234 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 329. 



together without the stimulus of prizes other than the 

 medals, which are given more as a stamp of recognition 

 than for any value they possess. Not only do profes- 

 sionals and amateurs who practice horticulture in this 

 country readily take the trouble and go to the expense 

 necessary to exhibit their best products, but, fortunately, 

 the public show an interest in inspecting them, the exhibi- 

 tion grounds being crowded to excess all day, while a 

 broad and continuous stream of people were to be seen go- 

 ing to or from the show by way of the beautiful road which 

 skirts the Thames from Blackfriars Bridge to Westminster. 

 It was an exhibition to be proud of, and the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society never did a better stroke of business than 

 when they got permission from the law professors who 

 guard the sacred belongings of the Inner Temple to hold 

 annually an exhibition in its grounds. 



Orchids were far ahead of all other exhibits as regards 

 the number shown, their beauty and interest and their at- 

 tractions for visitors. Sir Trevor Lawrence and Baron 

 Shrceder among the amateurs, and Messrs. F. Sander & Co., 

 James Cypher, B. S. Williams & Son and Low &Co. among 

 nurserymen, were the principal exhibitors. There were 

 few new Orchids, but a great many of those rare and valu- 

 able varieties which are only to be seen in first-rate collec- 

 tions. Baron Schrceder's magnificent display of Odonto- 

 glossum crispum, comprising nearly all the choicest forms 

 of this species, was one of the richest features of the exhi- 

 bition. Second only to this was Messrs. F. Sander & Co. 's 

 group of white varieties of Cattleya Mossire, comprising 

 twelve distinct forms, and including the plant of C. 

 Reineckiana, for which they paid one hundred and sixty 

 guineas at the Hardy sale of Orchids last week. This fine 

 specimen of a very fine variety bore about fifty flowers, 

 from some twenty or more healthy growths. A group of 

 Odontoglossum crispum, from G. Vincke, of Bruges, was 

 rich in good varieties, the plants showing extraordinary 

 vigor of growth and spike. La?lia purpurata is always well 

 represented at this exhibition, and the group of it shown by 

 Mr. James Cypher, the Cheltenham nurseryman, was a 

 marvel of cultural skill and beauty of flower. Baron 

 Schrceder's magnificent specimen of Ccelogyne Dayana 

 this year carried no less than twenty-four racemes, the total 

 number of flowers being nine hundred and thirty. Messrs. 

 F. Sander & Co. showed many fine examples of this Orchid, 

 which is one of the most remarkable, if not one of the 

 most beautiful, in the genus. The most exciting Orchid 

 shown was a variety of Cypripedium callosum named San- 

 deras, which repeats in this species the freak of C. Flyeanum 

 among the sports of C. Lawrencianum. To my taste it is 

 not a pleasing Orchid, its colors, pale green and white, be- 

 ing more remarkable than beautiful. However, its fortu- 

 nate owner, Mr. F. Sander, assured me that he would not 

 take a thousand guineas for it, as it will have immense 

 value for breeding purposes. A hybrid Phajus named 

 Owenianus, the result of crossing P. Oweniae, a variety of 

 the Cingalese P. bicolor, with P. Humblotii, was another of 

 Messrs. F. Sander & Co. 's. exhibits, and a most lovely plant 

 it is, its elegant flowers of a rich plum color. If its consti- 

 tution is as good as that of P. Cooksoni it will deserve to 

 rank with it as a hybrid of first-rate excellence. Another 

 Sanderian hybrid, this time a Lailio-Cattleya named Fred- 

 eric Boyle, is a cross between L. anceps and C. Trianse. 

 It is more interesting from its origin than on account of 

 any peculiar beauty it possesses. The parents are both to 

 be seen in the hybrid, but the blend is not what I should 

 call a happy one. Its flowers are whitish and rose-purple. 

 A trophy-like specimen of Oncidium ampliatum was a 

 prominent feature in the St. Albans group ; it was a mass 

 of arching spikes; it is said there were altogether about 

 5,000 open yellow flowers upon it. I also noted Thunia 

 Brymeriana, Sobralia Keinastiana, Phalanopsis Youngiana, 

 the beautiful hybrid Laolio-Cattleya Phcebe, recently noted 

 in Garden and Forest, besides many other grand Orchids 

 in the group sent by Messrs. F. Sander & Co. Sir Trevor 

 Lawrence showed a very fine collection, worthy of his 



name and garden, and no plant attracted more attention 

 than the little hairy-flowered Bulbophyllum barbigerum, 

 which moved up and down as if alive. I also noted in his 

 group a plant of the new Stauropsis Massaiana, recently 

 introduced by Messrs. Linden. It is only a small-flowered 

 form of S. lissochiloides, of which Stauropsis or Vanda 

 Batemannii is a synonym. Cypripedium Sanderianum, 

 Vanda teres and some grand varieties of Cattleya Mossias 

 were other noteworthy plants among the Orchids. 



Next in interest to these came the hardy plants, of which 

 there were numerous lartre collections from all the leading 

 nurserymen who pay exclusive attention to this class of 

 plants. Clematis were represented by a group of magnifi- 

 cent specimens from Messrs. R. Smith & tCo., of 

 Worcester, for many years the principal growers of Clema- 

 tis. This exhibit represented probably the finest piece of 

 horticulture in the show. All the plants, to the number of 

 about thirty, were in the form of globes, three or four feet 

 through, and from the groundwork of healthy foliage 

 sprung the large, well-formed, handsome flowers, arranged 

 somewhat formally, but not out of keeping with the char- 

 acter of the plants. Messrs. Lane, of Berkhampstead, sent 

 a fine group of yellow and orange-colored varieties of 

 Azalea mollis, the value of which, as a hardy shrub, has 

 not yet come to be properly appreciated. 



A group of hardy flowering trees, shrubs and Lilies 

 from Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons was a beautiful picture full 

 of interest. Magnolias, Cytisus, Tabiana imbricata, Styrax 

 Obassia, Azalea rosa;flora — quite hardy at Kew — Philadel- 

 phus microphyllus, Indigofera Gerrardiana, Andromeda 

 speciosa, all represented by fine, well-flowered specimens, 

 were mixed with Lilium giganteum, L. longiflorum and 

 the new L. Alexandras. The latter promises to be a good 

 garden Lily. I believe it is a hybrid of Japanese origin 

 between L. auratum and L. longiflorum, the flowers being 

 large and pure white. 



Richardia Elliottiana was shown in fine condition by 

 Baron Schrceder. It differs from R. Pentlandi in having 

 gray spotted leaves and no blotch of crimson at the base 

 of the spathe. Datura chlorantha. a yellow-flowered va- 

 riety of D. arborea, was shown by Mr. Bennett-Poe and 

 obtained a first-class certificate. The same exhibitors sent 

 a batch of well-grown specimens in pots of Alstromeria 

 pelegrina alba, each plant two feet high and through, and 

 covered with clusters of white flowers flushed with green. 

 It also obtained the premier award. Rhododendrons were 

 well shown by Messrs. G. Paul & Son, Cheshunt. Two 

 hybrids, named the Duke and Duchess of York, raised at 

 Cheshunt, from R. Fortunei and a seedling named Scipio, 

 were awarded first-class certificates ; they have the foliage 

 and habit of R. Fortunei and large, loose trusses of large, 

 rose-pink flowers. Begonias, Pelargoniums, Gloxinias, 

 Streptocarpuses, Calceolarias, Leschenaultias Boronias, 

 Caladiums, Ferns and Roses were shown in large quanti- 

 ties and teemed with interest for the specialist as well as 

 with delight to the eye of the ordinary visitor. 



The International Horticultural Company, Brussels 

 (Messrs. Linden), sent a collection of miniature Tree-ferns 

 from Brazil. They are remarkable for the thinness and 

 elegance of their stems, and if they retain their character 

 under cultivation they will be useful. They were named 

 Hemitelia Lindeni, Cyathea Mastersiana, C. pygmsea and 

 Alsophila Marshalliana, and they were all awarded first- 

 class certificates. A variegated Adiantum, named Claesia- 

 num, in the way of A. Peruvianum, and some ornamental- 

 leaved Begonias were other exhibits from the Brussels 

 nursery. Forms of Maranta Massangeana, shown by 

 Messrs. Linden, are really only varieties of the variable M. 

 bicolor, which includes various other so-called species of 

 Maranta and Calathea. 



Two plants which won general admiration were Rose 

 Crimson Rambler and Carnation Uriah Pike ; these are of 

 that character that is certain to make them in large 

 demand for some time to come. Messrs. F. Sander & 

 Co. sent a group of their new plants of last year, and 



