238 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 11, 1897. 
Conference, held under the auspices of the Royal 
Horticultural Society at South Kensington, when he 
publicly and formally renounced his old hatred of 
hybrid Orchids upon seeing some of the triumphs of 
the art tabled by Messrs. James Veitch & Sons. By 
reason of his frank renunciation of this old stumbling 
block, it was promised that the first good hybrid 
which should turn up would be named after him. No 
more fitting compliment could follow this episode 
than the dedicating of Sophrocattleya batemanniana, 
a bigeneric hybrid, in honour of the veteran Orchid- 
ologist. 
Orchids were the ruling passion of Mr. Bateman’s 
life, but they had to share his love in company with 
other exotics, particularly tropical fruits, of which 
he was an enthusiastic and successful cultivator. 
His wide knowledge in this respect he freely imparted 
to the fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
the meetings. His garden at Knypersley became 
famous as a repository for a multitude of uncommon 
pets of this description. He had the good fortune to 
marry a lady who was also a plant lover of great 
enthusiasm ; but unlike her husband she espoused 
the cause of hardy plants, and the famous gardens of 
Biddulph Grange were the result. Both of these 
gardens were in the north of Staflordshire, not far 
from the eastern border of Cheshire. Latterly, he 
quitted that neighbourhood on account of bis wife’s 
health, and settled at South Kensington, though not 
residing constantly there. 
His magnum opus was undoubtedly the Orcliidaceae 
of Mexico and Guatemala, a huge work, giving 
life-size coloured plates of Orchids, and which 
may be seen in the Herbarium, Kew, as well 
as in the Lindley Library at 117, Victoria 
Street. He employed more than one collector, but 
Mr. G. Ure Skinner rendered him the greatest 
amount of aid by sending home specimens which 
appeared later on in the form of magnificent coloured 
plates in Mr. Bateman’s great work, extending over 
the years from 1837 to 1841. Besides the grand 
paintings and the purely botanical work here 
recorded, there are many quaint and fanciful quota¬ 
tions and illustrated conceits, a sample of each of 
which we here quote :— 
“ Nature breeds 
Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things, 
Abominable, unutterable, and worse 
Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived, 
Gorgons, and hydras, and chimaeras dire.” 
Milton. 
Under an illustration of a bunch of quaint flowers 
is the following :—“ The hag came forth, broom and 
all, from the flower of Cypripedium insigne, her 
attendant spirits are composed of Brassia lanceana, 
Angraecum caudatum, Oncidium Papilio, etc. etc.; 
two specimens of Cycnoches sail majestically on the 
globe below (on the right of which crawls Megaclin- 
ium falcatum. In the centre stands a desponding 
Monacanthus, on the left a pair of Masdevallias are 
dancing a minuet), while sundry Epidendra, not 
unlike the walking leaves of Australia, complete the 
group.” 
- ! «■- 
Questions sod adsojgrs 
*.* Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged bv their so doing. 
[ Correspondents , please note that we cannot undertake to 
name florists flowers such as Carnations, Pelargoniums, 
Chrysanthemums, Roses, nor such as are mere garden 
varieties, differing only in the colour of the flower. 
Florists flowers, as a rule, can only be named by those who 
grow collections of them .] 
Spotted Masdevallias. — Annoyel'. Though essen¬ 
tially cool-house Orchids, they cannot withstand low 
temperatures and a saturated atmosphere with im¬ 
punity under glass, even though they may do so in 
their native wilds, where the conditions are vastly 
different. At this season of the year the outside at¬ 
mosphere is saturated almost constantly, so that 
when a low temperature prevails in your cool-house 
moisture is deposited upon the leaves, and hangs up¬ 
on them, it may be for days. This constant moisture 
is prejudicial to the foliage, and likewise encourages 
the growth of a fungus, which lives in and destroys 
the tissue of the leaves forming the too familiar 
black spots. To counteract this you should give 
sufficient ventilation during the day to expel the 
superfluous moisture at least once every twenty-four 
hours during the moist weather of autumn and early 
winter. A little heat in the pipes should be given, if 
necessary, to cause sufficient circulation to carry off 
the vapour. Care should be taken not to carry this 
means to an extreme at any time. Next season 
begin early, according lo the state of the outside 
atmosphere. 
Carnation Leaves Spotted.— T. Carter : The 
colourless and yellowish spots are often said to be 
the effects of an attack from bacteria ; but this has 
scarcely, if at all, been proved to the satisfaction of 
scientific men. Possibly more than one cause has 
been at work. During the summer months the 
plants are liable to attacks from aphides and thrips 
which secrete themselves about the young leaves and 
other tender parts of the plants, which they puncture 
in order to abstract the sap. When such leaves ex¬ 
pand they cannot but appear crippled if they have 
been much infested during their early stages. Many 
other plants get injured in the same way, whether 
under glass or out of doors, This does not always 
imply neglect on the part of the cultivator, for these 
pests are so numerous in certain dry seasons that no 
cultivator can successfully cope with them. Some¬ 
times the damage is done before one would suspect 
the presence of the enemy. Possibly a washing 
now and again by means of the syringe, and using a 
solution of soft soap or Gishurst’s Compound along 
with a little tobacco juice in the growing season 
would act as a preventive. Keep the plantscool, dry 
and airy in winter to guard against other evils of a 
fungoid nature. 
Coloured Mahonia leaves .—Admirer : Nothing,as 
far as ever we have heard or seen, is done to cause 
the leaves of the Mahonia to assume their well- 
known red hue in winter. They naturally assume 
this colour on the approach of cold weather in 
autumn and early winter. We do not suppose that 
the foliage would colour up well if too much sheltered 
or shaded. As far as we have observed, the leaves 
colour best when well exposed to light and air. Poor 
soil might assist the intensity of the red ; but under 
such conditions you would not get that liberal 
growth which would be developed in fairly good soil. 
Plant your bushes away from houses, walls and 
trees. 
Propagating Chimonanthus .—A .T.\ Considerable 
difficulty attaches to the propagation of this plant ; 
but you might try layering in loam, with a small 
quantity of peat. Make a cut in the twigs or shoots 
to be layered, in the same way as is done with Car¬ 
nations, and make sure that the cut is kept open by 
means of a hooked peg inserted in the soil just at the 
point where the cut has been made. Do this now or 
in spring, and examine in late autumn, after the 
season’s growth has been completed. Seeds con¬ 
stitute a sure method of raising young plants, pro¬ 
vided you can procure some. 
Names of Plants.— G. Watts : r, Pteris tremula 
Smithii; 2, Asplenium Bellangeri; 3, Asplenium 
flaccidum ; 4, Selaginella Martensii; 5, Pyrus bac- 
cata (quite usual to har g on the trees, even till spring 
if the birds do not attack them),— H.J. 1, Maxil- 
laria punctata; 2, Laelia anceps ; 3, Dendrobium 
Dearei; 4, Cypripedium insigne Chantini.— A.T. 1, 
Chimonanthus fragrans grandiflora ; 2, Jasminum 
nudiflorum ; 3, Viburnum Tinus ; 4, Cotoneaster 
Simmonsii ; 5, Magnolia glauca ; 6, Hippophae 
rhamnoides ; 7, Retinospora squarrosa.— J. West. 
1, Ugenia Ugni; 2, Peristrophe speciosa; 3, Phyl- 
lanthus glaucescens. 
Freesias—Would any of your readers in the 
North-west of Scotland, where we have a heavy 
rainfall, give their experience with the cultivation 
of the Freesia ? Can they get the old bulbs to 
flower year after year ? And if so, how do they 
treat them ?— Flora. 
Method of Preserving Fern Fronds.— Enquirer : 
Messrs. D. & W. Buchanan, Forth Vineyards, 
Kippen, Stirling, claim that they have discovered 
a method of preserving Fern Fronds in their 
natural form without pressing and flattening them 
in the usual way adopted for the drying of them. 
We understand, however, that they last only for 
about fourteen days or less. The firm has patented 
or protected their discovery, and may not care to 
disclose it. You could consult with them, if you 
care to. 
Fruits to Name.— A. E. : 1, Bess Pool ; 2, Court 
Pendu Plat (this latter is somewhat doubtful, not 
being altogether characteristic). 
Communications Received.—'Mum.—C. B. G.— 
African Critic.—Omega—James Clark.—J. Fraser 
Smith.—G. Wythes.—W. L.—John Ianson.—A. V. 
—J Forbes.—A. McDonald.—Sam Lord.—A. O.— 
S. Regan.—T. N. Ring.—L. E. Faulkner.—Paisley.— 
Cardross.—D.—H.—C. F. 
- tm - 
TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 
C. Platz & Son, Erfurt, Germany.—Trade Seed 
List, containing a choice Collection of Flower, Tree, 
and Vegetable Seeds. 
-■ - 
11 Science is Attractive" says an American 
humorist, " because it gives so large a return of 
theory for so small an investment of fact.” I take 
it for granted he has tried it and so must know.— 
Snaggs. 
The Crown Oak Forests are gradually getting smaller 
owing to the fact that the timber is not now re¬ 
quired for ship building. The commissioner thinks 
it desirable to grow other trees for which a market 
can be found. 
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