April 2, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
487 
The Gardener is a Great Antiquary, for he has in 
his possession Adam’s Needle, Jacob’s Ladder, 
Solomon's Seal, the Tree of Life, the Holy Thorn, 
Venus’ Looking-glass, the Arms of France, and the 
Crown Imperial—a fine list of treasures. 
England’s Daffodil King.—Mr. Peter Barr leaves 
England on Tuesday next, April 5th, for his twenty 
months journey round the world. We bespeak a 
hearty reception for him from our many friends in 
the States, China, Japan, Australia, and South 
Africa. 
The Stoats and Weasels introduced to New Zealand 
for the purpose of keeping rabbits in check have 
proved a greater pest in many cases than the rabbits. 
They have overrun the northern island where the 
genial temperature is conducive to their welfare, 
even in their interior of the island where there are 
no rabbits. The supposed natural enemies of the 
latter seem to prefer sheep, lambs, and poultry, 
whether the birds are wild or domesticated, to the 
rabbits. The carcases of the sheep and lambs show 
a small puncture behind the ear, thus revealing the 
work of the weasels. 
The Skunk Cabbage Flower. —An American who 
has been " hipped ” over politics grumbles that this 
flower is the only one truly emblematic of American 
institutions. Perhaps he ha3 only spoken in haste. 
ORCHID ROTES & GLEANINGS. 
By the Editor. 
Phaius tubercuiosus.—Notwithstanding the great 
beauty of this plant it has not become very com¬ 
mon since its introduction from Madagascar in 
1881. Most cultivators seem to have a difficulty 
with it; and those plants that find their way into 
cultivation have a struggle to live, getting beau¬ 
tifully less every year and ultimately perishing. 
Mr. Howes, gardener to Walter Cobb, Esq , Dul- 
cote, Tunbridge Wells, manages the species very 
successfully, the plants under his care thriving, 
increasing, and flowering every year. Some of his 
plants are now in bloom. Being of terrestrial habit 
like the other species of Phaius it is difficult to 
see why it should prove so much more difficult to 
cultivate. Doubtless it has a way of its own, and 
Mr. Howes seems to have discovered the secret. 
It requires plenty of heat, and moisture both in 
the atmosphere and at tbe roots. The large flowers 
are very showy, having pure white sepals and petals, 
and a gorgeously coloured lip. The side lobes are 
yellow, blotched with brown, the upper lobe being 
white, marked with rose and orange. The progeny 
obtained from it by hybridisation with other species 
proves very vigorous and of easy culture. 
Peloria of Coelogyne criatata,—As far as we 
have hitherto observed, this species is not given to 
the production of freaks or sports, as they are termed 
in garden phraseology. A specimen sent us, how¬ 
ever, by Mr. George Russell,The Gardens, Redlands, 
Glasgow, showed a decided attempt at peloria of the 
three inner segments. The petals carried a row of 
golden fringes along their centres like those of the 
lip, the phenomenon being more pronounced in one 
case than in the other, We think it scarcely likely 
that the sport will be repeated another year, but 
there is no telling what may happen when the rule 
of constancy has been departed from. We remem¬ 
ber a more decided and also permanent case of 
peloria in Dendrobium nobile, which occured some 
years ago at Redlands, the result being a variety 
identical with D. nobile Cooksoni, one of the most 
popular varieties of the species. 
-nrr. -a 
ASPARAGUS. 
This highly esteemed vegetable is often subjected to 
ill-treatment in tbe house of its friends, possibly 
more so in by-gone years than at the present time. 
The requirements of the plant I believe are more 
generally and better understood now, than in the 
days when the old fashioned beds with their four 
and five rows of plants crowded together were as 
universal as the annual loading them with the 
heaviest and rankest manure obtainable. Now there 
are serious drawbacks to each of these practices. 
In the first place, the Asparagus, being a strong 
rooting plant, has not room to develop itself 
properly when crowded together, and the stronger 
and longer the roots can be grown, the better will 
the produce be. The plants should never have less 
than three feet allowed them between the rows. Six 
feet would allow better cropping, with low-grow¬ 
ing things between the rows. As to whether raised 
beds should be adopted, or the flat system, must 
depend partly on the nature of the soil, and if well 
blanched or green grass is in request. On wet, 
heavy ground raised beds should certainly be 
adopted. Now as to manuring. The old practice is 
certainly often the cause of the decay of many 
stools and the weakening of others, keeping the 
soil wet and cold. It is a far better plan to water 
during the growing season with manure water and 
give repeated slight dressings of salt, soot and fish 
guano. Little and often is better than a heavy dose, 
particularly of salt, one of the best manures I know. 
An instance came under my notice once, where 
great expense was incurred in making new beds, in 
which all prospects of useful results were negatived 
by the too liberal dressing of salt, the soil of the bed 
being hidden with a thick coat of destructive 
strength.—IF, B. G. 
Rating' of Glasshouses.—Smith and others v. Rich¬ 
mond : We are glad to learn that the Market 
Gardeners' Nurserymen and Farmers’ Association— 
who, it will be remembered successfully fought out 
the case of Purser v. Worthing Local Board—are 
moving in this important case on behalf of the 
Trade, with a view to an Appeal to the House of 
Lords. 
Orchidists at Tyneside.—The cultivation of Orchids 
is fast merging, if, indeed, it has not already 
emerged, into a popular craze, and the cheapening 
of many of the most useful kinds has largely assisted 
the movement. There are located on Tyneside 
some of the largest and best managed private Orchid 
growing establishments in tbe country. First comes 
that of Mr. Norman Cookson, of Oakwood House, 
Wylam, whose gardener, Mr. Wm. Murray, has 
achieved noiable successes, especially for home- 
raised varieties and hybrids. Mr. Fred. Scott, of 
Preston, near North Shields, has also a fine collec¬ 
tion, and bis glasshouses are exceedingly well found 
and managed. 
The Dahlia is a Mexican flower, which took the 
fancy of Hernandez, who visiied Mexico in 1615 
Hernandez mentions two species, one of which had 
pale red flowers, and grew wild in the Quanhuahuac 
Mountains, and was called locally “ Acoctli.” A 
little more than a century after Mr. Thierry Menon- 
ville, who was sent to Mexico to filch the cochineal 
insect from the Spaniards also fell in love with the 
Dahlia. The first seeds of the plant were brought 
to Madrid in 1788, and planted in the botanic garden 
there, where the plants flowered in October of the 
succeeding year—1789. Lord Bute obtained seeds 
trom Madrid, and in 1890 flowered plants raised 
from them in England. It was not until 1804, how¬ 
ever, when Lady Holland sent more seeds from 
Madrid, that the Dahlias really did well. 
The Flower Faker Again—Possibly there is no 
flower of which such numbers are sold in the London 
streets as the Violet. Wherever one turns, one is 
greeted with the cry " Violets, sweet Violets.” The 
would-be purchaser is tempted to buy by the un¬ 
doubtedly powerful fragrance of the flowers. But 
alas ! this fragrance is not all natural, for among 
the tricks of the flower faker is that of heightening 
the natural smell of the flowers or imparting it when, 
as is sometimes the case, it is wanting entirely. A 
•'A penn’orth ” of "wood violet” scent, emptied 
among the damp moss upon which the flowers repose 
will do the trick, and very few of the purchasers are 
any the wiser. In the same way a ” penn’orth ” of 
" musk perfume ” is often employed to improve the 
selling quality of pots of Musk, and it is even stated 
that “ white Rose ” scent has been asked for for 
doctoring the Queen of Flowers. 
Observations on the Codlin Moth—A bulletin 
issued from the Agricultural Experiment Station of 
Nebraska, Lincoln, U.S.A., has been compiled by 
Professor F. W. Card. The remedies suggested for 
the Codiin Moth are as follows : “ Spray thoroughly 
with Paris green within a week after the blossoms 
fall, before the calyx closes. Try kerosene emulsion 
when the eggs are being laid upon the leaves about 
the first week in June. If this fail, use Paris green 
combined with Bordeaux mixture. Keep the tree 
smooth and use paper bands round the trunk when 
the larvae are ready to pupate, about the last week 
in June. Remove and kill the larvae one or two 
weeks later. Place bands on again until all Apples 
are out of the orchard, then gather them up and 
destroy the larvae. Get the balance in spring by 
screens over the cellar doors and windows.” This is 
a fairly comprehensive programme, and well illus¬ 
trates the saying that " eternal vigilance is the price 
of safety.” 
The ” Henry ” Strawberry seems to be creating a 
sensation among our Yankee friends. It is stated to 
be the most wonderful berry of the age, and 
individual "berries” are said to measure 3J in. 
through each way, four fruits filling up and rounding 
off a wooden quart measure. The next thing will be 
to get mouths big enough to fit these Strawberries. 
Mayhap they have already appeared ! We notice 
that American Gardening says that the raiser’s descrip¬ 
tion has brought him hundred of inquiries concern¬ 
ing it. That is not a great wonder. The old 
country seems to be out of it again ; but, no, we've 
got our “Cartwheel Rose.” 
Potato Tops as Fodder.—In an article dealing with 
the employment of Potato tops as fodder for cattle,the 
Irish Farming World says that “ no doubt the leaves, 
if offered green and fresh, would, even if it were not 
dangerous to do so, be rejected by cattle as food." 
The information possessed by the writer of the 
article in question, if extensive, is at least faulty on 
this point, for Potato haulm is not a dangerous food, 
and neither is it rejected by the cattle to which it is 
offered. In parts of Scotland it is a common practice 
for small farmers to thin out the haulm of their 
growing Potatos, to the detriment of the Potatos, 
be it said, on purpose to provide green food for the 
cows. Pigs, again, will eat Potato haulm with all the 
pleasure in life, and anyone who has visited the 
agricultural districts of this country must have seen, 
if he had his eyes open, pigs regaling themselves in 
this fashion, for it is the common custom to give to 
the pig each day during the summer the haulm from 
the plants dug up to afford the daily supply of 
tubers. 
Dendrobium spectabile.—This new Dendrobium 
was offered for sale for the first time at the sale of 
Orchids held by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, for 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co., at 67 and 68, Cheapside, 
on the 25th ult. Judging from the appearance of the 
pieces that were on view tbe plant is of vigorous 
habit, and the remains of the flower spikes suggest 
great freedom of flowering also. The importation 
consisted of no fewer than 494 lots, each plant realis¬ 
ing from £2 5s., to £$ 5s., and one fine piece went 
for 9 guineas. Dendrobium spectabile is a native of 
New Guinea and the Solomon Isles, but although it 
has been known to botanists for upwards of fifty 
years, it is only within the last year that a live plant 
has been successfully introduced to cultivation The 
first one was sent to Sir Trevor Lawrence, from 
Malaita, one of the Solomon Isles, and although it 
was four months en route, has done well D. specta¬ 
bile belongs to the group D. macrophyllum (Rich) ; 
and D. atropurpureum (Rolfe), but when first 
described by Blume in 1848, was placed in a new 
genus (Latourea spectabilis, Rumphia IV., p. 41, 
t. 195, fig. 1; and t. 199, fig. C.). This description 
was taken from a drawing made in New Guinea, by 
M. Latour-Leschenault. Miguel afterwards trans¬ 
ferred the plant to Dendrobium (Mig. FI. Ned Ind., 
III., p. 645). A plant obtained from the Solomon 
Isles flowered at the Sydney Botanic Gardens in 
1884, and was the subject of a note in the Victoria 
Naturalist, by Sir F. Von Mueller. In October, 
1890, specimens were collected at San Cristonal 
Solomon Isles, by the Rev. R. B. Comins, and from 
these were described by Mr. Rolfe as D. tigrinum, 
the genus Latourea being overlooked. From this 
description the plant has clavate pseudo-bulbs, 
nearly a foot loDg, four or five terminal leaves, and 
erect racemes of 20-30 flowers. The sepals and 
petals are acuminate, 15 inches long. The base is 
broad, and much undulated, while the lip is long, 
and pandurately trilobed. The colour of the sepals 
and petals is yellow-white, spotted with red-purple, 
the lip being also prettily veined with the latter 
colour. 
