i 9 S 



GA R DENERS MA GAZI NE. 



March 



26 



v out. -w flaked and spotted red ; Princess Clothilde, white, striped with 

 £2£ S^^^ffectivc ; and Tricolor, flesh striped with crimson, 



Sem TSrfo^oing are mentioned as indicating a few that are specially suitable for 

 i^nl^n^Ymt^M are large numbers of other varieties that are of great 

 S!!y C andd^ S "eh^ encomiums, as will be seen in the course of an 

 inspection of the Waltham Cross collection. < 



Notes on Orchids. 



Dendrobjum Rainbow. 



This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful dendrobium hybrids yet raised ; it 

 is the result of crossing D. Findlayana with D Ainsworthi. Its flowers are of 

 rood substance, each measuring three and a half inches across, the sepals slightly 

 twisted, broad and white; petals tipped with heliotrope ; hp pure white measur- 

 one and a quarter inches across, tipped with heliotrope, and the throat having a 

 larze blotch of deep claret colour, surrounded by a light orange zone. A fine 

 plant of this handsome hybrid was recently m flower in the collection of H. H. 

 Bolton Esq., Height Side, Newchurch, Manchester, carrying about twenty 

 flowers, and was exhibited by the gardener, Mr. W. Eastwood, at the Manches- 

 ter and North of England Orchid Society meeting on February 10 of this year, 

 when it was unanimously awarded a F.C C. It was raised in the celebrated 

 collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Burford. G. S. 



Odontoglossum Wilckeanum Pittite. 



This wondrously beautiful odontoglot is certainly the finest of its section. Not 

 only does its exquisite chocolate markings on a yellow ground commend it to the 

 fancier, but its robustness commends it to the orchid grower in general, and 

 reflects considerable credit upon Mr. R. Aldous, gardener to its owner, H. T. 

 Pitt, Esq., Rosslyn, Stamford Hill. Each bloom measures about three-and-a-half 

 inches across, and has all the segments more or less fringed along the margin. 



Odontoglossum Wilckeanum Pitti*:. (Flowers yellow and chocolate.) 



When exhihited before a recent meeting of the R H.S., this fine orchid, carrying 

 seventeen or eighteen flowers on one spike, merited a first-class certificate. The 

 nearest relation to O. Wilckeanum Pittiae is probably O. W. Queen and Empress, a 

 *"WW form in Baron Schroder's collection at The Dell, Egham. 



Epidendrum xanthinum. 



One of the most showy of epidendrums is the Brazilian E. xanthinum, a 

 species discovered by Von Martius, in the province of Minas Geraes. It is tufted 

 in growth, and the long slender stems, clothed with two rows of linear-oblong 

 leaves, terminate in the flowering season with a large-clustered head of rich, 

 golden flowers, each flower about three quarters of an inch across ; the lip is an 

 attractive organ, its three lobes being exquisitely fringed. The species is generally 

 amenable to cultivation, and may be grown in an intermediate house, or even in the 

 cool house for the greater part of the year. When in flower it is a fine orchid for 

 association with palms, &c, for grouping, as its long growths and effective 

 racemes give additional grace and colour to the arrangement. This old orchid is 

 figured in the Bot. Mag., t. 7,586. 



Cypripedium Beeckmani. 



o„ tK^ haVe - P"™*"^ described this unique and handsome hybrid cypripedium 

 S^S^^.? 8 a PPf arance before < he K - H - S - in Noveiber last, ^t has 

 235 »T h? ,t SUp ^5 >Um aS -° ne ^ ent and C ' beHatulum « questionably 



rfS form Lndt^f KSt^JTrE ! £ * tH** £2^ W 

 is hmnA on^ c^Jr tneseea parent. The green, white margined dorsal sepa 



ape, r^cTLS^ri*^ Vin ° US PU ^ C; Petals broadening towards STe 



mJS&S; ^UL fee? &™ at L ' H ~ e 



—ting of 



tall holly, .boot fifty & inTe^t.^lSs WiST" * *** ^ * 



'898. 



Gladioli. 



With 



those who grow these remarkably beautiful flowers tnlr, ' of 

 those who have done so much to improve both the rrwl ns - mctiveI v to 

 of the plant and increase its floral productive.: .^ lltutlon al vl 



of the plant and increase its floral productiveness and h e Tt v «* 

 the names of those who, at home and abroad, have m»H« t T Ara <* 



„ rn „ r «c in th^ nrnvision of n* w tJ. made such w 0 nderj| 



>tof our 



* dbv 



forcibl 



' wu " "* 1 j c . — LFcuume prominent 



nexion, and because of the extreme beauty of his produ 



J 



'? th 's con 

 etions. Ti,, 



y 



ag? into the bu Slne ?S 

 ection. So skilfmi S /' 



performed 



very high percentage of the forms raised are of the greatest W , al a 

 value, as all who have seen the exhibits staged by the C^k i CullUral 

 will admit. Beauty in colour and form, stately an d vigoroS ? 



* e Cambridge productions. 1 wht 



furnished spikes, characterise all bW6 .au.unuge production, 

 their comparative youthfulness and the first- rate methods of cuW 

 adopted ensure fine corms that invariably give "uiivahn* 

 themselves if well cared for. 



vation 



a good account of 



opinions tuner amuiig aiucucur growers as to the kind of soil w 



suited to gladiolus culture, but Mr. Burrell, having grown gladioli in * 

 kinds of soils and mixtures, has had opportunities for judging which 

 best, and his conclusion is, the best results are obtained on a somewh^ 

 heavy yellow loam of an adhesive nature, without any admixture of sand 

 On such a soil he is able year after year to keep up a vigorous and health 

 stock of gladioli, and no matter whether the seasons be hot or cold drv 

 or wet, always has a good measure of success in producing flowers' and 

 corms. His conclusions have reference to the fine hybrids of the vz*. 

 davensis section, but it maybe taken for granted that whatever suits 

 these, as regards soil and general conditions, will also suit the purpurea 

 auratus hybrids and Saundersi varieties, and these three sections contain 

 all the most beautiful late-blooming gladioli worth cultivating for the 

 beauty of their flowers. In recommending a somewhat heavy loam Mr 

 Burrell does not forget that splendid flowers of gladioli are produced in 

 soils of a light, sandy, and even gravelly nature. In fact, as regards the 

 mere production of fine flowers, this may be done in almost any kind of 

 soil whatever ; but a cultivator is only really successful when, in addition 

 to fine flowers, he is also able to keep up a healthy stock year after yea 

 and this is more likely to be attained in a good holding loam rather than 

 in any other kind of soil, at all events so far as the drier and warmer 

 counties of England are concerned. Where the rainfall is excessive and 

 the climate less warm and sunny, some modification of the foregoing 

 opinion might be necessary, and a soil of a lighter nature found more 

 suitable. Although it does not appear that the gandavensis hybrids 

 flourish on stiff clay, they succeed admirably near Cambridge on a soil 

 closely approaching clay, but where the drainage is good and the rainfall 

 light — an average of about eighteen inches a year. 



Excessive manuring Mr. Burrell considers extremely harmful, and 

 likely to generate a disease with which the whole genus is afflicted more 

 or less, according to the nature of the cultivation given it. At Cambridge 

 the corms are grown on ground which has been well manured for the 

 previous crop, and this produces quite as good results as when the 

 ground is specially manured for the gladioli alone. An excess of hum 

 in the soil is distinctly harmful, and the stock will remain far healthier n 

 what is termed clean soil. At various times the gladioli have receive i 

 moderate dressings of bone meal, fish manure, muriate of potash, and 

 other artificial manures, but all with doubtful results. Sometimes a 

 slight mulching with fresh straw litter is given, but generally those grow* 

 without any mulching do equally well. Liquid manure in any for© 

 whatever Mr. Burrell never gives his gladioli. . 



For the fungus disease which attacks the corms of gladioli, and wufc 

 which the whole genus appears to be more or less affected, no remedy 

 for complete eradication has yet been found. Various suggestions ha* 

 been thrown out, among others that of breeding new races direct troo 

 the species ; and some importance has been attached to the remtroauc- 

 tion of G. oppc w,. „™ A^ladi 



with its flowers 



placed 



opposite 



A gladiolus 



poo: 



remed 



and Mr. Burrell has no faith in going back to the species as a Ttw 

 for improving constitution. He rather recommends clean ^ ultna " 0 ° 1 t ^ J 

 selection of vigorous hybrids as parents, and the raising of young 

 to replace worn-out corms, as is done in the case of most garden p 

 His own annual loss from disease barely reaches ten per cent. 



With reference to what the future may hold for g l * d *? l * s ^'Z^ 

 still holds the opinion expressed before one of the 1896 R-H.b. mec * 

 that we shall have at no distant date remarkable and new jou.^ 

 eluding all shades of blue, and giving flowers and spikes equ* » ^ 

 the fine gandavensis varieties, and, like the latter, opening a con ^ 

 number of flowers at the same time without loss of constituno ^ 

 many of the hybrids of gandavensis are as yet unrivalled ur v« . ^ 

 and beauty of flower and spikes, he does not fear loss oi consi ^ 

 an infusion of the good qualities of these into other sections 

 obtain a greater variety of novel colours. an yh^ 



The 



illustration is re 



presents 



of showing ^ 



substance. ^ 



ore 



short spike that we specially selected for the purpose 



flowers their natural size. These are of superb form ana ^ 



are white, shaded pink and flaked and striped with r °* c > . Q ^ 



exquisite combination of colour it would be difficult to com, iaIc *cd- 



of the Cambridge-raised gladioli of recent introduction anajF k ^ 



fence comprise Bernice, pale yellow ; Comedy, soft sairn ^ 

 white centre and richly painted with crimson ; Cygnet, u 



i ernes 



