December 30, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
279 
the, at present, much vaunted Chrysanthemum. I 
can remember when, with our older varieties, it was 
a case of stick four plants in a ro-in. pot, and let all 
growth come that would come. Here, again, an 
advance in the right direction has been made ; yet, 
with all our splendid varieties, something is a-want- 
ing, and that, to my mind, is a determined desire on 
the part of our raisers to secure dwarf varieties that 
shall be really acceptable either for the plant house 
or for decorative purposes in the house. 
What shall I say of the kitchen garden ? If one 
consults the trade seed lists usually published at this 
time, one would suppose by the list of " novelties ” 
offered that they would " lick creation," and that all 
the old varieties in present use were worthless. 
Yet have we got a Potato finer in quality than our 
old Fortyfold ? A Pea that has kept its place like 
Veitch’s Perfection, or a more useful Strawberry 
than Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury (Garibaldi) ? 
I grant that many gocd things have been added to 
our lists, but we also protest against "new " things 
being sent out which are new in name only. May I 
in closing be allowed a word in season to those en¬ 
gaged in the cultivating of all those good things. I 
once heard a minister remark that gardeners ought 
to be "good men ” living so close to Nature as they 
did, the grandest school to which we can go ; and 
surely he was right. I believe there is a sincere and 
growing desire among the young men of our class to 
make themselves, by earnest study, more proficient 
in their profession, and surely this is a season when 
they and we also may reasonably ask ourselves if we 
intellectually, in generosity, and in all other good 
graces haved marked progress.— Richard. 
FORCING ASPARAGUS BEDS AT SYON 
HOUSE. 
In answer to D. upon the points he notifies for ex¬ 
planation when writing under the above title, the 
writer of the article on Syon House regrets the fact of 
his having been in error in accrediting the present 
head gardener at Syon House with the " invention" of 
the system for Asparagus forcing which is pract ! sed 
there. Years ago I read an article from the pen of 
Mr. Geo. Wythes upon his manner of Asparagus 
forcing.and from that time to the present moment of 
having read D.’s letter, I have always had the belief 
that the system (already described) was an 
"original" of Mr. Wythes’. Till now I have 
remained undeceived. The mention of it was done 
in the spirit of giving " honour to whom honour is 
due," but it would seem "the honour" must be 
retained till the veteran Mr. Barron, or other person 
who may know, can find the proper head upon 
which to place the honour. The system, which is 
a capital one, has now been more emphatically 
presented, so that good again follows (evil) wrong.— 
Harrison D. 
-—s»- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED, 
The undermentioned awards were made by the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the igth inst.;— 
Orchid Committee. 
Dendrobium spectabtle.— This formed part of 
a recent introduction of the species, and is the first 
that has flowered in this country as far as we know. 
The lanceolate sepals are triangular at the base, then 
narrowed to a linear point. The petals are lanceolate 
and acuminate, and, like the sepals, are beautifully 
netted with brownish crimson along the veins on a 
yellow ground. The lip is kneed and three-ridged 
above the base, narrowly ovate, acuminate, wavy, 
and heavily netted with branching, brownish-crimson 
veins. First-class Certificate. Major Joicey 
(gardener, Mr. F. J. Thorne), Sunningdale, Berks. 
Cypripedium Lord Roberts.— This was ob- 
tainedfrom C. Charlesworthii, crossed with C. Creon 
(male). The progeny much resembles a very fine 
form of the former, the dorsal sepal being heavily 
suflused and netted with rich dark purple. The 
horizontal petals are similar in hue but shaded with 
blackish-brown. The lip is dark purple. All parts 
of the flower are glossy. First-class Certificate. 
Messrs. Charlesworth & Co., Heaton, Bradford. 
Cypripedium Euryades splendens. —Here we 
have another grand variety of a hybrid derived from 
C. leeanum, crossed with C. villosum Boxallii (male). 
The dorsal sepal is richly marbled with purple, with 
a broad, white margin. The petals are obovate, 
rich brownish-purple, and blotched on the lower side 
and at the base. The lip is of a lighter purple 
First-class Certificate. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Ltd., Chelsea, 
Laeliocattleya wellsiana ignescens — The 
parents of this bigeneric hybrid were Cattleya 
Trianaei and Laelia purpurata (male) The sepals 
and petals are rose, while the lip is crimson and pale 
yellow in the throat, almost without lines, showing 
the influence of the pollen bearer. Award of Merit. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Cattleya Elatior. —The parents in this instance 
were C. schilleriana and C. Mossiae reineckeara 
(male). The oblong sepals and the lanceolate, 
crisped petals are all blush. The lip has a purple 
lamina, a yellow throat marbled with crimson, and 
pink side lobes. Award of Merit. C. L. N. Ingram, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. Bond), Elstead House, Godai¬ 
ming. 
Zygocolax amesianus. —The parents were Zygo- 
petalum brachypetalum and Colax jugosus (male). 
The leaves are lanceolate and grassy. The sepals 
and petals are oblong, and heivily marked with 
brownish-purple blotches and lines. The subcordate 
lip is white, and beautifully lined and marbled with 
purple. Award of Merit. Messrs. F. Sander &Co., 
St. Albans. 
■Cypripedium conco-callosum. — As the name 
indicates this was derived from C. concolor and C. 
callosum. The dorsal sepal is white, flushed with 
rose in the middie and greenish at the base. The 
petals are white tinted with rose upwards, and with 
green towards the base, with minute spots all over. 
The lip is yellowish and flushed with brownish- 
purple in front. (Award of Merit). Capt. G. W. 
Law-Schoffield (gardener, Mr. Shill), New-Hall-Hey, 
Rawtenstall, Manchester. 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 
Apple Stanway Seedling. — The fruit of this 
variety is conical, above the medium size, very 
obtusely angled, and, at this season, of a shining 
yellow. The eye is half open in a slightly plaited 
cavity. The stalk is short, slender, and seated in a 
narrow cavity. Award of Merit. T. H. Kettle, 
Esq., Kingsford, Colchester. 
--—- 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Potting —One of the items in garden routine after 
the turn of the year is that of potting. Epiphytal 
Orchids, and, indeed, all whose roots are visible 
from their habit of creeping over the surface of 
baskets, pots, or blocks of wood, must be closely 
watched, aod potted or renewed in any way which it 
may seem advisable, so soon as growth is observed. 
Nothing, I feel sure, hurts Orchids or plants which 
root as they do, more than to be disturbed after 
they have got into vigorous growth. Stove plants 
will have to be taken in rotation. Where there are 
only two men engaged the operation takes a gcod 
while to be completed. There is not (much doing, 
however, at this season so that it matters little. 
Crocking.— As much attention should be paid to 
the proper crocking of the pots as to the potting 
itself, for it follows that good pottiog will avail 
nothing where the drainage is faulty 
" Crock that pot, JohD," said a gardener to a green 
hand. The pot was a monster one, about 18 in. 
John looked surprised at first, but not knowing what 
the purpose was, he obeyed orders—in his own way. 
Swinging the hammer from right to left he smashed 
the pot to "smithereens!” thus very effectively 
crocking the pot. So take a moral from this, and 
leave nothing to chance, take nothing for granted. 
Composts.— Now I cannot say I care for exact 
mixtures or compositions of various soil matter for 
all the different plants which one grows. There is 
too much of hard and fast rule applied when prepar¬ 
ing what is vouched as being a necessary if the 
plants are to thrive. Of course, certain plants are 
very fastidious in regard to the soil for the root run, 
but it will be admitted that when thorough care and 
skill are given in the watering, training, and other 
items, with by far the larger percentage of our stove 
plants the compost which is used is quite a second¬ 
ary matter. An experienced plantsman never goes 
by rule of thumb—so much of loam to so much of 
leaf mould and sand—he knows from inherited and 
acquired practice what composition should be made 
up for this plant or that. The " feel ” of the soil 
tells him whether it is proper for use or no. Then 
for stove plants all new composts must be warmed. 
We find it much the handier and better plan 
to have a portable bench brought in the house 
wherein are the pi ants about to be potted. A sufficient 
quantity of soil can then be benched, and pots, &c., 
may be prepared in the potting shed to be taken 
ready for use into the plant house. 
Propagating. —Plants which have become too 
leggy or at fault as regards their symmetry in one 
way or another, are often cut down and again rooted 
at the time of the potting operation. Notching or 
ringing may be done very soon, as this allows of the 
removal of the rooted plants at an earlier date, and 
their places opened up for the instalment of newer 
and fresher young plants. Where plants have been 
for a long time planted out, to attempt aiy drastic 
alterations means a great tax on the skill of the gar¬ 
dener, but it has to be done. Plant ng out is a 
capital system in large conservatories, but for gar¬ 
dens where a shift of scene is needed, and batch 
after batch of plants has to be grown and shown in the 
same house, it is out of the question. However, 
where such things as tree Ferns, &c., are planted 
out and have become too tall, they must just be 
lowered, that is, sunk deeper into the earth. I do 
not know how it would suit them to be cut right 
across at the soil level, but more than likely they 
could be made to produce new roots. Under such 
conditions I believe they are successfully shipped home 
from Australia, Tasmania, and other foreign parts. 
But this is continuation or propagation on a large 
scale. Indoor rockeries may well be made at this 
time. Where they have become bare and in need of 
renewing this task should now be undertaken.— 
J. H. D. 
©leanings fvtom llje IPuirlQ 
of Sriemq. 
At the meeting of the Linneaa Society of London, 
on December 7th, the undermentioned subjects were 
discussed :— 
Malayan and African species of Kickxia.-— 
Dr. Otto Stapf, A.L.S., exhibited specimens of 
Malayan and African species of Kickxia, Blume, to 
show the differences which exist between the two 
forms. These differences were noticeable iD the 
shape and size of the corolla, the insertion and 
general relation of the stamens to the tube of the 
corolla, the placentatioD, the structure of the fiuit, 
and the general habit of the plants. As the name 
Kickxia w^uld have to be retained for the Malayan 
species, he proposed the name Funtumia for the 
African species, from Funtum, a vernacular name 
name for F. elastica. He further pointed out, by 
means of flowering and fruiting specimens of F. 
africana, Siapf (Ktckx'a africana, Benth ), and of F. 
elastica (Kickxia elastica, Preuss), that the latter, 
and not the former (as was originally assumed), was 
the source of the so-callad Lagos rubber, thus con¬ 
firming the conclusion to which Dr. Preuss had 
come with regard to the origin of this rubber. 
Fruit of Musa Ensete.—Dr. Stapf also showed, 
on behalf of the Director of Kew Gardens, a large 
infrutescence of Musa Ensete, Gmel, lately received 
from the Azores. 
India Rubber by a New Process —Mr. Gilbert 
Christy, F.L.S., exhibited a preparation of India- 
rubber by a new process from Castilloa elastica, and 
also specimens of rubber obtained from Kickxia 
elastica. 
Mr. A. D. Ferguson exhibited a series of photo¬ 
graphic views taken in Demerara. 
Vegetable Poisons.—Mr. J. W. Fawcett read 
a paper on some " Vegetable Poisons ” used for the 
capture of fish by the aborigines of Australia. Mr. 
B. Daydon Jackson pointed out how widespread was 
the practice of obtaining fish in this way, and gave 
a brief review of the literature bearing on the sub¬ 
ject. A discussion followed, in which the president, 
Messrs. E. M. Holmes, Thomas Christy, and J. E. 
Harting took part. 
-- 
Lilies for Easter flowering should be placed in the 
greenhouse to come on steadily in a mild tempera¬ 
ture. 
