U4 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



t Febrnaij 13, 1873. 



A. Clowesii. — A robust plant, producing large Tulip-shapeJ 

 flowers, which are rich deep yellow in colour ; its perfume 

 somewhat resembles that of a chemist's shop, and 13 not 

 agreeable to some constitutions. The flower is very showy 

 and handsome, coming in about May and June. Native of 

 Columbia. 



A. rsiFLORA srPEREA. — A less robust-growing plant than 

 the previously-named kind. The flowers are white, dotted on 

 the inside of the sepals and petals with chocolate brown. It 

 blooms in ilay and June. Native of Columbia. 



BAEKERIA. 



The species of this genus are aU extremely handsome when 

 in bloom, and as several of them produce their elegant flowers 

 during autumn and winter, they become doubly valuable. Pot 



culture is not suitable or congenial to Barkerias, they should 

 therefore be grown upon blocks ; but as they do not adhere 

 very firmly to these, perhaps the very best contrivance for 

 them is a rough cork basket. The plants should be made fast 

 with copper wire, and a little Uve sphagnum used amongst the 

 roots; but very little moss or peat is necessary, as the roots, 

 which are thick and fleshy, usuially grow straight out into the 

 air. During the season of rest the plants lose their leaves, 

 and at this time amateurs generally dry the Ufe out of them ; 

 this, however, is wrong treatment, as the blocks or baskets 

 should be occasionally syringed, even when the plants are 

 dormant, otherwise the following season's growth will be very 

 weak and the flowers somewhat microscopical. 



B. Skixxeri. — No more charming object for a Christmas 

 bouquet could be wished for than a few spikes of this plant. 



BukeiiA Skiiuieri. 



represented in the accompanying engraving. The stems are 

 from 9 to 1"2 inches high ; the spikes are long, produced from 

 the top of the shoots, and bear a quantity of lovely deep rose- 



coloured flowers, which last many weeks in perfection if kept 

 from damp. It blooms during the dull autumn and winter 

 months. Native of Guatemala. — Espeeio Cbede. 



THE BRITISH OAK.— No. 1. 



" Heakts of Oak are our ships, hearts of Oak are our men," 

 is stiU a truism. Iron-clads are a sprinkling, but the multitude 

 of our ships are still of the Oak ; and long may it be so, al- 

 though the rhythm would be as good and as true — " Forms of 

 iron are our ships, hearts of iron are our men." This, how- 

 ever, is only an " aside " utterance, for on the present occa- 

 sion we purpose confining our notes to the beauty and utility 

 of the British Oak ; we have no purpose in our pen to touch 

 upon any other Oak, from that at Mamre to the Chinese Oak 

 fliscovered in 1850. The beauty of the British Oak, Quercns 

 Robtir, is fully felt by all who have a just appreciation of tree 

 form and forest seenery. " It is confessedly," says Gilpin, 



" both the most picturesque tree in itself, and the most accom- 

 modating in composition. It is suited to the grandest, and 

 may with propriety be introduced into the most pastoral. It 

 adds new dignity to the ruined tower and gothic arch by 

 stretching its wild moss-grown branches athwart their ivied 

 walls — it gives them a kind of majesty ; at the same time its 

 propriety is still preserved if it throws its arms over the brook. 

 Milton introduces it happily even in the lowest scene — 



* Haid-bv, a cotta^ chimney smokes 

 From between two aged Oaks.* 



The point of picturesque perfection is when a tree has foUage 



enough to form a mass, and yet not so much as to hide the 



