488 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 1, 1893. 
hard dry year. August showed a rainfall of 3 in. ; 
July, 2 in. ; and September, 3 in.; while October 
had 5 in. April and May had the highest total 
sunshine. 
LIQUID AND SOLID AIR. 
At the Royal Institution London, quite recently a 
lecture was delivered by Professor Dewar in the 
presence of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, 
and many distinguished scientific men. A series 
of experiments were successfully carried out 
as the result of many years’ study and patient 
working. Oxygen when compressed until it 
assumes a liquid condition is always in a state 
of violent and uncontrollable ebulition at 
ordinary temperatures. It is therefore necessary 
when experiments are being carried out with it to 
reduce it below its boiling point, by surrounding the 
vessel containing it with a vacuum in order to pro¬ 
duce a temperature 182 degrees below zero. Even 
in this extreme cold the oxygen, when it has been 
reduced to a liquid, gradually evaporates as water 
would at a moderate temperature. A little of this 
liquid oxygen was placed in a test tube, and some 
alcohol placed with it. The latter was immediately 
frozen into a solid lump which would not ignite till 
it was transferred to a higher temperature. There 
was a difference of 210 degrees between the tempera¬ 
ture of the test tube and that of the air in the body 
of the theatre. The question arises whether the 
extraordinary heat caused by liquid oxygen at 
ordinary temperatures could not be put to some 
practical use for the heating of rooms or even green¬ 
houses. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers' Calendar 
The Cattleya House. —Laelia Perriniijust starting 
into growth should now be re-potted,using good fibrous 
peat with very little sphagnum Moss. When well 
grown it ranks as one of the best autumn flowering 
Orchids we have, and if the darkest form is grown, 
it is a fitting companion for the best varieties of the 
autumn flowering C. labiata. We use as small pots 
as possible, and afford them plenty of water after 
the growths are well up until they are in bloom, 
after which they should be rested. 
L.elia purpurata. —Plants that are not going to 
bloom, and which are putting forth new roots from 
the partly made up new growths, may be repotted. 
They soon get hold of the new compost, and will 
not require repotting next season, when in all 
probability they will bloom. We use peat alone for 
these, which seems to suit them better Than when 
Moss is added. Cattleya Trianse as they go out of 
flower will receive attention by being either repotted 
or top-dressed. I may say, however, that we do not 
favour top-dressing only in exceptional cases. 
Anguloas. —These are now pushing growths and 
flowers and will be repotted at once, using a mixture 
of loam, peat, Moss, cow manure, and sand well 
mixed together. We pot rather low as recommended 
for Calanthes, so that they may be watered freely 
when the growths are well above the compost and 
the plants are rooting fast. Very little water should 
be given to newly-potted plants, as they root into 
the compost more readily when it is not too wet, but 
the syringe must be freely used between the pots so 
that they do not shrivel too much. 
The Exceptional Weather we have been 
favoured with has necessitated our keeping the 
syringe going rather freely in all departments, with 
plenty of air through the bottom ventilators. Fires 
are drawn early and lighted again in the afternoon, 
for although the days have been hot the nights have 
been frosty. We had 14° of frost on the 20th, and 
io° on three subsequent nights. 
Cool. House. —Disa grandiflora does well at the 
cool end of this house ; ours are very strong and will 
be kept going by being afforded weak manure water ; 
a few horse droppings put in a bag and placed in a 
tub makes an excellent stimulant for these. When 
watering we do not let it get into the heart of the 
growths. Its enemies are green-fly and red thrips, 
and the latter if they get a hold will in time kill the 
plants. Two years ago we imported some plants 
direct which were smothered with them. Mr. 
James O’Brien advised us to dip them in strong 
tobacco water, which we did, and this in a measure 
kept them in check : but they had got into the soil 
and were not so easily dislodged. We, however, 
mastered them by breaking up the plants and 
allowing them to soak in the tobacco water for six 
hours, afterwards washing them in rain water and 
potting up with some fresh compost. They are now 
in fine condition, and will in due course reward us 
with a good show of bloom. 
Temperatures.— East India House, 65° at night. 
Cattleya House, 6o° at night. Cool House, 50° at 
night ; with a rise of io Q by day.—C. 
Cypripedium Peetersianum. 
The upper sepal of this hybrid is ovate, with purple 
brown veins alternating with more slender green 
ones on a white ground. The petals are heavily suf¬ 
fused with brownish purple, and mere clearly veined 
with rosy purple on the upper half. The lip is deep 
purple. The leaves are strap-shaped, deep green 
and leathery. The parents of the hybrid were C. 
phillipinense and C. barbatum, the latter being the 
pollen parent. It is evidently a strong growing plant, 
as the specimen shown by Messrs. B. S. Williams 
& Son, Upper Holloway, at the first'spring show of 
the Royal Botanic Society, on the 22nd ult., bore 
three flowers on a tall scape. It is by no means a 
common plant in this country, and a Botanical Cer¬ 
tificate was awarded it. 
Cypripedium macrochilum. 
The parents of this hybrid were C. caudatum Lin- 
deni and C. longifolium, the former being the seed 
bearer, which is perhaps better known amongst gar¬ 
deners as Uropedium Lindeni. The leaves of the 
hybrid are 12 in. to 18 in. long, and channelled along 
the centre. The upper petal is lanceolate and straw- 
coloured, with green nerves and suftused with bronze 
externally. The petals are slender, drooping, and 
12 in. long, thus showing the influence of the seed 
parent. They are yellow at the base, with white 
margins and some red lines within the latter, while 
all the rest is brownish purple. The lip is of great 
size, as expressed in the name, creamy yellow, suf ; 
fused with brown and spotted with purple on the 
claw. A Botanical Certificate was awarded it when 
shown by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, at the 
first spring show of the Royal Botanic Society, on the 
22nd ult. 
Vanda suavis. 
A beautifully grown and well flowered specimen 
of Vanda suavis may now be seen in the collection 
ofC.L Joy,Esq.,J.P.,Carth Grove, Headingley,Leeds. 
The plant carries thirty spikes, some of them with 
twelve flowers, and it grows in a stove together with 
Nepenthes, Palms, and Dendrobiums. I am told by 
the gardener, Mr. Baillie, the plant receives no 
special treatment, and has produced a similar crop 
of flowers for several years. Dendrobiums may be 
seen here grown to perfection, specimen plants of 
nobile with 360 and 400 flowers, Wardianum, thyrsi- 
florum, and Brymerianum also flower well in this 
collection; indeed, it must be a great pleasure to 
Mr. Joy to see his plants improve and produce such 
a wealth of flowers.— E. 
Cypripedium Exul. 
The flowers of this Cypripedium, though small, are 
pretty on account of their clearly defined colours. 
The upper sepal is ovate and white, except the 
central and basal area, which is green, spotted with 
shining black blotches. The petals are oblong, 
suffused with pale brown on white, and fringed with 
black hairs. The lip is shining yellow as if varnished, 
and suflused with pale brown. The leaves are 
similar to those of C. insigne, as indeed the whole 
plant is, but the flowers are smaller and very distinct 
in general aspect. It has been flowering for some 
time in the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea. 
Angreecum fastuosum. 
Several of the smaller species of Angraecum are 
very pretty and occupy comparatively little space. 
The flowers of A. fastuosum are larger than those 
of most other species of similar size. The plant we 
noted the other day in the nursery of Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, was only about 3 in. high, 
and grown in a small pan. The oblong-ovate leaves 
are emarginate and leathery. The flowers are 
relatively large, pure white, drooping and very pretty 
when the plant is hung up in pans close to the glass 
so as to be on a level with the eye. The lip is twice 
as long as the sepals or petals, and provided with a 
long, curved spur of the same hue. It requires the 
same temperature as the Dendrobiums, and flowers 
without any special care beyond keeping it suspended 
close to the glass. 
Batemannia Colleyi. 
Numerous plants have been exhibited within recent 
years under the name of Batemannia, but they all 
belong to a section of Zygopetalum. That under 
notice is the only true species, and is 
entirely different in form and aspect from the 
others. The flowers of B. Colleyi are borne in 
drooping racemes, and have reddish-brown sepals 
and petals with green tips. The three-lobed lip is 
yellowish-white, spotted in the throat with purple. 
The species comes from Demerara, and should be 
grown in small pans or baskets suspended near the 
glass in a moderately warm house. There is a 
coloured illustration of it in the Lindenia, pi. 365. 
Odontoglossum Sanderianum. 
In* general terms this may be looked upon as a 
greatly magnified O. constrictum, both in the form 
and colour of the flowers. In size the latte r 
approach those of O. odoratum, and likewise agree 
in their delicious odour, but the form and generally 
the colour of the lip is different. The sepals and 
petals are lanceolate and yellow, blotched with 
brown. The lip is narrowed in the middle, some¬ 
what fiddle-shaped, and white spotted with purple in 
front of the crest. It is decidedly a cool house 
Orchid, and very desirable on account of its sweet 
odour. The plant is not yet so common in collections 
as one would have expected some years ago. We 
noted it recently in the collection of Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
■» T 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Botanic, March 22 nd. —The first spring show 
of this society was held in the corridor and the con¬ 
servatory as on former occasions, and was instru¬ 
mental in bringing forward all the popular spring 
flowers in quantity, the miscellaneous exhibits being 
strong. The weather was excellent and the visitors 
very numerous. The first prize in the amateurs' 
class for Indian Azaleas was awarded to Mr.R.Scott, 
gardener to Miss Foster,The Holme, Regent’s Park ; 
his conical bushes were fairly well flowered for the 
season. Mr. H. Eason, gardener to B. Noakes, Esq., 
Hope Cottage, Highgate, was second. Mr. J. 
Douglas, gardener to Mrs. Whitbourne, Great 
Gearies, Ilford, had the best Deutzias, and was 
followed by Mr. Eason. The best Hyacinths in the 
exhibition were the twelve pots shown by Mr. J. 
Douglas in the amateurs’ class. Messrs. H. Williams 
& Sons, Fortis Green, Finchley, were first in the 
nurserymen's class. In the open classes for Tulips, 
Narcissi and Crocus, Mr. Douglas easily scored first 
in all cases. He was the only exhibitor of Freesias, 
but his plants were not so well flowered as might 
have been expected from such an experienced gro wer. 
Messrs. H. Williams & Sons had the best grown 
Lily of the Valley, the foliage being fine ; but the 
flowers of those shown by Mr. W. Morle, 162, Fen- 
church Street, were larger and gained the second 
place. The Cyclamens were all good samples of 
culture. The first prize was taken by Mr. J. Mow¬ 
bray, gardener to Major the Hon. H. Legge, Fulmer, 
Slough, who had a good deal of variety. The second 
prize was taken by Mr. T. Pestridge, Boston Park 
Nursery, Brentford, whose plants had white flowers 
only, but floriferous and splendidly grown. Mr. D. 
Phillips, gardener to R. W. Mann, Esq., Langley 
Broom, Slough, was third. The two exhibits of 
Amaryllis were considered equal in merit; the ex¬ 
hibitors were Mr. J. Douglas and Messrs. Paul & 
Son. Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tot¬ 
tenham, received the first prize for herbaceous plants, 
showing Doronicum plantagineum excelsum, D. 
Clusii, Solomon’s Seal, Adonis vernalis, &c. Messrs. 
Paul & Son took the prize for forced Roses in pots. 
As already mentioned the miscellaneous exhibits 
occupied a considerable amount of space, and added 
largely to the effect of the show. Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, Upper Holloway, had the most ex¬ 
tensive exhibit, consisting of Hyacinths in great 
variety, also Tulips, Daffodils, Polyanthus Narcissi, 
Lily of the Valley, Clivias, Rhododendron Williamsii, 
and Orchids (Large Silver Medal). Messrs. H. 
Williams & Sons also showed a large collection of 
Hyacinths, Tulips and Daffodils (Small Silver 
Medal). A well flowered group of Heaths, Epacris, 
Azaleas of sorts, Pernettyas, Lilacs and Otaheite 
Oranges was staged by Messrs. Wm. Cutbush & 
Son, Highgate (Silver Medal). An attractive group 
of Cinerarias was shown by Messrs J. James & Son, 
Woodside, Farnham Royal, Slough. The large and 
velvety blooms measured from 2$ to 3^ in. across 
