423 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 29, 1877. 



averaged 2 feet 6 inches in circumference. He describes it as 

 a splendid variety; and Mr. Iddenden, market gardener, Ash- 

 ford, states that he has cat a head 44 inches in circumference, 

 yet very close and compact. Some of the finest heads wa 

 have seen were grown this year by Mr. Jones at Bantlcy Priory. 

 They are remarkable examples of what must justly be de- 

 scribed as one of the most valuable of autumn vegetables. 



Since Mr. Baring's garden at Coombe Cottage was 



described on page 34 some important alterations have been 

 made, which have added considerably to the completeness and 

 usefulness of the glass structures. Some commodious, excel- 

 lently arranged, and well-constructed vineries and pineries 

 have been erected , also a Fig honee, which are already occupied 

 and doing good work. The houses have been erected and 

 heated by Henry Ormson, Stanley Bridge, Chelsea. The heat- 

 ing is efficiently and economically done by fined saddle boilers, 

 and all the pipes are on the same level; little or no difference 

 is found in the heat of the flow and return pipes by this arrange- 

 ment. The several houses are also well occupied. Young 

 Vines are extremely promising ; Orchids are numerous and in 

 thriving condition, as also are ornamental-foliaged table plants 

 and flowering plants. We never saw Pleione maculata in such 

 fine condition, one pot containing about sixty charming flower?. 

 Odontoglossum cirrhosum is showing strongly ; the brilliant 

 Sophronitis grandiflora is just expanding, and will continue in 

 beauty for three months ; and Cattleya Dayana and Odonto- 

 glossum Roezlii are very fine. Cat flowers, which are in great 

 demand, are chiefly nfforded by Gardenias, Roman Hyacinths, 

 Ixoras, Euphorbias, Ei-anthemums, Aza'eas, Camellias, Scutel- 

 larias, Cintropogons, Heliotropes, and Mignonette. Amaryllis 

 aulioa, Mr. Baker's fine variety, is also extremely effective. 



At the Taunton Boot Show held on the 24th inst. 



Messrs. Kelway & Son's five-guinea silver cup offered for 

 twenty roots of their Magnum Bonnm Mangold was awarded 

 to Mr. Carter of Huntspill, near Bridgewater, and their five- 

 guinea silver cup for twenty roots of Kelway's Mammoth 

 Swede was awarded to Mr. James Mead of Yarlington, near 

 Wincanton. 



A few remarkable Orchids are now flowericgin Messrs. 



Veitch's fine collection at Chelsea. Foremost to notice is 

 Cattleya exoniensis, Mr. Dominy's greatest triumph and bril- 

 liant memorial. The plant has thirteen expanded flower3 and 

 nine buds ; and such flowers ! one scarcely knows which to 

 admire most, the soft delicacy or the intense richness of 

 colouring which are combined in this fine variety. The sepals 

 and petals are silvery blue, the lip bluish violet deepening to 

 purple and margined with white, and the throat is rich orange, 

 the margins of every part of the flower being beautifully 

 fringed. Too much cannot be said in praise of this magnificent 

 Orchid, which is worth a long journey to see. Its parentage 

 is Lfelia purpurata and the Sion House variety of. Cattleya 

 MpBsiae. Near it is Cattleya fausta, the first seedling Orchid 

 raised by Mr. Ssden ; the prevailing colour is reddish mauve, 

 which has a rich effect by gaslight. It is the result of a cross 

 between C, exoniensis and C. Loddigesii. A new Cypripedium 

 of great promise is flowering. It is the result of a cross be- 

 tween C. Dominii and C. Sehhmii. In colour it resembles 

 C. Sedeni, but the flower is much finer, tbe throat more 

 spotted., and has, what Sedeni has not, long twisted tails. 

 It has bright green arching foliage, and is of stately habit. 

 Yet another new plant merits notice— namely, CalantheSedeni. 

 All who know C. Veitchii know how valuable it is. The new 

 variety is between that and C. vestita. It is larger than 

 Veitchii, and is very similar in colour, but in addition has the 

 white sepals and bold chocolate throat blotch of vestita. This 

 fine new Calanthe is sure to become popular. Chrysanthe- 

 mums are still gay ; they have been grown in a more natural 

 manner than during previous years, and the ordinary character 

 of the varieties is the better appreciated. 



A Northamptonshire correspondent in writing to us 



on the effects of the late great gale, aays — "My whole estate 

 was strewed with fallen trees. They came down like nine- 

 pins. A small sprinkling, too, of barns and cottages were con- 

 siderably dispersed." 



We have, writes " Observer," some very fine speci- 

 mens of different kinds of Hollies, and the contrast between 

 last season and this is most apparent. The difference between 

 no berries and the trees being red over is very striking. Spe- 

 cimens of Hollies variegated and Belf-colonred, 30 and 40 feet 

 in height and more in circumference, clothed with their shining 

 foliage and their coral-like berries, are very attractive objects 



during the dark days of winter, and will no doubt afford food 

 for fieldfares, missel thrushes, and other of the feathered 

 tribe. 



■ The annual Root Show of Messrs. Edward Webb and 



Sons was held at Wordsley, near Stourbridge, on the 20:h 

 inst., and was in every way successful. There were 1308 

 entries against 1272 last year, and £300 was offered by Messrs. 

 Webb in cups and other prizes. The whole of these prizes are 

 given for roots grown from their seed. Among the more pro- 

 minent exhibitors were Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of 

 Sutherland, the Duke of Portland, the Earl of Craven, the 

 Earl of Denbigh, the Earl of Dartmouth, the Earl of Stamford 

 and Warrington, the Earl of Warwick, Lord Lovatt, Lord 

 Hampton, Lord Northwick, Lord Moreton, Lord Lsigh, Lady 

 Ward", Viscount Hill, Sir George Chetwode, Bart., Sir H. S. 

 Stanhope, Bart., Col. Dyott ; Messrs. C. Combe, W. D. Foster, 

 T. H. Farrer, W. L. Beale, Joseph Beach, Samuel Robinson, 

 W. T. Carrington, Joseph Palley, and T. Jowitt. The princi- 

 pal feature of the Exhibition was the specimens of Webb's 

 Imperial Swede, in which class there were 496 entries. The 

 heaviest single roots shown were — Imperial Swede, 23 J lbs.; 

 Yellow Globe, 36 J lbs.; Long Red Mangold, 44 lbs. There 

 was a large attendance of visitore. 



In the reports of the chief London flower shows " Mr. 



Roberts, gardener to W. Terry, Esq., Peterborough House, 

 Fulham," frequently recurs in the prize list. We recently had 

 a " bull's eye" view of Mr. Terry's garden, and were mach 

 pleased with the appearance of the houses. The collection of 

 medicinal and officinal plants is extremely interesting, and 

 Orchids are very numerous, and are steadily improving in health 

 under Mr. Roberts's care. Stove and greenhouse plants are 

 also well managed, and forcing is ably conducted, Cucumbers 

 and French Beans beiDg provided " all the year round." It 

 is pleasing to notice, too, that old border flowers are cherished; 

 but to appreciate these a daylight visit is necessary. This we 

 hope to have on a future occasion, when more particular note 

 can be taken of many things that are noteworthy in this well- 

 appointed and excellently managed garden. Amongst the 

 plants that cannot be grown are Violets, the London fogs 

 being fatal, or nearly so, to these esteemed flowers; neither 

 in pots nor borders can they be made to flourish during the 

 winter at Peterborough House. 



The most highly.flavoured Hadresfield Court Grapes 



that we have tasted were grown by Mr. Burnett at Deepdene. 

 They are grown on the Black Hamburgh stock, on which 

 Mr. Burnett states they never crack with him. They are of 

 splendid quality. We should be glad to hear of the experience- 

 of others who have grown Madresfield on Black Hamburgh 

 roots. Mr. Burnett finds, also, that Royal Muscadine is an 

 excellent stock for Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat. He has forty 

 bunches on two rods, which are very fine and are better 

 coloured than we often see this Grape. 



During the October of 1876 rather more than 



237,000 cwts. of Potatoes were imported, but in the same 

 month of the present year nearly 1,100,000 cwts. have been 

 imported. 



The mild autumn weather, writes a Yorkshire gardener, 



appears to pot things out of season. We have here a fine old 

 plant of Scorpion Senna (Coronilla Emerus) nearly a mass of 

 bloom. Its beautiful yellow-tinged-with-red flowers in the 

 sunshine give it a oharming effect. It began flowering in early 

 summer and continued in beauty for a length of time, and now 

 with renewed vigour it is making an effort to cheer us on the 

 eve of winter. He urges the more extensive cultivation of this 

 plant for indoor decoration. The plants succeed in any ordi- 

 nary soil in well-drained pots supplied with water as they re- 

 quire it. When not wanted they can be plunged in the reserve 

 ground till wanted. 



Oranges are being imported from the Brazils. This 



is the first year, says the Mercantile Gazette, in which any 

 important quantity has been brought to this country, great 

 difficulty having been previously experienced in gettiog the 

 fruit in sound condition. This has, however, to some extent 

 been overcome by care in gathering, packing, &o. The quality 

 of this Orange is said to be extremely fine, being ripe and 

 sweet, which no European Oranges are at the present period of 

 the year. 



Owing to frequent showers and a prolonged period of 



mild weather, winter green crops have recently grown with 

 great rapidity. Broccolis are luxuriant and succulent, and 

 consequently in considerable danger should frost come end- 



