£22 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 193. 



bare limestone between a great number of human skulls 

 and bones. The natives do not bury their dead, but put 

 them in a kind of coffin and then place them on these soli- 

 tary rocks, which stand scattered about the shore or beach, 

 and which can be reached or got at only at ebb tide. Here 

 in these rocks the plants grow most luxuriantly, exposed 

 to the full sun, and when the weather is rough they often 

 get the spray of the sea-water. At first the natives did not 

 like the idea of collecting the plants; they were afraid the 

 souls of the departed, whose bones were lying there 

 bleaching in the sun, would resent it, but when they saw 

 the gorgeous handkerchiefs, beads, looking-glasses, and 

 brass wire I offered them for the plants, they did not 

 trouble themselves any more about the souls of their an- 

 cestors, but boldly went and rooted out every plant to be 

 found. The plants grow chiefly on these solitary, much- 

 honeycombed limestone rocks, always exposed to the sun 

 or getting only very little shade during a part of the day. 

 They also grow on trees in the Ficus-groves more inland, 

 although very sparingly. I found the big specimens on the 

 highest trees in the dense jungle, where they are very 

 rare, and I only saw a few on the very highest trees. I 

 should think in cultivation these plants will require 

 plenty of moisture while growing, and a culture like that 

 of D. nobile. 



"In size and coloring it varies as much from the ordinary 

 D. Phalcsnopsis as D. Wardianum from D. crassinode ; the 

 largest flowers measured four and a half inches across, 

 none measuring less than three and a half inches. I saw a 

 few plants with branched spikes, but this seems only ex- 

 cess of strength ; the spikes are generally from twenty to 

 thirty-five inches long ; on some I counted up to twenty- 

 five flowers ; the color is very variable, ranging from pure 

 white to dark purple-red, and some are differently colored 

 and variegated, but bright and clear ; the flowers last a long 

 time, individually eight weeks. During my stay of three 

 months I saw many plants in flower in April, May and June. 

 A Dutch trader, one of our party, who has been here 

 twice, says that he has seen it in flower in July, August and 

 September. It is, without doubt, the finest Dendrobe in 

 existence, and a gorgeous Orchid." 



The sale was a most successful one, the prices fetched by 

 the majority of the plants ranging from twenty to two 

 guineas. Mr. Sander estimated that the seven hundred and 

 odd lots had realized about ^"2,000. 



D. Phalcenopsis requires plenty of heat, sunshine and 

 moisture ; far more than suffices for D. nobile. In this re- 

 spect it does not differ from its near relatives, D. superbiens 

 and D. bigibbum. The flowering of the plants of this new 

 importation will be awaited w T ith some interest. At present 

 I am inclined to believe that D. Phalcenopsis as figured and 

 described by Fitzgerald is not the same species as that 

 figured in the Botanical Magazine under the same name, 

 and also that Mr. Sander's plants are likely to include both 



these, besides, probably, other forms. 11T TTT , 



Kew . r J W. Watson. 



Foreign Correspondence. 

 London Letter. 



Conifers, Asters and Sunflowers. — An exhibition and 

 conference devoted to these three classes of plants, and ex- 

 tending over nearly a week, has been the special horticul- 

 tural feature of the present month. The Royal Horticultural 

 Society had invited growers of these plants in all parts of 

 the United Kingdom to send specimens, photographs and 

 pictures of them to Chiswick for purposes of comparison 

 and observation. The exhibition which resulted might 

 almost have been styled an American one, all the Asters 

 and Sunflowers, and the majority of the conifers shown 

 being introductions from your country. The actual num- 

 ber of specimens, especially of Coniferae, was so large 

 that the extensive space provided for them was not nearly 

 sufficient to admit of their being set out so as to be seen to 

 proper advantage. From Kew alone specimens of coni- 



fers representing over five hundred distinct species and 

 varieties were sent, and the trade dealers in these 

 plants, besides the principal private growers, were 

 equally generous in their contributions of specimens and 

 plants. 



Papers were read by scientists specially interested in the 

 plants exhibited, as well as by cultivators, and the amount 

 of valuable information thus brought together was very 

 great. Dr. Masters, Professor Marshall Ward, Mr. G. Nichol- 

 son, Mr. Malcolm Dunn, Mr. H. Veitch and several others 

 read papers dealing with Coniferae in their various aspects. 

 The paper by Dr. Masters was botanical and historical. 

 Professor Ward devoted himself to a popular description 

 and account ot the diseases, fungal and other, which at- 

 tack coniferous plants. This paper, or rather a resume of 

 it, was listened to with great interest, and its appearance 

 in the journal of the society will be welcomed by all who 

 are concerned in the management of these plants. Mr. 

 Nicholson pointed out some of the most effective kinds for 

 use in landscape-gardening ; Mr. Dunn, dealing partly with 

 the same subject and partly with the economic value of 

 some conifers, alluded specially to Abies Albertiana, A. con- 

 color, A. Douglasi, A. grandis, A. magnifica, A. Nordman- 

 niana, Cupressus macrocarpa, C. Lawsoniana, C. Nulkcensis, 

 the Larch and Thuia giganlea. These he placed in the 

 first rank as trees likely to prove important in England, 

 either for timber or other valuable uses. Mr. Dunn has 

 charge of the gardens and forests at Dalkeith, in Scotland, 

 where conifers are exceptionally well grown. Mr. Thiselton- 

 Dyer spoke of the beauty and perfection of the large num- 

 ber of these trees cultivated in Scotland, and suggested 

 that their vigorous health, as compared with what is seen 

 further south, is accounted for by the conditions of climate 

 and of atmosphere in the north, which are not to be 

 met with in the southern part of the kingdom. 



There is a growing opinion among English landscape- 

 gardeners that conifers are far too lavishly and recklessly 

 used in the making of gardens here. They are supposed 

 to be the right thing and are consequently planted in all 

 kinds of gardens, in many of which the conditions essen- 

 tial to the health of conifers are not possible. A healthy 

 Pine, or Fir, or Cypress is pleasant to look at almost any- 

 where, but such plants, when in bad health, are the most 

 wretched-looking of all trees. We are apt to overdo the 

 evergreens. No less an authority than Richard Jefferies 

 raised his voice against the "foreign evergreens" being 

 allowed to crowd out almost entirely the native and other 

 deciduous trees. "Let the Cedar and the Laurel," he 

 wrote, " and the whole host of invading evergreefis be put 

 aside by themselves, in a separate and detached shrubbery, 

 maintained for the purpose of exhibiting strange growths." 

 It is intended to publish in the journal of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society a list of all the kinds exhibited, with their 

 correct names and synonymy ; and, as far as possible, 

 the conditions under which the best examples are grown. 

 The most suitable kinds to plant in the garden, the shrub- 

 bery or the park will also be tabulated. 



The Asters were exhibited in considerable quantity and 

 formed a striking feature of the show. Papers upon them 

 were contributed by Professor Goodale, of Harvard, and 

 Mr. C. Wolley Dod, the former being devoted to the botani- 

 cal features and geographical distribution of the genus, 

 with a general review of Professor Asa Gray's latest writ- 

 ings on American Asters. Mr. Dod dealt chiefly with the 

 culture, selection and cross-breeding of Asters, with a view 

 to improving them in habit, size of flower and variety of 

 color. 



Asters are features in the gardens at Kew in September 

 and October. They are planted in large beds or singly in 

 shrubberies, and even in the rock-gardens, as well as in 

 the beds devoted to a collection of hardy Composites. 

 Nothing could be more effective than large masses of such 

 species as A. amellus, A. acris, A. Novi-Belgi and A. Novce- 

 Anglce. A white-flowered seedling named Harper Crewe 

 is much admired. 



