130 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 12, 1885. 
Cyclamens, comprising a number of distinct and handsome forms, the flowers 
large, and the general habit of the plants most satisfactory. 
First class certificates were awarded for the following plants :— 
Acineta clirysantha (Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart.).—A very distinct Orchid 
with a drooping spike of thirteen flowers, produced from the lower part of 
the plant and forced through the base of the basket. The flowers are 
yellow dotted with red on the inner surface, somewhat in the way of 
Acineta Barkeri. 
Cattleya Triarus Massangeana (Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart.).—Very 
distinct; the sepals and petals pale mauve streaked with purple, the lip 
being tipped with rich crimson. 
Dendrobium heterocarpum album. —A variety of this well-known fragrant 
Dendrobe, which has the sepals and petals pure white, the lip being stained 
with yellow in the throat. 
Lcelia anceps Hillii (Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart.).—A superb plant with 
over thirty spikes, growing upon a raft about a yard square and in splendid 
health. The sepals and petals are white, the lip being slightly tinted with 
pale purple. We believe this plant was purchased for 100 guineas. 
Odontoglossum hystrix magnificum (B. S. Williams).—Very handsome, 
3 inches in diameter; sepals dark brown tipped with yellow; petals of similar 
colour, with yellow tips and markings ; the lip brown at the base, upper half 
yellow. 
Odontoglossum Hrubyanum (W. Lee, Esq.).—A beautiful species, the 
flowers much like 0. cirrkosum in form, but pure white, the base of the 
lip yellow, with parallel linear marks of red. 
Saccolabiuni bellinum (W. Lee, Esq.).—A most interesting and pretty 
Orchid, which had a spike of three flowers, the sepals and petals yellowish 
green with round dark red spots; the lip curiously cupped at the base, 
white with crimson spots, the apex expanding into a flattened portion 
Covered with small white filaments, the centre being yellow with purple dots. 
Nepenthes cincta (J. Veitch).—A magnificent Pitcher Plant, raised from 
seeds imported amongst seeds of N. Northiana, but it is believed to be a 
natural hybrid between that species and N. albo-marginata, which were 
found growing together in Borneo. The leaves are 18 inches to 2 feet long, 
the pitchers being 10 inches in length, about 2J inches in diameter, with a 
narrow deep red rim, the general colour being a dull red, with numerous 
long spots and blotches of a darker shade. The plant shown had nine 
fine pitchers. 
Rhododendron militare (Veitch).—A grand hybrid, with brilliant scarlet 
flowers, the lobes rounded, and the heads had about twenty flowers each. 
Vriesia, janeirense variegata (\V. Bull).—A remarkable plant of the 
Bromeliaceous family, with leaves 18 inches long and 3 inches broad, bright 
green striped in the centre with irregular bands of white from base to apex. 
Primula White Perfection (H. Cannell & Sons).—A magnificent single 
variety, with blooms 2( inches in diameter. It is pure white, of great sub¬ 
stance, and very beautiful. 
ORCHID CONFERENCE, 1885. 
The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society invite the attention 
of the Fellows, and of the cultivators of Orchids generally, to the Con¬ 
ference on Orchids, which it is proposed to hold in the conservatory on 
May 12th and 13th, at which the President, Sir Tievor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P., will preside. The cultivation and popularity of Orchids 
have extended rapidly of late years, owing to the singular beauty and 
variety of their flowers, the large and frequent importations, and the 
introduction, or the raising by hybridisation, of rare and beautiful 
novelties. The Council hope to assemble at the proposed Conference a 
thoroughly representative exhibition of Orchids, embracing plants in 
flower and in seed, and cut flowers, and illustrating the results obtained 
by hybridisation, the modes of growth, the methods of cultivation, and the 
appliances and soil used. 
Several of the chief growers, amateur and professional, have already 
promised their support. Fellows of the Society, and cultivators of Orchids 
generally, are invited to contribute to the Conference, so that the exhi¬ 
bition may be as varied and interesting as possible. In all cases, where 
practicable, the following information should be given—viz., 1, name ; 
2, native country, if imported ; 3, parentage, if a hybrid. 
The plants will be staged in the conservatory, where the atmosphere 
will be especially attended to, so as to ensure in all respects the well-being 
of the plants. 
Staging must be completed by 11 o’clock A.m., and all exhibits may 
be removed after G o’clock, P.M., on the second day. 
Tuesday, the 12th, the ordinary meeting day of the Committees, will 
be devoted to a general examination of the various subjects presented. 
The doors will be open at 12 noon. 
On Wednesday, the 13th, the Conference will meet in the conservatory 
for the reading of papers and discussion, the chair being taken by the 
President at 10.30 A.M. precisely. 
Notice of intention to exhibit, with amount of space required, must 
be sent to Mr. Barron, Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, on 
or before Friday, the 8th instant. 
ESPECIALLY TEAS. 
Yes! especially Teas ! well may “ Theta ” write, and yet in spite of 
“ Theta’s ” very amusing protest I am afraid the framers of schedules will 
not listen, even if they hear. The fact is, let the exhibition be what it 
may, the schedule is almost certain to contain anomalies and eccentricities. 
Perfection is unearthly, that must not be forgotten ; still it does seem, 
particularly to admirers of certain varieties, that schedule framers pur¬ 
posely go out of their way to give their favourites the snub. Very many 
years ago I worked this matter in reference to poultry and pigeons, where 
the subject is of more importance, seeing that each exhibit necessitates a 
certain entry fee, this latter being especially heavy, whether the first prize 
be a £5 silver cup or a modest 30s. prize. The anomaly here is certainly 
much harder, and it is manifestly unfair. Being out of it now, I cannot 
say whether schedule framers in poultry exhibitions have learnt what I 
fancied, perhaps erroneously, was wisdom, but I have often proved by 
subsequent analysis of the entries how uncertain entries in different classes 
may be, and how impossible it is to tell beforehand which variety would 
prove most remunerative. 
Horticultural schedules are, however, very different. Mostly there is 
no entrance fee, or a comparatively small one that covers all the classes. 
Exhibitors of less favoured varieties have not, therefore, great cause of 
complaint, even though there may be eccentricities. Whatever may have 
been the cause of some judges acting on the principle of extra points for 
a good Tea bloom—it certainly was followed by some, notably, I think the 
late Mr. Keynes, one of the best judges of the Rose, and a splendid 
grower of Tea varieties—the plan never appeared to me a fair per¬ 
formance, and the decision of the National Rose Society discountenancing 
such preference was wise. It seems to me, however, that this method of 
dealing with Tea blooms was in vogue long before the advent of the 
National Rose Society. 
It has possibly dawned on Rose-growers, especially amateurs, that 
Tea Roses have not the delicate constitution that report had given them. 
I fancy that budding on the Manetti had something to do with this 
character ; at least, in my experience, Teas do not like the Manetti as a 
foster-parent, ana the union is not often of much permanent value. This 
is only a surmise, but the value of the Manetti on some soils with the 
Hybrid Perpetuals doubtless tended to the idea that it might be equally 
advantageous for Teas, an idea that I fancy proved delusive. Perhaps I 
am rash in suggesting that the character for debility of constitution in 
Teas has only been proved mistaken since the introduction of the seedling 
Briar as a stock. Certainly, in my experience, which is limited and may 
be erroneous, it is on this stock that these lovely blossoms have arrived at 
the greatest perfection and developed greater power of constitution. 
Doubtless on Briar cuttings they succeed equally well, and certainly with 
some on the old Briar standard, unsightly though it be. Still, all these 
seem to say that the Briar is the proper Tea stock for successful 
exhibiting. 
The seedling Briar in its freedom from suckers bears away the palm 
with myself, and I cannot help thinking that its influence on the encou¬ 
ragement of Tea Rose culture has been great. Schedule framers are apt 
to go on in the old routine, very difficult to get out of the groove ; and as 
some few years back it is certain that the exhibitors of Tea Roses were 
fewer in number as the growers also were, so it is possible that by them 
the schedule suited to 1875 may still be considered adapted to a decade 
later. Let us hope that “ Theta’s ” protest may assist in enlightening 
them. 
Injustice, however, to schedule framers, it must be allowed that the 
Tea exhibitors have been far less numerous, even though a smaller number 
of blooms (insult to injury, says “Theta”) have been asked for. Has 
the result not unfrequently been to the exhibitors all prizes and no 
blanks ? Years ago, about Christmas, I recollect meeting a small boy, 
the son of a friend of mine. With great glee he told me he had got a 
prize. After duly commending him for his exertions, I inquired if it 
were a first prize. “Oh, no,” he replied; “second.” “ And how many 
boys in the class 7” was my next question. “ Oh, only two,” the reply. 
Is not this something like the experience of Tea exhibitors, say as late as 
in 1881 ? I think it was my own experience at a large Rose exhibition in 
that year where I had the impudence to stage six Teas. There were three 
prizes and three exhibitors. The only difference between my young 
friend’s success and my own was that I took the first. I think in the 
twelves there were five entries. In justice to the schedule framers of that 
exhibition I must state that the six Teas had “ a bit of gold ” for their 
reward, or rather bits. 
Possibly, too, there is yet another reason beyond the paucity of growers 
for the lack of exhibitors in the Tea classes. When, for instance, in 
classes of seventy-two varieties for the coveted premium possibly of the 
exhibition, the exhibitors, not being restricted to H.P.’s, naturally insert 
their best blooms of Teas in their seventy-twos, or in the case of amateurs 
in their forty-eights. This is natural, for the addition of the Tea element, 
especially when by superiority of culture they are equal in character to 
their hardier (query) relatives, is of immense importance in giving variety 
both of form and colour to the stand, and variety should certainly count 
for some points in such a contest. 
Beautiful as are the Tea varieties, yet as they are at present there 
would be a great sameness of colour in a stand of “Theta’s” suggested 
forty-eight varieties. It is perfectly true that we are coming to variations 
in colour, but they are not yet widely distributed, excepting perhaps 
Madame Lambard, a great acquisition, and one of immense value. I 
cannot help trusting that exhibitions in 1885 will prove that the growers 
of these beautiful varieties of our national flower have largely increased, 
and I feel confident that if this should be the case the National Rose 
Society will set the example both of increased numbers of Teas in a stand 
as of augmentation of prizes far the same ; but in considering the possi¬ 
bility of the former, it must, I think, be borne in mind that, other things 
being equal, a given H.P. will probably give more exhibition blooms than, 
a Tea. (Don’t annihilate me, “ Theta.”) I fear it is true. As a counter¬ 
poise to this wicked suggestion of mine, I express my surprise that 
“Theta” in commenting on their value has left unnoticed one of the 
most brilliant qualities of the Tea. Whoever saw a Hybrid Perpetual of 
the darker varieties fit to place in a stand after exposure to one day’s 
exhibition ? Yet many blooms of Teas will pass through the ordeal 
