Joae 11, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



423 



year we conid get nothini; like a broakfaet nntil twelve o'clock. 

 Will such exhibitors as intend to avail thempelves of the con- 

 tractors' offer kindly drop me a line by tho IGth instant ? and 

 I will communicate tho probable number to tho contractors. — 

 K. B. PosTANs, JSntiticood, A'.vsc.r. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 



FRUITS. 

 CruBiEiCM PENnuLUji, var. ATRO-pnnrOKF.A (Purple-flowered 

 pendulous Cymbidium).— Wii(.o)-<i.,Orchidaceu'. /,inH.,('cynan- 

 dria Monandria. Native of Java. Flowers purple, green-tipped ; 

 lips white, rose-tinged, and purple-blotched. — (Bot. Mag., 

 *.5710,) 



Eranthehdsi aspeusum (Speckled-flowered Erantbemnm). — 

 Nat. ord., Acanthaceip. Linn., Diandria Monogynia. Stove 

 shrub, introduced from Solomon Islands by Messrs. Veitch. 

 Flowers white, blotched and sprinkled with dots of purple. — 

 {Ibid., t. 5711.) 



Ophp.vs insectifeu,^, var. ahanifera (Spider Ophrys). — Nat. 

 ord., Orchidaoeio. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Native of 

 England, but specimen here portraited came from Mentone. — 

 {Ibid., t. 5712.) 



Steophanthus capf.nsis (South African Strophanthus).— ?/a^ 

 ord., Apocynacero. I. inn., Pentaudria Monogynia. Conserva- 

 tory evergreen climber. Native of the Kaf>a-berg forest, near 

 the Cape of Good Hope, at an elevation of 5000 feet. Flowers 

 yellow and orange.^(/^i(i., t. 571.'5.) 



Erytheonihm oigantehm (Gigantic Erythronium). — Nat. 

 ord., LiliaceiP. ii)i>i., He.\audria Monogynia. Native of North- 

 west America. Flowers white ; claw green behind, yellow in 

 front.— [Ibid., t. 571-1.) 



Stob-ea spH.ERocEPHiLA (Round-headed Stobfea). — Nat. ord., 

 Compositic. Linn., Syngenesia superflua. Native of South 

 Africa. Heads golden yellow. — (Ibid., t. 5715.) 



Hybrid Perpetual Rose, Duke of Kdinhnrgh. — Raised by 

 Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt. Deep eoarlet crimson, petals 

 large and stout. — (Floral Map., pi. .389.) 



EpiDENDEtist ip.AfiUENss. — Introduced by Messrs. Backhouse 

 and Sons, York, from the elevated regions of the Mexican Cor-' 

 dilleras, where the temperature in winter falls to 40°, so that 

 this Orchid would endure cool treatment. Flowers scarlet 

 orange.— (ft trf.. J)!. 390) 



CA5IELLIA, Madame Amhroise Verschnffelt. — Raised 

 Verschaffelt, of Ghent. Pale blush, with pink flakes.- 

 pl. 391.) '^ 



Tricolor Pelakcjonium, Star of India. — Raised by Messrs. 

 EoUisson. Flowers bright scarlet ; leaves green-centred, with a 

 band of crimson, and a yellow edge. — (Ibid., fl. 392.) 



LiLiuM TnnNiiERGiAN'nM pardindm (Leopard-like Thun- 

 bergian Lily). — " The bulb of this beautiful Lily was purchased 

 by G. F. Wilson, Esq., of Gishiirst Cottage, Weybridge, at a 

 sale of Japanese bulbs, and formed part of a mixed lot, com- 

 prising L. tigrinum and L. auratura. It is very distinct from 

 all the Japanese Lilies known in England, and appears to be 

 nearly related to L. Thunbergianum, though it differs somewhat 

 from ■that species in its narrower leaves, and in the warty 

 instead of glabrous surface of the base of the petals. The 

 colours are also distinct, the centre of the petals being stained 

 with golden yellow, and the whole surface being dotted over, as 

 in the Tiger Lily, with dark spots. It is one of the most 

 beautiful hardy Lilies we have seen. It has the general habit 

 and aspect otL. bulbiferum, but differs in the flowers being 

 quite smooth on the outer surface, and in the colour and mark- 

 ings. We suspect it may be a hybrid, in which case it might 

 bear the name of L. pardinum. 



" We learn from Mr. Wilson that the plant grows about a 

 yard in height. It has a stoutish stem, which is furnished 

 with smooth lanceolate acute leaves, those beingnearly an inch 

 broad and -I inches long, with about three principal ribs ou 

 each side the central one, and several smaller ones lying between 

 them. The flowers are each about 5 inches across when 

 expanded, and are arranged in a terminal umbel, containing 

 several flowers, the pedicels of which are branched so as to give 

 three successions of buds, and furnished at each ramification 

 with an ovate acuminate bract. The segments of the perianth 

 are so far narrowed towards the base as to leave distinct open- 

 ings at the base of the flower ; they spread out iuto a shallow 

 vase-Uke form, with the apices incurved ; the sepaline ones are 

 , about li inch broad and nearly i. inches long, the petaline fully 

 ' 2 inches broad, and the stamens about 3 inches long. Each 



segment has two raised ridges running throughout its length, 

 forming between them a deep sharp furrow, the lower portion 

 of which is closed and distinctly boarded with short hyaline 

 interwoven hairs. Several other indistinct ridges appear near 

 the base of the segments, but these break up more or less into 

 prominent warts, some of which are tipped by a black spot, 

 and others by a stellate tuft of hairs. The filaments and style 

 are orange red. 



" The ground colour of tho flower is of a reddish orange colour, 

 the central portion of each segment being of a golden yellow, 

 and the whole surface nearly to tho edge marked over with 

 dark-coloured dots similar to those of the Tiger Lily. The 

 flower indeed may be described as having the general form and 

 character of L. bulbiferum, tho colour and spotting of tigrinum, 

 and the golden band of auratum." — (Florist and I'omologist, 

 ;i s. i. 12L) 



by M. 

 -(Ibid., 



VIOLA CORNUTA ALBA. 



Another valuable addition has this season been made to the 

 collection of desirable hardy bedding plants, and fine combina- 

 tions of colour may now be produced with the Violas alone. 

 This latest addition will prove most valuable for edgings, as 

 there are so few white-flowered plants suitable for the purpose. 

 Many of the white-foliaged plants used, such as the Cerastium, 

 the Centaureas, Sec, are too formal, except in geometrical 

 arrangements ; but for all beds surrounded by grass I consider 

 the plants employed to form edgings should be neat and grace- 

 ful, I therefore anticipate that Viola cornnta alba will become 

 an especial favourite for this purpose. Its foliage is neat, 

 and its habit very compact ; it may be planted with the other 

 two gems, Viola cornuta and Viola lutea, and would produee a 

 charming effect around a bed of Coleus, or any other dark- 

 leaved plant. 



The three Violas may be planted as follows : — Centre, 

 Coleus, or any other dark-leaved plant ; next a ring of Viola 

 cornnta alba ; third row, Yiola cornuta ; fourth row, next the 

 grass, Viola lutea. A fine effect may also be produced with 

 Verbena Purple King for tho centre, or a good scarlet Verbena 

 or Pelargonium. This Viola seems to open out a wide field 

 of change for the better in our flower-garden arrangements. — 

 J. Wills. 



NEW BOOK. 



Select Ferns and Lycopods : British and Exotic, &c. By B. S. 

 Williams, Victoria and Paradise Nursery, London. 

 This volume contains descriptions of about nine hundred 

 species and varieties, with directions how to manage them. 

 There are also in its pages some well-executed woodcuts, being 

 portraits of a few of the rarer Ferns, interiors of ferneries, &c. 

 The details of culture are full, and, we need hardly add, reliable, 

 for Mr. Williams's skill as a plant cultivator is well and widely 

 known. We are rather elated at being able to show our better 

 knowledge in one point. He says that the earliest mention of 

 Ferns with which he is acquainted is in Sbakespere; but i£ 

 Mr. Williams refers to Lyte's " Herbal," published in 1578, 

 he will find " Filix-mas," " FUix-foemina," " Osmunde or 

 Water Feme," " Polypody or Oke Feme," " Stone Hart's 

 Tongue," " Venus's heare," and several others well described 

 and portraited. It is quite certain, moreover, that Dioscorides 

 fully ISOO years since mentions two or more Ferns under the 

 name of Pteris, and so does Theophrastus, who lived about 

 three centuries before Dioscorides. 



GRiNn THE Tools. — Keep the tools sharp or they will not 

 cut. A dull tool wastes time, and he who permits it to work 

 when in that condition is a dull fellow. The best turners are 

 those who have the sharpest tools ; the most successful surgeons 

 use the keenest knives, and the most enterprising and ener- 

 getic men in civil life are those whose wits have been early 

 ground sharp, and whose perceptive faculties have been whetted 

 by sore experience in early life. A dull tool is a useless im- 

 plement, and a thick-headed unobservant person is. the only 

 one who should be found wielding it. The obtuse edge neither 

 cleaves nor separates, but bruises and works off by attrition 

 particles of the substance on which it operates. Grind up the 

 tools and sharpen the wit as well ; if one is keen the other wiU 

 in all probability be La a similar state, from force of sympathy 



