224 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  12,  1890. 
The  gardener  is  solely  responsible  for  all,  and  much  tact  and 
management  is  necessary  in  order  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
various  members  of  his  employer’s  household.  The  master  likes  to 
see  everything  straight  and  tidy,  and  perhaps  has  hobbies  in  the 
shape  of  a  few  Orchids,  Chrysanthemums,  or  what  not  ;  the  lady 
must  have  a  continual  supply  of  flowers  for  decorating  her  rooms, 
and  of  course  looks  to  the  gardener  for  them,  often  never  realising 
the  many  difficulties  the  poor  fellow  has  to  contend  with  in  X’aising 
them.  The  cook  is  not  slow  to  make  herself  heard  if  the  vegetable 
supply  runs  short,  and  he  has  further  to  attend  to  the  various 
requirements  of  the  younger  branches  of  the  family,  should  there 
be  any.  These  and  a  thousand  other  offices,  known  only  to 
gardeners  of  such  positions,  have  to  receive  attention  ;  and  the 
managing  capacities  of  the  man  are  taxed  to  the  utmost  in  order  to 
carry  out  his  many  duties  satisfactorily. 
Yes,  every  word  of  the  advertisement  quoted  at  the  head  of 
these  notes  is  true  to  the  letter.  The  orchard  and  fruit  garden 
require  a  knowledge  of  that  department  ;  the  vinery,  conservatory, 
and  greenhouse  demand  a  man  who  knows  something  of  Yine  and 
general  plant  growing.  Knowledge  is  further  necessary  for  the 
kitchen  and  flower  garden,  and  then  tact  to  arrange  the  various 
duties,  so  that  each  in  its  turn  receives  attention. 
No,  it  does  not  by  any  means  follow  that  because  an  establish¬ 
ment  is  small  the  gardener  need  not  be  versed  in  every  branch  of 
bis  art.  On  the  other  hand,  he  has  to  be  even  more  acquainted 
with  the  smaller  details  usually  left  to  the  subordinates  in  more 
pretentious  places,  and  I  go  so  far  as  to  assert  that  some  of  our 
best  practical  gardeners  are  to-day  holding  single-handed  or  small 
situations.  Considering,  too,  that  a  large  percentage  of  our 
gardeners  are  either  single-handed  or  have  only  limited  assistance, 
then  the  lower  section  of  the  calling  should  receive  recognition 
and  consideration  from  those  who  belong  to  the  more  advanced 
phases  of  the  horticultural  world,  bearing  fully  in  mind  that  a 
great  power  in  the  gardening  fraternity  are  those  who  are  single- 
handed.- G.  H.  H. 
Cypripediums. 
In  my  notes  on  this  genus  last  week  I  referred  briefly  to  the 
general  system  of  culture,  and  as  there  are  at  present  a  large 
number  of  species  and  hybrids  in  flower,  some  of  the  better  known 
of  these  may  be  lightly  touched  on  with  advantage.  C.  Argus  has 
become  a  popular  kind,  and  deservedly,  the  blossoms,  as  a  rule, 
coming  in  somewhat  earlier  than  most  of  the  barbatum  section.  It 
is  a  well  marked  form,  easily  recognisable  by  the  large  dark  spots 
on  the  petals.  In  the  type  these  are  of  a  dark  purple  freely 
displayed  on  a  whitish  ground  colour,  and  the  petals,  like  the 
dorsal  sepal,  have  green  stripes  running  through  them.  The 
markings  vary  greatly  in  density  of  colour  and  disposition,  those 
on  C.  Argus  superba  being  mostly  jet  black,  while  those  of  the 
varieties  Moensi  and  nigricans  are  freely  disposed  over  a  larger 
area  than  those  of  the  type. _ 
C.  Arthurianum,  a  choice  and  pretty  hybrid,  is  of  a  totally 
different  character,  as  may  be  supposed,  owing  to  its  parentage 
— viz.,  C.  insigne  and  C.  Fairieanum.  It  has  rather  short  broad 
leaves,  after  the  style  of  insigne,  the  flowers  being  pale  green  in 
ground  colour,  the  dorsal  sepal  large,  margined  with  white  and 
spotted  with  deep  crimson.  The  petals  are  somewhat  similar  in 
colour,  and  hang  downwards,  the  lips  being  marked  with  deep 
brown.  This  hybrid  was  named  after  Mr.  Arthur  Yeitcb,  and  first 
flowered  at  Chelsea  in  1874.  A  very  variable  hybrid  is 
C.  Ashburtoniae,  named  in  honour  of  Lady  Ashburton  of  Melchet 
Court,  Romsey,  whose  late  gardener,  Mr.  T.  Cross,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  raisers  of  hybrid  Cypripediums.  This  first  flowered  in  1871, 
and  is  the  result  of  crossing  C.  barbatum  and  C.  insigne.  The  first 
cross  has  been  improved  on  by  using  the  superior  forms  of  these 
species  as  parents,  the  resultant  varieties  being  larger  and  of  better 
build  than  the  original.  _ 
C.  Boxalli,  whether  recognised  as  a  separate  species  or  classed 
as  a  variety  only  of  C.  villosum,  is  a  showy  and  very  useful  kind 
that  no  collection  of  intermediate  Orchids  should  lack.  In  habit 
and  shape  of  flower  it  is  almost  a  counterpart  of  the  latter  well 
known  kind,  but  the  dorsal  sepal  is  heavily  spotted  with  a  blackish 
maroon  or  purple .  This  also  varies  in  density  of  colour,  C.  B.  atratum 
and  C.  B.  nigrescens  being  the  deepest  coloured  of  all. — H.  R.  R. 
Orchids  for  Amateurs. 
I  am  indebted  to  “  H.  R.  R.”  for  a  congenial  theme,  and  whilst 
readily  endorsing  the  remarks  in  his  able  article  (page  179) 
pertinent  to  this  subject,  I  venture  to  supplement  them  by  a  few 
of  my  own.  If  many  of  our  amateur  gardeners — those  “  who  loye 
a  garden  and  love  a  greenhouse  too”  (and,  of  course,  have  one  to 
love) — could  be  persuaded  that  some  of  the  most  charming 
members  of  this  aristocracy  of  plant  life  will  so  readily  reward 
their  efforts,  cool  Orchids  would  doubtless  be  more  generally 
cultivated.  Moreover,  for  those  to  whom  the  procuring  and 
preparation  of  soil,  sand,  and  manure  is  the  bugbear  of  an  amateur’s 
life  in  the  greenhouse,  then  these  plants  have  a  particular  claim  on 
his  attention.  With  a  small  box  of  fibrous  peat,  another  of  charcoal, 
and  an  occasional  contribution  of  sphagnum  moss  from  some 
friend,  through  the  post  (if  not  procurable  in  the  locality)  the 
munitions  of  war  are  complete. 
But  there  is  a  great  deal  more  of  persuasive  force  required  to 
push  our  amateur  into  Orchid  growing — to  overcome  that  demo¬ 
cratic  prejudice  excluding  these  aristocratic  plants  from  his  green¬ 
house.  The  very  name  of  OrchiJ  conjures  up  visions  of  something 
beyond  his  reach — of  associations  with  millionaires,  or  a  Cabinet 
Minister  at  least,  and  should  you  broach  the  subject  it  is,  possibly, 
to  find  a  suspicion  ensuing  that  you  are  luring  him  to  ruin.  Visions 
of  tropical  heat  scorch  his  brow  and  consume  his  coal  supply.  A 
pocketful  of  guineas  must  accompany  him  if  he  ventures  near  an 
Orchid  sale  room  or  nurseryman’s  Orchid  houses,  for  his  head  is 
filled  with  hundred-guinea  specimens,  or  orders  for  a  thousand 
Orchids  for  a  thousand  guineas.  But  we  reduce  the  guineas  to 
shillings  for  our  friend  and  lower  the  temperature  suitable  for  cool 
Orchids,  but  to  speak  of  degrees  of  temperature  is  only  bringing  to 
view  another  mystery  ;  in  fact,  our  Orchids  are,  to  him,  surrounded 
by  mystery,  and  he  will  have  none  of  them. 
But  our  amateur  friend  may  now  leave  all  of  these  deterrent 
factors  out  of  his  calculations,  even  to  the  thermometer,  if  he  so 
wills  it,  although  I  may  be  called  to  account  tor  my  temerity  in 
including  (or  rather  excluding)  the  latter.  But  I  would  not  have 
our  amateur  frightened  in  any  degree,  or  by  any  degrees.  The 
simple  instrument  may  be  a  complex  affair  to  him,  and  cause  him 
no  end  of  worry.  If  his  cool  Orchid  house  feels  cool  and  com¬ 
fortable  in  summer  heat — a  pleasant  retreat  by  reason  of  shade 
and  moisture — and  if  winter’s  frosts  are  kept  from  appearing  on 
the  glass  without  being  hot  or  stuffy  at  any  season,  our  amateur 
may  safely  start  on  these  lines  of  temperature,  growing  more  exact 
in  the  matter  as  his  love  of  the  subject  grows. 
Aware,  as  I  am,  of  leaving  an  opening  for  criticism  from 
orthodox  cultivators,  I  am  equally  prepared  to  show  from  past 
experience  (not  limited  to  a  few  plants,  or  even  hundreds)  the 
practicability  of  this  freer  method  of  culture,  provided  that  the 
object  of  advancing  it  here  is  not  lost  sight  of.  I  would  prefer 
that  our  amateur  friend  should  have  his  thermometer,  and  keep  it 
as  near  50°  all  the  year  round  as  he  can,  with  the  rise  or  fall  from 
outside  influence  (if  in  reason)  not  a  matter  of  anxiety.  Shading 
and  frequent  syringing  will  be  other  drawbacks  to  a  business  man. 
They  need  not  be.  Make  the  first  permanent,  for  the  summer  at 
least,  by  painting  the  glass  or  stretching  a  piece  of  canvas  imme¬ 
diately  over  the  plants.  As  for  syringing,  let  not  the  business  head 
be  troubled,  but  provide  plenty  of  moisture-retaining  materials 
about  the  plants.  Keep  the  plants  always  moist  ;  noting  how  a 
grower  pots  his  plants  will  explain  better  than  a  page  of  writing. 
As  for  varieties,  commence  with  Odontoglossum  Alexandra, 
semi-established  plants  of  which  may  be  purchased  at  2s.,  or  even 
less. — Alex. 
A  PRIMULA  NOVELTY. 
The  illustration  (fig.  33)  depicts  a  new  departure  amongst  these 
popular  flowers.  Messrs.  Jas.  Carter  &  Co.,  Holborn,  who  have  for  so 
long  occupied  a  leading  position  among  Primula  raisers  and  growers, 
are  responsible  for  the  novelty,  which  was  obtained  from  a  seedling  and 
the  result  of  cross  fertilisation.  Seedlings  of  the  first  year  throw  up 
single  stems  of  bloom  which  form  at  the  summit  a  leafy  calyx,  in  the 
centre  of  which  a  heavily  fringed  flower  of  white  delicately  suffused  with 
rose  appears,  making,  as  the  engraving  shows,  a  buttonhole  in  itself. 
As  the  plant  gains  strength,  this  Primula,  in  its  second  and  fallowing 
seasons  of  flowering,  produces  a  sturdy  footstalk,  crowned  with  a  large 
truss  of  blooms  of  the  same  character  as  the  one  shown.  The  plant  is 
a  robust  grower,  of  sturdy  compact  habit,  and  has  been  applicably 
named  “Bouquet.”  This  variety,  we  suspect,  will  be  welcomed  by 
lovers  of  novelties  as  a  meful  addition  to  this  well-known  family. 
