JOCli.\^AL  OF  liORTTOtlLTURF  ARF  COTfAOR  GAUDEAER, 
becehiiier  S4,  18&3. 
is 
Since  writing  the  above  I  have  had  a  pleasant  lurpriie  in  the 
shape  of  a  visit  from  a  gardening  friend,  and  among  other  matters 
touched  upon  while  we  were  talking  “  shop  ”  I  happened  to  sing 
the  praises  of  retarded  Lily  crowns.  Fortunately  my  enthusiasm 
on  their  behalf  met  with  no  attempt  at  rebuff,  as  my  boon  com¬ 
panion  was  ready  to  admit  the  truth  of  all  that  I  said  on  their 
behalf  ;  and  indeed  I  thought  afterwards  that  he  managed  to  sum 
up  the  good  points  about  retarded  crowns  in  a  very  few  words, 
when  he  exclaimed,  “  Yes ;  they  are  grand  for  the  production  of 
early  flowers,  as  they  give  so  little  trouble,  and  bring  such  good 
results.  One  simply  has  to  pot  them,  place  them  in  any  warm 
house,  on  a  shelf  in  bottom  heat,  or  even  on  the  floor,  and  without 
any  further  trouble,  except  to  give  water  when  required,  in  a 
few  weeks  we  are  rewarded  with  fine  spikes,  and  plenty  of  broad 
shining  leaves  ;  not  a  crown  seems  to  fail,  as  after  their  long  rest 
each  one  seems  to  be  striving  to  get  ahead  of  its  neighbonr.” 
Now  that  a  beginning  has  been  made  in  distributing  retarded 
crowns  among  privati  growers,  I  fael  sure  that  the  demand  for 
them  will  increase  by  leaps  and  bounds  in  the  future,  and  I  doubt 
not  that  trade  growers  are  already  making  great  preparations  to 
supply  the  anticipated  demand.  The  slight  increase  in  price 
charged  per  thousand  is  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  saving 
effected  in  fuel,  and  from  a  commercial  point  of  view  it  is  wise 
economy  to  buy  retarded  crowns .  The  process  by  which  plants 
and  shrubs  are  retarded  in  order  to  have  them  in  flower  in  the 
autumn  and  winter  months  is,  however,  fraught  with  possibilities 
for  the  future,  and  it  requires  no  great  gift  of  imagination  to 
picture  the  refrigerator  as  a  necessary  adjunct  to  all  large  gardens  ; 
then  with  its  aid  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  plants  and  shrubs, 
glass  structures  in  the  autumn  and  winter  months  may  be  kept 
quite  as  gay  with  a  variety  of  blossoms  as  they  are  during  the 
spring  months,  which  period  has  previously  been  considered  the 
one  marked  by  welcome  sunshine  and  a  wealth  of  flowers. — H.  D . 
THE  CONSOLATIONS  OF  WINTER. 
Tills  is  undoubtedly,  to  the  lover  of  Nature,  the  saddest  season 
of  the  year.  It  is  a  period  of  almost  utter  snniessnesa,  unless 
indeed  when  the  element  of  frost,  suddenly  clearing  the  atmo¬ 
sphere  and  brightening  the  whole  aspect  of  the  earth,  evanescently 
intervenes.  It  is  a  trying  time  for  Lilies,  Irises,  Hyacinths,  and 
Narcissi,  many  of  which  unquestionably  suffer  much,  while  a  great 
number  perish,  as  I  know  from  long  experience,  under  the  influence 
ot  ruinous  rains.  There  are  not  seldom  whole  weeks  during  the 
summer  when  such  watery  visitations  as  those  which  characterise 
this  season  would  rejoice  the  spirit  of  the  horticulturist,  as  he 
contemplates  his  drooping  and  languishing  flowers,  when  he 
perceives  that  the  insects  are  preying  upon  the  foliage  of  bis 
noblest  fruit  trees.  But  during  the  month  of  December  the  floods 
are  too  frequent  and  too  destruciive  in  their  tendency  to  be 
regarded  with  equanimity. 
But  no  sooner  have  the  floods  disappeared — if  only  for  a  day — 
than  our  hopes  begin,  barometer-like,  to  rise.  If  we  have  had 
little  sunshine  on  the  confines  of  the  New  Year  there  has,  on  the 
other  hand,  been  no  merciless  frost  to  make  havoc  of  those  treasures 
which  are  our  especial  pride.  Evan  the  fields  which  environ  our 
gardens  have  a  virginal  aspect  of  tenderest  green,  prophetic  of  the 
spring.  The  Snowdrop,  that  emblem  of  patience  rewarded  and 
steadfast  hope  fnlfilled,  is  already  above  the  ground  in  those 
sheltered  regions  among  the  woodlands  where  it  chiefly  loves  to 
dwell,  and  ere  long  it  will  be  quietly  unfolding,  in  unobtrusive 
loveliness,  its  gently  drooping  snow-white  flowers. 
“  Artless  they  shine ;  but  could  we  understand 
The  Art  that  raised  them  into  beauteous  birth, 
Then  should  we  hold  Creation  by  the  hand ; 
Then  should  we  grasp  the  secret  of  the  earth.” 
Buds,  incapable  of  development  into  full-blown  beauty  for 
lack  of  the  essential  element  of  sunlight,  are  still  visible  in  our 
gardens  on  such  winter-defying  Roses  as  Gioire  de  Dijon,  A.  K. 
Williams,  Anna  Olivier,  and  Marie  Van  Houtte.  But  for  the 
intervening  element  of  frost  we  would  have  in  this  region  perpetual 
spring.  Many  of  our  Tea  Roses  are  still  steadily  engaged  in  the 
Buperfiuoni  work  of  generating  shooti  crowned  with  embryonic 
flowers  which  merit  a  fairer  destiny  than  they  are  likely  to  receive. 
1  am  much  interested  to  learn  that  in  a  neighbouring  garden, 
not  too  strongly  protected  from  the  winds,  that  vernal  flower 
Chionodoxa  Lucilim  has  come  before  the  element  with  which  it  is 
associated,  and  is  already  in  bloom.  The  leaves  of  the  Madonna 
Lily  are,  even  for  such  a  season,  marvellously  fresh  and  fair,  but 
never  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances  have  I  seen  them 
deitroyed.  None  of  my  other  Lilies  (with  the  exception  of  an 
occasional  Harrisi),  however  active  beneath  the  ground,  is  visible 
on  its  surface  at  this  season  of  inward  hopefulness  and  outward 
gloom. 
The  loveliest  flower  of  December  is  Jasminum  nudiflorum. 
Hardly  less  brave,  and  even  less  obtrusive,  i*  Helleborm  niger, 
the  gentle  Christmas  Rose,  which  brings  the  pure  grace  of  the 
Yernal  Anemone  to  gladden  our  vision  till  the  Jasmine  has  perished 
and  the  Snowdrop  has  appeared. 
And  thus,  if  Nature  is  resting  from  her  labours,  it  is  not 
wholly  an  inactive  repose.  Here  and  there,  as  we  have  already 
indicated,  her  conquest  over  the  powers  of  winter  is  not  only 
suggested  but  visibly  expressed.  Ere  long  the  great  work  she 
has  been  invisibly  achieving  will  be  radiantly  manifest  to  the 
outward  gaze.  We  have  scarce  time  to  mourn  the  absence  of  one 
grand  floral  revelation  ere  another  more  impressive  in  its  splendoirr 
appears.  So  generous  is  Nature  that  even  during  her  short  period.8 
of  repose  she  permits  the  law  of  variation  to  intervene,  for  the 
few  fair  flowers  that  shine  amid  the  death-like  desolation  cf 
winter  are  beneficently  active  while  the  others  are  at  rest. — 
David  R.  Williamson. 
■( 
S 
Odontoglossum  Halli. 
Quite  distinct  from  ail  other  Odontoglossums,  this  fine  species 
comes  nearest  to  the  0.  luteo-purpureum  set  of  varieties.  A  good 
form  is,  however,  much  superior  to  an7of  these,  and  even  the  worst 
varieties — that  is  to  say,  the  smallest  and  dullest  in  colour,  are 
well  worthy  a  place.  There  are  two  distinct  sets  of  varieties,  the 
typical  forms  having  white  lips  more  or  less  blotched  and  spotted 
with  reddish  brown,  while  the  Xanthoglossum  set  has  this  organ 
yellow  and  similarly  marked.  The  type  has  pale  yellow  lepals,  and 
petals  heavily  blotched  with  chocolate  brown  ;  these  are  rather 
narrow  and  pointed,  while  the  lip  is  prettily  fringed  with  a  recurved 
tip. 
The  culture  of  O,  Halli  presents  no  great  difficulty  in  a  suitable 
temperature,  bnt  the  plant  is  erratic  in  its  time  of  flowering.  The 
puendo-bulb  as  a  rule  commences  to  err.it  young  roots  when  neatly 
formed,  and  whether  this  is  in  autumn  or  in  early  spring  the 
plants  should  then  be  repotted  if  they  need  this  attention,  or  top- 
dressed  if  this  only  is  necessary.  Disturb  the  plants  as  little  as 
possible,  bnt  make  sure  before  placing  in  the  new  pots  that  nothing 
of  a  close  or  sour  nature  has  been  left  behind.  Any  old  roots  that 
are  quite  dead  may  be  cut  away,  saving  every  one  that  is  alive, 
and  wrapping  a  little  new  compost  carefully  about  them  in  order 
that  the  crocks  used  in  filling  up  do  not  bruise  them. 
The  new  compost  may  consist  of  equal  parts  of  the  best  peat 
fibre,  rid  of  all  earth  and  sand,  and  clean,  freshly  gathered  sphagnum 
moss.  Mix  this  well,  and  have  plenty  of  finely  broken  crocks  and 
charcoal  to  hand  The  pots  chosen  need  only  be  large  enough  to 
admit  of  the  plants  being  readily  fixed,  and  allow  an  inch  or  so  of 
compost.  Drain  them  thoroughly,  and  cover  ti.e  drainage  with  a 
little  rough  moss.  Small  plants  may  be  held  in  the  hand  in  the 
proper  position — that  is,  with  the  last  formed  bulb  well  above  the 
rim  of  the  pot — while  the  compost  is  put  in  and  firmly  fixed  with 
the  dibber.  Throw  in  a  small  handful  of  the  crocks  on  the  top  of 
each  layer  of  compost,  and  when  finished  trim  off  neatly  all  ragged 
ends. 
For  larger  plants  the  principle  is  the  same,  but  of  course  they 
cannot  be  held  in  position  so  easily,  and  the  compost  must  be  used 
in  a  rougher  condition  with  larger  lumps  of  charcoal  or  crocks. 
Replace  the  plants  in  their  growing  quarters  with  as  little  delay  as 
possible,  and  water  carefully  until  the  new  roots  are  entering  the 
compost  freely.  Thej  will  be  found  to  run  dry  very  quickly  at 
first,  and  must  be  frequently  looked  over  or  the  pseudo-bulbs  will 
shrivel.  Plants  that  are  pushing  flower  spikes  ought  not  to  be 
potted  if  it  can  be  helped  until  these  are  over,  but  if  iu  really  bad 
condition  this  must  not  be  allowed  to  be  a  hindrance,  or  the  new 
roots,  or  most  of  them,  will  perish  in  the  unsuitable  medium. 
The  best  place  to  grow  0.  Halli  is  the  coolest  house  at  command, 
where  in  summer  the  glass  rarely  rises  above  65^',  and  if  5°  lower 
BO  much  the  better.  Heavy  shading  has  to  be  resorted  to  to  keep 
the  temperature  at  this  low  figure,  and  not  much  roof  ventilation 
must  be  allowed  through  the  day.  After  sundown,  when  the  blinds 
are  drawn  up,  is  the  time  to  open  the  top  lights  to  their  fullest 
extent,  while  daring  damp  still  nights  the  house  should  always  be 
left  wide  open.  Damping  between  the  plants,  under  the  stage  and 
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