August 5, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



113 



ground, was a basket of Olearia Hastii, a small shrub-like plant 

 6 inches high, densely covered with white Saxifrage-like com- 

 posite flowers. They also exhibited fine plants of Cissus En- 

 dresi, Crotons, Zimia Wallisii, Platycerium Wallinckii (first- 

 class certificate). Gloxinias, and a singular and not uninterest- 

 in£j Orchid, Pescatorea lamellosa. 



In Mr. Williams's collection Alsophila australia Williamsii 

 had deservedly a first-class certificate. It is thoroughly distinct, 

 and altogether a magnificent tree Fern of a weeping character. 

 Another Fern, Woodwardia radioans cristata, is equally distinct 

 and had a similar award, as also had Streptocarpus Greenii, a 

 plant with Gloxinia- like leaves and lavender-coloured MimuluE- 

 like flowers ; it is very ornamental. Mr. Williams had also a 

 well-grown plant of Adiantum farleyense, for which a vote of 

 thanks was given. The rest of the group embraced Palms, Dra- 

 cajnas, Ixora Dixiana, Hamanthus puniceus, Dipladenia ama- 

 bilis, Anthericum majesticum, Bertolonia Van Houttei, &c., all 

 in admirable condition. 



Mr. Bull's collection was less extensive, but contained some 

 distinct and fine plants. First-class certificates were awarded 

 to Cibotium Menziesii, with very vigorous fronds, and Dracaena 

 Rex, a dark variety of bold massive habit. Mr. Ball also ex- 

 hibited Orchids, Macrozamias, Liliams, and Hyacinthus candi- 

 cans, with six spikes 5 feet high, and a hundred hell-shaped 

 white flowers, for which a cultural commendation was awarded. 



Begonia Froebelli, Aph. de Candolle, had a first-class certi- 

 ficate awarded. This is a bulbous-rooted kind, highly distinct; 

 it has rich scarlet flowers, and Hollyhock-like leaves. It appears 

 to have been grown in the open air, and is very striking. It is 

 exhibited by Messrs, Froebel & Co., Zurich, and is a native of 

 Ecuador. 



The Eoses from Mr. W. Paul comprised good blooms of the 

 varieties which have been previously exhibited; and Mr. 

 Chater's Hollyhocks were very fine both in spikes and blooms. 



Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, had a second-class certificate 

 for Rose Duke of Connaught, a medium-sized bloom possess- 

 ing the velvety richness of Lord Maeaulay with good substance 

 of petal, and an agreeable perfume. They had other varieties, 

 the most noticeable being a box of Madame Lacharme of great 

 merit. As seen in the condition as here exhibited this variety 

 has a charm which cannot be gainsaid. We never saw it so 

 good, or " D., Deal," look better pleased than when admiring 

 these truly lovely blooms. They were grown in the open air. 



Mr. Dean had cut blooms of his useful Stock Mauve Queen, 

 striped Petunias, and a semi-double yellow Auricula. Cut 

 blooms of Kosa bracteata (single white Macartney) from Mr. 

 Chater proved how well adapted is this species for the decora- 

 tion of vases for the table. 



EAELY SNOWBALL CAULIFLOWER. 

 This proves a great acquisition, and will take a leading 

 place among Cauliflowers. It is wonderfully dwarf, with com- 

 pact white heads well protected by the leaves, and is really as 

 early as its raiser asserts. I have lately been catting excellent 

 little heads of about 4 inches in diameter that are perfect 

 models of what a first-class Cauliflower should be. The seed 

 of this crop was sown on March 8th. I confidently anticipate 

 that it will also prove an important addition to our late-autumn 

 and early-spring supply, its compact dwarf growth admirably 

 adapting it for lifting into frames and also for wintering under 

 handlights. Seed sown now would afford a capital supply for 

 the October shooting parties. — Edwabd Luckhukst. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 



Vanda LiMBiTA. ffa*. ord , Orchidacese. Z,in«., Gynandria 

 Monandria. Native of Java. — Flowers orange, scarlet, and pink. 

 Introduced by Messrs. Williams of HoUoway, with whom it 

 flowered in July, 1874.— (Boe. Mag., t. 6173.) 



DiETEs HuTTONi. Nat. ord., Iridaceas. Linn., Triandria 

 Monogynia. Flowers yellow, crimson striped. — " Sent by Mr. 

 Hutton from the eastern province of the Cape Colony to the 

 Kew collection, where it flowered in the month of March of the 

 present year. This genus Dietes is scarcely distinct from Iris 

 by any botanical character."— (ZStd., t. 6174.) 



Ctpeipedium Akgus. Nat. ord., Orchidacese. Linn., Gynan- 

 dria Diandria. — Flowers many-coloured, petals profusely 

 spotted with purple. " It was discovered by Mr. Wallis, Messrs. 

 Veitch's collector, in the Island of Ltizon, one of the Philip- 

 pines, and was flowered in Messrs. Veitch's establishment in 

 March of the present year." — (Ibid., t. 6175.) 



Ckocds misimus— CEocns Fleischeri. Nat. ord., Iridaoese. 

 Linn., Triandria Monogynia.— " These are two welcome ad- 

 ditions to our stock of spring Crocuses grown in this country. 

 C. minimus was in the country|before, but has been lost for 



many years, indeed till now, when Mr. George Maw has brought 

 it again from Corsica. It is frequent in that island, flowering 

 in low situations in January, and upon the mountains up to 

 March, and occurs also in Sardinia. It is the smallest of all 

 the spring-flowering Crocuses, and is most like some of the 

 varieties of versicolor, but it has been confounded in this 

 country with biflorus. 



" Crocus Fleischeri is another interesting addition to our 

 stock of garden balbs made by Mr. Elwes in his tour in Asia 

 Minor last spring. It is a very distinct plant, and has never 

 been in cultivation before. The points which best mark it 

 from other spring-flowering species are the divided stigmas 

 and very complicated bulb-coats, the fine fibres of which are 

 plaited in regular vertical strands. It was discovered on lime- 

 stone hills near Smyrna by the botanist whose name it bears, 

 and we have it also from Cilicia gathered by Aacher Eloy, 

 and from Lycia gathered by the late Professor Edward Forbes. 

 The specimen drawn came from the rich collection of the Rev. 

 H. Harpur Crewe."— (/fcid., (. 6176.) 



TuLiPA Greigi. Nat. ord., LL'iacesB. Lnm.,Hexandria Mono- 

 gynia. — Flowers scarlet ; leaves regularly spotted. " During 

 the last two years no less than three striking new Tulips have 

 been added to the list of species cultivated in this country. 

 Although they come from different localities, they all three 

 resemble one another closely, both from a botanical and horti- 

 cultural point of view. 'They are T. bcetica of Boissier, a 

 native of Greece; T. Eichleri of Regel, a native of Georgia; 

 and T. Greigi. "This species was gathered in Tarkistan by 

 Sewerzow and Fedsehenko, and was named by Dr. Regel in 

 compliment to General Greig, President of the Imperial 

 Russian Horticultural Union." — {Ibid., t. 6177.) 



PLnii. — The Sidtan. — " This fine new Plum is a seedling 

 raised by Messrs. Rivers & Son of Sawbridgeworth in 1871. 

 Dr. Hogg, in the new edition of his ' Fruit Manual,' describes 

 it as 'a culinary Plum of great excellence ; ripe in the middle 

 of August.' 



" The following is Dr. Hogg's description :— ' Fruit above 

 medium size, round, marked with a deep suture. Skin dark 

 purple, covered with a thick blue bloom. Stalk about half an 

 inch long, inserted in a wide hollow. Flesh greenish-yellow, 

 adhering to the stone, firm, brisk, and sweet, with a pleasant 

 ilavour.' Our own notes of the fruits submitted to ns rtm 

 thus : — ' Fruit round, about middle size, with a rather shallow 

 suture. Skin pucy-purple or dark purplish red, dotted with 

 minute brown specks, and covered with a thin bluish bloom. 

 Stalk set in a deepish cavity. Flesh deep greenish-yellow, 

 separating tolerably freely from the stone, juicy, and with a 

 pleasant flavour, similar to that of the Orleans Plum. 



" 'It is a handsome and useful Plum, and one which, being 

 of prolific habit, is likely to become a favourite with fruit- 

 growers.'" — [Florist and Pomologist, 3 s., viii., 145.) 



POROUS GARDEN POTS. 



So far from having any prejudice in the matter I am one of 

 the first to welcome Mr. Simpson's able communication. I 

 have no interest in condemning, neither do I condemn, glazed 

 pots. I know careful and clever plant growers can grow plants 

 in them, but I know also they are not safe to recommend for 

 indiscriminate use in the regular practice of everyday plant- 

 culture. I fully admitted the disadvantages of very porous 

 pots, and pointed out these disadvantages with the means 

 necessary to prevent injury. What I meant to say was that 

 the safe course for general — which includes many who are not 

 experienced — cultivators is the medium course, and that the 

 extremes of absolutely dense or poreless pots on the one hand 

 and excessively porous pots on the other are neither of them 

 the best to recommend for general use. 



I must ask Mr. Simpson to believe that I have actually 

 practised with all the plants he names, also many others, and 

 it is sufficient that the Editors are satisfied of my competency 

 and disinterestedness to speak on the matter. As to the time 

 and place of experiments, that is in no way material. The 

 question is neither chronological nor geographical, but one of 

 practice and judgment as to which pot — open, close, or medium 

 as to porosity, or clean or dirty as to condition — is the best and 

 most reliable for general use. I have every reason to recom- 

 mend a thoroughly well-made clay pot, and I believe the 

 makers of such pots may go on manufacturing, as not in this 

 generation will such pots fall into disuse and be superseded 

 by vessels of metal or glass. 



For a long time I had a prejudice against clean pots, but 



