July  2,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
3 
Vanda  tricolor  tenebrosa. 
To-day  we  figure  au  individual  flower  of  a  vei’y  richly  marked 
and  solidly  built  bloom  of  this  variety,  as  staged  at  the  recent 
R.H.S.  Temple  flower  show  by  Monsieur  L.  T.  Draps-Dom  of 
Laeken,  Brussels.  The  inflorescences  are  borne  in  heavy  clusters, 
the  flowers  having  intense  vio'let  purple  lips,  with  rich  chestnut- 
brown  spots  over  the  creamy  ground  on  sepals  and  petals.  It  is 
very  handsome  and  received  a  first  class  certificate. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
Since  my  last  notes  the  weather  has  taken  a  turn  for  the 
better,  and  should  this  continue,  the  growth  in  the  Orchid  houses 
will  be  much  more  rapid  and  satisfactorjn  The  sunshine  and 
higher  temperature  allows  us  to  keep  more  air  in  the  warm  and 
cool  houses,  and  does  away  with  the  need  of  fire  heat  in  the  latter. 
In  the  warmest  section  it  is  always  best  to  have  a  little  warmth 
on  the  pipes  at  night,  no  matter  what  the  weather.  It  keeps 
the  air  moving,  and  prevents  stagnant  moisture  on  the  jdants. 
Although  easily  grown  in  a  suitable  atmosphere  the  tender 
foliage  of  Chysis,  Catasetums,  and  Cycnoches  is  very  liable  to 
injury  in  a  bright  period  following  dull  weather.  Match  these 
carefully  now  and  lower  the  blind  in  the  house  in  which  they  are 
grown  before  the  foliage  begins  to  feel  warm  to  the  touch  of  a 
person  inside.  In  the  afternoon,  when  the  house  is  closed,  with 
plenty  of  atmospheric  moisture,  the  blind  can  be  run  up  again 
and  no  harm  accrue  ;  but  hot  sun  striking  them  with  a  dry  atmo¬ 
sphere  is  very  injurious.  All  these  enjoy  the  bright  weather  and 
will  grow  very  rapidly  now  under  precisely  the  same  conditions 
enjoyed  by  Dendi’obiums.  The  roots  must  be  freely  watered,  and 
light  dewings  given  over  the  foliage,  avoiding  those  growths  that 
have  reached  the  cup-like  stage,  and  would  collect  the  water  to 
an  injurious  extent. 
Plants  of  Cypripedium  insigne  that  are  now  finishing  up  their 
growth  may,  with  advantage,  be  placed  in  a  cool  and  semi-shaded 
frame,  standing  the  plants  on  a  cool  bottom  of  ashes  or  similar 
material,  this  . being  damped  several  times  daily  with  a  syringe. 
Coelogyne  cristata  similarly  treated  finishes  up  remarkably  fjne 
growths  and  flowers  with  great  freedoin  afterwards.  Do  not  lose 
sight,  though,  of  the  fact  that  being  pi’actically  in  the  open  air 
the  roots  will  dry  very  rapidly,  and  in  consequence  much  more 
frequent  watering  will  be  necessary  than  when  the  plants  were 
in  the  Orchid  house. 
M'hen  room  is  scarce  in  the  cool  house  many  of  the  usual 
inmates  may  now  be  removed  also  to  a  shady  pit  or  frame.  This 
treatment  I  have  found  to  suit  the  macranthuin  section  of  Onci- 
diums  remarkably  well,  also  many  of  the  Lycastes,  Maxillarias, 
Laelia  harpophylla,  and  the  pretty  Ada  aurantiaca.  Odonto- 
glossum  grande  and  its  allies  are  growing  freely,  and  may  be  left 
in  the  hou.se.  Should  any  plants  .still  remain  that  require  re¬ 
potting  see  to  it  at  once,  fine  pseudo-bulbs  and  flower  spikes  only 
resulting  when  the  roots  are  running  freely  in  fresh  sweet  com¬ 
post. — H.  R.  R. 
- - 
Dr.  Mules’  Garden  at  Gresford. 
Last  week  the  members  of  the  Chester  Paxton  Society,  in  con¬ 
junction  with  the  members  of  the  Chester  Natural  Science 
Society,  to  the  number  of  about  one  hundred,  had  an  excursion  to 
the  beautiful  vale  of  Gresford,  when  opportunity  was  taken  to 
visit  the  celebrated  gardens  of  Dr.  Mules’,  at  the  Old  Parsonage, 
which  is  delightfully  situated  on  a  rising  eminence  about  250ft 
above  the  sea  level.  The  cultivation  of  hardy  herbaceous  and 
border  flowers  has  long  been  a  hobby  of  the  doctor’s,  and  his 
collections  of  these  are,  perhaps,  unequalled,  containing  as  they 
do  many  rare  and  choice  species  seldom,  if  ever,  met  with  in  an 
ordinary  country  garden.  The  Doctor’s  numerous  Continental 
and  Colonial  correspondents  keep  him  well  posted  in  all  the 
novelties  in  the  way  of  hardj'  border  plants  from  their  respective 
countries,  and  anything  new  that  is  raised  in  Great  Britain 
invariably  finds  a  home  at  the  Old  Parsonage,  provided  its  merits 
are  of  sufficient  worth  to  ju.stify  its  existence  there.  The  best 
and  choicest  of  the  old  fashioned  garden  flowers  are  not,  how¬ 
ever,  neglected  at  the  expense  of  the  more  recent  introductions, 
as  many  of  these  old  favourites  were  noticed  in  the  beds  and 
border*^  on  Wednesday. 
Not  only  does  the  doctor  believe  in  securing  all  the  newe.st 
and  best  introductions  in  the  way  of  hardy  plants,  but  he  also, 
along  with  his  head  gardener,  Mr.  James,  takes  the  greatest  pains 
to  see  that  all  his  plants  are  well  cultivated  in  that  particular 
cla.ss  of  soil  which  is  best  suited  for  their  proper  development. 
The  soil  here  being  of  a  hot  gravelly  nature,  clay  loam,  roadside 
scrapings,  limestone  chippings,  and  such  like  have  frequently  to 
be  introduced  to  suit  the  requirements  of  those  plants  which 
refuse  to  exist  in  the  ordinary  garden  soil.  This  high-class 
culture  was  plainly  visible  to  the  visitors,  one  of  whom,  a 
practical  gardener,  i-emarked  that  every  plant  appeared  to  be  in 
the  pink  of  condition.  Of  .special  interest  was  a  bed  of  some 
IGft  square  beautifullv  laid  out  with  a  choice  collection  of  succu¬ 
lents,  &c.,  and  including  twenty  vars.  Aloe,  twelve  vars.  Eche- 
veria,  twenty  vars.  Agave,  together  Avith  various  Cacti,  Ice 
Plants,  tfec. 
In  close  proximity  to  this  was  an  interesting  collection  of 
some  twenty  varieties  of  Bamboos  and  a  healthy  lot  of  Nymphseas, 
in  all  ten  distinct  varieties,  very  full  of  flotver.  The  plants  in 
the  herbaceous  borders  which  attracted  greatest  attention  were 
Eremurus  Elwesianus  albus,  a  very  fine  thing,  pure  tvhite,  and 
the  habit  of  Elwesianus,  but  a  week  or  ten  days  earlier,  quite 
distinct  from  Himalaicus.  Richardia  Elliottiana  and  Pentlandi, 
planted  out  and  groAving  very  strong.  Incarvillea  compacta,  a 
neAV  Incarvillea,  and  said  to  be  A'ery  fine.  Campanula  mirabilis, 
fine  floAvering  specimens.  C.  thyrsoidea,  very  charming  spikes 
of  pale  green  yelloAv  bells.  C.  spicata,  blue  purple  spike,  A'ery 
good.  Spikenard  in  floAver.  Trollius  Fortnnei  fl.-pl.  Avith  4ffc 
spike."  Primula  rosea  grandiflora,  self-soAvn  in  masses.  Primula 
Vanda  tricolor  tenebrosa. 
algida,  the  rarest  and  mo.st  highly  coloured,  groAving  very  strong. 
Pentstemon  species:  albus,  cseruleus,  Ac.  Achillea  lingulata : 
var.  globosa.  Arabis  Billandieri  rosea,  nicely  in  floAver,  been 
out  all  the  Avinter.  Oxalis  enneaijhylla  (hardy  here). 
The  collection  of  neAV  hybrid  Verbascums  Avas  a  sight  Avell 
Avorth  going  to  see  in  themselves,  and  very  proud  of  these  the 
doctor  is.  As  shoAving  the  mildness  of  the  climate  at  Gresford, 
Ave  found  Abutilon  vitifolia  in  healthy  groAvth  and  flowering 
freely  ;  also  Berberis  Knighti,  very  fine  ;  B.  diaphara,  also  choice  ; 
Cytisus  Hueffli  and  C.  seolicus,  both  of  the  best  class. 
A  Avell  cultivated  garden  is  ahvays  pleasant  to  look  upon,  but 
the  pleasure  is  much  enhanced  Avlien  the  history  and  charac¬ 
teristics  of  the  floAvers  are  so  lucidly  described  as  they  Avei’e  by 
the  genial  host  on  the  occasion  of  this  visit.  Added  to  all  this 
sight-seeing,  Mrs.  and  Miss  Mules  most  kindly  dispensed  hos¬ 
pitality  in  a  marquee  on  the  laAvn,  Avhich,  needless  to  say,  aaus 
greatly  enjoyed  and  much  appreciated. 
Before  taking  leave  of  the  genial  host  and  hostesses,  a  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  Avas  accorded  to  them  for  their  great  kindness 
to  the  party ;  but  the  doctor,  Avith  his  accustomed  modesty,  took 
exception  to  this,  maintaining  that  the  obligation  was  on  his 
part,  as  both  he  and  the  members  of  his  family  considered  it  both 
a  pleasure  and  a  privilege  to  have  entertained  the  members  of  the 
tAvo  Chester  societies.  A  final  Avarning  from  the  secretary  caused 
the  party  to  retrace  their  steps  to  the  station,  but  this  Avas  not 
done  Avithout  some  amount  of  reluctance,  as  all  felt  that  the  time 
had  gone  much  too  quickly. — M. 
