390 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



CLIVIAS. 



A.MONC the many useful flowering plants available for spring and early 

 summer Clivia miniata and its many fine varieties are worthy of specia 

 mention, and more extensive culture. Useful as they are for small 

 gardens, grown in small pots for table, hall, and conservatory decora- 

 tion, they are even more 



■ k — ^^^^ 



conservatories and winter gardens to furnish and brighten. Grown in 

 large pots or tubs they are effective as specimens for standing alone, as the 

 soft shades of orange in the trusses of bold flowers, together with the 

 shining and deep green foliage, render such examples extremely hand- 

 some. For cut flowers also clivias are excellent, keeping fresh a long 

 time. The clivias are of easy culture, and especially so as they are not 

 often attacked by insect pests. Having such thick fleshy roots clivias 

 are naturally gross feeders ; in this respect it is not unlike the agapan- 

 thus, and, like it, will submit to a great deal of rough ^treatment^ when 

 not flowering. A suitable compost for cl ! ~ r L 1 " " u 



a little wood ashes and some leaf-soil ; 



; when established and growing 



freely plenty of water is necessary, but when growth m 

 complete much less is required, for though the ball 



should not beco 



of roots and soil 



0 to dryness rather 



than a state of moisture. The temperature of a greenhouse will suffice, 

 and for early plants an intermediate house will best serve ; to retard the 

 plants it is necessary to keep them as dry and cool as possible apart from 



causing injury to them. 



The photograph sent [reproduced herewith] represents a specimen 

 that flowered here a short time ago ; it, however, does not give an ade- 



L/ELIO 



HlPPOLYTA 



For brilliance of colouring none of m many nandsnm* ui 

 hybrids raised between a laclia and a cattleya can excel I r \r 

 One or two others, notably L-c Latona rival it, and are in\h "Sfc 

 very beautiful and distinct ; L -c Hippolyta, however, is both distinrt 

 handsome, its spike of spreading flowers providing a glorious bit rf J2? 

 orange colour that serves to increase the beauty of other 1 < -lias 



This grand hybrid 



g Cattleya Mossia 



witn L.xna cinnaoanna , uic twiner parent nas incrtasca me sue of th# 

 flowers of the latter and broadened the segments, while the kclia h£ 

 given its rich colour and modified the shape of the lip consideraS? 

 L.-G Hippolyta was exhibited before the Royal Horticultural SocietYm 

 March, 25, 189/), by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Chelsea, and a first-clas* 

 certificate was readily granted. The flowers measure four to five inches 

 across, the sepals an inch, and the petals about an inch and a half is 

 breadth ; the sepals are bright orange, but the petals are a charnin* 

 rosy-orange shade, while the narrow and exquisitely fringed labellmiii 

 deep rosy-orange, with a purplish crimson margin. 



As in other instances where a batch of seedlings is raised from the 

 same cross there has been seen some variation in the individuals, some 

 having flowers showing a buflf rather than an orange tint, and havisff 

 narrower segments than usual. Then, again, there have been superb 

 forms with larger and more deeply coloured flowers than the majority- 

 gems of the first water. Among the latter the variety now figured takes 

 the lead as a consequence of its vigour, high colour, and fine flowers. 



sriCIMKN C L1V1A AT FAIR FIELD, COBUAM. 



quatc idea of the example, owing to the reduction necessary. The speci- 

 men figured was five feet high, including the pot, and five feet five inches 

 ac ross | some of the leaves were three and a quarter inches wide. The 

 trusses numbered thirteen, with an aggregate of two hundred and twenty 

 flowers ; one truss carried twenty-seven flowers. Though only in a 

 hfteen-inch pot, this plant flowers freely every year, and has not been 

 potted for several seasons ; it is fed occasionally when the spikes are ap- 

 pearing, and also again when growth is vigorous. The form is that known 



livia miniata stmrrba. 



as ( 



/ 



* * 



u, Cobham. 



Jofin Walker. 



Average life of the Potato I fear Mr Uiviea* experience of Duke 

 of \°5, k P° Mo "H to ° limited to allow of his forming a «*>d estimate of its 

 <-:i ( u;,.lit.rv I can quite understand itsbeing later than Ashleaf in such a trial, 

 presumtngthat the latter>as from home grown stock and the former Ixnight'in, as in 



P»°b*bhr have lost its first shoots and been weakened in losing 

 tneas. I bad it the most precocious, and the most prolific early potato I have grown, 



I y keeping the teed in a much cooler place than that in which the 



w J. .r'.i .P 01 * 10 ^ A * hlc * f included, are kept that I can preserve the first 

 ajoou at all, and it is rtry necessary that they should be so preserved. I think 



JS^L I 7 ,U *i! t *° d * lc ?°f; or * lm <»t alone, in claiming Ashleaf as the be*t 

 2?KL1 ^L^°. , K! n , d .f l "< 1,Um Bo ° ttB u <he heavit* main crop. I own to 



the names of thaai»hirh*«^» • ^" C bey*** us - " one to reckon 



ttleya Hippolyt 



K en tit- 



iv-r ioov uy riauci v^uuu, 1^34., i>u^v»v, - # «- kie interest 



man who has a large number of rare and exquisite orchids in ™ , n w T 

 ing collection. This variety is not only fine in itself, but it mm 

 highly cultivated When exhibited it carried a spike of five jj^jjt 

 sequently a first class certificate was awarded. The "°™T" fc 

 five to six inches .icross, with petals of a lovely orange •J^\. B J™I 

 which comes a glow of purple-rose that reminds one ot uaiue> j i . 

 the orange tint is deepest towards the margins, and is very '""T' rjj 

 the broad and somewhat waved petals. The lip is a won< e ™ » ^ 

 broader than in most forms, the side lobes overlapping and n«a g^ 

 column, orange coloured ; the spreading apex hat » oe» ui 

 margin; the colour is orange-crimson, with a margin at 1 • . . 

 and with a good deal of yellow towards the purple-lined ana *»* ^ 



possessing such an orcntd, ano * 



gh cultural ability of his grower. 



Ullea of the Valley.-If the peiaoos who so frequeody ^ to ^ i ?St 



complaints of the poor condition of their lily of the valley t*u* f°™° ^ 



superb beds which Messrs. Hawkins and Bennett have at Twtcaenn , . 

 their treatment and then follow it, we should hear leaa Of theae 

 large beds, some eight feet wide and one hundred — - - — .v, 

 covered with frames and lights. No bed remains longer than ^". 7 ta tn* aA 



is removed, the best of the crowns being selected, retnam ^ j 



.v_ -u — • • • — ith fresh. 1 c * c '°- - — 



feet long, «•» 



the old being removed and replaced with fresh. ir rj7_ Bimrt . 

 then aet in just under the surfece, and.'at about three incnes 

 dressing of very short manure is given. Such a dressing is V™ ^ r 



occasional soakings with liquid manure are abo furnttDca. J^^T ^ 

 the plants bear ample feeding, and that is best given wtuw 



during 



A. D. 



