306 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ October 20, 1878. 



gated. Even on the plan you have adopted, with light varie- 

 gated foliage in 2 and 3, we would band them with a purple, as 

 Purple King Verbena, or with strong plants of the Alternan- 

 thera, and if the end circular beds were scarlet we would band 

 them with the larger Cerastiam, or, better still, with the Cine- 

 raria maritima or the white-leaved Centaurea kept dwarf and 

 close, and for this purpose the Cineraria bears nipping well, 

 and, on the whole, we prefer it for its handsome cut leaves to 

 the Centaurea, whilst it is nest to hardy in most dry places. 



We will not enter into your comparison of scarlet Geraniums ; 

 we may merely say, that in small gardens it is well to en- 

 courage the best sorts, and those having the best trusses. But 

 when dense masses of bloom are to be desired rather than fine 

 individual trusses, and if the place is exposed to wind, then 

 we would be sorry to throw away some of the kinds you reject, 

 as Cybister, Indian Yellow, Lord Palmerston, and the old pink 

 Christine. We often find that these smaller-trussed kinds 

 produce the richest mass of colouring, and they are less in- 

 fluenced by wind and rain. Though growing much better kinds, 

 we have had nothing that has equalled Christine for masses of 

 pink. Even now, on the 8th of October, and notwithstanding 

 all the dryness, some beds are beautiful.] 



EARLY FROSTS. 



In this locality, on the nights of the 10th and 11th of this 

 month, we had two rather sharp hoar frosts for the early 

 days of October, and on the morning of the 12th the thermo- 

 meter stood at 27°, or 5° below freezing. 



This frost has proved destructive to many things, such as 

 Vegetable Marrows, Scarlet Eunner and Dwarf Kidney Beans, 

 late Peas, &e. ; while in the flower garden such tender plants 

 as Heliotropes, Tropaolums, Iresines, and Perillas have been 

 killed to the ground ; therefore when these tender subjects 

 have contributed largely to the beauty of a design the pleasure 

 of viewing them may be said to be over for one more summer, 

 but not so when the less tender plants of the Pelargonium 

 class, Calceolarias, and the like have been employed. These, 

 if the weather should prove favourable, and if the plants be 

 cleared of their dead leaves and flowers, will considerably 

 revive and be tolerably gay for two or three weeks; so that in 

 looking at things one way it does seem to me to be a pity that 

 the present style of bedding should necessitate the use of so 

 many tender sorts of plants which very early frosts destroy, 

 rendering a design that perhaps may he at its greatest beauty 

 suddenly unsightly ; yet the hardier kinds of plants retain 

 their beauty for some time longer ; but I suppose there is no 

 help for it. — Thohas Eecord, Hatfield Pari. 



PORTRAIT OF MR. RIVERS. 



Soue friends of Mr. Eivers, of Sawbridgeworth, being de- 

 sirous of expressing their appreciation of the valuable services 

 he has rendered during a long life to the cause of horticulture 

 by his numerous writings and discoveries, have united in a 

 subscription to procure a portrait as a suitable memorial of 

 one who has contributed so much to the pleasure and enjoy- 

 ment of his fellows. The portrait has already been com- 

 missioned, and it is intended when completed to offer it to 

 the Trustees of the Lindley Library, to be hung at South 

 Kensington. 



As Mr. Bivers's consent to the memorial has been obtained 

 on the express understanding that no special application will be 

 made to the general public, but that it shall be a spontaneous 

 movement on the part of those contributing, no application of 

 any kind will be issued asking anyone to assist ; but all who 

 have lhat feeling of regard and admiration for Mr. Eivers, by 

 which the promoters of the movement are actuated, are invited 

 to forward their subscriptions to Dr. Hogg, 99, St. George's 

 Boad, London, S.W. 



As an illustration of the feeling of many amateur horticul- 

 turists who have derived so much healthful recreation and un- 

 alloyed pleasure from the pursuit of horticulture, as it has been 

 popularised by Mr. Bivers, we give the following extract from 

 a letter received by Dr. Hogg, from one of the early promoters 

 of this memorial : — 



" I am decidedly opposed to testimonials after a man is 

 dead. The dead must depend on their own works for their 

 fame, but the living are capable of receiving pleasure from 

 finding that their exertions for the public good have been 

 gratefully received. If ever there was a man who has diffused 



pleasure to mankind, or, to use Virgil's expression, ' gut stfi 

 mem-ores alios fecere merendo,' it is Mr. Eivers. We now 

 associate Mr. Bivers so entirely with orchard houses, that we 

 are apt to forget his earlier but not less useful services in the 

 introduction and cultivation of Eoses and Pears, and above all 

 root-pruning. He has managed to blend in a most unusual 

 manner commercial advantages to himself with liberality and 

 instruction to the public." 



The following have already intimated their desire to unite ic 

 the movement, and have forwarded their subscriptions : — 



£ s. d. 



Jouknal of Horticulture, Proprietors of 5 



Hole, Bev. S. Beynolds, Caunton Manor 5 



Kingsley, Bev. W., South Kilvington 2 2 



Paul, Mr. William, Waltham Cross 1 1 



Pearson, Mr. John, Chilwell 1 1 



Badclyffe, Bev. W. F., Okeford Fitzpaine 



Boden, Dr., Kidderminster 2 2 & 



Sparkes, George, Esq., Bromley 1 1 



Speed, Mr. Thos., Chatsworth Gardens 1 1 



Wilson, G. F., Esq., F.B.S., Heatherbank 



Whatever amount of money may be received in excess of 

 the price of the portrait will be appropriated to some horti- 

 cultural object of which Mr. Bivers may approve ; but Mr. 

 Eivers will regret any proposition that may assume the form 

 of a testimonial being presented to him. 



WINTER-BLOOMING ORCHIDS.— No. 9. 



ADA. 



A. aubantiaca. — A solitary species represents this genus, and 

 until quite recently it has been extremely rare. During the 

 past twelve or eighteen months, however, a considerable number 

 of plants have been introduced to this country in a living state, 

 and it Ehould be eagerly sought after by those Orcbid-growers 

 who appreciate the winter-blooming kinds ; for not only is it 

 very distinct and beautiful, but the colour is one rarely to be 

 met with amongst plants of this order. To those unacquainted 

 with Ada aurantiaca, the fact of its being so rare may, perhaps, 

 be attributed to some difficulty or peculiarity in its cultivation; 

 such, however, is not the ease, for it succeeds admirably under 

 similar conditions to Odontoglossum Alexandra, and the fact 

 of its remaining so long amongst our rarest plants is solely to- 

 be attributed to the difficulty attending its introduction, and to 

 its being extremely local in its distribution. 



This elegant plant produces slender, somewhat cylindrical 

 pseudo-bulbs, which are about 3 or 4 inches long, and support 

 two or three dark green linear leaves varying from 3 to 6 inches in 

 length. The pseudo-bulbs are sheathed at the base with ferru- 

 ginous scales. The longest scape I have seen measured about 

 10 inches, and was produced from the top of the pseudo-bulb, 

 and nodding. The flowers are arranged in a somewhat dis- 

 tichous manner, and placed distantly on the spike ; sepals and 

 petals lanceolate, tapering to a narrow point, the petals much 

 the smallest ; all of them, together with the lip, are of a rich 

 golden orange, a colour which is- extremely rare, and very 

 welcome at the dullest time of the year. It blooms during the 

 months of January, February, and March, lasting in perfection 

 a considerable time. Native of New Granada, at considerable 



elevations. 



AXGE^CtlM. 



AU the species of Angrscum, as far as I am aware, are pe- 

 culiar to Africa or the African islands. Of late years these 

 plants have been undeservedly neglected by growers of orchid- 

 aceous plants, from no other cause that I can imagine than 

 lack of brilliant colours. This is much to be regretted, for 

 many of the species are noble-growing plants, and are very 

 ornamental even when destitute of bloom. Angrscums should 

 be grown in the East Indian house, should be provided with 

 good drainage, and be potted wholly in sphagnum moss, which 

 is best for their roots when in a growing state, independent 

 of the pleasing effect it produces. 



A. sesquipeuale. — I place this species at the head of the list, 

 for it unquestionably produces the finest flowers of any of the 

 genus as yet introduced to cultivation, and they were first seen 

 in this country about thirteen years ago. The plant is very 

 ornamental; leaves about a foot long, arching, bluntly bilobed 

 at the apex, and very deep green in colour, over which a mealy 

 whiteness is suffused, as if dusted or powdered. The scape is 

 produced from the axils of the leaves, and bears from three to 



