April  27,  1699. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
335 
phosphoric  acid  for  the  production  of  fruit,  with  sufficient  ammonia  to 
produce  healthy  foliage  and  abundant  berries. 
Fruit  Tree  Manure. — The  manure  of  this  company  has  the 
following  analysis : — Ammonia,  3  per  cent. ;  available  phosphoric 
acid,  6  per  cent.;  total  phosphoric  acid,  10  per  cent.  ;  potash,  KjO, 
10  per  cent.  Apply  1000  to  1500  lbs.  per  acre,  depending  upon  the 
condition  of  the  land,  previous  manuring,  cropping,  &c. 
Oreen  Manuring. — Growing  crops  to  plough  in,  such  as  the  various 
Clovers,  Trifolium  incarnatum.  Vetches,  Peas,  and  Buckwheat,  are 
much  employed  for  enriching  the  land.  The  orchard  land  is  kept 
frequently  harrowed  during  summer  to  keep  a  fine  tilth  of  about 
3  inches  during  the  period  of  active  growth.  The  above  “cover” 
crops  are  sown  soon  after  midsummer  and  ploughed  in  early  in  spring, 
so  as  to  retain  the  moisture  accumulated  during  the  winter,  and  to 
allow  the  trees  to  make  an  early  start.  Vegetable  matter  is  thus  added, 
and  in  the  case  of  leguminous  crops  nitrogen  is  added  to  the  soil  at 
the  smallest  possible  cost. 
For  orchards  with  Clover  the  “  Farmer’s  Advocate  ”  recommended 
200  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash  and  250  lbs.  Thomas’  phosphate  (basic 
slag),  16  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid. 
For  further  information  as  to  fertilising  orchards  in  the  United 
States,  the  principles  of  which  are  applicable  the  world  over,  I  would 
recommend  perusing  a  book  by  Prof.  L.  H.  Bailey  of  Cornell  University, 
“The  Principles  of  Fruit  Growing,”  price  5s.,  published  by  Macmillan 
and  Co.,  Ltd.,  London  and  New  York,  who  are  advertisers  in  your 
columns. 
SPEAYING  FHUIT  TEEES. 
I  AM  much  obliged  to  your  c.)rrespondent  Mr.  C.  H.  Hooper  for  his 
courteous  reply  to  my  questions  on  page  272,  April  6th  inst.,  re  ^  to 
1  lb.  caustic  potash  to  1  gallon  of  water.  I  am  careful  not  to  use  more 
than  1  lb.  of  caustic  soda  and  1  lb.  of  pearlash  to  10  gallons  of  water. 
After  Mr.  Hooper’s  great  experience  one  need  not  fear  making  the 
solution  a  little  stronger  for  trees  in  a  very  bad  state.  We  may  be 
sure  that  the  young  growth  of  the  previous  year  will  not  suffer  from 
the  application. 
In  looking  over  some  fruit  trers  during  the  last  few  days  I  find 
my  old  enemy  American  blight  appearing  in  the  rough  edges  of  the 
wounded  and  cankered  parts  of  the  trees,  where  the  last  spraying  did 
not  reach  them.  The  trees  most  affected  are  King  of  the  Pippins  and 
Hawthornden.  I  shall  try  to  give  these  parts  another  dressing  this 
week  with  a  solution  of  1  lb.  caustic  soda,  with  1  lb.  of  pearlash,  to 
5  gallons  of  water.  As  this  pest  is  just  now  growing  a  fine  crop  of 
white  whiskers,  I  trust  my  treatment  will  stop  their  lurlher  develop¬ 
ment.  Hitherto  I  have  painted  the  parts  so  affected  with  a  mixture 
of  softsoap  and  soot  worked  to  the  consistency  of  cream,  and  applied 
with  an  ordinary  paint  brush.  At  some  future  time  I  will  beg  leave 
to  give  your  readers  the  results  of  this  caustic  solution  treatment. 
— Jxo.  Miles. 
Odoxtoglossum  ceispum  Ashworthianum. 
Conspicuous,  even  in  such  a  superb  display  as  that  at  the  Drill 
Hall  on  Tuesday  the  18th  mst.,  was  Odontoglossum  crispiim  Ash¬ 
worthianum  (fig.  76),  which  was  exhibited  by  Mr.  H.  Holbrook, 
gardener  to  E.  Ashworth,  Esq.,  Ilarefield  Hall,  Wilmslow.  Ti  e 
Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  recommended  a 
first-class  certificate.  Orchid  lovers  will  recognise  it  as  of  similar  type 
to  0.  c.  Baroness  Schroder,  which  has  been  illustrated  in  our  pages. 
In  form  and  colour  ihe  flower  is  exceptionally  beautiful,  and  the 
delight  of  visitors  who  noticed  it  cannot  be  a  matter  for  surprise. 
Almost  the  whole  surface  of  the  upper  sepal  and  petals  is  dull 
crimson  purple  with  white  fimbriated  margins;  the  lower  sepals  and 
splendidly  fringed  lip  are  similar  in  colour,  but  have  more  white.  It 
was  most  unfortunate  that  the  immense  number  of  exhibits  compelled 
the  authorities  to  relegate  this  and  other  handsome  Orchids  to  a  dark 
position  behind  the  curtain,  where  it  is  probable  many  visitors  would 
not  see  them. 
Nanodes  Medusa. 
This  is  a  singular  Orchid  which  is  sometimes  called  Epidendrum 
Medusae,  and  one  that  occasionally  gives  the  cultivator  much  trouble. 
It  makes  no  pseudo-bulbs,  and  therefore  must  have  w'ater  all  the  year 
round,  although  the  quantity  should  be  less  in  the  winter  months. 
The  plant  does  w’ell  suspended  in  a  cool  house  quite  close  to  the  glass, 
and  ought  to  be  grown  in  a  basket  of  clean  live  sphagnum  moss.  A 
2)lant  of  the  above  species  when  well  flowered  always  commands 
attention,  and  the  extraordinary  flowers,  which  are  of  a  deep  maroon 
purple  with  a  greenish  disc,  with  the  whole  margin  cut  into  segments, 
forming  a  deep  fringe,  has  a  most  singular  aiipearance. 
Uendrobium  Rolf^  roseum. 
A  delightful  Dendrobium  named  by  Rolfe  when  it  first  flowered  in 
the  collection  of  the  late  Major-General  Berkley,  who  was  inclined  to 
think  it  was  a  variety  of  Dendrobium  nobile,  which  it  much  resembles, 
but  the  dark  disc  in  the  lip  is  entirely  absent.  The  above  variety,  as 
it  name  implies,  has  sepals  and  petals  of  a  beautiful  bright  rose  colour, 
with  flowers  about  as  large  as  a  good  variety  of  D.  nobile.  It  will 
succeed  w’ell  with  the  last  named  species,  which  is  supposed  to  be  one 
Fig.  76. — Odontoglossum  ceispum  Ashworthianum. 
of  its  parents,  and  D.  primulinum  the  other.  Whether  it  he  a  hybrid 
or  not  it  is  well  worth  adding  to  any  collection  of  DenJrobiums. 
Odontoglossum  Wilckeanum. 
This  natural  hybrid  Odontoglossum  has  been  proved  to  bo  a  cross 
between  0.  crispum  and  0.  luteo-purpureum,  and  often  appears  in 
importations  of  both  species,  and  is  perhaps  more  sought  after  by  con¬ 
noisseurs  than  any,  on  account  of  its  beautiful  flowers.  There  is 
great  variation,  as  is  to  be  expected  from  such  parents,  but  all  are 
extiduely  attractive,  and  to  a  lover  of  yellow  flowers  will  be  hard  to- 
beat.  The  spikes  often  carry  from  fifteen  to  twenty  flowers,  fully 
3^  inches  across,  of  a  pale  yellow  colour,  with  large  blotches  and  often 
spots  of  light  brown  and  chocolate  on  the  sejials  and  petals,  tlio  latter 
much  serrated  at  the  edges  ;  the  lip,  which  is  a  little  pal  r,  has  two 
distinct  ragged  keels.  It  will  succeed  under  the  same  conditions  as 
0.  crispum,  and  flower  in  the  spring  months.  Several  of  the  most 
distinct  varieties  have  had  varietal  names,  and  they  are  well  repre- 
S-uted  in  our  best  collections. 
Cncidium  cucullatum. 
This  small  growing  ijhmt  from  Now  Grenada  is  not  often  seen  in. 
robust  health,  which  is  sometimes  to  be  attributed  to  its  beiruT  grown  in 
too  dry  an  atmosphere  and  in  too  high  a  temperature.  This  species 
and  its  varieties  will  succeed  under  the  coolest  treatment,  and  will 
well  repay  the  cultivator  for  any  pains  he  may  bestow  upon  them.  I 
find  they  succeed  well  suspended  quite  close  to  the  glass  in  a  house 
in  which  Disa  grandiflora  revels,  potted  in  the  usual  Orchid  compost, 
and  during  the  summer  months  well  su2)phed  with  water.  The 
varieties  differ  considerably  in  colour,  but  all  are  beautiful, 
and  the  richly  spotted  deep  violet  lip  in  the  best  forms  is*  generally 
very  much  admired.  Oncidium  phalsenopsis  and  0.  nubigenum  are 
supposed  by  many  to  be  varieties  of  this  species,  but  whether  they  are 
botanically  or  not,  to  the  cultivator  does  not  matter,  as  they  wall  all 
succeed  under  the  same  treatment. — J.  Barker,  Jfessle. 
L.rlio-Cattleya  Golden  Gem. 
A  correspondent  has  kindly  sent  me  flowmrs  of  this  pretty  little 
hybrid,  and  asks  for  its  iinrentage.  The  first  time  I  saw  it  named  as 
above  was  at  the  Temide  Show,  in  cne  of  the  large  trade  groups,  and 
alongside  it  was  Laslio-Cattleya  intermedio-flava,  a  hybrid  between 
Catt^eya  intermedia  and  Lmlia  flava.  The  two  are  exactly  alike  in 
all  respects,  and,  though  I  have  no  evidence  on  the  point,  I  think  it  is 
very  likely  they  were  raised  from  the  same  pod  of  seed.  The  “  fancy 
name  is  prettier  than  the  more  correct  appehation,  though  there  are 
reasons  why  these  should  not  be  given. — 11.  R.  R. 
