July 29, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
009 
BEGONIA . . . 
PRESIDENT CARNOT. 
A Beautiful Evergreen Variety. 
Among the many beautiful varieties ol 
ever-'i-een Begonias the above variety ua 
doubtedly may claim to be the handsomest 
grown, either as a pot plant or as a cumber 
m the’stove or warm greenhouse. 
The stems grow to the length of 3ft. as a 
pot plant, but thrice this as a climber, wheic 
the roots have more freedom. It has large 
leaves, and produces all the year round enoi- 
nious clusters of large pendent coral-red 
flowers, most of them females, which hang 
on and keep fresh for many weeks. 
As a climber in the stove it may either be 
trained against a pillar or on wires under the 
roof glass. The latter is decidedly the best, 
as the trusses of bloom hanging downward 
look very effective. 
For this purpose I would not advise plant- 
ing out unless, of course, the space is un¬ 
limited, but where the space is limited it 
is much the best plan to grow on a plant to 
32 size, and then stand it on the stage on 
a thin layer of loam, and allow it to emit roots 
through the pot. This will be found to check 
rank growth. 
As little stopping as possible should be 
done, as this plant is very sensitive and feels 
the slightest check, which often brings about 
that dreaded Begonia rust, so ruinous to this 
plant. Therefore I advise quite the natural 
habit with this exception, that when it be¬ 
comes established it will be found to push up 
growths from the base, and, providing the 
top is well furnished, these may be removed 
as soon as they appear. 
As a pot plant this is also useful, and a few 
plants might be grown for stock purposes, 
taking cuttings about November. A beauti¬ 
ful batch of plants will be at command in 
June and July, inserting cuttings in cocoamut 
fibre, and placing them in the propagating 
pit ; these will root quickly, and should then 
be potted into small 60 size pots, using a 
compost of loam and cocoanut fibre, equal 
proportions, and a liberal addition of sand. 
If possible return to the pit for a week or so 
until the plants begin to root. A shady place 
near the glass will be found the next best 
place for them, and when rooted well round 
the pot they should again be potted into 48 
size, and finally into their flowering or 32 size 
pot, using a compost three parts loam and 
one leaf soil, and enough sand to keep it 
open. 
I do not advocate the use of manure, as it 
is best to u.se some weak artificial manure 
when the plants are thoroughly pot bound. 
This plant is a great shade lover, and 
should therefore not be exposed to any sun¬ 
shine. 
The humid atmosphere maintained in the 
stove with a temperature between 65 and 
75 deg. will suit this plant admirably. 
It is also remarkable that the flowers with¬ 
stand the moisture as they do, but as the 
trusses are very large it is helpful to tie out 
about four pieces with a thin strand of raffia. 
This will prevent the moisture settling in the 
flowers. 
The only pest which gives little trouble is 
the brown scale, which is easily removed with 
a sponge and soapy water, and I do not think 
the cultivator will be troubled with ru.st if he 
avoids giving the plant any severe check. 
In conclusion, I feel sure a climber treated 
as I have described will give the greatest 
satisfaction to the cultivator. [The truss of 
rosy fruits sent us was really splendid.— Ed.] 
A. E. Middleton. 
1 he Gardens, Ooombe Lodge, Croydon. 
A Letter 
TO THE 
Editor. 
An Amateur’s Orchid House. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Hilt,—I am sending you particulars of my 
success in growing Oypripedium tonsum in 
a miniature greenhouse standing in a back 
bedroom window. 
I constructed my miniature greenhouse by 
making six ordinary garden-frame lights, two 
4ft. 6in. by 3ft. for sides, leaving space in one 
of them for a door, two for ends 3ft. by 2ft., 
and two for roof—one 4ft. 6in. by 1ft. and 
the other 4ft. 6in. by 10in., screwing them 
together with 3-in. screws. There is one 
ventilator in the roof, and for side and 
bottom ventilation I have left spaces, into 
which I fix movable panes of glass when not 
required for ventilation. I made a frame 
about 2ft. 9in. high, a sheet of corrugated 
iron being placed on the top, and the minia¬ 
ture greenhouse placed standing on corru¬ 
gated iron. I heat this little house by a 1-Tin. 
pipe along two sides and one end, the boiler 
fa block-tin one) being heated by an ordinary 
Rippingille lamp-stove. I can easily keep up 
a temperature of 65 deg. in the severest 
weather, and can regulate wick of lamp to 
keep up a certain temperature without fluc¬ 
tuating in the least. 
For giving off moisture I have 2in. of ashes, 
which I syringe as required, and on hot-water 
pipes I have eight little tin boxes, which I 
keep half-filled with water. 
For air I open window, and in cold weather 
I leave the door open, or open the register of 
the grate, so that I get fresh air down the 
chimney without a draught. In hot weather 
window and door are opened. 
I have ten Orchids, besides Ferns, all of 
which stand on inverted treepots, thus allow¬ 
ing fresh air from ventilators to pass between 
them. 
I have Ada aurantiaca, Cypripedium 
insigne, and C. tonsum, Epidendrum vitel- 
linum majus, Oncidium incurvum, and 0. 
maoranthum, Odontoglossum crispum, and O. 
grande, Lyoaste Skinneri, and Maxillaria 
tenuifolia, all of them in full growth, and 
Epidendrum vitellinum majus is making new 
growth from two old bulbs. 
These plants were purchased from Mr. Bur¬ 
berry for £1, Cyp. tonsum costing 2s. I have 
two which cost only Is. each, so that the 
prices of Orchids do compare favourably with 
other plants. 
I use liquid manure (drainings from stable), 
pouring a little into the tin boxes on the hot- 
water pipes, and this may account for large 
flower of Cyp. tonsum sent to you. 
The temperature maintained now is 70 deg. 
to 75 deg. by day and 65 deg. by night, my 
guide as to temperature being taken from 
Mr. Burberry’s little book, “ The Amateur 
Orchid Cultivators’ Guide Book, ’ mine being 
the first one issued in 1894, price 2s. 6d. 
Every amateur Orchid grower should have 
one. It is now enlarged, price 5s. I am 
pleased to see a column of your valuable paper 
devoted to Orchids. 
I hope I have not- taken up too much of 
your space. J- D- Q. 
A MARVELLOUS 
NEW POTATO. 
Truly this is an age of sensations. No 
sooner has one horticultural oddity or 
novelty been exploited and duly exposed as a 
fraud than another appears through the 
medium of the lay l’ress. r l he seedless Apple 
is non e.s t, the 30.000 Burbank I Turns raise a 
simile, the fadeless flower hangs in the 
balance, and now we have a new Potato. 
True, new Potatos are by no means novel, 
for a year ago varieties poured forth by the 
score. 
Even Solatium Commersoni was duly noted 
and exploited by an interested few, but the 
novelty we have now to deal with is not a 
mere variety, nor a species, but a pure 
hybrid. 
We first got wind of it from America. How 
queer that all novelties emanate from the 
U.S.A. ! I fear that many of these yarns hail 
from home quarters; but the land of big 
things is a long way away, so there is little 
to fear. The new Pomato, as it was called, 
was, of course, from L. Burbank, but after 
the first report no more was heard until this 
spring. Then, lo! it was not from America 
at all. 
Indeed, the details were so vivid that one 
began to think quite seriously, for a grower of 
Mumby, near Louth, had been experimenting 
for years, with the result that lie had raised 
a hybrid between the Potato and Tomato. 
This novelty bore tubers at the root and 
Tomatos on the vine. 
The lay Press assured us that the novelty 
had proved so successful that numerous ap¬ 
plications were made for a supply ; but, 
strange to say, the supply was strictly 
limited, and the available tubers were sold 
by auction at 2s. 6d. and 3s. apiece. Since 
then no more seems to have appeared con¬ 
cerning this Prima Donna, and apparently 
the N.P.S. has not been asked to test it. 
After a rest of a couple of months Scotland 
has a go at novelty seeking, and “ An 
Expert” (?) tells that an American raised a 
Potato fruit or Pomato which is going to lick 
creation. 
I cannot bring my pen to copy the ridicu¬ 
lous twaddle which is given, but the object or 
article resembles a fruit more than a vege¬ 
table, and it is white in colour, and not so 
large as a Tomato. To obtain it over 100,000 
different varieties of Potatos were experi¬ 
mented with. Great Caesar! If I remember 
rightly 453 vars. of Potatos were shown at 
the Palace last October, and this number was 
made up from English, American, German, 
and French sorts, and it may be taken for 
granted that the whole world would have 
difficulty in doubling the list. Moreover, it 
would be beyond mortal ken for a single in¬ 
dividual to collect every variety raised. Pos¬ 
sibly seedlings were meant, but the layman 
“ expert ” is always definite. 
While we wrestle with this product of 
100,000 varieties another yarn appears, and, 
of course, it comes from over the way. 
Somewhere in Montana a new species has 
been evolved which will stagger humanity, 
and revolutionise agricultural methods. This 
marvel is grown without vines, and the speci¬ 
men tubers shown are the largest on record. 
Think of it, ye Potato growers! No' leaf or 
stalk to have the curl or blight, no bacteria 
or Fusarium to worry about, and tubers 
larger than ever before. 
Lincoln has talked of its 41b. monster, and 
California has exhibited 181b. giants, yet the 
new. species licks all. Well, well! Cal. 
