September 1, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 209 
pood in appearance and quality as Hale’s Early, and as early as 
Early Beatrice, it will be a decided acquisition. 
To all who are erecting Peach houses and those who intend 
planting in the ensuing summer it is important to have the latest 
reliable information on the subject of these notes ; indeed, they 
have been suggested by a gentleman who is seeking information, 
as he desires to have the best early Peaches he can obtain, and 
wishes to avoid planting trees that in two or three years’ time he 
may have to dig up again.—T. S. 
The Secretary of the Tavistock Horticultural Society asks 
if any of our readers can suggest a solution of a difficulty—namely, 
the practice of some competitors entering for certain prizes, and 
then at the last moment not putting in an appearance for all 
the things entered. There are no entrance fees, and there are 
almost insuperable objections to making any, as the Society is 
supported very liberally by the noblemen and gentlemen of the 
district. 
- Coloured plates or flowers are so numerous now- 
a-days, that it is only when one of striking excellence appears 
that it merits notice. Such an one was issued last week with 
the Gardeners' Chronicle, representing truthfully and artistically 
the three beautiful Odontoglossums vexillarium, Alexandra;, and 
cirrhosum. We congratulate our contemporary and their artist 
on this very chaste and beautiful work of art, which so many 
Orchid admirers will be glad to possess. 
- A new Miltonia of singularly chaste appearance has 
expanded in Mr. B. S. Williams’ collection during the present 
week. Its labellum is pure white, with three or four short, bold, 
and clearly defined stripes of purplish magenta radiating from 
the centre of the flower. This variety, which has not yet been 
named, is much prized in the nursery. 
- In the same establishment, noticeable by its very free 
growth and fine flowers, is Ixora Pilgrimi, which promises to 
rank amongst the most useful for decorative purposes in this fine 
genus, especially as it succeeds admirably in a temperature of 10° 
to 15° lower than is suitable for I. coccinea. 
- We have received from Messrs. G. Cooling & Sons, Bath, two 
plants of their New Dwarf Kidney Bean, Ne Plus Ultra, 
which they sent out this season. The plants are extremely pro¬ 
ductive, of dwarf habit, and have large and fine pods. The 
vendors recommend it especially as a forcing kind, as it proves to 
be as productive indoors as out, and is very early. It is certainly 
a very fine Bean, but how far it is distinct from Fulmer’s can 
only be determined by a fair trial of the two varieties. Have any 
of our readers tried them together, and if so with what results ? 
- Among the numerous hardy plants exhibited by Mr. 
Riches at South Kensington last week, two very pretty forms 
were noteworthy—namely, Castilleja indivisa and Dracoce- 
phalum Ruprechtii. The former is a bright and attractive 
ally of the Scrophularias, with spikes of scarlet flowers and bracts ; 
and the other is Labiate, with soft yet bright purple flowers that 
are produced very freely, clothing the upper part of the stems. 
They may be both grown upon a rockery that has been suitably 
prepared. 
- “ One of the most interesting aquatic plants in flower 
at the present time,” writes “ A.W.,” ‘‘is Orontium aquaticum. 
The graceful drooping foliage, from which rise charming umbels 
of flowers, renders it a very suitable plant for shallow waters.” 
- A good cultivator writes as follows relative to the 
Madresfield Court Grape —“ This fine Grape does not now 
get so bad a character for cracking, as its culture is getting better 
understood. Formerly one-half of the berries were lost through 
cracking, now but several instances have within the last fortnight 
come under my observation where, thanks to a dry buoyant 
atmosphere coupled with ample ventilation, scarcely a berry has 
to be cut out.” 
- Mr. W. R. Gleave sends the following receipt for 
making Coltsfoot wine— “ Take three gallons of water and 
one quart of Coltsfoot flowers, boil them well for half an hour, 
then strain through a sieve ; add 9 lbs. of good moist sugar, boil 
again for half an hour, then remove to a cool place ; when luke¬ 
warm add seven Oranges pared and sliced, two Lemons sliced, 
and a little yeast. Let it stand for about a day, then put in a 
cask for two or three months, then draw off into bottles.” Perhaps 
someone else will be kind enough to give the other receipt that 
has been asked for Horehound beer. 
- In reply to “ S. E.” Mr. Peach recommends the following 
method of preparing Whitewash for Glass— “ The whiting 
should be mixed with old milk instead of water, and have a third 
part of fresh slaked lime mixed with it, and to every gallon add 
one pint of strong paste or starch. If this mixture is put on in 
a dry day, especially if there is a little sun to harden it, it will 
stand much wet weather and frost before it is washed off. The 
quantity of whiting used must depend on the amount of shade 
which is required and the size of the glass in the house.” Another 
correspondent states that—“If ‘S. E.’ mixes some boiled glue 
with whiting it will withstand several months of rain and frost, 
and can easily be removed by hot water and a flannel.” 
-The collection of Potatoes grown at Chiswick 
this year was examined by the Fruit and Vegetable Committee 
on August 19th, P. Crowley, Esq., in the chair; the following 
varieties being highly approved for cropping qualities and hand¬ 
some appearance—Lye’s Prolific, Garnett’s Seedling, The Druid, 
No. 1 (Fenn), No. 3 (Fenn), Avalanche, Alderman, No. 0 (Fenn), 
Surrey Gatepost, Beauty of Kent, Farren’s No. 1, Foster’s Seed¬ 
ling, Standard (Fenn), Lord Mayor, American Seedling. Bedfont 
Prolific, Matchless, White Emperor, Criterion, Manhattan, No. 5 
(Fenn), Mr. Bresee, Alpha, Triumph ; No. 30, Rand’s Seedling 
(Bliss). On being submitted to the test of cooking the following 
were awarded first-class certificates— Garnett's Seedling, a large 
flat white kidney ; Standard (Fenn), a medium-sized round 
white; Lord, Mayor (Dean), a very handsome rough-skinned 
white ; Foster's Seedling , a large white round rough ; No. 5 (Fenn), 
a large, very handsome, pale red kidney, resembling;Mr. Bresee, 
remarkably fine in quality ; and Matchless (Bliss), a half round, 
very handsome, pale pink American variety. 
- We are informed that the following gardening appoint¬ 
ments have been recently made—Mr. Joseph Turner, late fore¬ 
man at Poulett Lodge, Twickenham, has been appointed gardener 
to R. H. Coombe, Esq., Pierrepoint, Farnham, Surrey ; and Mr. 
Thomas Gardiner takes charge of the gardens of P. B. Davis 
Cooke, Esq., Owston Park, Dorlcaster. 
DENDROBIUM SPLENDIDISSIMUM. 
Hybrid Orchids are now by no means scarce, although confined 
to a few genera, and many beautiful forms have been added to 
our collections within the last ten years, not a few having origi¬ 
nated in Messrs. Veitch’s nursery. One of the best of these that 
appears destined to obtain a high position in the esteem of Orchid 
growers is Dendrobium splendidissimum, of the habit and flowers 
of which the woodcut (fig. 34, p.203) gives a faithful representation. 
Though evidently the result of a cross between two species, the 
exact parentage is not certainly known. D. heterocarpum is 
certainly one, being the seed-bea,ripg plant, but whether D. nobile 
