86 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 14, 1881. 
Newbury, and Mr. John Butcher, Stratford-on-Avon, also sent Melon8 
that were not of unusual merit. Mr. H. Shepherd, gardener to J. 
Billinghurst, Esq., Moorcroft, Cobham, Surrey, sent a twin example 
of Cucumber Empress of India. Mr. It. Dean, Ealing, exhibited a 
kidney Potato named Early Comet, a cross between American Success 
and Woodstock Kidney. It i3 to be tried at Chiswick. 
Floral Committee.— J. McIntosh, Esq., in the chair. Messrs. 
H. Cannell & Son, Swanley, exhibited several stands of Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums, including the dark scarlet Henry Jacoby, the dazzling 
scarlet Nemesis, and the white form Eureka certificated at the begin¬ 
ning of the year. Some fine Larkspurs and Verbena blooms were 
also shown, a number of good varieties of the latter being represented. 
The best were Mellendins grandiflora, bright scarlet, white eye ; Sir 
Garnet Wolseley, bright purple, very large; Edward Perkins, white, 
pink eye ; and Dr. Feyerlin, very deep purplish crimson. Several 
other new streaked and parti-coloured varieties were staged. Flowers 
of a Solanaceous plant named Nicotiana affinis were also sent; they 
have a long tube and spreading ovate white petals, possessing a 
powerful fragrance. The plant is an annual, and is said to thrive 
well out of doors. A vote of thanks was accorded for the collection. 
Mr. W. Bull, Chelsea, sent a collection of new plants, among which 
examples of the following—Disa grandiflora Barrelli, with large 
bright scarlet flowers; the peculiar Senecio stenocephala, with 
deeply heart-shaped and sharply serrated leaves, and tall close spikes 
of yellow flowers ; Pellionia Daveauana, a pretty little stove plant 
suitable for growing in a shallow pot or pan ; a fine Rhopala nam’d 
R. Jonghei, and several forms of Odontoglossum vexillarium. A 
group of “decorative” Nosegay, Zonal, and Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums 
was sent from Chiswick, several very pretty varieties of Lemoine's 
raising being represented. One pretty unnamed variety with neatly 
fringed circular pink and white flowers was noticeable, and one 
named Madame Harmant with large even white flowers slightly 
feathered with crimson at the base was also noteworthy. The well- 
known and handsome Madame Thibaut was in good form with large 
trusses of its brightly coloured flowers. Several -were certificated 
both by the Floral Committee and the Pelargonium Society, and are 
described below. Cranston’s Nursery and Seed Company sent flowers 
of the new H.P. Rose Mary Pochin, referred to on another page. 
Mr. Hodges, gardener to Mr. Edwin Wright, Gravelly Hill, Birming¬ 
ham, sent flowers of Cattleya gigas imperialis, very large and richly 
coloured, for which a vote of thanks was accorded. A similar award 
was granted to Mr. C. Osman, Sutton, Surrey, for flowers of a bright 
salmon scarlet Zonal Pelargonium. A vote of thanks was accorded 
Mr. G. F. Wilson of Weybridge for a plant of Hibiscus Hugeli, a 
distinct and curious species. The leaves are deeply cut into five 
segments, and closely resemble some of the fragrant-leaved Pelai’- 
goniurus, the flowers being of a soft purplish mauve with rounded 
petals, and about the size of a large Mallow, but not spreading as in 
that plant. 
First-class certificates were awarded for the following plants :— 
Lcelia Phi/brickiana (Veitch).— A very pretty hybrid between 
Cattleya Acklandise and Lmlia elegans. The flowers are borne in 
short racemes ; the sepals and petals of a glossy purplish colour 
spotted with a darker shade; the lip two-lobed and very rich crim¬ 
son in tint; two lateral wings being nearly white, and the column 
purple. The leaves are 3 to 5 inches long, and the bract elliptical 
in form. The Cattleya parentage very strongly predominates in the 
flowers. 
Carnation Gloire de Nancy (Veitch).—A charming variety with full 
pure white flowers, extremely fragrant—quite a Clove perfume. 
Croton rubi o-lineatus (Veitch).—A showy form with leaves a foot 
or more long, 2 to 3 broad ; the midrib bright crimson streaked late¬ 
rally with yellow, and blotched with green between the veins. Very 
bright and effective. 
Athyrium FUix-fcemina acrocladon. — A pretty dwarf Fern from 
A. Clapham, Esq., of Kensington, and suggestive in general appear¬ 
ance of the Parsley Fern, Allosorus crispus. The fronds are very 
neatly crisped, and being only a few inches high it will no doubt 
prove useful as an edging plant either for the stages of a conserva¬ 
tory or for groups. 
Cienkawslcia Kirkii (Bull). — A Scitaminaceous plant allied to 
Kaempferia, with bright shining green tapering leaves 12 to 15 inches 
long. The flowers are borne several together at the top of a scape 
about 10 inches high. There are three large round pink petals, the 
lower one considerably the largest, and dashed with yellow in the 
centre. 
Onciditim Gardnerianum (Bull).—A handsome specimen of this fine 
Orchid was shown, bearing several panicles of large flowers. The 
blooms are about inch in diameter; the lip rounded, bright yellow, 
and edged with light brown, the sepals and petals being barred 
with yellow and brown. 
Iris Kcempferi Seraph (Bull).—One of the double forms, the petals 
being white tinged and edged with purplish blue. Very delicate in 
colour. 
The following were shown from the Society’s Chiswick Garden, and 
were mostly Lemoine’s seedlings :— 
Pelargonium. No. 76 .—A pretty “decorative” variety with neat 
circular bright rose and white flowers, having fringed margins. Very 
free and attractive. 
Pelargonium Madame Harmant .—Also a decorative variety, with 
white flowers of good form and substance, slightly streaked with 
purple at the base of the petals. 
Pelargonium Mont Blanc .—An Ivy-leaved variety with very full 
double white flowers, which have a very faint pink tinge in the centre. 
Truss large and compact. 
Pelargonium Henri Cannell .—A double Zonal with a large full truss 
and very dark rich scarlet flowers. Especially remarkable for the 
depth of colour. 
Scientific Committee. —Dr. M. T. Masters in the chair. 
Gooseberry Blight. —Mr. W. G. Smith observed that he had discovered 
Uredo-like-spores upon the same mycelium which produced the AEci' 
dium grossulariw on the surface of the fruit exhibited last time. 
Liriodendron .—Mr. G. S. Boulger exhibited a blossom of Tulip 
Tree, which appeared to be a distinct variety from the common form. 
Although but one species is recognised Dr. Masters observed that at 
least two varieties were recognisable—the variegated and an entire- 
leafed form. 
Gymnadenia conopsea. — Mr. Boulger also exhibited a very fine 
spike of this Orchid. 
Tonga. —Dr. Masters exhibited the dried plants yielding this drug. 
It consists of stems of an Aroid, Raphiodophora, and leaves of a 
Verbenaceous tree. It comes from Fiji. 
Pear and Pelargonium Leaves .—He showed specimens of the former 
attacked by some mites or other insects, and the latter spotted, 
apparently by bad cultivation. 
Anthurium Kalbreyeri .—A very fine specimen of this plant was 
exhibited by Mr. Veitch from New Grenada. It received a botanical 
certificate. 
Malformed Digitalis. —Mr. Henslow Bhowed drawings of a Foxglove 
in which the corolla was split up, some of the divisions being converted 
into stamens. 
HEXACENTRIS MYSORENSIS. 
Some weeks ago a correspondent sent us a spray of this beautiful 
stove climber (see next page), accompanied by the following re¬ 
marks—“A plant of Hexacentris mysorensis is now flowering pro¬ 
fusely in my stove, and is so bright and curious in its flowers that 
all who see it admire it very much. That so attractive a plant, and 
one that has been so long in this country, should remain compara¬ 
tively unknown or neglected is a great surprise to me, and my 
object in writing these few lines is to draw attention to what I 
find a really valuable plant. My specimen is, perhaps, a dozen 
years old, and is trained up a pillar and over the central walk in 
a large span-roofed stove, and when the fine pendant racemes of 
large rich crimson and yellow flowers are produced in profusion 
the beauty of the plant is almost indescribable. The plaDt is 
growing in a small prepared border of light loam, peat, and sand ; 
and, as the root space is very limited, we occasionally give a 
good supply of very weak liquid manure, which greatly encourages 
the growth and increases the size and brightness of the flowers. 
Little attention is required in pruning, removing the weak shoots 
and the UDripened portions of the others being the chief requisite* 
in this respect. Though an old plant it certainly deserves to be 
more generally grown at the present time than appears to be the 
case, and I cordially recommend it those who may desire a dis¬ 
tinct and beautiful addition to their 6tove climbers.” 
SHOULD FLOWERS BE DRESSED OR NOT? 
“ I HAVE been looking over some back numbers of the Journal 
and have read many communications on the subject of dressing 
flowers, but so far as I can judge the advocates of the practice are 
confined to those whose great object appears to be to win prizes 
at exhibitions, while the opponents do not appear to be exhibitors, 
but just ordinary cultivators, and, perhaps, care more for growing 
Potatoes and Grapes than flowers. Both parties, therefore, appear 
to be prejudiced, perhaps without knowing it; and I should like 
some grower of flowers who can judge calmly to give his views on 
this subject, which has been warmly discussed in our bothy.” 
The above letter has been submitted to me with a request that 
I give the subject of it consideration, and forward such a reply 
as I deem suitable under the circumstances. I have not been in 
a waiting mood of late, and the subject is not a particularly in¬ 
viting one, as there are so many people having stronger views 
than I entertain, on whichever side of the subject their sympathies 
lie. Still I will endeavour to treat the question on its merits, and 
shall much regret if there are any readers sufficiently sensitive 
to feel in the slightest degree uncomfortable by anything I may 
say in reference to a practice in which they are interested. 
In connection with this practice of dressing flowers it will be 
well to remember that there are two distinct classes of cultivators 
whom it interests—the larger class, who grow flowers for home 
decoration ; and the smaller, who grew them for exhibition. This 
fact being recognised, there can be no surprise at the difference* 
