AprU 29, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF H0BTIC0LTTJR3 AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



327 



with me as an exhibition Rose. I consider the last year's 

 election of fifty Roses a good guide for amateurs. — J. Haxo, 

 Oxford. 



THE KOYAL HOKTICDLTURA.L SOCIETY'S 

 FLOWER SHOWS. 



As one of the exhibitors I may be allowed to make a few 

 remarks on the present aspect of affnirs. The two spring 

 shows have been held — the Hyacinth Show in March, at which 

 prizes to the amount of £126 Gs. were offered, but so few ex- 

 hibitors came forward to claim them that the total amount 

 awarded, less, of course, the 50 per cent, reduction, was only 

 £12 12s. 6(i. For April 21st a very good list of prizes were 

 offered for Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Cinerarias, Auriculas, 

 Grapes, Strawberries, and forced vegetables — in all, twenty- 

 three classes. The number of competitors was but nine, and 

 the amount of money awarded was exactly £8 7s. del. This is 

 an amount of hard cash saved to the Society sufficient to 

 satisfy the most rigid economist — twenty guineas in prizes for 

 the two large Spring Exhibitions ! Well might Fellows ol the 

 Society wander from one arcade to another inquiring for the 

 Show, and when they did uufortunately discover the few 

 plants, no wonder they turned away in disgust. 



Now I think not only the Fellows but exhibitors also have a 

 right to ask who is responsible for this state of things. Where 

 does the blame rest, with the exhibitors or the Couucil? Now, 

 I cannot see that any part of the blame can be attached to the 

 exhibitors. After the schedule had been issued in December 

 the Council discovered that the expenses must be curtailed, 

 and after some consideration they, without consulting the ex- 

 hibitors, determined to reduce the number of shows, and to 

 adhere to the scale of prizes advertised in the schedule. The 

 next arrangement was that the shows would all be held, but 

 that 50 per cent, would be deducted from all the prizes awarded. 

 It was stated that the Council had on this occasion consulted 

 the exhibitors, especially the exhibitors of florist flowers. 

 Well, it would be worth while to ask the Council — Who were 

 consulted in this important matter? Mr. James Ciitbush of 

 Highgate has already told us he was not, nor were the 

 Auricula growers as representpd by Mr. C. Turner, Mr. James, 

 Eev. H. H. Dombrain, and Mr. Douglas. The Council ought 

 to be aware that many of the best amateur exhibitors are not 

 members of any of the Committees, and when such an im- 

 portant alteration is contemplated as reducing the prizes by 

 one-half, all the exhibitors ought to have been consulted. I 

 have no doubt if the Council had issued circulars to the exhi- 

 bitors inviting them to attend a meeting, and had in a straight- 

 forward manner stated the position they were in, they would 

 in a body have rallied round the Council, and the shows of 

 1875 would have been quite as successful as any ever held by 

 the Society. 



What is the effect of the blundering management of the 

 horticultural party on the Council? Simply thi^, that neither 

 the trade nor amateur exhibitors have any confidence in them. 

 They say the exhibitors had been consulted, and that it was 

 in deference to them that the revised alterations were made, 

 when it is notorious that the exhibitors as a body knew nothing 

 about it. If the Council thought that they could reduce the 

 prizes, or reduce the number of shows within a few days of 

 the dates they were advertised to be held, without having the 

 courtesy to consult the exhibitors about it, the miserable 

 failures of the recent exhibitions must have woefully un- 

 deceived them. The fact is the Council is making the Royal 

 Horticultural Society the laughing-stock of all the practical 

 horticulturists of Britain. It is quite evident that they do not 

 understand the purposes for which the Society is maintained, 

 and the time has now come for something to be done by the 

 horticulturists themselves. There are a certain number of 

 Fellows who pay their money for the pleasure they derive 

 from using the gardens as a recreative ground. By all means 

 let them have it ; but it is too bad that the funds derived 

 from those who are subscribers because they hope to benefit 

 the cause of practical and scientific horticulture should be 

 spent on the flower beds and grass terraces of the South 

 Kensington Gardens. 



The horticultural party ought to leave the Society to its 

 fate, and form a society of their own. They are quite strong 

 enough to do so. If the Defence Committee is still in exist- 

 ence it ought to meet. There is quite as much necessity now 

 as ever there was. They ought to take some definite proposals 

 to the Connoil, and if the Council will not co-operate with 



them, they ought to be prepared to carry them out themselves. 

 In all the large provincial towns horticulture is fiourishing. 

 In London, which ought to be far in advance of any of them, 

 exhibitions are at a discount. It ought not to be so, nor 

 would it if those who ought to be leaders would take up their 

 rightful position. 



Let us hope that as matters are now at the very worst there 

 will be a change for the better. The Fruit and Floral Com- 

 mittees are doing an important work, and the meetings should 

 not be interfered with. The expense of the meetings to the 

 Society is as nothing compared to the benefits which the 

 country derives from them ; but the number of shows may 

 very well be reduced. There ought to be a show for Hyacinths 

 and other spring flowers about the middle of March ; the 

 next about the last week in April for Auriculas, Cinerarias, 

 Azaleas, forced Rhododendrons, pot Roses, il-c. ; then the 

 great summer show ; an autumn show for Dahlias, Gladiolus, 

 Hollyhocks, Asters, Liliums, &c. ; to conclude with a show of 

 Chrysanthemums and fruit in November. Of course the Rose 

 show ought not to be omitted in July, but five, or at most six, 

 shows would be a sufficient number. However, it is no use 

 proposing anything until the Council and exhibitors can work 

 in harmony together.— An Old Exhibitob. 



THE ORCHID-HUNTER IN BURMAH.— No. 4. 



The next Orchid especially abundant in Pegu is Phalainop- 

 eis cornu-cervi. This plant is met with occasionally in Moul- 

 mein, but in no part of Burmah does it grow in such quantities 

 as in the Pegu district. It is found on trees surrounding 

 swamps and on solitary shady trees in the forest, and is one 

 of the few Orchids invariably found in the shade. Its leaves 

 and roots are very succulent, making it a bad plant to bring 

 in from the jungle, it being so tender and liable to damage; 

 it is one of the most curious and interesting of the genus Pha- 

 Ifflnopsis. It derives its characteristic name, cornu-cervi, 

 from the form of the flower stalk, and is commonly called the 

 Stag's-horn Phal^nopsis. This stalk invariably grows in the 

 shape of a stag's horn, and the flowers grow out from each of 

 the joints. It flowers very freely, bears enormously large 

 seed pods, and is one of the few sorts of Phatenopsis which 

 strike out young plants from the old flower stalk. The flowers 

 are yellow tinged with green, with straight bars of brownish 

 red across the petals. It is a very easy plant to cultivate, 

 large plants commencing to flower directly they are esta- 

 blished. It grows best in a teak-wood basket with broken 

 crocks and moss, and likes the shadiest place in the Orchid 

 house. 



This plant should always be sent home by collectors in 

 February. It is then in its driest condition and best fitted for 

 travelling. Special care at this time of year must, of course, 

 be taken in the packing so as to prevent injury from frost on 

 arrival in England. If importers could procure their plants 

 under these conditions there would be no failures, and it 

 would be more common than it is at present, and from its 

 great singularity of character and from the distinctness of its 

 form it would be in great favour with the general cultivator. 



PhalEeaopsis Parishii, the one named after the Rev. Mr. 

 Parish, the great authority on Moulmeiu Orchids, is also found 

 here growing under the same circumstances as Phalsaopsia 

 cornu-cervi. It is a pretty little plant bearing white and 

 purple flowers, and is deciduous like Phalaenopsis Lowii, and 

 equally difficult to cultivate. It grows better on a piece of 

 wood than in a basket. 



In the open country, on smooth-barked trees, growing in 

 single plants, not in a mass Uke other Saccolabiums, is found 

 Saccolabium ampuUaceum. It bears a number of spikes of 

 very pretty pink flowers, sometimes in good plants quite 

 masses ol rosy pink blossoms. It likes plenty of air and light, 

 and is never found in any but the most exposed situations. 

 Its leaves are opposite, short, thick, and blunt, green, gene- 

 rally covered with brown spots on both surfaces. It is from 

 the axU of the leaves that the flowers burst so freely. Grow- 

 ing in great quantities, quite covering the trees in many cases 

 in this district, is found Saccolabium bigibbum, foliage bright 

 green, shoit, thick, and premorse-flowered, yellowish, a most 

 profuse bloomer, and always found in situations fully exposed 

 to the full influence of the sun. It may be observed of this 

 as of most kindred plants growing under the same circum- 

 stances, that the trees they grow on are located in low-lying 

 valleys and swamps where the mists hang in the morning ; 

 80 that even in the driest weather the plants receive some 



