October 23, 1856. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



S13 



liams's residence, ami near this point thero are two large and 

 handsome specimens of Dicksonia squarrosa. 



Turning now to the side tables, which are 100 feet in length, 

 one of those is occupied by an extensive collection of Agaves, 

 Yuccas, and Dnica ■mis. Among many interesting Kinds were 

 Agave Schidigera showing flower, and believed to he the linest 

 plant in Europe ol this remarkable species; A. filifera; 

 A. americana modio-picta having a broad yellow band down the 

 centre of the leaf ; a variety of A. lophanta with dark green 

 foliage, narrowly margined with white, and having white spines 

 along the edges ; tho handsome variegated Yucca quadricolor ; 

 V. filamentosa variegata, a fine, nearly hardy, striped-leaved 

 kind, but now rather scarce, not having withstood the severe 

 winter of 1860 ; and a line specimen of Dasylirion acrotriohum. 

 Tho other side table was tilled with specimen Azaleas and 

 miscellaneous plants, among which wire two or three plants 

 of Cordyline indivisa in fine condition, and variegated New 

 Zealand Flax, which is not only a useful exhibition plant, but 

 in all probability will prove equally hardy with the green- 

 leaved form of the species. Attention has lately been directed 

 to Nerines by those shown at the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 meetings, and certainly these pretty bulbs deserve more atten- 

 tion than they have received ; corusoa major in particular, 

 which was here in flower near the entrance of the conserva- 

 tory, had very handsome heads of orange-scarlet flowers. 

 Above the doorway, and densely covering the upper portion 

 of the glass for a breadth of upwards of 40 feet, was Col i a 

 scandeus variegata, an excellent plant for the purpose, being 

 not only very ornamental, but of rapid growth and the easiest 

 culture. 



The stove, which, as well as the other houses, has been 

 erected since our last visit, is a three-quarters span 100 feet 

 long, 25 feet wide, and 20 feet high, and contains some noble 

 specimens of tree Ferns, such as Cibotiums, Cyatheas, and 

 Dicksonias, besides Crotons, Dracamas, and a variety of other 

 plants, among which may be mentioned a fine specimen of 

 Dion edulc, wdiich fruited last year. A second division of the 

 same house is partly filled with Azaleas, and specimen Alla- 

 mandas, Stephanotis, &c, in addition to which there are re- 

 markably tine plants of Pandanus reflexus, Cycas circinalis, 

 10 feet high, with a spread of 20 feet, and Anthurium acaule, 

 with leaves 3{-feet long by a foot across. Six rows of shelves 

 at the back are found very useful for holding a great variety of 

 subjects, such as Amaryllis, Gloxinias, and Marantas. Beneath 

 the slate shelves on which the large specimens stand, Gloxinias 

 and Achimenes are stored, the latter including a large stock of 

 the beautiful new varieties raised by Mr. Parsons, of Welwyn. 



The next houses we come to are four span-roofed structures, 

 each 45 feet in length by 18 in width, with a cement floor to 

 secure dryness and cleanliness, and a tank to contain water of 

 the requisite temperature for use. 



The first house is chiefly filled with Ferns, of which the 

 heautiful Gleiehenias speluncoe, microphylla, and dicarpa de- 

 serve special mention, also an unnamed one from New Zealand, 

 with the fronds silvery underneath. Platycerium grande, 

 Thamnopteris nidus, Nothochlama sinuata, Lomaria gibba, and 

 Adiantim Feei were all represented by fine specimens, and we 

 also noticed a pretty species in the way of Adiantum concinnum. 

 There are also a number of Golden Ferns, one of the finest 

 being Gymnogramma Laucheana, a nice collection of American 

 Pitcher-plants, including SarraceniaDrummondiandits variety 

 alba, with pitchers about 2 feet long, and an example of that 

 curious plant Dionrea muscipula, or Venus's Fly-trap. 



The next house, the greenhouse, contains fine specimens of 

 Pimeleas, Genethyllis, Ericas, Phaenocomas, and other plants 

 which will, doubtless, figure at the shows next year, together 

 with Rhododendron javanicum and Princess Royal in flower. 



The other two houses are devoted to Orchids, a class of 

 plants in connection with which Mr. Williams has gained so 

 wide a celebrity. The collection of these, it is almost super- 

 fluous to state, is very large ; it is scarcely less so to add that 

 there are many remarkable specimens, and that all are in 

 perfect health. 



In the cool Orchid-house there are in bloom several varieties 

 of Lycaste Skinneri, Lordia Perrinii, Miltonia Candida grandi- 

 flora, and Epidendrum vitellinum. The bright yellow blossoms 

 of Dendrobium chrysanthum were also very ornamental. 

 Among remarkable specimens not in bloom, were Ladia anceps 

 with six spikes ; the fine plant of L. elegans, which was shown 

 at Nottingham and there so much admired; Dendrobium densi- 

 florum, and Arnophyllum giganteum, each 4 feet across ; and 

 the plant of Laelia snperbiens, which was originally sent home 



from Guatemala by Mr. Hartweg, and was many years ago in 

 the Chiswick gardens. This, after passing through several 

 hands, is now in .Air. William .' posi SI sion, ami notwithstand- 

 ing tho various changes of ownership, it is now a flourishing 

 specimen, covering a block 5 feet long, ami measuring as much 

 across. On the side tables, 45 feet in length, besides repre- 

 sentations of other genera, there is a large stock of the best 

 Odontoglossums, such as liluntii, naivium majus, Cervantesii, 

 laliatum, and the rose-coloured variety of mumbranaceum. 



The East Indian Orchid-houso is the next wo enter. Here 

 is a remarkably tine specimen of Phalamopsis rosea which has 

 been in flower for the last nine months, and Mr. Williams ex- 

 pects it to continue in bloom as many more ; it has now eleven 

 pikes of bloom. Largo plants of Vanda suavis and insignia, 

 as well as several plants of the autumn flowering Dendrobium 

 Pierardi, Phaloenopsis amabilia, Miltonia Candida, Cypripedium 

 purpuratum and venustum, and some others are also in flower; 

 but the star of the blooming plants is Sophronitis grandiflora 

 superba, of whoso splendid orange-scarlet flowers there will 

 probably not bo less than a dozen in a few days. Angraeeum 

 eburneum, a valuable winter Orchid, of which there is a tine 

 example, is not in bloom yet, but its variety virens is showing 

 four or five spikes ; the flowers of this, however, though more 

 freely produced, and on more graceful spikes, have a greenish 

 tinge instead of being ivory-white, as in the species. The foliage, 

 too, is of a deeper green. Of species not in bloom there are 

 fine examples of Vanda Lowii, gigantea, Cymbidium eburneum, 

 beginning to throw out its flower-spikes ; Angrajcum sesqui- 

 pedale, Aerides Larpenta3, Saccolabium Holfordii, various 

 Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and many others, in addition to a 

 number of variegated Orchids. 



The next house is a span-roofed stove 50 feet long by 24 

 wide, containing some fine specimen Dipladenias, Ixoras, and 

 Crotons, the Lace Plant of Madagascar (Ouvirandra fenes- 

 tralis), in an inverted bell-glass about 2 feet across, and a num- 

 ber of Pitcher-plants, among which Nepenthes Rafflesiana, 

 lams, distillatoria, and the hybrid maculata are bearing 

 numerous pitchers. There is also a plant of the variegated- 

 leaved Pine Apple in fruit, and near it one of Ananassa Por- 

 teana, with central instead of marginal variegation, as in the 

 older kind. There is also a stock of the beautiful new hybrid 

 Dipladenia amabilis, figured in the " Florist and Pomologist " 

 of the present month, new Peperomias, Allamandas, Cyano- 

 phyllums, Alocasias, and Dien'enbachias, and numerous varie- 

 ties of Gloxinia and Gesnera. 



Other houses contained specimen plants of Azaleas, Statices, 

 Pimeleas, and Heaths, new Azaleas, Clematises, Aucubas, Alter- 

 nantheras, a large and healthy stock of fruiting and succession 

 Pines of different varieties, and particularly of the true 

 Smooth-leaved Cayenne. In one of these houses we remarked 

 Thunbergia fragraus, the pure white flowers of which render 

 it valuable for bouquets, and on that account it is now much 

 sought after for market purposes ; it has besides the additional 

 recommendation of lasting a considerable time in flower. 



In the propagating-house, in addition to a number of other 

 plants, such as Anthuriums, Cyanophyllums, Gardenias, &c, 

 we remarked the fine new Marautas, splendida, roseo-picta, and 

 Lindenii, as well as the Tillandsia, noticed in our Floral Com- 

 mittee report. Another house, 70 feet long, contains a large 

 stock of bedding Pelargoniums ; a new one, called Andrew 

 Marvel, which happens to be in flower, is conspicuous by its 

 peculiarly fine shade of scarlet. Nosegay Le Grand, another 

 fine variety, has already been several times noticed in previous 

 reports. Two small conservatories near a side entrance are 

 principally occupied with specimen Azaleas, Eriostemons, and 

 Pleroma elegans, a remarkably fine plant of Rhododendron 

 Gibsoni, young Camellias, and Cyclamens ; and in the pits, 

 - greenhouse climbers, Epacrises, and a variety of plants 

 which it would be tedious to mention, are good collections of 

 hardy Ferns and variegated plants. 



In the open ground there is not, of course, much in flower 

 at present. Two beds of late-planted Gladioli are, however, 

 still rather gay ; but what, perhaps, is of more interest at this 

 season, is a stock of Vines for fruiting in pots and planting out, 

 having well-ripened canes, and amounting altogether to about 

 1500. 



Mr. Williams has a seed shop and warehouses fitted up for 

 carrying on an extensive seed trade, and to meet the require- 

 ments of the plant-department, a packing-shed measuring 

 about GO feet by 30, with a carpenter's shop above, in which, as 

 he constructs all his own buildings, the sashes and other wood- 

 work of his houses are prepared. 



