192 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 5, 1885. 
ons. This is the first time of its flowering, the seed having been sown in 
April 1874. Dendrobium micans, a charming variety from D. Wardianum 
X lituiflorum ; lip very handsome by its solid blackish purple blotch 
surrounded by a pure regular band of ivory white, and tipped with 
lilac, petals and sepals blush suffused with lavender. Cypripedium 
Sedeni candidibulum, this is the most delicately beautiful of the 
section ; sepals and petals nearly white, lip pale rose. It is the result 
of a cross between C. Scblimi album and C. longifolium, and being 
an excellent grower, and evidently a free bloomer, is sure to become 
a great favourite. 
- - We have received a circular issued by Mr. E. S. Dodwell, in 
which he proposes to form a Society at Oxford, to be called" The Oxford 
Union Carnation and Picotee Society.” The necessity for which, 
he states, is that "the growers of these flowers in a widely extended area 
having hitherto been virtually excluded from competition, the period of 
bloom being unsuitable alike for the exhibitions of north and south.” 
The wayin which this "Union ” is to be started and thepreliminary expenses 
raised is by the sale of Mr. Dodwell’s surplus stock of Carnations and 
Picotees. He has issued a priced list of these, and purchasers of plants 
may receive as a bonus on their purchases a membership in this Union, 
by having forwarded to them " full value for their subscriptions.” Since 
growers in Mr. Dodwell’s area, as he asserts, are virtually excluded from 
competition in either of the exhibitions of the north or the south, the 
formation of this Onion appears to be intended to suit the convenience of 
those who live within a short radius of the city of Oxford. We read that 
every subscriber will be entitled to a voice in its management, but we 
have not yet received any list of the executive or copy of the rules. 
Messrs, William Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, will make a 
special exhibition of Camellias in pots in flower at the next meeting 
of the Floral and Fruit Committees at South Kensington on March 10th. 
-- We regret to learn the death of Mr. James Kennedy of 
Comber, County Down, which occurred on the 14th inst., at the com¬ 
paratively early age of thirty-six years. Mr. Kennedy w r as an occasional 
contributor to both the garden and bee departments of this Journal, 
and his communications indicated that he was a close observer and 
highly intelligent. We also know that he was in every respect a 
most worthy man. He was gardener to the late John Miller, Esq., 
for fourteen years. He leaves a widow and three children, but we 
are glad to find they are not wholly unprovided for. The cause of 
death was consumption. 
- We have received a copy of the second and enlarged edition 
of Messrs. Sutton & Sons’work on gardening— “The Culture of 
Vegetables and Flowers from Seed And Roots.” We are not 
surprised that this work has met with such ready acceptance. It is 
sound, useful, and instructive ; a handy volume of reference to 
cultivators generally, and a safe and serviceable guide for amateurs 
who need information on the various subjects on which it treats. 
- Mr. Joseph Mallender sends the following Summary of 
Meteorological Observations at HodsockPriory, Worksop, Notts, for 
February :—“ Mean temperature of the month, 41-9°. Warmest day, the 
27th ; coldest day, the 21st. Mean temperature of soil 1 foot deep, 403°. 
Number of nights below 32° in shade, seven ; on grass, eleven. Total 
duration of sunshine in the month, 38'5 hours, or 14 per cent, of the 
possible duration. The brightest day was the 24th. We had nine sunless 
days. Total rainfall, 2 - 19 inches. Maximum fall in twenty-four hours on 
the ICth, 0‘56 inch. Rain fell on eighteen days. Wind principally 
from south and westerly points. A very mild month except for a week of 
cold weather, from the 15 th to the 22nd, The mean temperature is higher 
than last year, and slightly lower than the two previous ones. The rain¬ 
fall is more than last year, but less than 1883. The sunshine is con¬ 
siderably less than the last three years, though a little more than in 1881.” 
At Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’s special sale of Orchids in 
flower, last week, a plant of the rare Ccelogyne cristata alba was 
after a keen competition sold to Mr. W. Bull of Chelsea for £131. The 
plant has seven flower spikes, the blooms being snowy white without the 
least shade or tint. 
"Gr. A.” sends the three following notes:—"Outdoor flowers 
are not numerous in February, therefore Lonicera fragrantissima 
is a welcome addition, more especially as it is fragrant, having the 
charming perfume of Honeysuckle. It is not a rambling grower like 
some of the genus, our plant not being more than 3 feet 6 inches high, 
but it has only been planted two years. The flowers are borne in 
clusters somewhat small, but are very pretty and creamy white in 
colour, the shrub being covered with the flowers, borne on the wood 
of the previous year. It is grown against a wall with a south aspect, 
the soil being light, rich, and well drained. I think it would be 
a very desirable plant in pots, as its early flowering and delicious 
fragrance would be certain of appreciation.” 
- “ Another shrub worthy of note is Jasminum NUDIFLORUM AU- 
reum, which not only differs from the species in having yellow foliage, but 
the flowers are borne in even greater profusion, are larger and deeper in 
colour. It is also stouter in growth and not so prone to ramble as the species. 
Plants of J. nudifiorum are nearly past on sunny aspects, whilst those on 
north walls were only coming into flower at the close of February.” 
- “ Of the much-valued and beautiful early spring flowers, 
especially Snowdrops and Crocuses, we have a line on both sides of a 
walk about half a mile long, and these with Scilla sibirica are charming. 
Violets are flowering freely, even the Neapolitans have a profusion of 
blooms. Primroses are advancing, and the early flowers promise to be 
fine this year, also border Auriculas, if the sparrows will leave them alone, 
for last year they tore the pips into shreds. The only way to keep them 
off is to run some strings of black thread about 4 inches from the ground. 
The finest plant in the herbaceous border at present is Helleborus col- 
chicus; its branching stems bearing large heads of bright glossy purple 
flowers are very effective.” 
- A CHARMOUTn correspondent writes respecting the Prospects 
of the Season :—" Everything is getting dangerously forward here. 
Pear blossoms of Jargonelle, Louise Bonne, Doyennd d’Etd, and one or two 
other kinds are quite swollen and showing white in my kitchen garden, 
and the orchard house, " unheated,” is beginning to look pink from the 
Teach and Nectarine buds.” 
- A Committee has been formed with the object of collecting 
evidence in reference to the Doubling of Narcissi, Dr. W. H. Lowe, 
Woodeote, Wimbledon, being the Secretary, and the Committee comprises 
fifty-two persons specially interested in the Narcissus. A meeting will be 
held in the Lindley Library, South Kensington, to consider the following 
suggestions as to the work to be undertaken :—1, Collect and sift the 
evidence offered by various observers as to the “ doubling ” or “ going 
single ” in their gardens. 2, If any cases seem to afford primd facie 
evidence of “ doubling ” or “ singling ” in this or that garden, take these 
as “ experimental stations.” 3, Draw up a list of regulations for carrying 
out an experiment, such as—( a ) Bulbs in flower this spring to be marked 
for experiment this summer as single, double, &c. ( b ) The ground ex¬ 
perimented on must be assured to be free from Daffodil bulbs. ( c) 
Precautions for securing that the labels do not get separate from bulbs, See. 
4, It will be as well that the character of the bulbs experimented on, and 
the result, should be attested by more than one member of Committee. 
Possibly it will be desirable that some of the Committee should go down 
and plant the bulbs in the experimental stations. 5, Besides the opera¬ 
tions carried on at experimental stations in localities said to have the 
power of doubling, &c., some sets of marked bulbs should be planted at 
Chiswick under experimental conditions, and possibly in other places, 
where they can be watched by the Committee. 
- “ D. M.” writes ■“ Crocuses for Conservatory Use.—T he 
large conservatory at Melville Castle is at present very gay with a fine array 
of Camellias, Hyacinths, and other forced plants, their beauty being still 
more enhanced by Crocuses planted out. Round the border in which the 
fine Camellias are planted is a small rockery, and in it the Crocuses were 
planted in a light but moderately rich soil. They are now flowering, and 
well repay for the trouble bestowed upon them.” 
- Antwerp Universal Exhibition.—A liberal programme of 
shows in the horticultural department of the above Exhibition has been 
issued, from which we learn, that in addition to a permanent exhibition of 
ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowering plants in seventy-nine classes, 
which will be open from May 2nd to October 31st of the present year, 
four other shows will be held as follows—May 10th to 12th, Azaleas, 
Orchids, Rhododendrons, Rosep, and miscellaneous plants, thirty-three 
classes ; June 28th and 29th, for cut Roses, nineteen classes ; August 
2nd to 6th for a general exhibition of plants and flowers, 132 classes; 
September 27th to 29th, for fruits, vegetables, bouquets and Dahlias, fifty- 
three classes. In these classes the prizes will consist of gold medals, value 
200 and 100 francs, silver-gilt, and silver medals. The exhibitions are 
