November  13,  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
445 
The  Absence  of  Frost, 
Cypripedium  x  Transvaal  superbum. 
Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons,  of  St.  Albans,  exhibited  a  specimen 
of  this  hybrid  before  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  at  the  meeting  of  November  4th,  and  were 
accorded  an  Award  of  Merit.  The  parentage  is  C.  Chamber- 
lainianum  and  C.  Rothschildianum,  the  former  being  very 
apparent  in  the  long  curled  petals,  as  shown  in  Mr.  G.  Shayler’s 
-drawing  below.  u  The  upper  sepals  are  pale  green,  heavily 
striped  with  chocolate  colour;  petals  long  and  extended,  pale 
green,  spotted  with  dark  purple  ;  lip  rose-coloured  with  yellow 
upper  margin.”  It  is  a  very  attractive  and  distinct  hybrid. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
In  most  collections  there  are  a  few  plants  newly  imported,  and 
as  a  rule  these  do  not  settle  down  to  their  proper  routine  the  first 
season.  In  consequence  they  require  a  little  special  attention. 
Some  may  not  have  finished  their  growth  by  the  usual  time,  and 
these  should  be  encouraged  by  rather  more  warmth  than  the 
species  usually  needs.  Others  may  be  too  forward  and  in  danger 
of  starting  secondary  growths,  and  here,  of 
course,  the  point  will  be  to  keep  them  dormant 
if  it  can  be  done  by  reasonable  treatment ;  if 
not,  to-  nurse  the  growth,  so  to  speak,  during 
the  winter;  not  to  hurry  it,  and  allow  the 
bulbs  to  finish  in  spring. 
As  a  general  rule,  however,  plants  newly 
imported  require,  for  the  first  year  at  least, 
more  warmth  than  established  specimens,  and 
a  kind  of  conva¬ 
lescent  treatment 
to  inure  them  to 
the  altered  con¬ 
ditions,  and  rer 
vive  them  after 
the  trying  jour¬ 
ney  from  their 
habitat  to  the  • 
Orchid  house.  The  -■**p,‘*  *  'v 
early  spring  is,  of  - 
course,  the  best 
time  to  obtain  specimens  newly  imported,  as 
they  have  then  the  summer  to  recoup  them¬ 
selves,  but  they  are  not  always  obtainable 
just  when  needed,  and  we  have  to  make  the 
best  of  them  when  they  do  come. 
Cattleyas  and  Lselias,  for  instance,  im¬ 
ported  during  the  summer,  are  now,  as  a  rule, 
beginning  to  root,  and  must  have  a  little 
material  to  run  in  if  simply  potted  in  crocks, 
as  they  should  be.  An  amount  of  care 
is  necessary  here;  the  least  touch  will  rub  the 
spongioles  off,  and  even  if  it  does  not  break 
the  brittle  roots,  and  once  checked  in  any  way  it  will  die  back  to 
the  stem.  My  plan  in  such  cases  is  to  have  ready  a  few  clean 
damp  sphagnum  points,  and  to  lay  these  very  carefully  over  the 
roots  and  between  them  ;  then  to  fill  up  with  the  Orchid  mixture 
lightly,  as,  of  course,  the  plants  will  previously  have  been  firmed 
in  the  pots  by  stakes  and  ties. 
The  Belgian  leaf  soil,  now  extensively  used  for  Orchids,  is  very 
useful  in  a  case  of  this  kind.  Having  a  little  rough  moss  over  the 
drainage  crocks  the  leaf  soil  may  be  simply  sprinkled  over  the 
roots  and  filled  in  as  usual,  no  dibber  or  other  tool  being  needed, 
and  consequently  no  damage  caused  to  the  roots.  In  either  case' 
water  must  be  very  sparingly  applied  afterwards,  the  roots  at  first 
being  easily  damaged  by  an  over-supply.  This  precaution  is  not 
so  necessary  in  the  case  of  Cypripediums,_  the  roots  of  these 
Orchids  being  more  able  to  take  up  moisture  in  plenty.— H.  R.  R. 
....  > 
•#  *  «  V  -• 
Cypripedium  x  Traisvaal  superbum 
Carnation,  Duchess  of  Portland. 
This  new  tree  variety,  which  received  an  Award  of  Merit 
at  the  latest  Drill  Hall  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  was  alone  staged  by  Messrs.  Cut-bush  and  Sons,  of  High- 
gate.  Mr.  W.  J.  Godfrey,  of  Exmouth,  was  wrongly  mentioned 
as  also  receiving  the  Award  for  this  Carnation. 
The  year  1902  has  afforded  much  that  is  not  usual  in  its 
weather,  almost,  too.  from  its  earliest  inception,  and  at  the  time 
of  writing  there  are  conditions  which  certainly  are  not  common 
in  November.  Summer  flowers  are  still  with  us,  and,  it  may  be 
said,  not  in  niggardly  quantity  or  variety.  Sweet  Peas  have  been 
gathered  in  quantity  in  the  first  week  of  November,  and  should 
the  present  mild  weather  continue  there  will  be  other  bounteous 
gatherings  of  these  favourite  summer  flowers.  Roses  have  been 
particularly  good  this  autumn,  so  have  Pentstemons  from  seeds. 
Dahlias  are  as  free  now  as  at  any  period  of  the  summer  or  autumn 
in  some  gardens;  Phlox  Drummondi,  Mignonette,  Marguerite 
Carnations,  and  outdoor  Chrysanthemums  are  still  blooming 
quite  freely. 
This  lateness  of  flower  and  crop  may  be  adjudged  a  partial 
compensation  for  the  blighting  influence  of  the  spring  and  early 
summer.  Late  Peas,  French  and  Runner  Beans,  Cauliflowers, 
and  tender-hearted  Lettuce  are  crops  that  still  give  a  supply,  and 
for  which  there  is  much  to  be  thankful  for  at  this  late  period  of 
the  year.  What  is  most  to  be  dreaded  is  that  should  a  change  of 
weather  bring  sharp  frosts,  vegetation,  so  full  of  life  and  progress, 
will  be  hardly  dealt  with,  for  it  is  common  knowledge  that  vege¬ 
tables  in  free  growth,  following  a  mild  period,  are  sometimes 
hopelessly  ruined  with  one  or  two  nights’  frost. 
Magnificent  pictures  are  everywhere  seen  in  the  distant  land¬ 
scape,  Beeches  in  particular  being  intensely  bright.  The  pro¬ 
longed  period  of  tree  leaf  makes  the  removal  and  sale  of  young 
nursery  stock  scarcely  so  assuring  as  would 
be  the  case  where  maturity  was  more  for¬ 
ward.  Young  trees  now  assume  a  luxuri¬ 
ance  of  the  summer,  and  to  dig  them  up  and 
despatch  to  distant  -customers  will  need 
more  than  usual  care,  with  a  view  to  their 
satisfactory  re-establishment  and  growth 
another  year.  This  would  apply  to*  Apples 
and  Pears  more  than  to  stone  fruits.  These 
latter  are  now 
active  in  root- 
growth,  which 
may  be  seen  on 
lifting  home¬ 
grown  trees  for 
r  e  p  1  a  n  t  i  ng . 
There  is  no  in¬ 
convenience  at¬ 
tending  the  re¬ 
moval  of  young 
trees  in  the 
home  garden  in 
leaf  for  imme¬ 
diate  planting, 
a  ball  of  soil  attached  to  the  roots 
facilitates  progress  in  their  new 
and  the  newly-formed  autumn  roots, 
with  the  aid  of  the  water  pot,  proceed  almost 
without  a  check. 
Not  quite  so  when  they  have  to  be 
despatched  by  rail.  When  Nature  supplies 
its  expectant  touch  of  winter,  the  leaves  of 
trees  respond  quickly  by  their  fall,  and 
fruit  growers  then  look  upon  their  state  as  a  correct  one.  A 
few  hours  is  sufficient  sometimes  to  change  a  leafy  and,  to  the 
ordinary  observer,  an  unconditioned  tree  into  that  of  a  full-ripe 
specimen  when  sharp  frost  lays  its  icy  breath  upon  them,  followed 
by  a  cloudless  sum-ay  which  plays  its  part  later  in  the  morning. 
Some  of  the  latest  Pears  and  Apples  are  still  awaiting  their 
turn  for  removal  to  the  fruit  store,  for  it  has  been  so  often  found 
that,  gathered  too  soon,  they  have  a  small  value  when  their 
natural  season  for  use  comes  round.  Late  storing  is  the  remedy 
for  plump  Apples  in  March  and  April,  and  in  the  case  of  open-air 
bush  or  pyramid  trees  they  have  been  exceptionally  favoured  this 
autumn.  In  the  effort  to  do  justice  to  late  sorts  we  have  some¬ 
times  seen  crops  hopelessly  spoilt  by  an  unexpectedly  sharp  frost. 
To  northern  readers  this  immunity  may  not  he  a  familiar 
experience.  In  Scotland,  at  any  rate,  records  point  to  frost  of 
somewhat  severe  degree.  In  Wiltshire  there  has  been  in  some 
places  frost  enough  to  destroy  Beans,  Marrows,  and  Dahlias,  as 
well  as  other  plants  of  tender  nature,  so  much  depending  on  the 
elevation  of  the  ground.  The  autumn  has  been  one  that  clearly 
points  out  the  colder  spots  of  the  garden,  judged  by  the  influence 
of  the  frost  on  the  tenderest  leaf  and  flower.  Such  experience 
may  be  helpful  for  future  planting,  and  is  one  not  always  so 
accurately  gauged  as  in  the  autumn  now  fast  merging  into  winter. 
— W.  S.,  Rood  Ashton.  ,  ., 
[A  contribution  of  magnificent  Durondeau  Pears  accompanied, 
the  foregoing  notes.  Heavier  or  better  fruits,  or  of  more  beau- 
tiful  colouring,  could  not  be  desired. — Ed.] 
W;  . 
'  •  » 
■«s-\ 
because 
greatly 
station, 
