June 4, 1874. ] 



JOUENAli OF HOKTICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



440 



in copper, in which state they acquii-e a great eoUdity. When 

 dry they are called suroim, and in this condition they reach 

 Europe. Our plate represents the harvesting of the hark of 

 the Cinchona in the manner described in a Peruvian forest." 



'ANTHUKIUM SCHERZERIANUM WILLIAMSII 

 AND A. FLORIBUNDUM. 



My acquaintance with the normal state of A. Scherzerianum 

 dates back to its first days in Europe ; since then I have been 

 so much mixed-np with it in my everyday life, that I look 

 upon it with as 

 much interest as 

 I should were it a 

 child of my own, 

 which, however, 

 it is not, the cre- 

 dit of introduc- 

 ing it being due 

 to my much-re- 

 spected friend 

 and correspond- 

 ent, Mr. H.Wend- 

 land, now Inspec- 

 tor of the Royal 

 Gardens in Han- 

 over, and it must 

 be highly gratify- 

 ing to find one- 

 self the intro- 

 ducer of such a 

 grand plant. I 

 was not very 

 much enraptured 

 at first with the 

 A. Scherzeria- 

 num, for it was 

 very small. The 

 first spathe which 

 opened in this 

 country was un- 

 der my care, a 

 notice of which I 

 sent you some 

 eleven years ago. 

 However, as the 

 plants have gain- 

 ed strength their 

 beauties have de- 

 veloped, until at 

 the present time 

 it stands in the 

 front rank of or- 

 namental stove 

 plants, acknow- 

 ledged by all to 

 be one of the very 

 finest subjects in 

 cultivation,either 

 for home decora- 

 tion or exhibition 

 purposes, whilst 

 the fact of its lasting several months in full beauty adds ma- 

 terially to its value. 



It was not the typical plant, however, to which I particularly 

 wished to direct the attention of my readers when I com- 

 menced these remarks, but to a splendid companion which has 

 been found for it in the shape of a white variety. This beautiful 

 form is named after Mr. B. S. WiUiams, of the Victoria Nursery, 

 Upper HoUoway, who is offering it this season for the first 

 time. The plant in question, in growth and habit differs in 

 no respect from the original form, but instead of the spathe 

 being brilliant scarlet, it is soft ivory-white with a bright 

 lemon-coloured spadix. Indeed, this white variety will be to 

 A. Scherzerianum just what the white Lapageria is to L. rosea. 

 I should advise amateurs who do not wish to use their plants 

 for exhibition purposes, to put the two plants into one pot, 

 and let them intermingle their growths ; the effect thus pro- 

 duced by the contrast of the scarlet and white spathes would 

 become magnificent. Of course, those who exhibit their plants 

 will grow them separately, as, indeed, will the majority of 



plant-lovers ; but however grown, and wherever seen, it wiU be 

 a grand acquisition to our collections. 



I have had the pleasure of seeing this variety in flower 

 several times during the past twelve months ; and as I find 

 very smaU plants produce larger spathes that the first plants 

 of the scarlet one did when it first flowered in this country, 

 I feel confident that we shall in the course of a few years have 

 these two charming plants exhibited in pairs. — Exi-eeto Ceede. 



Mr. Williams has also another new Anthurium, of which 

 the spathe is also white — viz., A. floribundum, a species intro- 

 duced by M. C. Patin from New Grenada. Mr. Williams, to 



whom we are in- 

 debted for the 

 accompanying il- 

 lustration, thus 

 describes it : — 



"Thisisahand- 

 some compact- 

 growing plant, 

 which, on account 

 of its wonderfully 

 profuse-blooming 

 (jualities, cannot 

 fail to recom- 

 mend itself to all 

 lovers of plants. 

 The leaves are al- 

 ternate and some- 

 what lanceolate 

 in shape, Eup- 

 ported upon 

 short-winged pe- 

 tioles ; they are 

 dark green in co- 

 lour, ornamented 

 with a central 

 stripe of white ; 

 the flowers rise 

 to about the same 

 height as the 

 leaves, the spa- 

 dix being orna- 

 mented with a 

 beautiful pure 

 white spathe, 

 which remains 

 long in full beau- 

 ty, and affords a 

 splendid contrast 

 to the rich green 

 of its foliage."] 



Pkimula jipo- 

 NicA Seeds. — I 

 have heard many 

 complaints of 

 these seeds being 

 such a length of 

 time in vegetat- 

 ing. Some writers 

 say it is twelve or 

 eighteen months. I sowed some seed in a pan on the 1st of 

 May, and on the 14th there were hundreds of seedlings up.— 

 Geokge Berkv, The Ferns Nursery , Ii>swich. 



Anthurium Uuiibundum. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



It would be very interesting to us if we could get the rainfall 

 gauged three or four miles north, and the same distance south, 

 of Ilford. In all probability there would be a difference of 

 several inches durmg the year. The Thames valley and the 

 Kentish hills on the one hand, and Epping Forest on the otber, 

 offer an attraction to the clouds. On Whit-Monday we coal d 

 see rain falling in torrents, and it was pitiful to read in the 

 papers next day of the plight of the holiday-makers on Hamp- 

 stead Heath and other places, owing to the torrents of rain, but 

 not even the hundredth part of an inch fell on our thirsty ground 

 waiting to receive it. None has fallen as yet, and it has been 

 necessary to commence watering in earnest. To Strawberry 

 beds and quarters of Cauliflower plants sufficient water was 

 given to soak the ground to a good depth— no danger of applying 



