266 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 6, 1370. 



From Messrs. Yeitch, of Chelsea, came a collection in which were 

 several fine specimens of Odontoglossum grande, Cattleya Devoniensis, 

 C. hybrida, and C. Dominiana lntea ; Rodriguezia secnnda with half a 

 dozen racemes of its rich rose-coloured flowers ; Rhododendron Lobbii 

 with splendid scarlet flowers ; Licnala spinosa and Corypha Martiana, 

 two handsome Palms Bactris maraja, Calamus ciliaris, a very graceful 

 species, and a handsome seedling form of Adiantum cap illus- Veneris. 

 This was named maximum and received a first-class certificate, as 

 likewise did Platycerium alcicorne majus, and Corypha Martiana. A 

 special certificate was given for the collection. Messrs. Veitch also 

 sent a basket of Retinospora obtusa aurea nana with beautiful golden 

 foliage. For this a special certificate was awarded. 



Messrs. Backhouse, of York, received a first-class certificate for 

 Senecio argenteus with handsomely-cut frosted foliage, and the same 

 firm had a second-class certificate for a free-flowering variety of Aster 

 longifolius, with bright rosy lilac flowers with a conspicuous yellow eye. 

 Mr. George, gardener to Miss Nicholson, Putney Heath, sent seed- 

 ling Pelargonium Fred George, a well-marked kind. Mr. Peeke, 

 nurseryman, Tunbridge Wells, also sent seedling Nosegay Pelar- 

 goniums, and a seedling crested Pteris. Messrs. Cripps, Tunbridge 

 Wells, exhibited a most beautiful crested form of Pteris serrulata, 

 called cristata niagnifica, forming elegant tassels, likewise a yellow 

 variegated Cupressus Lawsoniana named lntea, and a stand of cut 

 blooms of hybrid Clematises, to show their value for late blooming out 

 of doors. Among them were several very fine varieties 



From Mr. W. Moore, gardener to C. Leach, Esq., Clapham Park, 

 came a splendid group of Nerines, including the brilliant scarlet Nerine 

 Fothergilli major and N. corusca major, N. hnmilis, and several 

 obtained by hybridising and by seed. A special certificate was given. 

 Mr. C. Turner, of Slough, sent a basket of Tricolor Pelargonium Mrs. 

 Headly, with the leaves beautifully coloured. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., HiUfield, Reigate, 

 sent a most interesting group of Orchids, among which were the Pa- 

 phinia cristata, beautiful but fugitive in its flowers ; Zygopetalum ros- 

 tratum, with a large white lip veined with lilac at the base ; a very 

 singular Epidendruni, with pale green transparent flowers; Stenia 

 fimbriata ; Epidendrum nocturnum. with long tubular yellowish sepals 

 and petals, and a white lip ; Restrephia antennifera and Trichoceras 

 parviflorns, both with flowers of a singular character, those oi the 

 latter bearing a close resemblance to a fly. Spiranthes margaritifera, 

 another singular plant, and several others were shown in this collec- 

 tion, for which a special certificate was given; and a similar award 

 was made for Miltonia Morellinna, with very large flowers measuring 

 5 inches by 3£ across. Mr. Green likewise exhibited Gesuera fulgida 

 bicolor, with brilliant scarlet flowers, white at the back of the tube and 

 mottled with white in the throat. A special certificate was given to 

 Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, Grimston Park, for a 

 magnificent specimen of Dendrobium chrysotis, a species noticed in our 

 report of the last meeting. 



Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, Wellington Nurseries, sent a col- 

 lection of plants including several of those exhibited by the firm at the 

 previous meeting, a brilliant group of the Guernsey Lily (Nerine sarni- 

 ensis) ; a fine group of winter- flowering Tree Carnations, the pretty 

 little golden-leaved Thyme ; Tricolor Pelargonium Miss Goring, which 

 received a first-class certificate ; and Pleroma macrantha floribunda, with 

 splendid violet flowers 3 inches in diameter. For this a special certifi- 

 cate was given, likewise one to the collection. Mr. Perkins, nursery- 

 man, Leamington, sent Sedum Fabarium purpureum, which is the 

 same as Sedum spectabile pnrpureum, shown by Messrs. Henderson. 

 Wigandia imperialis, a noble plant for subtropical gardening, was also 

 exhibited by Messrs. Henderson & Son, and had a first-class certificate. 

 Dahlia Monarch, a large and fine dark maroon self from Mr. Raw- 

 lings, of Romford, had a first-class certificate, and a like award was 

 made to Mr. Parker, Maiden's Green, Winkfield, for Yellow Standard, 

 primrose yellow. Prince Imperial, buff, with a deeper-coloured centre, 

 from Mr. C. J. Perry, had a second-class certificate. Mr. Harris, of 

 Orpington, also sent several seedlings. Mr. Rawlings exhibited a 

 stand of bouquet Dahlias. 



Mr. Parker, Victoria Nursery, Rugby, exhibited Ivy-leaved Pelar- 

 gonium Golden Queen, apparently a very vigorous -growing kind, with 

 large leaves edged with yellow, and large flowers, white tinged with 

 pink. ThiB received a first-class certificate. 



Messrs. Standish & Co. sent a collection of Retinosporas, among 

 •which were several variegated forms, the pretty R. ericoides. R. lyco- 

 podioides, and others. For this collection a special certificate was given. 



Gejjeral Meeting. — W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in the 

 chair. Several new Fellows having been elected, and the awards of 

 the Fruit and Floral Committees announced, the Chairman called on 

 the Rev. M. J. Berkeley to comment on the principal subjects ex- 

 hibited, and particularly the Fungi. With respect to these he (the 

 Chairman), said that such exhibitions were of importance, because 

 the eye must be educated to distinguish the good species from the bad ; 

 it was of great importance to assure the public that the names given 

 were correct, and it was only by the eye being made well acquainted 

 with the forms aud characters of Fungi, that it could be hoped to turn 

 them to the use of the public generally. 



Mr. Berkeley said before noticing the Fungi, he would first make 

 some remarks on the plants shown. In the first place he would direct at- 

 tention to Dendrobium chrysotis, a specimen of which was exhibited at 



the previous meeting, but it was evident there was a great difference 

 between it and D. fimbriatum, in the flowers being produced on a leafy 

 stem, whilst in fimbriatum they were borne on a naked stem; there 

 was also a considerable difference in the substance of the flowers. 

 Several of the plants shown in Mr. Wilson Saunders's collection were 

 then noticed, especially Trichoceras parviflorus, which, it was said, 

 would be an admirable model for an artificial fly, which would prove 

 " very killing." Messrs. Standish &; Co.'s Ketrnosporas were then 

 referred to as being most valuable Conifers, from their being nearly if 

 not quite hardy, and it was mentioned that though in the midland 

 counties Cupressus macrocarpa had escaped the severe frosts of past 

 years, at Chiswick a fine specimen 30 feet high had succumbed. A new 

 wood from Panama, called the Cordoba (?), was then noticed as fine 

 for cabinet work, but notwithstanding its high colour, it afforded no 

 dye. Some specimens of the Manks Codlin were then shown. These 

 came from Mr. Beech, gardener to the Marquis of Northampton, at 

 Castle Ashby, and all of them were Siamese twins. 



Coming next to the Fungi, Mr. Berkeley remarked that there was 

 a beautiful specimen of Hydnum coralloides, which is extremely rare 

 in this country. There was also a fine example of the dry-rot Fungus 

 from Messrs. Cripps, of Tunbridge Wells. This was by far too com- 

 mon, and he would recommend its being committed to the flames as 

 soon as the meeting was over, as there were probably hundreds of 

 thousands of spores in the specimen. When the wainscoting was re- 

 moved from the old Palace at Kew, there was a specimen of this many 

 feet in diameter, which Sir William Hooker described as presenting a 

 beautiful appearance. A saturated solution of corrosive sublimate was 

 a remedy preventing the recurrence of the Fungus for years ; hut it 

 appeared from experience with railway sleepers that those so treated did 

 not stand so long as if creosoted. Among the Fungi exhibited there 

 were some extremely rare, and some he had never seen before. 

 Agaricus melleus was labelled both as edible and poisonous; though 

 it was eaten in Germany, he had little doubt its use was often at- 

 tended with fatal consequences. Another species exhibited among 

 poisonous Fungi was Boletus luridns ; now he had some time ago 

 received a letter from Sir Walter Trevely an, stating he was in the 

 habit of eating this species ; at first he (Mr. Berkeley) doubted this, 

 hut on specimens arriving in good condition he found that they were 

 the genuine B. luridns. Other Fungi noticed were Marasmius oreades, 

 which was one of the very best ; the gills were far apart, pale, not 

 brown ; A. nebularis ; Boletus edulis, known by its mild taste, and 

 the strong network on its stem ; A. Orcella, and A. Pmnulus (not 

 Badham's). 



It was absolutely necessary that one should have some knowledge 

 of Fungi before eating them, but the same applied to everything else ; 

 for example, the Water Cress, Horseradish, iSrc, for each of which 

 Brooklime, Aconite, &c, had been mistaken. Mr. Worthington 

 Smith had done much by publishing illustrations of edible and poison- 

 ous Fungi at a moderate price, and which were excellent guides in 

 distinguishing the one from the other. 



Mr. Berkeley then referred to Professor Huxley's address to the 

 British Association at Liverpool, particularly in respect to spontaneous 

 generation and to the influence of Fungi in disease. With regard to 

 the supposed origin of cholera from Fungi, although there could be no 

 doubt choleraic matter formed a far more favourable nidus for the 

 low forms of life than healthy excretions, yet it was one of those things 

 that had still to be proved, and that with great precautions. The 

 prevalence of erysipelas in hospitals might not improbably be due to 

 the gelatinous globules, similar to those seen on meat in an incipient 

 state of putrefaction, being carried up in the atmosphere, and alighting 

 on the wounds of the inmates. 



The Chairman having proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Berkeley, 

 which was carried unanimously, called on Mr. William Paul for some 

 remarks on the Koses he had shown. 



Mr. William Paul said— The Roses before you are part of a collec- 

 tion which is intended to bloom from the present time to Christmas. 

 They are all Tea-scented Roses, and this is the third time this year 

 that they have been covered with flowers— first in May, again in July, 

 and now in October. The flowers now out are but the beginning of 

 the third series ; the later buds on the plants will continue to untold 

 for a period of two or three months. The plants before you have been 

 kept constantly under glass, although I do not hold this to be an indis- 

 pensable condition of success. I have flowered Tea-scented Roses 

 equally well out of doors up to this period, but from October onwards 

 it is best to place them under glass, or the frost and probable rain may 

 mar the beauty of the flowers, if it do not destroy them. Of all 

 Roses the Tea-scented flower the most continuously and abundantly in 

 the autumn and winter. The plants now exhibited were kept in a cold 

 greenhouse during last winter, the frost barely excluded. They were 

 pruned in January ; and after the first flowering, which took place in 

 May, was over, the flower-spikes were cut off, and the plants were 

 rested by withholding water. A new growth shortly followed, pro- 

 ducing the second flowering in Julv- The flower-spikes were again 

 cut off, the plants again rested by the agency of drought. The third 

 fTowth took place in August, and the commencement of the third flow- 

 erin" is now before yon These flowers are not so large as those pre- 

 viously produced, but they are valuable, and will become more so as 

 the flowers out of doorB grow less and disappear. In their future a 

 little heat will be employed occasionally to mitigate the effect oi tlie 

 superabundant moisture of autumn and winter. 



