October 81, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 183 
family, C. H. Curtis, Baron Hirsch, &c. A large 
number of bush plants are still outside, protected 
with canvas, and which will prove of excellent 
service towards Christmas, where the demands made 
upon Mr. B. Cromwell become somewhat heavy.— 
R. G. W. 
(To be continued). 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned Chrysanthemums received 
First-class Certificates at the meeting of the Floral 
Committee of the N.C.B. held at the Royal Aquarium 
on October 21st. 
Pride of Madford. —An incurved Japanese 
variety, crimson-cerise in colour, with a lighter 
reverse to the florets which are broad and interlacing. 
The bloom is of enormous size, being fully 10 in. in 
diameter, and of great depth. Mr. W. Wells, Earls- 
wood Nurseries, Redhill, Surrey. 
Pride of Exmouth. —Avery large spreading Jap. 
with long drooping florets divided at their apices. 
In colour it is white suffused with rose, the central 
florets being prettily striated with rose. A First- 
class exhibtion variety. Mr. W. J. Godfrey, Exmouth, 
Devon. 
Mons. Hoste. —A huge Japanese form with very 
broad, and flat florets with obtuse apices. The colour 
is flesh-pink striated with rose. Mr. W. J. Godfrey. 
Rena Dula. —A medium sized incurved variety of 
considerable merit, of American origin. It is a light 
purple-rose in hue, shading lighter towards the 
pointed tips of the florets. Mr. T. S, Ware, Hale 
Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, N. 
ORCHID NOTES _4 GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
Orchids from Rosemount, Perth. — Some 
Orchids have reached us from Mr. J. Lindsay, 
gardener to John M. Fraser, Esq., Rosemount, Perth. 
The showiest and most interesting was a grand 
bloom of Cattleya dowiana aurea of high quality, 
and, in fact, the best of this particular type. The 
sepals and petals were of a much richer yellow than 
those of the typical C. dowiana. The ground colour 
of the whole area of the lip was orange, except a 
broad marginal area of rich crimson; the latter 
colour formed heavy lines or bands along the centre, 
even to the base of the tube. All parts were of good 
substance, and tbe lip and petals remained stiff with 
us for some days after arrival, without being in 
water. Some flowers of Dendrobium formosum 
giganteum, of good substance accompanied the 
Cattleya, and the purity of the white made a beauti¬ 
ful contrast with the rich orange blotch, deepening 
almost to scarlet in the throat. Cypripedium 
spicerianum is also in season at Rosemount. Mr. 
Lindsay gives special attention to Orchids, and is 
well into the secrets of their cultivation. 
Orchids at Chardwar. —When calling to see the 
collection of Orchids at the above address I was 
pleased to see the Phalaenopses still in rude health 
and just pushing some grand spikes, for they are 
marvels of successful cultivation. Cattleya labiata 
now makes a grand display, and comprises several 
magnificent varieties and splendid specimens, well 
grown and flowered. The Dendrobium Phalaenopsis 
schroderianum still makes a splendid display, but 
many spikes have been cut. 1 noticed some grand 
specimens of Dendrobium superbiens, with magni¬ 
ficent bulbs and just beginning to expand their 
blooms, and the variety is very fine. The cool house 
contained some good plants in bloom of Oncidium 
crispum, O. Forbesii, O. varicosum, a fine specimen 
of O. ornithorhyncbum, a splendid specimen plant of 
Odontoglossum Rossii majus, and several good 
Sophronites grandiflora. I also noticed a grand 
variety of Vanda caerulea and a number of Cypri- 
pediums, including several good forms of C. Charles- 
worthii — C. 
Laelia elegans van. — Notwithstanding the 
numerous named varieties of Laelia elegans in 
cultivation, distinct ones continue to turn up and 
bridge over the intervening differences between the 
originals. All these forms occur in a state of nature 
and have been imported. We are in receipt of a 
pretty, light-coloured variety from Mr. A. Methven, 
gardener to the Marquis of Camden, Bayham Abbey, 
Lamberhurst, Kent. We have recently seen some¬ 
thing approaching it pretty nearly, though the two 
are by no means identical. Nor does it agree with 
any of the named varieties. The sepals are of a 
creamy hue, lightly overlaid with pale pink deepening 
towards the revolute edges. The petals are consider¬ 
ably broader, and much clearer in colour, being of a 
soft lilac. Both the lamina and the side lobes of the 
lip are of a rich crimson-purple, thus forming a 
marked contrast to the sepals and petals. The base 
of the tube, both externally and internally, are white 
striated with purple ; but these colours are very 
little in evidence owing to the crimson purple hue 
extending half-way down the tube. As a light 
variety having a well contrasted lip, we consider the 
variety a pretty and interesting one for a collection, 
flowering as it does in summer and autumn. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The Stove. 
We are now upon the verge of the dull season, and 
the most trying part of the year for plants under 
glass. Hitherto the rays of the sun have been an 
important factor in keeping up the heat in the 
houses, but now sun-heat will soon be reduced to its 
lowest ebb. As the mean temperature of November 
is only just over 40° Fahr. the fires will have to be 
kept going pretty vigorously. With the decrease of 
light the temperature may also be lowered a little. 
The warmest house should be kept up to 65° by 
night, with a io° rise by day if the sun pops out, or 
5 0 if it keeps dull. For the intermediate compartment 
60° by night with a proportionate rise by day will 
suffice. Now that the year has got so far advanced, 
it will be advisable to lay by the syringe as far as its 
daily use is concerned. The requisite moisture 
must be provided for by damping the paths and 
stages, and the sponge may be made to serve the 
purpose of preserving cleanliness. Air must be 
given by the top ventilators when occasion offers. 
Houses that are fitted with the approved modern 
lantern roof are easy to manage in this respect. The 
lower ventilators, of course, must be opened 
regularly each day, except in foggy weather, when 
they are better closed. 
Resting plants. —Although the majority of 
stove plants are growing more or less the whole of 
the year round, and it would thus be fatal to their 
welfare to allow them to suffer for lack of water at 
this season, anything like excitement should be spared 
them, as they are all the better for a season of com¬ 
parative rest. Less water will naturally be required, 
and liquid manure must not be given, except to such 
plants as Euphorbia pulcherrima and E. jacquiniae- 
flora which have been grown on during the summer 
purposely for winter flowering. 
Bertolonias. —These beautiful little plants are 
rather aristocratic in their likes and dislikes, and they 
are not fond of spreading the winter with no other 
attention than is given to the ordinary collection of 
stove plants. They manage to jog along well 
enough during the summer months, but in the winter¬ 
time the atmosphere of a large stove is apt to become 
too harsh and arid with fire-heat for them. The 
plants should now be covered with bell-glasses. 
These, during periods of very damp weather, are 
liable to be covered on their inner surfaces with a 
deposit of moisture. It will be necessary in such a 
case to wipe the glass dry each morning. 
Nymphaeas.—N ot only should the temperature of 
the water be allowed to drop two or three degrees 
now, but the water itself should be lowered several 
inches. Another drop in both directions should be 
given in a fortfaight or ten days time, so as to induce 
the plants td go gradually to rest. 
Gymnogrammes. —These handsome but rather 
delicate Ferns must be given the warmest end of the 
fernery. When the stages are damped down in the 
afternoon that containing the Gymnogrammes 
should be passed over. When watering, also, it is 
important to see that the fronds are not wetted. 
Yellow Fern fronds will make their appear¬ 
ance in increasing numbers now, and a good deal of 
picking over, particularly with Adiantums, will be 
necessary. Adiantums from which the fronds have 
been cut for decorative purposes may be removed to 
a cooler house for awhile, and allowed to rest. The 
room thus made may be turned to good account for 
the other subjects. 
Pits and Frames. 
A goodly pertion of the space in this department 
is blocked up with bedding stuff, and this will need 
very careful looking after. Flower buds and deaid 
leaves must be removed, but yellow leaves should be 
left on until they can ba easily picked off, otherwise 
cuttings, which may be only slightly rooted, will be 
disturbed. Air all such bedding stuff as Calceolarias,' 
Pentstemons, Violas, and zonal Pelargoniums as 
freely as possible during the mild weather. 
Fuchsias should be taken indoors without delay, 
given a good shaking to remove as many of their 
leaves as possible, the labels pushed firmly into the 
soil, and the plants laid on their sides beneath the 
greenhouse stage. 
Late Chrysanthemums that have been afforded 
protection and left out of doors must be taken in 
without delay, for in the event of a severe frost they 
would take harm. 
Forcing pit.— It is now time that a few Deutzias, 
Staphyleas, and Lilacs were placed in heat, for it 
must be remembered that nature requires more 
stimulus at this back end of the year than she does 
at the beginning. For forcing purposes a continuous 
supply of bottom heat is necessary, and houses 
which are devoted to Melon culture in the summer 
are capital structures to utilise for forcing purposes 
in the winter. The brick beds should be cleared out 
without delay, the woodwork and glass of the house 
washed, and the bed refilled with fermenting material 
without delay. The latter, which will have been got 
in readiness for use by several thorough turnings, 
must consist in staple of leaves, as a gentle and 
lasting heat is what is wanted. Make the bed up by 
treading firmly. The pots of the plants may be 
plunged to the rims in the fermenting matter. A 
good night temperature for a start will be 50® Fahr. 
with a good rise during the day. A syringing 
between 9 and 10 a.m. should be given, and another 
between 2 and 3 p.m. 
Roman Hyacinths. —A batch of these should be 
introduced into heat without delay, and other 
batches taken in at suitable intervals—say, of about 
ten days or a fortnight—to keep up the succession. 
Roman Hyacinths will stand forcing very much 
better than will the later and larger named varieties. 
Cinerarias. —Early plants obtained from an April 
sowing are just showing the colour of their flower 
buds, and before long will be fit to move into the 
conservatory. Keep up the applications of liquid 
manure at each watering now, but do not make the 
solution too strong. The plants obtained from the 
main sowing, made in July, are strong, stocky little 
stuff that will come into bloom in early spring. 
These usually give greater satisfaction than the 
April-sown plants, but the necessities of some 
establishments call for the first batch. As soon as 
a pit becomes vacant, the plants should be removed 
thence out of the cold frames in which they have 
hitherto been accommodated, or an unexpectedly 
sharp frost may work serious damage. A careful 
look-out must be kept upon both early and late 
plants for greenfly, which is very partial to the 
Cineraria. Fumigation is the easiest method of getting 
rid of this pest, and if proper precautions are taken 
to see that the plants are dry at the time of being 
operated on, and the fumigator is watched to prevent 
the tobacco rag or paper from flaring, no harm will 
result. Some gardeners, however, prefer to take the 
plants individually out of the house, and clean them 
by means of a sharp brush, for the fly, unlike mealy 
bug or scale, does not stick very tenaciously. This 
system has a good deal to recommend it upon the 
side of safety, 
Chinese Primulas. —Thanks to the exertions of 
our florists there are now so many charming forms of 
this pretty flower that a representative collection is 
most effective in itself. Thus a small greenhouse or 
pit filled entirely with Primulas is one of the finest 
sights obtainable throughout the winter months, and 
the plants appear to much greater advantage in such 
a position than they do when scattered about a large 
conservatory as an edging to the taller subjects. 
Some care will be necessary now with the watering, 
or the plants will damp off. A weak solution of 
Peruvian guano given at each alternate watering will 
work wonders. Enough of the guano may be used 
to colour the water a dull brick-red. The double 
varieties should be placed at the warm end of the 
house if there is one. 
Freesias. —Attend to the staking of these withou 
delay. Only light stakes should be used, otherwise 
the effect will be clumsy and anything but graceful. 
Weak guano water, as recommended for the Primulas, 
will suit the Freesias admirably.— A. S. G. 
