September  1,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
173 
A  heavy  burden  of  responsibility  obviously  rests  on  the  head  of  the 
new  office,  which  will  require  steady  plodding,  indifference  to  difficulties, 
and  opposition,  and  restless  energy.  The  sugar  planters  are  still  crying 
loudly  for  bounty  or  duty  as  the  only  hope  for  the  West  Indies. 
Apropos,  we  may  quote  a  few  lines  from  Mr.  Frank,  writing  particularly 
of  Jamaica  : — 
“  The  real  want  in  the  island  was  of  intelligent  Englishmen  to  employ 
and  direct  them  (the  blacks),  and  Englishmen  were  going  away  so  fast 
that  they  feared  there  would  scon  be  none  of  them  left.  .  .  .  The 
English  cast  in  their  lot  with  sugar,  and  if  sugar  is  depressed,  they  lose 
heart.  Americars  keep ‘their  eyes  skinned,’ as  they  call  it,  to  look  out 
for  openings.  They  l  ave  discovered  that  there  ‘are  dollars  in  Jamaica,’ 
and  one  has  come  and  set  up  a  trade  in  Plantains,  in  which  he  is  making 
a  fortune  ;  and  this  gentleman  has  perceived  that  there  were  ‘  dollars  in 
the  Bamboo.’  He  bought  machines  to  clear  the  fibre,  tried  to  make  ropes 
of  it,  to  make  canvas,  paper, 
and  I  know  not  what.  At 
last  he  hit  upon  a  use  for  it. 
The  Bamboo  fibre  has  certain 
elastic  incompressible  proper¬ 
ties  in  which  it  is  without 
a  rival.  He  presses  it  into 
‘packing’  for  the  boxes  of 
the  wheels  of  railway  car¬ 
riages,  where  it  holds  oil  like 
a  sponge,  never  hardens,  and 
never  wears  out.” 
Those  who  are  fearful  of 
scientific  methods  of  putting 
a  country  on  to  its  legs  again 
may  be  referred  to  this  list  of 
West  Indian  products,  which 
economic  botanical  depart¬ 
ments  have  introduced  within 
a  hundred  years  : — Ginger, 
Nutmeg,  Clove,  black  Pepper, 
Guinea  Grass,  Sago  Palm, 
Bourbon  cane.  Coffee,  Mango, 
Logwood,  Cinnamon,  Bamboo, 
Camphor  tree,  Orange,  Lime, 
Citron,  Yam,  Cacao,  Shad¬ 
dock,  Lemon,  and  ever  so 
many  more.  —  (“  Daily  News.”) 
A  PLEA  FOR  THE 
LACHENALIA. 
It  would  probably  be  an 
error  to  treat  the  Lachenalia 
as  a  neglected  plant,  and  yet 
it  is  questionable  whether  it 
is  grown  so  extensively  as  its 
merits  deserve.  As  green¬ 
house  bulbous  plants,  easy  of 
cultivation,  readily  increased, 
and  accommodating  alike  to 
gardener  and  amateur,  no 
family  possesses  higher  re¬ 
commendations.  There  are 
numerous  varieties  more  or 
less  useful  for  greenhouse 
culture,  some  of  which  are 
well  adapted  for  forcing,  wtile 
with  others  the  best  results 
are  obtained  by  subjecting 
them  to  cool  treatment. 
In  adding  up  the  sum 
total  of  the  qualific  tions  of 
Lachenalias,  one  important 
item  should  not  be  overlooked 
— viz.,  the  ease  with  which 
they  may  be  increased.  Practical  uselessness  after  blooming,  or  a  tendency 
to  deteriorate,  are  characteristics  of  many  bulbous-rooted  plants,  and 
these,  no  doubt,  have  the  effect  of  preventing  many  growers  from  having 
such  a  collection  as  they  would  wish  for.  Lachenalias  are  increasid 
readily  from  seeds  or  offsets,  and  when  once  a  start  has  been  made  no 
difficulty  may  be  experienced  in  keeping  up  and  annually  adding  to  the 
stock,  and  the  bright  flowers  and  pleasing  habit  of  the  plants  will 
never  fail  to  be  acceptable  for  the  embellishment  of  greenhouse  and 
conservatory. 
Lachenalias  do  not  lend  themselves  readily  to  hard  forcing,  and  when 
root  and  leaf  growth  have  both  developed  themselves  in  the  cool,  a 
temperature  of  from  50°  to  60°  will  soon  push  them  into  flower,  after  which 
they  should  be  transferred  to  the  conservatory,  where  they  will  last  for  a 
considerable  time.  Soil  used  for  other  bulbous  plants  is  well  suited  for 
Lachenalias,  though  a  full  mixture  of  sand  should  lie  given  ;  5  and 
6-inch  pots  are  the  best,  both  for  the  welfare  of  the  plants,  and  also 
for  convenience  in  decorative  work,  and  after  potting  they  may  be  placed 
in  a  frame  or  plunged  in  ashes  in  a  situation  where  they  may  be  kept 
safe  from  hard  frost.  When  growth  asserts  itself,  the  plants  should  be 
removed  to  the  light  in  a  cool  greenhouse,  and  allowed  to  progress 
gently,  or  be  subject  to  mild  forcing  as  stated  above. 
Considerable  care  and  attention  is  necessary  after  blooming  is  over, 
in  order  that  good  bulbs  may  be  obtained  for  the  following  season.  As 
long  as  the  foliage  remains  green,  water  must  be  regularly  supplied, 
discontinuing  the  operation  gradually  as  the  foliage  dies  away,  until  it 
is  suspended  altogether.  The  bulbs  may  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
pots  or  be  shaken  out  and  stored  till  again  required  for  use.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances  the  former  method  is  the  better,  and  when  the 
bu’bs  are  shaken  out  for  repotting,  it  will  be  found  that  numerous 
offsets  have  been  formed  which,  though  not  large  enough  probably  for 
flowering  the  next  season,  will,  if  carefully  treated,  serve  that  purpose 
when  the  bulbs  have  developed.  All  such  offsets  should  be  removed  and 
placed  closely  together  in  pots,  the  same  treatment  being  given  as  in  the 
case  of  flowering  bulbs,  with  the  exception  that  when  growth  commences 
cold  frame  treatment  is  suit¬ 
able  and  conducive  to  the  de¬ 
velopment  of  the  bulbs. 
As  with  many  other  plants 
the  satisfaction  derived  from 
the  culture  of  Lachenalias 
depends  very  much  on  the 
selection  of  varieties.  To  give 
long  lists  is  to  mystify  by 
numbers,  therefore  I  shall 
enumerate  a  few  of  the  best. 
Perhaps  first  and  foremost 
should  be  placed  Lachenalia 
Nelsoni,  a  fine  yellow  sort  of 
robust  habit  and  striking 
flowers.  The  colour  is  so 
pleasing,  and  the  blooming 
propensities  so  profuse,  that 
this  variety  recommends  itself 
to  gardeners  who  have  to  pro¬ 
vide  large  quantities  of  flower 
as  much  as  to  amateurs  who 
may  only  have  a  primitive 
greenhouse  at  their  command. 
It  is  also  a  fairly  good  forcer, 
and  among  others  suitable  for 
th  s  purpose  are  L.  quadri- 
color  and  L.  tricolor,  the 
former  of  which  is  a  pleasing 
mixture  of  orange,  yellow,  and 
red,  and  the  latter  red  and 
yellow  with  suffusions  of 
green.  Lachenalia  pendula 
has  a  graceful  weeping  habit 
with  flowers  of  red  and  yellow, 
and  L  tigrina  is  white.  The 
beauty  of  Lachenalias  is  con¬ 
siderably  enhanced  by  the 
peculiar  drooping  habit  of  the 
foliage,  and  by  methodical 
treatment  the  blooming  may 
be  extended  over  a  long  period. 
In  these  brief  remarks  there  is 
no  intention  of  treating  these 
plants  as  new  and  unknown. 
On  the  other  hand  they  belong 
to  the  commonplace,  and,  as 
with  other  easily  grown  plants, 
perhaps  this  is  the  reason  why 
they  are  apt  to  be  overlooked. 
— H. 
[For  the  excellent  illus¬ 
tration  of  L.  Nelsoni  (fig.  32) 
we  are  indebted  to  the  courtesy 
of  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sens, 
Reading.] 
KINGSWOOD  SHOW. — August  24th. 
The  Kingswood  and  West  Gloucestershire  Society  once  more  well 
upheld  its  reputation.  There  was  a  slight  falling  off  in  the  number  of 
exhibits  in  some  of  the  more  important  classes  ;  but  no  shortcomings 
would  have  been  observable  if  those  who  had  entered  a  considerable 
number  of  plants  had  not  withdrawn  after  it  was  too  late  to  make  fresh 
arrangements.  Messrs.  F.  H.  J ullion  and  A.  W.  Cottle  are  the  Honorary 
Secretaries,  and  thanks  to  their  experience  and  courtesy  everything  went 
smoothly  and  well. 
The  principal  class  was  that  for  sixteen  stove  and  greenhouse  plants, 
of  which  ten  were  to  be  in  flower.  As  usual,  Mr.  J.  Cypher,  Cheltenham, 
was  easily  first,  his  collection  comprising  fine  specimens  of  Ericas 
Austiniana,  Aitoniana,  semula,  and  ampullacea  Barnesi ;  Ixoras  Duffi  and 
Williamsi,  Statices  profus#  and  intermedia,  Allamanda  nobilis,  ICe'ntias 
Forsteriana  and  Belmoreana,  Latania  borbonica,  and  Crotons  angusti- 
folium  and  Chelsoni.  Mr.  W.  Vause,  Leamington,  was  a  creditable 
second,  and  Messrs.  E.  S.  Cole  &  Son,  Bath,  third. 
The  class  for  groups  arranged  for  effect  on  a  space  not  exceeding 
Fig.  32.— Lachenalia  Nelsoni. 
