G18 
JOURNAL  OR  FtORTLCULTURE  AND  COTTAOE  GARDENER. 
December  30,  1897. 
Oncidiums. 
It  is  doubtful  if  a  more  generally  useful  genus  of  Orchids  could 
be  named  than  Oncidiums,  the  flowers  appearing  all  through  the  year, 
lasting  well,  and  of  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  colours.  To  take 
the  genus  as  a  whole  it  will  be  found  to  contain  a  large  percentage  of 
yellow  flowering  species — a  much  larger  than  any  other — but  the 
yellows  are  so  varied  and,  moreover,  so  delightfully  blended  in  the 
blossoms  with  other  rich  tints,  that  no  suspicion  of  sameness  exists. 
To  grow  all  under  one  mode  of  treatment,  and  in  one  house,  is 
impossible;  in  fact  few  genera  require  such  a  varied  treatment.  To 
touch  ever  so  lightly  upon  the  culture  of  all  the  kinds  would  require 
a  great  deal  of  space,  but  a  few  remarks  on  those  now  flowering  may 
prove  of  interest. 
There  are  one  or  two  of  the  crispum  set  in  bloom,  but  these  have 
recently  been  noticed.  Of  quite  a  different  class  is  the  charming  little 
0.  cucullatum,  with  which,  for  convenience,  w'e  may  bracket 
0.  nubigenum,  0.  Phalsenopsis,  and  0.  olivaceum,  besides  one  or  two 
other  varieties  more  or  less  beautiful  and  popular.  Descriptions  of 
these  are  probably  unnecessary,  as  most  of  them  are  well  known  to 
readers.  Tneir  culture  is  not  difficult,  and  one  and  all  are  useful  and 
beautiful  plants,  distinct  in  colour  from  the  majority  of  Orchids,  and 
fine  subjects  for  the  cool  Orchid  house. 
None  of  them  likes  large  pots;  the  roots  seem  to  delight  in  growing 
close  together,  over  one  another,  and  round  rough  bits  of  charcoal  and 
crocks  rather  than  push  far  from  the  centre  of  growth.  Coming  as 
they  do  from  high  up  on  the  mountains  in  New  Grenada,  light  and 
air  are  among  the  chief  necessities.  In  fact,  all  through  the  late 
autumn  and  winter  months  it  is  quite  impossible  to  give  the  plants 
anything  like  as  much  light  as  they  want,  and  the  pale,  sickly  looking 
foliage  and  pseiido-bulhs  of  many  cultivated  plants  tell  only  too  plainly 
of  the  pining  of  each  and  all  for  light  and  air.  Compost  is  a  secondary 
matter.  In  a  well  aerated  and  divided  medium  the  roots  will  thrive, 
be  this  peat  moss  or  any  other  material. 
Moisture  at  the  roots  is  an  important  item,  and  without  this  good 
results  are  not  to  be  lo  iked  foi’.  Drainage  then  will  be  needid,  for 
unless  there  is  facility  for  the  moisture  to  escape  the  compost  soon 
gets  into  a  bad,  unhealthy  state.  Another  charming,  sweetly  scented 
kind  is  0.  cheiropliorura,  also  a  native  of  Alpine  heights  in  New 
Grenada,  and  requiring  similar  treatment  to  that  noted  above.  It 
pushes  up  its  delicate  spikes  ot  flowers  in  late  autumn,  and  is  now  in 
good  condition  in  many  collections.  Although  the  individual  flowers 
are  but  half  an  incli  or  so  across,  they  are  closely  set  and  very  brightly 
coloured,  the  yellow  ground  being  among  the  brightest  in  the  genus. 
0.  Cavendishianum  is  a  grand  species,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say 
why  it  is  not  more  grown.  There  seems  to  be  an  idea  among  culti¬ 
vators  that  all  the  bulbous  kinds  are  difficult  to  grow;  but  however 
true  this  may  be  of  some,  it  cannot  be  said  of  this  one.  The  large 
fleshy  leaves  seem  to  hold  nutriment  in  even  a  greater  degree  than 
the  pseudo-bulbs  of  some  kinds,  and  month  after  month °will  the 
plants  carry  the  immense  panicles  of  bloom.  The  spikes  rise  a  yard 
in  height,  or  thereabouts,  and  upon  the  upper  portion  produce  a  score 
or  two  of  the  most  beautiful  yellow  blossoms,  the  ground  colour 
being  overlaid  with  very  small  crimson  or  brownish  dots. 
The  best  place  to  grow  0.  Cavendishianum  is  in  the  Cattleya 
house,  though  it  is  not  fastidious,  and  if  necessary  can  do  with  more 
heat.  The  roots  are  large  and  very  freely  produced,  liking  a  rough, 
open  description  of  compost  over  good  drainage.  During  the  time 
growth  is  active,  and  this  is  usually  from  March  till  the  late  autumn, 
plenty  of  water  is  required ;  but  when  the  leaves  are  fully  developed 
they  are  safer  on  the  dry  side.  It  blooms  every  season,  and  while  the 
spikes  are  pushing  up  is  apt  to  be  attacked  by  green  fly.  If  a  damp 
sponge  is  passed  lightly  up  the  spike  daily  the  insects  will  all  be  got 
rid  of  easily,  or  where  many  plants  are  grown  a  couple  of  light  fumiga¬ 
tions  may  be  given. 
0.  Jonesianum  is  also  in  flower  just  now,  this  and  its  varieties 
having  a  fine  effect  arranged  among  some  of  the  smaller  Adiantums. 
Considerably  more  heat,  a  sunny  position,  and  a  very  moist 
atmosphere  are  necessary  for  this  plant.  In  habit  it  differs  from  the 
majority  of  Orchids,  having  Rush-like,  almost  terete  leaves  and  very 
small  pseudo-bulbs  or  stems.  From  eight  to  twelve  flowers  occur  on 
a  spike,  and  these  are  whitish,  the  sepals  and  petals  being  somewhat 
heavily  marked  with  chestnut  browm.  The  plants  do  best  in  rather 
small  receptacles,  and  I  have  seen  fine  specimens  on  blocks  of  cork. 
If  grown  in  baskets  these  may  be  nearly  filled  with  crocks,  a  light 
surfacing  of  peat  and  sphagnum  moss  sufficing.  It  is  a  native  of 
Paraguay,  and  was  introduced  in  1883. 
There  are  several  other  kinds  one  often  comes  across  at  this  time 
of  year,  such  as  the  charming  little  0.  ornithorhyncum,  the  Butterfly 
species,  0.  Kramerianum,  and  0.  papilio,  while  0.  tigrinum  is  hardly 
over  yet,  and  0.  splendidum  just  coming  on.  But  one  that  calls  for 
special  note  is  the  beautiful  0.  varicosum,  a  plant  without  which  no 
collection  is  complete.  It  produces  its  grand  spikes  all  through  the 
winter,  and  if  only  reasonably  treated  is  easy  of  cultivation.  Keep 
the  rooting  medium  sweet  and  open,  give  the  plant  plenty  of  moisture 
while  growing,  and  a  genial  intermediate  temperature,  then  all  will  be 
right.  Such  plants  flower  freely,  and  carry  the  blossoms  well,  but  to 
let  a  half-starved  and  weak  plant  keep  its  flowers  on  too  long  is  fatal. 
— H.  R.  R. 
SCHEDULE  MAKINU. 
I  TRUST  our  good  friend,  Mr.  Easter,  is  a  better  gardener  than 
schedule  maker.  What  trouble  to  exhibitor  and  judge  would  be  behind 
that  suggested  class,  “A  collection  of  ripe  dessert  fruit,  eight  distinct 
kinds,  two  varieties  of  Grapes  allowed,  three  black  and  three  white.  ’  If 
that  is  not  a  pretty  mix  of  epithets  then  I  am  confused.  Mark  the 
requirement,  “  eight  distinct  kinds.”  Does  Mr.  Easter  mean  that  as  one 
of  the  kinds  two  varieties  of  Grapes  may  be  shown  ?  If  so,  that  would 
make  nine  dishes.  I  do  not  suppose  he  means  anything  of  the  sort,  but  if 
he  means  “  eight  dishes  of  fruit,  distinct  kinds,”  then  he  cannot  admit 
two  dishes  of  Grapes,  because  Grapes  are  one  kind  only.  Then  he  adds, 
“three  black  and  three  white.’’  Three  what — varieties  or  bunches,  which 
is  meant  ? 
No  doubt  he  meant  bunches,  but  if  he  did  then  he  should  have  said  so. 
Now,  this  is  a  capital  sample  of  schedule  wording,  such  as  is  enough  to 
drive  any  ordinary  judge  as  well  as  exhibitor  mad.  If  the  class  read, 
“  A  collection  of  eight  dishes  of  fruit,  distinct  kinds,  black  and  white 
Grapes  (three  bunches  of  each)  being  regarded  as  distinct  kinds,”  no 
doubt  or  difficulty  could  arise.  As  to  the  question  of  flavour  or  appear¬ 
ance,  it  is  evident  that  when  flavour  is  specially  desired  all  the  fruits 
would  have  to  be  tasted,  a  serious  trouble  in  the  case  of  several  collec¬ 
tions,  unless  it  were  agreed  to  take  flavour  for  granted,  according  to 
variety,  when  the  decision  after  all  would  have  to  be  determined  by 
appearance.  Collections  of  fruits  of  any  sort,  not  to  be  absolutely  tasted 
for  flavour,  must  be  judged  by  appearance  only.  After  all,  discussion  of 
this  nature  does  but  show  how  difficult  it  is  to  frame  classes  that  are 
absolutely  unobjectionable,  and  how  much  trust  must  be  placed  on  the 
common  sense  of  judges.— D. 
REST  IN  PLANT  LIFE. 
Although  comments  have  been  made  by  two  correspondents  on  my 
recent  observations  on  this  subject.  I  fear  we  are  not  much  nearer  to  a 
perfect  definition  of  what  is  “  rest  ”  so  called  in  relation  to  plant  life.  Is 
it  assumed  that,  like  animal  life,  there  has  been  on  the  part  of  plants 
actual  physical  exhaustion,  and  that  rest,  which  we  call  sleep,  is  abso¬ 
lutely  essential  to  them  ?  “  H.  R.  R.”  proves  in  the  case  of  his  typical 
Reach  tree  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  actual  rest,  because  he  shows 
that  even  if  the  wood  be  leafless  the  roots  are  active.  Now,  what  we 
want  to  know  is,  in  such  a  case  what  are  the  roots  doing  during  the 
period  of  defoliation,  or  “  rest,”  and  what  changes  are  being,  through 
their  activity,  effected  in  the  sap  formation  or  cellular  tissue  of  the  wood 
during  this  rest  period  1  What  I  hold  is  that  mere  defoliation  on  the  part 
of  a  Peach  or  any  other  tree  or  shrub  does  not  necessarily  imply  that  it 
is  resting,  but  simply  that  whatsoever  of  active  operations  are  proceeding 
in  roots  or  wood  is  not  visible  to  us,  hence  our  deduction  that  the  tree  is 
resting,  or  in  a  comatose  state. 
Rest  implies  recuperation  ;  that  is  to  say  there  has  been  physical 
exhaustion  that  has  to  be  made  good  through  a  season  of  rest  or  of  non¬ 
productiveness.  Well,  is  that  so  ?  I  want  to  set  up  no  empirical  theories, 
all  I  wish  is  to  learn.  We  can  all  draw  our  own  inferences  from 
what  we  see,  but  may  all  the  same  entirely  fail  to  understand  what  are 
the  operating  causes,  and  why  they  operate.  When  I  take  exception 
to  the  use  in  ordinary  phraseology  of  the  term  “  rest  ”  as  applied  to 
plants,  I  do  so  because  I  want  it  to  be  more  exactly  described,  explained, 
elucidated.  I  fear,  after  all,  our  knowledge  of  plant  physiology  is  too 
imperfect  to  enable  this  complete  explanation  to  be  furnished.  The  study 
of  plant  life  is  indeed  a  beautiful  and  attractive  one.  It  is  as  much  so  as 
is  animal  physiology,  but  with  the  pleasing  addition  that  there  can  be  no 
painful  and  terribly  cruel  vivisection  associated  with  it. — A.  D. 
Pine  Apples. — A  prominent  importer  of  Pine  Apples  stated  a  day 
or  two  ago  that  it  was  probably  safe  to  say  that  upon  an  average 
there  are  10,000  Pines  imported  into  London  every  week  throughout  the 
year.  They  are  coming  now  in  enormous  quantities  from  the  Azores, 
which  seem  to  have  given  up  growing  Oranges  and  have  taken  to  this 
new  cultivation,  for  which  their  soil  and  climate  seem  to  be  admirably 
adapted.  Pines  are  still  too  dear  to  be  a  popular  luxury.  The  average 
wholesale  price  is  said  to  be  3s.,  and  the  retail  buyer  has  to  give  4s.  6d.  or 
5s.  for  a  good  Pine  this  Christmas.  But  the  growing  of  these  is  rapidly 
extending,  and  there  is  every  probability  that  the  price  will  go  down. 
