Dbckmbub 13 IR88.] 



THE GARDENER. S' CHR ONI CLE. 



695 



pots was frozen quite hard, and I fully expected to 

 see them all killed ; but after adopting the usual 

 treatment with frozen plants, I was pleased to see 

 they had suffered no harm, and are now as healthy 

 as those grown in the usual way. The only value 

 this experiment possesses is that it shows that D. 

 grandifiora may be successfully grown in a cold 

 frame, and also that a few degrees of frost will 

 do it no harm, if grown under cold treatment. 

 Owen Thomas. 



Platyclinis uncata. 



This species and its allies are better known in 

 gardens under the name Dendrochilum. Although 

 individually the flowers are small, and not brightly 

 coloured, the genus contains some of the most ele- 

 gant of Orchids. Of the above species there is a 

 plant now in flower at Kew ; the flowers are pale- 

 green, and not more than half an inch across; but 

 nothing could be more graceful than the numerous, 

 arching racemes springing from the apices of the small 

 pointed pseudobulbs. The flowers are arranged in 

 two opposite rows, and forty or more may be counted 

 on a scape. It is a native of the Philippine Islands, 

 whence it was introduced by Messrs. Low. It should 

 have a moist position in the intermediate-house. 



P. Cobbiana is of a similarly graceful habit ; its 

 leaves are larger, and the lip is orange-yellow. It is 

 also found in the Philippines. 



AcAStPE DENTATA, Lilldl. 



This appears to be the showiest species of this 

 singular little genus, and a well-bloomed specimen 

 in the Kew collection shows it to be at least equal to 

 some species of Saccolabium, to which the genus is 

 closely allied. The plant is 8 inches high, the leaves 

 distichous, linear-oblong, and unequally bilobed. The 

 panicle is erect, 6 inches high, with numerous 

 branches, and the flowers, which much resemble 

 those of A. papillosa, are yellow, spotted and barred 

 with brown inside, straw coloured and unspotted out- 

 side, and the lip white. The plant bears three 

 racemes, and although the flowers are small, still, 

 seen, in the mass, they are quite as effective as some 

 others more commonly met with in collections, and 

 far more so than any other Acampe I have seen. It 

 is a native of Sikkim, and has also been reported 

 from Moulmein, though I have not seen wild speci- 

 mens from the latter. R. A. if. 



PLANTS IN FLOWER AT KEW. 



The following are the most interesting of the 

 plants flowering this week at Kew : — 



Band.ia macraniha. — A large-flowered shrub, very 

 similar to Gardenia Stanleyana, now referred to 

 Kandia. The former has oblong shining green leaves 

 in fascicles, the largest G inches long by 2 inches 

 broad. The flowers are terminal on the stronger 

 branches, with a very short pedicel, six linear calyx 

 lobes three-quarters of an inch long, and a narrow 

 tubular corolla, 9 inches long, the lower 6 inches no 

 thicker than a goosequill, widening towards the 

 mouth, where it becomes 1 inch across ; the five ovate 

 corolla lobes are spreading and slightly recurved, 

 pure ivory-white. The upper part of the flower is 

 not unlike the flower of Lilinm longiflorum. The 

 Kew plant is 5 feet high and bear eight flowers. R. 

 Stanleyana is similar in habit, with flowers of a 

 creamy-yellow colour blotched with dark brown. The 

 genus is a large one, and is widely distributed in the 

 tropics. Many of the species bear small insigni- 

 ficant flowers. 



Strelitzia Nicolai — The large specimen of this in 

 the Palm-house is again in flower. It is 25 feet 

 high, with a naked stem, a head of large distichous 

 leaves, and two scapes, one on each side of the stem 

 about 15 feet'from the ground. The large boat-shaped 

 deep purple bracts, 1 foot long and 3 inches deep, with 

 a cluster of flowers projecting from them, and the 

 white sepals and blue halberd-like petals, are exceed- 

 ingly interesting. A very copious secretion of a gum- 

 like substance almost fills the bract by the time the 



flowers are all expanded. There is little difference 

 between this and S. augusta. 



Impa/irns Hoolccriana, — This is one of the hand- 

 somest of the tropical species of Impatiens, and it 

 would become as popular in gardens as I. Hawkeri and 

 I. Sultani if it flowered more freely than it does. The 

 Kew plant tried to bloom last year but the buds were 

 destroyed by the fogs. This year, however, it has 

 escaped, and it is now gay with numerous racemes of 

 large prettily marked flowers. It is 2 feet high and 

 nearly a yard through ; each branch bears two or 

 more racemes, and these have each two or three 

 flowers 1.} inch across, the segments recurved, pure 

 white, the two lower ones blotched and spotted with 

 crimson, and suggesting the lip of an Orchid. The 

 spur is narrow, 2 inches long, and curved. This 

 species lately flowered at Glasnevin, as also did the 

 richly coloured, quaint-flowered I. Jerdonue, of which 

 Mr. Moore possesses a very fine variety. Both these 

 species are Indian and tropical. 



Hibiscus sumtrnsis. — This species has lately been 

 sent to Kew, by the Kev. H. Goldie, of Old Calabar, 

 well-known as the introducer of the gigantic-flowered 

 Aristolochia Goldieana. The Hibiscus is a thin- 

 stemed, many-branched plant, covered with soft 

 hairs, and scattered, short, brown prickles, which 

 extend even to the principal nerves of the leaves. 

 These latter are long petioled, variously lobed and 

 toothed, from 1 to 2 inches across. The flowers are 

 freely produced on short peduncles from the axils of 

 the leaves. A large involucre of very extraordinarv 

 character subtends each flower. It is composed of 

 numerous narrow, spoon-shaped bracteoles, each 

 having a long spur-like filament rising from the 

 "spoon-blade," and pointing towards the flower. 

 The petals form a cup 2 inches across, and coloured 

 bright yellow, with blotches of crimson at the base. 

 This species is very near H. furcatus, and both of 

 them are common in the tropics of Asia, Africa, and 

 Australia. 



Brfaria glauca. — This handsome little greenhouse 

 shrub is likely to prove useful as a winter-flowering 

 plant. The Kew plants were raised from seed sent 

 from Bogota, in 1879, the finest plant flowering 

 when about seven years old. But they are flowering 

 more freely now, and, like all plants raised from 

 seed, when once they get to a flowering age cuttings 

 from them will probably flower almost as soon as 

 struck. The Befaria is about 3 feet high, and bears 

 a terminal head of flowers which are arranged on 

 several erect racemes. Each flower is about 1 inch 

 across, shallow, bell-shaped, with prominent stamens 

 and stigma, and coloured pale pink. Probably this 

 plant would hybridise with Rhododendron. It may 

 be seen in the Temperate-house. 



Sulandra grandifiora continues to develope its 

 large funnel-shaped creamy-white flowers in the 

 Succulent-house. Apparently this species varies 

 considerably in the form of its flowers, as well as in 

 colour. To bloom it a poor sandy soil appears to 

 answer better than a rich compost, the latter inducing 

 too vigorous and sappy a growth for flowers. 



Canarina campanula is a delightful old greenhouse 

 plant, which flowers all through the winter, and goes 

 to rest during summer. It has a large tuberous root- 

 stock, and annual many-branched stems with 

 opposite hastate leaves, 2 inches long, and bell- 

 shaped nodding, brown-yellow flowers like those of 

 the common Canterbury Bells. It is exceptional 

 amongst Campanulace.T in the colour of its flowers. 

 The rootstock is said to be used as food in the 

 Canary Islands, where the plant is a native. 



Begonia Scharffii.— This plant is referred to here 

 for the purpose of correcting an omission in the 

 description lately published in the Botanical Mo qa:inc, 

 where a figure of B. Scharffii lately appeared (t. 7028). 

 It will be remembered that at one of the meetings 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society held in July a 

 large-leaved noble-flowered Begonia was shown from 

 Kew, under the name of B. Haageana. Plants and 

 cuttings from this have since been distributed under 

 the latter name, which had been given in compliment 

 to the senior member of the firm of Messrs. Haage 

 & Schmidt, Erfurt, who sent the plant to Kew. The 

 name was altered by Sir Joseph Hooker, at the 

 request of Messrs. Haage & Schmidt. Readers will 

 therefore understand that Begonia Scharffii is the 

 proper name of the plant hitherto known as B. 

 Haageana. Plants of it are still in flower in the 

 Begonia-house. 



Protca cynaroidvs and P. nana, two very interesting 

 Proteads from the Cape, will shortly flower here, W. 



THE AGRICULTURAL RETURNS 



FOR 1866. 

 In the (for the present) shelved Bill designed to 

 assist in the establishment of a Ministry of Rural 

 Affairs, designated the " Bor,rd of Agriculture," we 

 find in clause 11 a small section which says: — "The 

 expression 'agriculture' includes horticulture and 

 forestry." It is quite natural, therefore, to look in a 

 Government agricultural return for such matters as 

 we are interested in. Truth to tell, we are not in 

 this instance disappointed. Prom beginning to end 

 the 200 odd pages are brimful of interest and informa- 

 tion to those who care for the manipulation of figures. 

 So far as memory serves us, there appears to be a 

 difference in the tabular arrangements here and there 

 compared with those of preceding years, which may 

 make certain conclusions more troublesome to arrive 

 at ; but for the general reader the present arrange- 

 ment of crops in counties, &c, appears to be very 

 concise and compact. 



Nurseries, Woods, Plantations, &c. 



In the " Editorial Summary " it is stated under 

 this head that in land used by nurserymen for the 

 growth of trees, shrubs, &c, the returns show a 

 slight decrease from the acreage of 1887. The land 

 used by nurserymen in England amounts to 10.49G 

 acres compared with 10,669 in 1887; Wales foots up 

 292 against 277 acres; and Scotland, 1477 acres 

 against 1532 last year. Possibly that decrease is 

 only temporary, owing to the rapid development of 

 our larger cities and towns, and the rooting up of 

 old concerns. Next year's figures will very likely tell 

 a different tale. 



Of the average of woods and plantations a special 

 return has been obtained for this year. The last 

 return was made in 1880, in which certain corrections, 

 due to subsequent inquiries, were made and inserted 

 in the returns published in 1881. Since that date 

 the acreage appears to have increased in Great 

 Britain from 2,458,300 acres to 2,560,700 acres, or 

 nearly 42 per cent. In many of the northern 

 counties and in Scotland large additions are recorded. 

 The increase in England has been nearly 52,300 acres ; 

 in Wales, 4800 acres ; and in Scotland 45,400. The 

 total increase in Grrat Britain has been about 

 102,400 acres. 



Small Fruit Culture. 



Under this heading we note that the extent of 

 land returned as under the culture of small fruit, 

 such as Gooseberries, Currants, Strawberries, &c, 

 whether in orchards or in market gardens, amounts 

 this year to 30,700 acres. In many countries the 

 collecting officers report that the practice among 

 farmers of appropriating land to the growth both of 

 fruit and vegetables has further extended in order to 

 meet the demand for them ; and though the addi- 

 tional quantities of land may, as regards individual 

 occupiers, be relatively small, in the aggregate they 

 become considerable. It is stated in a report from 

 the county of Norfolk that from only one small 

 station on the Eastern and Midland Railway nearly 

 100 tons of fruit are sent weekly to Manchester 

 and other towns in the North of England at certain 

 periods of the year ; and this is cited as a single 

 illustration only of what is being done throughout 

 that county. 



Orchards, Market Gardens, &c. 

 A decrease is recorded this year of 3050 acres in 

 the area of orchards in Great Britain, it being now 

 199,178 acres ; but the smaller extent shown must 

 be considered in connection wilh the newly ascer- 

 tained acreage of small fruit, the apparent deficiency 

 having doubtless arisen from part of the land which 

 should last year have been returned as growing 

 small fruit having then in some cases been placed 

 in the orchard column of the schedule sent out to 

 occupiers, &c. The acreage now returned may, it 

 is confidently believed, be taken to represent more 

 accurately than in any preceding year, the actual 

 area so covered ; the land under grass, or upon which 

 small fruit is grown, or which is left fallow in 

 orchard, as may happen to be the case, being included 

 under these several heads in the returns. 



