204 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 15, 1870. 



moss, and sand ; and in addition I have used, with advantage, 

 a small portion of good leaf mould, but it must be good. 

 During the growing season the species of Ccelogyne luxuriate in 

 a plentiful supply of water both upon the foliage and at their 

 roots ; when growth is complete gradually withhold water, and 

 expose them well to the influence of sun and light, in order to 

 ripen their growth, whilst during winter a very small quantity 

 of water will suffice. 



C. cristata. — This is, perhaps, one of the most elegant of 

 winter-flowering Orchids, compact in its habit of growth, with 

 dark green ovate pseudo-bulbs about 3 inches in length, bearing 

 two linear-lanceolate, somewhat leathery, dark green leaves, 

 with wavy edges. The flowers are produced in nodding racemes, 

 four or five together, each flower being about 4 inches in 

 diameter; sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate, the former 

 narrower than the latter, all with undulated edges, and of the 

 purest snow white ; lip also white, concave, having five raised 

 parallel lines along the centre, which are fringed or crested, 

 and suffused with clear delicate yellow. This lovely plant lasts 

 a considerable time in full beauty; it is extremely ornamental 

 in the plant house, and it may be removed to the drawing-room 

 without injury. It is also admirably adapted for adorning 

 ladies' hair. Native of Sikkim, at 6-7000 feet elevation. 



C. coeeugata is a much smaller plant than the preceding. 

 The pseudo-bulbs are ovate and wrinkled ; leaves in pairs, 

 oblong, somewhat acuminate, membranous, and dark green. 

 Racemes erect, bearing from three to six flowers ; sepals and 

 petals oblong-acute and pure white ; lip smaller, white, yellow 

 inside, and streaked with orange, having three raised parallel 

 lines on the disc. A rather uncommon but very elegant cool- 

 house species. Native of the Madras Hills. 



C. flaccida. — This species produces drooping spikes of 

 flowers, which are strongly but not very pleasantly scented. 

 Pseudo-bulbs oblong and ribbed ; leaves long, somewhat lan- 

 ceolate, petiolate, dark green, and leathery. Racemes zigzag, 

 drooping, and many-flowered ; sepals and petals white ; lip 

 white with a yellow centre, recurved at the point, and toothed 

 at the base, where it is streaked with crimson. The plant will 

 succeed either in a pot or upon a block ; in the latter manner 

 its drooping racemes are displayed to the greatest advantage. 

 It blooms during January and February, and during the grow- 

 ing season requires more heat than the kinds previously named. 

 Native of Nepal. 



C. speciosa. — This plant is more properly an autumn flowerer, 

 but as at this season flowers are scarce, it well deserves a place 

 in every amateur's collection. The pseudo-bulbs are ovate- 

 oblong in shape, and bear a single oblong-lanceolate dark 

 green leaf. The flowers are about 3 inches in diameter, and 

 usually produced in pairs ; sepals and petals reflexed, dull 

 brown ; lip large, crested in the centre, of the same colour as 

 the petals, with the front portion white. Native of Java. 



C. odoraiissima. — An elegant but small-flowered kind. The 

 small size of the flowers is no doubt the reason of its being so 

 little grown, but being white and sweet-scented they are very 

 acceptable for cutting during March and April. The whole plant 

 seldom exceeds 6 inches in height, both pseudo-bulbs and leaves. 

 The flower-spike, which is produced simultaneously with the 

 young growth, is drooping, and bears about three flowers, which 

 are all white except the centre of the lip, which is yellow. It 

 is a cool-house plant from the mountains of Madras. 



C. Gardneriana. — A plant far less grown than it deserves to 

 be. The pseudo-bulbs are somewhat flask-shaped, tapering 

 upwards from the base; leaves from 10 to 18 inches long, and 

 about 3 in breadth, lanceolate, acuminate, petiolate, and bright 

 green ; the racemes are slightly drooping, bearing from six to 

 eight large flowers, which are pure white, saving the centre 

 of the lip, where it is stained with lemon colour. Native of 

 East Indies, in Nepal, and Khasia. 



C. ocellata. — This species should be grown upon a block of 

 wood, where it will form an elegant specimen, and produce its 

 chaste flowers during February and March. The pseudo-bulbs 

 are shining, ovate, and angular ; leaves lanceolate, narrow at 

 the base, and about 10 inches long. Flower-spike 6 inches or 

 so in length ; sepals and petals white ; lip of the same colour 

 except at the base of the middle lobe, where there is a yellow 

 spot, and the lateral ones are also stained with deep yellow. 

 Native of Khasia and Sylhet. 



C. ebscescexs is, perhaps, the least desirable species, espe- 

 cially if the collection is small, or the space limited. However, 

 where the space for two or three pots more or less is not of 

 vital importance, this plant should find a place. The pseudo- 

 bulbs are about 4 inches high, round, and rather thin, bearing 



oblong acute leaves 9 inches in length, and nearly 3 broad; 

 raceme nodding, and bearing about five good-sized brown and 

 green flowers. It succeeds in a cool house. Native of Nepal. — 

 Exeeto Crede. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Ceeeus fulgidus (Brilliant-flowered Cereus). Nat. ord., Caet- 

 aceae. Linn., Icosandria Monogynia. — The history of this flower 

 is unknown. It has bloomed annually at Few for many years. 

 Flowers scarlet, opening early in an evening, and remaining 

 expanded until the following noon. — (Bot. Mag., t. 5856.) 



Brodi.ea cocctxea (Crimson-flowered Brodia=a). Nat. ord., 

 Lillacea?. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. — It is a brilliant-flow- 

 ered bulbous plant, native of California, blooming in May and 

 June. Flowers crimson, tipped with yellow and green. — (Ibid., 

 t. 5857.) 



Oncidiuh cryptocopis (Long-sepalled Oncidium). Nat. ord., 

 Orchidaceas. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. — Native of Peru. 

 Flowers brown, edged with yellow. — (Ibid., t. 5858.) 



Tabern.emontana Baeteei (Mr. Barter's Tabernaamontana). 

 Nat. ord., Apoeynacea?. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. — Native 

 of Old Calabar and other districts of the tropical west coast of 

 Africa. Glabrous shrub. Flowers white. — (Ibid., t. 5S59.) 



Salvia interrupta (Ash-leaved Sage). Nat. ord., Labiata;. 

 Linn., Didynamia Gymnospermia. — " A tall hardy herbaceous 

 plant, with a woolly suffrateseent stem, belonging to the same 

 set of Sages with S. officinalis, and many other handsome 

 species that are common ornaments of continental gardens, but 

 are all but wholly unknown in our own. It was, according to 

 the ' Hortus Kewensis,' formerly cultivated in the Royal Gar- 

 dens under the name of the Ash-leaved Sage, having been 

 originally introduced from Morocco into the Cambridge Botanic 

 Garden, 1798. It has, however, long since disappeared from 

 cultivation, and so remained till three years ago, when it was 

 reintroduced from Tangiers by G. Maw, Esq., of Benthall Hall, 

 during a botanical expedition into North Africa, from whence 

 he sent living plants to the Royal Gardens that flowered in May 

 of last year. From its habit of flowering through several suc- 

 cessive months, it is well worthy of cultivation in the open 

 border."— (Ibid., t. 5860.) 



Primula cortusoides and its Varieties. — " In the large 

 Japanese varieties of Primula cortusoides, so much superior to 

 the ordinary form as to appear quite distinct, we have acquired 

 some of the choicest and most beautiful materials for orna- 

 menting the hardy flower garden. The public are indebted to 

 the late Mr. John Gould Veiteh for the introduction, and to the 

 Messrs. Veiteh & Sons for the distribution of these charming 

 hardy plants. Amosna, is of the richest magenta, with white 

 centre, and has notched but otherwise entire segments. ; striata, 

 a pretty lilac, which has the margin of the flowers toothed, and 

 the colour prettily striated ; and grandiflora, remarkable for 

 its drooping concave or cup-shaped form, and for having the 

 inside almost pure white, while the outer surface is of a rosy 

 purple hue. The variety striata has been sometimes called 

 lilacina, a name which is now cancelled. Besides these, there 

 are alba, with pure white blossoms, and albida, with blossoms 

 of a greyish white, and of the same drooping type as grandi- 

 flora. These Primulas, grown in pots, form excellent decorative 

 plants for cool houses in spring." — (Florist and Pomologist, 

 3rd s., iii., 193.) 



WEEDS. 

 (Continued from page 128.) 



The removal of weeds being conducive to the value of a 

 crop, their extirpation must be an important means of keeping 

 up the fertility of the soil, and securing an increased produce. 

 It is impossible to have a good crop if it is weedy, as the soil's 

 fertility is wasted on the weeds instead of being devoted to the 

 crop. 



Apart from the deficiency in produce, and the waste of the 

 soil's fertility, the evil effect of weeds presents itself in many 

 forms of disease to which vegetable life is subject when de- 

 prived of light and air. To allow weeds to grow as well as the 

 crop is simply to cause the production of drawn, weak plants, 

 incapable of supporting themselves against wind and rain ; 

 whilst in times of drought weeds are a direct cause of the crop 

 lagging behind, the ears of corn not filling, and the roots not 

 swelling. Half and more of the failures and deficiencies of 

 the agriculturist are a result of the little care taken, as a rule, 



