March  16,  1899 
209 
JOURNAL  OF  flORTTOULTURF  AND 
COTTA  OF 
GA  RDFNFR. 
eoil  fre(iviently  stirred  during  the  spring,  and  in  summer  mulch  with 
sliort  manure.  With  this  treatment  grand  spikes  of  flower  on  sturdy 
stems  are  produced,  such  as  the  decorator  often  envies,  but  cannot 
always  obtain. 
'I'he  demand  for  cut  flowers  is  now  so  great  that  jtractically  the 
only  way  to  produce  largo  (piantitios  in  really  good  condition  is  to 
devote  a  certain  amount  of  space  to  each  kind. — 11.  D. 
OlUllIARI)  NOTES. 
TiiK  improvement  in  the  fruit  cultivation  ot  the  countiy  is  silently 
and  steadily  going  on,  and  is  the  result  of  a  variety  of  influences. 
There  are,  for  instance,  tlie  more  inquiring  spirit  of  the  age  and  the 
spread  of  the  literature  of  gardening  over  a  wider  area  than  in  any 
]ireviou3  time,  and  at  a  i)rico  to  suit  the  humblest  pocket,  fl'o  satisfy 
that  craving  for  knowledge,  too,  there  is  the  quiet  influence  ot  the 
best  gardeners  freely  exerted  in  their  respective  neighbourhoods. 
Added  to  these  wo  must  j)ut  the  clear,  and  therefore  easily  under¬ 
stood,  directions  as  to  idanting  and  management  contained  in  the  cata¬ 
logues  of  most  fruit  tree  growers. 
But — and  this  is  a  large  “but,”  for  I  can  speak  from  intimate 
personal  knowledge — one  of  the  greatest  of  present  day  iidluences  is 
the  excellent  instructions  and  practi(;al  illustrations  of  fruit  tree 
aiumagement  in  all  its  stages,  in  every  locality,  and  on  the  s])Ot,  to  the 
l)eo])lo  most  interested,  of  the  horticultural  instructors  of  tlie  various 
County  Councils.  Some  ])ooplo  may — nay,  some  people  do — scoff  at 
this  way  of  teaching ;  but  when  there  are  such  men  as  instructors  on 
the  County  Councils  as  Mr.  Edward  liuckhurst  for  Derbyshire,  and 
Mr.  A.  II.  I’earson  and  Mr.  John  Smith  lor  Nottinghamshire,  two 
counties  of  the  Midlands  of  which  I  can  8])eak,  we  may  know  that  the 
very  best  of  all  instruction,  both  theoretical  and  i)ractical,  is  given,  and 
is,  in  its  way,  being  acted  uiion  all  over  the  country. 
What  we  have  to  do  is  to  keep  “pegging  away  ”  (that  is  really  the 
reason  of  these  notes)  at  the  subject  in  season  and  out  of  season.  We 
all  know  that  to  impress  any  lesson  on  the  minds  of  children  it  is 
necessary  to  ro|)eat  it  again  and  again  until  it  is  firmly  lixod.  All 
teachers  act  upon  this  princinlo,  and  all  wise  learners,  too  ;  for  as  we  that 
are  older  are  but  children  of  larger  growth,  we  And  it  i  ecossary  to  have 
repeated  over  and  over  again  any  lesson  which  is  of  the  first  import¬ 
ance.  Bvery  student  knows  that  in  the  getting  up  of  any  subject,  if 
his  reading  is  to  bo  firmly  impressed  on  his  understanding,  it  is  v^ise 
to  write  out  what  ho  has  reaii,  or  is  reading,  and  this  amounts  to  a 
systematic  and  detailed  repetition  whicli  has  its  results  in  fastening 
the  subject  unshakeably  in  his  mind.  AsC.  11.  Lewes  once  said,  “The 
jien  keeps  the  mind  from  staggering  about.” 
flake  only  two  lessons  (enough  at  one  time),  and  let  us  try  to 
drive  them  home.  In  many  old  orchards  there  are  antiquated  speci- 
juens  of  Ajiple  trees  with  their  tojis  in  the  sky  and  bare  of  branches 
below,  |)ractically  barren  and  useless.  Well,  these,  if  headed  down 
and  gratted  with  well  known  varieties  of  strong  constitution  and  good 
fruiters,  can  have  their  life  renewed  and  be  made  exceedingly  valuable 
ill  the  luture.  No  better  instance  of  this  act  and  its  results  could  bo 
given  than  that  recorded  by  Mr.  Win.  Bardney,  in  the  Journal  of 
llorUmllnro  of  December  Hth,  181)8,  page  dfl-l,  of  the  experiment  in 
Ireland  ;  and  many  similar  beneficial  results  have  been  given  by  other 
Iruit-growers,  notably  the  jiractical  instances,  which  anyone  may  see 
by  a  visit  to  Southwell,  of  the  regrafling  of  old  barren  trees  by  Mr. 
Merry  weather  with  Bramley’s  Seedling  Ajiplc. 
fl'lie  other  lesson  is  the  one  of  feeding.  It  was  at  one  time,  and  is 
■now  in  very  remote  jilaces,  the  popular  idea  that  all  that  is  required  to 
plant  an  orchard  is  to  buy  a  few  trees  in  the  market,  stick  them  in  in 
any  spare  place,  and  then  expect  them  to  grow  and  fruit;  and  as  to 
any  old  orchaid  trees  requiring  leediug  with  either  liipiid  or  solid 
manure,  why  that  was  the  last  thing  thought  of.  fl'hese  ideas  are 
biing  slowly  hut  surely  driven  out,  and  that  largely  by  the  influences 
I  have  given  above.  New  life,  then,  by  rografting  old  treo.s,  and 
better  feeding  of  both  young  and  old  orchards  by  liquid  or  solid 
manure,  are  the  two  lessons  we  must  all  try  to  teach  and  to  learn, 
again  and  yet  again. — N.  11.  I*. 
SlONlOCio  I’KiTAHlTIOH. — This  species  makes  a  good  companion  for 
S.  graiidilolias,  and  is  well  worth  growing,  either  us  a  pot  plant,  or 
nlimied  in  u  border  for  the  greenhouse  during  spring.  It  is  a  native  of 
Mexico,  iiiid  has  large  handsome  foliage.  The  leaves  are  more  or  less 
I'eidform,  with  undulated  margins  and  well-marked  veins.  They  are 
oitiui  as  much  as  '.)  inches  across,  and  make  a  striking  feature  among 
other  plants,  fl'he  heads  of  flowers  are  something  similar  to  those  of 
the  common  (Iroundsel,  but  larger,  and  are  produced  in  large,  loose, 
terminal  panicles.  It  is  of  weaker  growth  than  S.  graiidifolius,  but  the 
heads  of  flowers  are  (|uite  us  laige.  Like  S,  graiidifolius  it  is  of  easy 
cultivation,  little  more  attention  being  reiiuired  when  planted  out  than 
watering  and  cutting  back  annually.  'J'ho  height  of  the  jilunt  can  he 
Tvgtluted  by  tlie  pruning,  plants  .')  or  6  feet  high  being  a  useful  size. — W. 
TitTCItOOENTRtJMS. 
Tliouoii  little  grown  by  orchidists,  this  genus  contains  some  very 
])retty  species,  and  anyone  who  likes  small  yet  showy  blossoms  may 
do  worse  than  grow  such  as  T.  albo-purpureum  or  T.  tigrinum,  two 
of  the  best  known  and  most  useful  in  the  genus.  They  thrive  best  in 
small  jians  or  on  blocks  of  Tree  Fern  stem,  any  great  amount  ol 
compost  about  the  roots  being  injurious,  and  the  safest  plan  for  them 
is  a  position  not  unduly  shaded  or  far  removed  from  the  glass  in  the 
Cattleya  house,  fl'hey  must  never  bo  really  dried  off,  but  during 
winter  little  moisture  is  needed,  especially  in  dull  weather. 
E I ’ T I) n N  D R u M  End r ios i . 
A  native  of  Costa  b'ica,  this  is  one  of  the  loveliest  little  Orchids 
in  cultivation;  it  is  very  rare.  From  the  cylindrical  stem  the  little 
erect  racemes  proceed,  containing  many  flowers,  these  being  pure 
white,  with  a  few’  purjile  streaks  about  the  li['.  Whatever  large 
plants  of  the  species  may  do,  it  is  certain  that  the  small  jiieces  in 
cultivation  generally  do  not  reiiuire .  largo  ])ots,  nor  can  they  stand 
much  compost  about  the  roots.  Bans  or  jiots  nearly  three  jiarts 
filled  with  drainage,  the  rest  made  up  with  jieat  fibre  and  sphagnum 
moss,  will  suit  it  well.  The  growth  will  probably  be  most  free  in  a 
shady  and  warm  house,  but  from  a  j)ro[ier  cultural  point  of  view  a 
light  not  too  sunny  position  in  the  Cattleya  house  will  suit  it  host. 
OdONTOOLOSHUM  MINIATUM. 
fl’he  peculiar  habit  of  this  Odontoglot  leads  to  its  being  ill 
cnltivatccl  in  many  places.  The  pseiulo-1  ulbs  are  carried  more 
distant  from  each  other  by  the  rhizome  than  is  usual  in  the  genus, 
and  soon  aiilant  ])ottcd  in  the  ordinary  way  grows  over  the  rim  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  compost.  A  llat-trelliscd  raft  would  jirevent  this, 
and  the  J  oung  roots  encouraged  by  the  addition  of  new  compost 
annually,  just  as  they  are  being  produced,  the  plant  would  gain 
strength  and  soon  flower  freely.  In  the  one  case  it  is  starved  for 
want  of  something  to  root  into  ;  in  the  other  the  wants  of  the  roots 
are  anticipated,  as  it  were,  by  adding  the  compost  just  as  they  begin 
to  push  from  the  rhizome. 
O.  miniatum  has  a  very  remarkable  appearance  wtien  in  flower, 
the  large,  almost  cylindrical,  racemes  of  deeji  chestnut-brown  blossoms 
being  always  attractive.  Individually  the  latter  are  about  2i  inches 
across,  the  brown  tint  in  the  segment  usually  being  lelieved  by  a 
margin  of  bright  yellow.  The  plant  is  a  native  of  tlie  Now  Grenadan 
locality,  and  likes  a  cool  moist  liouse,  such  as  the  majority  of  ttie 
genus  thiivo  in.  Plentiful  supplies  of  water  must  bo  given  to  the 
roots  all  the  year  round,  but  especially  during  the  .summer  months, 
when  spraying  or  lightly  syringing  must  also  be  practised.  Peat  and 
moss  ke[)t  m  a  rough  open  state  by  the  addition  of  pottery  ballast 
and  charcoal  is  the  best  compost. 
ZYDOI'ETAIiUM  PKRRENOUDI. 
In  most  of  the  hybrids  in  which  any  of  the  Zygopotalurns  of  the 
Mackayi  section  liavo  had  a  share  of  the  jiarentago,  the  progeny  has  been 
of  strong  and  vigorous  growth.  It  is  the  case  with  the  one  above 
noted,  which  was  rai.sed  on  the  Continent  some  years  ago,  and  is  occa¬ 
sionally  seen  in  this  country.  For  this  reason  I  should  have  exjiected 
to  see  the  liybrid  shown  at  the  Drill  Hall  some  tune  since  following 
tlie  lead  of  others.  Z.  Perrenoudi  is  a  pretty  jilant  of  free  flowering 
habit,  the  spikes  containing  several  flowers,  the  sepals  and  petals  of 
which  are  olive  green,  the  bp  bright  violet  and  jiuriile.  It  was  raised 
from  Z.  interimdium  and  Z.  Gamieri. 
( )|)0NTD(1I/  SSUM  KdWARDI. 
Very  bright  and  pretty  just  now  are  the  flowers  of  this  Odontoglot, 
though  they  are  individually  small.  fl’he  colour  is  a  bright  rosy 
jiurjile,  quite  unusual  in  this  genus,  and  indeed  not  common  in  the 
Orchid  family  ilt  all.  Little  difference  will  be  found  in  the  cultivation 
of  this  and  the  other  members  of  the  genus,  but  it  likes  larger  pots 
than  the  crisjmm  set  for  instance,  and  also  a  rougher  compost,  the  roots 
being  much  larger  individually,  and  very  freely  produced  when  the 
plants  are  healthy.  O.  Fdwardi  commemorates  Mr.  I'ldward  Klabocl:, 
an  intrepid  traveller,  who  rent  home  many  beaiuilul  vMpiue  Orchidii. 
