38 THE GARDENER. [J 



AN. 



Yeitchii ; a riclily- coloured form of Sophronites grandiflora, and a noble 

 example of Vanda coerulea, the spike of flowers of which would consist 

 of twenty-six blossoms when all were expanded, and, according to Mr 

 Bateman, a longer spike than was ever exhibited before. A very fine- cut 

 spike of the same magnificent species was also sent by Mr Thomson 

 of Dalkeith : the tints of the flowers sent by Mr Thomson were de- 

 cidedly better than those furnished by Messrs Veitch & Sons, but 

 some Orchid-growers assert that this is regulated more by the age of 

 the flowers than from any special mode of treatment adopted by the 

 cultivator. As other growers of equal authority attach so much im- 

 portance to methods of treatment, I have the pleasure to give the fol- 

 lowing extract from Mr Thomson's letter, which accompanied the 

 spikes of Vanda coerulea, V. suavis, and some fine varieties of Y. 

 tricolor : " The j)lants were grown in a large airy house, glazed with 

 ground glass, and only shaded during hot summer weather. The 

 13lants were grovdng in wooden baskets, in sphagnum and charcoal, and 

 but rarely watered overhead, and occupied a wooden stage over a tank 

 of cold water ; and generally, as far as the varieties of Vanda tricolor 

 and V. suavis were concerned, they flowered three times a-year, the 

 Vanda coerulea only once. The plant of V. coerulea, from which the 

 spike sent was taken, was 18 inches in height, and all its leaves, even 

 to the bottom of the plant, were quite fresh." Mr Thomson further 

 stated that the plant of Vanda coerulea produced three spikes of 

 flowers, the largest bearing twenty-five blooms. 



Of Ferns, the following received first-class certificates : — Pteris seru- 

 lata corymbifera, a very handsome crested variety, from Mr B. S. Wil- 

 liams; and to Gymnogramma laucheana corymbifera, with the ter- 

 minal crests, as in the case of the foregoing, gathered in the form of a 

 corymb. 



The same award was made to Mr Green, gardener to W. W. Saunders, 

 Esq., Reigate, for a well-grown pyramidal-shaped plant of a Cape species 

 of Asparagus named decumbens, it being so distinguished as represent- 

 ing a light and handsome decorative plant. 



Some more of the new seedling form of Coleus raised at the gardens of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick by Mr Bause were staged, 

 and first-class certificates were awarded to the following : — Duke of 

 Edinburgh, the leaf surface reddish bronzy orange, slightly veined with 

 purple, and slight margin of yellow, the under side of the leaves tinged 

 with purple ; Prince of Wales, upper surface of the leaves reddish 

 orange bronze, with dark lines and blotches ; Prince Arthur, the leaves 

 parti-coloured, with dark maroon yellow, and irregularly distributed 

 upon the surface ; Princess Beatrice, bright greenish-yellow leaves, 

 veined with dark claret; Her Majesty, reddish bronze dashed with 



