JnJy  22,  la97. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
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a  cooler  and  drier  house,  and  have  a  very  fine  effect  suspended 
from  the  roof.  By  the  time  these  spikes  are  over  there  will  often 
be  signs  of  new  growth  from  the  base,  and  this  is  as  good  a  time 
as  any  for  propagation  or  renewal  of  the  compost. 
Large  plants  may,  if  necessary,  be  cut  up  into  as  many  pieces 
as  there  are  leads,  first  removing  as  much  of  the  compost  as  can 
be  got  at  conveniently,  so  that  a  few  roots  may  be  secured  with 
each  divided  portion.  Not  that  these  are  of  any  great  value  to  the 
plant  except  as  a  means  of  mechanical  support,  for  what  is  of  much 
more  importance  is  to  secure  the  young  roots  that  are  put  forth 
after  these  bits,  are  separately  potted.  Get  these  to  take  a  good 
hold  of  the  new  compost  at  once,  and  the  future  health  of  the 
plant  is  practically  secured,  but  if  through  mismanagement  these 
are  lost  it  will  be  far  from  a  healthy  or  thriving  plant  for  years. 
A  very  thin  layer  of  compost  will  be  found  sufficient  for  these 
little  pieces,  the  pots  or  pans  used  being  then  partly  filled  with 
crocks.  The  best  material  is  peat  fibre  and  sphagnum  moss  in 
equal  proportions,  with  abundance  of  finely  broken  crocks  and 
charcoal  to  insure  a  free  passage  for  air  and  water.  In  repotting 
plants  that  have  not  to  he  divided  let  the  drainage  be  thorough, 
as  large  quantities  of  water  have  to  pass  it,  and  in  removing  the 
plant  from  the  old  material  be  careful  not  to  disturb  the  roots 
unduly.  In  finishing  the  line  of  compost  let  it  form  a  very  slightly 
convex  surface,  and  just  finish  under  the  base  of  the  last  formed 
pseudo-bulb. 
Both  small  and  large  plants  must  be  carefully  watered  for  some 
time  after  being  disturbed,  any  excess  causing  both  old  and  young 
roots  to  decay.  Rather  more  shade  also  may  be  allowed  for  a 
time,  and  the  house  wherein  they  are  grown  kept  fairly  close.  The 
most  generally  cultivated  species  is  D.  glumaceum,  a  very  elegant 
and  beautiful  Orchid,  a  native  of  the  Philippine  Islands,  where  it 
was  discovered,  along  with  D.  filiforme,  by  Cuming,  and  sent  to  j 
Messrs.  Loddiges  of  Hackney.  It  first  flowered  at  their  nursery  in 
1841,  and  a  little  later  in  the  same  year  D.  filiforme  flowered  in 
Mr.  Bateman’s  then  famous  collection.  The  racemes  of  the 
former  species  are  creamy  white  when  fully  developed,  those  of 
the  latter  bright  golden  yellow.  Paler  in  colour,  but  of  the  same 
graceful  habit,  is  D.  Cobbianum,  named  after  the  gentleman  with 
whom  it  first  flowered  in  England — Mr.  Cobb,  of  Sydenham.  This 
was  sent  home  in  1879,  and  flowered  in  August  and  September. 
D.  uncatum  is  a  pretty  plant  with  shorter  stouter  racemes  of 
pale  greenish  blossoms,  produced  very  early  in  the  new  year. — 
H.  R.  R. 
LILIUM  CANDIDUM. 
I  NOTICE  in  last  week’s  Journal  one  of  those  complaints  which 
are  constantly  being  made  with  regard  to  the  failure  of  this  old 
and  beautiful  favourite  of  our  gardens.  I  am  somewhat  surprised 
at  this,  although  the  writer  does  not  give  any  information  as 
to  the  locality  or  soil.  I  have  never  in  my  experience  of  it 
seen  it  in  greater  luxuriance  or  beauty  than  it  is  this  year.  I 
have  clumps  of  it  which  are  a  mass  of  flower,  and  this  is 
more  especially  to  be  noted,  because  in  one  place  in  my  garden 
they  nearly  all  perished  a  few  years  ago.  I  attributed  this  to  the 
Lily  mite,  and  conclude  that  some  small  bulbs  were  left  which 
have  increased  in  size  and  vigour,  and  have  this  year  bloomed.  I 
did  not  disturb  the  soil,  because  in  the  bed  in  which  they  were 
planted  there  were  Orange  Lilies  as  well. 
I  have  recently  been  through  different  parts  of  my  parish,  and 
wherever  I  have  gone  I  have  seen  this  Lily  in  the  greatest  luxuriance. 
There  are  some  labourers’  cottages  on  a  sloping  bank  facing  the 
south,  where  the  soil  is  sandy,  and  altogether  about  as  hot  a  spot 
as  they  could  well  be  in,  and  here  the  gardens  were  quite  a  show, 
so  strong  and  luxuriant  were  the  plants.  In  another  garden  on  the 
top  of  the  hill,  still  facing  south,  they  are  equally  vigorous,  while  I 
saw  in  a  border  to  a  drive  leading  up  to  a  house,  a  large  quantity 
of  them  in  full  flower. 
I  have  also  seen  them  in  situations  somewhat  different  from 
these,  where  they  seem  to  be  doing  well ;  but  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  a  hot  and  dry  situation  is  what  suits  them  best. 
It  may  be  asked  whether  these  have  had  any  special  cultivation. 
My  reply  is.  Certainly  not  ;  they  have  never  been  touched,  and  I 
believe  this  is  one  reason  why  they  have  done  so  well.  Many 
Lilies  resent  disturbance,  some  more  than  others,  and  I  think  that 
candidum  is  one  of  those  that  least  like  it.  When  the  bulbs  get 
too  much  crowded  together  it  may  be  well  to  takeout  some  without 
disturbing  the  clump,  so  as  to  give  room  for  the  others  to  increase 
in  size. 
While  writing  of  white  Lilies  I  may  mention  a  new  one  which 
I  have  in  flower  in  my  greenhouse,  Lilium  philippinense.  I  do  not 
think  it  is  quite  ascertained  to  be  hardy  ;  it  comes,  as  its  name 
implies,  from  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  would,  therefore,  probably 
be  considered  as  tender,  but  as  it  is  found  in  the  high  altitude  it 
may  be  like  some  of  those  plants  from  Kilemanjaro,  situated 
almost  on  the  Equator,  which  can  yet  bear  open-air  culture  in  our 
climate.  It  is  dwarf  in  habit,  with  a  long  slender  tube-shaped 
flower  somewhat  in  the  style  of  longiflorum  but  more  slender, 
about  a  foot  in  length,  with  a  pleasant  fragrance.  It  is  a  very 
elegant  and  attractive  Lily,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  seems  of  easy 
culture,  and  will,  I  have  no  doubt  when  plentiful,  be  very  popular. 
— D.,  Deal. 
CROSSING  AND  SPOILING  MELONS. 
I  DO  not  know  how  it  is  that  Melons  of  the  present  day  are 
such  a  medley  and  uncertain  in  quality  lot.  Very  few  have  any 
merit  beyond  appearance,  and  scarcely  any  receive  recognition  from 
the  Fruit  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  I  have 
only  sent  two  in  my  time,  and  the  Secretary  wrote,  saying  “  they 
were  not  superior  to  those  in  cultivation.”  Well,  I  was  rather 
dumbfounded  over  this,  as  they  were  certainly  more  esteemed  at 
home  than  any  named  varieties,  and  in  Covent  Garden  Market 
brought  Is.  more  per  fruit.  In  sending  seed*  to  various  growers  I 
got  invariably  two  replies— 1,  Extremely  difficult  to  grow,  and  not 
of  superior  quality,  which  meant  that  Melons  varied  considerably 
in  different  soils  and  under  diverse  treatment.  2,  Not  two  plants 
alike  in  growth,  and  the  fruit  even  variable  on  the  same  plant; 
some  oval,  others  spherical ;  some  smooth,  others  netted  ;  some 
ribbed,  with  others  without  ribs ;  some  scarlet-flesh,  others  green 
or  white,  with  some  both  scarlet  and  green  or  white,  or  all  three 
mingled  in  the  same  fruit ;  some  sweet,  and  others  poor  in  flavour. 
Here  again  I  had  either  sent  the  wrong  sort  or  the  varieties  were 
wholly  unreliable — a  mongrel,  wastrel  lot. 
The  whole  thing  passed  my  comprehension,  as  with  me  the 
varieties  grew  like  weeds,  were  always  the  same,  never  getting 
mixed,  and  invariably  pronounced  very  good.  Not  being  in  the 
“  pink  of  perfection  ”  when  cut  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Fruit 
Committee’s  knife,  I  can  readily  understand,  and  of  their  apprecia¬ 
tive  appetites  I  entertain  no  doubt,  even  when  they  do  not  agree  to 
give  a  recognition  of  merit.  That  the  Committee  know  a  good 
Melon  there  is  no  question,  and  perhaps  some  of  the  members  are 
old  enough  to  remember  Early  Cantaloupe,  Egyptian,  Persian,  and 
Cabul— the  only  four  sorts  grown  in  the  garden  where  I  first  had 
anything  to  with  Melons.  If  so,  they  will  remember  how  true 
they  were  to  type,  and  were  grown  from  year  to  year  without 
change  of  flesh  by  any  process  of  crossing  by  natural  or  artificial 
means.  There  was  the  scarlet-flesh,  green- flesh,  and  white- flesh,  in 
their  order,  perfect— not  a  better  Melon  now — at  least,  I  never  taste 
their  equal,  if  palate-memory  tell  truly  ;  hence  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion,  rightly  or  wrongly,  that  Melons  have  been  “crossed  and 
spoiled.” 
There  are  several  types  of  Melons.  Naudin  makes  ten  groups  of 
them,  nine  of  which  are  concerned  with  the  cultivated  forms  : — 
1,  Cantaloupes  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  cantaloupensis). — The  name 
is  derived  from  Cantaluppi,  a  former  seat  of  the  Pope  near  Rome, 
where  the  Cantaloupe  Melon*  were  early  brought  from  Armenia. 
The  fruits  are  characterised  by  a  hard  and  more  or  less  warty, 
scaly,  or  rough  skin,  and  they  are  often  deeply  furrowed  or  grooved, 
the  appearance  belying  their  good  qualities. 
2,  Netted  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  reticulatus). — This  class  com¬ 
prises  the  greater  part  of  the  Melons  now  grown  in  this  country. 
Some  are  ribbed  (of  Egyptian  origin),  others  smooth,  barring  the 
netting  (of  Persian  origin).  All  are  very  juicy  fruits,  very  tender, 
somewhat  watery,  and  thin  rinded. 
3,  Sugar  (Cucumis  Melo  var,  saccharinus). — The  Sugar  Melons 
are  small,  hard  rinded  (Turner’s  Scarlet-flesh)  or  medium  in  that 
respect  (Pine  Apple),  very  firm,  solid,  melting  flesh,  deliciously 
flavoured.  Some  are  ribbed,  others  smooth  barring  netting.  They 
are  merely  forms  of  the  netted  or  Nutmeg  Melons,  as  highly 
concentrated  a  flesh  and  quality  as  it  is  perhaps  possible  to  get 
Melons,  and  this  may  be  where  the  spoiling  begun — the  endeavour 
to  get  the  firm  flesh  into  the  soft,  scarlet  into  green  flesh,  and 
neither  one  thing  nor  the  other,  as  soft  flesh  ripens  before  the  hard, 
and  the  scarlet  mingle  with  the  green. 
4,  Scentless  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  inodora). — This  class  comprises 
the  long-keeping  or  Winter  Melons,  smooth  or  nearly  so,  large  and 
oval.  They  are  of  very  inferior  quality,  and  probably  of  Central 
Asian  origin.  The  fruits  are  different  from  the  long-keeping 
Cabul  Melons,  the  latter  being  exquisite,  and  certainly  of  similar 
type  to  the  Persian. 
5,  Snake  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  flexuosus). — A  snake-like  fruit, 
more  like  a  Cucumber  than  Melon,  and  of  no  use.  The  fruit  is 
greenish  yellow  at  maturity,  and  longitudinally  ribbed.  The  fruit 
is  sometimes  preserved  and  considered  fine.  It  must  not  be  con¬ 
founded  with  the  Snake  Cucumber  (Cucumis  lagenaria) . 
6,  Cucumber  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  acidulus). — The  fruits  are 
more  or  less  cylindrical  or  oblong,  variously  mottled  or  unicoloared. 
