350 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  16,  1836, 
s 
Orchids  at  Woolton  Wood. 
To  estimate  the  full  value  and  beauty  of  Orchids  one  has  to  see 
them  grouped  to  advantage,  and  a  house  running  north  and  south 
(28  feet  by  15  feet)  is  here  almost  taken  up  with  Coelogyne  cristata 
and  its  many  beautiful  varieties  (fig.  60).  Holbrook  Gaskell,  Esq., 
in  many  ways  a  philanthropist  to  Woolton,  is  noted  for  his  love  of 
Orchids,  and  it  must  be  especially  pleasing  to  him  to  possess  such  a 
number  of  fine  plants  and  to  see  their  cultivation  so  thoroughly 
well  done.  There  are  twelve  plants  varying  in  size  from  18  inches 
to  4  feet  6  in  diameter,  the  largest  carrying  147  spikes  and  the 
smallest  twenty-eight  spikes,  or  a  total  for  the  twelve  plants  of  807 
spikes.  As  each  carried  four,  five,  six,  and  in  some  instances  seven 
blooms,  if  we  take  on  an  average  five  blooms  we  get  a  total  of 
4035,  which  will  give  some  idea  of  their  beauty.  Three  Orchids 
occupy  the  end  of  the  house — viz.,  two  Dendrobium  nobile  and  a 
fine  plant  of  Cypripedium  villosam,  having  fifty-seven  flowers. 
This  plant  was  granted  a  certificate  at  the  last  meeting  of  the 
Woolton  Gardeners’  Society. 
Some  excellent  baskets  of  Dendrobiums  Wardianum  and 
Ainsworthi  abundantly  flowered  were  hanging  from  the  roof. 
Many  other  good  things  too  numerous  to  mention  are  in  flower, 
such  as  Dendrobiums,  Oncidiums,  Odontoglossums,  Masdevallias, 
Oattleyas,  and  Cypripediums,  the  Woolton  Wood  seedlings  of  the 
latter,  chiefly  Leeanum  types,  being  bright  and  gay.  Noticeable, 
too,  were  three  grand  pots  of  Cypripedium  insigne  yet  to  open. 
Mr.  R.  Todd,  the  chief  in  command,  is  to  be  congratulated  on 
the  system  of  culture  he  adopts  to  bring  about  such  good  results, 
and  he  is  ably  assisted  by  his  Orchid  foreman,  Mr.  H.  Corlett. — 
R.  P.  R. 
Notes  on  Aerides. 
Following  up  my  recent  notes  on  this  genus,  it  may  not  be 
out  of  place  to  give  a  short  description  of  a  few  of  the  better 
known  kinds,  thereby  enabling  amateurs  and  others  unacquainted 
with  the  species  to  make  a  selection.  As  noted  on  page  302,  but 
few  in  the  genus  are  by  aDy  means  difficult  to  grow,  and  if  there  is 
a  species  that  forms  the  exception  it  is  A.  affine,  a  variable  and 
pretty  kind  introduced  in  1837  from  Nepaul.  I  have  seen  this 
in  a  mixed  house  of  plants  suspended  from  the  roof  close  to  a 
ventilator,  growing  freely  and  flowering  well  annually  ;  and  I  have 
also  seen  it  in  other  places  where  apparently  the  best  of  treatment 
was  in  vogue,  as  shown  by  the  healthy  condition  of  other  Orchids, 
and  yet  A.  affine  was  not  happy. 
The  secret  of  cultivating  this  and  one  or  two  other  of  the  dwarf 
kinds  lies  not  in  any  special  treatment  of  the  roots,  but  in  allowing 
a  plenteous  supply  of  fresh  air.  The  leaves  must  not  be  put  on 
too  rapidly,  such  progress  being  at  the  expense  of  solidity  of 
texture.  Grow  them  in  a  good  light  with  abundance  of  air  at 
all  times  when  possible,  and  a  temperature  such  as  recommended 
for  Cattleyas,  and  no  cause  of  complaint  will  be  found  at  flowering 
time  ;  but  if  coddled  in  a  steamy  heat  and  always  heavily  shaded 
the  growth  will  be  too  susceptible  to  checks  by  fluctuations  of 
temperature  and  other  conditions,  and  consequently  cannot  flower 
satisfactorily.  The  blossoms  of  A.  affine  are  produced  on  erect 
racemes  in  early  summer,  and  are  in  the  typical  form  of  a  pretty 
shade  of  light  rose  with  spots  of  a  deeper  hue.  The  variety 
roseum  is  deeper  in  colour  than  the  type,  while  superbum  is  a 
larger  variety  and  more  vigorous  in  habit. 
A  much  larger  and  very  popular  kind  is  A.  crassifolium,  and  no 
better  grower  or  profuse  bloomer  exists  in  the  genus.  Owing  to 
the  ease  with  which  it  is  propagated  and  the  number  of  plants 
frequently  imported,  it  is  always  cheap  and  plentiful,  and  no 
collection  of  East  Indian  Orchids  is  complete  without  a  few 
specimens.  The  flowers  are  large  and  elegant  in  carriage,  the 
pendulous  racemes  springing  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  near  the 
apex  of  growth.  Each  blossom  is  about  1-J  inch  across,  purplish 
rose  on  the  sepals  and  petals,  the  three-lobed  lips  of  the  richest 
purple.  Another  fine  species  is  A.  crispum,  quite  distinct  from 
any  other  Aerides,  and  a  beautiful  plant  when  well  grown.  It 
resembles  Yanda  suavis  somewhat  in  habit,  and  produces  pendent 
racemes  of  flower  in  June  that  last  a  long  time  in  perfection.  The 
sepals  and  petals  are  white  suffused  with  rose,  the  middle  lobe  of 
the  lip  bright  rosy  purple,  laciniated,  and  the  flowers  sweetly 
scented.  Several  varieties  exist,  such  as  Lindleyanum  and  Warneri, 
and  all  are  natives  of  various  parts  of  India.  They  thrive  best  in 
an  intermediate  house. 
The  Fox-brush  Aerides,  A.  Fieldingi,  is  a  truly  noble  Orchid, 
and  perhaps  a  more  generally  grown  kind  than  any  in  the  genus. 
It  makes  a  grand  plant  for  exhibition  when  well  furnished  with 
its  dark  glossy  foliage  and  closely  set  racemes  of  beautiful  flowers. 
These  latter  are  pendulous  and  elegantly  curved,  usually  simple, 
but  branching  on  strong  plants.  The  flowers  are  about  an  inch 
across,  the  sepals  and  petals  rosy  white  with  spots  of  deep  rose, 
the  lip  wholly  of  a  clear  bright  rose.  A  pleasing  companion  to 
this  is  A.  Lobbi,  a  fine  species  bearing  long  pendent  racemes  of 
flowers  of  varying  shades  of  rose  and  light  violet.  It  was  named 
in  compliment  to  its  discoverer,  Mr.  T.  Lobb,  who  found  it  in 
Moulmein  when  collecting  for  Messrs.  J.Yeitch  &  Sons  about  1856. 
A.  maculosum  is  not  so  generally  grown,  but  a  pretty  and  useful 
kind,  bearing  pendulous  spikes  of  rosy  purple  spotted  flowers  at 
midsummer.  It  is  a  native  of  Bombay,  and  has  been  in  cultivation 
since  1844. 
The  old  A.  odoratum  i*  perhaps  too  well  known  to  need 
describing,  but  much  too  good  to  be  left  out.  Under  the  most 
ordinary  condition  of  culture  this  grand  Orchid  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  most  constant  of  all ;  while  if  reasonable  care  is  taken 
with  it  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  range  of  Orchids  more  exqui¬ 
sitely  beautiful.  The  perfume  of  the  blossom  is  strong  enough  to 
be  noticed  from  all  others  ;  yet  there  is  nothing  unpleasant  about  it 
as  some  strongly  scented  plants,  but  a  rich  aromatic  odour  that  of 
which  one  does  not  tire.  No  plant  is  more  easily  grown  or  pro¬ 
pagated,  and  as  it  was  sent  to  Ivew  nearly  a  century  ago  by  Sir  Joseph 
Banks  from  India  it  is  most  likely  the  oldest  known  kind.  Many 
fine  varieties  of  this  are  described,  A.  odoratum  majus  being  a  large 
and  highly  coloured  form,  while  the  beautiful  A.  Lawrencise  is 
probably  a  geographical  form  of  this  old  species. 
A.  quinquevulnerum  is  another  fragrant  and  pretty  species,  a 
native  of  the  Phillipine  Islands,  whence  it  was  introduced  in  1838. 
The  racemes  are  densely  set  with  fl  >wers,  and  these  are  rosy  white 
in  ground  colour,  the  sepals  tipped  with  purple  and  spotted  with 
crimson.  A.  suavissimum,  from  the  Malacca  Straits,  is  a  bright 
and  telling  kind,  with  white  sepals  and  petals,  sometimes  edged 
with  purple,  and  a  three-lobed  yellow  lip.  This  is  useful  on 
account  of  its  flowering  in  the  late  summer  and  autumn,  after  most 
of  the  other  kinds  are  over.  The  useful  A.  virens  is  very  much  like 
odoratum  in  the  typical  flower,  but  it  is  one  of  the  most  variable 
of  all.  Some  of  the  varieties  are  poor  in  colour  and  hardly  worth 
growing,  but  some  others  are  very  beautiful.  The  best  are  grandi- 
florum,  Diyanum,  and  superbum.  The  type  was  introduced  in 
1841  from  Java. — H.  R.  R. 
DAFFODILS  IN  DUBLIN. 
In  the  early  days  of  March  I  was  pleasantly  surprised  on  a  visit 
to  the  city — our  city — to  note  some  baskets  of  N.  Emperor  displayed 
by  itinerant  vendors  in  the  vicinity  of  Nelson’s  pillar.  Presumably 
these  were  the  overflow  of  a  temporarily  glutted  market,  but  in 
their  freshness,  regal  form,  purity,  and  depth  of  colour,  there  was 
no  trace  of  the  journey  they  had  doubtless  borne  from  the  Daffodil 
farms  of  Scilly  ;  and  that,  too,  in  ill  probability  via,  London.  They 
were  simply  glorious  blooms  ;  such  are,  I  daresay,  a  common  sight 
in  London  streets.  J udging  from  various  notes  that  have  recently 
appeared,  and  from  personal  observation,  one  may,  I  think,  rightly 
conclude  that  the  yellow  fever,  if  it  may  be  so  termed,  prevalent 
during  the  last  decade  has  considerably  abated.  Yet  it  has  fulfilled 
its  mission,  and  fulfilled  it  well.  Enthusiasm  has  sought  out  and 
lifted  many  charming  varieties  from  obscurity,  and  the  merits 
of  the  whole  family  are  too  conspicuous  to  allow  any  subsequent 
reaction  to  neutralise  those  past  labours  of  love. 
The  departed  month  of  March  in  its  boisterous  behaviour  was 
not  kind  to  the  Lilies  of  Lent,  nor  has  the  past  winter  in  its 
partiality  to  precocious  vegetation  been  favourable  to  the  more 
spontaneous  display  which  greets  us  when  a  genial  spring  bursts  the 
ice  king’s  bonds,  hence  our  experience  of  the  passing  time  of 
Daffodils  tallies  with  that  of  English  growers.  Perhaps  we  may 
even  go  back  to  last  autumn  with  its  tropical  spell  to  account  for 
some  of  the  present  shortcomings,  for  flowerless  bulbs  of  some 
varieties  have  been  common.  Anyway,  I  at  least,  endeavour  to 
enjoy  as  much  of  this  feast  of  Lilies  as  may  be  vouchsafed  to  us  ; 
hence  on  one  of  the  latter  days  of  the  wet  and  windy  month,  which 
for  the  nonce  was  fine,  a  special  trip  was  made  to  the  botanic 
gardens  of  Trinity  College  with  that  intent  and  purpose. 
Inquiring  at  the  private  residence  of  the  genial  curator  elicits 
that  “  he  has  just  gone  over  to  the  gardens  with  y.  of  Newry,”  and 
that  I  am  “  to  follow,”  So  follow  I  did,  provided  with  a  key  to 
the  massive  portals,  and  once  inside  hurried  to  seek  the  twain, 
who  were  just  visible  in  the  perspective  of  a  long  walk  with  their 
heads  together.  How  delightful  to  wander  in  these  gardens  at  one’s 
own  sweet  will.  As  far  as  Daffodils  go  pretty  much  the  same 
ground  has  been  covered  before  and  accounted  for  in  these  pages 
