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JOTJBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ October 18, 1877. 



only showed itself in a few plants at first it spread rapidly, 

 plants adjoining those infected were quickly contaminated; a 

 diseased plant showing itself in a line or mass, when all or a 

 majority of the plants in the infected line or mass became 

 diseased. This disease is certainly contagions, for out of twelve 

 detached lines or masseB five only have no diseased plants. 

 In no case is the fungus confined to the plants first snowing 

 evidence of its attacks, but has spread and is spreading (Sep- 

 tember 20 th) to others. It is remarkable that the plants left 

 where first planted have no disease, and the soil in which the 

 diseased plants are growing is not nearly so heavily manured 

 as that of the healthy plants. 



Calceolarias are not much valued now-a-days, yet in their 

 season and colour there is nothing to equal them, especially 

 the yellows, in contrast with PerUla or Beet. We can have 

 yellow foliage in place of yellow flowers, yet flowers are indis- 

 pensable, none affording yellow so well as these. 



Tagetes signata pumila has done grandly, growing finely and 

 blooming profusely. Its colour is at best a dirty yellow though 

 it is very useful, its foliage being so neat, the whole a dense 

 close mass, and where Calceolarias do not succeed is a good 

 substitute. 



Lobelias have done well, and notwithstanding that we have 

 a great many varieties of the speciosa section there is none 

 better than the species when a true stock can be obtained, and 

 the plants come quite true from seed, doing away with much 

 labour and saving room for tenderer plants. Seedling plants 

 endure drought much better than plants from cuttings, and 

 flower more continuously to a later period. 



Alternantheras have been a complete failure as they have 

 ever been here, for though any amount of moisture is borne 

 by them it must be accompanied with warmth, or the plants 

 decrease instead of increase in size. 



Succulents have enjoyed the wet, but the wet for weeks 

 completely obliterated the hues of flowers ; and ornamental- 

 foliaged plants have grown well, except Iresine, which requires 

 heat as well as wet. Beet was never, perhaps, finer nor better 

 coloured. 



Pelargoniums have been a failure, the best being Waltham 

 Seedling, Vesuvius, and Glow in scarlets ; Master Christine in 

 pinks, though Christine has stool well, not going to seed as is 

 its wont ; and in whites, White Clipper. Prince Silverwings, 

 May Queen, Bright Star, and for growth Golden Circle, have 

 been good in the variegated section. 



Flower gardening as I have seen and experienced it in the 

 north has been a complete failure. What brightness there has 

 been was afforded by foliage. Plants cultivated for their flowers 

 have not done at all well. Notable exceptions are Violas, 

 which have grown splendidly and bloomed freely ; the masses 

 of blue produced by Blue Bell and the yellow of Lutea grandi- 

 flora are really pleasing to behold in the midst of so much 

 greenery, which no one need complain of this season as want- 

 ing to relieve the gorgeous glaring of flowering plants. Colour 

 as afforded by flowers has been of a very meagre character ; 

 and though foliage colouring is all very well in its way, it iB in 

 seasons like this that soft hues and neutral tints need the 

 richer glow of flowers to heighten their effect. — A. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Sie Henry Scudamore Stanhope, Bart., writes to us from 

 Holme Lacy, Hereford, that the hurricane on the 14th inst. 

 has done great damage : — " The fine old Tulip Tree is a per- 

 fect wreck, as well as the Liquidamber and Deciduous Cypress. 

 The havoc among Oaks and Elms is dreadful ; magnificent 

 Eound trees are torn up by the roots in every direotion, and 

 damaged trees are innumerable. It will take a considerable 

 time to clear the grounds of limbs and boughs." We regret 

 this very much, for the trees referred to are, or were a week 

 ago, grand ancestral ornaments. 



The Lapagerias, especially L. alba, now flowering on 



the roof of the entrance corridor in Messrs. Veitch'a nursery 

 at Chelsea, are highly worthy of inspection, as is also the large 

 and healthy young stock of these deservedly popular climbers. 

 Amongst the more notable plants now in beauty in the Orchid 

 houses are several choice Cypripediums. C. Sedeni is proving 

 its great decorative power, both by its exuberant growth and 

 numerous and richly-coloured flowers. C. Sohlimii alba is in 

 lovely condition. C. selligeram is remarkably fine, as also 

 are C. uryandrum and C. Harrisianum. The varieties raised 

 in this nursery are not more noteworthy for their intrinsic 

 beauty than for their free-growing and flowering properties. 



Several other Orchids are also flowering. In the intermediate 

 house the almost ever-flowering and ever-beautiful Bhodo- 

 dendron Taylori attracts notice, and the incomparable col- 

 lection of Nepenthes, Cephalotes, DroBeras, and insectivorous 

 plants are in superb condition. It is an advantage to cul- 

 tivators that many of these extremely singular and withal 

 beautiful plants are not by any means difficult to manage, and 

 only require a comparatively cool temperature. 



The Weather in the south of Scotland, a correspon- 

 dent writes, has been very fine from the 6th of September to 

 the 9th of October, when it came on very wet, and has con- 

 tinued showery ever since. The Corn crop is nearly all secured, 

 but Potatoes in many places are not worth lifting owing to 

 disease. Grapes coloured well during the month of fine weather. 



At last Mr. Bull's new Drac.ina Goldieana is announced 



for distribution. "Not distinct enough" is the verdict often 

 passed on many new plants, but it cannot be applied to the 

 plant in question. It is distinct, remarkable, and beautiful — 

 a plant to be obtained and cherished by all who desire their 

 collections of fine-foliaged plants to be in the greatest degree 

 attractive and complete. It has contributed powerfully to Mr. 

 Bull's success in the classes for new plants at the chief exhi- 

 bitions at home and abroad. The effect of the collection at 

 Chelsea, the broad fleshy foliage with zebra-like markings, is 

 striking and unique. As seen in the condition in which it ia 

 produced at home none can dispute the novelty and great 

 decorative excellence of this Dracaena. A f6w attractive Or- 

 chids are now flowering, such as Oncidium varicosum, Bogersii, 

 tigrinum, and Marshalliannm (a large importation of the 

 latter having been received, one variety of which is very dis- 

 tinct and fine), Ltelia marginata superba, Dendrobium for- 

 mosum giganteum, and Odontoglossums. A considerable addi- 

 tion is about being made to the nursery, Mr. Bull having pur- 

 chased ground near to Cremorne whereon Messrs. J. Edmonds 

 and Son, Lillie Bridge, Fulham, are about to erect eighteen 

 Bpan-roofed houses each 60 feet in length. 



Last year attention was directed to the mode of grow- 

 ing Euphorbia Jacquini^flora at Wimbledon House by plant- 

 ing a row of plants close to the back wall of the pit in which 

 the Pines were plunged and training the Euphorbias to wires, 

 thus forming a hedge reaching from the bed to the roof — a 

 brilliant hedge it proved — at the back of the Pines. The same 

 plan is adopted this year. A few of the old Euphorbias have 

 been permitted to remain ; but it is clear that young are better 

 than old plants for this mode of culture, hence nearly all the 

 plants now forming the hedge were struck from cuttings in the 

 spring of this year. The plan adopted ia altogether so valuable 

 — yielding as it does thousands, even armfuls, of brilliant 

 sprays during the winter without occupying Epace which could 

 otherwise be employed — that it is recommended to all who 

 have the means of carrying it out. Not the slightest harm is 

 done to the Pine plants by planting the Euphorbias at the 

 margin of the pit ; indeed, the Pines, which are now planted 

 out, are finer and more promising than ever. The visitor 

 scarcely knows which to admire most — the sturdy and exube- 

 rant Pines or their remarkable background of Euphorbias. 



We learn that Mr. F. Smith, late gardener to Lord 



Cloncurry, Lyons Hazelhatch, has been appointed gardener to 

 Sir Charles Coote, Ballyfin House, Maryborough, Queen's 

 County, Ireland. 



The Orchid house in the Victoria and Paradise Nurse- 

 ries, Holloway, is now particularly bright and attractive. The 

 plants in flower are Lselias Perrini (very fine), Dayana, prses- 

 tans and cinnabarina ; Maxillaria nigrescens ; Masdevalliaa 

 ignea and Harryana ; Dendrobium chrysanthum and formosum 

 giganteum, the flowers of the latter having continued fresh for 

 upwards of six weeks; Pleiones lagenaria, maculatum, and 

 Wallichianum, very beautiful ; Sophronites cernua ; Sacco- 

 labium bigibbum, a little gem ; also S. Blumei ; Vandas Bate- 

 manii, suavis, and tricolor; Oncidiums varicosum, Bogersii, 

 crispum, pulvinatum, and tigrinum; Odontoglossums crispum, 

 Beichenheimi, Lindleyanum, and grande ; Cattleya Loddigesii ; 

 Aerides suavissimum ; Cypripedium Harrisianum; Zygopeta- 

 lum maxillare ; and Warsoewiczella quadrata. The plants not 

 in flower are also attractive by their cleanliness and excellent 

 health. 



When it is considered that a chief standard of excel- 

 lence in a Dahlia is the handsome form and entire doubleneaa 

 of the flower it may savour almost of retrogression to reoom- 

 mend varieties with single flowers, yet we do not hesitate to 

 speak strongly in favour of two single varieties (a yellow and a 





