354 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[September 29, 1888. 



conspicuous pollen masses confronting the onlooker. 

 This particular variety is nearly all lilac ; if. the 

 colour is high-toned at all it is at. the back of the 

 sepals, which verge into rose colour. The plant has 

 been in Mr. Bullen's possession for about eighteen 

 mODths, was introduced from the river Benine, about 

 the Congo district, by Mr, Henderson, one of our 

 Glasgow merchants, is in the height of vigour in an 

 11-inch pot, and, of course, is much prized. It is 

 the only one introduced alive at the same time as 

 was Mr. Linden's, and has been well cared for by 

 an excellent orchidist, for these unique specimens 

 we owe to the skill of Mr. Bullen. B. 



ZrGOPETALUM BRACHYPETALVJM, LUldl. 



Zygopetalum brachypetalum was described -by 

 Lindley in 1844 (Bot. Beg., xxx., Misc., p. 9), from 

 a specimen received from Mr. Waterhouse, of Halifax, 

 in 1840. The flowers were described as most like 

 those of Z. intermedium, but less than half the size, 

 the sepals and petals very much more brown than 

 green, in consequence of the blotches running together, 

 and the lip covered with blue veins and spots. The 

 type specimen and a coloured drawing of a single 

 flower is preserved in the Lindley Herbarium at Kew. 

 In the Orchid-house at Kew at the present time is a 

 similar plant, the leaves 18 inches long, by only 6 to 

 7 lines wide, the flowers 2£ inches in diameter, the 

 sepalsand petals similar, and the lip even more suf- 

 fused with blue than in Lindley's sketch. It is 

 a very handsome plant, and although the flowers are 

 a shade larger than Lindley 's plant, I believe both 

 represent the same species. The lip is not hairy as 

 in Z. intermedium, and I should describe it as 

 nearest to Z. Mackayi. The differences between the 

 two are not very great, and might possibly be found 

 to break down if a large series of specimens were 

 examined. The species, like its allies, is a native of 

 Brazil. B. A. B. 



Catasetom Russellianum, Hook. 

 This rare Catasetum was originally introduced 

 from Guatemala, in 183S, by Mr. Skinner, and 

 flowered in the collection of the Duke of Bedford at 

 Woburn Abbey. From thence it was transmitted to Sir 

 William Hooker, and by him figured and described at 

 t. 3777 of the Botanical Magazine, under the above 

 name. The plant has the general appearance of the 

 genus, with swollen conical pseudobulbs, and broadly 

 lanceolate leaves about a foot long. The flowers 

 are large, and borne in a dense pendulous or arching 

 raceme, and although the pallid whitish-green flowers 

 have no striking colours to recommend them, yet 

 their appearance is exceedingly graceful. The inflated 

 or pouch-shaped base of the i lip and fimbriated 

 front lobe are peculiar characters, but the most 

 remarkable feature of the plant is the total absence 

 of tendrils or cirrhi on the column ; and the remark- 

 able way this is connected with the fertilisation of 

 the flower I have been able to make out from a fine 

 plant which has just flowered in the Kew collection. 

 The part played by these tendrils in causing the 

 forcible ejection of the pollen, when an insect visits 

 the flower, has been pointed out by Darwin in the 

 case of other species of Catasetum ; but the singular 

 feature of C. Russellianum is that its column is 

 altogether without tendrils, and its pollen is not 

 forcibly ejected, and yet the plant is as essentially a 

 male Orchid only as any of the tendrilled species ; for 

 the ovary and stigma are not developed. As it is 

 certain that the pollen has to be removed, and carried 

 away to a flower of the other sex (at present 

 apparently totally unknown), I was anxious to find 

 out by what means this was accomplished. On intro- 

 ducing a pencil into the flower, in the same way as 

 an insect must necessarily enter, I touched the gland- 

 like base of the pollinium, which lies flat along the 

 column, when it suddenly sprang backward from an 

 elastic hinge at the junction of the stipes with the 

 gland, the highly viscid under surface of the latter 

 being now placed in so prominent a position that it 

 would infallibly come in contact with the insect on 

 its backing out of the flower, even if it did not 

 become firmly glued to it in the ver act of springing 



backwards. The point, however, to be noticed is 

 that the gland simply flies backwards, while the rest 

 of the pollinium remains in situ. Four flowers were 

 successively tried, and always with the same result, 

 though on discovering the mechanism I found it 

 possible to hold the pencil at such an angle that the 

 gland, when touched, flew back on to the pencil, and 

 becarne instantly attached to it — probably what, takes 

 place when an insect visits the flower. In the first 

 trials the glands did not become attached to the 

 pencil, perhaps because not held at the right angle, 

 but it enabled me to be certain that the pollen is 

 not forcibly ejected. C. Bungerothii being in flower 

 in the same house, I examined it, and found one of 

 the tendrils curved round close to the column, the 

 others standing forward in the centre of the flower. 

 The former proved quite functionless, as Darwin 

 showed to be the case in C. saccatum, but on the 

 other being touched the pollinium was jerked out of 

 place, not, however, out of the flower, but on to the 

 apex of the lip, as I have also seen to be the case in C. 

 luridum. The phenomena of fertilisation in this 

 singular genus are certainly most remarkable, and it 

 is much to be hoped that the female plants of C. 

 Russellianum and C. Bungerothii will ere long be 

 forthcoming in some collection. B. A. Bolfe. 



ursery Notes. 



MR. G. BUNYARD AT HOME. 



We meet with this estimable Kentish nurseryman 

 so frequently everywhere — at exhibitions, confer- 

 ences, and similar gatherings — where fruits espe- 

 cially are concerned, that it does seem like a singular 

 experience to meet with him, if not upon his native 

 heath, at least upon his limestone downs, whereon, 

 although exposed to all the winds and storms of 

 heaven, fruit trees seem to thrive as if exposure and 

 lime were absolute essentials to health and robust- 

 ness. The mist hangs thickly over Kentish hills 

 and valleys as we glide through fields, gardens, pas- 

 tures, orchards, and Hop plantations, and it is not 

 until the train is close upon Banning station, just 

 outside of Maidstone, that we are enabled to dis- 

 cern the wretched plight presented by the Hops, 

 which here have not a flower upon them to gather. 

 Close by are some fine Cherry orchards, which dis- 

 play rude health and luxuriance, and assuming the 

 crop has been as Cherries have been elsewhere, then 

 must these fruits have been as profitable as Hops 

 are the reverse. And whilst ruminating upon the 

 nature of such an interesting illustration of the value 

 of fruit as a permanent crop as compared with 

 Hops, the train runs into Barming station, and there 

 stands Mr. Bunyard waiting our pleasure. 



The Allington Nursery, which has now grown to be 

 of great dimensions, and severely tests the pedestrian 

 abilities of visitors, especially when the sun shines 

 out hotly, is of a gigantic (J "Shape, one side of the 

 letter abutting upon Barming station, from which 

 there is immediate entrance to the nursery, whilst 

 the other side is a mile away, out towards Maidstone, 

 and from the base of the letter there is a grand look- 

 out over the range of chalk hills, which, known as 

 the back-bone of Kent, shut out the sea view. All 

 the same, it is obvious that with no shelter nearer 

 on the east side, the nursery must at times be swept 

 by fierce cold winds, and perhaps the wonderful 

 health and robustness of the stock owes some of 

 that sturdiness to the ample exposure to which it is 

 • subjected, as also to the splendid cultivation given. 

 From the Barming side the ground gradually ascends, ■ 

 and the slope is literally covered with wonderful 

 breadths of Apples, Pears, Plums, and Cherries, 

 making their second year's growth, and doing so 

 admirably. as to elicit the warmest commendation. . 

 Although we. have had the weediest season for a 

 decade, the ground is as clean as a new pin, thanks 

 chiefly to the use between the tree rows of the light 

 American horse-hoe, with its half-dozen cutters, 

 which is in almost constant employment. To have 

 the soil so clean amidst trees of two years' gro.vth, 



such a season as the passing one has been, is indeed 

 a triumph of nursery cultivation. But then how 

 well is that labour repaid by the splendid growth 

 seen everywhere. Of course, the ample moisture of 

 the present year has been helpful in that direction, 

 but everywhere on maidens, or older trees, no 

 matter on what kind of stock, there is the 

 same grand growth — and hard i woody, not pithy 

 growth. 



Perhaps better growth has never been seen than 

 is now evident, and which the more recent warm 

 weather is so assisting to mature. Now, one pro- 

 duct of the excessive heat and drought of last year 

 was the remarkable development of fruit-spurs in all 

 directions upon maidens, so that myriads of Apples 

 and Pears, but especially of the former, are fruiting 

 wondrously, even though but in their second year's 

 growth. To illustrate this feature, Mr. Bunyard 

 draws our attention to a row of choice Crabs, an 

 ordinary Crab stock, all in beautiful fruit, and show- 

 ing how effective such kinds as the Mammoth, 

 Transparent, Hyslop, The Fairy, John Downie, 

 and the old rich-coloured Siberian, may be, when in 

 fruit, even for decorative uses only, whilst the fruits 

 must possess some considerable 1 commercial value 

 when properly preserved. 



Possibly some day we may get a race'of very deli- 

 cious Apples from these Crabs, which shall be as 

 hardy, and as beautiful. But the Apples grow in 

 interest as one gets amongst them, and Ribston 

 Pippin, for instance, exhibits such development for 

 two years as makes one smile at the thought that 

 it is an exhausted variety. Ringer is a kind not 

 well known, but here fruiting with great precocity, 

 and strongly recommended to take the 'place of Lord 

 Suffield on poor soils, as it is hardy and robust. 

 But Lord Suffield, once so famous, seems in danger 

 of being deposed from his pride of place in other 

 directions, as, for instance, we look at that grand 

 Apple, Potts' Seedling, so fine and so good, 

 and cropping here so wonderfully in these little 

 trees. Mr. Bunyard is very sweet upon Pott's Seed- 

 ling, although it enjoys hardly a euphonious designa- 

 tion, but in a nursery and with an honest fruitist, an 

 Apple is an Apple for all that ; and Potts'' Seedling 

 is one of the best. Lord Grosvenor is one of the 

 Suffield competitors, of which Mr. Bunyard speaks 

 in the highest terms, and indeed its wonderful 

 cropping qualities and grand fruit speaks for itself. 

 Still Lord Suffield is wonderfully good on tiny trees, 

 especially on the English Paradise, the chief Alling- 

 ton dwarfing stock for Apples. Then Grenadier is 

 another wonderful Apple of the same tribe — a noble- 

 looking fruit, the little trees of which are laden with 

 splendid specimens, and ample evidence is .afforded 

 that this is one of the coming culinary favourites, for 

 it is as firm of flesh as it is free in cropping. Perhaps 

 the premier Apple of the nursery just now in the 

 matter of precocious fruiting is the new Bismarck, 

 very little trees carrying from twelve tq sixteen fine 

 fruits, and presenting really fruit wonders. What a 

 fortune might not be found in an acre or two, of this 

 superb Apple ! The fruits are large, slightly conical, 

 of a deep blood-red colour, carrying good bloom, and 

 on the stem side resembling handsome Norfolk Beef- 

 ings. , It is an Australian introduction,, and, should 

 rank'amongst the most formidable competitors of the 

 American sorts in a few years. Manx Codlin is also 

 finely fruitingin this way, so is the handsome Duchess 

 of Oldenburg/the well-known Cellini Pippin, Beauty 

 of Kent, very fine, and Stirling Castle. , , .,, , 



An Apple too seldom met with, Golden* Spire, is 

 another of the early culinary sorts which fruits 

 ■ finely, and its deep rich hue when ripe should make 

 it sell well. A new Apple, Tyler's Hermit, presents 

 the form of fine King of Pippins, allied to the quality 

 , and stoutness of habit of the Blenheim ; and Mr. 

 Bunyard forecasts for it a great future) asiabeat 

 upon the latter, as it it is of fine flavour, fruits early, 

 and is a robust tree. Small's Admirable, a fine hardy 

 Hawthornden, is good, so also is Saltmarsh's Queen, 

 literally a regal Apple ; and Domino, a, .fine hardy 

 kind, capital in shade, and a free cropper. This is 

 specially commended for Northern culture. la the 



