78 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDE  NCR. 
January  27,  1898, 
country  until  1857,  with  the  Kev.  Mr.  Ellis,  who  first  imported  it 
alive  two  years  before. — II.  R.  R. 
A  Florifeeous  Calanthe. 
I  SEND  you  a  photo  of  a  curious  growth  of  a  Calanthe  Veitchi. 
The  old  bulb  is  7  inches  long,  and  it  had  two  growths  from  the 
bottom.  One  of  them  is  10  inches  in  length,  the  first  spike  4  feet, 
with  forty-four  flowers  ;  second  spike  2  feet  6  inches,  with  thirteen 
flowers.  The  second  bulb  is  6  inches  in  length,  first  spike  3  feet,  with 
twenty-four  flowers ;  the  second  12  inches,  with  seven  flowers.  Then, 
in  addition,  there  are  three  small  pseudo-bulbs  from  the  very  top  ol 
the  old  bulb,  one  3  inches  long  with  flower  spikes  12  inches,  bearing 
six  flowers.  The  other  two  are  pseudo-bulbs  of  2^  inches,  with 
flower  spikes  containing  three  and  four  flowers,  so  that  there  are  five 
new  growths  with  101  from  the  old  bulb.  I  do  not  know  if  yoi^ 
will  consider  this  anything  out  of  the  way.  I  should  hardly  have 
ex^xjcted  the  small  bulbs  to  flower.. — R.  Dymond, 
[The  novelty  consists  in  the  small  pseudo-bulbs,  issuing  from 
the  top  of  the  older  and  larger,  flowering.  It  is  not  uncommon 
for  them  to  be  produced,  and  they  are  usually  taken  off  and  grown 
for  flowei'ing  the  following  year.  It  is  rare  for  them  to  flower  during 
the  year  of  production,] 
A  Useful  Orchid  Stand. 
Most  Orchid  growers  who  have  to  deal  with  plants  placed  over  a 
close  wooden  stage,  upon  which  has  been  scattered  a  layer  of  shingle, 
cinders,  coke  broken  small,  or  similar  material,  know  what  it  is  to  have 
to  deal  with  a  troublesome  fungus,  which  forms  in  the  decaying  wood 
and  runs  into  the  Orchid  pot.  I  invert  flower  pots,  and  on  each  one 
a  pot  containing  an  Orchid  is  placed.  The  other  day  I  turned  up  some 
of  these,  and  was  horrified  to  find  the  fungus  had  entirely  covered  the 
insides  of  the  inverted  pots  with  a  cobwebby  substance,  and  bad  sent 
snow-white  threads  through  the  holes  in  the  base  of  each  pot,  the 
inverted  one,  and  that  in  which  the  Orchid  was  growing,  and  in  several 
instances  had  passed  up  amongst  the  Orchid  roots. 
While  considering  what  had  better  be  done  to  stop  the  progress  of 
the  fungus  amongst  the  Orchid  roots,  and  prevent  it  in  future  from 
attacking  the  plants  at  all,  there  came  by  post  from  Mr.  Wm.  Murray, 
Wylam-on-Tyne,  a  series  of  stands,  made  of  stout  wire,  exactly  in  the 
form  of  a  flower  pot.  They  answer  the  same  purpose  as  the  inverted 
pot.  No  fungus  can  lay  hold  of  this  stand  ;  they  have  a  much  better 
appearance  than  the  flower  pots,  and  I  could  but  exclaim.  Here  is  the 
very  thing  that  is  needed  to  prevent  the  fungus  reaching  the  Orchid 
roots,  giving  us,  at  the  same  time,  a  much  neater  stand  for  the  plants  ! 
The  old  saying  is  exemplified  :  “  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention.” 
If  Mr.  Murray  had  not  had  any  fungus  to  deal  with,  he  never  would 
have  thought  of  this  useful  little  stand. — J.  Douglas. 
EQUAL  PRIZES. 
Judging  from  the  remarks  of  “Sadoc”  (page  597  last  volume), 
this  would  appear  to  be  an  unpopular  method  of  awarding  prizes  even 
in  close, contests,  but  like  Mr.  Beckett  (page  17)  i  am  of  opinion 
that  there  are  occasional  instances  where  the  awarding  of  equal — not 
necessarily  first  prizes,  for  it  is  an  easier  matter  sometimes  to  decide  on 
the  first  than  the  remaining  cards — is  the  fairest  means  of  determining 
when  the  merits  of  two  competing  exhibits  are  so  closely  identical. 
It  is  undoubtedly  a  delicate  point  to  argue,  and  especially  so  when  the 
Editor  in  his  footnote  gives  his  casting  vote  against  such  a  course  of 
action  generally.  The  opinions,  even  of  the  Editor  and  “  Sadoc,”  are  in 
conflict  to  some  extent,  for  while  the  latter  admits  an  instance  when  an 
“  equal  ”  would  be  justified,  the  Editor’s  footnote  points  out  where  the 
determining  factor  may  be  found.  He  also  asks,  “  Were  equal  prizes 
ever  awarded  in  the  cast  of  the  ‘  premier  ’  bloom  in  a  Chrysanthemum 
show  ?  ”  Yes.  I  was  competing  myself  at  a  provincial  show  in  which  a 
certificate  and  prize  in  cash  was  offered  for  the  best  bloom  in  the  show, 
and  although  the  task  would  seem  to  have  been  an  easy  one,  the  prize 
was  divided  between  two  blooms,  but  only  one  could,  of  course,  claim  the 
certificate.  If  it  had  been  the  work  of  inexperienced  judges  one  might 
have  made  allowance,  but  this  was  not  so.  I  have  never  heard  of  a 
similar  case,  and  evidently  the  Editor  is  quite  a  stranger  to  such 
unsatisfactory  judgment. 
It  would  be,  I  should  say,  a  most  unusual  experience  to  find  two  groups 
so  close  in  point  of  merit,  that  seven  experts  were  necessary  to  criticise, 
and  then  not  to  find  one  spare  point.  I  believe  that  two  judges,  well 
agreed,  would  find  an  easier  solution  to  the  difficulty  than  so  many.  I 
well  remember  a  case  where  two  Chrysanthemum  specialists  were  engaged 
in  judging  the  cut  bloom  section  of  a  good  show  in  the  West  of  England. 
One  had  a  marked  partiality  for  the  Japanese,  the  other  incurved.  Here 
there  were  a  N.C.  certificate  to  be  given  the  best  bloom  in  the  show, 
and  after  scrutinising  closely,  they  each  chose  a  bloom  according  to  his 
own  fancy,  and,  unfortunately,  neither  would  give  way,  each  claiming  to 
have  the  better.  In  the  end  other  judges  were  consulted,  and  neither 
of  the  chosen  blooms  was  selected  for  the  coveted  honour,  but  another, 
and  that,  too,  far  removed  from  being  the  best,  was  substituted,  and. 
needless  to  say,  considerable  and  severe  comment  was  passed  over  the 
undeserved  but  distinguished  victor. 
Where  the  most  difficult  problems  to  be  decided  in  the  matter  of 
judging  is  found,  according  to  my  experience,  is  at  shows  where  two 
men  are  expected  to  undertake  everything — fruit,  vegetables,  plants, 
specimens  and  groups,  florists’  and  other  flowers,  bouquets  and  vases, 
honey — in  fact,  everything  that  is  found  in  the  schedule  of  many  local 
shows.  Very  tew  gardeners  can  claim  to  be  experts  in  every  branch, 
and  they  cannot  be  expected  to  give  unqu.alified  satisfaction  to  every 
competitor.  I  saw  two  stands  of  show  Dahlias  staged  last  summer  at  a 
local  show  by  two  rival  growers,  and  to  which  the  judges  awarded  equal 
first  prizes.  This  gave  satisfaction  apparently  to  everyone  except  the 
two  exhibitors  referred  to.  Their  blooms,  taken  individually,  were  so 
perfect  a  counterpart  one  of  the  other,  that  it  was  impossible — except 
to  the  growers  themselves — to  find  a  determining  point  making  one 
superior  to  the  other. 
No  doubt,  as  “  Sadoc  ”  puts  it,  the  awarding  of  equal  prizes  makes  an 
easy  way  out  of  a  difficulty  for  the  judges.  It  may  not  be  true  of  the 
York  Show,  but  mistakes  in  judging  are  sometimes  attributable  to  the 
want  of  proper  time  in  which  to  carry  out  the  work  ;  and  no  matter  how 
qualified  judges  may  be,  they  cannot  concentrate  their  thoughts  and 
decisions  when  hampered  with  visitors,  admitted  they  may  be  at  the 
advertised  hour,  but  before  the  judging  is  finished.  Mistakes  made 
under  these  conditions  cannot  be  wilful,  but  are  the  outcome  of  laxity  on 
the  part  of  the  management  of  the  shows.  Mr.  Harding  affords 
convincing  proof  of  the  fairness  of  giving  equal  prizes  in  his  contri¬ 
bution  (page  66).  I  am  quite  prepared  to  admit  that  it  is  only  on  rare 
occasions  that  the  necessity  for  awarding  equal  prizes  occurs,  but  when 
there  is  an  instance,  such  as  that  quoted  by  Mr.  Harding,  justice  is  done 
by  placing  them  on  equal  terms.  No  exhibitor  could  feel  dissatisfied 
with  such  a  decision  when  the  merits  of  their  exhibits  were  so  closely 
identical. — W.  S.,  Wilts. 
[Our  able  correspondent  does  not  say  to  which  of  the  “equal  best” 
blooms  the  certificate  was  awarded,  and  why.  If  a  silver  cup  had  been 
offered  in]  Mr.  Harding’s  class  it  would  presumably  have  been  withheld 
because  of  the  high  excellence  of  the  produce.] 
PEAR  NOTES. 
It  has  never  been  satisfactorily  cleared  up  why  a  certain  Pear  in  one 
locality  should  be  a  good  melting  fruit,  and  in  another  only  fit  for  the 
stewpan  ;  and  why  in  one  season  a  variety  should  be  of  excellent  quality, 
and  in  another  only  moderately  so. 
There  must  be  some  external  cause  for  this  variableness,  and  surely 
it  is  not  past  finding  out.  Mr.  Dyke’s  remarks  on  Beurre  Ranee 
(page  42)  have  induced  me  to  pen  this  note.  He  says  with  him  it  is 
useless  for  dessert  purposes.  I  may  say  it  was  the  same  here  ;  we  had 
only  a  part  of  a  tree  of  this  variety,  which  had  to  come  away  to  make 
room  for  one  of  better  quality.  Some  years  ago,  when  living  in  a 
moisture- laden  atmosphere,  the  Pear  quoted  above  was  delicious,  and  one 
of  our  best  winter  fruits. 
I  ask  therefore,  is  it  not  possible  that  the  hygrometrical  conditions  of 
the  atmosphere  may  not  have  something  more  to  do  with  the  quality  of 
Pears  than  soil  and  situation  ?  Both  temperature  and  moisture  here  are 
similar  to  what  they  are  from  where  Mr.  Dyke  writes,  but  the  subsoil 
formation  differs.  Here  we  have  rather  a  strong  loam  resting  on  a  sand¬ 
stone  formation,  while  I  believe  Mr.  Dyke’s  loam  is  of  similar  texture, 
but  on  limestone  formation.  If  I  am  wrong,  perhaps  your  correspondent 
will  correct  me.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  results  are  the  same  ;  therefore  I 
should  be  glad  if  some  of  our  friends  from  the  western  portions  of  the 
kingdom,  especially  from  parts  where  the  atmosphere  is  heavily  charged 
with  moisture,  would  give  their  experience  of  the  quality  of  this  Pear  ; 
it  would  help  to  elucidate  my  theory  or  prove  its  illusiveness. — J.  Eastee, 
Nostell  Priory  Gardens. 
DIPLACUS  GLUTINOSUS. 
This  old  favourite  is  popularly  known  as  the  Tree  Mimulus,  but 
though  closely  allied  to  the  latter  is  not  considered  a  true  Mimulus. 
Probably  no  two  species  of  plants  could  come  nearer  than  these  without 
being  quite  the  same.  It  is  well  worthy  of  being  more  frequently  grown, 
for  though  the  flowers  are  not  of  much  use  in  a  cut  state,  the  plants 
when  well  grown  and  covered  with  the  reddish-orange  flowers,  are 
admirably  suited  for  the  decoration  of  rooms,  and  if  placed  in  light 
positions  near  windows  will  remain  in  a  satisfactory  state  for  some 
considerable  time.  Eor  this  purpose  they  are  with  us  highly  esteemed. 
Cuttings  of  the  young  growths  root  easily  enough  in  a  Cucumber 
frame  after  the  plants  have  done  flowering.  The  pots  should  be  filled 
with  sandy  soil,  and  if  a  little  bottom  heat  can  be  provided  so  much 
the  better.  When  rooted,  pot  into  .3-inch  pots,  after  which  they  can  be 
hardened  in  the  greenhouse  or  a  close  frame.  It  is  simply  a  question 
as  to  the  size  of  the  plants  ultimately  required  in  connection  with 
repotting.  We  find  them  most  suitable  in  4  and  5-inch.  One  stake  is 
placed  in  the  centre  of  each,  according  to  height,  to  which  the  side 
shoots  are  loosely  tied.  After  flowering,  and  when  there  is  no  danger  of 
frost,  the  old  plants  which  are  kept  are  stood  outside  for  a  time.  They 
may  be  jdanted  out  during  summer  in  mixed  borders,  and  will  sometimes 
flower  fairly  well  in  that  position. 
