1004 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 5, 1903. 
white, but will become splashed and green. A few dry and; 
clean, tree leaves packed about the crowns will protect the 
buds from frost, and when the flowers open they will be pure 
white. Another advantage of adopting this simple method 
is; that the stems become somewhat drawn, yet stiff ; they 
are therefore of greater utility for arranging when cut. Plants 
that are lifted now must not be expected to give many flowers 
for a, year or two afterwards. K. M. 
Among the Orchids. 
Cypripedium insigne. —There is nothing more useful or de¬ 
sirable than the numerous varieties now to he found among 
Cypripedium insigne, flowering as they do from the middle of 
October until the month of March, according to the conditions 
under which the plants are grown and the treatment after the 
flowers expand. Where the plants are grown, in a, warm, 
house, they naturally flower earlier, and if retained in such 
warm conditions they naturally do not last so long in per¬ 
fection as when placed under cooler conditions after the: flowers 
have become expanded. In addition to, the lasting qualities 
they are exceedingly useful for house decorations, and, pro¬ 
viding there is no' gas in. the house and the plants are kept 
out, of the reach of frost, little or no harm will happen to the 
plants by using them asi decorative subjects for a reasonable 
period in the house. 
The utility of the plants where there is 1 a, great demand for 
cut, flowers, and their durability after cutting, are most re¬ 
markable, and they are in great demand by the cut-flower 
“ trade” so long as they are to he had. I was assured some 
time ago by an extensive market grower that there were no 
plants lie grew that gave a, more satisfactory return than 
Cypripedium insigne and its allied cool-growing kinds. The 
plants are by no means expensive subjects to procure; being 
annually imported in large: quantities, they may be procured 
in an imported condition for a, modest, outlay well within thei 
reach of the most humble cultivator. The disadvantage of 
procuring imported plants is that, they have to he grown for 
two seasons before we get any return ; but, to counteract this 
drawback we have the satisfaction of knowing that out of a 
batch of imported plants there isi always a possibility of the 
flowering of a variety of some particular merit that may be 
of greater value than has been paid for the whole. There are 
no Cypripediumsi more sought after at the present day or 
realise more: satisfactory prices than, the exceptionally fine 
spotted varieties of C. insigne. 
Their cultivation is as easy as any plant. The potting re¬ 
quirements out of the districts affected by fog* and smoke are 
practically to, be procured a,t home ; some good fibrous loam, a 
little leaf-soil, some dried cow manure, and sufficient, rough 
sand or broken lime rubble to render the compost porous, isi 
all that, is necessary. In less favoured districts a good propor¬ 
tion of peat- must supplement the loam. During the summer 
the temperature of GO deg. at night, with 5 deg. or 10 deg. 
warmer day temperature, with sun-heat, and the winter tem¬ 
perature at, a normal 55 deg., is ample. 
After flowering the plants should be kept rather drier at 
the roots for a, few weeks, but as soon as they show signs of 
renewed activity they should bei repotted, and more liberal 
treatment will then be: necessary. As the days get, out and 
the sun becomes powerful they must be protected either by 
permanent shading or with the aid of a blind affixed to the 
roof. A careful observation is necessary at all seasons to 
protect from attacks; by insect pests. Syringe the plants over¬ 
head during the hottest part of the summer. This will con¬ 
siderably aid them in the development of growth, and will 
also assist in keeping down insect pests. H. J. 
Californian Pears xn London. —Pears are the scarcest 
fruit on sale, but fair quantities have arrived from California. 
The prices obtained for good eating fruit—13s. to 15s. per half- 
case—are about double those of a normal yeai. 
On the Editor’s Table. 
Single Chrysanthemums. 
A tine boxful of single Chrysanthemums has reached as from 
Mr. H. J. Gillingham, 52, Harvard Road, Lewisham, S.E. 
Those flowers were cut from the open, and consisted of a great 
number of varieties, all quite single with the exception of one 
semi-double variety, which, being small and white, appealed to 
us as a very neat and pretty one, even although it may not 
come under the category of a single as defined by the exhibi¬ 
tion, schedule. One variety had very large rose flowers with 
a white zone round the yellow disc. Under glass no doubt this 
would attain the largest size, at least, when disbudded. The 
rest of the varieties were below the size of the flowers seen 
on the exhibition table, but that is only to be expected when 
grown in. the open and left chiefly to their own particular care 
without disbudding. 
The colours varied from pale yellow to golden yellow, bronze, 
blush, rose, pink, to p'urple and crimson. There was also a 
considerable amount, of variation not only in the number of 
florets, but also in, their relative width, so that a pleasing 
effect was produced by the contrast of broad and narrow petals 
in addition to the ^colours of the flowers and the floriferous 
character of the sprays. We should like to see these singles 
much more extensively grown for decorative purposes, quite 
apart from the exhibition necessities, and left disbudded, so as 
to bring out, all their natural grace and beauty. With us they 
last ten days or a, fortnight in water when kept in a cool place. 
We are in receipt of a boxful of Chrysanthemums from 
Messrs. W. Wells and Co., Earlswood, Redbill, Surrey. With 
two: exceptions they were unnamed, SO' that we can only refer 
to some of the finer ones by their colon® A new one is that 
named Dora, Stevens, with drooping salmon-red florets, by 
some termed a shade of cerise:. In any case, the bloom is of 
tine form for a Jap., with regularly drooping florets. Another 
one belonging to the same section is J. H. Doyle, a bloom 
measuring 8 in. by 8 in., having buff yellow drooping florets, 
and, late: in the season, often, showing a yellow crown. 
Other fine specimens were, either pink, creamy white, pure 
white, blush, canary yellow, bright yellow, bronzy yellow, 
purple with a silvery reverse, white striped with mauve, and 
white with a primrose centre:. All of the above were distinct 
Japanese varieties!, differing in being regularly drooping, m 
being globular, or in having curled, interlaced or 'Straight 
florets pointing in all directions and forming a graceful bloom 
somewhat in the style of the old Mdlle. Lacroix, but, larger, 
and differing in, the breadth of the florets. The form of the 
latter would also recall Yellow Ethel. Accompanying them 
was a single variety, two sprays of which carried in the 
aggregate eighteen, fully expanded flowers and a, nuurbei of 
buds,. ^ The flowers were distinctly scented and pure white. 
Canadian Apples' at Leeds.— A good supply of Canadian 
Apples lias been received at Leeds. The varieties in vogue are 
Baldwin Greening, and Northern Spy, for cooking purposes. 
Newtown Pippin ‘ and Golden Russets are choice dessert 
varieties. - . T i t> . 
The Production of Flowers at Glasgow. —the -bora r ro- 
vost’s love of flowers is well known. Flowers, a, good cigar, and 
photography might almost be said to be bis recreations. At 
the little gathering in St. Andrew’s Hall on the 23rd ud.. 
c q V en by ex-Bailie Campbell to celebrate the acquisition of the 
Ivelvinside Nurseries, his Lordship had something interesting 
to say on the fact that, as a nation, Scotland had developed 
its taste for flowers. Much, however, remained to be done, he 
said, for we were far behind England and the Continent m this 
matter. In Glasgow, it should be stated, the trade has gone 
up with leaps and bounds during the last 20 years. It is prin¬ 
cipally the. English, Guernsey, and French growers who have 
been reaping a rich harvest from the Glasgow market and ex¬ 
perts declare that thousands of pounds are sent weekly from 
this city for cut flowers alone for decorative purposes, besides 
the work made up in the shape of bouquets wreaths, etc. 
Glasgow is now showing that it can do this work for itself. 
