JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
94 
[ February 3, 1881. 
Mr. Cannell, I trust, will pardon me for mentioning his name 
in connection with this subject; but I may say that I was so 
much pleased with his place and the attention I received—or 
more properly the information I obtained—that on the very first 
opportunity I shall visit the “Home of Flowers” again, but I 
do not promise that I shall tell the genial owner that I am— 
A Northern Gardener. 
TINNEA ^THIOPICA, 
One of the most charming plants for flowering in stoves at 
this period of the year is Tinnea sethiopica, and in many gardens 
where it has received the little attention needed to have it in 
satisfactory condition it has become almost indispensable. Not 
only is the plant elegant in habit and the flowers richly and 
distinctly coloured, but they also possess a delicious fragrance 
very strongly suggestive of Violets, so that a few specimens in 
bloom will agreeably perfume a moderately large house. When, 
in addition to these qualities, the season of its flowering is con¬ 
sidered, further recommendation is needless, and all gardeners 
Fig. 21.—Tinnea tethiopica. 
who have to maintain a stove in an attractive condition will 
readily appreciate the usefulness of the plant, especially those 
who have grown it. 
The woodcut (fig. 21) faithfully represents a small spray of a 
specimen, and also fairly shows the form, position, and numbers 
of the flowers. The corolla is two-lipped, the lower lip being of 
a fine maroon colour, and the upper one more of a rich crimson 
hue. The calyx is large, slightly inflated, and pale green. The 
flowers are freely produced in axillary clusters at the upper por¬ 
tion of the shoots. The culture is easy, a stove temperature 
being required, and a light rich soil of loam, leaf soil, and sand, 
the pots being carefully drained. Cuttings of the young shoots 
strike readily under a bellglass in a little bottom heat. 
The plant has been found by Dr. Kirk, Capt. Grant, and Mdlle. 
Tinne in tropical Africa, but to the latter is due the honour of 
having introduced it to this country. Seeds were sent to England 
in 1865, and from these plants were raised, one of which was first 
exhibited at the London International Horticultural Exhibition 
in 1866 by J. A. Tinn6, Esq., Briarley, Aigburth, Liverpool.—L. 
THE VICTORIA AND PARADISE NURSERIES. 
While the great metropolis was still comparatively silent under 
its heavy and unusual covering of snow, with a temperature con¬ 
siderably below freezing point, but a clear atmosphere brightened 
by the somewhat feeble rays of a January sun, I visited Mr. B. S. 
Williams’ large collections of plants at Holloway. There was 
snow in abundance, of that peculiar shade which it assumes after 
exposure to London smoke for a day or two, and all the cooler 
houses were surrounded by thick fringe of icicles suspended from 
the eaves, in many cases exceeding a yard in length. Mats had 
been freely called into requisition to aid the stokers in maintain¬ 
ing the necessary heat for the numerous choice plants from tropical 
regions, so that there was little in the outside appearance of the 
houses to convey any idea to a stranger of the floral beauties 
within. But I was confident there would be ample to compensate 
me for my journey, an expectation that was fully realised, though 
of course January is not the best time to visit a London nursery. 
For the benefit of those readers of the Journal who, being unable 
to visit our great metropolitan nurseries, are content with gaining 
their information second-hand, I will briefly note a few of the 
plants that attracted my attention, and which are worth the atten¬ 
tion of gardeners or amateurs. The great feature in the Victoria 
Nurseries is at all times the Orchids, and with them therefore I will 
commence. 
Orchids. —All these appeared in excellent health ; many were 
flowering, including several really useful species and varieties, the 
fresh vigorous growth and dark green foliage m other cases almost 
compensating for the absence of flowers. One of the first I 
observed was a specimen of the pretty Dendrobium luteolum with 
a number of its distinct pale yellow or buff-coloured flowers, which 
at this season are particularly acceptable. Another useful winter- 
flowering species of the same genus is D. heterocarpum, which 
with the floriferous D. moniliforme was in good condition. Lrelia 
anceps, recently mentioned in this Journal, was represented by 
several beautiful varieties ; one, appropriately named grandiflora, 
having unusually large blooms and a richly coloured lip. Lfelia 
albida, a species with small whitish flowers, is not very striking, 
but well worth growing. Among Cattleyas the most notable were 
some handsome forms of C. Trianae, one named rubra possessing 
great depth of colour, and another—magnifica, combining clear¬ 
ness of tint with fine size and substance of blooms. A distinct 
form of the beautiful hybrid C. exoniensis was flowering well, and 
C. chocoensis, with a rich purplish lip and white-fringed sepals and 
petals, was similarly notable. ; An imposing and attractive Orchid 
that is too seldom seen is Angrsecum eburneum ; and the variety 
superbum as grown at Holloway is still more valuable, as it sur¬ 
passes the type in the size and purity of the white lip. Angnecum 
sesquipedale is almost too well known to need comment, but a 
large and remarkably vigorous specimen formed a very conspicuous 
object in a bank of Orchids owing to the size of the flowers and 
the great length of the spurs. The Vandas were looking uncom¬ 
monly well, and Mr. Burton informs me that they have consider¬ 
ably improved since the hexagon shading material has been 
substituted for that of heavier texture on the house containing 
them, as they have thereby been exposed to more light without 
the danger of scorching the foliage. Good forms of V. tricolor, 
V. insignis, and V. suavis were in flower, and the characters of 
those species are so well known that it is unnecessary to further 
refer to them. The generally appreciated Zygopetalum Mackaii 
well deserves all that has been written in its favour, for it is the 
most useful of the genus both in respect to its easy culture, its 
free flowering, and the beauty of its blooms. It was strongly 
represented by specimens that had been in flower for a consider¬ 
able time. Pilumna fragrans with its charmingly scented flowers 
and the striking Phaius grandifolius are very dissimilar in appear¬ 
ance, but they are equally noteworthy, the latter being so free of 
growth and bearing its tall vigorous spikes of blooms in the dull 
season. 
Among Orchids requiring a cooler temperature than most of the 
above the Masdevallias and Odontoglossums are grown in large 
numbers, but at the time of my visit there were not many in 
flower. Masdevallia tovarensis was, however, bearing its pure 
white blooms, and the peculiar little M. polysticta was also repre¬ 
sented. The first mentioned is unquestionably an acquisition, as 
it flowers readily in a young state, and produces such a number 
of blooms that when associated with some of the richly coloured 
forms are most pleasing. Odontoglossum cirrhosum was in first- 
rate order, but the handsome variety of that species named 
Klabochorum, with its large blooms spotted with rich crimson 
