756 



THE GA RDENER S' CHR ONI CLE. 



|Decembeb 29, J 888. 



have drawn a more flattering picture. Our land- 

 scape gardening is, as a rule, better than our 

 architecture, and our flower-beds are not so rankly 

 abominable as once they were. A finer sense of 

 gradation and admixture of colour, of light and 

 shade, a keener appreciation of proportion, a 

 fuller recognition of the beauty of appropriate- 

 ness, are manifest within the last quarter of a 

 century; while the productions of the florist, 

 though often manifesting want of knowledge of 

 what is fitting under some circumstances and 

 inappropriate under others, may certainly be 

 cited as proofs that the artistic faculty is not dead 

 amongst gardeners. 



But if we look to the " decorations " of our 

 homes and ohurches at this season we have not 

 much to boast of. Properly managed, the 

 annual decoration of our churches and homes at 

 Christmas and other festivals might form prac- 

 tical lessons in art and be made instrumental in 

 quickening ur perception of the beautiful. 

 But if Sir Frederick Leighton is severe on our 

 pictures, what would he not say were he to take 

 a run through our churches at this season ? 

 And yet there is much in these that lends itself 

 to treatment that might deserve the name of art. 

 Stateliness and magnificence in the architecture, 

 light, shade, and colour, frequently blended in 

 the most artistic proportions ; culture and taste 

 in the decorators — all the social light and educa- 

 tional leading of the parish being, as a rule, 

 engaged in the work— and yet the result is too 

 often utter failure. 



So complete is the failure that the majority 

 of our readers will possibly think art de- 

 graded by having church or hall decorations 

 named in connection with it. But why should 

 not our church and home decorations be beauti- 

 ful instead of ugly ? Or if our efforts must 

 end in ugliness, why not cease to attempt 

 to decorate F By ceasing to do evil in this 

 matter we should, at least, avoid the slaughter 

 of tens of thousands of innocents in the shape 

 of fine Hollies and other shrubs ; but surely, 

 with such rich stores of material as we have in 

 these alone, it is possible to do better, and to add 

 the charm of brilliancy and grace to the formal 

 lines and cold hues of our stately architectural 

 grandeur. 



To this end a light touch and cultured taste 

 are the chief desiderata. A mere frieze of 

 natural forms, a sparse use of Holly berries 

 or other colours, may result in artistic results 

 of a high order — while the usual crush and 

 mixture create a mere sense of bulk and 

 effect the conversion of hundreds of churches at 

 Christmastide into something akin to a wood- 

 man's shed, piled up with waggonloads of choice 

 evergreens. 



In the interest alike of Nature and of Art we 

 protest against this wholesale vandalism and 

 destruction. It leaves nothing better to show 

 for it than hideous decorations, and cleared 

 shrubberies and pleasure grounds. It has run 

 into dimensions of waste and ugliness undreamt 

 of by any but those who are expected to supply 

 the decorative wants of towns or parishes in 

 populous neighbourhoods in the provinces or 

 near the metropolis. As reasonably purchase 

 pictures by the yard or the mile — or assess their 

 worth by the quantity of colour smeared on the 

 canvas, as attempt to make decorations beautiful , 

 or raise them to the dignity of art, by the mere 

 quantity or magnitude of the materials employed. 



New or Noteworthy Plants. 



Messrs. Hooper & Co. (Limited). — At a 

 meeting of the Board of Directors of this company 

 on the 10th inst., the usual interim dividend at 

 the rate of 6 per cent, per annum was declared. 



CYPRIPEDIUM TAUTZIANUM VAE. LEPI- 

 DUM x , n. var. hyb. 



Mb. W. Bull has been so fortunate as to raise 

 this lovely hybrid. The type was said to be very 

 scarce, if not unique. I have the impression that 

 Mr. Tautz showed me his plant stating it to be 

 unique, with an amateur's proudest smile. Mr. W. 

 Bull availed himself of Cypripedium niveum and 

 C. barbatum Warneri. It is a most interesting fact 

 that there are discrepancies not altogether de- 

 pendent on individual differences. The odd sepal 

 is much shorter, and totally lacks the green median 

 nerves of the typical plant. There is nothing but 

 a white ground, with mauve-purple nerves, and 

 some very small blackish-purple spots. Petals as in 

 the type, but apparently broader. The connate sepals 

 form a very narrow body, whitish inside, not striped 

 at all. The fine lip is nearly unlobed around the 

 sac. The staminode is very dark, with two much 

 darker black-purple eyes. Bract exceedingly short, 

 scarcely surpassing the pedicel, just reaching the 

 base of the long ferruginous ovary. Leaf pallid 

 garlic-green, with numerous angulate dark green 

 markings, as seen in the species of the affinity of 

 Cypripedium barbatum. 



The numerous riddles these hybrids propose may 

 perhaps never be solved. The pollen parent has 

 flowers of the chastest white with a little lemon- 

 yellow. How can we now account for that elegant 

 clean pure mauve-purple — the great charm of Mr. 

 Tautz's Cypripedium? It is glorious even on the 

 lip. And now compare the decidedly not very clear 

 colours of Cypripedium purpuratum. Whence comes 

 the lovely elegance of colour ? H. G. Bchb. f. 



Aloe (etjaloe) longifloba, Baker, n. sp* 

 This is a new large Aloe from the Cape, nearly 

 allied to A. vera (barbadensis). It has been grown 

 for some time by Mr. P. W. Moore at Glasnevin, 

 under the name of A. pluridens, Haw, which it 

 most resembles in leaf, but now that it has flowered 

 it proves to be a new and distinct species, remarkable 

 for its long corolla and much exserted stamens. 



Stem simple, 1§- foot long below the rosette of 

 leaves ; rosette of leaves spreading laxly over the 

 uppermost root. Leaves spreading, ensiform, 15 — 18 

 inches long, 1J- inch broad, low down, tapering 

 gradually to a long point, unspotted, glossy green, 

 flat on the face in the lower half, armed with crowded 

 spreading green deltoid marginal teeth, ^ — ^ inch 

 long. Inflorescence a dense simple raceme, 6 — 8 

 inches long, longer than its peduncle, which has many 

 empty bracts; bracts ovate, scariose, J inch long; 

 pedicels ascending, not longer than the bracts, arti- 

 culated at the apex. Perianth cylindrical, primrose- 

 yellow, 1£ inch long ; tube oblong, £ inch long ; 

 segments ligulate, connivent, tipped with green. 

 Stamens finally £ inch longer than the perianth ; 

 anthers small, oblong, red. Style reaching to the 

 tip of the anthers. J. G. Baker. 



Pleurothallis ptjnctolata, Bolfe, n. sp. 

 Very few species of Pleurothallis are considered of 

 value from a cultivator's point of view, though there 

 are some exceptions, and those who find room for a 

 few of the more attractive species will probably con- 

 sider the present one worthy of a place. Its flowers 

 are an inch long, light yellow, copiously spotted 

 with purple-brown, much in the way of a Eestrepia, 

 though they do not open so widely, and the pollen 

 masses are two only, which unmistakeably fixes its 

 position. The plant was sent to me by Messrs. James 

 Veitch & Son, of Chelsea, and was received by them 

 fi-om New Grenada three years ago. It is a dwarf 



* Aloe (Eualoe) longifiora. Baker, n. sp. — Caule simplici 

 elongato ; foliis ensifonnibus viridibus laxe rosulatis dentibus 

 marginalibus crebris patulis deltoideis baud castaneis ; pedun- 

 culo brevi, racemo denso simplici ; bracteis ovatis scariosis ; 

 pedicellis bracteis eequilongis ; perianthio cylindrato luteo, 

 assquipollieari, segmentis ligulatia apice viridi tinctis, tubo 

 cblongo triplo longioribus ; genitalibus longe exsertis. 



plant, the stems about 2 inches high, slightly two- 

 angled. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, subacute, sud- 

 denly narrowed below into a short petiole, fleshy, 

 glaucous, at least below, 3£ inches long by 

 1 inch broad. Peduncle solitary (always ?) in axil 

 of leaf, 2£ inches long, from a narrower tubular 

 spathe 1 inch long. Upper sepal lanceo- 

 late, oblong acute ; lateral pair connate into 

 a concave, oblong body, the minute acute points 

 only free ; colour as given above. Petals broadly 

 lanceolate, acute, suffused with light rosy-purple, 

 and spotted with purple-brown, 4£ lines long. Lip 

 7 lines long, somewhat three-lobed, oblong, obtuse 

 concave, not fleshy, shortly fimbriolate, papillose 

 inside, with darker papillse on a maroon ground, with 

 three blackish lines inside, which are light green 

 outside ; side lobes rounded, and folded round the 

 column. Column wings a little undulate. It appa- 

 rently belongs to Lindley's group Aggregate, and 

 although somewhat anomalous here, still I cannot 

 find a better place for it. It is a very distinct 

 species, and I cannot identify it with anything in this 

 large genus. A curious feature in the piece sent is 

 that the leaf has a sharp twist at the base, by which 

 the flower hangs pendulous under the leaf. It may, 

 however, be an accidental occurrence. E. A. Bolfe. 



Oncidiom crisftjm (Lodd.) subl^ve, Echb.f. 

 ochbacetjm, m. var. 

 This is a very fine variety of the old Oncidium 

 crispum sublawe, which is deficient in the lateral calli 

 on the sides of the mid-carina. The flowers are 

 ochre-brown in colour, and show no vestiges of that 

 copper colour so predominant in Messrs. Loddiges 

 plant. I never saw anything like it before. Two 

 plants only were imported by Messrs. Shuttleworth, 

 Carder & Co., 192, Park Boad, Clapham, S.W. 

 H. G. Echb.f. 



EODEIGUEZIA FIUGRANS. 



This Brazilian Orchid (fig. 106) is an old inmate 

 of our Orchid-houses, and best known under the name 

 of Burlingtonia fragrans. Its delightfully fragrant 

 white flowers with yellow centres are grateful every- 

 where, but from the neat habit of the plant it is 

 especially acceptable in collections where the space 

 is limited and the house small. Like the rest of the 

 genus, it thrives best and is safest in baskets sus- 

 pended near the glass of the roof, and after the 

 pseudobulbs are fully matured it should be carefully 

 but sparingly watered, sufficient only being given to 

 keep it plump and healthy. During its inactive 

 season a place near a ventilator in the Cattleya-house 

 in which it is growing, or in some other part of the 

 house, where a good air not heavily charged with 

 moisture assists in ripening its growth. 



NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN 

 HORTICULTURAL DECORATING. 

 Glasgow may be truly designated the "happy 

 hunting ground " of the horticultural decorator. 

 Business men of all classes are calling in his aid to 

 increase the attractions of their warehouses, shops, 

 and offices. They are no longer content to rely on 

 architectural art and decorations in paint and gild- 

 ings, to embellish their splendid places of business 

 and enhance the attractions of their wares, but are 

 vieing with each other in rendering them fragrant 

 with flowers, and rich in the elegance of exotic 

 foliage plants. Prom the fish and game dealer, and 

 the butter and cheese factor to the draper and 

 house-decorator, all are taking the matter up with 

 enthusiasm. Even certain of the churches demand 

 the services of the horticultural decorator 

 weekly, and the Athenaeum, clubs, and libraries, 

 as may be expected, are not behind in a move- 

 ment of this kind. Hotels, restaurants, and 

 other places of entertainment have for some 

 time back done a little in the way of table 

 decoration ; but now they are extending their 

 efforts to meet the growing taste of the public in 



