April 23, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
337 
white with a dark purple blotch at the base of each petal. They are 
produced through the summer; they are as large as a florin. Native of 
South Europe, &c. 
C. florentinus. —This is also grown under the name of C. hirsutus 
which it much resembles ; the latter may be distinguished easily by its 
more upright habit and narrow linear lanceolate leaves. 
C. ladaniferus. —The Spanish Gum Cistus, forms large bushes ; very 
suitable for mixed borders or shrubberies, where its bright flowers are 
always attractive. In warm weather it exudes a sweet glutinous substance 
resembling gum, it has a strong balsamic odour not at all repulsive. The 
leaves are lanceolate, they are dark green with a smooth glossy upper 
surface ; the flowers, produced in profusion, are large, white or creamy, 
having a purple blotch at the base ; they are very handsome. It flowers in 
July and August. Native of Portugal and Spain, where it is plentiful on 
the hills. 
C. scriceus. —A handsome slender-growing species, very useful for 
rockeries. It is also well adapted for pot culture, forming well-shaped 
miniature bushes from 1 to 2 feet in height, branched, and densely 
tomentose or hoary white. They are in opposite pairs, narrow, about an 
inch long ; flowers small, pure white, crisped at the edges. Native of 
South Europe. 
C. villosus. —Perhaps this is the most common in gardens. It forms 
bushes from 2 to 4 feet high, much branched, and well clothed with its 
rough hairy oval leaves. The flowers are produced together, almost in 
the form of an umbel, large, purplish, and spread open, not unlike a Dog 
Rose. It commences to flower in May and June, and continues until 
September. A native of South Europe. Among others may be men¬ 
tioned, C. monspeliensis, C. vaginatus, C. canariensis, C. salvifolius, &c., 
most of which are in the way of C. villosus.—M. 
NOTES AT CARDIFF CASTLE GARDENS. 
That much-appreciated stove plant, Eucharis amazonica, is not in 
general grown to perfection. I receive many complaints such as “ My 
Eucharis plants do not thrive, and I cannot understand why. They are 
potted in good loam and a few bones, &c., and yet the foliage dies.” This 
is not the case with the Eucharis plants at Castle Gardens, Cardiff, which I 
saw a few weeks ago, when I had the pleasure of paying a vist to these 
gardens. There are six of the finest specimens I ever had the opportunity 
of seeing. The plants are still in the same house and the same position, 
and I believe in the same pots, as when I saw them four years ago. The 
house is span-roofed, the plants are in a row down the centre, the pot3 being 
raised above the surface of the bed, and rest upon a stand for the purpose, 
so they do not obtain any more bottom heat than that afforded by the 
Atmosphere of the house. The pots are about 16 inches in diameter, and 
are well filled with extraordinarily strong bulbs. They appear to be almost 
lifting each other out of the pots. This I noticed was the result of being 
root-bound, as Mr. Pettigrew told me he but seldom pots his Eucharis. 
Each of the plants is 6 feet in diameter, the leaves being from 2 to 3 feet 
long, and about 8 inches wide in the centre. At the time of my visit had 
from thirty to forty flower spikes, each spike carrying from five to seven 
well-developed flowers, numbering something like 1000 blooms. 
Since I called at the Castle Gardens four years ago there has been a 
great addition to the glass houses. There are four span-roof houses newly 
erected, measuring about 60 feet long by 16 wide. These houses are 
principally for plants, and are well filled with stove and greenhouse plants, 
such as Palms and Ferns, with flowering plants. I especially noticed some 
healthy specimens of Adiantum farleycnse about 3 feet through. The 
greenhouses present a fine display of blooms. The Cinerarias are veiy well 
grown, there being about fifty fine bushy plants, with a great variety of 
colour and large flowered. These made a grand display, being associated 
with Azalea mollis, Hyacinths, Primulas, and a great number of other choice 
flowering plants, which produced a very pleasing effect. In the Azalea 
house the plants were looking very healthy and well set with buds, which 
were fast expanding. Mr. Pettigrew does not follow the tying-in practice 
with his Azaleas. 
The Peach house contains four magnificent trees covered with 
flowers, which, I have no doubt, will set a good crop. In the early vinery 
the Vines are just showing bunches, which promise with good strength to 
produce an excellent crop of Grapes. The later Vines were still resting, 
but by their medium-sized and well-ripened wood they promise to give the 
usual satisfaction. The Vines are very clean and healthy, but they are 
only washed with soap and water at cleaning down time, and they are 
seldom painted with the mixture generally used for Vines. In one of the 
houses there is a Vine occupies one side of the span roof. The Vine is 
planted in the centre, and the leaders are trained horizontally, with canes 
taken up the rafters about 4 feet apart, which gives more satisfaction than the 
single-rod system. Vines in pots are well grown. Some fine canes were 
ready for starting with fine eyes, very short jointed, which I am sure will 
produce fine bunches. Another vinery near this was planted about two 
years ago ; they are very strong, and promising for the future. I notice in 
this house there are some handsome Orange trees trained up the back wall 
which produce fine crops. Pines are also well grown, being very strong 
and showing some fine fruits. In the Cucumber and Melon houses were 
good batches of young plants looking very strong. Mr. Pettigrew uses the 
same soil for several years for his Cucumbers and Melons ; he adds but very 
little new soil, just turning last year’s over and planting them out, and the 
results are excellent. He generally takes from two to three crops of fruit 
from the same Melon plants every season. The varieties grown for a general 
crop are Eastnor Castle Melon and the Cardiff Castle Cucumber, which is 
a grand cropper of excellent quality, and without doubt a splendid exhibi¬ 
tion variety. 
* The kitchen garden, which is enclosed with a brick wall, and is filled 
with all kinds of wall trees well set with buds and very neatly trained. 
The Apple, Pear, and Cherry trees are not so hard pruned as I generally 
see them, plenty of last year’s wood being left, which is well set with 
bloom buds. 
Passing to the pleasure grounds, my attention was attracted by some 
very fine Rose beds. Mr. Pettigrew generally obtains a good place in the 
prize list at the Cardiff Rose Show, which proves that he pays great 
attention to the queen of flowers. There are many acres of pleasure grounds 
surrounded with fine herbaceous borders, at the back of which are slopes of 
choice evergreen shrubs and trees at the back, which have a grand effect. 
Walking for a long distance by the side of a moat or lake we open out to at 
least another twelve acres of pleasure grounds with the lake upon the north¬ 
east side and a fine herbaceous border upon the south-west. These flower 
beds must in the summer months give a grand picturesque appearance. I 
may mention since Mr. Pettigrew took charge of these gardens he has been 
making improvements until he has entirely remodelled the gardens, the 
appearance of which reflects great credit upon him for the skill and taste 
he has displayed in his work.—H. Mitchell. 
CYPRIPEDIUMS. 
The old C. insigne is now over with us for the season. It is one of the 
very best of Ladies’ Slippers that can be grown, especially for conservatory 
decoration. Those who have large conservatories to keep gay with 
flowering plants during the winter, and have only a very limited number of 
houses in which to prepare plants, should have a house full of this useful 
Cypripedium. It is at home after flowering in a vinery under the 
shade of the Vines, and the warm moist atmosphere suitable for Vines 
early in the season is just what this Cypripedium requires for the pro¬ 
duction of luxuriant growth and large flowers. The cool treatment the 
vinery receives after the Grapes are ripe is also suitable. From plants 
grown under these conditions we have had its flowers from early in 
October until the end of February, and with a greater number of plants 
there would be no difficulty in having its flowers over a period of six or 
seven months. What other Cypripedium will flower with such little 
trouble during the dreary autumn and winter months, and over the same 
lengthened period ? Cypripediums should be much more largely grown 
than they are at the present time. I am convinced by observation that 
the flowers of these plants are displayed to much greater advantage when 
associated with other flowers than they are when arranged in the Orchid 
house. 
When this Cypripedium is over for the season the dark and beautiful- 
foliaged C. venustum, if wintered in a temperature of 60°, or grown under 
warm conditions, will produce its flowers, and fill the same position in the 
conservatory. The dark smaller flowers of this species are less showy 
and effective, yet they are very conspicuous and afford a pleasing 
change. To have C. venustum at its best good-sized plants with from 
twenty to thirty flowers upon each should be grown in shallow pans. 
When small plants are employed with only five or six flowers upon each 
they are not half so effective. Our most effective specimen is nearly 
2 feet through and most profusely flowered. There is no difficulty in 
accomplishing this, for it flowers with great freedom if subjected to stove 
treatment during the season of growth, and rested well in a cool house— 
say where the temperature ranges about 45° at night when in flower. To 
do this plant really well it is benefited by a little more heat while 
growing than C. insigne. The flowers last a long time in a cool house, 
but not so long as those of the last named. Where Cypripediums are 
appreciated for conservatory decoration we recommend a good batch of 
C. venustum to be grown to succeed C. insigne, and they may be brought 
into flower at one time, as this can be succeeded by C. villosum. Although 
C. venustum is considered a cool-house species, we have always found it 
increase more rapidly and do better in every respect when assisted to 
make its growth by heat. 
Cypripedium villosum can be had in bloom over as long a period as 
C. insigne, but it is not like that adapted for winter flowering. It flowers 
later, and for the object we have in view this is an advantage, for it is not 
really wanted until C. venustum is past its best. If grown under the 
same conditions as that species it can be had in flower by the beginning 
of February, but we do not need them where C. venustum is grown until 
a month later, and they can be bad in succession until the end of June, or 
even into the following month if retarded. Two batches of plants pre¬ 
pared for flowering at different periods will nearly accomplish this, for 
the flowers in a cool house last nearly three months in perfection. This 
variety, although it enjoys heat while making its growth, must not be 
kept in heat the whole year round, or instead of growing luxuriantly it 
will soon decrease in size and fail to grow with the same vigour as if sub¬ 
jected to cool treatment while in flower. While in cool structures too 
much water must not be given at their roots, but at the same time they 
must not be allowed to suffer from an insufficient supply, because it must 
be remembered that they have no pseudo-bulbs upon which they can 
draw. 
Where Orchids are appreciated in conservatories and other structures 
kept gay, those named in these notes are invaluable for the purpose. 
What amongst flowering plants lasts longer in perfection, or possesses a 
more telling appearance? These plants are further valuable, because they 
are so distinct from the ordinary plants employed in these structures. 
They are easily grown and can be accommodated in vineries, where the 
majority of flowering plants would fail to do well, especially after the roof 
becomes covered with foliage. They are comparatively cheap, and thus 
within the reach of all.— Orchid Grower. 
NOTTS HORTICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL SOCIETY. 
A special general meeting of the members of this flourishing Society 
was held at the Society’s rooms, Mechanics’ Institute, Nottingham, on 
Wednesday evening last, April 15th, when there was a large attendance of 
