visitors daily 
enjoy the floral treat provided for them by the 
Corporation, and at different times the children from 
the various public schools and institutions of the city 
have been conducted round the house, much to the 
astonishment and delight of the youngsters. I 
noticed, when recently visiting this fine public park, 
that a number of good substantial houses have been 
erected, and not before they were wanted, to supply 
the enormous demand for plants for furnishing the 
many parks and other open places belonging to the 
Corporation, and which, under Mr. Herbert’s 
management, as chief in command, are so beautifully 
kept up.— Rusticus. 
