Novejibeh 17, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



567 



Royal, of a charming shade of pink. It may be said 

 of some of them that they are almost perpetual 

 flowerers. Next came a large batch of winter- 

 flowering Begonias, the best being M, Lemoine's new 

 varieties of the semperflorens section, such as elegans, 

 gigantea, carminea, and rosea, which are the very 

 best for winter work. Double and single varieties 

 are also growu, and they increase in popularity year 

 after year. Cyperus distans is noticeable as a fine 

 decorative subject ; it is of dense growth, and valu- 

 able for furnishing. Pourettia (Puya) mexicana is 

 valuable as a house plant ; it is of slow growth, and 

 stands well. Here is the best form of Ficus elastica 

 albo-variegata I have yet seen, each leaf having a 

 distinct well-defined bordering of white on either 

 side, young and old plants alike being well marked. 

 It is in great demand. 



In the Lapageria-'nouse is growing one of the 

 original plants sent out by Messrs. Veitch & 

 Sons to compete for the Davis Medal, and it is a 

 very fine variety. It occupies the middle of the 

 house, at each end being a strong plant of L. rosea 

 superba. A large number of layers of the white 

 variety had been laid down. 



In the stove- houses could be seen Eucharis Can- 

 dida in flower, a quantity of Cocos Weddelliana, and 

 other choice Falms requiring heat. Cocoloba 

 pubescens is noticeable as a large-leaved stove- 

 plant with bold foliage — an old West Indian plant 

 not often met with. Dracaenas lineata and Drou- 

 settii are worthy of mention as very elegant forms 

 among the collection grown here ; Selaginella 

 Emiliana is a remarkably pretty form ; and Adian- 

 tum cuneatum fragrantissimum, a desirable scented 

 form. Amaryllis of the best pedigree are a good 

 feature also; there is a numerous collection, and 

 among them very fine seedlings of Messrs. Ker's 

 own raising. Bouvardias are also largely grown, 

 and especially for cutting from. President Garfield 

 and Alfred Neuner are the best doubles, and 

 among the single varieties a recent introduction, 

 President Cleveland, is noticeable for its fine 

 colour and excellent habit of growth. It is 

 only possible in a brief sketch to dwell upon the 

 leading features in such a comprehensive collection 

 of stove and greenhouse plants as is found in this 

 nursery. 



The most remarkable plants are the Crotons. They 

 are growing in a span-roofed house 12 feet in width, 

 which is glazed with 20-inch panes of glass, the 

 bars being stronger than is usual to bear the weight, 

 and the glass goes down to the side stages. Light 

 is therefore admitted on all sides as well as above, 

 and there is no stinting of it. Every species and 

 variety appears to grow freely and colour beautifully. 

 Thorough cleanliness appears to be a leading condi- 

 tion to excellence. The principle worked upon is 

 that prevention is better than cure, and no plant is 

 allowed to go into the house without subjecting it to 

 a close inspection ; all new varieties brought in are 

 placed in quarantine before being allowed to join 

 the others. Shade is given on the sunny side by 

 means of a blind through June, July, and August, 

 and in bright weather they are syringed about once 

 a day. 



The collection comprises over fifty sorts. Two 

 new varieties were particularly noticeable : one is 

 Aigburth Gem, a most elegant narrow-leaved variety ; 

 the old leaves dark crimson and Aloe-green, the 

 younger ones green and fiery gold — a charming 

 table plant ; the other Aigburthiensis, like the pre- 

 ceding, a free growing branching variety, with an 

 abundance of elegant narrow leaves of a bright prim- 

 rose-yellow, narrowly margined with green : also an 

 exquisite table plant. It is impossible to do justice 

 to this department of the nursery in a sketch of this 

 character ; but out of the collection the following 

 can be selected as fine exhibition varieties, dis- 

 playing great diversity of character : — Aigbur- 

 thensis, Neumanii, Queen Victoria, a grand show 

 Croton; Hawkeri, Bergmannii, Warreni, inter- 

 ruptus aureus, Ruberrimus, Mortefontainensis, 

 Baron Frederick de Selliere, Baroness Rothschild, 

 and Evansianus. I hope to refer to this collection 



of Crotons again, dealing with some particulars of an 

 interesting character. 



Vines in pots are extensively cultivated, and 

 occupy a large specimen house with hotwater-pipes 

 underneath the stages : the main body from eyes, aud 

 a very fine lot of plants indeed. There may be 

 differences of opinion as to which are best for plant- 

 ing and forcing, cut-backs, or young plants from 

 eyes ; judging from the appearance of the canes the 

 latter appear the most promising. The Vines are 

 not put outside, but finished off in heat. The canes 

 are carried upright into the roof of the house, fas'.ened 

 to wires running the length of it. How such fine 

 plants were developed from eyes in so short a time 

 seems marvellous ; and they certainly display high 

 cultivation. All the leading varieties are grown. 



Outdoors Department. — In the open nursery there 

 is a large collection of trees and shrubs. Some very 

 fine bushes of OleariaHastii in full bloom were espe- 

 cially noticeable. It is a good sea-side plant, per- 

 fectly hardy, and flowering freely ; quite tiny plants 

 in cutting beds were seen in bloom. Cornus mas 

 variegata stands better at Aigburth than does Acer 

 Negundo variegata, and is being much used in its 

 place in the Liverpool district for dwarf effects. 

 Veronica Traversi was blooming freely, and is found 

 to do well under the shade of trees — a fact worthy 

 of being noted. A large specimen of Genista atro- 

 virens, quite a standard tree, with the remains of its 

 summer service of golden flowers, is worthy of men- 

 tion for its summer floral service. The white- 

 flowered Rhododendron blandum is largely grown 

 because so useful in many ways, and especially as a 

 forcer. Such varieties of Rhododendrons as do not 

 readily unite with the stock when grafted are raised 

 from layers. Rhododendron Cynthia, an excellent 

 doer, bearing large trusses of crimson flowers, and 

 having a capital habit of growth, should be noted as 

 a plant well adapted to Lancashire. Some sorts do 

 not set their buds well so far north. Brayanum and 

 Madame Wagner represent varieties that always set 

 well for bloom. R. caucasicum and Cunningham's 

 white, though frequently confounded, are distinct. 

 A very fine and useful variety for the district is The 

 Queen. Helen Waterer is remarkable for its noble 

 foliage. R. caucasicum pictum and compactum are 

 perfectly hardy, and stand well. In selecting their 

 collection of hardy Rhododendrons the Messrs. Ker 

 have paid strict attention to sorts suitable for the 

 county. Skimmia oblata makes a capital town 

 plant for Liverpool. It is perfectly hardy, and is 

 not affected by dust and smoke. 



Of forest trees there is a large and varied collec- 

 tion : in a group of standard Lilacs and of her- 

 baceous plants there is a numerous selection also. 

 Fruit trees are to be found here also, and of Apples 

 and Pears such varieties as are suited to the locality. 

 In walking round the nursery, the visitor cannot 

 fail to notice in the shrubbery borders not a few 

 novelties, as constant additions of new subjects are 

 made. Crataegus Lelandei is noticeable as a great 

 acquisition, as it bears clusters of rich Orange berries 

 even on young plants. Here is Prunus Pissardi, its 

 claret- purple foliage gleaming amidst green sur- 

 roundings at all points. Hodgens' Holly is largely 

 grown; it is a very fine plant for Lancashire — this 

 and the Old Silver are the best for the district; the 

 Golden and Silver Queens are found too tender. 

 Cytisus Alkekengi gives racemes of yellow flowers 

 very early in the year. Fraxinus lentiscifolia pen- 

 dula has very elegant foliage, and makes a capital 

 weeping tree. Rhamnus alaternus decorus makes 

 a good town shrub — it is Bay-leaved, and they are 

 of a thick leathery substance. Genista pra;cox 

 makes an excellent standard worked on the common 

 Laburnum, and is a charming spring-blooming plant. 

 Ligustrum sinense, L. glabrum, and L. latifolium 

 novum are all good free-blooming Privets ; L. 

 ovalifolium stands best. Some make a late growth, 

 and do not mature their foliage, and the frost cuts 

 it back. 



Standard and pyramidal Bays in tubs are a fine 

 feature; they are numerous, and well cultivated. 

 The Willow-leaved pendulous Pear, with its silvery 



foliage, is a very attractive tree. Limonia trifoliata, 

 with its long spines — and, indeed, a pretty represen- 

 tative of the Orange family— is found to be hardy in 

 this locality. What a charming tree the Fern-leaved 

 Crataegus oxyacantha makes ! So does the trans- 

 parent Crab when fruiting. 



At Basnett Street, Liverpool, are the spacious 

 shop and offices of the firm. A large seed business 

 is done, and a considerable bulb trade ; and that in 

 agricultural seeds is rapidly increasing. Msitor. 



Orchid Notes and Gleanings. 



PHAL.ENOPSIS ANTENNIFERA, Hehb. f. 



When I gave my enumeration of species of Pha- 

 henopis in the Gardeners' Chronicle (n. s., vol. xxvi., 

 pp. 168, 212, and 276), I had not seen this decidedly 

 pretty species ; but at the present time I am more 

 fortunite, as a good plant is now flowering in the 

 Kew collection, and side by side with it is a plant of 

 P. Esmeralda, also in flower (so that species has not 

 been lost to cultivation, as suggested in these 

 columns some time ago, though I cannot lay my 

 hands on the reference at the present moment). 

 Consequently I have been able to compare the two 

 together, first satisfying myself that they are cor- 

 rectly named, by comparing them with the original 

 original descriptious of the species. The result is 

 that I believe P. antennifera is only a colour variety 

 of the earlier described P. Esmeralda. The only 

 difference in shape I am able to detect is, that in the 

 former the stigma is a little broader than in the last- 

 named species, and this is probably only such a 

 minute difference as would be detected in different 

 individuals of the same species. As to colour the 

 two present the following differences : — P. antenni- 

 fera has the sepals and petals light rosy-purple, the 

 front lobe of the lip and the column deep amethvst- 

 purple, while the side lobes of the lip are sepia- 

 brown, inclining a little towards orange. P. Esmer- 

 alda can best be described by saying that every part 

 is several shades lighter, a little inclining towards 

 yellowish or whitish in places. The remarkable 

 linear appendages on the stalk of the lip are pre- 

 cisely alike in both, white at the base, the club-shaped 

 apex being of a deep orange. Our stock of know- 

 ledge as to the variability of many Orchids is gra- 

 dually increasing, and I suspect that many variations 

 of P. Esmeralda would be found in a large series of 

 specimens. R. A. if. 



Arachxanthe Clarkei. 

 A good plant of this handsome species is now 

 flowering in the Kew collection. It was described in 

 these columns in 1886 (n. s., vol. xxvi., p. 552) as 

 Esmeralda Clarkei, Bchb. f. It is so closely allied 

 to Arachnanthe Cathcartii, that the two species must 

 be placed together, and as Esmeralda is referred to 

 Arachnanthe in the Genera Plantarum, it is clear 

 that this species must also be placed there 

 by those who adopt this system. Its habit 

 very closely resembles that of the species just 

 named, while the peduncle bears two or three 

 very handsome flowers of over 3 inches in 

 diameter. The sepals are linear-oblong, cuneate at 

 the base, the lateral ones being somewhat curved in 

 a falcate manner. The petals are a little broader, 

 and likewise somewhat curved. In colour both these 

 sets of organs are of a bright'and warm sepia-brown, 

 with transverse bars of light yellow, giving them a 

 brilliant effect. The pendulous lip is articulated io 

 the foot of the column in a very delicate manner, 

 and a slight touch or breath of wind sets it oscil- 

 lating backwards and forwards, though it moves in 

 a small part of a circle unless violently shaken. The 

 effect of this is very curious, and obviously has some 

 connection with the fertilisation of the flower. The 

 front lobe of the lip is large, broadly roundish, with 

 a small lobule at its apex, the colour warm sepia- 

 brown, with seven to nine radiating white raised 

 keels, while the side-lobes are much smaller, 

 roundish, and white with radiating broad lines. The 



