May 27, 1809. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTURK AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



355 



St. Potorftbarj?; ftiuonjist them aro som» of tho choicest kinds wo have 

 ill Kn^'laml. but nothing now. These are unccoodod by one of tlie Kcma 

 of tht) Kxhihition— viz., Dianthns Diilori; for early forcing for tho 

 Jccoratiou of the conservatory, grceuhonso, or for cnttinjj for lioiKjuets 

 this is valnnhle. Tt grows from IS to 'J 1 inches high, and is hmded in 

 jirofu'^ion with its beautiful reiWish nrimsou, double ilowers, ami whcu 

 forced as thi -lo are, no doacriptiou can do them justirc. 



A bed of Myosotis, which follows, with nearly all the (lowtTH fallen, 

 looks remarliilbly dull after the brilliant disjtlay of tho J)iunthiis. 

 There is another repetition of Palms, and then a fine bed of Stocks, 

 nod one of well-flowered Dentzia gracilis, which uoeda no comment. 

 A group of rich dark AVallflowere succeeds tliis, wull-tlowcrcd, and with 

 foliage well-drvcloped, in 48-sized pots, which Bhonld ho a hint for 

 those who require early Howers, hut who have but little moans allowed 

 for the purpose. 



Passing bj eome poor Mignonette and other things, a group of 

 forced Iris is approached, and which wo were not aware could be forceil 

 with such good results. A collection of Thorns is another novel 

 foatnro of tliis Exhibition, which, although very pretty, aro infinitely 

 inferior to the glorious specimens wo see at home. Some plants of 

 Pyras malu'i. Ledum jmlustre, Berbcris vulgaris. Lilacs, and Azalea 

 poutica make a handsome group ; a bed of Aspcrnla azurca, however, 

 proves that its room would he better occupied with something else. 

 Tii'e old Acacia armata, which is hero exhibited of great size, is very 

 brilliant, and we hope to sco this finn ^riius again largely cultivated in 

 Knglish ganltns, whence Acacias have unaccountably departed within 

 n few years. A group of Camellias of great size, but inferior varie- 

 ties, we pass in silence, and next meet with a largo and handsome bed 

 of Hyacinths, which, although not equalling those lately exhibited at 

 Kensington by Messrs, Cutbush and Paul, are yet highly commendable. 

 This terminates tho side beds in the building. 



Facing round to the centre, there is a large irregnlar-shaped piece 

 of lawn, green moss being substituted for grass. Upon this stand 

 several fine specimen plants in bold relief, and giving a very tropical 

 appearance to the place. First is I'andanus furcatns, spreading its 

 leaves for a considerable distance. Plants of this genus, though 

 mostly strong -growing, are vei-y ornameutal, and wliere room can 

 be afforded, an- amongst the finest plants for tropical effect that can 

 be grown. A handsome young Araucaria. about 14 feet high, is also 

 very beantit'ul, and affords a most striking contrast to its neigh- 

 boar the Pandanus. A fine Cycas circinalis and remarkably good 

 Dicksonia autarctica comprise the specimens here. Under these are 

 various groups, arranged as fiower beds ujiou a grass plot. Immedi- 

 ately in front of the llight of steps leading down from the terrace 

 entrance is a bed of handsome Azaleas, exhibited by M. Vervaene, of 

 <rhent, and which had travelled remarkably well ; none of the varie- 

 ties were different from those which are grown with us. They were 

 half-standards, and beautifully flowered. A circle of small Orange 1 

 trees in fruit had a charming effect ; but two ovals of Scarlet and 

 Variegated Pelargoniums were miserable. Two oblong beds of Show 

 and Spotted Pelargoniums need no comment, being made up of such 

 plants as one bo freifuently sees upon the stalls in Covent Garden 

 Market. 



An oval bed of Rhododendrons was very pretty, as was also a small 

 bed of Gloxinias of the erect-flowered varieties. A very remarkable 

 bed of Lilium condidum and bulbiferum beautifully flowered, is another 

 proof of the skill of the Russian gardeners in the forcing department. 

 In proximity to these is a splendid group of Palms, but from some 

 nneiplained cause but few of the exhibitors' names have been attached 

 to the collections. Amongst them wo remarked in superb condition, 

 Areca Verschaffelti, Calamus Verschaffelti, Oreodoxa regia, Areca 

 speciosa, Licnala elegans, Latania rubra and aurea, Areca aurea and 

 concinna, Attalea compta, Ceratolobns glancescens, Desmonchus 

 mexicanns. Zalacca Wagneri. Martinezia caryotifolia, Brahea calcarata, 

 Geonoma Verschaffeltii, Phcenicophorinm sechellarum, Bactris culsa 

 and maraja. Chamierops toraentosa. and several others. 



The next is one of the most beautiful contributions in the building. 

 It is a grand bank of several hundred standard, half-standard, and 

 dwarf Roses in pots, in which, at eijual distances, stand marble busts of 

 the Emperor and Empress. To say they are grand is saying all one 

 can say for them in a single word. They are grown in .S'2 and '2*i-sized 

 pots. The foliage is most luxuriant withont being gross ; the flowers 

 are large, well-formed, and produced in abundance. The attention 

 bestowed upon this flower fully proves that its beauties are heartily 

 appreciated. 



The next attraction is a somewhat oval bed. the centre filled with 

 Palms placed upon pedestals, and then fiUed-in with Azaleas and 

 Camellias, and edged with Tulips and Mignonette ; but truth compels 

 ns to say that, with the exception of the Palms, the cultivation here 

 exhibited is nothing more than commonplace. 



The banks of the water are neatly laid with green moss, and round 

 about are distributed Ferns, large Bamboos, Aiithurinms, Rhododen- 

 drons, and Alocasias. 



We next come to the pavilion, which stands high above the plants 

 upon a mound of rockwork, and from which the beauty of the display 

 can be seen to perfection. Planted in and standing upon various 

 parts of this mound are a most heterogeneous coUectiou of plants, any- 

 thing but natural, but producing a good effect. They comprise 

 Azaleas, Calceolarias, Deutzias, Gloxinias, Stocks, Wallflowers, Aloes, 

 Haworthiae, small Ferns, Acacias, Kalmias, Tulips, Jasminums, 



Francisceaa. Kscallonias. Rhododendronfl, Hyacinths, Banksias, 

 Cytisus, and several other New Holland plants. 



Near this from sonif; Russian oxhibittjr is a very creditable collec- 

 tion of yonng Conifers in pots, containing a fine specimen of the 

 rurions and rare Phylloclados hypoleucus. From the gardener in chief 

 to tlie Grand Duchesso H<-b ne Paulona comes a collection of Palms, 

 and Ferns very clean and well-grown, but as tho kinds aro the same 

 us tliose already noticed they need not bo repeated. 



From M. A. Verschaffelt, of Ghent, come some good plants of choice 

 Cycadacea-, tho principal of which are Encepbalartos Ghellincki, 

 Zaniia plumo*;a, Cycas aurea, and Zamia cycada folia and Lehmanni. 

 Siicceedinc these aro more beds of splendid Roses and Cinerarias, 

 some edged with Adiantum cuneatnra and others with Selaginella apoda, 

 and containing a Pandauus, Palm, Musa, or suchlike plant, as a 

 centre specimen. 



From M. A. Dallierie, nurseryman, Ghent, comes a pretty collection 

 of Palms of kinds already enumerated. Next is a gigantic Encepba- 

 lartos Altensteinei, having an immense spread of fronds, and standing 

 out as a single specimen it has a superb effect. Tho large group is 

 composed of Palms, Ferns, and Dracvnas for foliage ; and for flowers 

 nro arranged Azaleas and Rhododendrons ; the intermediate spaces 

 being fiUed-in with Deutzia scabra and gracilis, Cereus of various 

 kinds. Foxgloves both white and pur])le, Dahlias, Lilium candidnm 

 and auratum, Oranges, Francisceas, Myosotis, and Spireas, the whole 

 forming a good group, and if the season and place are taken into con- 

 sidoratiou a very extraordinary group. A large bed of Lily of the 

 Valley is very fine, as also are a collection of Palms exhibited by 

 M. A. Verschaffelt, who also exhibits a collection of twenty good 

 species of Agaves, and a very fine specimen of Alsophila anstralis and 

 Todea barbata, which is probably identical with T. anstralis, which 

 some again say is the same as T. africana. 



The foregoing comprises nearly all the plants in the main building, 

 and we must now look for the Orchids and new plants. In passing to 

 these we observed some very pretty vases, splendid collections and 

 bouquets of natural flowers dried and dyed; some collections of Russian 

 hanging baskets ; a fine collection of garden tools, mowing machines, 

 knives, and seeds from Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of the Royal Exotic 

 Nurseries, Chelsea ; a model of a double-roofed English Orchid-honse 

 from Mr. R. AVamer, of Broomfield, Essex, for which a small gold 

 medal has been awarded ; and another curious one of a Russian plant- 

 house, showing the wooden shutters with which they are compelled to 

 cover the roofs of their houses during winter as protection from frost 

 and snow. 



Now, passing into what is miscalled the orangery, we find here are 

 associated the gems of the Show — Orchids and choice, new, and rare 

 plants ; and one cannot but feel gratified to see England so nobly re- 

 presented, and her credit so well upheld as it is by Mr. R. Warner, of 

 Broomfield, Essex, who exhibits no less than thirty-six_ plants of 

 Orchids, umnv of them splendid, and in some instances unique speci- 

 mens, and looking, in spite of their long journey, as if they had only 

 been conveyed from Broomfield to Kensington, and how they were 

 conveyed in such condition is marvellous, and certainly must be re- 

 corded as one of the greatest feats ever accomplished in connection 

 with horticultural exhibitions. We are highly gratified to find Mr. 

 Warner has been awarded five gold medals and one silver medal- 

 Amongst his itrincipal plants we noted Phal^nopsis Schilleriana, a 

 grand speciraeu with upwards of fifty flowers iu great beauty, and as 

 many more that had just ])assed their best ; Cypripedinm Stonei, with 

 nine" fine flowers; C. Lowii. with eight; C. villosum, with fifteen; 

 Lycaste Skinneri, with about eighteen ; Dendrobium macrophyllnm 

 gigantcum, with a profusion of its immense blooms ; and D. densi- 

 tio^mm, the flowers of which are so diflicult to preserve, had travelled 

 admirably. A fine plant of Odoutoglossum n;evinm majus had four 

 spikes of its singular and charming flowers ; Odoutoglossum Reichen- 

 heimi, was fine ; but such a plant of Trichopilia crispa, which de- 

 servedly won the first gold medal as a single specimen, has probably 

 no equal in Europe. A good plant of Odontoglossnm Alexandra, al- 

 though bearing many spikes, had only one of them fnlly expanded ; 

 a small specimen of a beautiful variety of Odontoglossnm membra- 

 naceum, with bright reddish-pni-ple flowers, attracted much attention 

 amongst the lovers of these plants, and was called O. membranaceum 

 Wamerje. in hououi of Mrs. Warner, who is as great an admirer of this 

 class of plants as Mr. Warner himself. A plant of Tanda suavis with 

 four spikes of bloom, although fine, had evidently suffered somewhat 

 by its journey, as had also the fragile flowers of Cattleya Sk-inneri. 

 A beautiful and dense-flowered variety of OnciSium lencochilum waq 

 also good. A fine plant of Phalfenopsis grandiflora aurea was exhibited, 

 but its flowers were fast fading when we saw it ; not so, however, a 

 splendid variety of Trichopilia crispa, called marginata, which was 

 just unfolding its beauties. Amongst the others were Vanda tncolor, 

 Anguloa uniflora superba, A-mdes virens and Fieldingii, Cypnpedium 

 barbatnra Warneri, a unique and very bright-coloured variety, &c. 



Amongst the new Orchids exhibited by Mr. Warner, was a fine 

 large-flowered species of Scnticaria, and a very peculiar new Epiden- 

 drum, which may prove a tine thing when it has become better es- 

 tabUshed. 



Next these plants were staged those from Messrs. Veitch & Sous, 

 of Chelsea, whose Orchids were also in beautiful condition ; and it 

 must have been a great treat to the lovers of plants in St. Petersburg 

 to see for the first time the true Vanda insiguis, Vanda Bensoni, the 



