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Garden and Forest. 



[Number 254. 



Society is due very largely to the efforts of the Professor 

 and a few other zealous horticulturists at a time when 

 the very existence of the Society was threatened. Pro- 

 fessor Foster's contributions to the history and culture of 

 bulbous Irises will be welcomed by all who are interested 

 in this most delightful, if somewhat refractory, section of 

 one of the most beautiful of all garden flowers. 



The Orchid Review. — We are to have a monthly illustrated 

 journal, devoted exclusively to Orchids, and edited by Mr. 

 R. A. Rolfe, of Kew, and Mr. Frank Leslie. According to the 

 prospectus, it will be conducted on broad and independent 

 lines as a general repertorium of Orchid lore. Among the 

 subjects treated of will be found, descriptions of new 

 species and hybrids, notices of collections ; portraits, all 

 reproduced by photographic process ; cultural notes, geo- 

 graphical notes and sketches of Orchids at home, reports 

 of meetings, etc. The first number will be published on 

 January ist next, price one shilling. Monsieur L. Linden, 

 oi L' Horlicidture Internationale, Brussels, has issued for sev- 

 eral years now a similar publication {Les OrcJiidees) to that 

 here announced, and Monsieur Godefroy Lebeuf, of Argen- 

 tueil and Paris, also publishes a paper, the Orchidophile, 

 which is devoted to Orchids exclusively. In addition to 

 these we have the three large "Albums," issued monthly : 

 one from St. Albans, Reichenbachia ; another from Hollo- 

 way, Tlie Orchid Album, and the third from Brussels, 

 Lindenia. Pretty strong evidence these of the popularity 

 of Orchids in Europe. Never before in the history of hor- 

 ticulture have there been six periodicals devoted exclu- 

 sively to one family of plants. 



New Orchids. — Sophro-Cattleya Calypso is a very beau- 

 tiful hybrid of so-called bigeneric extraction, its parents 

 being Sophronitis grandiflora and Cattleya Loddigesii. It 

 was shown in flower this week by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 

 its raisers, and was awarded a first-class certificate. The 

 pseudo-bulbs and leaves are more like those of the Cattleya, 

 but smaller and more slender. The flower, too, is like the 

 Cattleya in size and form, but colored deep rose, with tips 

 of bright purple on the three-lobed yellow lip. 



Loelia Finckeniana is a supposed natural hybrid between 

 L. albidaand L. anceps. It has the pseudo-bulbs and habit 

 of L. albida, but the flowers are more like those of a small 

 form of L. anceps alba ; they are white, with a blotch of 

 purple on the front lobe of the labellum. 



Cattleya labiata alba is a white form, Very like the white 

 C. Gaskelliana. The flower is pure white, save a yellow 

 shade in the throat. It was shown by Messrs. Sander & Co., 

 and obtained a first-class certificate. 



Twelve new Hybrid Cypripediums were exhibited this 

 week, but C. Arite (concolor x Spicerianum) and C. 

 Johnsonianum (nitens X Lawrencianum) only obtained 

 certificates. 



Pleurothallis punctulata was described by Mr. Rolfe 

 in 1889 from a plant introduced by Messrs. Veitch from 

 New Granada in 1885, and now in the collection of 

 Mr. R. I. Measures, who exhibited it in fine health, and 

 flowering freely this week. It is about eight inches high, 

 with erect, leathery, lanceolate leaves clothed with a white 

 meal at the back. The flowers somewhat resemble those 

 of a Restrepia antennifera in size and shape ; they are light 

 yellow, spotted with brown-purple, the lip, which is large, 

 being deep maroon. The flowers are produced at the back 

 of the leaf-blade. This is certainly one of the best of the 

 few good species of Pleurothallis known. 



Masdevallia McVitice is a hybrid between M. Tovarensis 

 and M". Veitchii. It has leaves like the former parent and 

 large rosy lilac flowers on a scape nine inches long. It is 

 remarkable as a curious hybrid, and is likely to prove a 

 good addition to the cultivated Masdevallias. It was raised 

 in a garden at Stone, Staffordshire, the seeds having been 

 sown about twelve years ago. It was certificated. 



Cattleya Alexandrse was shown in flower by Messrs. 

 Linden and Mr. B. D. Knox, the former sending a three- 

 flowered scape, the latter a plant with a single flower. The 

 committee reserved its opinion, and asked to see more of 



this Cattleya, in the hope that better forms may be forth- 

 coming. So far it has disappointed expectations. The 

 flowers shown were darker than that produced at Kew, 

 but in no way more attractive. 



The Christmas Rose. — This is now beautiful in the wild 

 garden at Kew. The ground is thickly carpeted with the 

 brown leaves which have fallen from the Limes and Elms 

 and other trees about, and the pure white flowers of the 

 Hellebore are in numerous crowded clusters, rising a few 

 inches above the leaves. Helleborus niger, in a pot or 

 grown singly in a border, is not to be despised, but when 

 it is planted in hundreds in such a position as is here de- 

 scribed it is a glorious winter picture. We do not make 

 nearly enough use of this plant. It thrives under trees, 

 asking only for a loamy soil to root into and an annual 

 top-dressing of a good compost, such as loam and manure. 

 With these conditions it increases and multiplies, and in 

 winter, if the weather in December be favorable, as it has 

 been this year, it flowers abundantly. Certainly the Christ- 

 mas Rose is one of the most valuable of all hardy plants 

 here, and to enjoy its full capabilities it must be liberally 

 treated and planted in a position where it can be seen to the 

 best advantage. There is surely something remarkable in 

 the fact of this plant developing its large attractive flowers 

 in midwinter, when vegetation generally in the north is 

 apparently fast asleep. 



Berberis vulgaris. — This old garden-plant is the most 

 attractive shrub outside at this season. For more than a 

 month past some bushes of it, ten feet high and as much 

 through, have been beautiful sheaves of long, elegant 

 branches crowded with bright crimson coral-like berries. 

 The birds often prevent the effect such shrubs would make 

 by devouring the berries as they ripen, but in places where 

 the birds are disturbed the Barberry assumes its full winter 

 beauty. The sprays of berries are most decorative when 

 cut and arranged in vases, etc., and they keep fresh several 

 weeks in water. A charming Christmas picture, which, in 

 England, at any rate, could be easily obtained, would be 

 some bushes of this Barberry growing out of a carpet of 

 Christmas Rose, always assuming that the birds did not 

 spoil the arrangement. 



Begonia, Winter Gem, is well-named. It is one of the 

 Socotrana hybrids raised by Messrs. Veitch several years 

 ago, who exhibited a group of it last Tuesday. It is B. 

 Socotrana, but with larger flowers of the most brilliant 

 crimson color. Flowering as it does in midwinter, and in- 

 heriting from its Socotran parent the valuable character of 

 holding its flowers till they wither, this Begonia is certain 

 to become a general favorite. Mr. Heale, the raiser of 

 these hybrids, informs me that he has a new hybrid which 

 is even better than Winter Gem, and which also has been 

 obtained from B. Socotrana. 



London. W. WatSOft. 



Correspondence. 



Grapes in Winter. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir,— J have been making some experiments in keepinggrapes 

 in open baskets set in a cool room, and send you a few 

 notes. For November 15th I have recorded : 



The Concord, if carefully handled, will keep much better 

 than I had supposed. At this date it is in good condition, but 

 lacks somewhat in flavor. The thin-skinned sorts are not de- 

 caying anymore than the thick-skinned ones, unless the grapes 

 are bruised. Diamond grows in beauty and improves in flavor 

 from keeping. It cannot be distinguished in color from Golden 

 Pocklington, and does not shrivel easily. Vergennes is skinny 

 and seedy, but keeps very well from rot. I do not care for it 

 as a table fruit. Amber is a wonderful grape to keep. The 

 bunches are as fresh-looking "as when picked, but the acidity 

 is such that few will eat it. It does not quite ripen in this lati- 

 tude. I recommend that farther south it be tested for a winter 

 grape. The bunches are very handsome ; color, green. Her- 

 bert is an ideal grape up to date, and is a favorite with every- 

 body. It will keep if not eaten up. It is the very best of our 

 black grapes for keeping. Niagara is in good order as yet, and 



