November  ii,  1896, 
Jotm.VAL  Of  mnnotTLTmf  Am  gottaos  CARnmm. 
507 
intermediate  tints  beyond  number.  C.  Bowringeana  is  another 
fine  species  now  in  flower,  the  blossoms  telling  in  colour  and  freely 
produced.  This,  too,  is  easily  grown,  and  likes  rather  more  heat 
than  the  majority  of  kinds,  though  it  will  thrive  quite  well  in 
their  company. 
D^ndrobiums  are  not  as  yet  makins!  much  show,  always  except¬ 
ing  the  beautiful  and  aptly  named  D.  Phalsenopsis.  The  charming 
racemes  of  this  kind  well  repay  the  most  assiduous  attention,  and 
despite  the  dismal  predictions  as  to  its  culture  one  occasionally 
comes  across,  it  will,  I  trust,  be  long  ere  this  fine  species  is  relegated 
to  the  ranks  of  Orchids  difficult  to  grow.  Plenty  of  heat,  moisture, 
and  light  while  growing,  -and  timely  attention  to  cultural  details, 
has  as  yet  with  me  proved  a  panacea  for  all  the  ills  that  D.  Phalse- 
nopsis  is  heir  to.  Those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  possess  the 
lovely  Vanda  Sanderiana  have  in  this  a  splendid  autumn-blooming 
kind,  that,  like  Miltonia  yexillaria  in  spring  and  early  summer, 
stands  unrivalled  for  delicate  beauty. 
The  cool  house,  too,  is  now  getting  bright,  the  showy  little 
Pleiones  contrasting  well  with  such  Odontoglots  as  O.  Halli, 
O.  tripudians,  0.  luteo-purpureum,  or  any  others  that  may  be  in 
bloom.  In  this  section  0.  Rossi  is  one  of  the  moat  useful,  yet  how 
few  bestow  more  than  a  passing  glance  upon  it,  or  recognise  the 
length  of  time  the  pretty  little  blossoms  last  in  good  order. 
Sophronitis  grandiflora  with  its  glowing  crimson  or  scarlet  bloaaoms 
must  not  be  lost  sight  of,  for  few  Orchids  are  more  brilliant  in 
flower  or  more  easily  grown.  Trichosma  suavis  is  a  pretty  and 
sweetly  scented  little  plant,  whilst  Masdevallias  in  quaint  and 
beautiful  variety  are  still  with  us.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  lack  of 
beautiful  and  easily  grown  kinds  to  flower  at  this  season,  and 
nicely  grouped  in  a  suitable  house  they  will  form  one  of  the  most 
interesting  features  of  any  garden. — H.  R.  B. 
THE  GARDENERS’  PATH. 
{,Continued  from  page  484.) 
What  is  the  chief  feature  of  a  well  planned  garden?  A 
debateable  question  perhaps,  but  an  amiable  master  once  told  me 
that  it  was  good  walks.  What  gave  rise  to  the  remark  was  that 
there  was  one  walk  in  particular  which,  I  understood,  had  been 
made— ill  made — thirty  years  previously,  and  was  only  satisfactory 
in  fine  weather;  and  he  said,  “Although  it  has  been  endured  so 
long  it  had  better  be  cured  at  once,  ripped  up  and  re- made.”  So 
we  cured  it,  made  it  good  for  all  weathers,  and,  practically,  for  all 
time.  Some  of  our  paths — the  gardener’s  path — are  a  little  like  that 
walk,  perhaps,  pleas int  enough  in  fine  weather,  but  bad  for  the 
traveller  on  a  “  rainy  day,”  or  after  the  thaw  of  morning’s  frosted 
hopes.  Is  it  too  late  to  do  what  should  have  been  done,  or  to  alter 
what  was  done,  in  life’s  morning,  now  that  we  are  facing  the 
setting  aun  ?  “  Well,  I  have  jogged  along  so  far,”  says  one 
traveller,  “so  I  can  jog  along  to  the  end.”  This  is  not  a 
direct  answer  ;  one  would  indeed  grieve  to  hear  the  reply  “Too 
late,”  for  such  could  only  be  wrung  from  black  despair.  No  ; 
“  Hope  springs  eternal  ...”  even  whilst  jogging  along  ;  but 
it  is  not  dignified  to  jog  along,  especially  towards  the  end,  and 
don’t  you  boys  of  bothydom  ever  do  so  at  the  start.  Mind  how 
you  mike  this  path  ;  excavate  all  loose  material,  work  in  solid 
layers  of  the  good  substances  you  have  heard  so  much  about, 
surface  it  with  the  little  courtesies  of  life,  then,  when  edged  with 
thrift  which  thrives  best  with  a  background  of  honesty,  there  is  a 
sound  path  on  which  you  cau  comfortably  carry  out  your  duties  as 
a  practical  gardener — carry  them  out  to  the  end.  And  what  of 
the  unsatisfactory  paths  which  have  been  endured  so  long  ?  Had 
they  not  better  be  cured  at  once,  “  ripped  up  and  re-made  ”  for  the 
sake  of  the  miles  that  are  to  come  ? 
Never  at  any  previous  part  of  the  journey  have  the  lights  and 
shadows  been  so  sharply  defined,  although  farther  on  they  will  be 
more  intensely  stereotyped.  It  it  from  these  positive  and  negative 
examples  when  brought  into  contact  we  derive  the  strongest 
current — the  highest  potential  of  teaching  ;  and  here  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  stand  aside  for  a  brief  space  to  view  the  passing  throng. 
It  is  easy  to  note  the  successful  man,  it  is  so  conspicuous  in  his 
bearing,  nor  is  it  difficult  to  detect  his  antitype  whose  features  are 
limned  with  disappointment  ;  they  are  both  prominent  fieures  in 
this  great  company,  many  of  whom  are  jogging  along.  We,  who 
are  for  the  moment  viewing  the  procession  ere  re-entering  the 
ranks,  may  find  in  it  our  second  self,  or  a  sufficiently  close 
resemblance  for  hypothetical  recognition  if  the  view  is  unbiassed. 
We  will,  also,  venture  to  interview  some  of  these  travellers  and  let 
them  speak  for  themselves.  First,  the  successful  man,  and  he, 
probably,  has  the  least  to  say.  “  No,  I  did  not  find  the  early  stages 
strewn  with  Roses — a  flowery  way — it  was,  indeed,  the  reverse  ; 
hard  work,  hard  living,  and  (here  some  very  determined  lines  are 
noticed  about  the  successful  mouth)  I  determined  to  succeed,  and— 
I  did.”  Ah,  young  bothyites,  if  you  only  knew  the  power  of  will 
in  conjunction  with  high  principles  1  Pass  on,  Mr.  Successful. 
Stand  for  a  moment,  neighbour  Well  Content  ;  you  are  not  so 
conspicuous  as  our  former  friend,  but  there  is  a  pleasant  facial 
expression  which  befits  your  name.  Do  you  take  the  world  easy, 
or  have  you  a  good  bank  balance,  or  what  ?  J ust  a  suspicion  of  a 
sigh  as  he  says,  “  No,  there  is  not  much  provision  for  the  ‘  rainy 
day,’  but  I  have  much  to  be  thankful  for.  Self  and  the  missus  have 
had  a  hard  pull,  but  we  pulled  together,  and  pulled  through.  We 
have  reared  our  young  slips — the  olive  branches— transplanted 
them  out  into  the  world,  so  they  are  no  longer  suckers  on  the 
parent  stem.”  But  what  of  the  future  ?  “  Well,  when  we 
started  we  meant  to  do  a  great  deal ;  yet,  somehow,  the  years 
have  slipped  away  and  we  are  pretty  much  the  same  as  we  set  out, 
but  (this  is  the  buttress)  we  have  always  managed  to  pay  the  life 
insurance  premium,  and,  you  know,  I  also  became  a  member  of  the 
Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institation,  so  if  the  worst  comes  to 
the  worst  it  will  not  be  so  bad.” 
“  Oh  !  it’s  all  very  well  for  him  to  talk,”  says  Careless.  “  I  don’t 
believe  in  those  things.”  “  What,  Sir,  is  then  your  faith,  may 
we  ask  ?”  Here  ensue  some  clever  logical  reforms  which  the  world 
in  general,  and  he  in  particular,  would  be  the  better  for.  “  Ah  1  I 
admit  the  world  is  not  quite  as  it  should  be ;  but  it  is  as  it  is  we 
must  deal  with  it.  Would  I  rob  a  poor  man  of  his - ,  and  the 
few  little  enjoyments  he  has  ?  No,  certainly  not,  but  I  should  not 
like  to  see  them  cut  off  at  the  end.”  Here  is  another,  a  good  man,  but 
a  great  grumbler  ;  as  a  gardener  he  is  all  right ;  it  is  the  profession 
which  is  all  wrong.  Something  wrong,  that  is  evident,  for  there  is 
a  hard,  careworn  expression  deeply  envisaged  which  is  neither  right 
to  have  nor  good  to  see.  One  could  scarcely  imagine  those  full, 
fresh  faces  we  see  in  bothydom  could  ever  be  thus,  we  trust  they 
never  will.  “Talk  is  cheap,”  he  says;  “look  at  my  papers,  see 
what  they  prove — ability,  sobriety,  honesty  ?  Do  I  question  them  ? 
and  after  all  my  toil  and  moil,  what  is  there  to  look  forward  to  ?” 
Not  quite  honest  to  yourself,  friend  ;  perhaps  a  little  pruning  and  a 
few  buds  cleverly  inserted,  if  done  at  once,  may  yet  bear  good  fynit, 
although  the  season  is  too  far  advanced  to  hope  for  a  full  crop. 
So  they  pass  along  this  path — all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
gardeners.  Where  is  my  own  double  in  the  motley  throng  ?  Can  I 
see  him  ?  Yes,  I  think  so  ;  I  hope  so  ;  and  what  judgment  do  I 
pass  on  this  second  seif  of  an  oil  boy  ?  As  severe  as  the  court  of 
conscience  will  allow.  Will  you  do  the  same,  that  we  may  “see 
ourselves  as  ithers  see  us?”  at  once.  We  are  too  far  on  the 
journey  to  dally  with  Time.  It  is.  Now  or  never. 
“  Give  a  man  a  pension  and  he  will  live  for  ever  ”  is  a  saying 
I  lately  heard,  and  it  impressed  me  as  being  more  forcible  than 
graceful ;  but  having  discounted  it,  there  is  a  good  sound  moral 
conveyed  in  the  strength  of  a  prop  of  some  kind  to  a  man  in  his 
declining  years.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  trust  in  Providence,  but  bad 
policy  to  tempt  it,  and  Providence  seems  most  disposed  to  help 
those  who  help  themselves.  You  will  say  that  the  old  boy  is 
introducing  his  favourite  theme,  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent 
Institution.  It  is  so  ;  I  am  paid  to  do  it.  Paid  ?  Yes  ;  but  do 
not  mistake  me — paid  in  pounds  of  comfort  for  having  done  at 
least  one  thing  (and  mind,  young  heads,  at  the  right  time)  which 
it  is  wise  to  do.  Possibly  you  might,  from  passing  interest,  like  to 
know  more  ;  to  know  am  I  depending  upon  this.  Certainly  not — 
not  now,  but  as  for  the  future  I  cannot  say  ;  I  cannot  see  the  end. 
Can  you  ? 
There  is  one  matter  I  should  like  to  suggest  to  those  who  are 
members  of  the  above  noble  institution,  and  in  whose  hand  lies 
the  power  to  elect  by  vote  those  who  seek  its  assistance— that  is, 
it  appears  to  be  a  plain  duty  to  rally  round  the  brother  who, 
though  late  iu  life,  has  become  a  member  in  preference  to  those 
who  seek  to  reap  where  they  have  never  sown.  It  may  appear  to 
be  uncharitable,  but  it  is  not  unjust,  for  there  is  amongst  this 
great  company  who  are  jogging  along  few,  perhaps,  who  will  heed 
this  matter,  and  some  at  least  whom  the  subscribers  will  hear  of 
sooner  or  later ;  and,  again,  there  are  others  who,  though  rather 
late  in  thinking  of  it,  deserve  the  prior  consideration  to  those  who 
have  never  thought  of  it  at  all.  1  should  not  like  any  one  man  to 
feel  that  it  is  too  late,  but  rather  that  it  is  better  late  than  never. 
It  is  a  wise  thing  to  do  at  any  time,  but  it  is  a  noble  thing  to  do 
it  before  self-interests  prompt  the  action.  Will  some  of  our  con¬ 
tributors  to  “  The  Young  Gardener’s  Domain  ”  gratify  an  old  boy 
by  telling  him  that  this  appeal  to  their  heads  and  hearts  is  not  in 
vain  ?  You  need  not  pa  7se  to  consider  th's,  as  yon  have  been 
asked  to  do  some  things.  I  have  considered  it  for  many  years — 
for  you.  Simply  take  my  word  that  it  is  the  right  thing  to 
do,  and  that  on  your  part  of  the  path  lays  the  privilege  of  doing  it 
at  the  right  time. — An  Old  Boy. 
(To  be  continned.) 
