December 26, 1896. 
rHE GARDENING WORLD. 
263 
all Endive should be lifted and placed in frames or 
other structures in readiness for blanching when 
required. Radishes may be sown in warm frames, or 
in boxes 6 in. deep. These can be placed in any 
warm house and will soon give a crop fit for pulling. 
Only the Turnip-rooted kinds should be grown in 
boxes. A regular supply of Mustard and Cress should 
be kept up from now onwards. Shallow boxes are 
best for growing this, an 1 ti ese can be placed in any 
forcing house. In sowing this the seed should be 
pressed into the surface of the soil, but not covered. 
-J.R. 
-- 
FRUIT UNDER CLASS. 
Early Peach House. —Both the Peach and the 
Nectarine bloom naturally out of doors at an early 
part of the year, when temperatures, as a rule, are 
low. Under glass we find that neither of them will 
tolerate forcing in the same way as the Vine and the 
Fig, and the greatest care is necessary in the earliest 
stages. For the present, therefore, the temperature 
may be kept about the same as that recommended in 
the last calendar, viz., 45 0 Fahr., as a maximum by 
night in mild weather, and a 5 0 rise by artificial 
means during the day, with a further increase of 5® 
if the day is sunny. Continue the syringings 
regularly twice a day, going over the trees in all 
directions so as to make sure that all the wood and 
the buds are well moistened. This proceeding may be 
kept up until the flower buds commence to open, 
when a dryer atmosphere will be required to 
facilitate the ready dispersal of the pollen. 
In many gardens the earliest house is started at 
the end of December or the commencement of the 
new year. Preparations should, therefore, be made 
for getting this in readiness for starting at that time, 
the same system as that adopted with the house 
started at the commencement of December being 
followed. 
Pot Trees. —These are scarcely so much in 
favour with gardeners as they really deserve to be. 
Half a dozen of pot trees do not take up a deal of 
room—indeed they may usually be placed in a 
position that would otherwise be left unoccupied. 
There is no doubt as to their usefulness, however, 
particularly for early work. It is very easy to pop a 
tree carrying, say a dozen nice fruits, into a little 
heat, and thus get the fruit in in time for any special 
function. Of course it is possible to hurry a 
whole houseful thus, but to do so would not always 
pay. The resources of the early Peach house may 
be materially supplemented by this means. Again it 
is becoming fashionable in certain quarters to send 
the fruit to table upon the trees, and in some 
establishments pot plants of Plums, as well as 
Nectarines and Peaches, are grown to supply this 
fashionable whim. 
The trees should be pruned, top-dressed with some 
rich mellow loam, and placed in the early Peach 
house, where they will get the syringe with the per¬ 
manently planted out trees. 
Cherries. —These, as a rule, do not bulk very 
largely in the forcing arrangements for the season, 
but the finer dessert varieties certainly pay for under¬ 
glass culture. Treated as cordons they usually do 
well, and fruit regularly, and the fruit certainly 
compares very favourably for quality with that 
grown out of doors. If stopping was properly 
attended to during the past season the pruning 
necessary will be of the lightest possible nature, and 
will simply consist in completing the spurring back 
to the cluster of flower buds at the bases of the 
shoots by cutting off any ragged ends. Any rough 
or dead spurs should be cut clean out at the same 
time. 
Cherries need to be treated in the earlier stages in 
much the same way as Peaches. They dislike hard 
forcing, or much fire-heat, which causes the buds to 
drop. Syringing should be attended to daily. The 
one great thing to avoid when forcing Cherries is a 
draught, for they are exceedingly impatient of this. 
Take care, moreover, not to force too hard, and the rest 
is plain sailing. A temperature of not higher than 
45 0 by night, rising to 55 s * if the day is bright will be 
quite high enough to start with. 
Pot Vines that were started about the middle of 
November will now be needing a temperature of 6o° 
by night, with at least a 5 0 rise by day. To keep 
this up more fire heat will have to be given than 
formerly, and the floors and walls will have to be 
damped down rather more frequently to keep the 
atmosphere moist and kindly. If any of the rods 
have been bent down to ensure their breaking equally 
they should be returned to their places as soon as 
the buds are an inch or so in length. Syringing may 
cease as soon as the canes show rough leaf. The 
giving of air will be a matter of some difficulty, as 
when there is much difference between the inside and 
the outside temperatures a very small crack of air 
will produce a draught which must be avoided at all 
cost. The bottom ventilators must be called into 
service, for these can be opened a little without 
danger, as the fresh air becomes warmed in its 
passage over the pipes, and the evils of draughts are 
thus obviated. 
Figs. —For the earliest crop pot plants are the 
most serviceable. A forcing pit possessing a brick 
bed is the most handy place. This bed should be 
filled with fermenting material in which to plunge 
the pots up to the rims. A bottom heat of 65° or 70 9 
may thus be easily obtained, and this is just what 
the Figs like. The atmospheric temperature may 
commence with 50° as a minimum by night, with a 
rise of io° by day. This may be easily kept up 
when the fermenting material is fresh without the 
use of much fire heat. Keep the syringe well to 
work among the trees morning and afternoon. Clear 
water will be all that will be required for a while, as 
the top-dressing of good loam which should have been 
given those trees that were not potted, will be quite 
sufficient for some time yet. The Fig is somewhat 
given to rank growth, usually at the expense of its 
fruiting qualities, and therefore manurial stimulants 
must only be given with discretion to such trees as 
really need assistance to mature their crops. A.S.G. 
--*•- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned awards were made by the 
Royal Horticultural Society, on the 15th inst. 
Orchid Committee. 
Laeliocattleya Rosalind. Nov. liyb. bigen. —The 
parents of this bigeneric hybrid were Laelia Dominii 
crossed with Cattleya Trianaei, the latter beiDg the 
pollen bearer. Now, Laelia Dominii was described 
by the late Professor Reichenbach as a hybrid 
between Cattleya dowiana and probably Laelia 
elegans, so that three parents are concerned in the 
production of the plant under notice. The flowers 
are of great size, with blush- white sepals and broadly 
ovate, white petals heavily overlaid with a bluish- 
lilac, which is darkest on the back and shines 
through with a peculiar hue. The large lip has a 
deep purple lamina, and the interior of the tube is 
heavily lined with orange and purple, the lines being 
very conspicuous just at the base of the lamina. 
The outer face of the tube is purple, lined with 
white. The large flowers are very distinct, bold and 
striking amongst this class. First-class Certificate. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Laelia pumila praestans alba Ashworth’s 
var. Nov. Var .—The flowers of this choice variety 
have the sepals and broadly ovate petals well folded 
back in the usual characteristic way. They are 
wholly pure white with exception of a broad bright 
yellow band in the interior of the tube almost cover¬ 
ing its whole surface. First-class Certificate. E. 
Ashworth, Esq. (gr. Mr. H. Holbrook), Harefield 
Hall, Wilmslow, Cheshire. 
Maxillaria lepidota. —The flowers of this 
species are of medium size for the genus and golden- 
yellow, with long, brown tails to the sepals. It is 
very attractive in its way, when a large and profusely 
flowered plant is seen like that shown by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart, (grower, Mr. W. H. White), Bur- 
ford Lodge, Dorking. Cultural Commendation and 
Botanical Certificate. 
Bulbophyllum auricomum. —There were four 
arching spikes, each about. 9 in. long on the plant 
shown by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. The flowers 
are small, white with an orange lip, and strongly 
resemble those of a Platyclinis. Botanical Certificate. 
Platyclinis uncata. —The flowers of this pretty 
and graceful species are larger than those of P. fili- 
formis, greenish-yellow, and arranged in two ranks, 
on drooping and elegant racemes. Botanical Certi¬ 
ficate. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. 
Brassavola venosa. —This species is of the usual 
dwarf habit, with cylindrical leaves. The sepals and 
petals are linear and creamy-white. The lip has a 
long claw folded over the column and spotted with 
purple in the interior and at the throat, while the 
heart-shaped lamina is pure while. Botanical Certi¬ 
ficate. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. 
Floral Committee. 
Rhododendron Nobilius. —The flowers of this 
magnificent variety are of great size, massive in 
appearance, and borne in large trusses. They are of 
a rich golden-yellow with red anthers. The variety 
was obtained by crossing R. Teysmanni with the 
pollen of R. javanicum. Without doubt this is the 
finest of the hybrid greenhouse Rhododendrons of 
this colour, belonging to the Javanico-jasminiflorum 
type. Award of Merit. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. 
Rhododendron Little Beauty. —The flowers of 
this new type are of a rich glossy scarlet, and though 
small are relatively large for its race. The variety 
was derived from R. Monarch, crossed with the 
pollen of R. malayanum, which gives the flower and 
the plant its most prominent characteristics. The 
leaves are elliptic, deep green above, dotted with 
white scales, and with rusty spots beneath. It is 
the finest variety of this new race yet produced. 
Award of Merit. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. 
Carnation Wm Robinson. —This is a tree variety 
with medium-sized flowers of a fiery scarlet. The 
petals are moderate in size, fairly numerous and 
slightly toothed at the margins. Award of Merit. 
Messrs. Crane and Clark, March. 
Carnation Julian. —The flowers of this tree 
Carnation are of large size and of a rich maroon- 
crimson, with broad, slightly toothed petals. The 
leaves are broad, glaucous, plentifully produced and 
vigorous. Award of Merit. Mr. James Douglas, 
Edenside, Great Bookham, Surrey. 
-- 
©leanings Jitumflie SDorlh 
nf Sctentg. 
Natural Selection and the Origin of Species. 
—At a meeting of the Linnean Society of London, on 
December 3rd, the Rev. George Henslow, 
M.A., F.L.S , gave the substance of a paper entitled 
“ Does Natural Selection play any part in the origin 
of Species among Plants ?’’ 
After defining a species from the Systematists' 
point of view, the author showed, by examples, that 
many specific characters in plants might be useful, 
indifferent, useless or injurious ; and that they were 
the direct result of a responsive action especially to 
the physical environment. The origination of varietal 
characters, he thought, should be considered as quite 
distinct from “ the survival of the fittest ” and “the 
struggle for life ” which determine the distribution of 
species in time and space. The individual differences 
of plants were held to be (as a rule) inadequate to 
produce variations of any systematic value, unless 
the plant migrated, and dimensions per se could have 
no “destructive" capacities whatever. Darwin’s 
and Wallace’s conditions for natural selection, viz. 
large populations and infertility between parents and 
offspring, had, he considered, do connection with the 
origination of variations, while the latter did not 
exist. On the contrary, species with large popula¬ 
tions were (as a rule) invariable, while others might 
vary greatly, but only when in different soils, &c. 
Instead of " changed conditions of life ” happening 
to any plant without migration, it was the latter 
which brought them about ; instead of a struggle 
being required with the parent stock or other plants' 
it was the avoidance of the deteriorating effects of 
struggling which was most beneficial, and new 
varieties arise best when there was no struggle at all. 
The relative persistence or non-retention of specific 
characters was discussed, and it was shown that the 
permanency and heredity of acquired characters 
required time ; five years being perhaps the average 
under cultivation. Permanency was only a relative 
term, all plants being liable to change again—hence 
arose improved varieties of long-fixed races of culti¬ 
vated plants. 
He considered Darwinism to be based on a series 
of a priori arguments or deductions which had not as 
yet been verified, nor appeared to be capable of veri¬ 
fication. On the other hand, new characters under 
changed conditions of life were to be seen every¬ 
where, both in nature, under cultivation, and to be 
induced by experiment; so that self-adaptation was 
proved inductively to be the true “origin of species." 
This was Mr. Herbert Spencer’s view in 1852, when 
no thought of “natural selection ” as a "means ” had 
been suggested. 
After criticism by the Chairman, a discussion 
followed, in which the following gentlemen took 
partMr. A. W. Bennett, Dr. D. H. Scott, Prof. 
Mivart, Mr. A. O. Walker, Prof. J. B. Farmer, Mr. 
J. T. Cunningham (late of the Marine Biological 
Association, Plymouth), Mr. H. Groves, Mr. A, B, 
Rendle, Mr. N, E. Brown, and Dr. Haviland. 
