146 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Fubraary 13, 1872 



ciously-scented wliite-aucl-yellow-flowered Piliimna fragrans; 

 Odontoglossum ti-ipudians "from New Grenada, a magniflceut 

 specimen of Coelogyne cristata, quite a mass of white and yellow 

 flowers ; Lycaste Skumeri alba, a beautiful milk-white variety, 

 with just a little yeUow in the throat ; Ada aurantiaea, Cypripe- 

 diums, including the lirely-colouredC. Schlimii, several Odonto- 

 glossums, Cypripedium vexillarium, and many others. Along 

 ■ivith these were Hippeastrum Leopoldii and pardinum, both vei-y 

 showy, and the latter a very iine specimen. Messrs. Veitch also 

 sent a coUectiou of Palms, of which Eentia austraUs and 

 Veitchia canterbmyana, two very handsome species, both from 

 Lord Howe's Island, had first-class certificates. The Veitchia 

 in particular is likely to form a beautiful object for table deco- 

 ration, the young leaves being of a lively green. 



Mr. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, sent a basket of 

 spring-flowering plants, in which Hepaticas of different kinds 

 and Iris reticulata were the most conspicuous. Mr. Croucher, 

 gardener to J. T. Peacock, Esq., Hammersmith, sent Agave 

 Morganii, a Mexican species, also Agave Gibbsii from Brazil. 

 Mr. C. Noble, Sunrdngdale Nursery, sent Thnjojisis boreaUs 

 aui'eo-variegata, with well-marked yellow variegation. This 

 received a fiirst-class certificate. 



Mr. W. Paul exhibited several plants of his fine white Chinese 

 Primula, Waltham "White. From Mr. E. Clark, market gar- 

 dener, Twickenbam, came a beautiful collection of Cyclamens ; 

 and other collections in fine bloom came from Mi-. Wiggins, gar- 

 dener to W. Beck, Esq., Isleworth ; Mr. James, gai-dener to 

 W. F. Watson, Esq., Isleworth; and Mr. Goddard, gardener to 

 H. Little, Esq., Twickenham, those from the latter being in 

 many instances splendid masses of white, rose, and rosy purple 

 blossom, while several were beautifully spotted. 



Mr. Ware, Tottenham, sent afinfi basket of Iris reticulata, and 

 from the same exhibitor came a collection of Succulents. 



Messrs. EoUisson, Tooting, contributed a fine miscellaneous 

 group of Orchids, Palms, and stove and greenhouse plants. 

 From Mr. Williams, Holloway, came Vanda suavis, Ccelogyne 

 cristata in excellent bloom, and Angi'arcum ebumeum. Mr. 

 Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, Grimstou Park, 

 Tadcaster, sent in a splendid collection of Orchids a magnifi- 

 cent pan of Lielia anceps in which there were eighteen spikes of 

 flower, some with as many as four blossoms, also beautiful speci- 

 mens of Ccelogyne cristata, Odontoglossum Alexandr^e, and 

 Phalffinopsis grandiflora, together with Odontoglossum nebu- 

 losum and Cattleyas. 



From Mr. B. Johnson, gardener to T. Clarke, Esq., Swakeleys, 

 TJxbridge, came a remarkably fine specimen of Daphne indiea 

 rubra, balloon-trained, and bearing a profusion of flowers. 

 Messrs. Staudish & Co., Ascot, sent a large collection of forced 

 flowers, as Bouvardias, Hyacinths, Spirfea japonica. Geraniums, 

 and Cinerarias. Among the last-named were several remark- 

 able for their newness and intensity of colour. Mi\ Howard, 

 gardener to J. Brand, Esq., Balham, contributed pans of 

 Lily of the Valley, exceedingly well grown, and a very choice 

 bouquet. 



Mr. Wilson, gardener to W. Marshall, Esq., Enfield, sent two 

 plants of Masdevallia ignea, one with four, the other with seven 

 scapes, but these were not all fuUy developed. The four, however, 

 were beautiful. Two boxes of beautiful cut blooms of Camel- 

 lias were exhibited by Mr. WiUiam Paul, of Waltham Cross, 

 and collections were likewise shown by Mr. Grant, gardener to 

 J. B. Glegg, Esq., Withington Hall, Cheshire, and Mr. Howard, 

 Balham. 



From Mr. Speed, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire, Chats- 

 worth, came a beautiful raceme of Amlierstia nobilis, a tree 

 which has several times flowered there before, and of which a 

 full account will be foimd in vol. x., page 240. Mr. Eichards, 

 gardener to Baron Eothschild, Gunnersburj-, sent Odontoglos- 

 sum Alexandrie with veiy large flowers. Messrs. Carter & Co. 

 exhibited Prince of Wales, Princess Eoyal, and other Caladiums ; 

 and Mr. Bull, Odontoglossum odoratum, yellow, spotted with 

 brown, but so far as we could make out scentless, or nearly so, 

 adso Masdevallia ignea, poor compared to the specimens from 

 Mr. Wilson. Mr. Williams, of Holloway, exhibited Davalha 

 Tyermanni, a pretty dark green gi-acefnl Fern ; Tillandsia 

 Lindeni major, with beautiful deep blue flowers; Odontoglossum 

 tripudians oculatum, and a group of hybrid Solanums. From 

 Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., came Ehipi- 

 dodendi-on pUcatile majus, a South African succulent plant, 

 somewhat resembling a lady's fan. Mr. D. Ferguson, Hounslow, 

 exhibited propagating-glasses, consisting of a flat piece of glass 

 fixed in a circular rim of sheet iron. It appears to us that a 

 piece of glass placed over the pot would answer equally well, 

 and be less expensive. Mr. Matthews, Weston-super-Mare, sent 

 Gibson's Orchid pots, with perforated sides and false bottoms, 

 said to be much superior to the ordinaiy perforated pots. 



Two prizes were offered for the best six Chinese Primul.as 

 distinct ; the first was taken by Mr. Goddard, gardener to h! 

 Little, Esq., Twickenham, who had really distinct and rich- 

 coloured varieties, also very well flowered. No second prize was 

 awarded, but an extra was given to Messrs. Dobson, of Isleworth, 



who, along with Messrs. James and Tomkins, had plants in ex- 

 cellent bloom. 



Mr. William Paul, Waltham Cross, offered three libei-al prizes 

 for three plants of his Waltham White Primula, but there was 

 only one exhibitor — namely, Mr. J. Scott, gardener to J. B. 

 Howitt, Esq., Enfield, who took a first prize. 



The best three plants of Dielytraspectabilis were exhibited by 

 Mr. George, gardener to Miss Nicholson, Putney Heath ; Mr^ 

 Denning coming in second with larger plants but not so weE 

 bloomed. 



The only collection of six Lycastes was that shown by Mr. 

 Denning; it contained one splendid specimen of Lycaste 

 Skinneri, others fine, and one plant of the white kind. 



Fii'st-class certificates were awarded to Messrs. Veitch for 

 Kentia australis and Veitchia canterbmyana ; to Mr. Williams 

 for Davallia Tyennanni ; to Mr. C. Noble for Thujopsis borealis 

 aureo-variegata ; to Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders^ 

 Esq., for Ehipidodendi-on pUcatile majus ; and to Mr. Croucher 

 for Agave Morganii and A. Gibbsii. Mr. Bull had a second-class 

 certificate for Odontoglossum odoratum. Cultural commenda- 

 tions were given to Mr. Tomkins for Chinese Primulas ; to Mr. 

 Speed for Amherstia nobilis ; to Mr. Grant and Mr. W. Paul 

 for cut Camellias ; to Mr. Johnson for Daphne indiea rubra ; to 

 Mr. Eichards for Odontoglossum Alexandras ; to Messrs. Veitch 

 for their group of Orchids, also for Hippeastrum pardinran ; to 

 Messrs. Eollisson for a gi'oup of Orchids, ttc. ; to Mr. Williams 

 for Orchids ; to Mr. Denning for Pilumna fragrans, also for a 

 collection of Orchids ; to Mr. Wilson for Masdevallia ignea ; to- 

 Mr. Laurence, gardener to Bishop Sumner, for Dendrochilum 

 glumaceum ; to Mr. Wiggins for Cyclamens ; to Mr. Ware for a 

 gi-oup of Succulents ; to Messrs. Standish for a large gi'oup of 

 plants ; and to Mr. Howard, Balham, for Lily of the Valley and 

 a bouquet. 



Dissolving Boses. — "W. H. W.," Readitiri, Mass., in the 

 " Horticulturist," says : — " My mode of doiugthis is very simple 

 and very effective. I have a large water-tight hogshead stand- 

 ing out-doors, near the kitchen. In the spring I cover the 

 bottom about 6 inches deep with diy soU. On this I put a 

 layer of bones of about the same depth, and cover them entirely 

 with unleaehed ashes ; on these another layer of bones, then 

 ashes, and so on tiU the hogshead is full. I leave it then ex- 

 posed to the rains all summer and winter until the nest spring- 

 Then, on removing the contents of the hogshead, I find nearly 

 all the bones so soft that they will cnimble to powder under a 

 very slight jiressure, and, mixed with the ashes and the soil, 

 they give me arnice little pUe of most valuable manure, ready 

 for immediate use. Any of the bones not sufficiently subdueA 

 I return to the hogshead again for another twelvemonth's 

 slumber." 



PALMS FOE COOL CULTUEE. 



The following Palms wOl succeed in a temperature which- 

 does not fall below 38° or -10°, and are, therefore, peculiarly 

 adapted for the decoration of apartments. It must, however,, 

 be borne in mind that small one-year-old plants should not be 

 placed in so low a temperature, as they ai'e not effective at 

 that age, and grow veiy slowly under such treatment. It 

 is preferable, therefore, to proeui'e plants from three years 

 old and uj^wards for this purpose. There are many other 

 kinds which will succeed, but, on the whole, none of them are 

 more satisfactoiy than those mentioned below. They require 

 plenty of water during summer, but less in the winter, never 

 being allowed to grow dry. A little Uqiud manure in spring is 

 very beneficial, and is not offensive if some of the vai'ious 

 patent kinds be used. 



It is quite a pleasure to see the rapid progress Palms are 

 making in the estimation of the pnbUc for general deeorative- 

 puri^oses. The appearance they present to anyone seeing 

 them in a room for the first time is perfectly enchanting. As 

 a warning, however, let all amateurs avoid Geonoma-s, which — 

 though as beautiful, dwarf, ornamental plants in a stove they are 

 certainly unsurpassed — unlike the Chamasdoreas, look miser- 

 able in the drawing-room, and become unpresentable after a 

 week's trisil — in fact, rapidly die. 



AcANTHORHiz.i sT.iCRACANTHA. — A native of Mexico ; leaves 

 palmate or fan-shaped, divided into broad segments quite 

 down to the Ugule or top of the petiole, dark green on the 

 upper side, silvery white below. 



Aeeca lutescens. — A beautiful species with graceful arching 

 leaves, clivided into narrow dark gi-een segments; the foot- 

 stalks are orange yellow freclded with black dots. 



C'hailedokea GKA3IINIF0LIA. — This is certainly the most 

 elegant of its genus, almost rivaUing the much-prized Cocos 



