June 16, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
667 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS, 
By the Editor. 
Oswald House, Edinburgh, the residence of 
James Buchanan, Esq., has a just fame for its Orchid 
collection. Mr. Geo. Wood, the gardener in charge, 
manages his subjects well. The remarks do not 
solely apply to Orchids, but also the Ferns, stove 
plants, fruits under glass and fruits in the open air, 
Roses, hardy plants and vegetables. In the begin¬ 
ning of April we had a run through the garden, and 
want of space or leisure has forced our few notes to 
be held over till the present. At that time the Mas- 
devallias were exceedingly fine, M. amabilis being 
specially conspicuous. Another member which Mr. 
Wood succeeds admirably with is Ada aurantiaca. 
He has some plants in 6-in. pots, and these he grows 
in an intermediate temperature. Dendrochilum or 
Platyclinis glumacea was seen bearing seven dozen 
of its beautiful feathery spikes. Dendrobium 
Cassiope and D. Purdii were crowded with blooms. 
The handsome Cypripedium villosum was repre¬ 
sented by healthy young plants each bearing eight 
or nine large well formed flowers. 
Coelogyne cristata alba, the pure white variety, and 
the even prettier C. c. lemoniana were in flower, 
while the specific form C. cristata, of which there 
are plants a yard in width, had just gone out of 
bloom. C. massangeanum is a perennial bloomer at 
Oswald House. 
Besides the numerous Orchids, Anthuriums 
occupy considerable space. The best of these is A. 
Knightii and A. Wardii. The older species are still 
retained. We bad almost omitted to mention the 
Odontoglossums, of which O. Edwardsii and O. 
wilckeanum pallens were both splendid specimens. 
A Fine Cattleya Warneri— A splendid bloom 
of this summer-flowering Cattleya has reached us 
from Mr. Alexander Grigor, gardener to A. O. Gill, 
Esq., Fairfield, Aberdeen. The petals were some¬ 
what over 3 in. in width and 4J in. in length. 
Theoretically, this would mean that the flower was 
gj in. across the petals, but if the latter were to be 
spread out flat and straight, the bloom could not 
have been much under 10 in. in diameter. C. War¬ 
neri is usually a large flower, but we have seldom 
seen so fine a flower, and certainly not a larger one. 
The sepals and petals were of a uniform, warm, rich 
rose. The lip was equally proportioned, and hand¬ 
some in its way. The dark violet-purple of the 
lamina was confined to the upper half of the same, 
while on each side of the throat were large areas of 
white. Lower dowo, the tube was beautifully lined 
with orange on a pale or nearly white ground. Sum¬ 
mer-flowering Cattleyas are not too numerous, but 
what there are serve to prolong the display which 
reaches its maximum in April and May. Mr. Grigor 
is an enthusiastic Orchid grower, though the space 
at his command has to accommodate a great variety 
of subjects, thus limiting the houseroom to be 
devoted to this showy class of plants. He may well 
be proud of this Cattleya, however. 
SOME GOOD LILACS. 
The Lilac of England and the Lilyoak of Scotland, 
—would our gardens be gardens wanting them ? 
They would miss much of their old-fashioned charm 
and homeliness. Of first-rate varieties we have 
Marie Lagraye, a beautiful single white, bearing very 
large trusses of splendidly fragrant flowers. The 
habit is sturdy, and the leaves are large and bright 
green. La Tour d'Auvergne, a semi-double, lilac- 
mauve variety, with equally large flower heads, 
borne in profusion on stout, young stems. Very 
much like it in all respects except that it is not so 
double, is Mdme. Kreuter. The colour here, too, is 
slightly paler, having more of the pink in it. 
Another splendid Lilac and which is strongly to be 
recommended is Souvenir de Louis Spath. It is 
much deeper coloured than either of the two last 
named, and the thyrsoid inflorescences are heavier. 
It is a single variety and very fragrant. 
As a double variety for forcing what is there to 
beat the spotless purity of Mdme. Lemoine ? It 
also succeeds well as a bush out in the open. At the 
same time it does not seem to flower so freely as 
Marie Lagraye. The common old Syringa persica 
with long, graceful and slender shoots, seen beside 
some of these newer forms can scarcely bear com¬ 
parison. At the same time it is a very free flowering 
old shrub and one we would be very sorry to eradi¬ 
cate. The flowers and flower heads are small and 
possess a pinky-lilac shade of colour though white 
sometimes predominates. As an additional double 
variety, but one which is devoid of beauty, is Leon 
Simons. He or she who could fancy such a variety 
have little perception of what is beautiful. Syringa 
vulgaris grandiflora, a stout growing, single lilac-red 
member, is worthy of notice. And for a true lilac 
coloured variety, and one which is semi-double, to 
boot, President Carnot, may be accepted. It is very 
fragrant and has very *' smart " foliage. Mdme. 
Abel Chanter seems to rival Mdme. Lemoine. The 
inflorescences, however, are rather shorter and cer¬ 
tainly not so even. 
Alphonse Lavallee runs President Carnot very 
hard, bearing, as it does, large heavy trusses (gener¬ 
ally two from the apex of a shoot), but it is slightly 
darker coloured. There is very little to draw 
between the two, and only by try ing them on 
different positions could their merits or greater ex¬ 
cellency be proved. Philomel differs from most of 
the "reds ” in having rounded and spreading flower 
heads. Due d’Orleans is a very free flowering Lilac, 
having long, lax, pale coloured inflorescences. Pres. 
Grevy is a noble, semi-double, pale coloured variety, 
very worthy of a place; but the foregoing must 
comprise our list. If we were confined to a list of 
half a dozen sorts, the following are what we would 
choose:—Syringa persica, Souvenir de Louis Spath, 
Marie Lagraye, Mdme. Lemoine, President Grevy 
and La Tour d'Auvergne. 
In nearly every case it will be found that the 
whites are the most popular, Marie Lagraye exceed¬ 
ingly so. Once more we would like to emphasise the 
great worth of the Lilacs, and in planting, arrange 
them as collections in huge lawn beds. 
Lilacs may be increased by suckers or from seeds 
or by budding and grafting. Any free warm soil 
suits them, and a mulch during the height of summer 
should be given to them. Suckers should be rigor¬ 
ously removed from young, developing plants. 
Pruning should be done immediately after flowering, 
cutting back the shoots that are too strong. Young 
growths may be relied on to take the place of those 
removed.— Harrison, D. 
BUCKLEBURY COMMON AND THE 
BLOOMING OF THE FURZE. 
My second visit to Bucklebury Common, in respect 
to the blooming of the Furze, was more than con¬ 
firmatory of the first—it was emphatically a sight to 
be remembered, and a revelation in many ways. As 
might be expected the common presented a far more 
glorious aspect on May 27th than it did on Novem¬ 
ber 26th. Nevertheless, my friend, Mr. A. Wright, 
affirms that the Furze, or Gorse, or WhiD, “ Whun,” 
" Funn,” or by whatever name it may be knowD, 
has never ceased during that period to exhibit its 
papilionaceous flowers in more or less abundance. 
If then, my previous references to its powers of 
producing " pyramids of bloom," and "lanterns of 
light,” were correct—as practically they were—at 
that time, what may not be said about it in the 
merry month of May? "Pyramids" and “lan¬ 
terns " could, of course, be found by blotting out the 
surrounding sea of colour—a difficult thing to do as 
whole acres of it were ablaze with sweetness and 
light. Ulex, the botanical term for the genus, is 
indicative of all prickles, but in this species, at the 
present time, a better rendering would be all flowers, 
for these were so numerous, so rich in colour, and so 
lavish in profusion, as to give us both the same idea 
of an illimitable "sea of gold." Personally I can 
carry the imagery still further, and liken this de¬ 
lectable display to a vast concourse of yellow butter¬ 
flies. 
Moreover, Furze blossoms appear to be very sus¬ 
ceptible to our great luminary, for when his rays are 
most aident and at their brightest, the wings of this 
pretty legume are at their fullest spread, and one 
might then do worse than spend a day from early 
morn to dewy eve observing this. There is also a 
great variety of shades of yellow in the flowers, and 
a wholesome difference in the emerald green of the 
narrow leaves ; while the shrub itself is marked by 
much variation in individual plants. To those who 
are well acquainted with our English heathlands no 
description is necessary; but those who, like the 
great Linnaeus, see such a glorious display of colours, 
for the first time may well kneel down and give 
themselves up to rapturous delight as he is reported 
to have done. It is said that the great botanist— 
" He who had scanned wide Nature's page 
With loving eyes and keen, 
Had yet attained to middle age 
Before that sight was seen ! ” 
If " that sight" was witnessed on Bucklebury 
Common I can appreciate his emotions, because it is 
a sight I would travel a long way to see.—C. B. G., 
Acton, W. 
'-———— 
NOTES ON ONIONS. 
There is no vegetable which is more valued than 
the Onion. To have good supplies of fine quality 
all the year round necessitates care in the selection 
of varieties to suit the soil and locality. Like most 
other plants Onions do not succeed in every soil— 
and some varieties do much better in certain soils 
than others. This we have often experienced. 
Good keepers are of great value, as some cooks are 
not content if they do not have bulbs fit for 
use throughout the greater part ot the year. This 
we have not often found a difficult task, but it is 
seldom that the very large bulbs keep well; and 
show Onions soon become soft and liable to decay. 
Thorough ripening is of great moment. This is not 
accomplished on land heavily charged with rank 
manure. Crowding the ground to the extent of ex¬ 
cluding sun and air is an obstacle in the way of 
keeping. Coddling the bulbs after they are housed 
is a very common evil. Onions being hardy they 
do not hurt by being frozen—always provided that 
damp is excluded from them. At the present time, 
May 26th, we have Onions bunched and tied to 
sticks which have been exposed to all weathers, but 
kept quite dry, since they were housed. They are 
in capital order. Dobbie’s Golden Globe and their 
Selected Red, are the best keepers this year. For 
profit and general excellence, Veitch’s Main Crop 
and Cranston's are unsurpassed. To give plenty of 
mild flavoured Onions, during spring arid early 
summer, we plant out quantities of small bulbs, and 
such as are not otherwise required, during February 
and March. They are milder than autumn sown 
Onions. Underground Onions are much valued by 
many for early supplies.— M. Temple, Canon, 
Stirlingshire. 
MR. PETER BARR IN NEW ZEALAND. 
At Dunedin. 
Mr. Peter Barr, V.M.H., of London, who is mak¬ 
ing a tour of the world, was lately staying at 
Dunedin, New Zealand. As is natural, he soon 
makes himself known and becomes friendly with 
the personalities of influence in horticulture or its 
connections wherever he visits. At Dunedin he 
made a tour of inspection around the chief parks 
under the escort of Mr. Alex Bathgate, president of 
the Preserves Conservation Society, together with 
the Worshipful Mayor of Dunedin. He manifested 
a great deal of interest in the parks and made a 
number of suggestions for their improvement. The 
alterations which Mr. Barr pointed out affect the 
dispositions of walks,fences,trees and belts of shrubs, 
glasshouses and such other details, which of course 
are only of local interest. 
At Christchurch. 
At Christchurch Mr. Barr was interviewed by a 
Press representative. He there detailed some of his 
Daffodil history, saying that he had worked for 
twenty years with these bulbous plants before he 
could get the public to take an interest in them, 
beginning in the early sixties. Since 1884 when Mr. 
Oscar Wilde lectured in London on sesthetic colours, 
showing the beauty and value of yellow as a fund¬ 
amental colour, the finest of all colours, the Daffodil 
has been the most popular spring flower. It is 
singular that New Zealand amateurs have taken up 
their culture just as at home. 
Mr. Barr first began to work upon the Daffodils 
known to Haworth, Parkinson, and Salisbury—all 
old authorities—but what made the Daffodils first 
really appreciated were the seedling collections 
raised by Mr. William Backhouse of Darlington, and 
Mr. Edward Leeds, a Manchester stockbroker. 
They introduced the fundamental types and var¬ 
ieties of what are now among the most beautiful of 
Narcissi. They were really the first hybridisers, 
and since their time (1884) many other interested 
persons have entered the field. When Mr. Barr 
finished his work of arranging and adding to his own 
