380 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Octobee 6, 1888. 



On returning to Copenhagen in the afternoon the 

 work of naming and arranging the specimens was 

 found to be in progress by Mr. Petersen and Pro- 

 fessor Warming with great vigour. What aid your 

 special could give, of course, was given, but the 

 lion's share was done by the Danish mycologists. 

 In the collection a number of specimens appeared 

 from Dr. Robert Fries, from Sweden ; these included 

 A. depilatus, decorus, icterinus,rosellus, pesstmdatus, 

 and caperatus ; Lactarius helvus, and Cortinarius 

 brunneus, On the tables were also Peziza onotica, 

 leporina corium, Geoglossum glabrum ; Boletus 

 radicans, Agaricus porphyreus, murinaceus, and a 

 host of others. The specimens were neatly arranged 

 on white plates, with their names, in their proper 

 botanical sequence ; on side tables were collections 

 of edible and poisonous species. Around the room 

 was a large number of specimens of rare species, 

 preserved in spirits, such as Hydnum coralloides, 

 erinaceum, Morchellai, Gyromitrai, &c. There was 

 also a collection of parasitic fungi in the recent 

 state, and, what was of special interest, the unique 

 collection of Gymnosporangia and Roestelise, of 

 classical interest, from having been made by the 

 late Professor Oersted. 



On Wednesday (September 26) an excursion was 

 made to Klampenbog, where the Beech forest pro- 

 duced again Strobilomyces strobilaceus in fine con- 

 dition, the rare Lactarius volemus, and the exquisite 

 A. euchrous, as usual, on an Alder stump. High 

 up on a Beech tree, far above our reach, was observed 

 a splendid cluster of A. aurivellus, a common Danish, 

 bnt a rare British species, and one with which the 

 writer was particularly anxious to become acquainted. 

 The persistent endeavours to displace the fungus by 

 hurling sticks and stones at it by Mr. Rostrup, jun., 

 were at length rewarded with success, greatly to the 

 delight of your special. 



In the afternoon time was found to visit the minor 

 exhibition, where a collection of diseased plants and 

 trees made by Dr. E. Rostrup was the centre of 

 attraction. 



The last day of these" pleasant meetings always 

 comes too soon. This was spent at Ruderhegm, with 

 Dr. E. Rostrup and his son ; there we were shown 

 living and dying specimens of trees, principally Eirs, 

 Pinus sylvestris injured by Caioma pinitorquum. 

 P. Strobus, killed by Peridermium pini; the ravages of 

 Peziza Wilkommii on young Larches ; of Agaricus 

 melleus and Polyporus annosus on other trees. 

 These with the ravages of Hypoderma microsporum, 

 Lophiodermum brachysporium, Melampsora pallida, 

 Sphseria fimbriata, and a host of other parasites, 

 greatly interested, even if they somewhat confused 

 your special. Amongst the large fungi Boletus 

 felleus, Hygrophorus caprinus, and Agaricus bu- 

 fonius were gathered. 



Later in the day the writer dined at the house of 

 Mr. J. L. Jensen with Dr. and Mr. Rostrup ; the 

 evening was spent most agreeably in the interchange 

 of views and the discussion of mycological problems ; 

 he retired late, to dream of Svampe, of Hexenbesen, 

 of Heteroscism, and of High-moulding. 



It need not be added that the whole visit was most 

 enjoyable, the kindness and courtesy with which the 

 writer was received by his Danish friends was ex- 

 treme, the weather was magnificent and fungi plenti- 

 ful : what more could one have wished ! Charles B. 

 Plowright. 



THE COLOUR OF GRAPES. 



In an exhaustive treatise by Messrs. Thudicum 

 and DuprS upon wine, the colouring matter of the 

 skins of Grapes is more or less studied. The authors 

 say that the juice of most Grapes is perfectly free 

 from tannin ; the skin and stalks however, 

 contain a considerable quantity of a substance 

 which, though not ordinary tannin, closely re- 

 sembles it in its properties. It is also asserted 

 that the colour in wine from Grapes is produced by 

 the oxidising effect of the air upon matters contained 

 in the fruit — the so-called extractive, or bodies not 

 yet known, and the tannic acid. From this circum- 



stance we learn that colour is the effect of sunlight 

 acting upon the tannic acid of the skins, and upon 

 unknown bodies, that play so important a part in the 

 colours of wine. 



Mr. D. S. Marvin, of New York, considers there 

 are causes outside of any chemical action and 

 reaction that have led up to and originated the 

 colour of the Grape. For instance, the influences of 

 birds, and occasionally animals, the interchanges of 

 action and reaction they have produced upon the 

 slow and gradual development of the fruit. He 

 says : — " It is as yet unknown from what plant the 

 Grape originated, but from a careful study and 

 personal consideration of the varied tendencies 

 of the plant, the seedlings gradually diverging 

 and, finally, breaking in such a number of species 

 far away in the past, and each of these species again 

 into such a multitude of varieties, the varieties 

 sporting into so many new tints and colours of skin 

 and pulps and seeds ; we must, therefore, conclude 

 that these causes have exerted such an important 

 influence upon some one or more of the vital 

 economics, that the colour of the fruit had come 

 to be of very great importance to the development, 

 growth, and welfare of the plants themselves. 



The writer adds : — " In some varieties of Grapes, 

 like the Concord, for instance, there is little or no 

 colouring pigment in the pulp, the colouring matter, 

 as is supposed from its herein suggested origin, re- 

 siding in the skin. There are other varieties — those 

 of which port wines are made — in which the pigments 

 have spread from the skins into the pulp, and even 

 the seeds are dark in most of the Riparia Grapes. 

 John J. Willis. 



PTEROCARYA FRAXINIFOLIA. 



It is so seldom in this country that we see pro- 

 duced the female catkins of this tree that we gladly 

 avail ourselves of specimens forwarded to us from 

 Devonshire by Sir John Walrond. The tree is a 

 native of the Caucasus, never attaining any great 

 height, but one which, from its bold Walnut-like 

 foliage, is deserving of cultivation. The leaves 

 are from 6 — 10 inches in length, and bear from 

 seven to twelve oblong serrated leaflets. In autumn 

 the leaves assume a clear lemon-yellow colour. The 

 male flowers are borne in short sessile catkins, while 

 the female catkins, as may be seen from our illus- 

 tration (fig. 52), are pendulous elongate, reaching in 

 the specimens sent us from 12 to 15 inches in length, 

 the nuts provided on each side with a roundish or 

 oblong membranous wing. The plant is nearly allied 

 to the Walnut, and has the same curious stalked 

 buds, but the nuts offer no attractions, save to the 

 eye. The tree is also known as P. caucasica. 



THE VICTORIA REGIA IN THE 

 OPEN AIR. 



The plant in question was raised from a seed sown 

 under glass January 13, 1888. Until the seed ger- 

 minated (which was about February 1) the tempera- 

 ture of the water was kept steadily at 90°, after that 

 time a uniform temperature of 85° was maintained. 

 By May 5 the plant had made rapid progress, having 

 leaves at that time 4 feet in diameter. It was then 

 decided that the plant should be placed in its sum- 

 mer quarters — a large pond 30 feet wide and 2£ feet 

 deep, artificially heated from the greenhouse. Good 

 rich soil to a depth of 12 inches was wheeled in, and 

 the plant carefully planted in the centre, care being 

 taken to first well warm both soil and water. 



As the mean temperature of the month of May in 

 this latitude is much too low for any plant of a 

 tropical nature, some protection for this Lily was 

 necessary for the first few weeks ; this was given in 

 the shape of a thin cotton cloth rolled down over the 

 pond, the framework to support the cloth consisting 

 of stout galvanised iron wires stretched from side 

 to side. 



By heating the water in the pond to 90° sufficient 

 heat was thrown off to well warm the volume of air 

 under the cloth, and no difficulty was experienced in 



maintaining a temperature of 65° or 70°, when 

 it was much more severe outside. Since warm 

 weather set in we have dispensed with the cloth 

 except on windy days, which, by the way, are very 

 numerous on Cape Cod, and are by far the worst 

 enemy we have to contend with in growing the 

 Victoria Regia. 



When once established in its new quarters the 

 leaves rapidly increased in size until they reached a 

 diameter of 6 feet ; and June 17, five months and 

 four days after sowing the seed, the first flower 

 opened. From that date until the present time, 

 July 9, it has flowered every third or fourth night. 

 The flowers are from 10 to 12 inches in diameter, 

 and of a beautiful creamy-white colour the first 

 night, while opening on the afternoon of the second 

 day they rapidly change to a deep pink, and soon 

 start on their downward journey to the bottom of 

 the pond. 



Since flowering no increase in size of leaf has been 

 observed, rather otherwise ; still considerable gain is 

 made in the size of the plant, which is now 23 feet 

 in diameter, and still increasing. James Brydon, in 

 the " American Florist." 



URSERY NOTES. 



ORCHIDS IN MESSRS. VEITCH'S NURSERY, 

 CHELSEA. 



Since visiting this nursery a few months ago I 

 find that nearly the whole of the older Orchid-houses 

 have been swept away, and have been replaced with 

 new ones, and others are in course of construction. 

 A large house has been erected at the north end of 

 the new Cattleya-house, and is intended for flowering 

 Orchids, on what may be termed the natural system. 

 The house has been tastefully arranged as a rock 

 garden with Matlock Bath stone, with an arrange- 

 ment of rock in the centre down which water trickles 

 when it is thought desirable. Ferns are planted in 

 crevices and pockets in the rocks ; the Orchids 

 themselves are not turned out of the pots, but are 

 placed in certain positions when they are in flower. 

 This of course is the only way in which the house 

 can be kept gay with Orchids all the year round. 

 When a plant has passed out of flower it can be at 

 once removed to the house again to make its growth ; 

 whereas, if allowed to remain amongst the Ferns and 

 other foliage plants, it might not make a flowering 

 growth at all. This artistic arrangement of Orchids 

 in hothouses is not quite a new idea. It is nearly fifty 

 years since Mr. J. D. Llewellyn, of Penllergare, con- 

 structed what he called an epiphyte-house on this sys- 

 tem. Mr. Llewelyn obtained his idea first from reading 

 Schomburk's description of the waterfalls of Berbice 

 and Essequibo, on the occasion of his first discovery 

 of Huntleya violacea. He says, " I was delighted 

 with the beautiful picture which his words convey, and 

 thought that it might be better represented than is 

 usual in the stoves of this country." An arrange- 

 ment of rockwork was planned, with warmed water 

 falling over a cascade, and the Orchids grew remark- 

 ably well in the moist atmosphere caused by the spray 

 falling over the artifical rock. A drawing of the 

 house after the plants were arranged and growing is 

 given in the first volume of the Journal of the Boyal 

 Horticultural Society (1846). The house, I believe, still 

 remains at Penllergare. In those days the number 

 of Orchids available was not so great as now ; and it 

 will be easy for Messrs. Veitch, with their fine col- 

 lection of these plants, to keep up the gay appearance 

 of their house all the year round At present the 

 stately forms of Cattleya maxima, C. bicolor, C. Har- 

 risoni, C. Bowringiana, and the lovely Lffilia elegans 

 may be seen rising above the Ferns and other plants ; 

 and overhanging the rocks, and suspended from the 

 roof, are examples of Cattleya pumila; and graceful 

 plants, such as Oncidium Jonesianum, and the golden 

 O. varicosum. A good specimen, well-flowered, of 

 Pholidota imbricata stood on a ledge of rock ; it is 

 an interesting species, but not very striking in 

 appearance. In the other houses many species and 



