December 2, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICOLTORE AND OOTTAQE GARDENER. 



487 



Bpecies has been fiptnred in this magazine for a quarter of a 

 century, when (1850), the lovely 0. eleganB of the Andes 

 appeared. Happily a love of the genus liuyers amongst ecien- 

 tifio horticulturists, to cue of whom, G. Munby, Et^q., I owe 

 the opportunity of figuring the present species. Osalis are- 

 naria is a native of CLiili, where it is widely distributed, being 

 found in sandy pastures near Valparaiso, Santiago, and other 

 localities. It has also been gathered on the Andes of Bolivia 

 by Mandon, in the neighbourhood of Sorata, at an elevation of 

 between 8000 and 9000 feet above the sea-level. The speci- 

 men here figured flowered with Mr. Munby in March."— (/fciii., 

 t. 6193.) 



Cbassula BoLusii. A''a(.or(Z., Crassnlaoea;. irnn., Pentan- 

 dria Monogynia. — Flowers white and crimson. Native of 

 South Africa. " It was discovered by Mr. H. Bolus, near 

 Graafreinet, who sent both living and dried specimens to Kew. 

 As a species it is closely allied to C. Cooperi (' Rpgel Gartenfl.,' 

 1874, p. 3G, t. 786), a widely distributed Cape species, but 

 differs in the less straggling habit, much longer and narrower 

 radical leaves, and in tlie dark blotches on the foliage. Plants 

 were sent to Kew by Mr. Bolus in 1874, which flowered in the 

 Succulent House in July of the present year." — {Ibid., t. 6194.) 



Apple — Lane's Prince Albert — " It is a variety which has 

 been well proven in certain districts, and which well deserves 

 to be more widely cultivated. It was raised some years since 

 by Messrs. Lane & Son of Berkhamstead, from the Euseet 

 Nonpareil crossed with Dumelow's Seedling, and is remarkable 

 both for its excellent quality as a culinary Apple and for its 

 prodigious bearing qualities, even the smallest trees being 

 usually densely laden with fruit. The fruit is large, shortly 

 conical or ovate, in the larger samples llj inches in circum- 

 ference, and measuring G inches from eye to stalk, even and 

 regular in outline, with broad ribs round the crown. The skin 

 is smooth, of a fine grass-green, covered with appreciable 

 bloom, changing as it ripens to clear, pale, greenish-yellow, 

 flushed on the exposed side with crimson-red, and also marked 

 with short, deeper, crimson streaks. The eye is closed, with 

 small, pointed, reflex segments, which are set in a deepish, 

 somewhat angular basin. The stalk is about half an inch 

 long, inserted in a deep funnel-shaped cavity. The flesh is 

 tender, juicy, briskly and agreeably acid with a pleasant 

 flavour. In this variety we have a culinary sort which can 

 be safely recommended not only for its bearing and keeping 

 qualities, but also for its general exoeUenoe, in respect to 

 flavour and texture, regarded as a kitchen Apple. The fruits 

 are heavy, and have a solid feel about them." — [Florist and 

 Pomologist, 3 s., viii., 233.) 



SLAUGHTER OF SMALL BIRDS FOR LADIES' 

 HATS. 



If on reading the enclosed extract you feel as indignant as 

 we do, will you find epaca for it in the Journal? It is such a 

 horrid fashion that everyone should do what they can to 

 check it : — 



" The fashion now so prevalent of ornamenting ladies' hats 

 and bonnets with small birds has given such an impetus to 

 the activity of the birdcatchers, both here and in France, as 

 to cause well-grounded fears for the annihilation of our 

 favourite little songsters. This was forcibly pointed out in a 

 case which came before the Dover Bench yesterday, in which 

 two men were charged with trespass. Upon them were found 

 no less than fifty-one dead skylarks and a large number of 

 linnets, thrushes, bullfinches, &c. A gentleman connected with 

 the Cuetomg at Dover stated that it was well known that a large 

 premium was paid to men like the prisoners for those birds, 

 and that it was within his cognizance that during the past 

 fortnight no less than two thousand of the brightest-plumage 

 birds from Normandy passed through Dover on their way to a 

 firm of milliners in London, their destination evidently being 

 to ornament the hats and bonnets of Belgravian ladies. The 

 Bench stated their determination to punish severely all future 

 offenders, and ordered their clerk to make a representation on 

 the subject to the Home Secretary. 



" We must try and stop the demand. We must grapple with 

 the cause of the evil, which is to be traced to the present 

 fashion of affixing the bodies of skylarks, thrushes, linnets, cfeo., 

 to ladies' hats by way of ornament — a fashion which is in- 

 artistic, nnclassical, and vulgar, and which displays a vitiated 

 t aste." — M. G. 



[No words would be too strong to condemn the fashion 



held up to scorn by the writer of the above letter. The fashion 

 is one of those masculine changes condemned by good taste. 

 We have noticed in country towns, as well as in London, that 

 birds are worn by those who at other times wear in their hats 

 huge flowers, bunches of Grapes, and clusters of Cherries, all 

 of the largest size and deepest colours. All this is most 

 vulgar, yet we should not feel that such error is within our 

 province to condemn ; but the slaughter of email birds justi- 

 fies us in remonstrating and asking our readers to aid in sup- 

 pressing it. Those small birds are some of the gardeners' and 

 farmers' best friends. The goldfinch, the linnet, the hedge 

 sparrow, the lark, and others live upon the seeds of weeds and 

 insects, and of all of them we have seen hundreds of skins 

 lying in the windows of ladies' hat-makers. Let every head of 

 a family forbid their use, and let every girl adopt exclusively 

 that utterance of true taste — ■ 



—Eds.] 



"Flowers and ribbons small and fair 

 Are round m; bat and iu m; hair." 



NOVELTIES IN THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 



Flowering in the Succulent house at the cold end we find 

 a member of the elegant genus Bomarea, which, with a query 

 attached, is named B. Jacquesiana. It resembles in some 

 degree the very handsome B. choutaleneis, introduced about 

 four years ago by Mr. Wm. Bull, having similar rose-coloured 

 outer segments with a few black spots. It is, however, quite 

 distinct, the flower being almost half as long again and of less 

 globular outline. The leaves of this are very bold and fine- 

 looking — far more so than those of B. Caldasi, of which there 

 is a plant on the opposite side of the door. They are growing 

 against the end of the house, and form a good covering for 

 the glass, which without some kind of greenery would look 

 painfully bare. Both are planted out, and do remarkably well 

 with but trilling attention. The Bomareas are rare in culti- 

 vation, although they are pretty well known as handsome 

 twiners. One species, B. edulis of St. Domingo, supplies the 

 Tapinambours blancs : these are the tuberous ends of the 

 roots, which after being boiled are eaten as Potatoes. 



In this house a plant of the Clivia Gardeni is beautifully in 

 flower, and coming in regularly at this season it seems to be 

 worth attention. The leaves are much like Imantophyllum 

 miniatum, to which it is nearly allied, but with flowers more 

 like Cyrtanthus. They are produced in large umbels, and are 

 of an orange-red colour with green tips. The cultivation for 

 Imantophyllum suits it exactly. Aloe ciliaris deserves a pass- 

 ing notice. It is a slender-growing species, which may be 

 trained as a climber. Spikes of flowers come on every branch ; 

 they are not too large, and having the fiery colour of Tritoma 

 at once strike the attention. It is the most brilliant-flowered 

 of all the Aloes. 



Olea fragrans is flowering in the Economic house, and pos- 

 sesses a perfume of the most delicious description. The flowers 

 are small and of a pale yellow colour, but grow many together 

 in numerous clusters. They are used in China for scenting 

 teas. That called pekoe is a green tea much prized for the 

 scent imparted to it by these flowers. The species is well 

 worth growing in conservatories for its perfume. It is easily 

 grown and succeeds on its own roots, but is perhaps hardier 

 grafted on Privet. A plant so grafted has withstood the 

 last two or three winters against a wall. 



In the Orchid house we find a good pan of Pleione lagenaria, 

 perhaps the most beautiful of the ludian Crocuses. About 

 twenty flowers are fully expanded. P. maculata is also in 

 bloom. Cirrhopetalum Medusie is extremely curious, and of 

 similar character it would be difficult to find anything else. 

 The flowers are numerous on short spikes, and the sepals are 

 lengthened into long threads, hanging down like coarse hair. 

 Pachystoma Wightii is a pretty plant from India. The leaves 

 are grassy, accompanied in this case by a single yellow flower 

 the size of a Primrose, borne on a stem about a foot high. 

 We have before drawn attention to Eulophia guineensis; it is 

 again in flower, and without doubt is a valuable terrestrial 

 Orchid, the flowers lasting long in perfection, and being of 

 distinct colour and form. They are produced on erect stems 

 about 2 feet in height. It is a native of West Tropical Africa, 

 and requires warm treatment. Among Cypripediums are 

 C. Stonei, the rare C. pardinum, C. coucolor, C. Koezli, C. Sa- 

 deni, and of the commoner C. insigue some good masses are 

 well in flower. Angrseoum pellucidum is always attractive 

 from its beautiful glossy foliage. Its beauty is now further 



