THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[January, 



symmetrical, and well-branched from the base. 

 The leaves rising on long petioles give it a free 

 and graceful appearance, showing off the bright 

 red veins on the under side of them. The flower 

 is similar in color to what is produced on the Rex 

 section, only forms larger trusses and on long 1 

 stalks from the axils of the leaves. It can be ' 

 easily grown to most any size if the same treat- ■ 

 ment be given it as required by the Weltoniensis | 

 section of Begonias. Propagation is effected by 

 cutting the stalks to single eyes and by leaves, the 

 same as adopted with the Rex section. 



Youngstown, 0. 1 



NOTES ON ORCHIDS AND THE VICTORIA 

 REGIA. 



BY J. H. LESTER. 



Your very interesting number for November 

 reminds me to say, with regard to Orchids, that 

 my experience coincides in many respects with 

 that of your correspondent " Epiphyte." Orchids 

 here, however, seem to come into bloom earlier 

 than they do in more northern places. 



Phalaenopsis Esmeralda has been in bloom with 

 me since June, and promises to remain so all 

 winter. P. Schilleriana comes in February and 

 remains in bloom until May. P. amabilis and 

 roseum will bloom all the time, if I let them ; but 

 it weakens a plant too much, as it must be very 

 strong to make leaves and bloom at the same time. 

 I have had L?elia albida on crockery blocks for 

 two years, without any sphagnum or anything 

 else, with five and six breaks, and they have been 

 in the open air, partially shaded, from May to 

 October. I have been told often during summer 

 that I would lose them, but I have a way of my 

 own of doing some things. They make a better 

 show than anything I grow from December to 

 February, blooming with Chysis bractescens and 

 C. laevis and Coryanthes macrantha. Ninety 

 days of 90'^ is a little too much for Cattleyas, but 

 we get some flowers once in awhile. The same 

 will apply to Odontoglossums and Epidendrums. 

 With Oncidiums, Saccolabiums and Vandas we do 

 much better. 



But the crowning glory of all the flowers on this 

 place the past season was the Victoria regia. The 

 seed was procured from Mr. Sturtevant, at Bor- 

 dentown, N. J. I started the seed on March i6th, 

 and the plant was fit to set out about June 1st; 

 but the season was cold here and I did not think 

 the water warm enough until the last week in 

 June. On October ist the largest leaf measured 



5 feet 7;^ inches — inside the ring — in diameter, 

 but the plant did not have half a show. The pond 

 is only about 30 feet in diameter, and contained 

 also two plants of Nymphsea Devoniensis, one 

 each of N. dentata, scutifolia and coerulea, besides 

 an Egyptian Lotus — Nelumbium speciosum — as 

 well as Trapa nutans, Lininocharis Humboldtii, 

 Pontederia crassipes, and some other things. 

 The first flower opened October 4th, and it per- 

 fumed the atmosphere around the whole block ; 

 and if one may be allowed to judge from appear- 

 ances and the expressions of pleasure, between 

 two and three hundred people were very much 

 delighted thereby. The second flower came five 

 days afterwards. At the suggestion of a gentle- 

 man it was measured, and was found to be ex- 

 actly 12 inches in diameter. It is sometimes diffi- 

 cult to get a good measurement, as the petals 

 often reflex as fast as they open. 



By the way, there is something about this flower 

 that I have never seen mentioned in print, al- 

 though I have read many descriptions of it. The 

 flower is a diflferent thing altogether the second 

 night from what it is the first. The first night 

 three rows of snowy petals open and one row re- 

 mains closed. These latter open the second night, 

 are streaked with red and expose the crown, which 

 is not visible the first night. I may add, that after 

 the plant was put into the pond it had no artificial 

 heat whatever. 



One writing from here is supposed to have some- 

 thing to say about the Exposition. Well, to make 

 it short, it is going to be the biggest thing I ever 

 saw — and I saw the Centennial. The department 

 that will have most interest for us is, to all appear- 

 ances, in good hands; and I hope to see all my 

 friends here this winter. 

 Gardener to Prof. Richardson, New Orleans, La. 



THE RICHARDIA iETHIOPICA FROM SEED. 

 BY ERNEST WALKER. 



A note I observe on page 299 of October Gar- 

 deners' Monthly, says: "The common Calla 

 rarely produces seeds." This, I presume, means 

 naturally ; as with a little care it produces seeds 

 quite readily. I have on several occasions fruited 

 it, and this summer grew a number of plants of 

 the Calla from seed of a plant fruited last spring. 

 The trouble I observe to be the tendency of the 

 spadix to decay at the base, in a moist atmosphere 

 and during the cloudy weather of winter. During 

 fertilization the flower-stalk and flower stand up- 

 right, and the moisture suspended in the green- 



