April 9| 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
509 
selves, and the old ones died, and their bark was lost 
to us for ever. 
(To he continued.) 
-—*•- 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By the Editor. 
Dendrobium findlayanum Thwaites' varv— 
Under its most common form the species is a beau¬ 
tiful and attractive subject, being welcomed in col¬ 
lections during the early spring months. The 
variety under notice differs from the species chiefly 
in its size and the wide open and flattened character 
of the lip. The latter is orbicular, crisped at the 
edges, and the large golden or orange disc is sur¬ 
rounded by a relatively narrow white border. The 
ovate petals are also of great width, white in the 
lower and clear rosy pink in the upper half, the 
sepals being narrower, but similar in colour. Even 
after the flower was partly withered and contracted, 
it measured 3$ ins. across the petals. The variety 
flowered last year with R. G. Thwaites, Esq., 23, 
Christ Church Road, Brixton Hill, and being now 
flowering again it maintains its character for 
The owner may well be proud of it. 
Orchids at Falkland Park. —Many beau 
species, varieties and hybrids, are now flo 
freely in the collection of Thos. McMeekin Esq., 
Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill, under the care 
of Mr. A. Wright. The fine hybrid, Cypripedium 
grande has petals fully 12 ins. in length. The rich 
spotting and green lines of C. Argus are clearly 
defined. C. chamberlainianum Falkland Park var. 
is notable for the great size and thickly spotted 
character of the lip. C. Sedeni candidulum and^C. 
vexillarium are very fine hybrid sorts to be found’in 
all good collections. Amongst Dendrobiums is a 
very fine variety of D.Freemani, with a rich maroon- 
crimson blotch on the disc of the lip, and very dark 
blue-purple petals, the colouring being continued to 
the base. Fine varieties are also to be met with in 
Odontoglossum crispum, O. triumphans and O. 
Coradinei, the latter being a natural hybrid between 
O. lindleyanum and O. crispum. It has a well 
defined, rich chestnut-red blotch on each of the seg¬ 
ments (including the lip), on a soft, clear yellow 
ground. 
— 
Gardening ||iscellany. 
A 2 ARA MICROPHYLLA. 
In Devon and Cornwall this beautiful evergreen 
shrub is now in the height of its glory. Usually it 
commences to flower in November or December, and 
keeps on opening its flowers at intervals according to 
the state of the weather till spring permits the free 
expansion of the remainder. They are small, and 
yellow, but though produced in myriads they by no 
means form the most important feature of the plant. 
The branches give off a large number of side shoots 
arranged in a double row in one plane. The leaves 
are small, evergreen and clothe the twigs profusely. 
Some branches grown in the open have been sent us 
by Mr. J. Reynolds, The Gardens, Sidbury Manor, 
near Sidmouth, Devon, that are the picture of rude 
health, glossy, and altogether clearer than is the case 
in the neighbourhood of London, where the species is 
liable to get injured in severe winters. Tte climate 
of Devon is, however, favourable in every way to 
this shrub, which is valuable for mixing with certain 
kinds of cut flowers, where Adiantum would be too 
frail and perishable. 
AMPELOPSIS VEITCHII. 
This plant, whose foliage is so justly admired, often 
(like other creepers) loses its high colouring when 
the roots make a free run into heavy, rich, and damp 
soil; but when such is the case, the roots should be 
examined and cut well back (according to the size of 
the plant). The heavy soil should be replaced with 
light, sandy material, well mixed with broken 
bricks or stones and made firm. Many plant this 
beautiful creeper in rich soil, where it soon develops 
a gross habit, and the party who has sold the plants 
is sometimes blamed for not supplying a genuine 
article. The Golden Honeysuckle is of this class of 
plants, and loses much of its bright golden colour 
when planted in rich soil where sun does not act 
freely on the foliage.— M. Temple, Canon, N.B. 
SEDUM SIEBOLDII VARIEGATA. 
This is both an interesting and a pretty plant, well 
adapted for the cold greenhouse, and grown in pots 
or wire baskets. When in flower its rose coloured 
flowers combined with the creamy-white variegation 
of the leaves have a very pretty effect, hanging over 
the sides of the pot or basket, when suspended in a 
window. Give plenty of drainage and a rather loose 
light soil; avoid over-watering when not in active 
growth.— W. B. G. 
* 
-- 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The Stove. 
The recent spell of cold weather rendered it a matter 
of some difficulty to keep up the requisite heat with¬ 
out hard firing, and the watering-can and the syringe 
have had to be plied freely in order to counteract the 
drying effects of the hot pipes, but with the advent 
of April we look for and expect more genial weather 
when it will be possible to keep the coke bill down a 
bit. The temperature in the warmest stove should not 
now be allowed to go below 65° Fabr., even on cold 
nights, and if it stands at from 68° to 70° so much 
the better, since the stimulus thus obtained will not 
come amiss to plants that have been lately disturbed. 
The syringe must be plied freely and regularly morn¬ 
ing and evening, both with a view to the keeping 
down of insect pests and to the imparting of sufficient 
moisture to the atmosphere. 
Shading. —The blinds on the south side of the 
houses were fixed during the second week in March, 
and now the rest of them should all be got in place 
without delay, for the sun has acquired considerable 
power, and scorching has to be feared. Odd corners 
and angles in the roof should have the glass painted 
over with " Summer Cloud Shading.” Only a light 
covering should be given at first, except to the most 
inaccessible parts of the house; a heavier coating 
may be given in a month's time. 
Newly Potted Plants will require considerable 
care when being watered. It is true, that generally 
speaking, stove plants need abundant supplies of 
water, but this may well be overdone particularly 
when the plants, as now, have not fully recovered 
themselves of the check consequent on shifting. 
Plants that have been only topdressed and not potted 
must be watched with especial care, for it is easy to 
mistake their condition for water. The main water¬ 
ing should now be given in the afternoon sometime 
between two and four o'clock, another look oyer being 
given the following morning. In this way plants 
that do not need water at the one time may receive 
it at the next if they need it. 
Caladiums. —Attend to the supporting of any 
large and heavy leaves that require it. These are 
exceedingly liable to be broken or bent under the 
weight of the water propelled by the syringe plus 
their own weight, which is considerable. The stakes 
used should be as thin and neat as is consistent with 
the required strength and rigidity, for nothing so 
heavily discounts the decorative value of a plant as 
clumsy and untidy staking. 
Tree Ferns. —Tropical species of Tree Ferns are 
among the most stately and imposing of stove plants 
provided they are well looked after and not allowed 
to become infested with thrips, snowy fly, and mealy 
bug, all of which are exceedingly partial to them. 
Just now the roots emitted from the stems are very 
active, as an examination of the young green tips will 
speedily show. As it is advisable that these young 
roots should be encouraged as much as possible, the 
stems should be syrioged at least twice a day with 
clear water, and an occasional variation with clear 
liquid manure will render good service. The plants 
themselves will also be in need of some manurial 
stimulant, and fcr the purpose there is nothing better 
than liquid cow manure and soot, if steps ire taken 
to obtain a solution free from sediment. Pay close 
attention to young fronds that are being thrown up, 
and if necessary exercise some pressure upon them 
downwards to prevent their being crushed against 
the glass. 
The Taller-Growing Adiantums, such as A. 
aethiopicum, A. trapeziforme, and A. polyphyllum 
are also now standing in need of staking. This is 
especially the case with A. aethiopicum, whose 
numerous growths can only be manipulated at an 
early stage as they very quickly form a closely inter¬ 
laced mass, which, as the stipes of the fronds are 
brittle, it Is almost impossible to do anything with. 
Ferns for Cutting.—As Fern fronds, particu¬ 
larly those of Adiantums are in much request all 
through the year for making up in all sorts of floral 
decorations, it is advisable to have a good stock on 
hand to cut from. If the room can be spared and 
there is the convenience a small warm house may 
well be devoted exclusively to this class of plants. If 
not a bench in the large stove, in the shadiest portion 
of it, should be cleared and the Ferns placed upon it 
by themselves. It will then be easy to keep the 
syringe off them, which it is almost impossible to do 
when the plants are scattered about the house. 
Cockroaches.— With so many plants making new 
growths the cockroaches will have a fine time of 
it unless precautions are taken. The depredators 
are not at all particular, but seem to wage war in¬ 
discriminately upon all ycung leaves and stems. 
Ferns especially suffer at their hands. A few boxes 
of phosphorus paste should be spread on pieces of 
slate, crock, or cardboard, and laid about the house. 
The paste is greedily devoured by the cockroaches, 
and the dead bodies of the victims are likewise eaten 
by the living, thus helping to swell the list of deaths. 
No dead cockroaches should therefore be picked up, 
as they will find convenient sepulture in the bodies 
of their friends. 
Coleuses.— The earliest struck cuttings have now 
pretty well filled the 32’s in which they were placed 
at the beginning of March, and should, therefore, be 
transferred to larger pots without delay. 8 in. or 
even ten in. pots will not be a bit too large for them 
if good specimens are required. The soil should 
consist of two-thirds of good loam, and one of old 
mushroom-bed manure, with sand. Pot firmly, as 
this helps to check too gross growth, and thus 
renders the plants more wiry and fitted for doing 
duty presently in the dwelling house. Attend to 
pinching as it becomes necessary. The tops were 
taken out of the plants soon after they were potted 
into 32’s, and the main side growths should not be 
allowed to get too long before they are served 
similarly. 
Poinsettias. —As soon as the shoots on the old 
plants have attained a length of 3 in. or 4 in. they 
should be taken off. with a heel of the old wood, and 
inserted as cuttings. Use very sandy soil, and 
plunge the cutting pots in a close propagating frame 
having a temperature of not less than 70° Fahr. 
Poinsettias are queer things to root; sometimes 93 
per cent, of a batch will root, whilst at others 
scarcely 5 per cent, turn out well, and this when the 
the conditions under which they are placed are, as 
far as human eye can distinguish, identical. In 
the face of this it will be wise to introduce plenty 
of old plants to heat, so that should a batch of 
cuttings go wrong others may be had at once to take 
their places.— A. S G. 
-- 
SOCIETIES. 
LIYERP00L HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION, 
March 30 th, 1898. 
The spring exhibition of this society was held in St. 
George’s Hall, under the most favourable auspices. 
The exhibition, taken as.a whole, was bright and 
fairly good in quality; the specimen plants were 
somewhat under the Liverpool average for size ; and 
Azaleas were conspicuous by their absence. 
For a group of miscellaneous plants, 12 ft. square, 
E. Pryor, Esq. (gardener, Mr. E. Taylor), took the 
lead with a pretty array of flowering plants, in 
which Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums, Amaryllis, 
&c , showed to advantage, light Palms being used to 
break up the formality. \V. H. Watts, Esq, (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. J. Bracegirdle;, was second with a com¬ 
bination that showed taste, but lacked the quality of 
the former. 
For ten pots of hardy herbaceous and bulbous 
plants W. B. Bowring, Esq. (gardener, Mr. T. 
Ankers) took the lead with a good lot, but unnamed. 
For six clumps of Lily of the Valley, Mrs. Cope 
(gardener, Mr. T. Carling) was to the fore with well- 
flowered plants. In a new class for miscellaneous 
bulbs and foliage plants, W. H. Watts, Esq., had a 
nice bright lot. 
