462 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 240. 



of St. Albans, sent some extremely choice exhibits,' the 

 cream of which was a new Cattleya, supposed to be a 

 natural hybrid, but which looks like a variation from C. 

 aurea. The flowers are of the same shape, though larg-er 

 than C. aurea, with a broad, spreading, shallow labellum of 

 a splendid amethyst-purple netted with gold, and broad 

 sepals and petals of a delicate blush-white. It is one of 

 the most beautiful Cattleyas I have yet seen. It is named 

 C. Oweniana. It won a first-class certificate, as did also 

 another Cattleya, from Mr. Lee, a Manchester amateur. 

 This was a snow-white variety of C. speciosissima, and 

 was named Sanderiana. The flower is ver}'- large, of fault- 

 less shape, and a pure white throughout with the exception 

 of a blotch of lemon-yellow in the throat. In striking con- 

 trast was a group of the vivid scarlet Habenaria militaris, 

 from Sir Trevor Lawrence. This is a small-growing ter- 

 restrial Orchid with long spotted leaves and erect spikes of 

 flowers with trifid labella. No other Orchid that I know, ex- 

 cept a grandiflora, has such a glowing color as this. 



Messrs. Linden showed the new J^lrides Augustianum, 

 with long and dense spikes of small flov\'ers of a pale rose- 

 pink color. This was considered worthy of an award of 

 merit. From Brussels also came some distinct and fine 

 varieties of Cattleya Acklandise; maxima, with a very broad 

 lip, and guttata, with heavily spotted sepals, being the 

 finest. Baron Schrceder sent a fine erect spike of the new 

 hybrid Phajus maculato-grandifolius, raised by Messrs. 

 Veitch. It is among the finest of )'ellow Orchids, the color 

 of the large flowers being a bright canary-yellow, with lips 

 of chestnut-brown. A large group of Dendrobium Phalae- 

 nopsis, some having spikes carrying two dozen flowers, 

 showed how finely this splendid Orchid can be grown by 

 amateurs who understand the peculiar treatment it likes. 

 Vanda Sanderiana, the unique V. coerulea, helped to swell 

 the Orchid display, as did also a pretty group of V. Kim- 

 balliana from Messrs. Low. This has become an estab- 

 lished favorite among orchidists here, as it has no doubt in 

 America. A large number of h)'brid Cypripediums were 

 shown, but these are becoming so numerous and so much 

 like each other that it is impossible to describe their peculiar 

 characteristics. Some hybrid Cypripedia are distinct and 

 handsome, but in many instances these hybrids are much 

 less beautiful than their parents. 



Some deliberation was required b)' the Floral Committee 

 in certificating varieties of Gladioli and Dahlias, the nov- 

 elties being so nearly like the older sorts. Among hundreds 

 of spikes of IMessrs. Kelway's Gladioli, which made a splen- 

 did array, only two were found worth}' of a special certifi- 

 cate. These were Numa, a massive spike of white flaked 

 with rose and tinged with yellow, and Poetis, blush-white, 

 flaked with rose and yellow. Messrs. Kelway seem to 

 have reached the climax with the Gandavensis Gladioli, 

 but it is said that there will soon be some startling novel- 

 ties from intercrossing their strain with Lemoine's hardier 

 race, which has, moreover, a greater range and stronger 

 contrasts of rich colors, which have gained for them the 

 popular name of Butterfly Gladioli. Among the new 

 Dahlias the most remarkable were those from the famous 

 growers at Salisbury, the Messrs. Keynes. These were all 

 of the true Cactus-flowered class, like the original Cactus 

 Dahlia Juarezi, not the spurious Cactus Dahlias that have 

 been sent out of late years. Of the several shown four 

 were selected for certificates : Mrs. Bashan, pink, flushed 

 with yellow ; Kaiserin, pure chrome-yellow ; Countess of 

 Radnor, pink, tinged with warm )'ellow, and Bertha Maw- 

 ley, bright scarlet. These are all first-rate in every respect. 



Of the new Burmese Lily (formerly called Lilium Wal- 

 lichianum superbum, now named L. sulphureum by Mr. 

 Barker) Messrs. Low had a magnificent group, which 

 showed what a noble Lily this is for decorative effect. 

 The plants ranged from three to five feet high, and each 

 bore from three to five enormous trumpet-shaped flowers 

 of a rich yellow and white. It is not only a fine green- 

 house Lily, but proves suitable for outdoor culture in sum- 

 mer. Messrs. Pitcher & Manda sent a fine lot of Lilies, and 



remarkable types of the red-striped L. auratum (Rubro vit- 

 tatum), which has this year been admirable in the open air 

 at Kew. It is a Lily that attracts everybod)', and the finest 

 forms of it are scarcely inferior to the famous L. Park- 

 manni, a glimpse of which we have in flower )'early from Mr. 

 Waterer, at Knap Hill, where it is propagating itself slowly. 

 That very fine Canna, the Star of '91, won a first-class cer- 

 tificate, though it was an argued point among the com- 

 mittee as to whether it was as fine as Madame Crozy, but 

 as it was considered by the majority to be quite distinct in 

 color it was voted the award. There was a hybrid Passi- 

 flora between P. racemosa and P. quadrangularis, which, 

 though interesting, has not much floral merit. A pretty 

 plant was a new seedling Tacsonia named Smythiana, 

 with scarlet flowers, which we may hear more of later on. 

 Messrs. Veitch had specimens of the hardy Clerodendron 

 trichotomum, which, however, did not seem to attract the 

 committee, though it was admitted that every hardy shrub 

 flowering in September was a welcome addition. They 

 also had a fine basket of Bigfnonia srrandiflora from the 

 open air, which indicates the favorable warm summer we 



have had. . 



Kew. W. Goldrmg. 



Cultural Department. 



Hardy Lilies. 



'TPHE list of Lilies that maybe called perfectly hardy is a fairly 

 ■'■ large one, even after eliminating those that may possibly 

 flower once and then disappear. Among these latter class 

 are many very beautiful varieties, including several north- 

 western American species, such as Lilium parvum, L. ru- 

 bescens and L. maritimum, three species with small bulbs and 

 of dwarf habit which dwindle away under cultivation, even 

 though most tenderly cared for. L. Columbianum, L. Hum- 

 boldtii and L. Washingtonianum are tall-growing kinds in 

 their native Sierras, and the two last-named produce immense 

 bulbs which often lie dormant a whole year only to put forth 

 a feeble stem that rarely flowers here in the eastern states. 

 Deep planting has been recommended for these Californian 

 Lilies, but it does not make them thrive ; indeed, it is neces- 

 sary to plant them at least twelve inches deep to prevent their 

 premature appearance above tlie ground where they are cut 

 off by late frosts in spring. Evidently there are some necessary 

 conditions which we do not comprehend or cannot give, to 

 malve such lovely plants at home here. For the amateur, there- 

 fore, it is safe advice to plant very few of the six kinds named 

 above. Of other Lilies that I have hitherto failed to keep, L. tenui- 

 folium, a Siberian species, flowers once and then dies, though 

 it is the easiest of all Lilies to raise from seed, but L. pom- 

 ponium is so much superior to it in every way that it need 

 not le further considered. L. Pyrenaicum, which should be 

 perfectly hardy here, has always failed with me, the bulbs de- 

 caying at their base and eventually disappearing, but at its 

 best L. Pyrenaicum would be an undesirable kind to many on 

 account of its heavy odor. L. Martagon, the typical Turks- 

 cap Lily, with its white variety and the so-called black variety, 

 Dalmaticum, are sometimes grown successfully in the United 

 States, though I have never managed to keep them. It is said 

 that they prefer a poor, stony soil. If they could be grown, 

 the three kinds of L. Martagon would form an interesting 

 group, and they flower early in the year. It is dismal work to 

 have to record so many impossibilities, but it must be remem- 

 bered that I am simply recording my own experience. . Other 

 persons may succeed with them, but it would be safe advice 

 to novices to make trials of other kinds in preference at the 

 outset. It is with a sigh that I include L. Szovitsianum with 

 the foregoing, for, to my mind, it is the most beautiful of all 

 Lilies, though not the most gorgeous, but the beautiful canary- 

 yellow flowers with their deep red base never greeted my 

 eyes but once. Their beauty is not forgotten, nor can I forget 

 that out of a dozen bulbs but one flowered, and that was the 

 first year after planting. The next year no bulbs were there 

 to flower. 



And now, as we consider the kinds that may be planted with 

 hope, it must be remembered at the beginning that it is diffi- 

 cult to state just when they flower, because, in every locality 

 the time would vary. L. Hansoni with me has always flowered 

 first, and it is a beautiful Lily; the petals are thick, almost 

 leather-like in texture, bright orange-yellow, with red spots ; 

 the plant is vigorous and free-blooming. L. pomponium, as 

 stated before, should be in every garden, instead of L. tenui- 



