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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  December  12,  190L 
Sophro-Cattleya  x  Nydia. 
On  November  12,  Messrs.  J.  Charlesworth  and  Co.,  of  Heaton, 
Bradford,  staged  this  bi-generic  hybrid  at  the  Royal  Horticul¬ 
tural  Society’s  meeting  in  the  Drill  Hall.  A  figure  of  it,  by 
Mr.  George  Shayler,  appears  on  the  opposite  page ;  and  the  colour 
is  a  uniform  dark  scarlet,  with  some  small  purple  spots  on  the 
sepals  and  petals.  The  parents  of  S.-C.  x  Nydia  are  Sophronitis 
grandiflora  with  C.  x  calumata,  and  the  effect  of  both  parents 
has  resulted  in  progeny  of  marked  intermediatory  characters. 
The  Orchid  Committee  awarded  a  First-class  Certificate. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
I  have  frequently  seen  the  advice  given,  in  all  good  faith,  to 
partially  dry  Cypripedium  insigne  after  flowering  as  the  plants 
are  at  rest.  How  wrong  this  idea  is  may  be  seen  just  now  by 
anyone  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  look  over  their  plants.  They 
will  see  that  the  flowering  growths  are  not  the  youngest;  that 
there  are  others  in  various  stages,  some  partially  made  up,  others 
nearly  finished,  others  just  starting.  This  is  not  a  restful  state 
by  any  means,  or  a  restful  season  for  the  plant  in  question,  how¬ 
ever  much  it  is  for  the  pseudo-bulbous  Orchids. 
Not  only  this,  but  the  plants  are  hardly  past  the  strain  of 
flowering — many,  in  fact,  just  coming  into  flower.  By  no  means 
dry  the  plants  then,  but  rather  encourage  them  by  all  possible 
means.  If  there  is  a  time  when  C.  insigne  may  be  said  to  rest,  it 
is  m  the  late  summer,  before  the  flower  scapes  show,  but  even 
then  drying  is  not  required.  Place  them  in  a  frame,  or  even  in 
the  open  air  in  protected  positions,  but  never  dry  them.  What 
is  true  of  C.  insigne  is  true  of  many  others,  and  here  the  watch- 
fulness  on  the  part  of  those  in  charge  that  I  have  so  often  noted 
as  being  required  may  again  be  recommended. 
That  lovely  little  Cattleya  C.  citrina  is  beginning  to  move, 
and  must  now  be  encouraged.  Until  the  growth  is  getting  well 
away  avoid  a  very  moist  state  of  the  compost,  and  see  that  the 
growths  hang  m  the  natural  way — i.e.,  upside  down,  as  they 
appear  this  being  a  precaution  of  Nature  against  moisture 
settling  in  and  decaying  the  flower  as  it  issues  from  the  centre 
of  the  grov th.  A  little  later,  when  the  growths  commence  to 
l oot  on  their  own  account,  a  thin  surfacing  of  new  compost  may 
ie  given,  but  that  is  not  yet.  Just  let  the  plants  move  steadily 
along  in  their  own  way,  and  do  not  attempt  to  force  them  by 
means  of  heat  or  moisture. 
1  he  night  temperature  where  Phalsenopsids  are  grown  must 
non  be  kept  as  regular  as  possible.  A  house  that  is  kept,  say,  at 
/Udeg  or  lodeg  one  night  and  allowed  to  drop  to  55deg  or  60deg 
the  next  is  very  unsuitable  to  these  sensitive  leaved  subjects,  and 
has  the  effect  of  starting  them  into  unseasonable  growth  and 
then  cheeking  them.  Keep  them  regular  and  keep  them  at  rest 
it  possible,  for  the  conditions  are  not  by  any  means  likely  to  lead 
to  satisfactory  growth  at  this  season.  A  resting  specimen  takes 
no_  harm,  where  a  plant  growing  sluggishly  may  be,  and  often  is, 
ruined  by  slight  checks.— -H.  R.  R. 
Literature. 
“The  Tropical  Agriculturist.” 
The  November  number  of  this  useful  magazine  of  information 
regarding  products  suited  for  cultivation  in  the  tropics  contains 
some  very  interesting  reading.  A  useful  article  on  Orange  and 
Lemon  Curing  and  Packing  appears,  and  should  form  an 
efficient  guide  to  those  it  is  intended  for.  Numerous  notes  on 
rubber  growing,  on  Quinine,  Pruning,  Tea,  Coffee,  Cocoa,  Chin- 
chona,  and  references  to  everyday  topics  more  strictly  confined  to 
hot  countries  are  liberally  furnished.  The  publishing  office  of 
“  The  Tropical  Agriculturist  ”  is  in  Colombo,  Ceylon. 
The  Best  Hardy  Perennials  for  Cut  Flowers.11 
First  to  last  this  book  is  attractive,  from  the  inclusion  of 
forty-eight  full  page  (lO^in  deep,  7£in  broad)  coloured  plates  of 
choice  hardy  perennial  flowers.  One  of  the  beautiful  Siberian 
Irises  adorns  the  front  cover,  and  the  subjects  on  the  pages 
within  show  a  wise  and  experienced  selection.  A  perusal  brings 
to  notice  well-known  genera,  but  such  as  are  the  quintescence 
of  the  flowers  of  British  hardy  flower  borders.  The  majority  of 
the  plates  portray  a  number  of  varieties  of  the  genera ;  plate  ii., 
for  instance,  has  five  varieties  of  Anemone  japonica.  The 
*  “The  Best  Hardy  Perennials  for  Cut  Flowers,”  by  Mr.  F.  W. 
Meyer.  Liverpool  :  Blake  &  Mackenzie.  1901.  Price  15s.  net, 
post  free. 
Michaelmas  Daisies  are  appropriately  recognised,  and  amongst 
other  flowers  illustrated  in  true  form  and  colours  we  may 
•name  Centaureas,  Chrysanthemums,  Delphiniums,  Doronicums, 
Aquilegias,  Echinops,  Erigerons,  Eryngiums,  Helenium,  “Lenten 
Roses,”  Arabis  albida  fl.pl.,  and  Dame’s  Violet;  Heucheras, 
Inulas,  Poppies,  Lupines,  Phloxes,  Rudbeckias,  Scabiosas, 
Trollius  in  variety,  Campanulas,  Wahlenbergias,  Primulas  Poly¬ 
gonums,  Irises,  and  Pyrethrums. 
The  author  says  :  — “  The  work  is  not  intended  as  a  complete 
handbook  on  hardy  perennials,  but  rather  as  a  selection  among 
the  many  hundreds  of  different  varieties  such  as  may  claim 
special  merit  on  account  of  (1)  the  hardiness  even  in  the  Northern 
counties;  (2)  their  beauty  of  form  and  colour;  and  (3)  their 
suitability  for  supplying  cut  flowers,  both  naturally  and  when 
forced.  The  illustrations  are  the  work  of  Mr.  Walter  Muller, 
Gera,  Saxony,  and  appeared,  though  in  different  order,  in  the 
German  work,  ‘  Dieschonsten  Stauden.’  ”  The  present  edition, 
however,  contains  little  of  the  original  matter  in  the  form  of 
translation,  and  much  additional  matter  on  plants  that  are  not 
illustrated.  Mr.  Meyer  has  had  over  twenty-five  years’  ex¬ 
perience  with  the  hardy  plants  in  the  nurseries  of  Messrs.  Veitch 
and  Son,  at  Exeter.  Details  of  culture  and  general  treatment 
appear  opposite  the  illustrations. 
A  novel  feature  of  the  book  is  the  provision  of  ruled  pages 
for  memoranda  notes.  In  turning  to  look  for  such  admirable 
plants  as  Salvia  virgata,  Hedysarum  coronarium,  Polygonum 
lanigerum  (with  its  silvery-grey  foliage  for  decoration),  Lathyrus 
latifolius  albus,  and  L.  rotundifolius,  Thalictrum  adiantifolium, 
and  a  number  of  other  specially  graceful,  useful,  and  beautiful 
plants,  we  are  surprised  to  find  them  omitted,  and  there  is  no 
reason,  surely,  why  they  should  have  been.  Though  the  best 
of  the  various  genera  are  undoubtedly  given,  yet  it  would  still 
have  added  value  to  the  book  had  a  slightly  increased  selection 
been  made.  Only  one  of  the  Statices  is  chosen,  that  being 
S.  lanata.  Then  again  have  Incarvillea  Delavayi  and  Gerbera 
Jamesoni  proved  themselves  hardy  everywhere  m  the  North  ? 
We  should  like  to  think  so,  for  few  open-air  flowers  are  so  lovely. 
Plates  xir.  and  xiv.  are  duplicated,  though  the  inscription  names 
the  first  of  these  as  illustrating  Chrysanthemum  maximum,  and 
the  other  as  C.  uliginosum.  . 
The  book  embraces  105  pages,  and  the  price  of  15s.  nett  is 
very  cheap  indeed,  for  the  plates  are  really  works  or  high  excel- 
lence,  and  thoroughly  well  printed. 
An  Old  Book. 
The  full  title  is  “  Kalendarium  Hortense;  or,  The  Gardeners’ 
Almanac,  &c.,”  by  John  Evelyn,  Esq.,  F.R.S.,  1676.  The  book 
in  question  is  a  sixth  edition  of  Evelyn’s  earlier  production,  and, 
according  to  the  author,  “  contains  many  useful  additions.  We 
had  it  sent  to  us  long  ago  by  Mr.  G.  Foster,  Glendaragh  Gardens, 
Teignmouth,  and  after  an  undisturbed  repose  in  the  recesses  or 
a  drawer  in  one  of  the  rooms  here,  it  was  rummaged  out 
lately  by  one  of  the  young  men  probably  possessed  of  a 
bent  for  archaeological  research.  The  monthly  .  cultuial 
operations  for  the  year  are  detailed  with  great  simplicity, 
and  prove  a  considerable  amount  of  experience. 
directions  for  the  fruit  and  kitchen  garden  in  December 
are  as  follows :  “  Prune  and  nail  wall  fruit  (which  you  may 
defer  a  month  or  two  longer),  and  standard  trees.  You  uiay 
now  plant  Vines,  &c.  Set  all  sorts  of  kernels  and  stones  Lot 
fruits].  Sow  for  early  Peas  and  Beans,  but  take  heed  of  the 
frosts ;  therefore  it  is  surest  to  defer  it  until  after  Christmas, 
unless  the  winter  promise  very  moderate.  All  this  month  you 
may  continue  to  trench  the  ground  and  dung  it,  to  be  ready 
for  ‘  Bordures  ’  (?)  or  the  planting  of  fruit  trees.  Either  late  m 
the  month,  or  January,  prune  and  cut  off  all  your  Vine  shoots 
to  the  very  root,  save  one  or  two  of  the  stoutest,  to  be  left  with, 
three  or  four  eyes  of  young  wood.  This  for  the  vineyard.  Now 
feed  your  weak  stocks.  Turn  and  refresh  your  autumnal  fruit, 
and  open  the  windows  where  it  lies,  in  a  clear  and  serene  day. 
It  will  be  seen  that  gardening  operations  were  well  understood 
by  John  Evelyn.  The  lists  of  Apples  and  of  Pears  which  he  gives 
as  keeping  well  in  December  are  of  interest.  These  include 
Apples,  Rousseting,  Leatliercoat,  Vinter  Reed,  Chestnut  Apple, 
Great-belly,  the  Go-no-further,  or  Cats-head,  and  some  of  the 
former  month.  The  Pears  are:  The  Squib,  Spindle  Doyonere, 
Virgin,  Gascoigne-Bergamot,  Scarlet  Pear,  Stopple,  White,  Red 
and  French  Wardens  (to  bake  or  roast),  and  the  Deadman’s  Pear ; 
all  of  which  are,  of  course,  long  obsolete. 
The  same  little  book,  with  its  stout  brown  leather  binding, 
contains  a  long  philosophical  discourse  of  “  Earth  ”  (or  soil,  really) 
relating  to  the  culture  and  improvement  of  it  for  vegetation. 
This  lecture  was  delivered  before  the  Royal  Society,  April  29, 
1675.  The  discourse  was,  for  the  times,  very  profound,  and  con¬ 
tains  a  great  deal  that  was  then  original  if  not  all  exact.  His 
observations  on  the  values  and  properties  of  the  various  natural 
manures  are  correct,  and  even  now  are  very  interesting.  A  dip 
into  old  books  is  a  commendable  means  for  obtaining  some  amuse¬ 
ment,  and  perhaps  mental  refreshment.  The  works  of  the  cul¬ 
tured  John  Evelyn  (1620-1706)  are  all  interesting.  He  was  the 
first  in  this  country  to  treat  gardening  scientifically. 
