May SI, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
421 
purpose in the early part of last year, and at the general meeting in June 
they were happily able to report that something like £3300 was already 
promised. 
“ The sanction of the shareholders having been given, plans were 
prepared under the direction of a second sub-committee appointed for the 
purpose, and tenders obtained from six firms of horticultural builders. 
The lowest of these tenders, submitted by Mr. Henry Hope of Birming¬ 
ham, was accepted, and the work at once commenced and continued 
without intermission, the season fortunately proving favourable. 
“ The work now completed, except as to some details, comprises the 
exhibition hall, 51 feet by 40 feet; the corridor, 98 feet by 19 feet 
6 inches ; the recess to corridor, 54 feet by 21 feet; four stove and green¬ 
houses, each about 35 feet by 24 feet, besides an entrance corridor and 
ladies’ cloak room, a general outhouse, a boiler and stokehole, with new 
boilers and heating apparatus complete, a large stand for the orchestra, 
and some alterations in the house, with a complete set of sunshades. 
“ A potting-shed and a new wall to the back-yard have yet to be built, 
and provision made for the purchase of a large number of seats, together 
■with other minor details. 
“ The whole of the above work already completed will cost just under 
Mr. Latham, the Curator of these gardens, and the Committee decided 
on inaugurating the opening of the new buildings on May 13th by inviting 
some of the leading horticulturists to send plants for the purposes of a 
horticultural display, and notwithstanding the holding of the Orchid 
Conference at South Kensington on the same day, which prevented some 
of the London firms sending plants to Edgbaston, a charming display was 
made. Mr. B. S. Williams of the Victoria Nurseries, Holloway, sent a 
large number of plants, many of them new and rare, including Croton 
Mortii, Anthurium Wardi, Sirracania Tolliana and S. Maddisoniana, 
Hfcmanthus Kalbreyeri, and other interesting plants. Messrs. Cutbush 
and Son of Highgate and Barnet made up a large group on the floor, in 
which were Palms, Azaleas, Hedaroma tulipifera, and many other hard- 
wooded plants. This firm also contributed a second group, consisting of 
some of the best Ericas (flowering well), Aphelexises, Pimeleas, Boronia 
serrulata, and other hardwooded plants, and examples of Mushrooms 
from their milltrack spawn. 
Messrs. Sanders & Co. of St. Albans sent a handsome group of Orchids 
—fully one hundred plants—and these were greatly admired. The pretty 
Masdevallias were objects of interest to a great many, especially M. 
Shuttleworthi and a very fine variety of M. conchiflora. This collection 
Fig. 108.—New Range op Glass Houses in the Bikmingham Botanic Gabden. 
£3000, and it is hoped, after making provision for the debt of £700, that 
the remainder of the work yet requisite to finish up the other jobs in 
connection with the new buildings may be executed, so that the total sum 
expended shall be kept within the original estimate of £4200. 
“ This very satisfactory result has only been obtained by the closest 
attention to economy in all directions, but particularly in the minor 
details, by the sub-committee, and by a constant personal supervision. 
Messrs. Chance Brothers, with their usual generosity, have also assisted 
greatly in keeping down the expenses by supplying the whole of the glass 
at cost price. Messrs. Milward, Balden & Co. have most kindly under¬ 
taken the necessary legal business without charge, and in other directions 
there can be no doubt that the work has been executed for little more 
than cost price. Altogether it is probable that the whole scheme will 
be carried out for quite 20 per cent, less than it would cost a private 
owner. 
“Towards this sum of £4200 about £3650 has already been subscribed, 
and it is hoped that the remaining £550 will soon be made up. The cost 
of maintaining the new buildings and the increased collection of plants 
which this erection renders possible, it has been carefully calculated will 
be about £200 per annum, and as the ordinary income of the Society has 
hitherto barely sufficed on a long average of years to meet its ordinary 
expenditure, it will be the next duty of the Committee to 6ee what can be 
done to augment it. Several subscribers have already promised, without 
solicitation, to increase their present annual subscription of one guinea, 
and it is hoped that this example will be largely followed in consideration 
of the great additional attractions now offered, and also that many new 
shades may be taken up, and new subscribers obtained.” 
included the rare Dendrobium carniferum, Odontoglossum Ruckerianum, 
Ltelia elegans Schilleriana, two fine specimens of Dendrobium thyrsi- 
florum, Odontoglossum citrosmum album, very fine strains of Cattleya 
Mendelli and C. Mendelli superba, and a grand lot of C. Mossiaa 
varieties. 
Messrs. Shuttleworth, Carder & Co. of Clapham contributed a charm¬ 
ing group of well-flowered plants, in which the most noticeable were 
Oncidium fuscatum (well coloured), O. concolor and O. cucullatum, 
Cypripedium Lawrencianum, Masdevallia Shuttleworthi, Odontoglossum 
cirrhosum, O. hystrix, and Cattleya Mendelli. 
Mr. Cooper, gardener to the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., 
staged a good group of Orchids, especially strong in Masdevallias, of which 
there were examples of Harryanum ccerulescens, M. H. violacea, and 
M. H. lilacina, M. ignea, M. Chclsoni, M. Veitchi, very fine, and others ; 
a finely flowered and well coloured Dendrobium Freemanii, a fine plant 
of Epidendrum bicernutum, Laclia purpurata alba, and L. elegans 
Schilleriana, very beautiful ; Vanda suavis Veitchi, Cbysis bractescens, 
and Odontoglossum Coradinei. Mr. Thompson, gardener to H. W. Elliott, 
Esq., also contributed a small collection, which included good plants of 
Odontoglossum cirrhosum roseum, a very fine variety of Cattleya Mossiae, 
Oncidium Marsballianum, Chysis bractes:ens, a magnificent specimen ; 
Cymbidium Lowi, with seven large spikes ; and a good healthy Oionto- 
glossum Roezlii album. The gentlemen’s gardens in the neighbourhood 
gave valued help by the formation of groups of plants. Mr. Walter Jones, 
gardener to C. E. Matthews, Esq., Edgbaston, had a handsome group ot 
Palms and ornamental plants, Azaleas, Ferns, Orchids, and other plants. 
Mr. W. H. Dyer, gardener to Mrs, Marigold, Edgbaston, also contributed 
