460 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 17, 1900. 
" Where available there is no better manure than 
sea-weed or wrack, rotted down and spread on the 
beds in January, while for stimulant Ichthemic 
Guano 4 ozs. to the yard, Rape Dust (crushed rape 
cake), Thomson's or Clay's Horticultural manures 
are all useful. 
“As to sorts, many hold that there are but two 
kinds, but from many years’ experience we have 
adopted four, and can offer them in good plants at 
the prices named, and we feel that by following 
these simple directions, customers can ensure 
success. The four sorts are Harwood's Pedigree 
Giant, Connover’s Colossal, or Early Purple 
Argenteuil, American Giant Palmetto, and Monster 
Dutch or Battersea. 
" Raised beds are usually made 4 feet wide and 
planted in 3 rows 1 foot apart, and the sets 1 foot 
from each other, so that a 50-feet bed requires 150 
plants. 
Cutting Asparagus for Table. 
" It has become a custom to cut when the heads 
are 3 inches above the soil, but as some 6 inches of 
the stalk is then bitter and uneatable, we beg to 
suggest a far better plan, viz., to allow the stems to 
rise 6 or 8 inches above the soil and then cut 
obliquely level with the surface. The whole of the 
stems are then fit for eating, and possesses a superior 
delicate flavour, which they cannot obtain under the 
soil. 
"A Word as to Cooking. — The cook should 
stand the bundle loosely on the head, and then tie 
them up, as per illustration, cutting the base level; 
they should be set in the saucepan upright, and the 
water should reach about half-way up the stems; 
the more tender tips then become steamed, are less 
liable to be broken, and retain their full flavour; 
always cook Asparagus quite fresh. 
" Cutting should cease in August, as it must 
be remembered that the crowns have then to lay up 
strength for the following year, and for the same 
reason 2-year beds should not be closely cut." 
— 1« - 
STORIES CONCERNING PLANTS. 
Prof. Geo. Henslow, M.A., V.M.H., &c., at the 
meeting of the R.H.S. held in tha Drill Hall, on 
February 27th, gave yet another of his Floral 
Demonstrations, which are always interesting. The 
Iris reticulata had its parts described. Such a 
flower is often a puzzle to beginners in botany from 
its peculiar arrangement of pistil and stamens. The 
environments of the native habitats of the Cape 
Ericaceae, and the Australian Epacrideae were 
responsible for the hard, dwarf, twiggy growth and 
reduced size of foliage in these two orders. As an 
instance of the sensibility of the protoplasm a 
twisted and winding tendril of the Clematis indivisa 
was shown. The young tendrils when growing out¬ 
ward had come into contact with some support, 
the powers of feeling being exhibited in the response 
made by its twining round and round. Prof. Hen- 
slow pointed out that Clematises have coloured 
sepals but are devoid of petals. In alluding to the 
pretty little Gaultheria procumbens the lecturer said 
that this was used as a tea plant by many of the 
inhabitants along the western skirts of North 
America. Mountain tea is its common name. 
Partridges are also partial to its berries, hence also 
the name of Partridge berry. 
Certain inhabitants of the Black Forest, we were 
told, employ the leaves of a species of Holly to brew 
tea from, they being ignorant of the true African 
and Indian tea plants. How " The Student " Pars¬ 
nip, with the hollow crown, evolved from the pains 
taken by Prof. Buckman of Oxford, who sowed and 
selected from our native species of Parsnip and 
gave the first of a new type of vegetable to the 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons about 1852, was also related. 
Whether it was his connection with a college, or 
from the fact of the hollow crown being compar¬ 
able with some of his students’ heads, that caused 
Prof. Buckman to give his novelty the name it bears, 
was more than Prof. Henslow cared to express! 
The whitish incrustation to be seen on Saxifraga 
lODgifolia and other species, is an excrescence of 
chloride of magnesia or other salt put out by the 
plant to attract moisture. The plants are exposed 
on very arid positions and adopt the means of 
obtaining moisture to their leaves, the excrescence 
having hygrometric susceptibilities. 
The flavour of the Vanilla, a bunch of the fruits 
of which was shown by Mr. G. Wythes, Prof. Hen¬ 
slow explained as being due to hair-like protuber¬ 
ances in the interior of the fruits. These swell up 
and secrete an elaborated, very tasty juice. The 
ovaries of all the O/chideae had a similar peculiarity, 
its general purpose being to stimulate the embryos 
for fertilisation. 
CYCLAMEN: HARDY AND 
GREENHOUSE. 
At the Chiswick Gardeners' " Mutual," on Tuesday 
the 8th inst., there was a paper, by Mr. C. Harding, 
on " Cyclamen," and the discussion following it was 
of an interesting and useful character. To step over 
details and pick up the essential or prominent points 
will be the purpose of this report. 
Seed Sowing. —In speaking of the varieties of C. 
latifolium (syn. C. persicum), Mr. Harding advised 
his audience to sow the seeds 1 in. or more apart 
either way over the surface soil of the pans. Such a 
measure certainly meant an increase in the number 
of the pots or pans and the consequent utilisation of 
available space, but it had this advantage, that the 
young seedlings could be left undisturbed in the 
seed pans until three or four seed leaves had de¬ 
veloped. They could then be pricked or potted off, 
having a tidy ball of roots to start with. Almost 
everything in Cyclamen growing depends on the 
manner in which the young plants start away, so 
that where space and material are not in strict need 
of consideration, we would strongly commend Mr. 
Harding’s method of sowing to the consideration of 
our readers. 
Watering and Shade. —At all times the greatest 
care should be exerted in the watering of Cyclamen. 
The temperature of the water, its quality, and con¬ 
sistence, and the methods to ascertain the hygro- 
metry of the soil, such as feeling the surface with 
the fingers, knuckle ringing, or even hand weighing 
the pots, were points each commended for considera¬ 
tion. When the plants are in the pits or frames 
during summer they must not be submitted to a dry 
condition of the atmosphere. They should have 
adequate ventilation and shade from the sunshine. 
A light shading of tiffany (recommended to be kept 
damp) put on during the morning of bright days and 
removed late in the afternoon will answer the needs 
in this direction. Some successful growers practice 
the removal of the sashes during the evening till 
10 o'clock, so that the evening dews and coolness 
may play upon the then expanding foliage. Growth 
is greatest at night, and by having a cool and moist 
atmosphere freely encirling their parts the Cycla¬ 
men fill out sturdily and stout. 
Biennials or Old Plants. —Upon the point as 
to whether Cyclamen latifolium varieties should be 
treated as biennials or as perennials, opinions were 
as varied almost as the numbers of growers. Well 
grown biennials, that is, plants from seeds sown in 
August of the previous year, can produce superb 
plants, but the prevailing opinion is that to produce 
those immense specimens which carry from 140 to 
170 or more blooms, two or three year old plants are 
necessary. The corms should be slightly rested 
after the first season of flowering, but should not be 
dried off. They are early started for the next 
season’s display, still being confined to about 6-in. 
pots and fed with manure. Large and very firm 
corms then result, and from these a record of bloom 
is produced. 
The Chairman, in his remarks, answered a number 
of questions which had been put by other speakers 
present. He gave a resume upon the hardy species 
of the genus, speaking strongly in favour of C. 
neapolitanum because of its merits in fragrance, in 
flowers, and in foliage. The C. Coum, C. hederae- 
folium, and C. europaeum, &c., were described. 
The position in sheltered spots under deciduous 
trees in a chalk containing soil had been cited by the 
lecturer. Mr. Fraser mentioned OtiorhyDchus sul- 
catus, the black Vine weevil, as being a pest of the 
Cyclamen. The etymology of Cyclamen was 
described as coming from the Greek kuklos, a circle, 
the name referring to the coils of the fruit stalk by 
which the ovary is twisted down to the soil. The 
native habitat of Cyclamens is spread over most of 
the countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa which 
border on the Mediterranean. C. latifolium was 
brought from Cyprus to Britain in 1731. 
Better be ten minutes too soon than two minutes 
too late. 
A NEW DEPARTURE IN SEED 
CATALOGUES. 
I have been edified as well as instructed recently by 
perusing a long pseudo scientific " screed ” in a local 
paper anent the most interesting fact that the writer 
has found out that hybridisation of sexes in the 
floral world is possible ! Seems to me I had heard 
something like it before, somehow. Anyway, he 
goes on to dilate on the possibilities opened up by 
such a discovery, and mentions that a seedsman 
recently in issuing a catalogue, listed a new Bean 
of most transcendental merits and novelty, with the 
gratifying result of an exceedingly large influx of 
orders. Then he proceeded to evolve the Bean out 
of his inner consciousness, where as yet only had it 
existence. The orders were duly filled " true to name," 
and faithful to published description in every detail. 
What " gets " me is how he got his stock ready in 
time. But no matter. Just think of the glowing 
possibilities opened up to us plodders, who are wont 
to laboriously build up a catalogue every little while, 
haunted with the consciousness that except for the 
date, we might as well have reprinted last year's 
edition! 
Fancy throwing oneself back in an office chair, 
and languidly calling down a speaking tube, 
" Smith 1 ! " " Yessir." *• Oh, Smith, I think I’ll 
have a—a—a blue Rose with—let me see—pink and 
white stripes. "Yessir." " And—change that 
Allamanda to the new shade of flamingo. Lady 
Haunton has just been here, and assures me 
it is to be the leading colour in society this year. 
You might as well throw in some electric-blue 
Lapagerias also." Why, a seedsman would 
need no training, unless, indeed, with a wall-paper 
firm of the impressionist school, provided he had a 
savant on hand such as his astute Yankee fellow- 
craftsman had. 
Seriously, some of the catalogues here are as good 
as a comic annual. The engaging manner in which 
they list as novelties old-fashioned plants we have 
nearly forgotten, and the ingenious way in which 
they offer large sums for a name for a novelty, pro¬ 
vided you buy seed of it " merely as an assurance of 
good faith," not necessarily for anything else, is 
simply great.— C. Macquarie, Chicago. 
- mf— 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By the Editor. 
Coelogyne dayana.—The time is fast approaching 
for the annual flowering of this beautiful Coelogyne 
which seems to do best when grown in pots in this 
country; at least the best plants which have 
appeared in public were in pots. A well executed 
and coloured plate of it appears in Lindenia , PI. 687. 
The species is related to C. tomentosa and C. 
massangeana. It came originally from the north of 
Borneo, where it grows upon the branches of trees, 
in the low and warm districts bordering the sea 
coast, and upon the banks of water courses under 
the same conditions as C. asperata and C. pandurata. 
The sepals and petals are of a pale Nankin yellow. 
The triangular, anterior lobe of the lip (one of the 
characters that separate it from its allies) is of a 
rich brown, edged with white, and having six white 
ribs on the disc ; the side lobes are of a tobacco- 
brown colour, striated with white lines in the interior. 
The contour and build of the flowers are pretty, and 
their graceful elegance is greatly heightened by their 
two-ranked arrangement upon long, slender and 
strictly pendent flower stalks or scapes. The leaves 
are erect, so that the plant appears to best advan¬ 
tage when in flower, by being suspended or supported 
on a pedestal. 
Cattleya dowiana moortebeekiensis.—The 
sepals and petals of this splendid variety are of a 
more lively yellow than the type, the petals being 
also furnished with a few pale red spots towards the 
apex. The lip is of great size, the lamina being 
rounded, waved and crisped; the outer area is of an 
intense crimson-purple, while the larger basal half is 
closely lined with intense red upon a yellow ground. 
On either side of the throat the areas forming the 
eye spots, so conspicuous in C. hardyana, are white, 
closely marked all over with red, in lines radiating 
from the centre. The features of the variety are 
well portrayed in the Lindenia, PI. 688. Something 
fine should be obtained by its employment as a 
