March  10,  1898. 
JOUBN'AL  OF  HOFTTCULTURE  AXU  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
205 
An  Hour  at  Rosefield. 
It  was  on  one  of  the  foggiest  noornings  in  January  that  an  attempt 
was  made  to  reach  ■  Sevenoaks  in  time  to  insure  a  couple  of  hours 
amongst  Mr.  De  Barri  Crawshay’s  Orchids  at  Rosefield.  However, 
fate  in  the  shape  of  the  South-Eastern  Railway  Company  decreed 
otherwise,  and  the  train  was  just  one  hour  late.  One  hour,  therefore, 
was  at  disposal,  but  short  as  it  was  it  proved  to  be  sufficient  for  much 
of  interest  to  be  seen  both  of  plants  in  and  out  of  bloom  as  well  as 
hundreds  of  dried  flowers. 
Fortunately,  Mr.  Crawshay  is  a  man  of  action,  and  before  I  had 
well  got  inside  the  door  my  overcoat  and  hat  were  off,  and  just  fifteen 
seconds  later  we  were  busy  amongst  the  dried  blooms.  These  are 
pinned  on  trays,  which  fit  in  cases  in  the  library,  and  from  them  the 
life  history  of  many  an  Odontoglossum  crispum  can  be  read.  Here 
will  be  the  first  flower  after  importation,  there  the  second,  and 
yonder  the  third,  and  so  admirably  have  they  been  preserved  that  the 
development  of  the  blotches  and  markings  on  some,  with  the  improve¬ 
ment  of  sepals,  petals,  and  lip  of  others,  can  be  seen  at  a  glance.  Then 
there  were  the  Lselias  ;  but  no  time  was  to  spare  here,  so  the  trays  were 
returned  and  we  made  for  the  houses.  This  system  of  preserving 
specimens  is  a  splendid  one,  and  if  the  fates  (and  the  S.E.R.)  are 
propitious  in  the  future  it  is  the  intention  of  the  writer  to  devote  more 
attention  to  them. 
It  is  no  doubt  well  known  to  the  Orchid  growing  section  of  Journal 
readers  that  at  Rosefield  Odontoglossum  crispum  and  Laelias  aje  the 
specialties,  and  frequenters  of  the  Drill  Hall  know  well  with  what 
success  they  are  grown.  Purchases  are  constantly  being  made,  and  it 
is  but  reasonable  to  add  that  plants  are  with  equal  constancy  being 
turned  out  as  not  coming  up  to  the  requisite  standard.  Mr.  Crawshay 
has  his  ideals,  and  at  these  he  aims  with  unswerving  determination. 
A  variety  has  to  be  well  nigh  perfect  to  be  kept,  and  must  be  in  some 
respects  superior  to  any  existing  ere  it  receives  a  name.  On  this  point 
the  grower  holds  very  emphatic  views,  with  which  we  are  in  entire 
accord.  He  is  of  the  opinion  that  no  variety  should  be  named  unless 
it  is  either  decidedly  superior  to,  or  perfectly  distinct  from,  any  in 
cultivation.  In  tins  he  is  quite  right,  for  there  are  hundreds  of  Orchids 
and  other  plants  named  every  year  that  ought  never  to  have  been  so 
treated.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  practice 
will  be  persisted  in.  _ 
To  name  particularly  all  the  best  of  the  Rosefield  crispums  would 
occupy  too  much  space  ;  but  if  the  list  of  certificated  Orchids  of  the 
RoyaP Horticultural  Society  be  turned  to,  many  will  be  found,  and  this 
list  alone  testifies  to  the  excellence  of  the  stock.  One  thing  is  certain, 
which  is,  that  Mr.  Orawshay  seldom  brings  plants  to  the  Drill  Hall 
without  taking  back  with  him  either  an  award  of  merit  or  a  first-class 
certificate.  This  will  show  that  his  ideal  is  a  good  one,  and  quite  in 
consonance  with  the  opinions  of  the  Orchid  experts,  who  are  sometimes, 
and  rightly,  very  hard  to  please.  The  condition  of  all  the  plants  is 
very  satisfactory  ;  they  are  clean,  bright,  and  look  to  be  in  splendid 
health.  Some  are  young,  and  others  have  grown  old  in  years,  all  stages 
being  represented.  There  are  tiny  seedlings,  and  there  is  the  first  plant 
of  Odontoglossum  crispum  that  Mr.  Crawshay  ever  had,  and  it  is 
superfluous  to  add  this  is  not  for  sale. 
The  Lselias  were  making  a  braver  show  than  the  Odontoglossums 
when  this  visit  was  paid,  for  several  forms  of  anceps  were  in  flower. 
Here  again  it  was  evident  that  only  the  best  are  wanted,  and  several 
of  the  best  varieties  in  cultivation  are  there  comprised.  A  week  prior 
to  the  journey  a  plant  of  Laelia  Amesiana,  Crawshay’s  variety,  had  been 
sent  to  the  Drill  Hall  and  had  received  an  award  of  merit  from  the 
Committee.  This  is  represented  in  the  woodcut  (fig.  32),  and  us 
one.  of  the  most  beautiful  varieties  that  has  been  seen.  The  petals  are 
broad  and  of  great  substance,  the  colour,  at  the  base  being  white,  which 
gradually  deepens  until  at  the  tips  it  is  bright  rosy  red.  The  lip, 
Avhich  is  rather  small,  is  a  peculiarly  deep  velvety  crimson.  This  is 
only  one  of  many  splendid  Orchids  that  have  emanated  from  the 
Rosefield  collection,  and  it  cannot  for  a  moment  be  doubted  that  the 
o^\^ler  will  continue  to  send  to  the  Drill  Hall  some  of  the  handsomest 
members  of  these  two  families. 
There  are  other  kinds  of  Orchids  grown,  but  to  these  the  chief 
attention  is  given.  By  thus  specialising  Mr.  Crawshay  can  grow  both 
to  an  exceptionally  high  degree  of  perfection,  and  attain  the  best 
results.  Curious  to  relate,  not  a '  single  Cypripedium  is  grown. 
Seedling  raising  is  followed  up  closely,  and  interesting  results  may 
be  anticipated  from  some  of  the  crosses  that  have  been  made  from 
time  to  time.  The  particular  mention  of  these  must,  with  the  others, 
be  postponed  until  a  second  visit  has  been  made,  and  more  space  is  at 
command. — H. 
STOCKS  FOR  APPLES. 
Grafting  time  has  arrived,  and  amongst  those  who  have  to  devote 
some  portion  of  their  labour  to  this  operation  attehtion  is  necessarily 
directed  to  the  stocks  most  suitable  for  the  purpose.  The  question. 
Which  is  the  best  stock  for  Apples  ?  has  often  been  discussed,  opinions 
varying  greatly  with  the  experience  of  different  observers,  but  decisions 
must  be  influenced  to  a  great  extent  by  the  objects  or  requirements  of 
the  cultivator.  It  is  agreed  in  a  general  way  that  the  Crab  or  free 
stock  is  the  best  for  standard  and  orchard  trees,  while  a  Paradise  or 
Fig.  32.— Laelia  Amesiana,  Ceawshay’s  Vaeiety. 
dwarfing  stock  is  the  most  suited  for  bush  or  pyramid  trees — i.e., 
garden  trees.  This  is  subject  to  some  modification,  for  there  are 
certain  varieties  which  appear  to  prefer  the  Crab  stock  whatever  be 
the  form  of  tree  grown,  while  others  display  a  similar  preference  for 
the  Paradise,  just  as  we  find  with  Pears  on  the  Quince  and  Pear  stocks, 
local  conditions  of  either  soil  or  climate  in  most  instances  exerting  a 
material  influence. 
There  must  be  some  degree  of  similarity  in  growth  between  the 
stock  and  the  scion,  or  short-lived  and  unsatisfactory  trees  will  result. 
Thus  a  very  vigorous  variety  is  sometimes  worked  on  a  dwarfing  stock 
with  the  object  of  reducing  its  growth  and  promoting  earlier  fruit¬ 
fulness.  This  end  may  sometimes  be  attained,  but  it  more  commonly 
happens  that  the  growth  of  the  scion  stem  is  out  of  all  proportion  to 
the  stock  stem,  with  a  huge  swollen  juncture  as  the  result,  rendering 
it  impossible  for  a  tree  to  remain  satisfactory  so  long  as  it  would  do 
with  a  better  union.  A  heavy  crop  of  fruit  or  severe  injury  to  the 
foliage  by  insect  attacks  will  often  weaken  such  a  tree  to  so  great  an 
extent  that  it  remains  stunted  for  the  remainder  of  its  life.  I  have 
had  strong  growing  varieties  on  a  Paradise  stock  five  or  six  years  old, 
of  which  the  stem  immediately  above  the  juncture  was  nearly  double 
the  diameter  of  the  stock,  an  obviously  unsatisfactory  state  of  affairs. 
In  the  same  way  some  of  the  weaker  varieties  of  Apples^  are  not 
improved  by  being  placed  on  a  Crab  stock,  as  might  be  imagined ;  in 
the  first  place,  it  is  often  difficult  to  induce  a  weak  variety  to  “  take,” 
