282 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 173, 



these were indeed magnificently represented. But quite as 

 much may be said of the herbaceous and alpine plants, the 

 Ferns, Calceolarias, Begonias, Heaths, and the many other 

 popular flowering plants, both tender and hardy, all of which 

 were shown in marvelous form. In spite of one of the sever- 

 est and most trying of winters, followed by a spring and early 

 summer equally unfavorable to good gardening, the condition 

 of almost every plant shown at this exhibition was perfect. As 

 an indication of the strength of horticulture in England the 

 show was a surprise, even to the well-informed who expected 

 great things. There can be no question of the claim of Or- 

 chids to the first position among garden-plants ; the exhibits 

 proved it as strongly as the crowds of visitors who gave un- 

 restrained expressions of delight at the wonderful specimens 

 shown by both nurserymen and amateurs. "Orchids first, 

 and the rest nowhere" was the comment of a companion who 

 disliked the hustling and crush which prevailed almost the 

 whole day through wherever Orchids were staged. Public 

 taste is not quite so partial as this, however, appearances not- 

 withstanding. The collections of Orchids contained so many 

 remarkable examples that much time was needed to see them 

 all. Even connoisseurs lingered about the Orchids, note-book 

 in hand, while cultivators hung round and wondered "how it 

 was done." For it is not every one who essays Orchid culti- 

 vation that can accomplish such things as are to be seen in 

 the collections of Baron Schrceder, Sir Trevor Lawrence, 

 the Baron Rothschild, Mr. Sander, Mr. Cypher, and others. 

 Orchids are not easily killed, it is true, but they are only rarely 

 grown to perfection. "It is all done by looking after them," 

 declares a master of the art, while another will tell you that 

 " no plants are so easy to grow as Orchids, when once you 

 understand them," truisms which tantalize instead of helping 

 one. 



The collection of Orchids from the famous St. Albans 

 nurseries was the largest and richest ever exhibited from any 

 one garden ; indeed, I doubt if any one but Mr. Sander could 

 make such a display. The immense houses at St. Albans are 

 packed with all the best and richest of Orchids from almost 

 every part of the world, and most of the plants are possessed 

 of all the rude health which is common to newly imported 

 pieces. With so much of the best material to select from, 

 together with exceptional cultural skill, Mr. Sander was cer- 

 tain to make a fine display. But it was much finer even than 

 could have been anticipated. From one end to the other of 

 a tent 130 feet long, Mr. Sander had arranged a collection 

 comprising many hundreds of plants and disposed with excel- 

 lent taste. First came a large group of huge specimens of 

 Cymbidium Lowianum, mixed with Odontoglossums of every 

 kind, some of them of great beauty and value. After these 

 came a grand group of Lcelia purpurata in variety, full of 

 charm and variety, as also was a cloud of yellow insect-like flow- 

 ers upon strong tall spikes of Oncidium ampiiatum. Mass after 

 mass of striking plants, such as Cattleya Skinneri, C. Men- 

 delii, C. Mossicb, Dendrobium Dalhousieanum, Miltonia vexil- 

 laria and Odontoglosswn crispum varieties, and Masdevallias 

 were rendered effective by being alternated with groups of 

 miscellaneous plants of exceptional interest. Among these 

 latter were Grammatophyllum Measursianum, the most inter- 

 esting, and certainly the most beautiful, new Orchid exhib- 

 ited ; Cypripedium Rothschildianum and C. Elliotianum, the 

 hybrid MasdevaUia Mutidyana, the result of a cross between 

 M. Veitchii and M. ignea ; Odontoglossum excellens Sander a, 

 0. excellens Schrcederi, O. crispum Amesianum, with many 

 others. A very prominent feature of this group consisted of 

 a large number of beautifully flowered plants of Odonloglos- 

 su7n citrosmum, which were suspended among elegant Palms 

 and Ferns, so that their spikes hung gracefully and with most 

 charming effect. It is impossible to do justice to this, or, 

 indeed, to any of the large groups of Orchids exhibited ; one 

 can only say what was said, after a thorough inspection of 

 Mr. Sander's group : " A wonderful exhibit, and a great credit 

 to those who made it." 



Messrs. Low & Co.'s collection followed, and contained some 

 beautiful plants of Dendrobiums, Cypripediums, Phalaenopsis, 

 Epidendrums, etc. Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son exhibited a 

 fine group of a miscellaneous character, Cypripediums predomi- 

 nating. There were also several grand specimen baskets of 

 the white-flowered Utricularia montana, each about two feet 

 through, and as well bloomed as a Pansy. Grown so excel- 

 lently, this plant is almost as effective as Phalcenopsis grandi- 

 flora. Mr. Cypher, of Cheltenham, also showed a grand group 

 of Cattleyas, Laelias, Odontoglossums, etc. 



The amateurs' exhibits were in a tent separate from that 

 containing the nurserymen's plants. As was to be expected, 

 the collections from Baron Schrceder and Sir T. Lawrence 



were remarkable for the wealth of variety and excellence of 

 culture they revealed. Some of the plants from the famous 

 Dell collection were marvels of floral wealth and vigor. Odon- 

 toglossum Piscatorei, var. Veitchii, the highest-priced of all 

 cool Orchids, was there with two very fine spikes of its large, 

 beautifully marked flowers. MasdevaUia Courtauldiana, the 

 pretty hybrid from M. rosea and M. Shuttleworthii ; the curious 

 though scarcely beautiful hybrid, Miltonia Bleuiana, raised 

 in France from M. Vexillaria and M. Roezlii ; C. Law- 

 rencianum Hyeanum, the pallid variety which is so highly 

 prized by admirers of this genus ; enormous plants of Laelia, 

 Cattleya, Odontoglossum, Dendrobium, Vanda, yErides, Mas- 

 devallias and others came also from the Dell. 



Sir Trevor Lawrence always contributes most liberally to 

 these exhibitions, and his plants are invariably of unusual in- 

 terest to the Orchid connoisseur, for they are either nearly alt 

 rarities or extremely handsome varieties. Spathoglottis aurea, 

 Maxillaria Sanderiana, AZrides Savageanum, A. Houlleti- 

 anum, Cypripedium grande, var. atratum, and C. Fraseri 

 were some of the most noteworthy. 



Vanda teres was exhibited in splendid form from the gar- 

 dens of Baron Rothschild at Gunnersbury Park — a group of 

 about forty plants, each from two to three feet high, and each 

 bearing one or two many-flowered racemes. These plants 

 had been grown in a pine frame, where they get full sunshine 

 all the year round, with a very high temperature. Many 

 people know this plant, with its short, fleshy, terete leaves, but 

 comparatively few have the pleasure of flowering it. At Gun- 

 nersbury it is grown in quantity to supply cut flowers for the 

 table as though it were merely a Rose or Carnation. 



The Duke of Marlborough sent a collection of grand 

 Cattleyas and other Orchids from Blenheim, and Mr. Joseph 

 Chamberlain exhibited a collection of the flowers of Masde- 

 vallias which were very tastefully arranged with Ferns. Nu- 

 merous other collections were contributed by some of the best- 

 known English amateurs, almost every group being a good 

 exhibition in itself. 



Roses. — Large and well-grown specimens of some of the 

 best exhibition Roses were shown by Messrs. Paul & Son, 

 Cheshunt ; W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross ; Charles Turner. 

 Slough, and W. Rumsey, Waltham Cross. Among the new 

 kinds were Danmark, Crimson Queen, Spencer, Mrs. John 

 Laing and Souvenir R. Gounod, which seem to possess all the 

 characters of first-rate Roses. The large specimens were of 

 the usual compressed bush form, the only exceptions being 

 several pretty white single-flowered kinds, which were un- 

 trained, and which were, therefore, as elegant and artistic as 

 Roses generally are when their natural habit of growth is not 

 interfered with. Large Bamboos and purple-leaved Maples 

 formed a charming background to some of the groups. 



The Calceolarias were marvelously well grown — indeed, 

 they were in some cases almost too fat with flowers to look 

 artistic. Tuberous Begonias were shown by Messrs. Laing 

 and Messrs. Cannell, the group of double-flowered kinds from 

 the latter being exceptionally attractive. Wonderful though 

 these double ones are, they are less beautiful than the single- 

 flowered kinds. Among Mr. Cannell's plants were several 

 with flowers six inches across each way, and a considerable 

 number of salmon-pink and pale madder colors, which, Mr. 

 Cannell informed me, are all the fashion now. Very large 

 groups of Caladiums, Paeonies (both herbaceous and tree), 

 Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Anthuriums, Ferns, Leschenaultias, 

 Pelargoniums, Gloxineas, and many others helped to fill the 

 four great marquees provided. Mr. Rivers sent a collection 

 of pot specimens of Oranges, Peaches, Plums and Cherries in 

 fruit. Pansies from Scotland, Lilacs from France and 

 Eremurus from Cork were shown, and they indicate the com- 

 prehensive character of the exhibition. 



London. W. IVatSOK. 



New or Little-known Plants. 



Crinum Asiaticum. 



THIS is the largest Crinum known. It forms a con- 

 spicuous object in the Palm-house at Kew, its huge 

 evergreen leaves being decidedly effective among Palms, 

 Cycads and such-like plants. Its flowers, too, are orna- 

 mental, and they are produced frequently, say half a dozen 

 times a year, on full-grown plants ; they are white, with 

 crimson filaments, and they are fragrant. The plant from. 

 which the accompanying photograph was made is five feet 

 high and eight feet through. The large bulb is buried in 

 the soil, but its exposed stem-like neck is a foot long and 



