572 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
December  16,  1897. 
limited,  or  the  plants  will  soon  become  unhealthy,  and  when  once  they 
get  into  that  state  it  is  very  difficult  to  insure  their  recovery. 
A  few  of  the  species  are  adapted  for  culture  in  pots.  Some  cultivators 
prefer  peat  alone  for  the  species  under  pot  culture,  with  thorough  drainage, 
but  a  little  turfy  loam  incorporated  with  the  peat  is  beneficial.  But  in 
that  case  sand  should  be  also  used  unless  the  pot  contains  a  large  pro¬ 
portion.  Both  the  baskets  and  pot  plants  must  have  a  warm  position  in 
the  stove,  and  then  little  difficulty  will  be  experienced  with  them. 
JE,  speciosus  is  one  of  the  most  handsome,  its  large  scarlet  and  orange 
flowers  being  produced  in  trusses  of  sixteen  to  twenty,  and  with  several  of 
these  on  a  plant  of  moderate  size  in  a  5  or  6-inch  pot  the  eifect  is  most 
striking.  Another  valuable  quality  it  possesses  is  the  remarkable  durabilty 
of  the  flowers,  which  last  in  good  condition  for  some  weeks.  This  plant 
was  found  by  Mr.  Thomas  Lobb  growing  upon  trees  in  damp  woods  on 
Mount  Asapan  in  Java  at  an  elevation  of  2000  feet.  JE.  fulgens  was  also 
collected  by  ]VIr.  T.  Lobb  in  Moulmein.  It  approaches  the  above  in  habit, 
but  is  more  drooping.  The  leaves  are  large  and  ovate,  the  flowers  being 
3  inches  or  more  long,  scarlet  streaked  with  yellow  in  front,  and  are  borne 
in  large  heads. 
JE.  cordifolius,  obtained  by  the  same  collector,  is,a  native  of  Borneo, 
with  leaves  and  flowers  of  moderate  size,  the  latter  about  2  inches  long, 
deep  scarlet  streaked  with  black  in  the  throat,  and  produced  in  pairs  or 
triplets  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  This  is  well  suited  for  a  basket,^as 
also  is  its  near  relative  JE.  tricolor  (fig.  83),  both  being  of  slender  habit. 
The  last-named  is  similarly  a  native  of  Borneo.  It  has  small  ovate  leaves, 
the  flower  being  about  inch  or  2  inches  long,  scarlet  streaked  with 
orange  and  black. 
javanicus  is  a  showy  form,  with  deep  scarlet  flowers  streaked  with 
yellow,  and  borne  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  near  the  point  of  the  stems  ; 
while  JE.  Lobbianus  ought  to  be  included  in  every  collection,  its  rich 
scarlet  corollas  contrasting  so  well  with  the  deep  purple  calyx.  All  these 
succeed  best  in  baskets.  This  plant  is  especially  useful  owing  to  its  free 
growth  and  flowering,  requiring  rather  less  care  than  the  others,  and  the 
flowers  last  for  a  great  time. — (J. 
NOTES  ON  PEARS. 
The  Pear  crop  of  the  past  season  will  be  remembered  as  an  erratic 
one,  some  shy  cropping  varieties  having  carried  full  crops  by  the  side  of 
others  that  were  complete  failures,  although,  as  a  rule,  reliable  croppers. 
Williams’  Bon  Chretien,  than  which  for  cropping  we  have  no  variety 
more  reliable,  especially  as  pyramids  and  bushes,  was  this  year  a  complete 
failure,  not  from  lack  of  bloom,  but  possibly  from  the  fact  of  our  having 
9^  of  frost  when  the  trees  were  in  full  flower.  Yet  by  their  side,  also  in 
blossom,  Beurre  Diel  carried  a  full  crop,  which  for  size  and  finish  was  a 
record.  A  Marie  Louise  on  a  wall,  with  a  west  aspect,  trained  horizon¬ 
tally  with  geometrical  precision,  gave  only  a  very  light  crop.  The  same 
variety  as  a  pyramid,  1.5  feet  high,  bore  a  good  crop  of  large  fruits. 
Duchesse  d’Angoullme  as  pyramids  carried  scarcely  a  Pear,  but  on 
upright  cordons  in  the  open  there  was  about  half  a  crop  of  very  fine  fruit. 
Beurr6  d’Amanlis,  a  grand  Pear  to  succeed  Williams’  Bon  Chretien,  either 
for  market  or  private  use,  carried  half  a  crop  of  large  fruit,  but  did 
not  finish  so  fine  a  colour  as  usual.  As  pyramids  the  delicious  Doyenne 
du  Comice  never  bears  a  very  heavy  crop,  but  this  year  it  has  been  above 
the  average.  As  oblique  cordons  on  walls  this  variety  gave  a  heavy  crop 
of  smaller  fruit.  Comte  de  Lamy,  although  a  small  fruit,  is  one  of  the 
best  flavoured  Pears  for  October  we  have,  and  it  possesses  the  additional 
advantage  of  being  a  constant  bearer.  This  year  as  bushes  it  has  been 
below  the  average  in  quantity,  but  above  the  usual  size, 
Z4phirin  Gregoire,  a  very  reliable  bearer,  has  this  year  given  us  a 
poor  crop  of  small  fruit.  Intending  planters,  not  altogether  carried  away 
with  the  modern  craze  for  size,  should  not  forget  this  variety,  as  for 
British  gardens  a  richer  flavoured  variety  does  not  exist.  It  is  “  rich  and 
sugary,”  with  a  delicious  aroma  all  its  own.  The  crop  of  Winter  Nelis, 
both  as  bushes  and  on  walls,  is  much  below  the  average,  and  the  same 
remarks  apply  to  Glou  Morpeau.  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey  has  borne  good 
crops,  both  as  pyramids  in  exposed  situations  and  as  cordons  on  walls. 
Of  the  very  useful  late  kinds  Josephine  de  Malines  and  Bergamotte 
Esperen  head  the  list,  both  giving  good  crops,  but  of  small  size  fruits.  Beurre 
Ranee  on  a  wall  with  a  west  aspect  was  a  very  light  crop,  and  Easter 
Beurr4  as  bushes  little  better.  The  latter  has  generally  to  be  used  for 
stewing,  as  it  very  seldom  ripens  properly,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
Knight’s  Monarch. 
The  following  varieties  have  carried  fairly  good  crops  as  oblique 
cordons  : — Pitmaston  Duchess,  Marie  Louise  d’Uccle,  Brown  Beurrd, 
Beurrd  Clairgeau,  Souvenir  du  Congr^s,  and  Madame  Treyve.  Very 
few  fruits  have  been  afforded  by  Clapp’s  Favourite,  Passe  Colmar,  Beurrd 
Bachelier,  Passe  Crasanne,  and  Nouvelle  Fulvie. 
Another  peculiarity  about  the  season  in  connection  with  Pears— at 
least,  wdth  us— is  that  they  are  all  ripening  at  least  a  month  earlier  than 
usual  and,  what  is  worse,  remaining  a  much  shorter  time  in  prime  con¬ 
dition.  All  our  efforts  to  keep  them  as  cool  as  possible  seem  of  little 
avail ;  but  no  doubt  the  close  mild  weather  we  have  had  the  last  few 
weeks  has  had  something  to  do  with  this  undesirable  state  of  things. — 
J.  H.  W. 
About  Dendbobes. 
The  majority  of  the  species  comprised  in  this  genus  are  now  at 
rest,  but  a  few  of  the  earlier  flowering  kinds  are  already  giving  us 
of  their  beautiful  flowers.  The  well-known  D.  aureum,  for  instance, 
a  modest  looking  flower,  not  nearly  so  showy  as  many  others,  yet 
remarkable  in  being  one  of  the  parents  of  many  of  the  finest  hybrids 
in  existence.  D.  Ainsworthi,  D.  Leechianum,  D.  splendidissimum, 
and  its  variety  grandiflorum  to  wit,  to  say  nothing  ol  the  secondary 
hybrids  D.  chrysodiscus,  D.  euosmum  of  the  older,  and  many  new 
ones.  These  are  choice  and  beautiful  plants  that  owe  their  being 
partly  to  the  fragrant  and  pretty  species  in  question. 
The  plant  is  too  well  knovvn  to  need  any  description,  and  its 
treatment  just  now  is  very  simple.  Plants  in  flower  should  be  kept  in 
a  fairly  dry  and  cool  house,  in  order  to  prevent,  if  possible,  the  yoimg 
growths  starting  out  of  season,  fl'hose  advancing  for  flower  are  best 
in  rather  more  heat,  but  not  too  much  atmospheric  moisture,  this 
being  apt  to  cause  the  production  of  growths  instead  of  flower  buds. 
Any  later  plants  should  be  kept  quite  dry  at  the  roots  as  soon  as  the 
growth  is  finished,  and  if  convenient  brought  on  for  flowering  in 
small  batches  of  half  a  dozen  plants  or  so;  they  will  then  keep  up  a 
long  display.  The  plant  is  very  widely  distributed  on  the  Khasia 
Hills,  in  Burmah,  Madras,  and  other  parts  of  the  Old  World. 
Not  far  behind  is  the  good  old  D.  nobile,  and  this,  too,  in  its  many 
varieties,  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  potent  in  hybridising.  It  is  not 
strictly  deciduous  like  the  last  mentioned,  still  it  likes  a  good  resting 
season,  and  may,  for  cultural  purf)oses,  be  almost  bracketed  wdth  it. 
Most  of  the  cylindrical  long-stemmed  kinds,  such  as  D.  crassinode, 
D.  Wardianum,  D.  Pierardi,  D.  superbum,  D.  Devonianum,  D.Bensoniae, 
and  others  have  lost  their  foliage,  and  are  best  kept  quite  dry 
and  cool  until  the  new  year.  If  wanted  early  in  flower,  they  may,  of 
course,  be  hastened  a  little  by  placing  in  a  warm  and  moderately  dry 
house ;  but  the  longer  and  more  complete  the  rest,  and  the  more 
gradually  they  are  brought  into  flower,  the  better  they  all  are  without 
exception. 
A  similar  plant  in  appearance,  but  one  needing  totally  different 
treatment,  is  D.  chrysanthum.  In  most  cases  this  begins  to  grow  just 
as  other  deciduous  species  are  going  to  rest,  and  consequently,  during 
the  winter  months,  must  be  kept  grooving  as  freely  as  possible.  If 
the  stems  can  be  kept  dormant  until  the  spring,  all  the  better  ; 
but  when  once  they  commence  growing,  it  is  useless  trying  to  stop 
them,  and  placing  them  in  cool  and  dry  quarters,  with  growths 
2  inches  or  3  inches  in  length,  is  ridiculous,  though  too  often  practised. 
Cultivators  who  do  this  sort  of  thing  can  have  very  slight  powers  of 
observation. 
Two  beautiful  Dendrobes — abundantly  distinct  even  when  out  of 
flower,  yet  sometimes  mistaken  the  one  for  the  other — are  D.  Dal- 
housianum  and  D.  raoschatum  (calceolus).  Both  these  require  a  long 
season  of  growth,  and  even  now  are  often  to  be  met  with  growing 
freely.  If  these  flowered  upon  the  previous  season’s  wood  only  they 
would  be  difficult  plants  to  bloom  freely,  but  as  the  racemes  of  both 
are  produced  upon  two,  and  even  three-year-old  stems,  their  late 
habits  make  little  difference.  But  even  so  it  is  worth  while  being  at 
a  little  trouble  to  get  the  growths  well  away  in  early  spring,  as  they 
have  then  the  dual  advantage  of  the  waning  sun  in  autumn  to  ripen 
and  the  plentiful  supplies  of  fresh  air  that  may  be  safely  afforded  at 
that  season. 
The  east  coast  of  Australia  has  given  us  many  fine  Dendrobiums, 
and  the  culture  of  these  for  the  most  part  resembles  that  recently 
noted  as  suitable  for  D.  bigibbum.  A  well-known  exception,  however, 
is  found  in  D.  speciosum,  this  plant  delighting  in  a  long,  cool,  and 
dry  rest  all  through  the  winter  months,  and  exposure  to  the  full  sun 
nearly  all  the  year  round.  The  growths  in  fact  often  shrivel  consider¬ 
ably  if  the  resting  is  prolonged  enough,  but  this  has  no  ill  effect  upon 
the  plant.  The  variety  Hilli  likes  a  similar  regime,  but  the  more 
delicate,  and  I  think  I  may  say  the  more  beautiful,  Bancroftianum, 
must  not  be  quite  so  harshly  treated.  This  is  a  very  pretty  plant, 
not  common  under  cultivation,  sent  home  by  Dr.  Bancroft  from 
Brisbane  about  sixteen  years  ago,  while  the  type  was  known  in  this 
country  as  far  back  as  1823. 
The  evergreen  section,  as  represented  by  D.  chrysotoxum, 
D.  suavissimum,  and  D.  thyrsiflorum  of  the  larger  habited  kinds,  and 
D.  aggregatum,  D.  Jenkinsi  of  the  smaller,  are  easily  grown,  useful, 
and  handsome  Orchids.  Their  treatment  just  now  is  to  keep  them  on 
the  dry  side  in  an  intermediate  house,  but  they  will  not  stand  so  much 
drying  at  the  roots  as  the  deciduous  kinds,  and  must  never  be  allowed 
