544 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 20, 1901. 
Gloxinias, Gesneras, and a few others. These are 
best put in early in spring as they are apt to damp 
or decay during the dark days of winter. Such 
leaves must not be too young neither too old. The 
petiole, that is the leafstalk, should be removed, and 
the lamina, that is the blade of the leaf, inserted 
about half its depth in pure sand, cocoanut fibre, or 
soil, in pots or pans, kept fairly moist but not too 
close, or they are apt to decay. A great part of them 
will callus and eventually form a shoot, at the back 
of the leaf generally ; and as soon as roots can be 
perceived pot up singly, and treat as for plants 
rooted from 
Cuttings, 
upon which we will now dwell for a few minutes. 
These are and can be put in at all seasons, with a 
fair amount of success, and it is by selecting grow¬ 
ing shoots with leaves attached, and as healthy as 
possible, that we are enabled to keep up a true stock 
of a great many of our flowering and foliage plants. 
As a rule shoots that make the best cuttings are 
those of medium strength, and neither too young, 
nor on the other hand too old. The former are too 
placid, that is soft or flimsy, and unable to keep 
plump long enough for the base to emit roots. The 
latter would in the majority of cases prove too hard, 
so the propagator has to hit on the happy medium. 
Speaking roughly in preparing a cutting for inser¬ 
tion, a cut is made immediately under a leaf, though 
some plants, notably Euphorbia, Dipladenia, 
Bougainvillea, Dracaenas, and a few others, emit 
roots much better, if wbat we call a heel of old wood 
is attached; and while some are benefited by 
bottom heat, others are indifferent, in fact better 
without it. But time will not allow, neither is it 
necessary to give them in detail, one way or the 
other. Very little experience is necessary to teach 
us whether the cuttings require top or bottom heat, 
or to be placed outdoors, or under a cold frame. 
Some are the better for a fair amount of overhead 
moisture, and to be kept close; while others would 
soon decay if so treated. All cuttings should be well 
watered in at first, and in the majority of instances 
require to be shaded during the brightest part of the 
day. Pots, pans, and boxes are all suitable for 
inserting cuttings in ; and a finely sifted light soil, 
with a fair amount of sand incorporated, and a £ in. 
on the surface to work down at the bottom of the 
hole made for the cutting to rest on, gives the best 
results. Here let me remark that the hole be made 
no deeper than is necessary, and that the base of the 
cutting does rest at the bottom, and not get hung as 
we term it. This is a mistake often made by 
beginners, with the result that the greatest part fail 
to form roots at all. Cuttings are always better for 
immediate insertion, with but one or two exceptions; 
as if allowed to droop much they never recover their 
former freshness; consequently they wither up or 
rot away. In taking shoots of Euphorbia, AHa- 
manda, or any such that exude a kind of milky sub¬ 
stance, they should be dried at the base before 
inserted. Dipping in dry sand is a good plan for these. 
One other matter to bear in mind is not to bruise 
the cutting with the dibber when making it firm, or 
decay soon sets in. 
Grafting. 
This is a very ancient way of propagation, and 
was practised as far back as the 14th century, 
though no doubt imperfectly understood at so early 
a date. Yet from them we have had handed down to 
us a most convenient way of doubling our stock, and 
one that is largely practised to day in the nursery as 
well as the private garden, and most likely in an 
improved form, from what it was about the date just 
mentioned. It is done in many ways, usually in 
spring just as the sap is rising, and is effected by 
two cut pieces placed so as to unite, eventually grow¬ 
ing into a bush or tree. The graft we term the 
scion, and is worked on the stock or stem of a rooted 
tree, so that nourishment can be supplied through 
the stock to the graft, and very often it increases the 
vigour of somewhat delicate varieties, and on the 
other hand reduces grossness in others. There are 
some six different ways to graft, all more or less 
successful. First let us consider saddle grafting as 
it is frequently practised down this part of the 
country. It is best for the stock and likewise the 
scion to be of about equal size or thickness, as the 
stock is cut wedge shape, while the graft or scion is 
split up the centre and pared down thinly on one 
side so as to fit astride the stock. The rind of the 
latter is opened on one side and the thickest part of 
the scion so cut, is let in between the bark and the 
wood, while the thinner part is carried astride the 
stock and let in the other side in a similar way but 
in a lesser degree. This is a bit tedious work, but 
the graft is made most secure this wav. Of course 
care must be taken that no dirt creeps in between 
these cuts, and that the bark of the scion and the 
stock meets, on one side at any rate ; better if both, 
but this cannot always be done. 
- •#»- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED, 
The awards mentioned here were made by the 
RoyaJ Horticultural Society on the gth inst. 
Orchid Committee. 
Odontoglossum Dennisoniae nebula. — The 
flowers of this natural hybrid are of large size with 
long, acuminate segments, which are white, flushed 
with rose on the back, and having a wide cluster or 
cloud of small, pale brown spots in the centre of the 
sepals and petals. The lip also has a few spots in 
front of tho crest. (Award of Merit.) de B. Craw- 
shay, E?q. (gardener, Mr. W. J. Stables), Ro:efield, 
Sevenoaks. 
Odontoglossum loochristiense Mrs. Craw- 
shay. —The sepals are deep golden-yellow, with one 
large chestnut-red blotch above the middle, and 
smaller ones at the base. The petals have several 
smaller spots. The lip is white, with a brown 
blotch on the upper third of its length ; and the 
column is white. (Award of Merit.) de B. Craw- 
shay, Esq. 
Odontoglossum ruckerianum Mrs. R Brooman- 
White —The creamy ground colour of the flowers 
is shaded with rose, chiefly on the back of the seg¬ 
ments, which are spotted all over the face with red¬ 
dish purple spots, making it a fine variety. (Award 
of Merit.) R. Brooman-White, Esq., Arddarroch, 
Garelochead. 
Laelia jongheana Ashworthiae. —The flowers 
of this chaste and bjautiful variety are white with an 
orange blotch in the throat of the lip. (First-class 
Certificate.) E. Ashworth, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Hol¬ 
brook), Harefield Hall, Wilmslow. 
Cattleya Miss Harris var. E. Ashworth.— 
The parentage of this plant was Cattleya schilleri- 
ana x C. Mossiae. The sepals and petals are 
rosy-purple, while the lamina of the lip is of a rich 
crimson-purple, giving place to a yellow blotch in 
the throat. The tube is lined with purple veins. 
(First-class Certificate.) E Ashworth, Esq. 
Epidendrum Clarissa superbum.— The flowers 
of this fine variety are twice as large as those of the 
original E. Clarissa, which is remarkably variable 
as to colour. The long sepals and petals are suffused 
with pale red on a yellow ground, and finely spotted 
with crimson. The lip is violet, edged with white, 
and slightly fringed at the edges. (First-class 
Certificate.) Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., 
Chelsea. 
Masdevallia Alceste. —The seed parent of this 
hybrid was M. Asmodia (itself a hybrid between 
reichenbachiana and Chelsoni); while M. veitchiana 
was the pollen bearer. The upper sepal is hooded, 
and rich red with a violet plush of fine hairs on the 
face. The lateral sepals are orange, overlaid with 
red, and having the same violet plush on the face. 
The tails are ij in. to 1$ in. long. (Award of 
Merit.) Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Miltonia vexillaria gigantea. —The flowers of 
this variety are of large size and handsomely 
coloured, all the segments being of a uniform rich 
rose. The triangular yellow d'sc is surrounded by a 
broad white band, making the flower conspicuous 
and handsome. (Award of Merit.) H. T. Pitt, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. F. W. Thurgood), Rosslyn, 
Stamford Hill. 
Odontoglossum Adrianae Mrs. Simonds.— 
The sepals of this beautiful variety are primrose, 
with one or two brown spots on the middle, 
or entirely unspotted. The petals are simply prim- 
rose-yellow. The lip has numerous small reddish- 
brown spots. This is the most nearly self-coloured 
variety of this Odontoglot which we have seen. 
(Award of Merit.) H. F. Simonds, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. G. E. Day), Woodthorpe, Beckenham. 
Floral Committee. 
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) Rialto.— An ex¬ 
ceptionally strong plant of this new variety was 
shown by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. It had 
two scapes and eight flowers of large size, well ex¬ 
panded and of a rich crimson-scarlet, slightly shaded 
with maroon in the throat. (Award of Merit.) 
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) Averunicus. —The 
well expanded flowers of this fine variety are of a 
clear scarlet, with a broad white star running nearly 
to the apex of the segments. (Award of Merit) 
Messrs. J Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) Marathon. —The 
flowers are widely funnel-shaped, and of a rich 
crimson-scarlet, deepening to ’dark crimson on the 
base of the inner segments. (Award of Merit.) 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Tulipa violacea. —The flowers of this pretty 
Persian Tulip are of medium size, and violet-purple, 
with a very large black blotch at the base, edged 
with a white line. The filaments are pubescent near 
the base. The leaves are lanceolate and about 1 in. 
wide. (Award of Merit.) Messrs. Barr & Sons, 
King Street, Covent Garden. 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 
Pear Bergamot d’Esperen. —The fruit of this 
fine old variety is shortly Pear-shaped or turbinate. 
The skin is yellow at this season but almost covered 
with small brown markings. The flesh is white, very 
sweet, slightly gritty, but buttery and melting. Only 
some years seem to suit it, but it is good then and in 
season from January to March. (Award of Merit.) 
The Earl of Ilchester (gardener, Mr. Charles Dixon), 
Holland House, Kensington. Since then we have 
received the following communication :—" I am 
directed by the Council to inform you that they have 
not felt able to confirm the Award of Merit recom¬ 
mended by a majority of the Fruit Committee to-day 
to Pear Bergamotte d'Esperen. The award there¬ 
fore falls to the ground.— W. Wilks, Secretary. 
By order of Council." 
NOTES RELATING TO WOODS AND 
FORESTS. 
The disastrous effect of the great storm which 
swept over the British Isles five or six years ago is 
still manifestly visible in many parts of the country. 
Probably nowhere in the kingdom was its terrific 
violence more severely felt than in the counties of 
Fife and Forfar, as the total destruction to woods 
and forests in these counties is simply appalling. 
Let us commence in Forfarshire at the Lake of 
Lintrathen, from which the city of Dundee obtains 
its water supply, a distance of fully twenty miles. 
This water track was laid a number of years ago, at 
a cost of ^3co,ooo. The lake itself is beautifully 
situated among the northern mountains, and a few 
years ago was almost surrounded with a wide 
expanse of dense forest, but to-day desolation reigns 
supreme, as there is scarcely a standing tree to be 
seen within miles of it. 
Here on the vast estates of Airlie Castle, 11 The 
Bonnie House 0’ Airlie,” some hundreds of acres of 
valuable timber were completely levelled by the 
storm. Following the track of the great hurricane 
southwards the tourist will cross Strathmore, then 
commence to ascend the slopes of the range of 
Sidlaw Hills a little to the north-west of Dundee. 
From the Sidlaw Hills the tourist can 
distinctly see that the great hurricane had 
swept across the River Tay with unabated 
violence to the Fife shore. Descending the southern 
slopes of this range of hills the tourist will enter the 
city of Dundee from the north-west, and must cross 
the River Tay either by means of the Tay Bridge or 
Tay ferry steamers into Newport. Arriving in 
Newport he can at once observe that the first woods 
and forests, which the great hurricane had struck in 
Fifeshire, were those on the St. Fort estate, near 
Newport; and here, as in Forfarshire, dire destruc¬ 
tion is manifestly visible in all directions. Some 
hundreds of acres of valuable timber on this grand 
estate were also completely uprooted by the storm. 
From St. Fort estate the tourist can distinctly see 
that the next woods to suffer were those on St. 
Michael's Moor, by the side of which is situated the 
famous old St. Michael's Inn, the property of Mrs. 
Fenwick. This famous old hotel, which underwent 
extensive alterations and improvements a few years 
ago, is charmingly situated in a prominent position 
on rising ground which faces the mid-day sun, and 
by the side of a beautiful young plantation of fine 
Coniferae, comprising many varieties of Pines, Picea, 
Cupressus, Retinospora, and many other choicer 
sorts contained in the same family; and it is, as 
