230 



JOURNAL OF HORTICOLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 29, 1877. 



and another new variety, Tricolor, blue with dark veins and 

 shaded segments, is commandint; from the great size of the 

 bells. The best mauves are Sir Henry Havelock and Haydn ; 

 and the best blacks, JIasterpiece and Prince Albert. The most 

 noticeable of the reds and pinks are Orange Queen (new), a 

 decided improvement on Vurbaak ; Garibaldi, Pelissier, Prince 

 Albert Victor, always good ; Von Schiller, Prince of Orange, 

 Meteor (new), rich ; Etna, semi-double, fine ; Fabiola, Mac;ialay, 

 and Princess Clothilde. The finest yellows are L'Or d'Australie, 

 Obeliaque, and Ida. Associated with the Hyacinths are Tulips, 

 Clematises, &c. Many choice Orchids are now flowering, and 

 the " Easter show at Veitch's " is highly worthy of inspection. 



MESSBS. CUTBUSH & SON, HIGHGATE. 

 Datch bulbs have long been a spi'cialite in this nursery, and 

 in few places have better Hyacinths, &c., been grown. The 

 show house at Highgate, to which visitors are invited, is now 

 exceedingly gay, and considerable taste has been exercised in 

 arranging the plants. The house is span-roofed, with a bed in 

 the centre and stages round the sides. The centre bed is 

 occupied with Tree Ferns and Palms, with a marginal line of 

 Hyacinths, two raised rows of Hyacinths being arranged on the 

 side stages, and fringed with small Heaths, Erica regerminans 

 being very effective ; Lilies, Cyclamens, Azalea amo^na, and 

 very small Camellias. The background of glass is covered with 

 baize, which shows the Hyacinths to great advantage. At one 

 end of the house are variegated Yuccas, and at the opposite end 

 a bank of Tulips. The Hyacinths this year have been grown 

 entirely by Mr. Cutbush, juu., the youthful partner of the firm, 

 who, for the first time, has "tried his hand " at their cultivation, 

 and with very creditable results. The same varieties are re- 

 presented as noted above, also capital spikes of the following: — 

 Van Hooboken, waxy white, fine spike and bells ; La Neige, 

 pure white, tall, fine; Dake of Wellington, double, pale rose, 

 excellent; City of London, creamy rose, double, towering spike, 

 massive bells; Lady Derby, white; Double Grand Vaiuqueur, 

 distinct and good; Pieneman, blue, fine bells; Leouidas, blue, 

 excellent; Mimosa, blue; Laurens Kostcr, double, blue; "Sir" 

 John Bright, bine, like Couronne de Celle; " The First," double 

 pink, fine bells; Lord Melville, dark blue, white eye, distinct; 

 Vou Schiller, red ; Josephine, bright crimson ; Florence Night- 

 ingale, pink, fine ; Koh-i-noor; Grandeur a Mervellle; Howard, 

 orange crimson, superior; Lord Palmerston, lavender; Grand 

 Lilas; Giganfea, pink; and, blackest of all, Blackbird. The 

 best of the Tulips are Vander Neer, Vermilion Brilliant, 

 Proserpine, White Pottebakker, Keyser's Kroon, Rose Louisante, 

 Wouverman, Queen of the Violets, Joost Van Vondel, and 

 Fabiola. Altogether the " Highgate show" is an attractive one, 

 and is affording pleasure to numerous visitors. 



every one of them are included in the names above given, 

 and it is not necessary to repeat them. The Hyacinths 

 mentioned may be regarded as the best varieties extant, and 

 those requiring a selection have only to refer to the cata- 

 logues for such further information respecting them that may 

 be required. 



In the cultivation of Hyacinths, the first essential for suc- 

 cess is sound, dense, well-matured bulbs— bulbs which have 

 not been cheaply grown and cannot be cheaply sold. Large 

 bulbs do not produce the finest spikes; Gigantea, for instance, 

 always producing a small bulb and large spike, and so with many 

 others. The mere size of the bulb is no criterion of the size of 

 the spike it will produce. Procure bulbs clean, symmetrical, 

 and heavy, and good cultivation will do the rest. For guidance 

 on culture Mr. Douglas will doubtlees contribute reliable notes 

 at a suitable time. He must be justly regarded as amongst the 

 most able growers of the day, for fine as are the collections 

 noticed he has staged still finer spikes, excepting those of Messrs. 

 Veitch, which were not entered for competition. The "shows " 

 now noticed will remain attractive for the next ten days or a 

 fortnight. 



NOVELTIES IN THE KOYAL GAEDENS, KEW. 



Enkyanthus japonicus, a comparatively new species, is form- 

 ing a very pretty shrub in the Temperate house. It is de- 

 ciduous, and the pure white globose flowers appear with the 

 earliest expansion of leaves, which in the autumn assume 

 various shades of yellow relieved with red. Though, perhaps, 

 quite hardy, it may be used with effect as a companion plant 

 for E. quinqnefloruB, one of the prettiest of our greenhonse 

 ehrnbs when well developed. It was first discovered some 

 years ago in the neighbourhood of Nagasaki, and was intro- 

 duced by Messrs. Standisb, who contributed a plant to Kew, 

 from which a figure was first published in 1870. 



Calliandra hcematocephala though not new deserves notice 

 as a rare and beautiful shrub with slender and graceful 

 branches, now flowering in the Palm house. The flowers are 

 collected in clusters, and produce a mass of stamens of the 

 most brilliant scarlet changing to deep blood red. It is o{ 

 easy culture and strikes freely from cuttings ; being of rather 

 lax habit it requires cutting-back to form a well-furnished 

 specimen. 



A large number of Orchids are in bloom, and several are 

 represented by very fine varieties. The unusually fine form 

 of Dendrobinm crassiuode still coutiuufsin flower, though now 

 nearly over. A fine plant of D. Pierardii has several stems 

 well laden with bloom. It presents a peculiar though pleasing 

 combination of colour ; the stems are white, and the flowers 

 creamy white and parple. D. lituiflorum is rare and also 

 desirable. D. Devenianum is one of the most brilliant of all 



MESSES. CillTEE & CO. 



This firm has grown and exhibited bulbs largely, but their 



colleolions at Regent's Park were a few days " behind time," 



and the spikes have considerably developed since they have 



been placed in the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. They are 



arranged on large tables surrounding the fountain at the east j now in flower, but will scarcely give way to D. Wardianum 

 end of the building, and are the promiuent fiature in the deco- [ and D. flmbriatum. D. Farmeri, D. densiflorum, and the va- 



am an ex- 

 attleya Trianie is 

 One of these is 



rations of the structure, and will be a source of great attraction to rieties of D. uobUe are also good. Of D. densifloru 

 visitors durmg the Easter holidays. It does not appear as if any | tremely fine plant will soon be in bloom. Cattleya ] 



orT/«^i-nl H,'r.„,ii. T;,^- f •" I'^^'^T' "^l''^'".'"';- represented by at least six distinct forms 



or ciressing, the collection being a fair example of Hyacinth - '^ 



production under ordinary treatment, and such that is usually 



iven in the majority of gardens. 



The following are the best 

 varieties in their respective colours : — Whites : — Alba Maxima, 

 Alba Superbissima, La Graudesse, L'Innocence, Madame Van 

 der Hoop, Miss Nightingale, and Snowball. Reds: — Garibalbi, 

 Linn;enB, Prince Albert Victor, Romeo, Victor Emmanuel, 

 Vurbaak, Koh-i-noor, and Von Schiller. Blues :— King of the 

 Blues, Marie, Blondin, Czar Peter, De Candolle, Garrick, Lord 

 Derby, and Van Speyk. Yellows :— Ida, Bird of Paradise, and 

 La Citroniere. Blackbird, new and intense f ilky black, and Star- 

 light, new, a splendid dark blue with light eye, are especially 

 noteworthy. The Tulips are— Joost Von Voiulel, Lac Van 

 Ehyn, Royal Standard, Vander Neer, Vermilion Brilliant, and 

 White Pottebakker. A very effective display. 



UESSIiS. BAEK i SUGDEN. 

 This is the last, but by no means the least, collection to notice. 

 The plants are now arranged in the large windows of the 

 establishment of the firm at 12, King Street, Cuvent Garden, 

 and are at times a cause of " street obstruction," so great is the 

 crowd of sightseers. These Hyacinths by their " level excel- 

 lence " were a surprise to many visitors to the Regent's Park 

 Show, to which Mr. Barr's grower, with pardonable enthusiasm, 

 had taken them without the " master's orders." These are 

 truly London Hyacinths, having been grown in a small garden 

 at Bjw at the residence of Mr. Barr's skilful cultivator and 

 decorator, Mr. Hill, who has attended to them, as it were, during 

 his Epare hours night and morning, he being engaged during 



nearly pure white and another rich purple with great breadth 

 of segment, between which the others are intermediate in 

 colour, and differing also in the relative size of the parts of 

 the flower and the undulation of the margins. C. Lindleyana 

 cannot be compared with these in point of beauty, it has the 

 appearance of having been pink but washed nearly white. 



The Odontoglossums contribute a large share to the present 

 show of flowers. 0. Pescatorei and 0. luteo-purpurenm have 

 fine spikes. 0. pulchellum and the variety majus are famous 

 for their white blooms. In baskets are 0. Eossii and 0. Pha- 

 Ifenopsis. The other kinds are 0. odoratum, 0. carinifernm, 

 0. oristatum, and 0. cordatum. Of Lycaste Skinneri there is 

 a particularly fine dark variety. The Oucidiums are not now 

 numerous, but 0. oucnllatum var. grandiflorum is fine in colour 

 and form, if not one of the most showy. The orange Epi- 

 dendrum xanthiunm is almost the only Orchid now in flower 

 of that colour. The purple E. eveotum and the pink E. elon- 

 giitum are also good. Forced Orchids are scarcely thought of, 

 but the hardy North American species appear to stand the 

 treatment well, and are certainly worth having at any season, 

 particularly C. spectabile, which is now flowering. Angrie- 

 cum falcatum is very charming ; it thrives on a block, and the 

 pure white flowers are produced in a tuft of narrow curved 

 leaves. Kestrepia elegans is quite a gem in its way, it is 

 smaller than R. antennifera but more richly coloured. Stenor- 



the d"ay in town. His labours have been most successful, for I rhyuchus epeciosus is a rare terrestrial Orchid, and is now in 

 they are such plants as anyone maybe proud of. In looking | flower in company with its variety niaculata. The Phalssnop- 

 over the list taken of the most effective varieties we find that I eids are P. amabilis, P. grandiflora, P. rosea, and P. SchU- 



