July 16, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
72? 
purple. This irregular mottling gives the flowers a 
very distinct character, and when this is once seen 
and noted there need be no further doubt in the 
mind of the grower. 
Coming to us as the Grammatophyllums do from 
the hot countries of the Islands of Java, Madagascar, 
and Singapore, the treatment of the ordinary East 
India house should usually suit these. At the same 
time it must be confessed they sometimes do well, 
and after a season or two turn weakly and die away. 
The yellow thrip has been their greatest enemy, 
but now, thanks to the XL All, this can be success¬ 
fully overcome, and the removal of the pest will 
doubtless ensure to many a longer lease of 
life than was the case a few years back. Plenty of 
moisture, heat and light whilst growing, and a 
fairly dry and cooler time when at rest must 
assuredly be given.— W. Swan, Exmouth. 
(iRanings ftgmt ffjc Khnjh 
of Srtettcq. 
The undermentioned subjects were brought up at the 
Scientific Committee Meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society on the 28th ult.:— 
Pyrethrum Flowers Arrested.— Mr. E. Ballard 
sent some flowers, “ taken from healthy roots, full 
of bloom, but on which some of the flowers fade, 
owing to the shrivelling of the stalk some 2 in. or 3 
in. below the flower. Last year whole roots were 
affected.” It is difficult to pronounce without seeing 
the early stages, but the general opinion was that 
frost had checked the buds, and a fungus, possibly 
a myxomycete, followed. Buds of Pyrethrum, 
arrested in an early stage, appeared to be spoilt by 
frost and wet having got into them. 
Beeches Dying.—Mrs. A. C. Campbell Swinton, 
of Berrywell, Dunse, Berwickshire, sent some bark, 
&c., showing much decay, taken from a very fine old 
Beech at Kimmerghame. It was described as hav¬ 
ing a cavity at a fork in which rain water lodged, but 
since the tree is only nineteen yards from the bed of 
the river the suggestion that the roots have got into 
the cold river soil is with very little doubt correct. 
Beeches preferring dry soil by nature, the above 
would be a sufficiently probable cause. Mr. Wilks 
described a case where in a space of T50 yards by 
20 yards every shrub and tree dies after a time. The 
destruction began with a hedge, then Scotch Firs, 
Oaks, Ashes, and lastly Beeches of about forty-five 
years of age perished. The cause appeared to be a 
bed of white sand into which the roots penetrated, 
thus starving the trees. 
Black Currant Shoots Falling. — Mr. E. 
Ballard sent specimens from a large plantation, 
which break off at a slight touch or by the wind. 
Dr. W. G. Smith, who has examined them, reports 
upon them as follows :—The " Currant leaves bore a 
mildew, but other fungi were also present when I 
examined the material. The characteristic mode of 
attack pointed to a Peronospora species. I have 
raised good crops of one on fresh portions of the 
leaves, and am following up the clue. If it be really 
a species of this family it is new to Britain, although 
one (Plasmophora ribicola, Schraeter) has been re¬ 
ported from U.S. America. I have observed the 
emission of motile swarm spores from the sporangia 
(so-called spores) of fresh material, and otherwise 
feel sure of the Peronosporeae nature of this fungus. 
As to remedy, I should recommend a spraying of 
Bordeaux mixture or allied copper mixture. To a 
Black Currant plantation this could be done by a 
knapsack sprayer. Probably one can be had from 
the Strawson Company.” 
Cherry Leaves Diseased.—Specimens of the 
foliage was received from Mr. B. G. Berry, F.R.H.S., 
Scarbutts Manor, Broughton, Faversham, and sub¬ 
mitted to Dr. W. G. Smith, who reports as follows: 
—" I cannot make up my mind whether the fungus 
on Cherry leaves you sent last week is Cylindros- 
porium padi, Karst, or Cladosporium amygdalearum, 
Pass. Both are given as causing spots on foliage 
similar to that sent. The spores are different, but I 
get both forms (or something very like them) present. 
In any case the fungus is the cause of trouble. The 
disease is common in the United States, though I 
have no definite record of its occurrence here. It is 
not considered serious, and yields easily to spraying 
remedies. I am afraid at present the crop is too far 
advanced to allow of immediate treatment, but as 
soon as it is plucked Bordeaux mixture should be 
sprayed on the foliage. Next year the spraying 
should he continued as soon as the foliage is strong 
enough to allow it. The preparation of Bordeaux 
mixture and allied fungicides I have already 
described in the “Gardeners’ Chronicle,’’ last 
August. It should not be used towards the season of 
ripe fruit, as it stains the Cherries, but applied before 
and after is reliable.” 
Black Currant x Gooseberry. — Mr. W. 
Culverwell, of Thorpe Perrow, Bedale, sent a fruiting 
spray of this curious hybrid, showing well the 
resemblance to the manner of fruiting in the Currant, 
though it was entirely without its scent. The fruit 
resembled small Gooseberries, but the leaves had 
no spines. 
Tetramerous Odontoglossum.— Mr. McBean 
sent a spray of O. crispum, in which all the four 
blossoms upon it had the two anterior petals ad¬ 
herent to the sepal between them, three points in¬ 
dicating the fusion. In addition to the above, the 
sepals fused with the petals were petaloid and the 
ovaries were aborted. In two flowers it was S 2 and 
in the other two S 3 that was petaloid. 
Tuberous Growth on Vine —Dr. Masters 
exhibited a specimen; similar ones are sometimes 
associated with a multiplication of buds. It is 
probably caused by a puncture of some insect, 
which sets up a subsequent growth by hyper¬ 
trophy. It is occasionally seen on Marechal Niel 
Roses. 
-- 4 -- 
FALKLAND PARK. 
Situated as this suburban residence is on the top of 
a dry hill it is not surprising that some difficulty 
should be experienced in the matter of outdoor 
gardening. A garden has been established at Falk¬ 
land Park, South Norwood Hill, for many years, but 
when Thos. McMeekin, Esq. took it over he com¬ 
pletely remodelled the garden, with a few trifliog ex¬ 
ceptions, and built a splendid mansion fitted with all 
the modern appliances. 
We are most concerned with the various phases of 
gardening carried out both under glass and out-of- 
doors. Many of the crowded old trees and useless 
shrubbery were removed, and much planting has 
since been effected. The finest of the old trees were 
of course, left standing intact, including tall Elms, 
Sequoia sempervirens, Oaks, the purple Beech and 
various others, most of which have greatly improved 
by the greater amount of breathing room afforded 
them. The shrubs, notwithstanding the thirsty 
nature of the soil, are getting thoroughly established 
in most cases and looking the picture of healthy 
vigorous growth. Mr. A. Wright, the gardener, has 
more recently planted a hedge or rather a winding 
bank of shrubbery round one side of the hill for the 
purpose of screening the houses belonging to another 
establishment, and already this is a pleasing feature 
of the grounds abutting upon the drive leading to the 
mansion. Elsewhere the view into the lower portion 
of the grounds, which are wooded, is left open, with 
most interesting effects. Some of the finer trees and 
shrubs are isolated upon the grass, while in other 
places they are planted widely apart so as to allow of 
a covering to the ground of Roses and clumps of 
annual and perennial herbaceous subjects of an orna¬ 
mental character. Banks of the choicest varieties of 
hardy Pontic Rhododendrons and Azaleas on the 
fringe of the wood were in the full beauty of their 
June garb of foliage and flowers on the occasion of 
our visit. Ghent Azaleas, including the hybrids of 
A. nudiflora, were past their best, but the forms of 
A. viscosa were still in full bloom, being later than 
those of the former. The varieties of A. mollis were 
also early and over. 
The grass everywhere covering the crest of the 
hill is now well established, and covers the ground 
with a soft carpet of verdure. For several years it 
remained very thin, the dry weather during what 
should have been its growing period being most 
inimical to its welfare. Besides the grass clovers 
are now taking a firm hold of the soil, including 
Trifolium repens and T. procumbens, but particu¬ 
larly the latter, which seems particularly adapted for 
covering the ground in dry situations. This small 
species has been spreading of its own accord. In 
the neighbourhood of the winding, ornamental water 
progress is also visible in the clumps, beds and irre¬ 
gular masses of various flowering subjects. Masses 
of Kalmia angustifolia and K. a rubra have been 
most profuse in blossom. The same may be said of 
Cistus florentinus and a variety of Cistus albidus, 
the large white flowers and dark green foliage of the 
former bemg very handsome. A bed of Bryanthus 
empetriformis was particularly handsome in early 
June ; and later on its place was taken by varieties 
of the allied Daboecia polifolia. Masses of Hemero- 
callis flava, H. fulva, Lychnis Viscaria splendecs 
plena, Single Pyrethrums, London Pride, &c., were 
very effective; and Pinks to be followed by Carna¬ 
tions in the mass show what can be effected with 
these gardens flowers. Lilium umbellatum has 
done splendidly, and masses of Iris Pseudacorus and 
Water Lilies wade into the water, as is their wont. 
A large clump of Typha latifolia has sprung up in 
an old gravel pit that has been turned into a pond, 
but no one has any idea how it came there. 
The hothouses were attractive in all save the tem¬ 
perature, and that was not particularly inviting 
because of the tropical heat prevailing outside. We 
walked inside, nevertheless, to have a cursory view 
of the plants in bloom. House No. 7 is used as a 
conservatory, and here the atmosphere was com¬ 
fortable, as it was in the long corridor leading from 
end to end of the range. Tuberous Begonias were 
flowering away freely, including some fine forms. 
Zonal, show and regal Pelargoniums made the 
shelves gay; while Lonicera sempervirens, Sola- 
num venustum and other climbers draped the 
roof overhead. Sweet Peas grown in large baskets 
were very ornamental and quite novel in being sus¬ 
pended high overhead, They answer the purpose 
admirably. Datura sanguinea with its long red 
trumpets was flowering freely in the corridor, along 
with a great variety of climbers. 
In one of the Orchid houses a fine variety or form 
of Dendrobium Falconeri bore two dozen flowers of 
rich colour. Coelogyne dayana grandis in a basket 
carried nine spikes, one of which had thirty-nine 
flowers. Numerous pieces of the fragrant Odonto¬ 
glossum citrpsmum were suspended in baskets, and 
flowering freely. Other fine things were Cattleya 
Warned, a fine form of Trichopilia crispa marginata, 
Laelia grandis tenebrosa, the dwarf Sobralia 
macrantha nana, and numerous beautiful varieties 
of Odontoglossum crispum. One had large purple 
blotches on a white ground ; another shapely flower 
was white except the richly-blotched lip. Very in¬ 
teresting was a third sort which had no purple or 
brown whatever, merely a golden disc and a few 
yellow spots on the lip, the rest being white. A 
variety of O. c. guttatum was tinted with rose. 
In another house we came upon a large and 
healthy plant of Sobralia xantholeuca, full of flower 
buds. A very richly-coloured form is Cypripedium 
rothschildianum, Falkland Park var., with broad 
dark bands on the upper sepal and heavily blotched 
petals, which had a spread of 11 in., though they were 
still growing. In different houses Dendrobium 
dalhousianum was flowering grandly. 
The stove accommodated grand pieces of various 
fine foliage plants, including a handsome piece of 
Anthurium warocqueanum, the leaves of which 
measured 3 ft. 9 in. to 4 ft. in length, by 19 in. 
across. We do not remember seeing larger leaves 
of this species. 
A fine strain of Gloxinias is grown here, including 
banded, edged, white, and other seifs, and spotted 
varieties. One sort had a petaloid outgrowth from 
the outer face of the corolla, resembling a Canpanula 
Medium calycanthema. Very handsome was a light 
blue sort having large flowers abundantly produced ; 
another had white rings enclosing areas of a dark 
colour. 
A collection of British Ferns is being got together 
here, and the collection is further being increased 
by the raising of sporelings of some of the more 
popular sorts, including the Lady Fern (Athyrium 
Filix-foemina). Seedlings of the latter were charac¬ 
terised by having extremely finely-divided fronds; 
others had short fronds, heavily crested on the top. 
Very pretty was one having a very heavy top of 
almost hair-like segments. Still another noticeable 
plantlet had narrow fronds for all the world like a 
Woodsia ilvensis. There seems no limit to the 
variations of this popular species. 
--4—- 
The Wings of Butterflies are shown by the micro¬ 
scope to be covered with very minute feathers, each 
provided with a quill and filaments. 
