May 25, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE 



[supplement.] 



IX. 



Hippeastrums. — This class, which allows a 

 space not exceeding 200 square feet, is 

 responsible for a magnificent display of 

 these gorgeous flowers. Of the four exhibits, 

 that from Lieut. -Col. Sir G. L. Holford, 

 Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, is 

 distinctly the best. It is no exaggera- 

 tion to say that this is the finest display of 

 Hippeastrums ever seen. The wealth of colour 

 baffles description. The white varieties (Ursula, 

 Elsie, White Wings, &c.) are chaste and fresh. 

 The dark-red varieties (Shylock, Black Knight, 

 Robin Hood, &c.) possess a wealth of rich 

 colouring, whilst the varieties with flesh- 

 rose shades on the striped blooms are very 

 numerous as well as beautiful. Some of these 

 splendid examples of the hybridist's and grower's 

 skill have flowers 7 to 8 inches across. 2nd, 



Messrs. Robt. Ker & Sons, Aigburth Nursery, 



Liverpool. Although this collection has to be 



content with 2nd place, it is a very fine ons. 



^ Anthuriums. — The 100 square feet of Anthu- 

 riums in spathe which won the 1st prize for the 

 School of Horticulture, Firenze, Italy, con- 

 tains many interesting hybrids, all of them much 

 after the Andreanum type. There are a number 

 of varieties with brightly-coloured spathes, and 

 in others the spathes have markings strongly 

 suggestive of Caladium leaves. 



Marantas. — Mr. L. R. Russell, Richmond 

 Nurseries, Surrey, is awarded the 1st prize for 

 12 Marantas. These are all species or varieties 

 of the genus Maranta, the other genera of this 

 class of plant are not represented. Of those 

 shown, M. Sanderiana and M. Makoyana aie 

 good specimens. 



Caladiums. — The 1st prize collection of 



up by Messrs. J. Peed & Sons, 



Nurseries, Norwood, contains 



examples of cultural skill. The 



Queen has immense leaves, the 



Caladiums, set 



Roupell Park 



many splendid 



variety Silver 



whiteness of which is relieved by a very faint 



Gloxinias.— Messrs. J. Peed & Sons, Roupell 

 Park Nurseries, Norwood, have won the 1st 

 prize in the class for 150 square feet of Gloxinias 

 and allied plants. This display is composed 

 solely of a good strain of Gloxinias. 



NON-COMPETITIVE EXHIBITS. 



Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, Lon- 

 don, have arranged a magnificent collection of 

 stove and greenhouse plants. We expect to see 

 superb plants from Messrs. Veitch, and on this 

 occasion they have surpassed all previous efforts. 

 This huge collection is in the form of an ellipse, 

 and has a frontage of 215 feet. Splendid Palms 

 and Tree Ferns are placed along the centre, whilst 

 the body of the group contains many varieties of 

 Caladium with immense delicately-beautiful 

 leaves tastefully interspersed with specimen 

 Marantas, Davallias, Dieffenbachias, and large 

 greenhouse Ferns — Davallias, Nephrolepis, and 



















. 



i 



I 



« 





Fig. 5. — l^lio-cattleya gladiator in lieut.-col. sir GEORGE holford's collection. 





The blooms are of good size and shape, and 

 have delightfully delicate colouring. The varie- 

 ties King George, Magnificent, Rosa, and Crom- 

 well are especially noteworthy. 3rd, Mr. J. A. 

 Kenrick, Berrow Court, Birmingham. 



Lieut. -Col. Sir G. L. Holford is the only 

 competitor in the class for 24 Hippeastrums, and 

 he is awarded the 1st prize. It is difficult to 

 imagine any exhibitor staging a finer lot of 

 plants than these. As in the larger class, the 

 white varieties (Pavlova and Elsie) are almost 

 perfect. Chelsea Pensioner (a topical and appro- 

 priate name for a splendid bright-red variety), 

 Goblin, Daphne, and Chameleon are the pick of 

 "this superb set of plants. 



Messrs. Robt. Ker & Sons, Aigburth Nur- 

 sery, Liverpool, have been awarded the 1st prize 

 in the nurserymen's class for 43 Hippeastrums. 

 Amongst the sterling varieties exhibited we 

 noted Andromache, The Warrior, and Salmon 

 King as being especially good. Messrs. Ker & 

 Sons have also displayed a non-competitive ex- 

 hibit of Hippeastrums. 



margin of green. The crumpled, almost trans- 

 parent leaves of the variety King George are 

 very beautiful. Other fine varieties are John 

 Luther, Duke of Teck, Rufus (with brilliant 

 leaves), John Peed and Mr. C. J. Pierpont 



Morgan. 



Dracjenas and Cordylines. — The 1st prize 

 (Messrs. Fisher, Son & Sibray) collection was 

 disappointing. All the plants shown (varieties 

 of C. australis) were splendid specimens, but the 

 stove species were conspicuous by their absence. 



Codijetjms. — We did not think that 200 square 

 feet filled with Codiseums (Crotons) alone would 

 have made such an effective display. Colour 

 was naturally to be expected, and the long, 

 twisted leaves of C. Warrenii give grace and 

 lightness in addition to high colour. Where all 

 the plants are so good as in this l6t prize collec- 

 tion from Messrs. Fisher,^ Son & Sibray, 

 Handsworth, Sheffield, it is difficult to select in- 

 dividual varieties for mention, but C. Sunbeam, 

 which has brilliant leaves, must be named. 



Gleichenias. 



Splendidly-coloured tall pillar- 

 like Codiseums relieve the face of the group, and, 

 in conjunction with bold masses of Kalanchoe 

 tiammea, the vivid scarlet flower-spikes of 

 Tillandsia zebrina major, or the many large 

 spathes of Anthurium Scherzerianum, and the 

 quaint, bird-like flowers of Clianthus Dampieri 

 give a gorgeous tropical appearance to this splen- 

 did exhibit. Along the front special prominence 

 is given to batches of such rare or beautiful 

 plants as Bertolonia Mme. A. Bleu, B. Mme. 

 Edward Pyneart, with their leaves of mar- 

 vellous colouring; Anoectochilus petiola, which 

 has Orchid-like flower spikes rising from the 

 leaves with yellow lattice work ; Leea amabilis 

 splendens, and Asparagus Sprengeri variegata, 

 which has leaves of startling silvery whiteness. 

 The Nepenthes, with immense dangling pitchers, 

 are raised high on Asparagus-covered stands, and 

 besides the species already mentioned flowering 

 plants are represented by brilliant Cannas and 

 Medinilla magnifica. The President's Cup is 

 awarded this fine exhibit. 



