12 



THE GARDENERS MONTHLY 



[January, 



interesting account to that paper of the re- 

 markable manner in whicli the tuberous Begonias 

 have been improved by a Mr. Tipping, of Not- 

 tingham, England. 



Choosing Hyacinths. — A correspondent of the 

 Oardensays: "Nothing, I am told by an emi- 

 nent seedsman, amuses the trade more than the 

 prejudices of gardeners on the subject of Hya- 

 cinth bulbs. Customers come to the shop and 

 pick cut the largest roots only, while others will 

 only have the heaviest and pay no regard to the 

 size. Both, my informant says, are mistaken in 

 thinking they are securing the best blooms by 

 their choice in this way. It is getting much like 

 trying to determine the sex in eggs, but, as a 

 rule, those bulbs which are high in the shoulders 

 • produce the best blooms, and it is said that the 

 Oerman bulb growers select these when they 

 wish to produce fine examples of culture. Some 

 of the ugliest and most lumpy-looking bulbs 

 they say do best." 



A EoYAL Bouquet.— Success in floral arrange- 

 ments — whether such consist in their disposal 

 in a vase, a bouquet, a button-hole, or any of the 

 many ways in which flowers are now so much 

 used— depends upon the taste of the individual 

 engaged in the work. A combination of the 

 most graceful forms and beautiful colors which 

 the world of flowers affords ends in failure unless 

 the executant is possessed of a naturally artistic 

 «ye. Amongst those who stand out as particu- 

 larly successful in the leading competitions with 

 bouquets is Mr. Cypher, of Cheltenham, whose 

 productions — made by his daughter — are invari- 

 ably illustrative of correct taste alike in the 

 combination of form and color of the flowers 

 used as in their arrangement. On the recent 

 visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to 

 Chepstow, Miss Cypher had the honor of pre- 

 senting a bouquet to the Princess, which was 

 graciously received by Her Royal Highness. It 

 was composed of Gardenias, Stephanotis, white 

 Lapagerias, Eucharis amazonica, Dendrobium 

 formosum, Odontoglossum Roezlii, O. Alexandrse, 

 and the violet Cattleya Loddigesii, intermixed 

 with the ferns Gleichenia rupestris and Maiden- 

 hair. — Gardener's Chronicle. 



NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 



are Heinze's white and Heinze's red, which are 

 local varieties, having been raised some years 

 ago by Mr. Heinze, florist of that place. 



Mr. H. takes great interest in raising carna- 

 tions, as well as importing all the best kinds that 

 can be obtained from abroad. 



Cymbidium eburneum.— The increased atten- 

 tion given to orchid culture in the United States 

 renders any information about them particularly 

 desirable. Some of them are particularly hand- 

 some, and many of these have in addition a de- 

 lightful fragrance of the genus Cymbidium. One 

 species, C. aloifolium, is not uncommon in 

 American collections, where it is highly appre- 

 ciated for its delicious fragrance, though the dull 

 brown flowers are nt^t showy. In this species, 

 C. eburneum, we have one which not only has 

 the same odoriferous trait of character, but also 

 large waxy white flowers. It has been intro- 

 duced through the efforts of Mr. William Bull, 

 of Chelsea, near London, England, and will, we 

 think, become an universal favorite. See cut. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Fine Winter Flowering Carnations. — Mr. 

 A. D. Mylius tells us that the most popular 

 varieties for growing for cut flowers in Detroit 



Eucharis Amazonica. — A Philadelphia corres- 

 pondent says: "I have about three hundred 

 blooms now out, and have a specimen with 

 fifteen flower stems. To my mind nothing can 

 be handsomer." 



New Coleus, — "T.W.," New Albany, Ind., says: 

 "Enclosed please find a leaf of our new Coleus, 

 which is a sport of the Kentish Fire. We have 

 kept it all summer, and find it good in every 

 respect. It has not gone back in any instance. 

 Also find a leaf of our new seedling Begonia. 

 Will be glad to have your opinion." 



[The Coleus is very good. Its value for bed- 

 ding will have to be decided by competition with 

 others already known. Begonias of the Welto- 

 niensis class sometimes come with spotted leaves 

 like those sent. — Ed. G. M.] 



Medinilla magnifica. — "P." a.sks : " Will some 

 of the readers of the Monthly please be so 

 good as to give me some information concerning 

 the treatment of Medinilla magnifica?" 



Odontoglossum Cervantesii. — "F."asks: "Will 

 C. H. S. please give me a few hints as to the cul- 

 tivation of Trichopila suavis and T. tortilis, also 

 Odontoglossum Cervantesii?" 



Begonia Schmidtii. — "C. E. P." says : "If any 



