JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
20 
July  9,  1896. 
prevails  in  all  the  houses .  Everything  is  kept  as  clean  as  possible,  and 
the  plants  and  visitors  cannot  bat  be  the  gainers  thereby.  A  few 
words  in  conclusion.  It  must  not  be  thought  that  with  Orchid 
renown  either  the  owner  of  The  Dell  or  hi#  gardener  would  be 
•atisfied.  Not  at  all,  for  every  department  of  horticulture  is  as 
carefully  tended,  though  perhaps  not  so  largely  as  the  Orchids,  and 
the  results  are  in  every  way  praiseworthy  and  creditable  to  Mr. 
Eallantine  and  all  his  assistants. 
StinninCtDale  Park. 
After  having  seen  the  Orchids  at  The  Dell,  as  noted  above,  it 
was  deemed  desirable  to  pay  a  visit  to  those  at  Sunningdale  Park, 
more  especially  as  both  estate#  are  in  the  same  neighbourhood.  To 
reach  Mr.  F.  J.  Thorne  it  was  necessary  to  walk  nearly  four  mile# 
through  Windsor  Great  Park,  passing  en  route  adjacent  to  Cumber¬ 
land  Lodge  with  its  famed  Vine  ;  a  handsome  statue  of  the  late 
Prince  Consort ;  and  over  Virginia  Water,  with  its  charming  view 
and  beautiful  Water  Lilies.  The  day  was  hot,  but  the  plants  seen 
at  Sunningdale  amply  repaid  even  such  a  long  tramp  on  a  broiling 
day.  The  head  gardener  was  unearthed,  busy  potting  his  Orchids, 
which  he  very  kindly,  though  perhaps  reluctantly,  left  to  show  us 
through  the  several  houses. _ 
If  there  is  one  thing  more  than  another  for  which  these 
Orchids  are  deserving  of  fame  it  is  their  excellent  condition  and  the 
remarkable  freedom  from  insect  pests.  Kinds  that  in  many  places 
are  decidedly  “  miffy  ”  simply  luxuriate,  and  those  of  ordinary 
requirements  develop  to  a  remarkable  extent.  As  an  instance  of 
the  last  named  fact  let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  a  plant  of  Odonto- 
glossum  vexillarium.  The  plant,  growing  in  a  6-inch  pot,  standing 
amongst  the  many  others  of  the  same  variety  in  a  span-roofed 
structure,  is  carrying  six  spikes  of  flowers,  each  of  which  is  of 
excellent  shape,  size,  and  colour,  the  numbers  on  each  spike  being 
15,  14,  13,  12,  11,  and  10,  or  an  average  of  12*5  blooms  to  each 
spike  on  the  plant.  Besides  this,  instead  of  the  blooms  coming 
singly  from  the  spike,  in  this  they  spring  frequently  in  pairs.  If 
any  reader  desires  more  evidence  of  how  0.  vexillarium  are  grown 
by  Mr.  Thorne  let  him  turn  to  the  illustration  (page  301)  in  our 
issue  for  September  26th,  1895.  There,  too,  is  briefly  given  the 
system  of  culture  that  is  adopted. 
In  the  same  house  is  a  plant  of  Auguloa  Ruckeri  that  has  seven 
flowers  to  one  growth,  while  a  charming  plant  of  Cypripedium 
caudatum  Wallisi  has  flowers  the  petals  of  which  are  fully  17  inches 
in  length.  Besides  these  there  are  various  houses,  several  other 
kinds  in  bloom,  sach  as  Cattleya  gigas,  Cypripedium  hirsutissimum, 
a  very  beautiful  and  floriferous  form  ;  Odontoglossum  Harryanum, 
and  many  plants  of  the  brightly  hued  Epidendrum  vitellinum 
majus.  Unfortunately  pressure  on  space  in  the  Journal  is  heavy 
just  now,  owing  to  the  excitement  of  the  Rose  shows,  so  it  is  quite 
impossible  to  do  justice  either  to  Major  Joicey,  his  Orchids,  or  his 
gardener  in  the  very  limited  space  at  disposal. 
Before  closing,  however,  attention  may  be  called  to  the  wood- 
cut  (fig.  6),  which  depicts  Epidendrum  bicornutum,  as  shown  by 
Mr.  Thorne  at  a  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in 
April,  when  a  first-class  certificate  was  awarded  by  the  Orchid  Com¬ 
mittee.  Respecting  this  Orchid,  Williams’  “  Orchid  Growers’ 
Manual  ”  says  : — “  A  remarkably  handsome  Orchid,  which  Bentham 
separates  with  three  other  species  to  constitute  the  genus  Diacrium, 
distinguished  by  its  lip  being  spreading  instead  of  adnate  to  the 
base  of  the  column*,  and  by  the  presence  of  two  hollow  horns 
between  its  lateral  lobes.  It  has  fusiform  furrowed  stems  a  foot 
or  more  in  height,  the  younger  ones  leafy  at  the  summit  ;  the  leaves 
distichous,  ligulate-ohlong,  leathery,  dark  green  ;  and  the  peduncles 
terminal  on  the  mature  stems,  sometime#  producing  m  one  raceme 
as  many  as  twelve  beautiful  flowers,  each  about  2  inches  across,  of 
a  pure  white,  with  a  few  crimson  spots  in  the  centre  of  the  lip, 
which  has  an  elongate  lance-shaped  middle  lobe.  It  blooms  in  April 
and  May,  lasting  two  or  three  week#  in  beauty.”  The  specimen 
exhibited  was  splendidly  cultivated  and  a  great  credit  to  the 
cultivator,  as  it  is  reputedly  very  dilRcult  to  grow  thoroughly 
well.— H.  W. 
WATERING  MELONS. 
Melons  must  not  lack  moisture  at  the  roots,  Water  should  be  given 
before  the  foliage  flags,  as  when  that  occurs  a  check  has  been  given 
which  will  have  its  effect.  Over-watering  is  even  worse,  therefore  do 
not  afford  water  until  the  soil  is  becoming  too  dry  for  the  support  of 
the  plants,  but  before  flagging  takes  place,  when  a  thorough  supply 
ought  to  be  given.  Plants  swelling  their  fruit  will  need  water  twice  a 
week  where  the  rooting  area  is  comparatively  limited,  others  with  a 
larger  extent  of  root  space  once  a  week,  and  plants  in  pots  or  boxes 
a  supply  once  or  twice  a  day.  When  setting  and  ripening  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  keep  the  foliage  from  flagging,  and  if  watering  becomes 
necessary  it  should  be  given  without  wetting  the  leaves  more  than  can 
be  helped. 
When  the  flowers  are  about  expanding  withhold  water  from  the 
foliage,  and  when  the  crop  is  ripening  it  must  be  kept  off  the  leaves, 
and  especially  the  fruit,  which  would  probably  crack  ;  but  the  chief 
cause  of  fruit  cracking  is  a  moist  atmosphere  at  night.  At  the  time  of 
setting  and  ripening  moisture  must  not  be  entirely  withheld  from  the 
atmosphere ;  but  damp  the  paths  in  the  morning  and  afternoon. 
When  the  fruit  is  swmlling  syringe  well  at  closing  time,  and  if  morning 
Fia.  6.— EPIDENDRUM  BICORNUTUM. 
syringing  is  practised  let  it  be  done  early ;  but  it  is  best  omitted,  damp¬ 
ing  more  liberally.  Sprinkle  plants  in  frames  or  syringe  at  closing 
time,  being  careful  to  keep  the  water  from  the  collars  of  the  plants. 
As  the  fruit  approaches  maturity  admit  a  little  air  constantly,  so  as 
to  prevent  the  deposition  of  moisture  on  the  fruit ;  also  when  the  flowers 
are  setting,  for  when  damp  settles  on  the  blossoms  the  pollen  is  con¬ 
verted  into  paste,  and  the  delicate  organs  are  destroyed.  In  frames  it  is 
always  a  good  plan  to  provide  a  little  ventilation  at  night,  and  increase 
it  early  in  the  morning  of  bright  days  when  the  temperature  has 
advanced  to  75°,  and  more  with  the  advancing  temperature,  keeping 
through  the  day  at  80°  to  90°,  and  closing  sufficiently  early  to  rise  to 
95°  or  100°,  and  before  night  admit  a  chink  of  air  at  the  top  of  the 
house  or  back  of  the  frame. 
Melons  delight  in  a  high  temperature.  This  will  now  be  maintained 
without  resource  to  artificial  warmth  ;  it  will  suffice  if  the  night 
temperature  does  not  fall  below  65°,  and  is  maintained  at  70°  to  75°  by 
day.  In  a  dull  period  a  little  fire  heat  may  be  necessary  to  maintain  a 
buoyant  condition  of  the  atmosphere  when  the  blossoms  are  setting  and 
the  fruit  ripening ;  and  at  these  times  the  plants  in  frames  will  be 
much  benefited  by  linings  placed  against  the  sides,  and  if  necessary  to 
the  beds,  as  it  allows  of  a  free  circulation  of  air,  and  otherwise  the 
temperature  is  ruled  by  external  conditions.— Practitioner, 
