464 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTXTBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ Jano 20, 1866. 



ber of Dendrobia, after "scratching" all that were not 

 ivorth growing, more than tbroe-lourths remained. He 

 would now endeavour to give some notion of their growth. 

 The most simple form of Dendrobium was one bulb, one 

 leaf, and one spike of flowers, proceeding sideways from the 

 top of the bulb, as in D. aggregatum. The nest form was 

 a longer bulb, and two leaves, as in the Australian D. spe- 

 ciosum ; then we come to four or five leaves, as in D. densi- 

 floruni, but the racemes were still produced in the same 

 way. Further progressing, the liulljs almost disappear, and 

 stems make their appearance, cluthed with leaves all the 

 way up, as in D. Wardiunum. Epidondra are readily dis- 

 tinguishable from Dendrobia by the spike coming out at 

 the top of the bulb, and forming a continuation of the latter, 

 whilst in Dendrobia the spike is produced at the side. Those 

 first imported were far from the most attractive, and the 

 most beautiful were those which reached us last. Some of 

 these were exceedingly local. Thus, in Ceylon, where much 

 novelty is not likely to occur, not long ago was found the beau- 

 tiful D. MacCarthiae, figured in the " Botanical Magazine" 

 from dried specimens sent home by Mr. Thwaites ; and Mr. 

 Bateman urged clergymen and young oilicers abroad to look 

 for such plants, and send them home. He next directed 

 attention to D. Falconeri and D. Falcoueri nbtusum, both of 

 which he had long suspected to be perfectly distinct, and he 

 found that to be the case. The latter was figured in Mr. 

 TVarner's work as D. Wardianum, which is to be its name 

 henceforth. He had endeavoured to have them both in 

 flower at the time of his lecture; but in the one case half 

 the flowf-ra had dropped, whilst in the other they were not 

 yet in their beauty. Among the merits of D. Wardiunum 

 was the great endurance of ita flowers. Another beautiful 

 species, 1). taurinum, from the Pliillipines, was also referred 

 to. No Camellias, Mr. Bateman said, and scarcely any Koses, 

 would carry through a long London night, but these Orchids 

 would run half a dozen nights; and he urged the ladies to 

 try how long the bloom would last, as any experience in 

 that way would be, a guide to nurserymen, and that class 

 now springing up who grow these flowers for the London 

 market. Other Dendrobus belonged to a class which he had 

 called bridal Orchids, because they presented the colours 

 which, by a sort of tradition, were associated with bridals, 

 though he did not suppose Orange flowers would be super- 

 seded. One of the most beautiful was D. formosnm, yellow 

 and white, which would last a month. A few gems had 

 yet to be looked for. In the large island, he miglit almost 

 say continent, of New Guinea a vast number of Orchids 

 were known to exist, but scarcely .any of them had as yet 

 been introduced. Turning now to Borneo, he held up a 

 dried specimen cf a Dendrobium, called by the natives 

 Kina-balon, with beautiiul flowers ; .also a leaf, measuring 

 80mo 1.J inches long by 12 wide, sent home by Mr. Thoinas 

 Lobb, but unaccompanied by any flower. If, remarked Mr. 

 Bateman, we did not know it came from Borneo, wo miglit 

 suppose it came from Brobdignag, and he gave it the name 

 of Dendrobium gigas. As regards culture, Dendroljia could 

 not be clas.^ed among cool Orchids, or those which would 

 succeed treated in that way all the year. During three or 

 four months, while making their growth, they required 

 a good, strong, moist heat ; but tliis was only in summer, 

 and for the rest of the year they might be kept in .a cooler 

 temperature. Thus, the plant of Dendrobium Falconeri, 

 which he h'ld brought to illustrate his lecture, had spent 

 thn Inst month in a cool vinery. For those who could cul- 

 tivate but a single genus, none would repay them better than 

 Deiiilrobiuni. Some might prefer Cypripedium, some Onci- 

 dium, and others a selection of different genera; hut what- 

 ever form the Orchid mania might take, it would afford 

 change and relaxation to the overwrought brain. Oichids 

 were capable of producing this result; even Fungi had 

 TDany lovorF. He would relate an atiecdoteof Dr. Klotzsch, 

 who in Germany reigned supreme over Fungi, or [''oongi, as 

 be (Dr. K.) called them. 'J'liey were his speciality, though 

 he was a good general botanist as well. Travelling in Scot- 

 land, many years ago, with Dr. Davidson, and having called 

 at the pout-office for their letters. Dr. KIol2sch received one 

 from home that plnnged him in the greatest grief. So pio- 

 fouml was it that it was some time before Dr. Davidson 

 ventured to ask him the cause. When at length he did so. 

 Dr. Klotzsch informed him that the letter had brought him 



the news that he had lost .£300. Dr. Davidson was some- 

 what disappointed at the way in which the German pro- 

 fessor took the news, and at length he felt it his duty to 

 gently remonstrate. He did so, when Dr. Klotzsch faltered 

 out — '■ It is not the ^£300 that I care about, but I had set 

 it apart to investigate the Fungi of Hindostan ; no one 

 besides myself will go to see the Fungi of Hindostan, and 

 that I shall never be able to do." But there is " no cloud" 

 without " a silver lining," added Mr. Bateman, and at length 

 Dr. Klotzsch exclaimed — ■' I thank God for that He hath put 

 the love of Foongi in my heart, and when I see a foongus I 

 am happy." What Fungi did for poor Dr. Klotzsch, other 

 plants might do for us ; and Mr. Bateman instanced Solomon 

 as one who, amid all the distractions of a court and kingdom, 

 knew every plant, from the Cedar on Lebanon to the Hyssop 

 on the wall ; and concluded his lecture with an eloquent 

 peroration, which met with much applause. 



Mr. G. F. Wilson moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Bate- 

 man, also to Dr. Lindley and Mr. Veitch for tho specimens 

 and plants lent by them ; and Mr. Bateman, in returning 

 thanks, called attention to some Orchids just imported by 

 Mr. Veitch from the north coast of Australia, one of which 

 is known to bear most beautiful rose-coloured flowers, and 

 the other was D. Hillii, of which a representation is given 

 in the " Botanical Magazine," producing a spike of white 

 fiugi'ant flowers resembling an ofiicer's plume. 



Azalea Show, June 17. — Of this it was stated in a notice 

 posted up at the entrances, that '• the unusual forwardness 

 of the season has made it impossible to have a full show of 

 Azaleas," and there were only such as occurred in a very 

 pretty collection of stove and greenhouse plants and 

 Orchids, from Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith, who also con- 

 tributed half a dozen boxes of beautiful cut Koses. A simi- 

 lar exhibition came from Mr. G. Clarke, Brixton Koail ; and 

 Mr. Bull furnished a numerous collection of new plants. 

 Ferns, Dractenas, &c., and a fine pan of Trichomanes specio- 

 sum. 



EOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY'S SHOW. 

 June 14. 



The second great Show again afforded a magnificent dis- 

 play, and though the number of plants exhibited was pro- 

 bably scarcely so large as on the previous occasion, there 

 were numerous and gorgeous stands of Roses and tho addi- 

 tional attraction of fruit. The weather was highly favour- 

 able to an out-door exhibition, being very warm, and, not- 

 withstanding the counter-attraction of Ascot, the lawn was 

 crowded with several thousands of visitors, the fair sex 

 largely predominating. 



Stove and Geeenhouse Plants. — Numerous collections 

 were shown, some of which were very good, but the plants 

 of which they v.'ere composed presented little difference 

 from those noticed last month. AUamandas, consisting of 

 A. cath.artica, Schotti, and grandiflora, were in good bloom, 

 especially the last-named from Mr. I'eed and Mr. Page, and 

 the first two from Mr. Whitbread, who also had a fine Vinca 

 rosea, and Gompholobium splendens well set with its yellow 

 blooms. Ixora salicifolia with fine heads of bloom was 

 noticeable in Mr. Feed's collection, as also a fine Erica 

 obbata. Clerodendron ThomsonaJ was again in fine bloom 

 as shown by Mr. Kemp and Mr. A. Ingram, and Khynco- 

 spcruium jasminoides was well represented in several col- 

 lections ; BO too was Dracophyllum giacile. Mr. Eraser 

 again exhibited his grand plant of Phionoeoma prolifera, in 

 company with others shown at Kensington in tho previous 

 week ; and from Mr. Donald cainu Sollya linearis with a 

 profusion of its deep blue flowers. Of Piraelea decussata, a 

 nice littln bush was shown by Mr. Kliodcs, also a very good 

 Dracophyllum and I'lerouia clegans ; and in Mr. Chilman's 

 collection we noticed Aphelexis macrantha rosea in fine 

 bloom ; and the Durple variety in a very good collection 

 from Mr. C. .Smith, also Azalea coronata in fine bloom. 

 Ha'manthuH puniceus, a very old but showy Capo bulb, was 

 shown by Mr. Baxendiue with four of its brilliant orange 

 scarlet heads. 



Prizes— For sixteen : first, Mr. Whitbread, gardener to H. 

 Collyer, Esq. ; second, Mr. Peed, gardener to Mrs. Tredwell ; 



