462 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 4, 1885. 
also the very beautiful Platycodon grandiflorum, closely allied to the 
Campanulas. 
Amongst failures I have to record that of Tricyrtis hirta. It grows 
well, but it never blooms until so late that the flowers are good for 
nothing, and the leaves get injured by the frost. I have tried it for 
several years, and have never bloomed it satisfactorily. Dictamnus 
Fraxinella is another plant which has hitherto completely baffled me, and 
yet one sees it flourishing in cottage gardens without any care. I cannot 
tell how often I have tried it, but I see now one or two plants are 
beginning to show signs of growth, so that I hope yet to succeed with it. 
When once it has made a start one may hope that it will do well if let 
alone. 
I have not enumerated many plants about which I might say much, 
but what I have written of will show how in a small garden one may grow 
a great variety of things of the most varying character; and plants, too, 
the blooms of which may be freely cut for bouquets or house decoration, 
and some of which, no matter of what the character the season may be, 
are sure to flourish. The taste for these is rapidly spreading, and if what 
I have written may serve as a word of encouragement to those who wish 
to get away from the bondage of bedding-out, I shall not have written in 
vain.—D., Leal. 
HALESIA TETRAPTERA (THE SNOWDROP TREE). 
On the lawn here there is a fine specimen of the above, which now it 
is in blossom is a beautiful sight. In the spring of 1881, during a heavy 
snowstorm, the main branch was broken out of the centre ; before that 
the tree was about 25 feet high, with a spread of about the same number 
of feet in diameter. Though this species has been introduced into this 
country a long time, it is by no means so well known as it should be ; 
for not only is the tree hardy and very showy when in blossom, but the 
seed pods also look well hanging in bunches along the branches. Some 
people say the seed pods are very agreeable to the taste, but I have not 
tried them. From the branch which the snow broke off I turned some 
feet for a set of drawers ; the wood, which I found to be hard and 
close-veined, took a fine polish. This tree is a native of South Carolina. 
On the banks of the Santa river it is said to grow about 20 feet high 
before it branches. It is propagated from seed. The bark of the tree is 
very pretty, being of a darkish colour with many irregular shallow 
fissures; it makes beautiful rustic work.—B. P. 
POLYGONATUM MULTIFLORUM FL.-PL. 
The double-flowered Solomon’s Seal is perhaps not as well-known as 
it should be—hence a passing notice and accompanying sprays. There 
are few hardy plants that bloom at this season of the year that are more 
useful for cutting from for room or table decoration, or without some 
preparation so readily admit of being easily arranged with large flowers. 
Besides, to many they would recommend themselves on account of their 
fragrance, which more particularly in the early morn and evening is some¬ 
what suggestive of the perfume of Tonquin bean or new-mown hay.— 
S. P. E. S. 
THE GRANGE, WALLINGTON. 
No more suitable time than the present could be chosen to visit Mr. 
A. H. Smee’s very interesting garden at Wallington, and those who have 
only seen it in the autumn or winter when its charms have faded would 
scarcely recognise it in its summer garb. It is a pleasure to see some¬ 
thing of an uncommon character in the design of a garden which all can 
fully appreciate who are familiar with the formality that is too prevalent 
in suburban establishments, and none can visit The Grange without enjoy¬ 
ing the diversity and beauty of its winding shady walks, the numerous 
sparkling rivulets, and the luxuriance of the vegetation. In several 
nooks, particularly that termed the Fern Glade, an artist might find many 
agreeable studies, and such a pretty combination of foliage and flowers 
is well worthy of being fixed upon canvas. Overhead are lofty Horse 
Chestnuts laden with their white spires, the red and white Thorns fill the 
air with their perfume, fine bushes of Rhododendrons bear massive heads 
of brilliant flowers, while in the foreground the eye turns with relief to 
the soft green of the abundant Ferns, amongst which the majestic 
Struthiopteris germanica is very prominent, unfolding its magnificent 
fronds, some of which are already 5 or 6 feet high. Fringing the stream¬ 
let is a dense margin of the graceful Carex pendula, the thousand drooping 
heads of which give a peculiarly characteristic appearance to this portion 
of the garden. In such sheltered, moist, and cool situations as these 
Mr. Smee grows his Orchids out of doors during the summer, and pre¬ 
parations are now being made for placing about a thousand out in the 
same way this season. It is not surprising that the Orchids succeed so 
well out of doors where such suitable positions can be provided for them ; 
but very few gardens are so well adapted for the purpose as this. For 
some of the heat-loving Orchids a more open situation is selected, and 
there the growths get exactly what they require—namely, a thorough 
ripening. 
In the houses a good display of Orchids in flower is now provided, 
and Mr. Smee could not have chosen a more favourable time to throw 
his garden open to the public, as was done last Saturday, Sunday, and 
Monday. That the privilege was appreciated was shown by the number 
of visitors, over a thousand of whom inspected the garden and houses on 
Sunday afternoon. The Fern house, where the majority of the Orchids 
are arranged, has a beautiful appearance, the association of the brightly 
tinted and varied Orchid flowers with the delicate graceful refreshing 
green foliage of the Ferns, mo3t informally and tastefully disposed, being 
the true style of arrangement that should always be adopted with such 
plants. Cattleya Mossiae is especially well represented, a number of fine 
varieties being notable, one named Smeeana forming a distinct type, with 
a preponderance of a golden-orange hue in the broad lip. The beautiful 
Laelia purpurata is in excellent condition. The very late and long-lasting 
Calanthe Regnieri has still several flowers fresh, although the first opened 
on February 27th—over three months ago. The yellow Oncidium 
Marshallianum and O. concolor impart a welcome brightness, while 
numerous others, as the following list testifies, add to the attractions of 
the collection. 
ORCHIDS IN FLOWER AT THE GRANGE. 
Aerides odoratum 
Bolbophyllum Lobbi 
Calanthe Regnieri, opened February 27th 
Cattleya amethyetina 
citrina 
imperialis 
labiata Roezli 
Mendeli 
Mossise, 120 flowers open 
Mossias Smeeana 
Skinneri 
Chysis bractescens 
Cirrhtea viridin purpurea 
Coelogyne oeellata 
Cymbidium aloifolium, fifty flowere 
Cypripedium Argus 
barbatum 
caudatum 
Lawrencianum 
Dendrobium albosaDguineum 
Dalhousianum 
eburneum 
Falconeri 
japonicum 
thyrsiflorum 
Epidendrum eveetum 
vitellinum majas 
Galeandra nivea, eight spikes 
Lfelia cinnabarina 
elegans, two spikes of nine flowers 
purpurata, twelve flowers 
Leptotes bioolor 
Masdevallia Benedict® 
Chimrera 
crerulescens 
conchiflora 
coriacea 
Harryana 
Houtteana 
Maxillaria Harrison* 
Odontoglossum Alexandra} 
cordatum 
cirrhosum 
citrosmum 
nebulosum 
Pescatorei 
tripudians 
vexillarium 
Oncidium concolor 
comigerum 
cucullatum 
Marshallianum 
mesochlorum 
rotnndifolium 
tricuspidatum 
Pescatorea Lehmanni 
Phalajnopsis Boxalli, eighteen flowers 
Schilleriana 
Saccolabium curvifolium 
guttatum 
Vanda Batemanni, twenty flowers 
teres 
Under the care of Mr. Cummins much improvement has been effected 
in the plants, both Orchids and Ferns, and the collection has been very 
greatly extended. At the present time about 680 species and varieties are 
grown, the collection thus holding a prominent position amongst those 
possessed by amateurs. Many cultural and other experiments are con¬ 
stantly being made, and some interesting crosses have been made between 
species of Odontoglossums, which have resulted in fine fruits that look 
very promising. For instance, a plant of O. radiatum has been crossed 
with the largest-flowered O. Alexandra in the collection, and is now bear¬ 
ing a large fruit; O. Rossi, similarly fertilised with pollinia from O. Alex¬ 
andra, also has a well-developed fruit; O. Halli and 0. gloriosum, both 
fertilised with their own pollinia, have large fruits. Lselia albida has 
been crossed with L. anceps successfully as far as can be seen at present, 
but all trials to obtain a cross the reverse way have failed. Lycaste 
Deppei self-fertilised, and Phalaenopsis amabilis crossed with P. rosea, 
also have good pods. 
A short time since in this Journal, Mr. Cumnrns alluded to the advan¬ 
tages he considered were afforded to Phalsenopses by suspending the 
plants over growing plants, such as Ferns, Pileas, and Fittonias ; and there 
is no doubt that the constant moisture thus arising amongst the roots of .the 
Phalaenopses is very beneficial. Already an improvement is perceptible 
in the plants so treated, and there is every reason to expect a continuation 
of this progress. Another cultural item is worthy of remark in reference 
to staging for Orchids. In one of the houses sheets of corrugated iron 
are employed for this purpose, and when covered with ashes, small coal, 
shingle, or similar material, these are well suited for the purpose, as they 
retain the moisture well. In Mr. Laing’s Forest Hill nursery a similar 
plan has been successfully adopted.—L. C. 
PARANEPHELIUS UNIFLORUS. 
For this interesting plant our gardens are indebted to Mr. Wilson 
Saunders, to whom seeds of it were sent, over fifteen years ago, by Mr. 
Farris, from the mountains of Peru. The plant belongs to the natural 
order Composite, sub-order Tubuliflora. 
There is but one species of this genus, that which is shown in fig. 114 
It is a dwarf herbaceous perennial, growing close to the ground, and 
forming with its leaves a rosette on the surface, in the manner of 
Cnicus acaulis of our pastures and meadows, or the Carlina acaulis of 
our herbaceous collections. 
The leaves are of a dark green colour on the upper surface; the 
under surface white with pale green veins, contrasting well with the 
fine, large, golden yellow composite flowers about 3 inches across, giving 
a lively appearance in midwinter when other flowers are scarce. 
The seeds are sown early in spring thinly in a well-drained pot, and 
placed in a cool pit near the glass and moderately watered. As soon as 
the plants are large enough they are potted singly in small pots, placed 
again in a pit, and allowed plenty of air. When the plants become 
established, as soon as the pots are well filled with roots, they are to 
