JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  2?,  1886, 
l?g 
with  those  obtaining  in  the  earlier  dayi  of  the  century.  So  far  as 
progress  in  gardening  is  concerned  it  is  ea*y  to  do  so,  but  statistics 
of  pay,  if  provided,  could  prove  but  of  little  appreciable  value 
when  taken  from  the  two  ends  of  the  present  century,  practically 
the  difference  in  a  hundred  years.  Steam  and  electricity  have  so 
changed  the  old  staid  order  of  things  that  in  bringing  the  past  and 
the  present  into  conjunction  the  impotency  of  figures  is  apparent. 
We  of  to-day  who  have  in  exchange  for  our  labours  journals,  rail¬ 
way  tickets,  and  a  hundred  little  things  now  become  the  necessaries 
of  life  ;  we  who  share  all  the  benefits  of  progressive  civilisation, 
repining  the  while  at  bad  times,  cannot  realise  the  void  of  life  and 
times  when  they  were  not. 
Could  we  bring  up  the  shade  of  some  ancestral  gardener  and 
obtain  his  opinion  upon  the  status  of  his  lineal  descendant,  what 
would  that  be  ?  Possibly,  in  spite  of  the  grievances  we  should 
fondly  detail  in  the  ear  of  our  Rip  van  Winkle  relative,  he  would 
bid  us  know  that  we  are  exceedingly  well  off.  Probably,  too,  the 
old  gentleman  would  air  a  few  ancient  grievances,  long  passed  out 
of  history,  which  enter  not  into  our  calculations.  One  conclusion 
arrived  at  from  occasional  but  faint  glimpses  of  the  long  ago,  so 
far  as  the  supply  and  demand  is  concerned  relative  to  situations, 
is  that  we  are  neither  worse  nor  better  off  than  our  forefathers. 
Our  difficulties  under  that  head  are  but  the  common  multiple  of 
increased  population  and  advanced  conditions. 
Energy  and  thrift  must,  I  think,  have  been  conspicuous  in  those 
days,  for  they  could  hardly  have  formed  the  era  of  the  easy-going 
times  we  are  apt  to  compare  with  the  present  hard  (?)  ones. 
These  were  of  later  date,  and  are  the  more  vividly  brought  home 
to  us  through  our  being  but  in  the  stage  of  compulsory  conversion. 
Here  is  the  picture  of  a  young  gardener  a  hundred  years  ago.  The 
sketch  was  drawn  for  me  by  an  octogenarian  friend  in  a  flourishing 
Lancashire  nursery  some  years  since.  “My  father  footed  it  from 
Scotland  and  was  engaged  as  gardener  in  this  neighbourhood  to  a 
lady  whom  it  was  ‘impossible  to  please’  (he  was  told),  but  he 
stayed,  and  when,  having  saved  a  few  pounds,  rented  an  acre  of 
this  ground  (the  nursery)  on  which  stood  an  old  stable.  This  stable 
was  his  lodging  for  some  years,  and  there  he  toiled  and  throve  on 
the  frugal  northern  diet,  adding  acre  by  acre  and  eventually 
buying  it  out.  Then  the  stable  gave  place  to  a  comfortable,  roomy 
dwelling  house,  and  when  the  first — the  actual  first — line  of  railroad 
split  the  nursery  into  two  portions,  the  value  of  this  freehold  was 
estimated  at  close  upon  £2000  per  acre.” 
Picture  this  brave-hearted,  wise-headed,  impecunious  lad,  after 
his  weary  tramp,  thankfully  accepting  the  vacant  situation  at  a 
wage  which  we  now-a-days  should  look  upon  with  contempt. 
That  there  were  bard  times  a  hundred  years  ago  I  have  no  reason 
to  doubt ;  yet  if  our  ancestors  had  “  no  more  doublets  than  backs  ” 
they  felt  not  the  need  of  them.  Certainly,  in  one  respect  they 
had  a  distinct  advantage,  for  they  were  not  beset  by  a  hundred 
roguish  wants  lying  in  wait  for  the  well  won  pound  ;  whereas  this 
guerilla  band  persistently  accompanies  us  on  the  march  of  progress. 
Some  unpleasant  reflections  arise  from  very  stern  facts  which 
have  lately  been  shown  by  a  correspondent  in  these  pages  (simple 
facts  without  comment),  that  is,  the  pay  of  Continental  craftsmen 
at  the  rate  of  7d.  per  day.  It  is  a  painful  side  to  the  wages 
question,  we  cannot  but  feel  that  it  is  so  ;  and  from  that  reason  it 
is  mentioned  but  not  commented  upon  here,  for  it  does  not  affect 
this  phase  of  the  subject  (private  gardens)  any  more  than  does  the 
question  of  Coolie  labour.  Sooner  or  later,  in  more  or  less  degree, 
it  may  become  of  pertinency  to  trade  growers,  but  its  relevancy  to 
our  present  subject  is,  and  may  continue  to  be,  but  fractional. 
But  it  does  behove  us  to  pause  and  consider  our  present  position, 
to  the  end  that  due  advantage  may  be  taken  of  what  we  have.  We 
may  not,  as  a  class,  have  attained  to  the  height  of  prosperity,  but  it 
is  more  than  possible  that  the  highest  the  present  generation  will 
see  is  an  accomplished  fact,  this  being,  necessarily,  affected  by  our 
modes  of  living  and  views  of  life.  Opinions  will  widely  differ  on 
so  broad  a  subject ;  it  could  not  be  otherwise.  There  ia,  possibly, 
more  pleasure  in  scanning  the  horizon  for  a  good  time  coming  than 
in  seeking  for  it  in  immediate  surroundings — our  poor  little 
present.  Can  the  gardener  of  to  day,  of  the  class  of  gardeners 
alluded  to,  dare  to  hope  that  higher  ra'es  of  wages  will  reward  his 
skilled  efforts?  I  think  not.  For  specific  reasons  a  pessimistic 
view  shall  now  be  taken,  and  the  question  asked,  How  would 
matters  stand  if  the  peaceful  conditions  under  which  we  work,  and 
live,  and  grumble,  were  suddenly  reversed  ?  Gardening  is 
essentially  a  peaceful  art,  flourishing  under  the  benign  influence. 
It  would  be  superfluous  in  these  brief  thoughts  to  enter  upon  side 
issues — of  a  stimulus  afforded  to  some  portions  of  a  country's 
industry  during  the  struggles  of  war.  Out  of  evil  comes  good  ; 
but  it  would  take  a  wide  stretch  of  imagination  to  see  any 
prospective  benefit  to  us. 
It  may  be  admitted  tint  good  practical  men  are  by  their 
economical  management  establishing  their  position  on  a  more  solid 
basis  than  has  hitherto  prevailed,  but  we  cannot  ignore  the  fact 
that  there  are  thousands  of  places  in  which  gardening  is  still 
regarded  as  a  luxury,  and  only  maintained  at  their  present  standing 
under  co-existent  conditions.  Consequently,  though  not  exactly 
having  what  we  like,  or  as  much  as  we  like,  is  there  not  wisdom  in 
learning  to  like  what  we  have  ?  Indeed,  it  is  not  so  much  the 
question  of  having  as  it  is  that  of  spending,  and  herein  lies  that 
vexed  problem  to  many  a  man  of  making  both  ends  meet.  Our 
boys  want  “  bikes,”  the  girls  want  pianos  ;  in  fact,  in  this  inventive 
age  there  is  no  foretelling  what  new  wants  will  be  created  for 
to-morrow.  By  these  or  similar  means  may  we  go  to  the  root  of 
bad  times,  and  bad  they  will  remain  unless  some  root-pruning 
foreshortens  or  entirely  removes  some  of  this  luxuriant  growth. 
Well  for  us  if  they  remain  bad  (?)  and  never  get  worse. — The 
Gardener. 
Cattleya  Percivaliana,  Ingram’s  var. 
The  varieties  of  C.  Percivaliana  are  not  by  any  means  numerous, 
but  all  are  very  beautiful,  and  worthy  of  positions  in  every 
collection.  Probably  the  latest  addition  to  these  is  C.  P.  Ingram’s 
variety,  which  is  depicted  by  the  woodcut  (fig.  26),  and  was  staged 
at  the  January  meeting  or  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  by 
C.  L.  N.  Ingram,  Esq.,  of  Godaiming.  The  general  appearance  of 
the  bloom  is  decidedly  handsome  and  the  substance,  on  closer 
examination,  left  little  to  be  desired.  The  sepals  and  petals  are 
attractive  in  form,  and  of  good  size,  the  colour  being  a  clear  ro*e. 
The  lip  is  especially  handsome  both  in  shape  and  colouration. 
This  organ  is  margined  with  rose  round  a  large  central  blotch  of 
rich  velvety  brown,  which  has  numerous  orange  yellow  marking*. 
The  throat  is  bright  crimson.  An  award  of  merit  wa*  recom¬ 
mended  by  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Society  for  this  variety. 
Orchids  versus  Willow  Roots. 
I  would  fain  ask  a  question  of  our  Orchid  growers  re  the 
above.  It  would  appear  that  Willow  roots  chopped  small  are 
recommended  by  a  gardener  in  this  neighbourhood  as  a  mixture  for 
Orchid  potting.  As  I  had  not  previously  been  aware  of  the 
beneficial  qualities  of  these  roots  for  this  purpose,  I  should  be  glad 
of  a  little  enlightenment  on  this  interesting  point.  It  need  hardly 
be  said  that  to  let  this  become  general  as  a  substitute  for  peat,  we 
may  soon  expect  to  find  Willow*  as  scirce  as  they  are  plentiful 
now.  I  understand  that  Peristeria  e:  a,  that  beautitul  dove-like 
flowering  Orchid,  appeared  under  tnis  treatment  in  a  thriving 
condition  and  full  of  vigour. — Ge<  .  D^ke,  Stubton  Hall  Gardens. 
Notes  on  Odontoglossums. 
From  the  nature  of  the  frequent  queries  that  are  answered  in 
the  Journal,  from  remark*  dropped  in  conversation  with  amateur 
cultivators,  and  above  all  by  the  wretched  appearance  of  the  plants 
in  collections  where  their  want*  are  not  properly  catered  for,  it  is 
obviou*  that  these  beautiful  Orchids  are  not  quite  so  easily 
