August 4, 1870. 3 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



85 



branches of Black Naples Currants, laden with fruit, and a dish of 

 the bunchen. The Committee awarded a special certificate for supe- 

 rior cultivation. 



Mr. A. Henderson, of Thoresby Gardens, Notts, sent a Melon called 

 Calder's Hybrid Netted Green-flesh, which was a large handsome fruit, 

 but deficient in flavour. Mr. Meakes, gardener to R. Fowler, Esq., 

 Petersham, Surrey, sent two fruit of Golden Perfection, of good, but 

 not superior flavour. Mr. Sidney Ford, of the gardens, Leonardslee, 

 Horsham, sent a fruit of Golden Perfection Melon, excellent in 

 flavour. 



Messrs. Minier, Nash, & Nash, seedsmen of the Strand, sent two 

 dishes of the large Late White Tripoli Onion, and also of the large 

 Red Italian Tripoli, all of which were grown in this country. The 

 exhibition was so meritorious that a special certificate was awarded to 

 them. Messrs. J. Carter & Co., of Holborn, sent samples of their Covent 

 Garden Garnishing Parsley, with a splendidly curled leaf. This was 

 much admired, and received a first-class certificate. Messrs. Carter 

 also exhibited a long green -striped Cluster Vegetable Marrow. The 

 habit of the plant is that of a bush, like that of the Bush Custard 

 Marrow, and produces one fruit in the axil of the branches just over 

 the stock. Mr. Gilbert, of the gardens, Burghley, sent samples of the 

 following Potatoes, remarkably well grown — Coldstream Early, Myatt's 

 Prolific, Early Shaw, Milky "White, King of Potatoes, and Silver Skin. 

 Mr. Eckford, of Coleshill Gardens, sent samples of Potatoes to show 

 that supertuberation is the result of dry weather. Mr. Porter, gar- 

 dener to E. Benham, Esq., Syon Lodge, Isleworth, sent a tray of 

 vegetables. The same gentleman also sent a collection of five sorts of 

 Potatoes. 



Messrs. Lane & Son, of Berkhampstead, exhibited a collection of 

 fruit grown in pots, to which a special certificate was awarded. 



Floral CoarairrTEE. — Mr. J. Fraser in the chair. From Messrs. 

 E. G. Henderson & Son, St. John's Wood, came a basketful of Tri- 

 color Pelargonium Rev. E. R. Benyon, a free-growing variety with 

 finely coloured dark crimson zones flamed with bright crimson; 

 Hydrangea japonica speciosa, with the leaves having a creamy white 

 patch extending from near the apex to the leafstalk, and in the speci- 

 men shown from 1 to 1£ inch wide ; the flower-heads have a bluish 

 tinge. This is a very ornamental plant, and its merit was marked by 

 a first-class certificate. The same firm also sent Phlox decussata 

 elegans argentea, with the leaves largely variegated with pale yellow, 

 an ornamental variegated plant which may prove useful in borders ; 

 and a group of dwarf Antirrhinums from 6 to 9 inches high, and of 

 different varieties. Tbese received a special certificate. 



From Messrs. Veitch & Sons came a large and fine group of plants, 

 consisting of various elegant Palms, a handsome specimen of Croton 

 Veitchii, Dracaena Chelsoni with leaves very beautifully coloured, 

 D. Guilfoylei, Oncidiums, Cypripedium Veitchii with seven fine flow- 

 ers, Croton maximum and Croton undulatum, the latter with its dark- 

 coloured leaves richly spotted and blotched with crimson and rose ; 

 Zamia Lehmanni, a very handsome specimen — for this a special cer- 

 tificate was awarded ; Maranta chimboracensis and Wallisii ; and a 

 Sciadophyllnm from New Caledonia, with large shining leaves with 

 obovate leaflets. Besides these, Dendrobium Bensonii, Cattleya Ack- 

 landiffi, and Saccolabium Blumei majus were each represented by good 

 specimens ; and a special certificate was given to Renanthera Lowii, 

 which is rarely seen flowering on so dwarf a specimen, but which had, 

 nevertheless, a fine spike of its rich-coloured red and yellow flowers. A 

 first-class certificate was given to Bowenia spectabilis, a Cycad with 

 very handsome, shining, clear darkgreen foliage. A special certificate 

 was given Messrs. Veitch for the whole collection. 



Mr. Bull sent Croton maculatum, with the leaves irregularly marked 

 with rich pale yellow, which was in a much larger patch on the young 

 leaves; several Palms ; Cycas Brougktoni, a handsome species ; Syn- 

 gonium Seemanni, with dark green foliage beautifully variegated with 

 silvery markings along the midribs and principal veins of the leaves ; 

 Adiantum Seemanni, Dieffenbachia Wallisii, Macrozamia magnifiea, 

 and Lilium auratum Brilliant, finely dotted with purple. First-class 

 certificatss were awarded to Cycas Broughtoni and Macrozamia mag- 

 nifiea. 



Mr. J. Stevens, 4, Ealing Terrace, Ealing, contributed a splendid 

 collection of Balsams, beautifully grown, and with flowers which for 

 size were more like small Camellias than Balsams. The colours were 

 chiefly scarlet and flesh, the mottled kinds were also very fine. For 

 these a well-deserved special certificate was awarded. Mr. Windsor, 

 gardener to J. R. Ravenhill, Esq., Leytonstone, sent a number of 

 hybrid Nosegay Pelargoniums of various shades of scarlet, and all 

 producing large trusses ; and Mr. George sent a similar collection, 

 including several varieties with fine trusses. 



From Mr. William Thompson, of Ipswich, came Oenothera or 

 Godetia Whitneyi, a hardy Calif ornian annual with flowers 2£ inches 

 across, lilac rose, with a red blotch in each petal, the plant apparently 

 of compact habit. For this a first-class certificate was given. Mr. Ford, 

 Leonardslee, Horsham, sent Lady of the Lake white-edged Pelar- 

 gonium, with a broad white edge, and Golden Pink, a yellow-edged kind. 

 Messrs. Carter & Co. received a special certificate for three baskets 

 of cut blooms of double-flowered Pelargoniums neatly set up. Mr. 

 Cannell, Woolwich, sent cut trusses of various Zonal Pelargoniums. 



From G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge Heath, came a pot of Lilium 

 speciosum atropurpureum, a beautiful deep-coloured variety, and which 

 will soon be covered with a profusion of bloom. The same gentleman 



also sent a cut flower-stem of Lilium tigrinum fiore-pleno, a very fine 

 variety of Tiger Lily with four rows of petals, also Lilium Leichtlinii 

 with spotted pale yellow flowers. Mr. Turner, of Slough, exhibited an 

 extremely beautiful variety of Lilium auratum dotted with deep purple, 

 and the same colour shading into the golden bands. For this lovely 

 variety a first-class certificate was given. Messrs. Downie, Laird, and 

 Laing contributed a collection of Phloxes in very fine bloom, La 

 Candeur, Mr. Charles Turner, and Geant desBatailles being especially 

 remarkable. Messrs. Downie it Co., also sent Monsieur Guldenschych, 

 salmon rose with a purple eye. 



Messrs. Barron & Son, of Elvaston Nurseries, exhibited scarlet 

 Zonal Pelargonium Magnifieuru, a large-trussed and large-flowered 

 variety, which, from the abundance of buds, appears to be a variety 

 that will flower in long succession. Messrs. Cutbush & Son, of High- 

 gate, received a special certificate for excellently grown Cockscombs. 

 Messrs. Standish & Co. sent a fine stand of Gladiolus, and Messrs. 

 Carter & Co. had a special certificate for a large collection of the 

 same flower. A special certificate was awarded to Mr. Stevens, 

 Reigate, for two pots of Disa grandiflora, which were very fine speci- 

 mens of culture. Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., 

 sent Agave auricantha, a handsome plant ; a new Orchid from Natal, 

 with the small lanceolate leaves barred across with black spots, and 

 the bracts of the lilac flowers similarly marked ; and Achimenes 

 argyrostigma, with very small white flowers. Mr. G. Thomson, Stan- 

 stead Park Gardens, Emsworth, was awarded a first-class certificate for 

 a seedling Lilium, a hybrid between L. auratum and L. speciosum ; 

 the flowers bear most resemblance to those of speciosum in form, 

 and are white without golden bands, and spotted with purple. This 

 was named Purity, and received a first-class certificate, which it well 

 deserved, being very beautiful. 



Mr. Cattell, Westerham, again exhibited Tropreolum Minnie Warren, 

 and Mr. Cripps, Tunbridge Wells, two stands of cut blooms of his fine 

 Clematis Crippsii, from the open air. Mr. C. J. Perry, Castle Brom- 

 wich, was awarded a special certificate for a stand of seedling Ver- 

 benas. From the Society's Gardens at Chiswick came six seedling 

 fimbriated Petunias and Pteris serrulata major cristata, a handsome 

 crested form, which received a first-class certificate. Mr. W. Dodds, 

 gardener to Sir G. Smyth, Bower Ashton, Bristol, sent Heliotrope 

 Miss Dodds, which is stated to be a very free bloomer and of good 

 habit, but neither that nor seedling Pelargonium Miss Upton, a free- 

 blooming pink kind, was in proper condition to judge of. Messrs. 

 Carter & Co. contributed cut flowers of Sunflowers, very large and 

 perfectly double. Mr. Porter, gardener to E. Benham, Esq., Isle- 

 worth, exhibited cut flowers of seedling Tropseolums, Pentstemons, 

 Zinnias, and Hollyhocks. 



A first-class certificate was given to G. F. Wilson, Esq., for his 

 double Tiger Lily above noticed, and second-class certificates to Mr. 

 Keynes for Dahlia Incomparable and Flora Hyatt. Special certifi- 

 cates were awarded to Messrs. Downie & Co., for Phloxes ; to Messrs. 

 Carter & Co. for a fine collection of Gladioluses ; and to Mr. C. J- 

 Perry, of Castle Bromwich, for seedling Verbenas. 



General Meeting. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 After the usual preliminary business the Rev. M. J. Berkeley com- 

 mented on the most remarkable plants exhibited. The first which 

 occupied attention was Renanthera Lowii, shown by Messrs. Veitch 

 under the name of Vanda Lowii, which was that given it by Dr. 

 Lindley, and Mr. Berkeley read the following account of the plant 

 given by Mr. Bateman in the " Botanical Magazine " for 1S54 : — ■ 



" A more remarkable plant is not to be found among the vast and 

 varied tribe to which it belongs. While in stateliness of habit and in 

 the length of its flower-spikes it stands quite unrivalled among the 

 Orchids of the Eastern world, its greatest peculiarity is to be found in 

 the constant occurrence of two entirely distinct forms of flower on the 

 same spike. This extraordinary circumstance was first observed by 

 Professor Reiohenbach, who satisfied himself, after a careful examination 

 of fresh specimens furnished from M. Reich enheim's garden, that the 

 strange phenomena had nothing to do with the separate production of 

 male or female blossoms, since the organs in either form were equally 

 perfect. In the present case nothing can be set down to caprice, for that 

 singular pair of tawny flowers is found at the base of every spike. 



" This wonderful Orchid is a native of Borneo, whence it was originally 

 sent to the late Mr. Low, of the Clapton Nursery, by his son (Colonial 

 Treasurer at Labuan), in whose honour the specie? was named by Dr. 

 Lindley. It has also been imported by Messrs. Veitch, in whose nursery, 

 at Chelsea, I first had the pleasure of seeing the plant in bloom. It was 

 not, however, until the autumn of the year 1862, when the species 

 flowered in Mr. Rucker's collection, that any adequate idea could be 

 formed of its beauty. A full account was published in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle at that time, which would apply ecxually to Mr. Rucker's plant, 

 as it might have been seen in September last, when it again burst into 

 flower, and, if possible, in greater beauty and profusion thsn before. 



11 1 gather from a memorandum received from Mr. Pilcher, Mr. Rucker[s 

 gardener, that the Wandsworth plant is already 9 feet high, and that it 

 produced six spikes, each bearing from forty to fifty flowers, which lasted 

 in perfection for a month. The spikes attained to such an extraordinary 

 length that they had to be supported on props, and thus formed graceful 

 festoons, under which a person might walk ! The plant requires the heat 

 of the East Indian house, and grows so freely that it seems almost to 

 chafe at the comparatively narrow scope which the low roofs of modern 

 Orchid-houses afford it. 



" Dr. Lindley, who had only seen the specimens originally sent from 

 Borneo, referred our plant to Vanda ; but Reichenbach, who more recently 

 had the advantage of examining living flowers, is decidedly of opinion that 

 it falls more properly under the genus Renanthera ; and as in this case I 



