12 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  G ARDEN ERC 
July  4, 18S6. 
LIVEEPOOL  NOTES, 
The  Wbathee  and  the  Crops. 
Although  the  weather  has  given  every  indication  of  breaking,  the 
rain  does  not  come.  Lawns  are  almost  burnt  up,  and  a  great  amount  of 
labour  is  required  to  keep  newly  planted  produce  supplied  with  water. 
Vrost  in  May  is  bad  enough,  but  I  had  no  idea  that  a  June  frost  such  as 
we  had  on  the  15th  could  have  done  so  much  damage.  In  our  garden 
we  have  had  two  fine  beds  of  tuberous  Begonias  and  a  similar  number 
of  bedding  Nasturtiums  killed  outright,  not  a  vestige  of  them  being  left. 
From  a  note  I  received  recently  from  Mr,  Middleton,  Kainford  Hall, 
St.  Helen’s,  he  states  that  in  that  district  the  loss  to  farmers  with  the 
frost  must  be  very  great,  acres  of  Potatoes  being  cut  down,  and  with 
the  present  dry  weather  will  make  scarcely  any  progress.  Crops  of  all 
kinds  are  looking  fairly  well,  but  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey  Pear,  which 
was  the  reliable  cropper  of  last  year,  is  completely  without  fruit  this. 
Hay  crops  will  scarcely  pay  for  the  labour,  many  farmers  having  put 
acres  to  pasture,  rather  unusual  in  this  agricultural  district  of 
Lancashire. 
Who  would  have  thought  that  fruit  trees  by  the  acre  would  ever  have 
been  thought  of  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liverpool  ?  It  would  have 
been  compared  to  a  bad  dream  had  the  thought  been  suggested  ;  but 
then  agriculture  is  at  a  low  ebb,  and  a  whisper  reaches  me  that  a  gentle¬ 
man  not  finding  farming  profitable  has  made  strict  calculations  as  to 
cost  of  planting  fruit  trees,  and  is  launching  into  Apple  culture,  con¬ 
vinced  that  it  will  pay  him  a  great  deal  better.  He  knows  the  trade,  he 
has  his  markets  for  good  samples,  and  the  way  he  can  market  Lord 
Suffield  and  other  good  sorts  justifies,  in  my  opinion,  the  attempt  being 
made.  He  is  firmly  convinced  that  a  check  can  be  put  on  foreign  Apples, 
and  I  wish  him  every  success.  Further  work  will  be  watched  with 
interest. 
Open  Spaces  in  the  City. 
Visitors  who  have  been  absent  from  the  city  for  some  few  years, 
would  now  find  much  to  satisfy  them  in  work  that  has  been  done  by  the 
Corporation  with  regard  to  open  spaces.  St.  Peter’s  and  St.  John’s 
churchyards  have  been  transformed,  the  beautiful  green  grass,  the  oblong 
beds  of  Ivy,  numerous  other  beds  filled  with  the  usual  display  of  bedding 
plants,  good  seats,  where  tired  citizens  in  the  busiest  parts  of  the  city 
can  almost  fancy  themselves  in  the  country,  is  grand  to  contemplate 
when  one  contrasts  the  previous  state  of  nothing  but  dark  crumbling 
stones,  monuments  and  the  dank  earth. 
In  other  parts  of  the  city  the  same  good  work  is  being  carried  on,  so 
that  altogether  it  is  a  pleasing  duty  to  be  able  to  record  this  work,  which 
is  so  necessary  in  our  days,  and  which  tends  to  elevate  all  sorts  and  con¬ 
ditions  of  men  to  a  better  state  of  things.  Mr.  Herbert,  the  Superinten¬ 
dent  of  several  of  the  parks,  ^s  responsible  for  this  work  being  carefully 
looked  after,  and  he  is  deserving  of  much  credit  for  his  part  in  it. — 
B.  P.  B. 
A  Beautiful  Group  of  Orchids. 
The  accompanying  illustration  (fig.  2)  has  been  reproduced 
from  a  photograph  taken  by  Mrs.  C.  A.  S.  Smith-Ryland  of 
Bayford  Hill,  Warwickshire,  and  will  I  think  be  pronounced  by  all 
who  see  it  to  be  a  well  finished  exatnple  of  amateur  photography. 
The  “Squire”  of  Bayford  Hill  (High  Sheriff  of  Warwickshire)  and 
Mrs.  Smith-Ryland,  are  well  known  in  the  district  as  generous 
supporters  of  horticulture,  and  any  sterling  novelty  in  the  shape 
of  flowers,  fruits,  or  vegetables  is  speedily  added  to  the  Bayford 
collection.  Orchids  are  likely  to  prove  a  strong  feature  there  in 
the  future,  as  numbers  are  being  purchased  each  year.  Quite 
recently  several  plants  of  Odontoglossums  were  bought  for 
21  guineas  each,  and  20  guineas  apiece  were  paid  for  grand 
examples  of  Lmlias  ;  all  are  making  satisfactory  progress  under 
the  watchful  eye  of  Mr.  R.  Jones. 
In  such  gardens  where  good  things  abound,  it  seems  natural 
that  a  taste  for  photography  should  be  developed.  Having  made 
such  great  progress  in  the  art,  Mrs.  Smith-Ryland  seems  deter¬ 
mined  not  to  be  content  with  half  measures.  A  studio  is  now 
in  course  of  construction,  which  is  to  be  fitted  up  with  all  the  latest 
appliances  ;  when  eomplete  this  (which  is  situated  in  the  midst  of 
well  kept  gardens)  will  doubtless  prove  a  source  of  great  attraction 
to  the  many  visitors  who  are  entertained  so  hospitably  at  Bayford 
Hill. — W  anderer. 
Sale  of  the  Broomfield  Orchids. 
This  collection  of  Orchids,  belonging  to  Mr.  M.  Wells  of  Sale, 
near  Manchester,  was  recently  disposed  of  by  Messrs.  Protheroe 
and  Morris.  Among  the  principal  prices  realised  were  the  jfollow- 
ing  : — Odontoglossum  crispum,  like  apiatum,  three  bulbs,  one  lead, 
63  guineas  ;  Cattleya  Hardyana  (Wrigley’s  variety),  sixjbulbs,  one 
lead,  55  guineas  ;  Cattleya  Lord  Rothschild,  three  bulbs,  one  lead, 
60  guineas  ;  Cattleya  Mossim  alba,  fourteen  bulbs,  10  inches  across 
the  flower,  34  guineas  ;  Lselio  Cattleya  Broomfieldense,  four  bulbs, 
one  lead.  35  guineas  ;  Cattleya  Mossiae  Wagneri,  eight  bulbs,  two 
leads,  30  guineas  ;  Cattleya  labiata  alba,  four  bulbs,  one  lead, 
50  guineas  ;  Odontoglossum  Wrigleyanum,  two  bulbs  and  lead, 
34  guineas  ;  Laelio-Cattleya  Arnoildiana,  seven  bulbs,  two  leads, 
30  guineas  ;  Cattleya  exoniensis  superba,  five  bulbs,  55  guineas  ; 
Cattleya  Mossise  alba,  twelve  bulbs,  two  leads,  33  guineas  ;  Cattleya 
Trianse  Reine  des  Beiges,  nine  bulbs,  one  lead.  50  guineas  ;  Cattleya 
Trianse  Measuresiana,  four  bulbs,  one  lead,  30  guineas;  Cattleya 
Gaskelliana  alba,  four  bulbs,  one  lead,  38  guineas  ;  Cattleya  Mossise 
Reineckiana,  fourteen  bulbs,  three  leads,  42  guineas  ;  and  Cattleya 
Mendeli  Blunti,  two  bulbs,  one  lead,  30  guineas. 
Orchids  in  London. 
It  is  possible  that  at  the  time  when  Orchid  growing  was  yet 
in  its  youth,  the  idea  of  cultivating  them  in  the  impure  atmo¬ 
sphere  of  London  would  have  been  scoffed  at  as  a  thing  as 
impossible  as  it  was  absurd.  Be  that  as  it  may,  Orchids  are  now 
grown  in  London  and  many  other  large  manufacturing  towns  in 
extraordinary  numbers,  and  to  an  astonishing  degree  of  perfection. 
Confirmation  of  this  statement  may  be  found  at  any  meeting 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  the  Drill  Hall,  where  in 
nineteen  cases  out  of  every  twenty  town-grown  Orchids  will  be 
found  in  abundance.  Not  only  do  nurserymen  contribute  to  these 
displays,  but  also  amateurs,  who  show  plants  in  a  condition  which 
proves  they  have  congenial  homes  and  attention,  though  their 
surroundings  may  be  decidedly  the  reverse. 
Amongst  the  many  exhibitors,  mention  may  be  made  of 
R.  I.  Measures,  Esq.,  of  Flodden  Road,  Camberwell,  who  is  at 
present  one  of  our  most  enthusiastic  orchidisti.  True,  this 
gentleman  does  not  exhibit  to  the  same  extent  as  do  others,  but  it 
is  rather  from  disinclination  than  any  lack  of  plants  either  in 
respect  of  quality  or  quantity.  When,  however,  specimens  are  sent, 
one  may  be  sure  of  finding  something  of  interest  either  horticul- 
turally  or  botanically.  Mr.  Measures  does  not  grow  his  own 
Orchids — this  would  be  expecting  too  much,  but  employs  for  the 
purpose  Mr.  H.  J.  Chapman,  who  is  well  known  to  have  a  very 
varied  knowledge  of  them  and  their  requirements.  As  a  grower 
proof  of  his  ability  is  apparent  by  the  excellent  health  of  the 
plants,  and  his  acquaintance  with  their  nomenclature  is  almost 
equally  extensive.  _ 
With  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  many  excellent  Orchids  that 
had  been  staged  from  Cambridge  Lodge  permission  was  asked,  and 
most  promptly  granted,  to  pay  a  visit  and  see  the  plants  at  home. 
One  must  not  go  expecting  to  find  an  extensive  estate,  or  disappoint¬ 
ment  is  sure  to  be  the  result.  It  is  nothing  of  the  sort,  simply 
a  charming  villa  residence,  with  a  fair  amount  of  garden  at  the 
rear.  Once  in  this  garden  the  Orchid  lover  will  experience  no' 
more  disappointments,  as  something  like  a  dozen  and  a  half  of  houses- 
will  be  found,  and  all  are  devoted  to  Orchids.  Apparently  nothing 
else  is  grown,  with  perhaps  the  exception  of  a  few  Maidenhair 
Ferns  to  provide  fronds  for  the  making  of  buttonhole  bouquets^ 
and  presumably  also  for  aid  in  the  adornment  of  the  house.  Cam¬ 
bridge  Lodge  has  become  a  byword  with  Orchid  growers,  and 
rightly  so,  for  it  is  truly  a  home  wherein  are  found  hundreds — 
nay,  thousands — of  these  quaint,  beautiful,  and  rare  exotics. 
Though  the  collection  comprises  all  kinds  it  is  in  very  varied 
numbers,  as  the  greater  portion  is  devoted  to  Cypripediums,  which 
are  found  in  the  greatest  diversity.  The  next  largest  section  is 
the  one  given  up  to  Masdevallias,  all  types  of  which  are  represented 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  almost,  if  not  quite,  unique.  After  these 
two  main  features  there  are  Cattleyas,  Laelias,  Odontoglossums, 
Aerides,  Vandas,  Oncidiums,  Coelogynes,  Dendrobiums,  in  fact  all 
kinds,  though  each  in  lesser  number  than  those  previously 
mentioned. 
Of  the  Cypripediums  grown  Mr.  Measures  has  compiled  a  list 
which  is  published  in  the  form  of  a  small  book,  handsomely  bound 
in  leather.  The  parentage  of  all  the  hybrids  is  given,  and  with 
regard  to  species  the  native  habitat  is  stated.  Those  desirous  of 
becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with  this  family  ought  to  purchase 
a  copy,  the  price  being  3s.  6d.,  for  it  will  be  found  invaluable. 
Absolutely  all  the  profits  are  given  to  one  of  our  gardening 
