June  15,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTURB  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
485 
Great  care  is  necessary  with  the  watering  all  the  year  round,  but 
especially  in  autumn  and  winter,  and  the  sooner  the  plants  can  be 
brought  under  the  influence  of  light  and  air  in  autumn  the  better, 
it  will  consolidate  their  leaf  tissues,  and  go  a  long  way  tow'ards 
preventing  the  troublesome  leaf  dropping  so  common  in  Vandas  in 
the  spring  months.  This  is  more  particularly  noticed  in  newly 
imported  plants,  and  others  in  their  second  year,  the  severe  check  the 
plants  receive  during  their  transit  doubtless  accounting  in  a  measure 
for  it,  while  in. many  cases  the  plants  are  collected  at  a  wrong  season 
■of  the  year. 
Pleurothallis  Roe/.li. 
The  Pleurothallises  are  not  popular  Orchids,  hut  whenever  this 
pretty  and  distinct  species  is  exhibited  it  is  sure  to  he  admired.  The 
plant  is  interesting  as  having  perha])s  the  deepest  coloured  flowers  of 
any,  and  these  hang  downwards  from  an  erect  sheathed  peduncle. 
The  colour  externally  is  a  deep  blocd  j-urple.  P.  Roezli  may  be  grown 
in  quite  a  cool  house  if  kept  well  up  to  the  light  in  winter  and  not 
dried  off  at  the  roots.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Newtxrenadan  mountains, 
and  was  d'seovered  by  the  successful  collector  whose  name  it  bears 
growing  “  on  mnss-covered  blocks  of  granite  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
"Sanson  ”  in  1874. 
Akrides  Houlletianuji. 
This  species  used  to  be  more  frequently  seen  than  at  the  present 
■day,  but  it  has  never  become  at  all  popular.  The  plant  is  dwarf,  the 
leaves  broad  and  handsome,  and  the  yellowish  flowers,  each  segment 
tipped  with  rosy  purple,  are  very  distinct  and  pretty.  Like  many 
others  Irom  the  hill  country  in  Bnrmah  A.  Iloulletianum  does  not 
like  a  close  muggy  atmosphere,  and  though  delighting  in  ample  heat 
and  moisture,  this  must  be  temrered  by  allowing  plenty  of  fresh  air 
on  all  possible  occasions.  The  baskets  .should  be  small  in  comparii^on 
with  the  size  of  the  plant,  and  good  sphagnum  and  charcoal  suffice 
for  the  compost. 
L.elia  (JRAXDIS  tenebrosa. 
Many  hundreds  of  plants  of  this  pretty  Lrelia  have  been  imported 
within  the  last  few  years,  and  though  unknown  a  decade  or  so  ago,  it 
has  become  one  of  the  most  popular  in  cultivation.  And  rightly,  for 
w'e  have  all  too  few  of  these  rich  tints  among  our  Orchids,  and  be.sides 
it  is  of  the  easiest  culture,  provided  sufficient  warmth  is  at  command. 
It  likes  more  heat  and  water,  and  a  slightly  drier  atmos,  here  than  the 
lahiata  Cattleyas,  otherw’ise  the  treatment  is  identical,  and  the  flowers 
are  always  plentifully  produced  as  soon  as  the  plants  are  strong  enough. 
I  know  of  no  other  species  cr  kind  th.at  will  take  as  much  water 
while  the  plants  are  beine  establish!  d  a.s  L.  grandis  tenebrosa.  The 
psfudo-hulhs  of  L.  pnrpnrata  and  many  others  would  he  ahsoliitelv 
rotten  if  watered  as  much  as  this  variety  needs,  and  there  is  no  doubt 
that  many  weak  plants  have  been  kdled  and  strong  ones  weakened 
simply  for  want  of  ra'istme.  Over  and  ^over  again  I  have  warned 
amateur  growers  ;against  .allowing  too  much  moisture  to  newly 
imported  plants  of  various  kinds,  imt  with  strongspec  mens  of  this  one 
they  need  have  litde  (ear,  for  unle.ss  given  in  inorchnate  quantity,  it 
cannot  harm  the  plants.  When  the  roots  are  established  in  their 
compost  it  is  different  of  cour.-e,  as  this  holds  the  moisture  longer,  but 
.even  then  a  full  supply  is  necessary  when  growth  is  active. 
Or)ONTO(;LOSSu-M  Lindeni. 
Though  a  strong  growing  easily  culti' ated  species,  this  is  hardly 
to  he  recommended  for  general  cultivation,  Ling  rather  shy  flowering. 
When  it  does  bh'om  it  throws  up  a  tall  spike  containing  a  dozen  or 
more  flowers,  each  about  ‘z  inches  across,  of  a  palo  lemon  yellow.  A 
native  of  New  Grenada,  the  cool  house  suits  it  well,  and  being  strong 
growing  the  pots  may  he  larger  than  ^usual,  and  the  compost  well 
drained  and  rough.  The  earliest  recorded  instance  of  0.  Lindeni 
flowering  in  this  country  is  in  1871,  but  it  had  then  long  been 
known  to  botanists. 
Dexdrobium  Johnsoni.e. 
This  is  an  Orchid  of  many  names,  hut  undoubted  beauty,  and 
where  it  succeeds  there  is  not  a  more  cha-^te  or  lovely  species  in 
■existence.  The  blossoms  are  large,  and  pure  white,  excepting  a  few 
purple  markings  about  the  lij),  and  indeed  it  is  more  like  a  fine 
■while  Lailia  than  a  Dtndrobium.  It  is  worthy  of  every  care,  and 
although  .some  of  the  plants  that  have  been  brought  to  this  country 
•were  collected  at  the  wTong  time,  and  arrived  in  wretched  condition, 
ithere  is  no  doubt  it  will  thrive  under  cultivation  in  course  of  time. 
Coming  from  the  neigh l  ourhood  of  the  Torres  Straits  it  must  be 
trea'ed  similarly  to  D.  i  lialaenc  psis  and  others  from  that  part  of  the 
world,  and  everyone  who  has  had  experience  with  the  class  knows 
that  regular  condiiions  as  to  growth  and  rest  cannot  always  be  laid 
•down.  If  the  plant.«  seem  inclined  to  steady  up  a  hit  after  flowering 
so  much  the  better,  but  if,  on  ilie  other  hand,  they  start  into  growth, 
then  the  cultivator  must  follow  this  up  with  fencouraging  conditions 
■of  heat  and  moisture.  Ample  heat  when  growing  is  obviously 
necessary,  ai  d  atmospheric  moisture  will  prevent  a  check  and  attacks 
vof  thrip.“. — 11.  11,  IL 
GLOBE  ARTlCIlOlvES. 
Globe  Artichokes  cannot  he  classed  as  one  pf  the  commonest 
vegetables  in  the  gardens  of  this  country,  nevertheless  they  are  much 
appreciated  in  some  establishments.  They  are  grown  to  a  much 
greater  extent  in  France  than  in  England,  owing  no  doubt  to  the 
more  genial  chmate  ol  that  CMtintry.  Moi-eover,  not  only  are  they 
much  more  abundant  than  Artichokes  are  in  this  country,  but  they  are 
of  thi(  ker  and  more  fh.shy  substance,  and  there  is  in  consequence  more 
of  the  toothsome  mrrsel.  fl’he  cultivated  Artichoke  is  not  a  distinct 
species,  but  a  derivative  from  Cynara  carduncnlus,  the  Cardoon.  It  is 
not  found  anywhere  in  a  wild  state,  as  we  know  it  in  gardens. 
The  Globe  Artichoke  can  hardly  be  recommended  as  a  suitable  or 
pirofitable  crop  for  cottagers,  nor  for  those  who  only  have  small  gardens. 
108. — Saccoi.abiusi  cikleste. 
and  need  them  for  more  serviceable  stock.  In  most  private  gardens, 
however,  we  find  it,  and  in  many  it  is  greatly  esteemed,  as  is  rin  east 
here ;  in  tact,  next  to  Asparagus  it  is  the  lavourite  dish.  In  many 
gardens  it  does  not  receive  the  attention  it  de-'crves,  as  the  stools  are 
allowed  to  remain  too  long  in  the  same  position,  with  the  result  that 
the  produce  is  not  only  undersized,  but  strinay,  and  inferior  in  flavour. 
The  Artichoke  may  be  grown  as  an  antjual,  biennial,  or  perennial ;  we 
prefer  the  latter  method.  It  is  much  the  best  to  get  a  gooJ  strain, 
and  maintain  the  supply  by  planting  suckers  annually  or  bienuially, 
aS'  when  grown  from  seed  there  is  such  a  large  per-centage  of  plaijts 
that  produce  inferior  heads,  although  by  growing  a  few  from  seedling 
plants  the  season  may  he  much  prolonged. 
A  moist,  rich,  deep,  and  well  drained  soil  is  essential,  the  least 
suitable  hcitig  a  very  heavy  one,  as  there  is  more  labour  m  preparing 
it.  As  the  plants  may  remain  on  the  same  spot  for  a  period  of  four  or 
live  years,  it  is  nccossai-y  tQ  IN  ell  prepare  the  situation  in  the  flrst 
