70 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
July  22,  1887. 
it  behoves  everyone  who  aspires  to  the  higher  ranks  of  our  vocation 
in  life  to  prune  off,  and  engraft  upon  a  stock,  which  surely  is  worth 
it,  the  elegant  growth  of  our  mother  tongue.  “  Self-sufficiency  ” 
we  have  to  be  warned  against ;  it  is  probably  the  most  insidious 
and  subtle  enemy  young  life  has  to  contend  with.  I  do  not  think 
that  any  earnest  student  who  seeks  for  truth  beneath  the  surface 
of  things  will  be  its  victim;  it  is  rather  with  those  who  in 
skimming  off  a  few  showy  superficialities  to  flaunt  in  their 
immediate  circle  are  afflicted  by  this  blight. 
I  now  look  back  with  disgust  upon  a  period  of  life  in  which 
this  sickness  of  self-satisfaction,  with  all  its  concomitant  evils, 
infected  me,  and  it  affords  unqualified  pleasure  in  noting  here  and 
there  some  young  gardeners  who  are  apparently  proof  against  the 
malady.  Some  few  cases  there  are,  however,  observable  which 
cannot  but  claim  the  sympathy  we  may  award  to  them  in  noting 
how  seriously  they  interfere  with  a  due  regard  to  the  anaenities 
of  life,  apart  from  which  the  patient  must  seriously  suffer  in  mind, 
body,  or  estate.  Ah  !  young  Mr.  Self-sufficient,  “When  next  you 
talk  of  what  you  view,  think  others  see  as  well  as  you.” — 
An  Old  Boy. 
(To  be  concluded.) 
CYCLAMEN  NOTES. 
There  is  no  flowering  plant  with  which  I  am  acquainted  that 
will  last  so  long  in  perfection  as  Cyclamen  persicum,  and  produce 
such  a  succession  of  beautiful  flowers  of  all  shades  of  colours, 
useful  alike  for  the  embellishment  of  the  greenhouse  and  con¬ 
servatory  and  for  cutting  purposes.  The  marbled  foliage,  too,  of 
these  plants  is  pleasing,  and  some  of  the  varieties  are  sweetly 
scented.  Few  plants  are  more  easily  grown  or  better  repay  good 
culture,  and  the  enormous  quantities  now  grown  for  market 
indicate  the  popularity  of  the  Cyclamen. 
Good  well-flowered  specimens  may  easily  be  grown  in  from  twelve 
to  fifteen  months.  The  seed  should  be  sown  about  the  second 
week  in  August,  in  pans  or  6-inch  pots.  I  prefer  the  latter.  Using 
a  compost  of  two  parts  leaf  soil  to  one  part  of  loam,  with 
abundance  of  silver  sand  added.  The  seed  should  be  sown  thinly 
and  covered  slightly  with  fine  soil.  Place  the  pots  on  a  shelf  in  a 
house  the  temperature  of  which  is  kept  at  about  60°  to  75°.  It  is 
a  good  plan  to  place  a  sheet  of  glass  over  the  seeds,  and  on  this 
some  moss  or  pieces  of  brown  paper,  which  should  be  kept 
frequently  moistened,  thus  preventing  the  soil  from  becoming  dry. 
As  soon  as  the  seedlings  appear  the  coverings  must  be  removed, 
and  the  plants  shaded  from  bright  sunshine.  When  they  show  the 
second  leaf  it  is  the  right  time  to  pot  singly  in  thumb  pots,  keeping 
them  on  a  light  shelf  in  a  cool  temperature  all  winter. 
By  February  or  March  they  should  be  in  a  fit  state  to  be 
removed  into  the  flowering  pots — viz.,  6-inch.  Place  them  in  a 
heated  pit  which  has  a  good  bottom  of  coal  ashes  on  which  to 
stand  the  plants  within  2  inches  of  the  glass.  Keep  the  structure 
close  for  a  few  days,  with  occasional  syringings.  If  the  plants  are 
well  watered  when  potted  they  will  require  no  more  for  some  days, 
until  the  new  roots  are  working  into  the  soil,  the  moisture  received 
through  the  daily  syringings  being  sufficient  to  prevent  their 
flagging.  Keep  the  plants  shaded  from  the  hot  sun  at  all  times, 
and  when  well  established  take  care  that  sufficient  air  is  admitted 
on  all  favourable  occasions,  also  leaving  the  lights  off  at  night 
when  fine  weather  prevails,  as  I  have  noted  they  are  very  partial 
to  the  night  dews.  The  fire  heat  should  also  be  turned  off  from 
this  time  onwards. 
The  compost  recommended  for  sowing  the  seeds  will  also 
answer  admirably  for  potting  the  young  plants,  but  one  part  of 
sifted  horse  droppings  (spent  Mushroom  bed)  and  some  broken 
charcoal  should  be  added.  By  the  middle  of  September  the  plants 
will  be  growing  luxuriantly,  and  will  commence  throwing  up 
quantities  of  flowers.  These  may  be  pulled  out  if  the  plants  are 
not  wanted  in  bloom  until  later.  Cyclamens  are  much  benefited 
by  frequent  applications  of  liquid  manure  and  soot  water,  which 
should  be  given  alternately  throughout  the  summer  months.  A 
little  assistance  in  this  respect  is  also  beneficial  at  intervals  after 
they  are  housed. 
Those  who  require  plants  in  small  pots  for  the  purposes  of  room 
or  dinner-table  decoration  will  find  the  Cyclamen  answer  admirably. 
A  number  of  seedlings  may  be  established  in  thumbs,  and  there 
remain  until  wanted  for  use,  attending  carefully  to  watering,  and 
also  feeding  them  rather  highly.  They  will  be  found  when  turned 
out  and  mossed  up  of  immense  value,  and  have  a  very  pretty  effect. 
They  will  bloom  freely,  each  plant  carrying  as  many  as  two  dozen 
fully  expanded  flowers  at  one  time.  It  is  advisable  when  potting 
these  to  select  only  two  or  three  colours  which  are  most  appropriate 
to  the  requirements  of  the  establishment. — H.  T.  M.,  Stoneleigh. 
Orchids  at  Mere  Bank,  Liscard. 
At  his  charming  residence  on  the  Cheshire  shore  of  the  Mersey 
the  collection  of  Orchids  brought  together  by  the  well-known 
enthusiast,  D.  B.  Rappart,  Esq.,  is  noted  for  its  quality  rather  than 
quantity.  A  recent  introduction  to  the  above  gentleman  led  to  a 
most  enjoyable  visit  being  paid,  when  I  had  the  privilege  of  seeing 
many  choice  plants  of  Cattleya  Mossise  in  flower.  A  fine  piece  of 
C.  Mossise  alba  was  pointed  out,  and  some  excellent  C.  Mendeli, 
Cattleyas  Skinneri  and  superba,  Cypripedium  caudatum  Wallisi, 
and  the  seldom  seen  Dendrobium  rhodostoma.  Overhead  Cattleya 
aurea  was  in  the  most  vigorous  growth  such  as  one  rarely  meets 
with,  giving  every  promise  of  a  charming  feast  later  on.  The 
Trianse  section  is  well  represented,  containing  C.  Trianse  alba  and 
C.  Trianae  Backhousiana.  C.  Gaskelliana  is  seen  in  abundance, 
and  I  hope,  by  the  kind  permission  of  Mr.  Rappart,  to  send  a 
bloom  of  the  true  C .  Gaskelliana  alba,  which  is  now  in  sheath. 
The  white  forms  of  Cattleya  Skinneri  are  noticeable,  and 
C.  intermedia  alba  Parthenia  is  represented  by  a  fine  strong 
plant.  The  rare  Lselia  elegans  blenheimense  is  doing  well,  as 
also  are  L.  anceps  in  variety  and  L.  majalis,  growing  on  an  old 
Dicksonia  stem.  Rich  as  are  the  varieties  of  Cattleyas,  not 
less  so  are  the  Dendrobiums  of  the  varieties  barbatum,  Schneider- 
ianum,  Amesi®  (strong),  nobile  album,  n.  nobilius,  Backhousiana, 
Juno,  Luna,  Venus,  Cypher!,  albiflorum,  and  Apollo  grandi- 
florum.  The  cool  house  Orchids  are  not  quite  so  satisfactory,  and 
Mr.  Rappart  takes  rather  a  gloomy  view  of  their  ever  doing  well, 
thinking  their  situation  rather  low  ;  but  I  am  more  sanguine, 
believing,  as  I  do,  that  his  new  gardener,  Mr.  A.  H.  Nicholson  (a 
young  pupil  of  Mr.  Barberry’s),  will  work  in  the  right  groove, 
although  I  am  well  aware  that  no  class  of  Orchids  are  so  difficult 
to  pull  round  when  they  have  once  gone  back  as  the  cool  house 
section.  Odontoglossums  cordatum  and  crispum  and  a  grand  form 
of  O.  Uro-Skinneri  were  in  bloom.  Naturally,  hybridising  is 
made  a  prominent  feature,  seed  pods  being  in  abundance  and  the 
crosses  choice. — R.  P.  R. 
Dendrochilums. 
Although  the  correct  name  of  this  genus  is  Platyclinis,  it  is 
usual  among  Orchid  growers  to  call  them  by  the  older  name  instead 
of  that  given  by  Bentham  to  part  ot  Blume’e  original  genus.  I 
am  not  aware  if  any  of  the  true  Dendrochilums  are  now  in  cultiva¬ 
tion,  and  if  not  it  is  perhaps  the  wisest  course  for  orchidists  to 
pursue.  The  plants  are  dwarf-growing  pseudo-bulbous  epiphytes 
of  an  evergreen  character,  at  least  under  cultivation.  The  genus 
is  not  a  widely  distributed  one  geographically,  chiefly  occurring  in 
the  Malay  Archipelago,  Java,  and  the  Phillipine  Islands.  They 
form  beautiful  objects  when  well  grown  and  flowered,  especially 
large  specimens. 
The  natural  habitat  suggests  the  best  temperature  for  them, 
that  is  the  East  Indian  house.  A  brisk  moist  beat  with  all  the 
light  and  sun  possible,  without  injuring  the  foliage,  they  delight 
in,  the  moisture  keeping  insects  at  bay,  and  the  quickened  tempera¬ 
ture  causing  the  little  pseudo-bulbs  to  swell  to  their  fullest  extent 
and  to  bloom  freely.  They  cannot,  in  fact,  do  the  one  without  the 
other,  for  if  only  ordinary  care  is  taken  with  large  healthy  bulbs 
they  are  sure  to  produce  a  bounteous  crop  of  blossom.  In  this,  as 
many  readers  are  aware,  they  differ  from  Dendrobiums  and  one  or 
two  other  genera. 
This  strong  moist  heat  must  be  continued  as  long  as  growth  is 
active  and  until  the  pseudo-bulbs  are  well  swelled  out,  and  must  be 
accompanied  by  abundant  root  moisture.  Being  quite  finished  and 
ripened  a  slight  diminution  must  be  made,  and  all  through  the 
autumn  and  early  winter,  if  the  roots  are  moistened  when  they 
begin  to  get  on  the  dry  side,  the  plants  will  take  no  harm.  Dry 
rest,  as  the  term  is  understood,  is  not  required  ;  on  the  other  hand 
it  is  injurious,  leading  to  shrivelling  of  the  pseudo-bulbs  and 
general  weakness  of  the  plant.  But  a  natural  rest,  brought  about 
by  slightly  lowering  the  temperature  and  decreasing  the  atmo¬ 
spheric  and  root  moisture  in  a  like  ratio,  is  recuperative  and  helpful 
to  the  plants. 
In  early  spring  the  flower  spikes  usually  appear,  and  as  soon  as 
these  can  be  distinctly  seen  the  temperature  may  rise  a  little  and 
the  roots  be  kept  rather  more  moist.  They  take  some  time  to 
come  to  perfection,  but  on  well  grown  plants  are  little  trouble. 
When  fully  developed  the  plants  may  be  taken  for  a  few  weeks  to 
