42 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 19, 1907. 
AMONG THE 
* 
oses 
WORK FOR JANUARY. 
iu large quantities at tile present season 
of the year, and may be procured for a 
modest outlay well within the reach of 
all, the initial cost being so small that 
to keep up a good display, it is desirable 
to replenish the stock annually and dispense 
with plants that have become weakly. 
They certainly are induced to give more 
satisfactory results when afforded a con¬ 
siderable proportion of leaf soil in the 
potting compost, and if there is one section 
of Orchids that is benefited more than 
another by the use of a leaf-soil, I consider 
it is the Brazilian Oncidiums. I have had 
plants of some of the species taken from 
an ordinary compost of peat and Sphagnum 
Moss, when they have been in a very bad 
state, and they have derived considerable 
benefit by being returned to normal condi¬ 
tions. Another cause of their deterioration 
I have noted is, that they are often given 
too high a temperature. If I wanted plants 
to flower with huge spikes of flowers the 
first season, and after the plants had got 
into flower I wanted no further interest in 
them, I should grow them in a temperature 
of about 68 to 70 degrees, with plenty of 
atmospheric moisture. Should plants be 
required to give satisfactory conditions for 
more than the first season, I would advise 
the conditions of the Odontoglossum house, 
or the temperature of a cool intermediate 
house. When grown under these conditions 
very' little root moisture is necessary to 
retain the pseudo-bulbs in a normal state, 
during the period) when the plants are 
dormant. Excess of moisture in the resting 
period excites the plants into premature 
growth, which it is desirable to avoid. 
The best method of potting is to use 
shallow pans or pots ; these should be 
filled to about one-third their depth with 
chopped bracken fern roots. See that all 
moisture and sappy matter are extracted 
from the roots before they are used for 
drainage purposes, or they will be liable 
to produce an undesirable fungus growth 
amongst the potting compost. The potting 
compost should* consist of one half oak or 
beech leaves broken and passed through 
half-an-inch sieve, the remaining compost 
consisting of fibrous peat and Sphagnum 
Moss, with sufficient sand or broken crocks 
added to render the whole porous. 
The most beautiful and useful variety for 
exhibition and decorative purposes is 0. 
marshallianum. Some others worthy of con¬ 
sideration are O. varicosum, O. crispum, 
and O. Forbesii. The natural hybrids 
appear among them, O. Mantinii being one 
of the . best of these. There are other 
closelv allied kinds which produce equally 
free flowering characteristics and that are 
worthv of every consideration. 
H. J. Chapman. 
- - 
The Blancard Fund. 
In answer to my appeal in the garden¬ 
ing Press on behalf of the grand-daughters 
of M. Pierre Blancard, who introduced 
the first Chrysanthemum into Europe over 
a century' ago (see page 890 of the Gar¬ 
dening World), the following is a 
further list of donations received up to 
date :— 
£ s ■ d - 
La Societe Francaise d’Hor- 
ticulture de Londres. 2 
2 
O 
Mr. G. Schneider . 
IO 
O 
Sarnia . 
IO 
O 
Rev. W. Durban . 
5 
O 
Mr. D. B. Crane . 
2 
6 
Mrs Y . 
2 
6 
Mr. Abbott .. 
I 
O 
C. Harman Payne, Foreign Secretary' 
National Chrysanthemum Society, 141, 
Weilmeadow Road. Cat-ford, S.E. 
Late lies the wintry sun a-bed, 
A frosty, fiery' sleepy'-head; 
Blinks but an hour or two; and then, 
A blood-red orange, sets again. 
Robert Louis Stevenson. 
(A Child's Garden of Verses). 
At the editorial request I once again 
take up my pen to commence anew a 
series of monthly' articles upon matters 
rosal, this time—thanks to the kindliness 
of many “G.W. ” readers who have 
written me appreciative letters—-without 
the diffidence that, as is only natural, 
made itself felt at my' first essay'. It will 
be my endeavour to touch upon subjects 
that did not find a place in my previous 
articles, but if there are any especial 
points that readers wish discussed I shall 
be glad at any time to hear from them. 
Up to Christmas the vigour of winter was 
tempered by the mildest of weather, and, 
even as late as December 13th, I was able 
to cut several nice blooms from plants in 
my hill-top garden. But Christmas, as 
if to justify those wintry landscapes that 
the painters of festive cards are particu¬ 
larly fond of depicting, came in like a 
lion, and the garden has lain under snow' 
for some days. L T nless he be a grower 
of standards, snow is no enemv of the 
rosarian's. Indeed, one can safely say' 
that for plant life generally it is the 
finest of all protections, and in a hard 
frost no harm will come to dwarfs if there 
is a thick counterpane of snow' around 
them. But with standards it is another 
matter. Unless one’s stakes are of the 
stoutest and one's -ties secure, irreparable 
damage wall be quickly' done, especially' 
where the head of each standard has. been 
protected with bracken or some such 
material. To prevent all such mischief 
a watchful ey'e must be kept, and an ex¬ 
amination made after every storm. Do 
not, however, tread among the plants 
more than is absolutely necessary in damp 
weather, or else the soil will lose its fri¬ 
able nature, causing water to lie among 
the plants. 
Talking about late blossoming Roses 
reminds me that the variety that outshines 
all others in this respect is Zephyrine 
Drouhin. This is an old Bourbon 
variety' raised by M. Bizot of Dijon in 
1873, twenty years after Henri Jacotot’s 
masterpiece, Gloire de Dijon. I have 
several plants climbing—.for it is a 
climber, though not a tall one — up a wire 
fence about 6 feet high. Every growth 
is crowmed with clusters of brilliant rosv- 
pink, almost semi-double blossoms, re¬ 
markable alike fox the deliciousness of 
their fragrance and the profusion in which 
they' are produced. The shining green 
wood is destitute of thorns, and the plants 
exceptionally hardy. Curiously enough, 
it has many sy'nonvms; in Messrs. Ketten 
Freres’, of Luxembourg. interesting 
catalogue, four are given, and to my' 
knowledge there are several more ; indeed, 
every catalogue appears to have its own 
version. Zephirme Doingt, Zepherin 
Drouot, Druot, Drouhot, Chas. Bonnet, 
Mme. Gustave Bonnet, and Ingegnoli 
prediletta are some of its manifold 
synonyms, and for aught I know' there 
may be more. One thing is quite cer¬ 
tain, namely', if a plant is considered 
worthy by gardeners of being re¬ 
christened over and over again, it is 
generally w'orth growing, and this Zep- 
hirine Drouhin most certainly' is. 
This is a good month to overhaul 
labels or “tallies.” Nearly' all my' well- 
proved varieties, both dwarfs and stand¬ 
ards, are provided with the “Acme” 
metallic labels, than which there are none 
better on the market. But for new and 
unproved varieties they are not suitable, 
because the name of each variety is 
stamped on, and if one happens to discard 
that particular variety, the label is ren¬ 
dered quite worthless. Wooden labels 
are at all times .so unsatisfactory', and re¬ 
quire such frequent renewal that, though 
they have the merit of being cheap, I find 
it difficult to recommend them even for 
temporarv purposes. Some time ago I 
adopted the Wood Plant Club label for 
marking all my new Roses, and have 
found it excellent in all ways. It is abso¬ 
lutely imperishable—being made of zinc 
—and may be used over and over again 
ad infinitum. The ordinary size is 
what I employ', and this has a stem to 
fasten in the ground inches long, 
while the name-plate is 2. ; 4 inches by 1*4 
inches. A specially prepared platinum 
ink is supplied wherewith to write on 
these labels, but before using this it is 
. best to rub over the surface of the name¬ 
plate with a piece of emery paper. After 
writing on the label allow the ink to dry, 
and then wipe the name-plate over with a 
damp sponge. The writing will last for 
some vears. and wlien it becomes faded it 
is onlv necessary .to renew' this process, 
At the moment of writing 1 am not quite 
sure of the cost of this label, owing to the 
fact that metals have all risen in price, 
but the patentee, Mr. John Wood, Boston 
Spa, near I.eeds, will be happy to send 
particulars to any readers. 
Arthur R. Goodwin. 
Worcestershire. 
-- 
Substitute for Swedes.— A valuable 
cross between a yellow - Turnip and a 
Swede has been making its appearance at 
the Smithfield Club Show' and elsewhere. 
This beautifully' symmetrical y'ellow' Tur¬ 
nip, sown by' the end of June or the be- 
ginningof July, has given a much better 
result than the Swede sown after mid¬ 
summer. It might be employed in gar¬ 
dens to stand the winter instead of white 
varieties or even the Chirk Castle Tur¬ 
nip, w'hich has a coarse, hard, dark- 
coloured flesh. The yellow ones are of 
much better quality'. 
