400 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Jl-N 



-arden plants, formed the basis, to which have been 

 gradually added various private donations, amongst which 

 may 1 e mentioned a Herbarium normale of the Hessian 

 flora, formed by the present director, and a general 

 collection of duplicates from the Grand Duke's private 

 herbarium, presented by him to the University. There 

 is also a small museum of fruits, seeds, wood specimens, 

 monstrosities, and botanical curiosities ; a library, con- 

 taining but very few works of any importance ; an excel- 

 lent microscope, by Keller, of Wetztlau, purchased in 

 1853, and a set of meteorological instruments. The 

 meteorological observations are regularly made and 

 published in the u Proceedings of the Upper Hessian 

 Society of Naturalists and Physicians; " " For," observes 

 Professor Hoffmann, " public botanic gardens are pecu- 

 liarly adapted for making these observations, both as to 

 locality and the necessary personnel, and no one is so 

 dependent on weather as the gardener." — (Abridged 

 from Professor H. Hoffmann's Report in Mohl and 

 Schlechtendabl's Botanische Zcilung, April 1855). G. B. 



Home Correspondence. 



The Mangosteen. — Having resided for some years in 

 a tropical country not many degrees from that where 

 the Mangosteen flourishes, I am induced to mention the 

 idea entertained there, that it will only prosper within 

 3° of the equator. I have seen the fruit produced in 

 Ceylon, but which was said to be very inferior to that 

 in its native clime. Greater skill in gardening might 

 perhaps have had better success. There is however 

 another fruit, I believe a native of Java, which bears 

 freely in Ceylon, and which, if it has not yet been culti- 

 vated in England, would be well worth trying. The 

 Rambuta/i, the only name for it with which 1 am 

 acquainted, is a pretty plant as to foliage. The fruit 

 grows in bunches. The shell or rind bright red and 

 rough, almost prickly ; and when that is opened, the 

 fac simile of a plover's egg prepared for aspic jelly 

 presents itself, and is of a very pleasant sweet acid. Con- 

 stant Header. [The so-called Mangosteens of Ceylon 

 and of the Ghauts are not Mangosteens at all, but 

 merely inferior species of Garcinia. The Rambutan is 

 very nearly the same as the Litchi ; no doubt it ought 

 to be tried here, and so should the Lanst li and Duku.] 



Mistletoe on the Oak. — From an article in your last 

 number there appears to be still a doubt as to the fact 

 of the Mistletoe growing upon the Oak-tree. I remem- 

 ber having Feen it once, and but once, growing upon 

 that tree. Having (about 17 years ago) occasion to 

 walk from Glanusk Park, in Breconshire, to Aber- 

 gavenny, I took the foot-path along the bank of the 

 Newport and Brecon canal, and in the course of my walk 

 was most agreeably surprised at finding an old Pollard 

 Oak completely covered with Mistletoe. I took great 

 pains to examine the tree, and I am quite satisfied of 

 the fact. I do not at this distance of time recollect the 

 precise spot, but any gentleman residing in that locality 

 who has leisure and would feel sufficient interest in the 

 case, might set the matter at rest by procuring a por- 

 tion of the tree with the Mistletoe growing upon it and 

 sending it to your office. The Mistletoe grows plenti- 

 fully upon the Apple tree in Breconshire. T. Ann, 

 Redland Court, Bristol. [We should be very much 

 obliged for such a specimen of the Mistletoe on Oak.] 



Spring Pwtection of Apricots. — Allow me to correct a 

 misprint in my communication of the 28th May. 1 

 should not have troubled you about it had not * G. W." 

 accused me in common with another correspondent of 

 " coddling." My words were, « In 1853 I used double 

 netting as a protection/' Double mats, in my opinion, 

 are a worse than useless protection for Apricots, and 

 I think that if the foliage is kept healthy and the trees 

 divested of all unnecessary wood, so as to allow what is 

 left to get perfectly ripened, a better crop of fruit will 

 be produced without protection than can be had from 

 badly matured wood, as is often the case, protected on 

 the most approved principles. John Stevens. 



Epidendrum Mcornutum.—lhis truly fine Orchid is 

 so seldom seen in perfection at our metropolitan exhi- 

 bitions that I am led to infer its cultivation must be 

 insuperably difficult. I will, therefore, endeavour to 

 lay before your readers the method I have adopted with 

 it, and which I am happy to say has proved successful. 

 In the first place, I will just mention the climate of the 

 country from which it has been introduced ; and then 

 recur to the treatment it should have in an Orchid- 

 house. If we take into consideration the climate of 

 Guyana (Guiana of some), Trinidad, and other places 

 from whence it comes, we at once see the treatment it 

 requires. Its natural habitat, I am credibly informed, is 

 upon rocks and stumps of old trees, contiguous to the 

 sea ; and is constantly washed with salt water, particu- 

 larly xwhen the tides are high ; which is very different 

 ^eatment from what it receives in England. Guvana 

 possesaea two rainy and two dry seasons. The long rainy 

 »^<>n seta in about the middle of April, and torrents of 



eomtneSTt T & ? une > when the Ion g dl 7 8eas ™ 

 e^eSr^ conta ^ to November ; December is 



The StL^T?^ *. *«* *T -ason. 

 Thompson's iuv^Sfe^ ** ff5 ™° riin * to M * 

 of the HortJeSSrri ^ P nbWhed in *e Journal 

 is not so h!gh ^ l j£?* is J"° S* * which 

 considering 4 poS? J*™ % *"■ "^ 

 equator. The trade wind* U* u ,8land to the 

 probably reach the ^^SSJST £ *"?***' 



whii.li ™ J™ H- \r * ul P r ^nated with moisture 



which no dot b: keep the fclgS 



low. Having deficr.bed the clunate, I wU1 now make ; 



moisture 



comparatively 



weather, heavy rain 



■s in all 



few remarks upon the cultivation of this r ««*„. Afc , ntl *uict, ucavv mm iamng at intervals d — r — _ 

 should be potted in a compost of good fibry peat, plenti- j afternoon. The exhibition itself was in* 1 ?* 1 

 fully intermixed with soft sandstone and river sand, 

 and then suspended close to the glass. As soon as it 

 commences growth it should be well supplied with 

 tepid water, r.nd occasionally syringed with salt water, 

 or, what is preferable, fill a pan with salt water and 

 suspend it immediately under the plant ; the saline 

 vapour constantly and gradually ascends, and it is sur- 

 prising to see the effect it produces upon the constitu- 

 tion of the plant. During winter the temperature and 

 dryness of the air should be considerably reduced, but 

 not to the extent generally recommended by some 

 writers upon Orchids. There are many other very 

 fine Orchids, which are seldom seen in perfection, and 

 upon which I may at some future time offer a few 

 remarks. H. M. 9 Axmouth, Devon. 



Hardiness of the white Indian Azalea. — It may in- 

 terest some to know that I have four plants of Azalea 

 indica alba in very fair blossom, which have stood in 

 my garden on the borders of Kent and Sussex without 

 any protection for the last seven years at least. They 

 have been planted among and treated like the common 

 Rhododendrons and Azaleas. W. O. M. 



Grape Growing (seep. 389). — I should advise " M. K." 

 to get some information on this subject by visiting the 

 numerous houses recently built by gentlemen, whose 

 gardeners have shown more practical knowledge than 

 "M. K.'s." Having been permitted to examine a great 

 many houses, I have not seen anything to equal one l fc built 

 about three years ago at North Frith, near Tunbridge, 

 by Sir Jasper Atkinson, whose gardener, Mr. Webb, 

 very kindly gave me every information how r he has been 

 enabled to secure this season such an extraordinary 

 abundance of six different sorts of Grapes in so short a 

 period. I would recommend "M. K.,"and in short, 

 any person who feels an interest in these matters, to 

 pay him a visit ; it would fully compensate his trouble ; 

 the inspection would not only gratify him, but he would 

 obtain some useful and practical hints on the subject of 

 Grape growing. A. B., County of Kent. Your cor- 



*b 



** 



tf 



good one. Stove and greenhouse plants w«L 

 and the same may be .aid of Orchids, R<!!! ^ 

 excellent, and of Pelargoniums, FuchsiaT^ 

 florist flowers there was a large display. 5 "* 



Of Stove and Greenhouse Plants " Mr \f 

 H Colyer, Esq., sent a collection, whose S&£1 

 feature was its beautiful examples of AU JS*} 

 D.pladenias. These were in admirable coadiS? 1 * 

 also contained some well-managed EverltSl 

 famous Pimelea decussata, Dracophylhun n2?a! 

 blue Leschenaultia and a pyramidally trained Stodi 

 floribunda. Mr. Barter, gr. to A. Basset W 

 Stamford Hill, also had a good group, in whidT. 

 Phsenocoma proliferum, well grown, but with do " 

 flowers on it ; Stephanotis floribunda, Pimelea dee* 

 a very fine Statice Holfordi, together with Vi 

 Franciseas, and other plants. From Mr. Green rr 

 Sir E. Antrobus, Bart., came good specimen* * 

 which the more remarkable were Polygala Dal mm*— 

 Pimelea spectabilis, Aphelexis purpurea maen2i! 

 the yellow Azalea sinensis, the glowing red lepSJ 

 and Rondeletia speciosa. Twot, 



In collections of 12 Stove and Greenhouse Pum. 

 Messrs. Fraser contributed Phsenocoma vrolifw Z* 

 Pimelea Hendersoni, the fine {variety of Erica trMbr 

 called Wilsoni, Adenandra fragrans, and a chiraa* 

 Stephanotis floribunda. Messrs. Rollisson had Gtrfaa 

 Fortuni beautifully flowered ; Mitraria coccinea, fiufe 

 grown but not well flowered ; some admirable (2 

 Heaths, and Acrophyllum venosura. Mr. Cot^l 

 exhibited two well bloomed Everlastings, Pimein 

 bilis, Dipladenia crassinoda, and the Cavendish Haft, 

 Messrs. Pamplin also sent a group in which tbd 



attractive plant perhaps was Stephanotis floribnudi 



In the class of 10 Stove and Greenhopse tun 

 Mr. Frost, gr. to E. L. Betts, Esq., had the best ew«p. 

 It contained a lovely Echites splendens, alw exed'etf 

 plants of Allamanda cathartica, Polygala Dalmai 

 one of the best of the genus — a well-flowered KaloamA, 

 and Statice Holfordi. Mr. Taylor, gr. to J. Coster, Eq, 

 produced small, but well grown plants of Boroniipih 

 nata, Pimelea Hendersoni, Leschenaultia fomm 

 Dipladenia crassinoda, the pretty Azalea Iveryana, uri 

 an Everlasting. Mr. Peed, gr. to J. Tredwell, Fjf, 

 sent a white Vinca, a Cape Heath or two, Clad* 

 dron fallax, Allamanda neriifolia, Gardenia interaefcj 

 and Boronia pinnata. 



In collections of 6 Stove and Greenhouse Puns, 



Mr. Williams, gr. to Miss Traill, of Bromley. iwmW 

 admirable examples, of Boronia tetrandra, Pindtt 



respondent who has " waited 12 long years for Grapes 

 and had only tw r o bunches about three years back,'' 

 w r ould have been doing an act of justice to himself and 

 to all connected with horticulture if he had taken your 

 advice * discharge your gardener " nine years ago. If 

 he had done so it might perhaps have been the means 

 of putting a stop to so many garden labourers setting 

 themselves up as gardeners, and doing what no one who 

 had served a regular apprenticeship would do. Perhaps 

 m M. K.'s n gardener is one of that sort. 0. P. 



Fern Judging at the Crystal Palace Show. — I observe x 



(seep. 389) that Mr. Chitty, of Stamford Hill, finds decussata, and Allamanda neriifolia, the latter i wt 

 fault with the judges of Ferns at the Crystal Palace, little bush covered with yellow flowers. Mr. Mc - 

 He is of opinion that certain beautiful collections of ! gr. to Coles Child, Esq., produced Aphelexis pur 

 hardy Ferns there ought to have been disqualified ' macrantha, in good condition ; a well-flowered Hg» 

 because they contained several of our rare and most 

 beautiful native species which he declares are not hardy 

 enough to bear exposure to our climate, at least that of 

 London. Now every experienced cultivator knows that 

 many herbaceous plants (which everybody calls hardy), 

 including Ferns and Alpines, will not bear this test, and 

 it is mainly owing to the very varied and humid climate 

 of the British Islands, that our flora is comparatively 

 rich in Ferns. It is quite clear that three out of the 

 four exhibitors in question were of the same opinion as 

 the judges about the propriety of calling our native 

 Ferns hardy. The collection which Mr. Chitty 

 patronises was not overlooked, but examined and found 



iiJ«ui cfcii 1;I1C%« J1X UUUU V/VIlvix ti KJi* } «* fw*w— ^ • 



imperialis, a white Azalea, Yinca rosea, and KalosanWl 

 versicolor. Mr. Koser, gr. to J. Bradbury, Esq., wt 

 Erica ventricosa magnifica, certainly one of tb eny 

 best of the class to which it belongs ; an E ve ™*l 

 Pimelea Hendersoni, and a handsome variety of t 

 zema varium. . , 



Tall Cacti were contributed in good condiUoti, m 

 to some extent supplied the place of Azalea?, ot »«■ 

 there were only a few plants present, and *<** "■? 

 past their best. Of the former Mr. Grix furniafcea w» 

 flowered plants of Epiphyllum speciosum uA J «» 



soni. Cereus speciosissimus and Egertom, tne 



r - - - - - ji r# Mortoner 11 * 



to be wanting, both as regards good cultivation and 

 choice species. Let us hope that the exhibitor of it may 

 be more successful next time. A. S., One of the Judges. 

 Nursery Names of Plants.— We notice, at p. 389, 

 a complaint from a correspondent that the same plants 

 are frequently sold by different nurserymen under differ- 

 ent names, and referring particularly to the case of a 

 " Maranta " exhibited at the late Crystal Palace Show 

 by Messrs. Jackson of Kingston, Messrs. Rollisson of 

 Tooting, and ourselves. We join most heartily in 

 repudiating the system of nurserymen or any other 

 persons not duly qualified giving fancy names to newly 

 imported introductions. We appeal confidently to Dr. 

 Lindley and Sir W. J. Hooker if it be not our custom 

 to submit to them our new plants for naming, so that 

 there may be no confusion, and that plants of our own 

 introducing at least may not, as far as it is in our power 

 to prevent it, be sold out under different and erroneous 

 names. In this particular instance we made a point of 

 getting from Sir W. J. Hooker the name under which 

 we showed the plant, viz., Maranta roseo-Iineata, variety 

 elegans of Kew Gardens. Sir W. J. Hooker does not 

 consider it a species but merely a fine variety of M. 

 roseo-lineata. It may be, and no doubt is, all very well 

 for persons who raise Hybrid Geraniums or Fuchsias, 

 or indeed any kinds of cross-bred plants to name them 

 Queen Victorias, or Almas, or any fancy name they 

 like, but we join your correspondent in repudiating 

 imported plants being sold out under names not 

 sanctioned by botanical authority. We have thought 

 it right to explain our authority for the name we used 

 on the occasion referred to and leave the other nursery- 

 men named by your correspondent to do likewise. 

 James Veitch <b Son. 



handsome small-flowered hybrid. — ^^ 



Mr. Green also showed examples of these thowjF^ 

 among which was the white-flowered Cereus < *j"jj f 



Orchids were more numerous, and appeare 

 advantage than they did at this Societys €xiu» 

 May last. In groups of 20 plants Mr. \* ^"^Sei 

 C. 13. Warner, Esq., sent beautiful specimens or* 

 odoratum, Calanthe veratrifolia, Saccolabium JJ fc 

 and pramorsum, the lovely Cattleya supf 1 * fr 

 Bearded Lady's Slipper (Cypripcdiom barww , 

 Wooliey, gr/to H.5. l&J W produce Jjg 

 Saccolabiums, Dendrobium Paxtom ana J ^ 

 Barkeria spectabilis, a remarkable plant, so ^ 



pediums, &c. Mr. Hume, gr. to R. ^^m 

 furnished Aerides odoratum, Cattleya «nw^ rf . 

 as we have said before, is merely a W"' ft 

 intermedia; Barkeria melanocaulon, w 

 ch>l!um, some of the best varieties of tam j 

 and Dendrobium Dalhousieanum. . f0 jgfi 



In collections of 16 plants, Messrs. ve >£ N^jf. 

 Oncidium ampliatum, the Fox-brush Aerw ^ ^ 

 bium anosmum, and formosum ; an c . f 'Qr*- 

 flowered Sobralia macrantha, the best van bj rf ^ 



pedium barbatum, two very fine M c ^Bo* 00 ** 



JM* 



hopsis, and some Saccolabiums. -f^Ty. 0*3? 

 large bushes of Sobralia, D^f^i pt** 1 

 Mossise and Aclandte ; also C. Leopoi , ^ 

 grandiflora, Oncidium sphacelatuni^ \ %{reB ^ «* 

 and Brassia verrucosa, 



the latter an ex 



#* 



Royal Botanic, Regent's Park, June 13.— This 

 Society's second exhibition took place on Wednesday 



flowered plant of the kind. r«^?tipv. £*•' 



In the class of 12 Orchids Mr. ^^^ 

 Ellis, sent fine plants of Saccolabium gu» ?yj0 gb 

 morsum, a very fine white Butterfly plant (^ ^ 

 Aerides odoratum, Calanthe masucaj" ^ |£ 

 nlants of Cattleya Mossise. Wr. ^ nnMorh h*% 



plants 

 Webb 



affine, Sa 

 an Oncid. 



Mr. Keel, gr. to 



the yBttv w 



wich, sent Epidendrum ^^^allicbi, &**«** 

 citrina, Brassia verrucosa, Pb* 1 " 8 n ^ 



tortile, and Cattleya Mosaic. _ ^^ Jfr w 





j _ .. „^„_ j, 1BVC utI it tUIiCaua^ fcUi Hie, auu vbi-mv; - — -- ^ / min e 



last under rather unpropitioua circumstances as regards \ The best group of 6 Orchid* ^ 



from 



