8z 



* * ' GARDENING. 



Dec. /, 



they get firmly attached commence a 

 sturdy growth, so do not be too hasty 

 about repotting them. When you do 

 decide to do so it will be better to crack 

 the pot and avoid distuibing the roots 

 more than \ou can help, breaking away 

 bottom of pot and a few pieces from its 

 side, and then repotting into one or two 

 sizes larger according to condition, in 

 which case your plant will not receive a 

 check or lose a leaf. Surface the top with 

 nice short green sphagnum and encourage 

 its growth and there are no plants in cul- 

 tivation that are more grateful to good 

 care and these little attentions than the 

 cypripedium family. 



Just now I have in flower some fine 

 specimens of C. Boxallii atratum and C. 

 Morgania: carrying two flowers on each 

 stock. The plants are 7 and 8 growth 

 plants, are very strong and grown with 

 nothing but sphagnum moss. I have not 

 yet found any flower that shows a more 

 magnificent make-up in strength of color, 

 in petals and uniqueappearance generally 

 than C. Morganix. My next favorite is 

 C. heeaimm siiperbum. This is a variety 

 that every one interested in cypripedium 

 culture should have in large quantities. 

 It is easily grown, sure to flower and 

 remarkably beautiful in every way. 



The cypripedium family generally arc 

 so easj' to handle that they ar: safe for 

 any amateur to purchase, and thelonger 

 he grows them so much more will his zeal 

 for their welfare increase, but with every- 

 thing to recommend them in freeness of 

 growth, etc., I have had the displeasuie 

 of often seeing them in a most pitiable 

 condition, water logged or perhaps the 

 other extreme, rooted to death, or starved 

 with cold, and then you are told by the 

 non-cultivator in charge of them that 

 these things are no good. Of course I 

 need not describe my feelings, but depend 

 upon it I thought the saddle should have 

 been put on to the hoss. 



I'tiea, N. Y. W.Mathews. 



BASKET OF ORCHIDS. 



The basket seen in the illustration was 

 one that we had made after the style of 

 an ordinary oyster basket, but a little 

 smaller. The rough, natural and per- 

 fectly clean material of which the basket 

 was made contrasted very pleasantly 

 with the delicate orchids, which were the 

 principal flowers used. H, H. C. 



tramped over the paper and straw-littered 

 velvet carpet; tall chrysanthemums leaned 

 up familiarly against the crimson draper- 

 ies, and carved walls made a strange set- 

 ting for plebeian turnips and potatoes. In 

 one department, however no incongruity 

 was apparent. In perfect accord with 

 the costly accessories which surrounded 

 them, looking as if they had always been 

 there and had a perfect right to stay 

 there, the great groups of orchids reposed 

 with easy grace. Here and there through 

 the busy scene flitted the "lady patron- 

 esses," suggesting and directing, solicit- 

 ous and worried by the chaos that seemed 

 to prevail; but finally in commendable 

 good season, the last vase was filled, the 



the private greenhouses of wealthy New 

 Yorkers and arranged by the expert gar- 

 deners who had grown them. A stately 

 Kentia Bahnoreana, 25 feet in height, 

 from Richard Brett, gardener to J. B. Col- 

 gate, occupied a central position and at 

 intervals throughout the hall were tall 

 well grown specimen palms, etc., from 

 Mr. Brett and Charles Knight, gardener 

 to E. R. Ladew. Mr. Knight showed a 

 fine specimen of the rare Araucaria Rulei 

 compacta Nepraski. Large groups in the 

 various classes of decorative foliaged 

 plants also came from these exhibitors 

 and from Wm. Duckham, gardener to D. 

 W. James, Charles Webber, gardener to 

 Mrs. J. Hood-Wright, A. L. Marshall, 



Exhibitions. 



HALF STANDARD CHRYSANTHEMUM. GROWN BY J. RBARDON. 1897. 



EXHIBITION OF THE NEW YORK GftRDENERS' 

 SOCIETY. 



When it was announced a few weeks 

 ago that the New York Gardeners' Soci- 

 ety would invade the most exclusive pre- 

 cincts of New York's wealth and fashion 

 and give a flower exhibition in the grand 

 ballroom of the palatial Astoria hotel on 

 Fifth avenue, as soon as it should be 

 completed, the scheme looked like a wild 

 dream or impossible romance, but it is 

 said that "where there's a will there's a 

 way," and to be persuaded that pluck, 

 tact and determination will prevail over 

 vast odds and that with the help of these 

 qualities nothing is impossible, one had 

 only to visit the beautiful place on the 

 forenoon of Friday last. 



The thousand electric lights of the richly 

 decorated hall looked down upon an un- 

 wonted scene. Great boxes and crates, 

 flower pots and vases were seen every- 

 where; an army of men in shirt-sleeves 



last exhibit placed, thelast crate was car- 

 ried out, floors swept and rich rugs spread 

 in the marble-floored corridors. The liv- 

 eried attendants took their posts, the 

 orchestra began to play, and the finest 

 horticultural exhibition that New York 

 has seen since the brave Lenox Lyceum 

 effort, years ago, was open to the public 

 at $2 per ticket. 



The exhibition lasted three days and 

 the prices of tickets were placed at $2 lor 

 the first day, $1 for the second and 50 

 cents for the third day: the profits to be 

 devoted to charitable purposes. The 

 Gardeners' Society was under no obliga- 

 tion except to provide and arrange ex- 

 hibits, all the expenses, including premi- 

 ums, being assumed by the "lady patron- 

 esses," the names of fifty of whom were 

 displayed on the schedule, and the net 

 result after paving all expenses was 

 about $800 for charity. 



The main hall was devoted principally 

 to the plant exhibits, contributed from 



gardener to J. B. Dutcher, J. McKen2ie, 

 gardener to Mrs. Charles Pratt, and 

 others. In the chrysanthemum plant 

 classes, the principal exhibitors were 

 Peter Luff, gardener to J. Crosby Brown, 

 Robert Whyte, gardener to Mr. Graeffe, 

 G. B. Winslade, gardener to the Osborne 

 estate, and J. M. Hunter, gardener to H. 

 V. R. Kennedy. 



The Whitney cup for best group of dec- 

 orative plants covering 100 square feet, 

 was won by Chas. Knight with the most 

 artistically arranged group in the hall; 

 second prize going to Richard Brett. Mr. 

 Brett took the Gerry cup for 75 foot 

 group, and second in this class went to 

 Wm. Duckham for a superb collection. 

 Mr. Brett also won the Cottenet cup for 

 six palms, the J. Hood-Wright cup for 

 groups of crotons and silver medals for six 

 foliage plants, best epecimen palm, best 

 specimen croton, best specimen foliage 

 plant, best six ferns and best specimen 

 fern. Silver medals were awarded to 



