THE GARDENING WORLD. 
W1 
July 10, 1897. 
THE BEST TWELVE ORCHIDS FOR 
BEGINNERS. 
Phajus grandifolius. —This is a very old friend, 
indeed, and is met with in almost every garden where 
there is a warm division suitable for growing such 
heat-loving things as Crotons, &c. Blooming as it 
does during the dull winter months it is a most use¬ 
ful Orchid for house decoration in a cut state. The 
scapes being 3 ft. high, they are particularly well 
adapted for placing in large vases. 
When properly prepared beforehand by being 
placed in a. warm greenhouse and kept dry for a few 
days, the plants themselves may be placed in the 
dwelling house without the least injury. 
With a small batch of this Orchid it would be 
possible to have a succession of flower extending 
over a considerable period, so readily does it submit 
to the retarding process so much in vogue with 
Dendrobiums. To do this place the whole lot at the 
warmest end of the greenhouse as soon as they have 
made up their growths, which is at the approach of 
autumn. Gradually allow them to go to rest. The 
withholding of water induces this. About the end 
of the year the first batch may be placed in heat, and 
the rest at intervals of a few weeks according to the 
requirements of the establishment. 
Culture. — Being what is termed terrestrial 
Orchids they require a much stronger compost to 
grow in than do most Orchids ; and being strong 
growers a fair amount of pot room is necessary. 
For convenience sake, when wanted for house 
decoration, they are best grown with single leads in 
twenty-four sized pots. These require to be well- 
drained by placing two inches of crocks at the bottom, 
so that the water which they receive in large quan¬ 
tities when in active growth may pass freely away. 
The compost should consist of good turfy loam, 
peat, dried cow dung, sand, and bits of crock or 
charcoal broken up moderately fine. Place some 
old moss or rough material over the crocks before 
filling in with the compost. When finished the 
plant should be about level with the rim of the pot 
and the soil nearly so. Water sparingly until the 
roots begin to take hold of the new compost, when 
they must be well looked after as regards moisture. 
During the summer months see that they get 
proper shade without making the growths weak and 
drawn. Also pay attention to the brown scale 
which is almost sure to infest the under sides of the 
foliage if not looked after. Careful sponging with 
soapy water is the best means of getting rid of it.—C. 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned awards were made by the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the 29th ult. 
Orchid Committee. 
Laeliocattleya Eudora . superba. Nov. var — 
The sepals and petals of this variety of a bigeneric 
hybrid are pale blush-lilac. The lip is of great 
size with a sub-orbicular crisped lamina, of a glowing 
crimson-purple, the colour passing round the side 
lobes. The throat is white, giving place to pale 
creamy yellow in the tube, the basal part of which is 
also marked with a few purple streaks. The tube is 
white on the outer face. The variety is superior to 
the type in having richer and better defined colours, 
and is certainly a triumph of the art of the hybridist. 
First-class Certificate. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Ltd., Chelsea. 
Cypripedium Mrs E. V. Low. Nov. hyb. —It seems 
that the parentage of this beautiful Cypripedium has 
been lost. Judging by the flowers it would seem that 
C. niveum had been crossed with C. leeanum, itself 
a hybrid. The dorsal sepal is nearly orbicular, 
white, tinted with green on the lower half and finely 
spotted with purple there also. The broad margin 
is pure white. The oblong-elliptic petals are white, 
flushed with pink, and minutely and thinly dotted 
with purple. The lip is white and lightly washed 
with green veins. Altogether it is very pretty and 
distinct. Award of Merit. Messrs. Hugh Low & 
Co., Clapton. 
Floral Committee. 
Adiantum fasiculatum. —Judging from appear¬ 
ances this garden raised Fern might be considered a 
hybrid between A. Capillus-Veneris and A. amabile. 
The fronds are ovate or triangular with overlapping 
branches, and long, wedge-shaped, often deeply lobed 
segments. The segments of the early fronds are 
very broad, and all are light green, recalling A. 
amabile. The upright habit of the plant has a 
graceful appearance and will be useful for decorative 
work. First-class Certificate. Mr. H. B. May, 
Dyson’s Lane Nursery, Upper Edmonton. 
Thuya gigantea aurea. —All the twigs and twig- 
lets of this variety are of a golden yellow hue for the 
greater part of their length, the bases only being 
green. It will make a handsome subject for planting 
on lawns and pleasure grounds, or shrubberies, but 
should be fully exposed to display its beauty and 
individual character to the best advantage. First- 
class Certificate. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Encephalartos gracilis. —A large plant of this 
distinct and pretty Cycad, carrying about thirty 
leaves, was shown by Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. 
Albans. The leaves are 4 ft. to 5 ft. long, and 
pinnate, with one spiral twist towards the apex. The 
pinnae are narrowly linear owing to their being 
revolute at the edges. The whole plant is covered 
with a gray, woolly down, and is both distinct and 
attractive. Botanical Certificate. 
Begonia Lady Pearson. —The flowers of this 
tuberous variety are of great size and double, with 
broad, wavy petals, not at all crowded. Being of a soft 
orange-salmon they are very attractive, and borne on 
stout, upright stalks. Award of Merit. Messrs. J. 
Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, S.E. 
Rose Kaiserin Augusta Victoria . —As a hybrid 
Tea Rose, this has a leaning towards the Teas in 
general appearance. In prime condition it is a 
conical Rose with a few of the broader outer petals 
revolute at the edges, and comparable to Catherine 
Mermet, except that it is white with a creamy-yellow 
centre. It is slightly fragrant. It was put into 
commerce in 1801, and has behaved splendidly this 
year. Award of Merit. Messrs. Paul & Son, 
Cheshunt. 
Rose Souvenir du President Carnot.— Here 
again we have a long conical Rose belonging to the 
hybrid Tea section, and white tinted with flesh in the 
firmer central portion. The outer petals are revolute 
at the edges. The leaves vary from ovate to 
orbicular, and are of a rich dark green, The flowers 
are softly fragrant and succeed well on forced plants. 
It was first sent out in 1894 Award of Merit. 
Messrs. Paul & Sod. 
Rose Madame A. Chatenay. —-This is a large 
flower with creamy-pink, revolute outer petals, and 
the inner ones of a softly toned salmon. It is very 
fragrant, and, like the previous two, is a hybrid Tea. 
Award of Merit. All three were shown by Messrs. 
Paul & Son, who are to be congratulated upon getting 
three Awards for Roses at one meeting, a very 
unusual occurrence. 
Calochortus clavatus. —The inner segments of 
this Mariposa Lily are broadly obovate, and deep 
golden-yellow, with a transverse brown line just 
above the beard of clavate yellow hairs. The small 
outer segments have a crescent-shaped brown blotch 
on the face. A batch of this species has a brave and 
telling appearance. Award of Merit. M. C. G. 
Van Tubergen, Jun., Haarlem, Holland; and 
Messrs. R. Wallace & Cc., Colchester. 
Carnation Hampden. —The flowers of this variety 
are of large size, and of a rich salmon-orange, with 
very numerous petals, slightly incurved at the outer 
edge. It is a handsome border variety. Award of 
Merit. Martin R. Smith, Esq. (gardener, Mr. C. 
Blick), The WarreD, Hayes, Kent. 
Rose Mme. la Marquise Litta. —The blooms of 
this hybrid Tea are beautiful in shape, and produced 
in clusters when not disbudded. They are compact, 
conical in the bud state, and rosy carmine, deepening 
to a much richer carmine in the centre. In appear¬ 
ance the variety has a leaning towards the hybrid 
perpetuals. It was sent out in 1893. Award of 
Merit. Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross. 
* 
While we have had a good deal of bright sunshine 
and weather hot enough for anything we have also 
been favoured with substantial rains at intervals. 
This has suited the flower garden to perfection, and 
has given the bedding plants just the start they 
needed. Still if the plants have had a chance to 
grow freely so have the weeds, and there will be 
plenty to do in keeping them down. The hoe must 
be plied freely wherever it is possible to do so, for it 
is a mistake to let weeds grow to seeding size before 
they are destroyed. Gravel paths may be kept in 
trim by a persistent hand picking, or by the applica¬ 
tion of a reliable weed killer. 
The Lawns are at the present time in capital 
condition, and looking far better than they usually 
do at this season of the year. Mowing is, perhaps, 
the heaviest labour item in the keep up of the flower 
garden during the spring and summer months. The 
grass should not be allowed to get too long or the 
machine will not be able to get hold of it properly. 
Nothing looks worse than to see flowering stems of 
grasses standing up here and there over the lawn 
defying the mowing machine to remove them. In 
such cases the scythe will have to be called into 
requisition. 
The Herbaceous Border will require a good 
deal of attention now Besides the keeping down of 
the weeds there is staking to be thought about. 
This is not an operation that can be safely deputed 
to inexperienced hands, although, more’s the pity.it 
is often thus. It is a far too common sight to see 
Dahlias, perennial Asters, and other plants of bushy 
growth tied up like a lot of birch brooms to single 
stakes. This cannot fail to be simply ruinous to the 
appearance of the plants, and the border generally 
In staking, a sufficient number of stakes must be put 
to each plant to allow of the required support being 
given without any undue crowding. Hollyhocks are 
better confined to a single stem. If the stake was 
driven into the ground at planting time, as was 
advised, there is nothing to do now but add ties as 
growth calls for them. 
Narcissi. —The period at which the bulbs are 
really dormant is an exceedingly short one, ar.d as it 
is necessary to catch the bulbs at this period where 
transplanting is needed in order to obtain the best 
results, close attention is required. Soon after the old 
roots have ceased operating new ones commence to 
form. Any lifting of bulbs that is carried on after 
this therefore must necessarily be a hindrance to and 
a check upon subsequent growth. Where Daffodils 
are semi-naturalised in various places lifting has not 
to be performed, aad even when the bulbs are grow¬ 
ing in mixed borders every three or four years is 
often enough to lift them, except in the case of very 
choice varieties when it is desired to increase the 
stock. 
Planting Narcissi. —Generally speaking July and 
August are the best months of the year for planting 
Narcissi. The exact period io July when it will be 
safe to lift and replant the bulbs will, of course, 
depend upon the character of the season. About 
the third week in July, however, is a good time if the 
season is at all an ordinary one. Offsets from 
valuable varieties must be closely looked after, and 
a good deal of care and a pair of sharp eyes are 
needed when lifting is going on. A careless work¬ 
man amongst a patch of valuable Daffodils is about 
as comforting a sight as a bull in a china shop. 
Many of the bulbs, both big and little, will be buried 
or never turned up, and a fair percentage will pro¬ 
bably be impaled upon the fork The little offsets 
require much room for the first year or so, and 
should be dibbled into a prepared border where they 
can receive proper attention. 
Tulips which were lifted from the flower beds at 
the beginning of June will now be fit for removal to 
the storehouse. Great pains should be taken to 
keep the several varieties together, otherwise there 
will be not a little confusion at flowering time next 
year. If possible each variety should be kept in a 
special box, and accurately labeled. After lifting the 
bulbs from their bed of ashes they should be taken 
into the shade as quickly as possible. Exposure to 
the sun for even a very short time causes burning 
of the outer tunic, and this injury often results in 
serious consequences, as Tulip growers are well 
aware. 
Budding Roses. —We are now on the eve of the 
budding season. Accordingly, briers should be 
given a last look over. Any shoots that are not 
wanted may be removed at once, leaving about two 
sound healthy growths in suitable positions. Budding 
will commence as soon as the bark of the briers will 
lift easily and cleanly. This will vary with the 
locality, and also to a very great extent with the 
weather. If the weather keeps hot and dry it is a 
capital practice to give the plantations of briers a 
good soaking the day previous to the commencement 
of operations.— A. S. G. 
