598 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 22, 1897. 
later so cold that all are wearing winter clothes and 
are burning fires in their houses. One thing I have 
forgotten to mention, and that is the burning north 
winds, which blowing from the sun-baked inferior, 
swocp down over Melbourne and suburbs, parching 
up everthing for the time being. Strange to say 
these are becoming of less intensity, and do not last 
as long as in the earlier times, a phenomenon 
evidently due to civilisation and alteration of the 
surface of the country. 
At length in March a change begins to be appreci¬ 
able. Hot days grow less frequent, and autumn 
creeps on apace. Lovely days with gorgeous sunsets 
become the order of the season, and April sees the 
first of the wintry rains, but not till May is well upon 
us do we get the cold weather Rains are frequent 
and wet days plentiful, and the earth seems to have 
taken a new lease of life. In June we have the true 
winter weather. Cold, clear, sharp nights, rain, 
hail, and frosts, and last year snow fell heavily. 
Growth is, of course, slow, or arrested almost, and 
not till July is gone and August is with us does the 
earth seem to re-awaken and respond to the voice of 
sprirg. 
Many of these winter days are lovely in the 
extreme. Perhaps fogs (but not of the smoky 
London sort) and frost at night, cold, sharp 
mornings, but lovely sunshiny middays and after¬ 
noons. Days in which one loves to bask in the 
warm sunshine and enjoy the clear atmosphere with 
a sky as blue as that of Venice. These are the days 
one feels glad to be alive, ior they are charmingly 
exhilarating. 
(To be continu’d .) 
-- 
NOTICE OF BOOK. 
The Country Gentleman’s Catalogue of Requisites 
for the House, Field, Farm, Garden, Stable, 
Kennel, &c. Printed and Published by Eden 
Fisher & Co., 6, 7 and 8 Clement's Lane, Lom¬ 
bard Street. Price 3s. 6d. 1897. 
This book contains such a medley of subjects, notes 
and advertisements mixed up in about an equal ratio 
that it would be difficult for readers to refer to its 
contents if it were not for the copious index, and an 
alphabetical directory of the names of the advertisers. 
The wares the latter have got to sell give a pretty 
sure indication of the requirements of the modern 
country gentleman. Sport and pastime are served 
by tables of Yacht Clubs, cricket fixtures, stag and 
fox hounds, race meetings, &c. Under the heading 
of " Our Note Book ” are placed a great number of 
short notes cn a great variety of subjects, but with¬ 
out any attempt at classification. The reading of 
them may be regarded as a sort of pastime, for some 
of them are useful, and some merely interesting to 
most readers. 
The so calied Century Plant still holds on its old 
course of fabulous romance for those who can permit 
themselves any longer to believe it. The hundred 
years are now, however, reduced to seventy or fifty 
years, and we hope will be reduced to ten or five in 
the next edition. When planted out in a suitable 
c'imate, Agava americana fairly rapidly attains the 
flowering stage by virtue of the greater amount of 
root run and a more abundant supply of nourish¬ 
ment. In a semi-starved condition in pots and tubs 
it takes many years to get strong enough to produce 
its giant flower stem. We have a good instance of 
this in the dwarfing and starving of trees and shrubs 
by the Japanese. 
A good deal of information is given relative to 
farm crops and manures, in the form of short notes ; 
but comparatively little is said of gardening pure 
and simple Well, the best farmers are frequently 
said to be the worst gardeners, but whether that is 
the reason for the relative neglect of the garden we 
do not pretend to say. Applications of lime, gypsum, 
magnesia, or potash, help the plants affected with 
what is termed clover sickness, but the compiler 
judiciously advises the farmer to abstain from sow¬ 
ing the crop too frequently upon the same land. 
Useful as well as interesting are the notes concerning 
the amount of seed of any subject required for sowing 
an acre; the standard weight per bushel of any crop 
w.ll prove useful to seedsmen and farmers, par- 
t : cularly those just entering upon their respective 
occupations. The book contains 239 pages of well 
pr nted matter, and though there are few illustrations, 
the letter press leaves little to be desired. 
THE LATE MR. OWEN. 
Being now in a position to give an illustration of the 
late Mr. Robert Owen, whose sudden decease we re¬ 
ferred to in our last issue, we do so with the object 
of giving readers at a distance from London an idea 
of this noted raiser of new and improved Chrysan¬ 
themums. He was well-known personally to a wide 
circle of friends and patrons, however, and in the 
intervals between busy times at home, he travelled 
considerable distances, and to our knowledge has 
been in various parts of Scotland. Though latterly a 
successful nurseryman, he commenced as a gardener. 
Mr. Robert Owen. 
like many others before him. The last private estab¬ 
lishment in which he served was at Yewden Manor, 
the residence of G. C. Schwabe, Esq., after whom, 
the well-known Chrysanthemum is named. When the 
latter gave up Yewden Manor he assisted Mr. Owen 
right liberally in starting and establishing the F'loral 
Nurseries at Castle Hill, Maidenhead, and was 
highly satisfied with the industry and success of his 
former servant. 
-=**- 
THE BEST TWELVE ORCHIDS FOR 
BEGINNERS. 
Lycaste Skinnerii. — I do not think, considering the 
ease with which it can be grown and the uses it can 
be put to that I should be justified in leaving this out 
of the twelve. 
Of all the known species the one under notice is 
the most variable, producing varieties ranging in 
colour from deep pink to pure white. It is generally 
considered to be a cool house Orchid, and may be 
grown with the Odontoglossums ; but I think a few 
more degrees of heat are necessary if you are to keep 
it in good health for long. Therefore, we would 
recommend the coolest end of the Cattleya house as 
being the best position ; here they should be shaded 
from strong sunlight or the leaves will turn yellow. 
Pots or pans, according to the taste of the culti¬ 
vator, may be used. In any case they should 
receive ample drainage as the plants will take—and 
must have—any amount of moisture at the root when 
growing ; and at no time should they be allowed to 
become dry, or they will soon suffer and lose some 
of their leaves. 
The compost should consist of peat to which may 
be added a little leaf mould, loam, and silver sand. 
Pot moderattly firm, and when the operation is 
finished give a gentle watering with a rose pot. The 
best time to pot them is after they have done flower¬ 
ing in the spring. 
For the decoration of the drawing-room this 
Orchid has no equal, and if properly prepared before 
taking it into the house, and by well looking after it 
whilst there, no harm will result. When the 
majority of the flowers are expanded, the plants 
should be placed into a cooler atmosphere, such as is 
afforded by the greenhouse. Here they may remain 
for a week, taking care that they are well shaded 
during the day if the weather is bright. After such 
time it would be quite safe to place them in the 
dwelling house. Here they will require watering at 
intervals of a few days when the room is kept warm 
by the use of fires and gas, otherwise once a week 
Would suffice. Sponging the leaves every other day 
helps to keep them fresh and in good condition. 
When the flowers fade again place them in the green¬ 
house for a few days before finally transferring them 
to the more genial and warmer temperature of the 
Cattleya house. 
After such treatment it becomes necessary to give 
them a good soaking at the roots and a general clean 
up, after which they will soon resume activity and 
break away into strong growth, apparently well 
pleased at having helped to brighten up house and 
make one feel that after all life is worth living. 
Insects.— Like most things when growing strongly 
they are very rarely attacked with insects of any kind. 
Of course thrips will attack the healthy plants as 
well as those out of condition, and must be kept 
under by fumigation. Scale sometimes attacks them, 
but this is an evidence that the plants are waning, or 
that the atmosphere is too dry. Careful sponging of 
the plants and a judicious use of the syringe about 
the plants will effect a change for the better.— C. 
-- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The awards mentioned hereunder were made by the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the nthinst. 
Orchid Committee. 
Odontoglossum andersonianum bogaerdianum. 
Nov. var .—The sepals and petals of this grand variety 
are elliptic and white, with very large chocolate 
blotches from the middle downwards on each, those 
on the petals being the smaller and more numerous. 
The tip also has a chestnut-red blotch in front of the 
white and yellow crest. The variety is one of the 
finest of this type, on account of its blotches, and very 
distinct. Award of Merit. De B. Crawshay, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. S. Cooke), Rosefield, Sevenoaks. 
Cypripedium Chapmani magnificum. Nov. var. 
—This was raised between C. beliatulum and C. 
Curtisii, the former being the seed bearer ; and it is 
undoubtedly the finest of this section. The upper 
sepal is orbicular, marbled, and spotted with deep 
purple, on a creamy white ; it is also lined with dark 
purple along the veins. The petals are very broadly 
oblong, slightly declining, and densely spotted all 
over with blackish-crimson on a rosy ground. The 
lip is blackish-purple in front. The influence of C. 
beliatulum is the most evident, but C. Curtisii can 
be traced on the back of the sepals. The leaves are 
broadly oblong, and irregularly tassellated with gray 
in thin lines. The seed was only sown about three 
years ago. The flower on the whole is massive, and 
the texture good. It was raised and exhibited by 
Mr. H. J. Chapman, gardener to R. I. Measures, 
Esq., Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell. 
Laeliocattleya Hippolyta Dulcote var. 
Nov. var . —The sepals of this fine hybrid variety are 
bright orange-scarlet, and the petals dark orange. 
The lip is of a rich crimson, with an orange tube. It 
is a handsome variety, and very much darker than 
the type. Award of Merit. Walter Cobb, Esq, 
(gardener, Mr. Howse), Dulcote, Tunbridge Wells. 
Cypripedium bellatulo-vexillarium. Nov. hyb . 
— The reputed parentage of this hybrid is indicated 
by the name, The upper sepal is roundly ovate, and 
rich rose-purple, shading off paler in the centre. The 
petals are oblong, declinate, and finely spotted with 
purple on a white ground. The lip is deep purple. 
Award of Merit. Mrs. Briggs Bury, Bank House. 
Accrington. 
ClRRHOPETALUM ELEGANTULU.M. — The pseudO- 
bulbs of this species are about the size of small 
Cherries. The flowers are borne in a half whorl on 
scapes only 2J in loDg The dorsal sepal and the base 
of the lateral ones are dark purple, the rest of the 
lateral ones being yellow’, faintly lined with purple. 
Botanical Certificate. A. H. Smee, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. W. G. Cummins), The Grange, Wallington. 
Oncidium Warneri. — The flowers of this species 
are of medium size with purple sepals aDd petals, 
lined and edged with yellow. The lip is four-lobed 
and yellow, with an orarge blotch. Botanical Cer¬ 
tificate Frau Ida Branc’t (gardener, Mr. T. Schlect), 
Brunnenhof, Riesbach, Zurich. 
Floral Committee. 
Anemia rotundifolia.— This beautiful species is a 
native of South Brazil, and evidently quite new to 
cultivation Several species coming from that 
quarter can be grown in a greenhouse temperature, 
but A. rotundifolia, on account of the leathery 
character of the fronds, will require a stove to bring 
