480 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[October 27, 1888, 



such a distribution is readily explained. For this 

 case the form found by me at Oberhof, 800 — 1200 

 metres above the sea level are, also adapted forms. 

 The habit of this tree is quite different from that of 

 the common Spruce, viz., columnar, like that of the 

 Abies pectinata. The squama? of the cones are, as 

 the name says, obovate, at once distinguishing it 

 from Picea excelsa, L., and typica. Udo Dammar, 

 Berlin. 



THE GENUS STANHOPEA. 



It may be that in the years to come — probably in 

 the near future — the Orchid family will compete 

 with the Auricula and Carnation in the esteem of 

 the florist. In a very out-of-the-way district in 

 Yorkshire — Lowiields, near Kirkby Lonsdale — the 

 Rev. F. D. Horner has his home, and there he grows 

 the wonderful Auriculas which have made his name 

 a household word amongst florists. There, too, he 

 has, in conjunction with Mrs. Horner, made quite an 

 unique collection of Orchids. Not a collection of 

 fashionable Orchids — oh, no ! — for the fashions of 

 this world soon pass away. The whole collection 

 might not be worth a single small plant of Cypripe- 

 dium Stonei platytamium in money value. The 

 house is only a small lean-to, 25 by 10 feet, in two 

 divisions, and in front of it is a cool-house, 12 by 

 4J- feet only ; and yet in these two houses there were 

 in flower in December. 1887, thirty-five distinct 

 species of Orchids ; in January, 1888, thirty-five 

 species ; in February, thirty-three ; in March, thirty- 

 two ; in April forty-two ; in May, forty-eight ; in 

 June, fifty-four ; in July, forty-one ; in August, 

 thirty-four. The promise of bloom during the 

 autumn months is very good, and is in proportion to 

 the other months. The two little houses are not 

 exactly a Befiigium Botanicum, as the collection con- 

 tains many of the best species of Cattleya, Lailia, 

 Dendrobium, Angrfficum, Vanda, &c, but any 

 quaint and curious Orchids find here a comfort- 

 able home and kind treatment. Amongst others 

 the Stanhopeas are greatly valued. They give a 

 profusion of their richly-coloured, quaint, and 

 powerfully fragrant flowers when kept clean, and 

 changed into fresh Teak baskets about once in three 

 years. They are not over plentiful in the country, 

 that is, in comparison with some Orchids ; and if they 

 became popular they would soon become very dear. 

 Their culture is of the simplest, and owing to the 

 way in which the flowers are produced the plants 

 must be grown in baskets of Teak rods. The flower- 

 spikes push downwards and vertically under the 

 surface, so that the spikes come out between 

 the Teak rods. The flowers rapidly develope, 

 and soon pass away. Mr. Horner had just 

 flowered the remarkably handsome S. tigrina (see 

 fig. 69, p. 481) ; this is probably the most esteemed 

 species in the genus, and it also varies very 

 much in the markings and size of the flowers. 

 Some varieties produce flowers 8 inches across ; 

 the variety at Lowfields was 7 inches across, and 

 might well be named superba, if that name had 

 not already been appropriated to a variety figured 

 in the Flore des Serrcs, 713-5. The sepals of 

 this variety are creamy-yellow, heavily blotched with 

 claret, and are 2 inches wide, the petals three- 

 quarters of an inch across, barred and blotched with 

 deeper claret. It is one of Messrs. Low's introduc- 

 tions, sent to them from Xalapa in Mexico about 

 the year 1835. It is well figured in the Botanical 

 Register in 1839, and also six years later in the 

 Botanical Magazine, where it is stated that the 

 powerful fragrance this species exhales scents the 

 whole stove — the perfume resembling a mixture of 

 Melon and Vanilla. There is also a splendid figure 

 of it in Bateman's Orchid. Mcx. el Guatem., t. 7. 



S. Wardii, also grown here, is a charming species, 

 deliciously scented ; it is well known in collections, 

 and forms a long spike of rich yellow flowers, 

 spotted, reddish-purple. It is figured in Lindley's 

 Sertum, and in the Botanical Magazine, t. 5289 ; and 

 the editor states, that" one of the most striking features 

 of this flower is the colour of thecavity formed at 



the base of the lip, lined as it were with dark 

 velvety purple, reflecting a silvery light, and giving 

 to it the appearace of being frosted." 



S. grandiflora I have not seen in flower ; it is not 

 figured anywhere, except in the Botanist (Maund.). 

 The flowers are white, lightly dotted crimson, and 

 also sweetly scented. There is also an excellent 

 example of S. insignis ; this is not only an interest- 

 ing species, and very beautiful in itself, but on it the 

 genus was founded by Sir William Hooker, when 

 Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow in 

 1829, in honour of the Eight Hon. Philip Henry, Earl 

 Stanhope. S. grandiflora was introduced two years 

 before this, but was grown under the name of Cera- 

 tochilus grandiflorus. Twenty years ago I grew a 

 plant of this species 2 feet across the mass of pseudo- 

 bulbs. The flowers are of large size, and very fragrant. 

 S. oculata is also well worth space in a select collec- 

 tion ; I grew it into an immense plant some years 

 ago, and can vouch for its easy culture. Like the 

 last-named, it was grown and figured by Loddiges in 

 the Botanical Cabinet, under the name of Ceratochi- 

 lus oculatus. It produces a long spike of waxy- 

 white or pale yellow flowers, the sepals spotted lilac- 

 purple. One spike will scent a house with its 

 fragrance. 



Mr. Horner has not yet added the singular-looking 

 a S. Bucephalus to his collection, but it should have 

 place where six species are grown. The rich deep 

 yellow flowers, powerfully fragrant also, are distinctly 

 marked with large blood-coloured spots. It is a 

 native of Ecuador, and is well figured in Bot. Mag., 

 t. 5278. 



Mr. Horner has several new species to flower, one 

 from the Roraima district, and if they are as good 

 as the few I have named they will be well worth 

 growing. I would, at any rate, urge amateurs to 

 include such distinct and handsome Orchids as the 

 Stanhopeas in their collections. Those I have named 

 are probably the best of them. J. Douglas. 



Scotland. 



A NEW FORM OF POTATO DISEASE. 



Considerable interest has naturally been awakened 

 in the North of Scotland by the report that a new 

 form of Potato disease has this year been discovered. 

 On the farm of Balmuchy, occupied by Mr. Gordon, 

 the disease has appeared, and the shaws of a number 

 of tubers have been sent to an expert in London, in 

 order to get an opinion as to the nature and causes 

 of the fungus. The disease, it appears, instead of 

 beginning at the top of the plant, attacks the root 

 and works upwards, devouring, it is stated, all the 

 succulent parts of the stem. The spores of the 

 fungus are said to resemble the ergot of Rye [!], and 

 possibly investigation may result in the discovery 

 that it is allied to it in character. As to the cause 

 of it, of course only conjecture may be hazarded, 

 but it is not at all improbable it may be connected 

 with the nature] of the past season. Potatos are 

 always of better quality in a dry season than in a 

 wet, and it may be taken for granted that the long 

 prevalent moist weather rendered the plant less 

 robust and more easily susceptible of attack. In 

 these circumstances it may be found that the disease 

 is not one that is likely soon to re-appear again, 

 unless, indeed, the conditions which gave it birth 

 reappear also. W. K. 



Royal Hokticcltubal Society of Abeedeen. 



The annual meeting of the members of this 

 Society was held in the Music Hall Buildings, 

 Aberdeen, on Saturday evening, 13th inst. There 

 was a large attendance, and Councillor Lyon, 

 chairman of the acting directors, occupied the 

 chair. In moving the adoption of the report, which 

 stated that the receipts for the season have amounted 

 to £456 14s. 8d., and the payments to £348 18s. 6d., 

 leaving a surplus of £107 15s. 9d., which, added to 

 £1 3s. Id. brought from last account, leaves a sum of 

 £108 19s. id, at the credit of the Society, 



WOOLHOPE FUNGUS FORAY. 



On Monday evening, October 1, the visitors 

 slowly concentrated themselves at the Speeche 

 House, Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, and were 

 met in the morning in the forest, or afterwards 

 at the hotel, by the Hereford contingent. Cold 

 it might be, for some of the party swept the 

 snow from the grass into their hands at about 

 10 a.m., but it was clear and bright. As for 

 the fungi, truly they were few and far between, the 

 oldest excursonist venturing the opinion that it wa3 

 the worst prospect of a fungus foray which the 

 Woolhope Club ever experienced, bad as it was in 

 the previous year. The ground was moist enough, it 

 is true, but so cold, that only on the sunniest slopes 

 could the commonest of species be found, and even 

 these were scarce and scattered. Whether in anti- 

 cipation of such a result, or from a combination 

 of various circumstances, the company was 

 much smaller than usual. It included Messrs. 

 T. B. Acton, C. Bucknall, Dr. Carlyle, M. 

 C. Cooke, T. Howse, W. Phillips, Rev. J. E. 

 Vize, and H. T. Wharton, in addition to the Pre- 

 sident, the President elect, and a few old Wool- 

 hopians, under the guidance of the indefatigable 

 H. C. Moore. The Tuesday's excursion by the 

 Speeche House party was made in a circuit at some 

 distance from the hotel, the other moiety proceeding 

 to Danby Beeches, and thence by Blackpool Bridge 

 (where remains of the paving of the old Roman road 

 may be distinctly traced), and for 2 miles along the 

 Spruce Fir ride. No record was kept of the species 

 observed, but nearly everything in moderately good 

 condition found its way into the collecting baskets, 

 and yet they were not full. Rarities and novelties 

 were out of the question, and never, perhaps, were 

 common species treated with so much care and con- 

 sideration. EvenAgaricus melleus and A. fascicularis 

 were treated with respect ; one gentleman actually 

 took off his hat in the presence of almost the only 

 specimen of A. rubescens encountered in the Forest. 

 Last year Cantharellus aurantiacus was one of the 

 commonest species, sometimes growing by hundreds, 

 but this year not a single one could be found. 

 There was no dearth of walking — naught but walk- 

 ing " on, on, for ever " — to stoop and pick up a 

 fungus was an event, but, alas ! it was seldom 

 worth the trouble of stooping. It was worthy of 

 note, that although the large genus Agaricus con- 

 tains some 700 British species, the number seen 

 was singularly few, the proportion being very far 

 less than in most other genera, whilst, in the num- 

 ber of individuals, Lactarius and Russula exceeded it. 

 Coprinus was seen but once or twice, and all the 

 species of Cortinarius were extremely rare. Dinner at 

 the Speeche House Hotel, and a careful scrutiny of 

 all the baskets, with the inevitable " nightcaps " 

 ended the first day. On the Wednesday the members 

 proceeded by train to Park End, which proved so 

 satisfactory last year; but here again they were 

 doomed to disappointment, for although more pro- 

 lific than any spot visited on the Tuesday, .yet the 

 best was very bad, nothing of interest being found 

 except some very fine specimens of Russula integra, 

 and a few Hygrophori. Strolling slowly back through 

 devious ways to Speeche House, soon after 2 o'clock, 

 light refreshment and waggonettes carried the party 

 a drive of 8 miles to Newnham Station for Hereford, 

 and completed the two memorable days of fungus 

 hunting in the Forest of Dean. Like the .bears of 

 the forest, in another corner of Europe, the fungi 

 had retreated to the mountains, and would not be 

 found. Thursday, being the Club day was devoted 

 a little excursion in the woods and lawns of Holme 

 Lacy, where Bracken flourished in luxurious profu- 

 sion, but fungi were more scarce than in the Forest 

 of Dean, although that was a contingency never 

 anticipated. How it could be possible i October 

 for any wooded locality to be worse than the Forest 

 was not credited, but such was the summary of re- 

 sults. Dinner, as usual, at the " Green Dragon " 

 Hotel, was followed by some remarks by Dr. M. C. 

 Cooke on " The Mycology of 1887-1888," with a 



