September 27, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



251 



and Richard Dean ; to the executors of the late Mr. Harrison, 

 Catterick Bridge, Yorkshire, for seedling Dahlia Rosy Circle; 

 to Mr. John Keynes, Salisbury, for seedling Dahlias Robert 

 Burns, Dictator, Emulator, and Marion; to Mr. J. Betteridge, 

 Aster Nursery, Chipping Norton, for seedling Quilled Aster 

 Novelty ; and to Messrs. Rawlings Brothers, Old Church, Rom- 

 ford, Essex, for seedling Dahlia James Willing. 



It will thus be seen that for all lovers of florists' flowers there 

 was something worth looting at, and hopes were expressed by 

 many that this might be but the commencement of a revival of 

 good autumn shows at the Crystal Palace. The authorities 

 have been sounded on the subject, and I am hopeful that some- 

 thing may be done. — D., Veal. 



VEGETABLES. 



An extensive and excellent display was provided, the finest 

 that has been seen since Messrs. Carter's fifty-guinea cup was 

 won by Mr. Gilbert at South Kensington. Only two classes 

 were provided, but the competition was good and the produce 

 was of superior quality. In the class for the " best collection 

 of vegetables, to be shown in shallow boxes 3 feet wide," there 

 were eleven competitors, and as the boxes were neither re- 

 stricted as to length nor limited as to number, some of the col- 

 lections were of great extent and had quite an imposing appear- 

 ance. 



The awarding of the prizes occupied a considerable time, 

 but eventually the honours fell, first to Mr. Praguell, Sherborne 

 CaBtle, for an extensive collection of remarkable quality ; second 

 to Mr. Chaff, gardener to C. H. Goschen, Esq., Ballards, Ad- 

 dington, for a collection consisting of fifty-four varieties : and 

 third to Mr. Durant, 4, St. George's Terrace, Hurstpierpoint, for 

 a small collection, but of first-rate quality. Every kind of ve- 

 getable grown in gardens was represented in the above col- 

 lections, and nearly all in the first order of excellence. 



_ In the cottagers' claBS for a collection of not less than six distinct 

 kinds there were thirteen competitors, and much really superior 

 produce was staged. Mr. Durant won the first place with a col- 

 lection of splendid quality; Mr. W. Patchill. Bandon Hill, 

 Beddington, Croydon, had the second; and Mr. Brookes, Bandon 

 Hill, the third prizes. Considering the small amount of the 

 prizes and the great merit of the collections, the authorities 

 would not have erred had they awarded an extra prize or two in 

 this class. 



Mr. "Walker, nurseryman, Thame, Oxon, was worthily awarded 

 an extra prize for a collection of his " exhibition " Onion. None 

 of the bulbs were less than 14 inches in circumference, and they 

 were bright in colour, firm, and of handsome shape. 



Good as other sections of the Exhibition were we do not hesi- 

 tate saying that the vegetables were one of the fineBt features of 

 the Show. 



This was the first Show at the Palace held under the sole 

 management of Mr. Thomson, who exerted himself to the 

 utmoot to make it a success, and succeeded. 



NOVELTIES IN THE BOYAL GARDENS, KEW- 

 On the wall of the herbaceous ground we were much pleased 

 with a fine example of Clematis Davidiana, not long intro- 

 duced, and received here from Paris. It is a native of China, 

 and similar in habit to C. tubulosa, from which, however, it is 

 abundantly distinct. The flowers are produced in large clus- 

 ters in the axil of every leaf to the extreme ends of the year's 

 growth. _ The terminal clusters are many of them more than 

 3 inches in diameter, having about fifty expanded flowers with 

 many buds concealed beneath. Their colour is porcelain blue, 

 each flower resembling the pip of a Hyacinth. This species, 

 unlike the majority, has no tendency to climb, the branches 

 are stiff and erect, bearing broad, ample, dark green leaves. 



Crinum Moorei haa flowered in the cool division of the new 

 range, and while being one of the finest of the genus, is also 

 nearly if not quite hardy, and well suited for greenhouse 

 cultivation. The flowers are of large size with broad seg- 

 ments, varying in colour from deep pink to nearly pure white. 

 It is very desirable on account of its decorative value, and is 

 very easily cultivated. It is supposed to have come from the 

 interior of Natal, but we believe it may also be found further 

 north. Several nearly allied forms are native of Africa. 



Mr. Bull's beautiful Eucharis Candida has flowered in the 

 Begonia house. It is the plant to whioh the name truly 

 belongs. That often usurping it is Caliphuria subedentata, 

 inferior in more than one respect, in particular that it may not 

 flower for years. Eucharis Candida is from the United States 

 of Columbia. It is similar in habit to E. grandiflora, but the 

 flowers, though smaller, are much more elegant in form. The 

 scape is about 2 feet high, bearing several flowers, the tube 

 2 inches long, perianth 2 inches across, with a funnel-shaped 

 corona. It requires the cultivation of its well known ally, and 

 several bulbs should be grown in a pot. 



Gloriosa superba var. grandiflora is a splendid form flower" 

 ing in the Stove. It is quite distinct from G. superba and of 

 much larger size ; the segments are clear yellow near the 

 base, passing above into deep crimson. It is much superior in 

 colour and also in the beautiful marginal undulations. Chirita 

 sinensis has here been very attractive. It has a very short 

 stem ; the leaves are thick and fleshy, veined with white, and 

 spreading in a rosette completely hide the pot. The flowers 

 are pale lilac, and profusely produced on stems just above the 

 foliage. 



Among the Orchids Angrajcum arcuatum has flowered in this 

 collection for the first time. The flowers are white, sweetly 

 scented, with sepals and petals recurving gracefully and pro- 

 duced several together on a short spike. Vanda lamellata is 

 interesting in appearance and very free-blooming, but without 

 the showiness of its better known relatives. Epidendrum 

 radiatum, allied to E. cochleatum, has a large shell-shaped lip 

 with radiating purple lines. E. ibaguense is ornamental with 

 lilac flowers. E. scriptum has peculiar insect-like blossoms 

 with petals reduced in size to mere threads. Masdevallia 

 Davisii and M. Peristeria represent the ornamental and curious 

 of this genus. The former is bright yellow, in the form of 

 M. Lindeni or Harryana, and the latter of brownish colour 

 seated low down among the leaves. Ljelia Dayi is extremely 

 pretty growing in a basket; the lip forms a tube with rich 

 purple mouth. L. xanthina is also in flower. Several speci- 

 mens of Cattleya crispa in good varieties have just finished a 

 fine display. Dandrobium Johanis is one of the curious speoies 

 from Australia. It has long erect stems, bearing yellowish 

 brown flowers with sepals and petals twisted much in the same 

 way as D. tortile, but unfortunately without the fine colour of 

 that species. Miltonia Candida var. grandiflora has a beauti- 

 ful white lip, well contrasted with orange and brown sepals and 

 petals. M. spectabilis and M. Regnellii are also in bloom. 

 Comparettia coccinea is pretty with flowers of Oncidium shape 

 and colour, which the name indicates. The more ornamental 

 Orchids, besides some already mentioned, include Dendrobium 

 Gibsoni, D. Beneonia? and D. sanguineolentum, Stanhopea 

 graveolens, Mesospinidium vulcanicum, several Oncidiums — 

 0. Krameri, Wentworthianum and others, Calanthe Masuca, 

 Cypripedium superbiens and C. Sedeni. 



Rhodochiton volubile has flowered magnificently during the 

 present season in the Temperate house, its slender stems 

 hang down and form quite a curtain of flowers and foliage. 

 Campanula pyramidalis and the variety alba are here very 

 effective, growing with several stems from a pot. Solanum 

 venustum is a graceful and slender climber flowering in the 

 Palm house. The flowers are pale lavender in colour, and 

 hang in large panicles. It is extremely rare, and though grown 

 for some time in the Royal Gardens may be considered new. 

 Torenia Pournieri continues to flower with great freedom in 

 the Lily house, and has the advantage of shrubby growth so 

 as not to require a single tie. 



In the Stove are two very sweetly scented plants, Tinnsea 

 tethiopica and Coffaea travancorensis. The flowers of the 

 former are of the peculiar brown colour often associated with 

 delicious odour, as in Boronia megastigma ; the latter is no less 

 attractive from its multitude of small white flowers than its 

 delicious perfume, which somewhat resembles Gardenia. Juan- 

 nlloa parasitica is considerably ornamental, having small 

 Datura-like flowers with both orange calyx and corolla. The 

 prettiest of the species of Balsams is perhaps Impatiens Jer- 

 doniae, now profusely flowering in the Begonia house in a basket. 

 It is scarcely 6 inches in height, and with pretty foliage bears 

 an immense number of crimson and yellow flowers of peculiar 

 form. The rare Spigelia splendens is juBt going out of bloom. 



The tuberous- rooted Begonias are in great display, and their 

 showy colours have recently been contrasted with the white 

 flowers of Campanula Vidali, producing a fine effect. B. Pearcei 

 with bright yellow flowers is one of the most attractive, and 

 with cool treatment is infinitely finer than when, as formerly, 

 grown with the warm shrubby species. Allium pulchellum is 

 very pretty on the rockwork. Meconopsis Wallichi has long 

 been in bloom and is just paESing off. Phygelius capensis has 

 recently been highly effective on the wall of the Orchid house, 

 where it has surprisingly developed. 



Yellow Alpine Aubicula. — The fine variety of this, to 

 which Mr. Llewelyn refers as having been seen by him on the 

 high Alps of Switzerland, is in all probability P. auricula mar- 

 ginata. The flowers of this quite answer the description given 

 by Mr. Llewelyn, and no show Auricula that I am acquainted 



