502 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 10, 1897. 
3 in. long, taken from plants of this year’s growth. 
I take a slice off one side, insert the graft in the 
bark, and tie it tightly with a piece of matting to 
exclude air and moisture as much as possible, this 
being all that is required. I prefer to select the 
smaller or decorative flowered kinds for grafts that 
will all bloom at the same time, and with colours 
that will harmonise with each other. I have had as 
many as eight kinds on one plant. After a sufficient 
number of grafts has been inserted, I put the pots on 
the floor, bring the heads through the stage, and 
spread some damp moss on the stage round the head 
of each, and then put a bell glass over them to keep 
them from flagging until the grafts have taken and 
started growing. 
Before placing the plant out of doors in May I see 
that all the grafts have been carefully tied to prevent 
accidents. I never pinch the shoots, but allow them 
to grow on and break, that is, develop the buds of 
their own accord, which they will do freely. I then 
train the shoots to form a head about a yard across. 
I have had plants of this kind five years old, which 
never failed to produce an abundance of bloom. 
After they are done flowering I keep them cool all 
winter ; and before starting into growth in the spring 
I give them a prune with a pair of hedge shears, 
repot them with a little fresh soil, and replace the 
drainage, which is about all they require. The sorts 
grafted on this plan are Soeur Melanie, Eclipse, Roi 
des Precoces, Pink Christine, Golden Christine, 
Isadore Ferrel, Julia Lagravere, and Elsie; but of 
course this is simply a matter of taste. I would like 
to see a greater number of specimens of this kind 
exhibited this autumn, and I hope some of your 
younger readers will try their hands at it. I may 
say that I never staged a plant of this kind at any 
exhibition but I always got a medal or an acknow¬ 
ledgement of some kind. I merely mention this as a 
means of encouragement for others to try.— /. M., C. 
[Our correspondent sent us a photograph of one 
of his standard specimens, but unfortunately it was 
too heavily shaded to come out well as a reproduc¬ 
tion. The plant in question was twice in succession 
awarded the Silver Medal of the Scottish Horticul¬ 
tural Association at Edinburgh, beating all the other 
plants staged in competition against it. On one 
occasion there were as many as nine competitors. 
The specimen was one of the most admired in the 
Waverley Market.— Ed ] 
AMARYLLIS AT KEW. 
Ten or fifteen years ago the improvements of garden 
plants at Kew, by means of cross-breeding and 
hybridisation, would have been considered beyond 
the pale of the true work of the national botanic 
garden. Since then, however, more progressive 
views have been entertained by the authorities, and 
ample room has been found for developing the 
popular side of gardening, side by side, so to say, 
with true botanical work. The fine display of bulbs, 
both in beds and on the grass, and which has con¬ 
tinued in unbroken succession from the middle of 
February, to be prolonged by Lilies, Galtonias, &c., 
almost to the end of the season, is evidence of a 
successful endeavour to please the general public. 
In speaking of hybridisation we need only recall the 
impetus given to the improvement of Streptocarpus 
by hybridising S. Dunni with S. Rexii and allied 
species. This was practically the origin of the fine 
modern races, or rather pioneer work leading up to 
what has been done since. 
Amaryllis, or, more properly speaking, Hippeas- 
trums, have been taken in hand within the last few 
years, and some fine groups of seedlings and named 
varieties, mostly the former, may be seen in the 
greenhouse, No. 4, where they have been producing 
a gorgeous display for some time past. The seed¬ 
lings have been raised at Kew by the intercrossing 
of good varieties. Large quantities of seedlings are 
in various stages of progress, from those that were 
germinated last year to those that are several years 
old. The seedlings are planted out in beds in span- 
roofed pits until they reach the flowering stage, which 
they do very rapidly with a minimum of care and 
attention. The bulbs are potted up singly after 
they reach the flowering stage. Mr. Baker, of the 
Herbarium, has been examining those in flower with 
the view of determining how many species are con¬ 
cerned in the parentage of the modern race, and of 
that we shall hear more anon. His book on " The 
Amaryllideae" shows that he has done much 
botanical work for this natural order. 
The first attempt was made in 1891 by the crossing 
of the famous old Continental variety Empress of 
India with Thomas Speed. The flowers of the pro¬ 
geny are small, but of good colour and shape. The 
finest varieties, however, are many of those now 
flowering for the first time, and which were raised 
from crosses made in the spring of 1894. This will 
give an idea of the rapidity with which seedlings may 
be grown to the flowering stage. At the date men¬ 
tioned Aztec was ciossed with a variety here named 
Soames’ Seedling, resulting in numerous seedlings of 
first-class merit. The tube in many cases is almost 
obliterated. The flowers in one case are dark 
crimson shaded with maroon in the throat, and 
showing a 3 to 5-rayed star. The segments are 
broad and overlapping. Another from the same 
cross is red, with purple-tinted midribs, a 6-rayed 
star, and a crimson base. Another is dark crimson 
to the base, shaded with maroon in the throat. Very 
fine is a fiery-crimson sort, having the basal half 
maroon-crimson. The flower is regular and hand¬ 
some, in fact, one of the very best. A huge crimson- 
red flower, with regularly recurving segments, 
measures 8 in. across, and only 3 in. deep. Another 
massive flower has practically no tube, and is deep 
crimson, tinted with maroon in the lower half, and 
very dark on first opening. The above half-dozen 
first-class varieties from one cross prove that a very 
lucky, or shall we say judicious, hit was made. 
The reverse cross (Soames' Seedling x Aztec) has 
also given rise to some beautiful forms having a 
family resemblance to the above, but different. A 
large flowered one is regular, and of a brilliant 
crimson-red with a short-rayed star. Another is 
almost without a tube, and crimson-red, tinted with 
purple on the midribs ; the base is green, with six 
white rays proceeding from it. 
Her Majesty crossed with Monarch has given rise 
to a bell-shaped flower of a crimson-scarlet. Two 
scapes from one bulb, in the aggregate, carry eight 
flowers. Her Majesty crossed with Zitella has 
given rise to a number of seedlings having a pure 
white ground. One is ornamented with crimson 
lines; and another has a few red lines on the upper 
three segments. A third bulb carries six large, 
funnel-shaped flowers, that are pure white, lined 
with red on either side of the midrib. 
Landseer crossed with Soames’ Seedling has given 
rise to a regular flower of medium size, and rich 
crimson to the very base, tinted with maroon in the 
throat. Two scapes from one bulb bear seven 
handsome flowers. The above are but a few of the 
many fine varieties in the collection raised at Kew. 
-- 
®leanings from ffje ilRnlti 
of Scientq. 
The undermentioned subjects were brought up at the 
meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on the 25th ult. 
Bulbs with Arrested roots—With reference to 
the samples sent to the last meeting by Mr. Atkinson, 
Mr. Douglas was of opinion that the treatment had 
perhaps not been quite advisable, for he thought that 
they should have been put out of doors, and not in a 
shed, and covered with 6in., of cocoa-nut fibre. If, 
however, there was something deleterious in the com¬ 
post sent for inspection, this could be at once as¬ 
certained by analysis. Such, however, would be 
beyond the province of the society. 
Wireworms among Carnations.—Mr. Wegue- 
lin of Torquay asks for remedies against this trouble. 
The suggestions of linseed cake, Carrot, scooped out 
Potatos, as for slugs, <xc., were made, but it would 
appear that in the present case they are too numerous 
for such traps, as indeed the writer admits. Gas 
lime was recommended as the only very efficient 
remedy, but it might irijure the Carnations. The 
land haying been well dressed with lime or soot 
shows that these ingredients are quite insufficient, 
though gas lime would probably have been effective. 
Carnation Leaves Diseased.—Mr. Fagents of 
Honey Pots, Westfield, Woking, sent some leaves 
with peculiar red streaks upon them. They were for¬ 
warded to Kew for further investigation. 
Germination of Mushrooms— Inquiries were 
made by Mr. Baker of Cobham Park as to somewhat 
contradictory statements in books upon this subject, 
as in Mr. J. Wright’s “ Primer of Horticulture” it 
‘s stated that it has been observed, whereas in Dr. 
Scott's “ Flowerless Plants” (page 268), it appears to 
have never been seen. Mr. W. G. Smith, having 
been appealed to by the secretary for his opinion, 
writes as follows:—“ I have many times seen the 
spores of the Mushroom and its allies germinating. 
With me they have often quickly germinated on glass, 
and more often on moist blotting paper. The fungi 
must be allowed to shed their ripe spores on to the moist 
paper. After a day or two a damp microscopic slide 
must be placed upon the part of the damp paper 
where the spores have fallen, and it will often happen 
that some will be found to have germinated. I have 
seen the germinating examples whilst drawing the 
spores with a camera lucida. . . . Messrs. Wocd 
of Wood Green managed to get spawn of the Morel 
(from material sent by me) to germinate and form 
spawn. I once exhibited before theR.H.S. examples 
of Coprinus atramentarius raised by me from spores. 
This species can be easily raised (and it is not very 
far removed from the Mushroom) from spore to per¬ 
fect fuDgus. The time it takes is three months. I 
believe some of the French manufacturers of Mush¬ 
room spawn have raised Mushrooms direct from the 
spores. The spores of some of the allies of the Mush¬ 
room germinate readily in expressed juice of horse- 
dung. I have many times seen them, and am not the 
only person who has seen them on glass.” 
Portugal Laurel with Defective Foliage.— 
Rev. W. Wilks showed branches, one healthy for 
comparison, the other showing a silvery appearance. 
It is a well-knnwn case, and apparently attributable 
to defective nutrition. The peculiarity resides in 
the fact that the upper epidermis becomes detached, 
and the presence of airgives the whitish appearance. 
The palisade tissue also separates readily from the 
mesophyll, and its cells are easily broken asunder. 
There is no trace of fungi or other organism. Mr. 
Henslow observed that a tree in his garden exhibited 
the same appearance and died. Its roots were found 
to have penetrated pure gravel. 
--- 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
Odontoglossums at Westmount, Glasgow.— 
For many years past a fine collection of plants has 
been got together at Westmount, Kelvinside, Glas¬ 
gow. Various kinds are growD, but Odontoglossums 
are the favourites. There are now about 3,000 
plants, mostly of O. crispum, and though not the 
finest forms in the country, yet for a healthy collec¬ 
tion of large specimens, many of the most competent 
judges in the country assert that it has no equal. 
Mr. David Wilson has been iu charge of the collec¬ 
tion for many years, and has given abundant proof 
of his ability in managing Orchids. Both the houses 
and stages are admirably fitted up, consisting largely 
of iron, particularly the staging. 
Cattleya Trianaei Dr. Gorton’s van, Nov. vat. 
—A very massive-flowered variety of the popular 
and useful Cattleya Trianaei bloomed recently with 
Mr. P. McArthur, 4, Maida Vale, London, W. The 
flowers measured S in. across the petals, a size that 
used to be reckoned large for C. Warscewiczii and 
C. Mossiae. The petals were a feature in themselves, 
for each measured 3 in. across; and they as 
well as the sepals were of a soft rosy-lilac, contrasting 
well with the intensely dark purple hue of the lamina 
of the lip, which had a long tube corresponding with 
the magnitude of the other parts of the flower. 
Odontoglo3Sum Reichenheimii.—A prominent 
feature of this uncommon Odontoglot is the enormous 
size of the pseudobulbs of well grown plants. 
Those of a specimen werecently noted measured 5 in. 
in length by the same in width. They are necessary 
for the support of the branching flower stem which 
reaches a height of 5 ft. The flowers are moderate 
in size with rich brown sepals and petals, banded 
with pale yellow. The lip is obovate, rosy purple on 
the lower half and blush towards the apex. 
Cypripedium Rothschildianum. — In almost 
every form we have seen, this Cypripedium is a bold 
and telling flower; but we noted a magnificent 
variety recently and which flowered in the collection 
of T. McMeekin, Esq., Falkland Park, South 
Norwood Hill, under the care of Mr. A. Wright. 
The dorsal sepal was prominently banded with very 
dark lines along the course of the veins. The organ 
itself was very large, and the colours unusually dark. 
The petals were 6 in. long, more or less decurved, 
and richly spotted and lined with crimson brown or 
almost a black hue. Such varieties are an ornament 
to any collection. 
