252 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  19,  1898. 
to  keep  the  bulbs  plump,  a  lower  temperature  being  also  an  advan¬ 
tage.  The  leaves  are  apt  to  be  attacked  with  brown  scale,  and  if 
the  atmosphere  is  at  all  dry,  thrips  sometimes  put  in  appearance. 
These  must  be  given  no  chance  of  establishing  themselves  or  healthy 
growth  is  quite  impossible.  Sponging  with  tepid  water  is  the  best 
remedy  for  scale,  adding  a  little  tobacco  water  for  the  thrips. 
One  of  the  prettiest  in  the  genus  is  C.  aurea,  which  produces 
pendent  racemes  of  yellow  flowers  at  various  times  in  the  year.  It 
has  the  tips  of  the  sepals  and  also  the  lips  marked  with  red,  and 
was  introduced  in  1834  from  Venezuela.  The  most  generally 
grown  and  popular  is  C.  bractescens,  a  vigorous  growing  Orchid 
from  Mexico.  The  blossoms  of  this  kind  vary  considerably  in 
size,  those  producing  the  longest  racemes  having  usually  the  smallest 
blossoms  and  vice  versa.  The  flowers  are  pure  white  in  the  sepals 
and  petals,  the  lip  being  white  in  ground  colour,  with  yellow 
markings  in  the  throat  and  a  few  crimson  lines  in  the  crest. 
C.  Chelsoni  is  a  hybrid  raised  by  Messrs.  Veitch,  and  is  the 
progeny  of  C.  bractescens  and  either  C.  Limminghi  or  C.  Imvis. 
The  flowers  have  yellow  sepals  and  petals  with  a  blotch  of  purple, 
the  lip  white  with  spots  of  violet  purple.  C.  laevis  has  yellow  sepals 
and  petals  and  a  crimson  spotted  lip,  while  C.  Limminghi  produces 
pendent  racemes  of  flowers,  white  with  purple  tips  to  the  petals  and 
sepals.  The  lip  is  white  with  rose  and  purple  streaks  and  a  suffusion 
of  purplish  red  on  the  front.  All  are  very  useful  Orchids,  easily 
grown,  free  flowering,  and  of  great  interest  to  amateur  cultivators. 
Cypripediums. 
The  old  type  of  villosum  is  still  one  of  the  most  useful  of  spring- 
flowering  Cypripediums,  and  though  sent  home  from  Moulmein  as 
long  ago  as  1833  it  will  be  long  before  it  loses  its  popularity.  The 
variety  aureum  is  a  superb  kind,  and  one  that  is  worthy  of  care. 
It  used  to  be  said  that  hybrid  Orchids  always  maintained  their 
value  longer  than  species  or  varieties  ;  but  judging  by  recent  events 
it  seems  probable  that  these  good  varieties  are  much  more  scarce 
than  those  of  hybrid  origin,  simply  owing  to  the  fact  that  crosses 
may  be  repeated  and  scores  of  plants  raised,  whereas  the  varieties 
turn  up  only  at  long  intervals  from  importation.  In  the  variety 
mentioned  the  dorsal  sepal  is  a  golden  yellow  tinged  with  green, 
and  the  usual  dark  markings  in  the  centre.  The  pouch,  too,  is 
distinctly  suffused  with  yellow,  while  the  whole  flower  is  large  and 
of  great  substance. _ 
C.  calurumis  one  of  a  distinct  set  of  hybrids,  the  most  generally 
useful  perhaps  of  all — viz.,  the  Sedeni  set  of  Selenipedium.  This 
was,  in  fact,  raised  from  C.  Sedeni  and  C.  longifolium,  the  latter 
being  also  one  of  the  parents  of  the  former.  All  these  may  be 
grown  with  the  greatest  ease  by  anyone  having  the  convenience  of 
an  intermediate  or  Cattleya  house  temperature,  and  owing  to  their 
very  free  flowering  nature  they  are  of  the  utmost  importance  in 
keeping  up  a  display  of  blossom. 
The  well-known  C.  caudatum  is  not  yet  open,  but  as  a  distinct 
and  beautiful  kind  wili  be  hard  to  beat.  A  much  more  recent 
species,  but  one  fortunately  cheap  and  plentiful,  is  the  distinct  and 
handsome  C.  Chamberlainianum,  introduced  from  New  Guinea  in 
1892  by  Messrs.  Sander  &  Co.  This  seems  perfectly  at  home  under 
ordinary  cultural  conditions  in  a  shady  part  of  the  stove,  and  is 
certainly  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  popular  in  the 
genus.  C.  Dayanum  again  is  remarkably  fine,  worthy  of  a 
place  if  only  on  account  of  its  beautifully  marked  foliage. 
The  blossoms  are  rather  dull  in  colouring,  of  varying  shades  of 
purple,  green,  and  white.  _ 
C.  exul  is  quite  a  distinct  species,  that  first  flowered  in  England 
in  1892.  Like  insigne  in  habit  of  shape  and  flower,  the  first 
glance  at  the  dorsal  sepal  is  sufficient  to  distinguish  it  from  that 
well-known  kind  ;  this  organ  is  pure  white  in  ground  colour,  with  a 
large  basal  blotch  of  yellow,  and  several  showy  spots  of  deep 
purple.  C.  Harrisianum  is  another  variable  kind  of  hybrid  origin 
— in  fact,  the  first  one  was  raised,  I  believe,  by  Mr.  Dominy  for 
Messrs.  Veitch  &  Sons,  who  flowered  it  in  1869.  The  varieties  of  this 
kind  are  almost  endless,  perhaps  the  most  distinct  being  Dauthieri, 
nigrum,  and  superbum.  It  is  the  result  of  a  cross  between 
C.  villosum  and  C.  barbatum. 
C.  Lathomianum  and  its  varieties  are  choice  and  beautiful 
hybrids,  showing  the  distinct  dorsal  sepal  of  0.  Spicerianum,  its 
seed-bearing  parent,  and  the  general  contour  of  the  male  parent, 
C.  villosum.  C.  Lawrenceanum,  too  well  known  to  need  describing, 
is  in  flower  in  many  fine  varieties,  while  there  are  still  a  few 
flowers  of  that  fine  hybrid  C.  Leeanum,  and  its  near  relation 
C.  Electra.  C.  Measuresianum,  C.  nitens,  C.  cenanthum,  and  C.  oe. 
superbum  are  also  in  flower — indeed,  the  number  of  truly  fine 
members  of  the  genus  is  as  large  now  as  at  any  time  in  the  year. 
Space  could  not  be  found  to  mention  all,  but  these  named  are 
sufficient  to  make  a  very  fine  display  ;  and  as  nearly  all  are  cheap 
and  easy  to  obtain,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  any  amateur 
orchidist  who  likes  this  class  of  plant  from  having  quite  a  gay 
flowering  house  at  this  season. — H.  R.  R. 
SHORT  NOTES  ON  TOMATO  CULTURE. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  Editor’s  permission  expressed  in  the 
one  word  “  granted,”  in  the  Journal  for  February  29th,  page  180, 
I  purpose  giving  a  brief  note  on  my  mode  of  culture  of  the 
Tomato  ;  not  that  there  is  anything  new  or  likely  to  cause  a  sensa¬ 
tion  in  it,  further  than  being  thoroughly  successful  and  satisfactory 
both  to  myself  and  employer.  The  variety  I  grow  is  Perfection, 
and  the  plants  are  exclusively  from  home-grown  seed.  This  year  I 
am  growing  Frogmore  Selected  in  addition  to  the  one  above  named. 
Respecting  its  merits  over  Perfection  I  can  say  nothing  at  present, 
as  I  have  not  yet  tried  it. 
My  seeds  were  sown  about  a  month  ago,  and  the  young  plants 
are  now  2  inches  high,  but  had  the  weather  been  anything  like 
last  year  they  would  not  have  been  sown  so  early.  I  am  a  firm 
believer  in  making  a  good  start  and  never  allowing  young  plants  of 
any  kind  to  be  checked  in  their  growth.  I  would  rather  sow  the 
first  week  in  February  than  in  November  or  January  if  I  could 
not  keep  my  plants  moving  steadily  along,  as  I  think  the  former 
would  be  far  superior  to  the  latter. 
As  soon  as  the  plants  are  large  enough  they  will  be  transferred 
from  the  seed  pans  into  4-inch  pots,  using  a  compost  consisting  of 
two  parts  loam,  one  of  leaf  mould,  with  a  little  charcoal  and  wood 
ashes.  The  mixture  will  be  placed  on  the  hot-water  pipes  a  day 
and  night  to  become  warmed  before  using.  The  plants  will  remain 
in  these  pots  until  they  are  filled  with  roots  and  are  about  a  foot 
high,  by  which  time  the  fruiting  pots  will  have  been  thoroughly 
cleaned  if  they  require  it  and  drained  with  an  inch  and  half 
of  clean  drainage,  the  size  of  the  pots  being  12  inches.  The 
compost  also  will  be  ready,  and  consist  of  three  barrowloads  of 
turf  of  an  open  nature  cut  from  the  roadside,  one  of  fresh 
horse  droppings,  a  bushel  of  charcoal,  and  a  bushel  of  wood  ashes. 
For  top-dressings  the  same  compost  is  used  with  more  wood  ashes 
and  charcoal  added.  On  the  drainage  is  placed  enough  of  the 
coarse  soil  to  cover  it,  and  on  that  sufficient  fine  soil  to  start  the 
young  plants  in.  The  pots  are  then  taken  into  the  same  house 
that  the  plants  are  growing  in  and  allowed  to  stand  until  the  soil  is 
sufficiently  warm,  when  the  plants  are  then  turned  out  of  the  4-inch 
pots  and  placed  close  to  the  side — not  in  the  middle— of  the 
fruiting  pots.  They  quickly  produce  fresh  roots  in  the  warm  soil 
and  grow  at  a  rapid  pace. 
By  the  time  they  have  grown  G  inches  above  the  rim  of  the  pot3 
— as  it  will  be  seen  that  potted  in  this  way  they  are  low  down — if 
no  fruit  presents  itself  they  are  layered  straight  across  the  pots 
with  just  enough  soil  put  on  to  cover  the  stems.  Every  bit  of  stem 
thus  buried  emits  roots  as  thick  as  it  is  possible  for  them  to  come 
out,  and  the  growth  in  stem  and  leaves,  both  in  length  and 
substance,  is  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  roots  thus  produced, 
while  the  fruit  will  in  many  instances  be  close  to  the  soil.  Last 
year  I  had  to  tie  up  several  bunches  in  order  to  keep  them  clean. 
When  from  3  to  4  feet  of  growth  is  made,  and  the  soil  is  well  filled 
with  roots,  another  layer  inch  thick  is  added,  and,  as  required, 
another,  and  yet  another,  until  the  pots  are  quite  full.  This 
addition  induces  young  roots  each  time  it  is  added,  not  only 
upwards,  but  from  the  stems  also.  In  addition  to  these  top- 
dressings  of  soil  each  plant  is  treated  to  a  handful  of  blood  manure, 
made  on  the  place. 
It  is  a  decided  mistake  in  growing  Tomatoes  to  pot  "them  in  the 
ordinary  way.  The  plan  I  have  described  forces  the  plants  to 
make  stout,  short-jointed  stems  with  a  good  truss  of  blooms  at 
every  joint,  as  I  grow  them  cordon  fashion  and  take  out  every 
lateral  as  soon  as  large  enough  to  handle.  When  I  first  commenced 
the  cultivation  of  the  plants  I  potted  them  in  the  ordinary  way, 
with  the  result  that  instead  of  short- jointed  growth  I  got  long, 
sappy  growth  which  sometimes  went  a  yard  or  more  above  the  pot 
before  a  truss  of  fruit  was  seen.  As  the  plants  and  the  season 
advance  the  plants  naturally  require  larger  supplies  of  water. 
This  is  never  given  cold,  but  taken  from  a  tank  in  the  house, 
or,  that  failing,  water  is  set  out  in  the  sun,  of  which  we  had 
quite  enough  last  year,  until  sufficiently  warm  and  soft.  Liquid 
from  the  manure  pit  is  freely  used  at  this  stage  with  occasional 
sprinklings  of  wood  ashes  and  blood  manure.  The  length  of  stem 
secured  by  this  means  is  extraordinary.  Nearly  every  plant  goes 
up  to  the  ridge  of  the  house  and  half  way  down  the  opposite  side, 
as  the  house  is  quite  full  of  plants  a  row  on  each  side  next  the 
glass.  From  my  Tomato  house,  which  is  22  feet  long,  I  secure  a 
constant  supply  of  fine  fruit  for  six  months. 
