May 26, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



377 



some variegated-leaved MuBa vittata ; Anthurium leuconeururn, 

 from South America, with deep green caladium-like leaves with 

 conspicuous white veins ; a new species of the same genus also from 

 South America ; and those splendid fine-foliaged plants Alocasia 

 metallica and macrorhiza variegata, the lustrous metallic leaves 

 of which form so important a feature in a collection of fine-foliaged 

 plants. Thrinax elegans is a very ornamental miniature Palm 

 for drawing-room decoration, for which purpose its dwarf habit 

 of growth peculiarly recommends it. Echites argyram with dark 

 green leaves and silvery veins will, to all appearance, form a 

 desirable addition to ornamental-foliaged climbers, of which 

 there is a great pauoity at present, but what like the flowers are 

 is as yet unknown. 



Of new Caladiums there was an abundance, and of these 

 mirabile, regale, Cannaerti, Devosianum, Van den Hecken, and 

 Thelemanni, -with the fine Bornean species, Lowii, were some of 

 the best. 



Of other fine-foliaged plants Dracaena ferrea variegata had 

 leaves remarkable for their brilliant crimson. We also saw a new 

 Justicia with beautifully variegated leaves. Cyperus alterni- 

 folins variegatus, one of the most effective of variegated plants, is 

 here kept in a perfectly variegated condition by potting it in 

 pure river sand, and affording a liberal supply of water. This 

 is a secret worth knowing, as, in many instances, probably from 

 being grown in too rich a soil, the plant reverts in a great 

 measure to its original green form. Besides these many other 

 very ornamental plants might be enumerated, such as Latanias 

 rubra and Verschaffelti, Cupania Pindaiba, &e.,and we must not 

 omit to mention Ouvirandra fenestralis, the Madagascar Lace 

 Plant, which was growing in a tank in one of the stoves, the 

 leaves floating in glaSB bowls through which they could be 

 readily seen, and according to their development between 1 foot 

 and li foot long, including the stalk. The extremely pretty 

 Clerodendron Thomsonfe, with its white bracts contrasting with 

 the vermilion petals, likewise formed an attractive object. 



Medicinal and officinal plants are grown in considerable quan- 

 tity ; and among such might be seen the Bitter Cassia, Peppers 

 of various kinds, Cubebs, Balsam of Peru, Coffee and Tea plants, 

 Cinnamon, the violet-coloured Sugar-cane (Saccharum officin- 

 arum violaeeum), &c. 



In the Orchid department was Pogonia discolor from Java, 

 which, with its olive-green leaf abundantly covered with reddish- 

 golden hairs, was a great object of attraction at the last spring 

 show at Regent's Park ; and there were many pretty Anoecto- 

 chils, such as Dayii, and argyrsea with its green and silver leaves. 

 Eine specimens of the Fox-brush jErides Eieldingii and some 

 others of the same family were rooting -with extraordinary free- 

 dom in cocoa-nut refuse, and seemed to be luxuriating in it ; 

 and there were besides many other Bpecies of the same genus, 

 such as Larpentoe, Schrcederi, Lobbi, as well as the new Cypri- 

 pediums Stonei, Hookeri with its prettily marbled foliage ; the 

 rare Lowii ; Dendrobium lituiflorum, which recently brought 

 such high prices at Stevens's; Yanda Batemani, &e. ; together 

 with an abundance of well-known species which it would be 

 tedious to enumerate. 



To Begonias one large house is almost entirely devoted, in 

 which, besides several hundred seedlings, embracing an endless 

 variety of variously-marked kinds, there were assembled numbers 

 of named varieties — of which Secretaire Morren, Adolphe Pollack, 

 Frederic Seismeyer, Helena Under, Daedalea, imperialis, impe- 

 rialis smaragdina and longipila, are some of the newest and best. 



In the same house with the Begonias was a magnificent speci- 

 men of Gleichenia dicarpa, forming a beautiful mass 6 or 7 feet 

 high, and probably as much in diameter. And in other houses 

 were Cibotium princeps, equally remarkable ; the new Golden 

 Maiden-hair Fern from Lima, Adiantum chrysophyllum ; Adi- 

 antum Feei, a handsome gleichenia-like species ; Laucheana, the 

 best of all the Golden Gymnogrammas ; and the pretty tasselled 

 Wetenhalliana ; also Aspleniums flabellulatum and rachirhinae, 

 both of which are very distinct and elegant species, the former 

 from Mexico, the latter from Brazil. Besides the above there 

 were numbers of variegated, including the remarkable Pteris 

 nemoralis variegata, which is intermediate between argyroea and 

 tricolor. In addition to these may be noticed several new hardy 

 Ferns, as Athyrium Filix-foemina sagittatum, a very pretty form 

 of this species, which had a first-class certificate at the last 

 meeting of the Floral Committee ; Osmunda regalis cristata ; 

 and the handsome Japanese Ferns, Lastrea opaca and Wood- 

 wardia orientalis. 



In the greenhouse department, besides the plants already 



referred to in noticing the winter garden, many others deserve 

 mention — such as Rhyncosia albo-nitens, a very ornamental 

 climber with bright green leaves irregularly variegated with 

 white, and having violet mauve flowers. Yuoca lutea-lineata 

 and Y. alba-spica, the last a very rare and peculiar plant, the 

 narrow leaves being edged with white filaments. Stokesii is 

 another variegated form of the same tribe. To these it may be 

 added there were some handsome specimens of Von Siebold's 

 Chamserops excelsa, and AraucariasBidwilli, and Cuuninghami 

 glauca, the last a very desirable novelty. 



To Azaleas one house is entirely devoted, and it contains many 

 new varieties ; one of these named William Bull is just being 

 sent out. Its flowers are of the largest size and of unusual sub- 

 stance, in colour dark crimson shaded with violet on the upper 

 segments. Waxwork, with large flowers, white blotched with 

 purple ; and Fairy, flesh spotted with crimson and edged with 

 white, are also very fine ; and to these may be added Dieu- 

 donne Spae, Madame A. Verschaffelt, Hortense Vervaene, and 

 President Clayes. 



The Pelargonium-houses are filled with a multitude of seed- 

 lings as well as named varieties. The following are a few of the 

 best in the different classes. Of spotted kinds — Theophraste, 

 quite new in colour, of a rich fiery red shaded with violet to the 

 centre, light throat ; Gloire de Petit Bicetre, also a new colour, 

 dark crimson violet centre and spotted with maroon ; Junon, In- 

 ternational, Fireball, Achille, and Viceroy of Egypt. In Fancies 

 — Lovely, Bertha, Charm, and Lady Dorothy Nevill ; and in the 

 Zonale section — Beauty, Enchantress, Lucilla, Transcendent, 

 Bonnie Dundee, Alfred, and Rosamond. Conspicuous among 

 the variegated kinds was Queen of Queens, which combines an 

 excellent pure white variegation, with a profusion of scarlet 

 flowers. This variety is well worthy of cultivation, and we un- 

 derstand that a bed of it has lately been supplied to the royal 

 gardens. 



Petunias have a house devoted to themselves, which is crowded 

 with the splendid varieties which Mr. Bull sends out, of which 

 Captivation and President are particularly fine, and Lady Maria 

 Scott, Beauty, Adeline, Vernon, Silver Spot, Ensign, Startler, and 

 Marmion are also of great merit, as well as Charmer, a crimson 

 and white double. 



The new Mimuluses form of themselves a very interesting 

 feature. These are the result of a cross between the Chilian 

 species cupreus and Gaiety, a large-floweriug sort. The blossoms 

 are about 2 inches across, and present an infinite variety of 

 coppery red markings — blotches, belts, or specks — on a yellow 

 ground, and of yellow specks or blotches on a dark ground. 

 Apart from their extreme beauty, they possess the merit of 

 being of dwarf habit ; and altogether they may be regarded 

 as constituting a valuable acquisition to our gardens. In one 

 house there are hundreds of these Mimuluses, and they are 

 likely to continue in flower for a long time. 



Mr. Bull is now becoming well known for the new Fuchsias 

 and Pentstemons which he annually sends out, and of these, as 

 well as Gloxinias, there are extensive collections; but space 

 will not permit us to do more than mention them, as well as 

 many interesting Japanese plants, such as the beautiful- foliaged 

 Lonicera reticulata, figured in the Florist and Nomologist of 

 September last, the Umbrella Pine, Retinospora obtusa, Bambusa 

 variegata, several handsome variegated Euryas and Euonymuses, 

 the pretty Serissa fcetida variegata which Mr. Bull received from 

 Japan through Dr. Siebold, and the plain-leaved female Aueuba. 



OECHAED-HOUSES. 



OwTNGt to causes unnecessary to explain, I have been pre- 

 vented replying to Mr. Rivers' kind invitation to my visiting 

 his nursery at Sawbridgeworth. I fear, also, I cannot do myself 

 the honour of inspecting his orchard-houses and their contents 

 at the present time, but it is possible I may do so in August. 

 For many reasons I prefer the latter time, not the least perhaps 

 is, that it is a less busy period at home. I, therefore, thua 

 publicly thank Mr. Rivers for his courtesy ; and although I am 

 unable at the present time to accept his invitation, and may 

 also be prevented at the later period mentioned, I hope, never- 

 theless, to be able at some time to see his collection of trees in 

 pots, and their modes of growth, and will strain a point to do so 

 the present season. I, however, expect to hear more about 

 orchard-house fruits from other quarters, and the subject seems 

 to be warmly taken up by other writers in The Jottenai of 

 HoBTicraTUBE. The coming metropolitan and other shows 



