iu 



^OUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Ms; 28, 1874. 



C. niveum, or the hardy C. spectabile. Here, too, we made 

 the acquaintance, for the first time, of the new C. RoezUi. It 

 is something in the way of C. Ifevigatum, with twisted sepals 

 and the sac or lip of a greenish yellow tint. Vanda gigantea 

 was displaying its tawny, leather-like, and, to our taste, in- 

 elegant flowers, presenting, as regards beauty, a striking con- 

 trast to the exquisitely lovely blossoms of the Dendrobium 

 Devouianum hanging opposite to it. Dendrobium chryso- 

 toxum was also displaying its gay golden honours. We noticed 

 also a good plant of Saccolabium guttatum in flower, a couple 

 specimens of the showy and free-flowering Cattleya Skinneri, 

 one of the curious Lycaste fulvescens, with its pendulous 

 spikes of duU-looking tawny flowers, and an unnamed species 

 of Oncidium, of the Carthaginense type, from Jamaica, with a 

 fine spike of numerous brownish or chocolate-coloured flowers. 

 The Phalfflnopsis were just over, more especially a fine P. SohU- 

 leriana, which showed the remains of a glorious spike. A 

 plant of the small-flowered form of Authurium Scberzerianum 

 was flowering well in a suspended basket, and with the Pitcher- 

 plant Nepenthes rambling over the roof, and suspending here 

 and there its elegant amphorie, lent a character and a charm 

 to the Orchid house by no means out of keeping with its 

 special occupants. 



Leaving the Orchid house, and passing hurriedly through 

 that ugUest of the Board of Works' ugly outcomes — the great 

 Palm house — with a sigh that such treasures as it con- 

 tains should be enshrined in such a casket, we delay for a 

 moment in the adjoining cool range to refresh and admire 

 the graceful elegance of that most elegant and graceful of 

 drooping plants — GreviUea Manglesii, and the pale volup- 

 tuous beauty of the marvellously fine Sikhim Rhododendron 

 Hodgsoni, which was in flower near it. This is a truly grand 

 species, or variety perhaps we should say, for it differs at all 

 events in colour from R. Hodgsoni, as figured in the " Bot. 

 Magazine." This range was quite gay with other tender 

 Rhododendrons, brilliant Salvias, numerous Laohenalias, and 

 other gay-flowering plants. We noticed here, too, a most 

 flourishing stock of that queen of Cape Orchids — Disa grandi- 

 fiora. 



Leaving this house, we notice in the adjoining border out- 

 side a fine specimen in flower of that interesting botanical 

 curiosity Megacarpaea polyandra, recently alluded to in these 

 columns, and pass on to the long curvilinear range. In the 

 stove division we were fortunate in seeing in flower two species 

 of the noble genus Brownea — viz. , B. grandiceps and B. coccinea. 

 The first-named is here quite a tree, and bears its marvellous 

 floral tassels, each as large as a child's head, in profusion ; the 

 second is not so robust a grower, neither are the pendulous 

 flower heads so large, but the colour is more vivid and 

 brUliant. This compartment was further gay with a number 

 of other plants in flower, which we need not enumerate. 



Among the stately plants domiciled under the central ele- 

 vated dome of this fine range we noticed a fine specimen of the 

 Chinese Palm, Chamffirops sinensis, in flower. The adjoining 

 or greenhouse division was quite in holiday trim with the 

 quantity both of hard and soft-wooded greenhouse stuff in 

 flower. Of these, one of the most striking and noteworthy was 

 Abutilon magapotamicum, trained up one of the pillars, spread- 

 ing freely above, and hanging its remarkably large striated 

 bells in rich profusion. This, we think, is the largest-flowered 

 and most striking of the genus. Observing to the foreman of 

 the houses that this species was very striking from the com- 

 paratively great size of its flower. " Yes," he added, " and for 

 being always in flower." The collection of succulents in this 

 compartment is most extensive and varied, and wonderful are 

 the quaint forms which it compriseB. We must leave them, 

 however, and hasten to the Victoria house, where were tem- 

 porarily located the immediate objects of our present visit — 

 namely, the curious Sarracenias or American Pitcher- plants, of 

 which there were just then several species displaying their 

 singular flowers. 



Among those in flower were Sarracenia rubra, S. flava, 

 S. flava var. Catesbeei, and, ehowing flower, an unique variety, 

 which Glasnevin alone can boast of, and with regard to which 

 we may, perhaps, devote a special article by-and-bye. Though 

 not in flower, we were particularly taken with one of this 

 remarkable collection, as in respect of its pitchers it is to 

 our mind the one most to be prized of any. They are par- 

 ticularly graceful, and the operculum or lid far and away more 

 elegant in form than that of any of its fellows. We could not 

 make out the specific name on the label, and time then did 

 not admit of making further inquiry ; we hope, however, to do 



so another day. Before parting with the Sarracenias, and 

 closing this notice, we may add that the specimen of Sarra- 

 cenia purpurea which has stood out for some years in the bit 

 of artificial bog is not only healthy and vigorous, but just now 

 also showing flower. A curious and interesting fact in regard 

 to this particular plant is, that for months it is completely 

 submerged and covered with water. Cold and continuous 

 bathing evidently agrees with it. — {Irish Farmers' Gazette.) 



ALTEBNANTHERAS AND COLEUS IN THE 

 NORTH. 



I SHOULD much like to know how far north Alternantheras 

 and Coleus are found to answer in open flower beds? Fre- 

 quent complaints of failure from correspondents Uving in the 

 neighbourhood of Manchester and Liverpool induced me to 

 make inquiries thereabouts, and I cannot do better than give 

 a quotation from an answer received from a reliable source. 

 " I never put out Coleus till the middle of June, always re- 

 moving the cold soil and planting in sandy peat. Both Coleus 

 and Alternantheras so treated were excellent with me last 

 year." Now, this was done in a garden very near Manchester, 

 and it is precisely the plan that is followed in the south ; there 

 can, therefore, be no doubt that the mischief was caused by a 

 want of proper precaution. Let those whose plants have 

 failed try again, remembering that no such tender plants can 

 pass unscathed through the trying alternations of our climate 

 in spring. Nothing is gained by early planting, and if spring 

 gardening were only as common as it ought to be, no one would 

 care to clear the beds for the summer plants tiU June. This, 

 however, is a subject to which I hope soon to devote a paper ; 

 and I will only add here, that as we have no really good substi- 

 tutes for the Coleus and Alternantheras, they are certainly 

 worthy of such sUght care and culture as it is plainly evident 

 are only required to insure as complete success in the north- 

 west as in the south. — Edwabb Luckhdbst. 



THE FORTHCOMING MIDLAND SHOW. 



Although the announcement has been made that probably 

 after all the Royal Horticultural Society may hold a provincial 

 show at Wigan, yet as that is still in nuhibus, and the pre- 

 liminaries for the Great Midland Show are all settled, I thought 

 it might interest the readers of our Journal if I turned aside 

 on my way to Manchester to revisit the scene of the most suc- 

 cessful provincial show the Royal Horticultural Society has as 

 yet held, to ascertain a few facts connected with it, and at 

 the same time to see the spring gardening which Mi:. Qoilter 

 carries out on such a grand scale. 



No private enterprise at all equal to this has ever been 

 entered upon in the way of flower shows. The great provincial 

 Shows of York, Leeds, Manchester, and other places, the Exhi- 

 bitions at the Regent's Park, South Kensington, the Crystal 

 Palace, and Alexandra Park are the efforts of societies and 

 companies ; but this Great Midland Show is the effort of one 

 individual, who asks no guarantee fund, seeks no aid from 

 others, but can say with Coriolanus, " Alone I did it !" And 

 not only has he issued a hberal prize list of £1000, but he has 

 already secured the co-operation of most of our leading exhi- 

 bitors, while the arrangements he has made will show that 

 the comfort and pleasure of all concerned have been carefully 

 studied. 



When the Royal Horticultural Society had oonclnded their 

 Show, instead of allowing the large tent which formed the chief 

 attraction of the Exhibition to be taken down, Mr. QuUter pur- 

 chased it and converted it to his own use. One half of it has 

 been divided off, heated with hot water, and has been made into 

 an attractive conservatory ; while the other half has been planted 

 with Rhododendrons from the nurseries of Messrs. Standish and 

 Co., at Ascot, somewhat in the style of those we are in the habit 

 of seeing in the metropolis planted by the Messrs. Waterer. It 

 will therefore not be difiioult to again convert them into an 

 exhibition tent, while the cricket field adjoining will afford 

 ample space for the various supplementary tents that will be 

 required, and also for the display of horticultural implements 

 and necessaries. A room will be provided for those who may 

 wish to write, meet their friends, Ac, and everything done 

 that Mr. Quilter's great experience and enterprise may lead 

 him to consider needful. 



Two years ago, when on a similar journey, I visited the 

 grounds at Lower Aston and attempted to give, what is a very 



