July 2, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLfl 
695 
can get a sufficient number of leading growths that 
will give you fen to twelve racemes of flower. This 
we think is much better than putting them into large 
pots or pans, because they can be suspended above 
the Odontoglossums. The compost is similar to 
that used for most Orchids, that is, good peat and 
live Sphagnum moss in about equal parts, added to 
which a little silver sand is useful, as it affords 
better drainage. They are great lovers of moisture 
at the roots and should never be allowed to shrivel 
much, although during the dull winter months water 
must be given very cautiously or the spikes are likely 
to turn black and sometimes damp off altogether. 
During the summer months when growth is most 
active a dose of weak manure water will be found 
beneficial about once a week. 
Cattleya citrina. —This is the only Cattleya as 
yet that lends itself to cool-house culture, but in 
time, perhaps, the hybridiser may, through the aid 
of the above species, come to the rescue. On 
account of their peculiarity in growing head down¬ 
wards, blocks seem to suit them best, and on these 
they do very well for a time, but in the long run 
pans will be found the most suitable, in which they 
must be well elevated. In time they will be found 
to resume their natural habit by growing over the 
sides of the pans, so that in fixing the wires keep 
this trait of theirs before you, and tilt the pans in a 
manner that the growths may assume their natural 
conditions. It may be necessary, however, to secure 
the plants in the pans by copper wire, using as com¬ 
post good drainage and a small quantity of peat and 
moss. 
Cypripedium insigne. —This is so well known, 
and the culture understood, that it only remains for 
me to say that for general usefulness it still holds its 
own. It does best in a compost of peat, loam, and 
chopped moss in equal parts, with a little sand. It 
flowers best when it becomes pot-bound 
Dendrobium infundibulum and its variety D. 
i. jamesianum. —These do well in the cool house, 
but should be placed at the warmest end. The 
beautiful white flowers, set off with a deeply stained 
cinnabar-red lip, are very attractive. The usual 
compost of peat and moss does them well. When 
in flower they may be kept in a moderately dry 
place, so that the flowers do not spot, but no attempt 
should be made at resting them, as is practised with 
most other Dendrobes. 
Sophronites grandiflora is a most brilliant 
dwarf-growing Orchid that should be in every col¬ 
lection. Hanging pans suit it best, and treatment as 
advised for Odontoglossum. 
Oncidium Macranthum is one of the best grown. 
It makes long, fleshy roots, and on that account 
should be provided with plenty of pot room. The 
compost should be placed about them rather loosely 
with a preponderance of moss.— C. 
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THE PLANT HOUSES 
The Stove. 
Cold winds and fluctuating temperatures out of 
doors have rendered it anything but easy work to 
regulate conditions of temperature and moisture 
under glass, but with the advent of July we, at least, 
expect more settled and summer-like weather. 
Everything should now be in full vigour of growth, 
and this will apply not only to the plants but also to 
the insect pests which infest our stoves. In order to 
keep these from multiplying the syringe must be kept 
regularly at work twice a day, and should, in bad 
cases, be further supplemented by spongmg with 
insecticides. 
Climbers. —The growth of these will need to be 
regulated to some extent, for where the plants are 
making too much growth it is advisable to remove 
some if only for the sake of the subjects which are 
occupying the stages beneath. 
Bougainvillea glabra. —Instead of keeping the 
shoots of this showy plant strained tightly to wires 
upon the roof they should be loosened and allowed 
to hang nearly at their full length, or at least just so 
that there is room to pass beneath them. As the 
strain of flowering is very great a good deal of water 
will be needed, and liquid manure may be given once 
or twice a week according to circumstances. 
Nymphaeas. —As a rule the tanks in the stoves are 
rather small for the number of plants that one would 
like to get into them. Some of the stronger growing 
Nymphaeas are apt to crowd the other occupants of 
the tank by their superabundant folirge. Some of 
this may with advantage be removed, for while to do 
so will give more room the flowering abilities of the 
plants will not be appreciably lessened. Both black 
and green fly are apt to prove troublesome at this 
time of the year, and as fumigation is out of the 
question the best method of dealing with the pest 
will be to sponge the dirty leaves with tobacco water. 
Adiantums in Baskets. —Maidenhair Ferns 
make exceedingly pretty baskets when properly 
looked after, but in the hot weather the great danger 
is that they are allowed to become too dry. Once 
this happens the plants are well nigh ruined, since 
they lose a great part of their fronds. It will be 
well to dip all those that can be easily lifted dowD, 
and those that are too heavy to lift must be watered 
at least twice a day, and three times in hot weather 
will not be too much. Liquid cow manure will be 
found to suit these Ferns admirably if it is not given 
too strong. 
Pits and Frames. 
Chrysanthemums.— The tall plants that are to pro¬ 
duce the show flowers have been in their summer 
quarters for a few weeks. Owine doubtless to the 
moisture-laden air they do not appear to have 
received the slightest check, and are growing stroDgly, 
too strongly, it is almost to be feared. As it is 
difficult to find stakes tall enough for them that are 
not also too clumsy a few stout posts should be 
driven in at intervals of a few yards all along the 
line, and light cross rails or stout string fastened to 
these. The uprights should be at least 6 ft. in 
height after they are driven in, and if 7 ft, so much 
the better. It is very customary to plunge the bush 
plants with a view to saving labour in watering. If 
this plan is to be followed it should be carried out 
at once. Give each plant sufficient room for the 
light to get all round it. Crowding is to be deplored, 
although necessity knows no law. Some growers 
there are who do not believe in plunging, and who 
prefer to have the pots fully exposed. Something 
may be said for both sides of the question. Where 
the plants, in pursuance of this system, are stood in 
lines along by the sides of paths or on vacant pieces 
of ground they should be stood on boards, slates or 
paving tiles, so as to keep the worms out of the pots. 
Winter Flowering Zonal Pelargoniums.— 
These will need to be occasionally looked over to 
pick out all the flower buds, and to pinch such 
shoots as are growing too stroDgly at the expense of 
the rest. In about another fortnight s time some 
liquid manure may be given, for by then the plants 
will be in a condition to benefit by it. 
Clerodendron fallax.— The plants raised from 
seed sown in early spring are now sturdy specimens 
in 5-in. and 6-in. pots. They like plenty of heat, and 
nothing suits them so well as a place in an ordinary 
brick pit, where they are brought up near the glass 
by standing them ou a bed of fermenting material. 
Thin the plants out as growth proceeds, and keep 
the syringe well at work amongst them, for mealy 
bug is a great nuisance. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias. — The young seed¬ 
lings from the early sowing are now ready for prick¬ 
ing off. Use rather sandy soil, and drain the pots 
or pans thoroughly. Do not be in a hurry to discard 
all the weaker growing plants, for to do so would 
possibly mean that some of ihe finest varieties 
would be thrown away. Shade the young seedlings 
carefully. This is most important, for even a few 
minutes exposure to a hot sun would be likely to 
prove fatal. Ligtff, thin tiffany is the best material 
for shading. If other plants are wanted, either to 
come in a bit later than those from the first sowing, 
or if the first sowing has only been a qualified 
success, a little more seed should be sown in pans 
prepared in the same way as for the first lot. The 
seed pans may now be placed in an unheated frame, 
where germination should be rapid enough. 
Cyclamen — The plants from the seed sown last 
August or September are now quite ready for trans- 
ferrence from 60-sized pots to 4«'s. The plants from 
the January sowing have not been long in the 6o’s, 
and will not need shifting just yet. Use a compost 
of two-thirds of good loam, one of leaf soil, and 
plenty of coarse silver sand. Pot with medium 
firmness. Shade careful’y, and as long as the 
weather proves as capricious as it has been through¬ 
out June, be cautious in ventilating.— A. S. G. 
©leanings fun m the HHuTh 
of Science 
Vagaries of Tulips—A similar case to that 
described on p. 663 comes to us from Messrs. James 
Cocker & Sons, 130, Union Street, Aberdeen, whose 
representative picked it up in the garden of Mrs. 
Davidson, of Foresterhill, Aberdeen. The bulb 
came up amongst a lot of late mixed Tulips, and was 
a double, rectified bizarre, flamed with dark crimson 
on a golden-yellow ground. The stem was branched 
and carried four flowers. Two of the branches 
carried two small but perfect leaves each, which may 
have resulted from the degeneration or reversion of 
the outer floral leaves, as some of them were green, 
and others half green and half flamed like the rest 
of the segments. The upper portion of the stem 
also carried two leaves, one of which was caught 
between the main axis and an axillary branch that 
was amalgamated with the leaf, and the latter with 
the leading stem. Thus the leaf had a stem fixed to 
the front of it and another along the back of it. 
One of the floral leaves ran down a branch, being 
adnate to it for 2J in. The ovary and styles were 
broken up into 3—6, some of the pieces being 
petaloid, that is, coloured. Mr. Chas. Urquhart.the 
gardener, said that several of the stems carried two 
flowers, but only one had four. Reaching us as 
these flowers did in the last week of June, they show 
a vast difference of one month between the season 
of flowering at London and Aberdeen. 
The undermentioned subjects were discussed at the 
meeting of the Scientific Committee of the R H.S. 
on the 14th ult. 
" Silver " Leaf Disease.— Specimens of this 
disease were received from Mrs. Floyer, Basingstoke. 
The disease is known to be very common on 
Pomaceous plants, the silvery appearance being due 
to the raising of the epidermis from the underlying 
tissue. The disease is very fatal both indoors and out, 
and is in all probability attributable to the growth 
of a fungus, the nature of which has not yet been 
ascertained. 
Apple-leaves.—Some leaves injured by frost or 
scald from the effect of the sun shining on a damp 
surface were also sent. 
Plant Diseases.—Dr. W. G. Smith reports as 
follows on the specimens submitted to him : 
Palania Disease.—From a further specimen of 
this disease I have confirmed my previous opinion. 
The latest specimen sent bore the fructifications of 
a fungus which I hope to have identified. Tb* 
diseased tissues contain abundant mycelium, and ihe 
starting point for attack was from last year's old 
wood. I shall be glad to communicate further 
results later. 
Begonia.—From the material sent by Mr. Caddy 
it was difficult to say really what was the cause of 
disease. One or more fungi were easily developed on 
the withering leaves, but whether these were sapro¬ 
phytic on the dying tissue or were the cause of 
trouble, it is not s fe to say. Begonias of this class 
are so liable to wither at the margins (from draughts, 
&c.), and are so unsuitable for transit to a distance, 
that accurate observation can only be made on 
plants in their actual habitat. 
Fungus on Thuya (Biota).—The plants sent 
were attacked by Pestalozzia funerea, Desm., a fun- 
well known to occur on dying Thuyas and allies, 
The life-history is, however, imperfect. 
Cytisus Adami.—Mr. Herbert E. Brooks sent 
specimens of the curious Cytisus Adami. The three 
forms of flowers on a Laburnum is from the well- 
known “graft hybrid,’’ as it is supposed to be, known 
as Cytisus Adami, for Mr. Adams budded C. pur- 
pureus on C. Laburnum in 1825. The purple and 
yellow flowers are of the true species, but the brick- 
red is the hybrid. It was described in the Gardeners' 
Chronicle, 1841, p. 325, 336; 1842, p. 397, acd often 
subsequently. The fullest account is in Braun’s 
Rejuvenescence, 1851 (English translation, 1853) ; in 
Prof. Morren’s paper in the Belgique Horticole, 1871 ; 
and a summary of the whole subject is given in 
Darwin's Variation of Animals and, Plants, vol. i., ed. 
2 (1875), p. 413. 
--— 
An old tradition has it that the Beech is never 
struck by lightning. 
