JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 13, 1881. ] 
339 
good scarlet tint; King of Scarlets very dark in colour : and Striata, 
streaked with orange, were the most noteworthy, the flowers being 
well formed in each case. 
A very interesting group of plants was contributed from the 
Society’s garden at Chiswick, including Pelargoniums, Ferns, Be¬ 
gonias, Bouvardias, Solanums, and many other plants. One unnamed 
Solanum with spinose leaves and globular deep orange-coloured 
fruits about an inch in diameter, was observable in this group, and 
as the fruits appear to be produced freely it is probable the plant 
will prove useful for decorative purposes. Among the Bouvardias 
Maiden’s Blush, of a pleasing rosy tint ; elegans, scarlet; Hogarth, 
scarlet; and alba elegantissima, white, or faintly tinged with rose, 
were the best. In addition to the awards named above, votes of 
thanks were accorded to Messrs. Carter & Co. for their Marigolds ; 
H. Cannell & Son for Single Dahlias ; Rawlings Bros, for Dahlias ; 
and James of Norwood for the group of Orchids. 
Nepenthes Rajah (Yeitch).—Avery healthy specimen of this notable 
Nepenthes was exhibited, and though the pitchers were small they 
were of a very rich deep red colour. The pitchers of this species are 
reputed to be the largest of all other Nepenthes, and this is borne 
out by the dried specimen accompanying the plant, which was 9 or 
10 inches in length and 4 to 6 in diameter. The plant shown was 
raised from seeds imported from Borneo, where it was found by 
Messrs. Peter Yeitch and Burbidge upon Mount Kilu Balu. 
Nepenthes madagascarensis (Yeitch).-—A pretty species, with neat 
very deep red pitchers. It is close and compact in habit, and seems 
to form pitchers freely in a young state. 
Adiantum cuneatum grandiceps (Yeitch).—A variety of this useful 
Fern with fronds crested or divided at the tips, after the style of so 
many British Ferns. It is graceful in habit, the heavy points of the 
fronds inducing a slight drooping appearance. 
Masdevallia velifera (Yeitch).—A peculiar species, with dull yellow¬ 
ish flowers of moderate size, and possessing a most offensive odour. 
Globba coccinea (Veitch).—An extremely ornamental Zinziberaceous 
plant, with ovate dark green shining leaves, and terminal spikes of 
small scarlet strangely formed flowers and bracts. Very attractive, 
and easily grown in ordinary stove temperature. 
Davallia gibberosa (Williams).—One of the most distinct forms of 
Davallias in cultivation, resembling in general appearance some of the 
Aspleniums of the A. bulbiferum type. The fronds are 2 or 2J feet 
long, somewhat triangular in outline, and 1 foot broad at the widest 
portion. The frond is finely divided into linear dark green pinnules 
or segments, and has a very elegant appearance. The Fern will no 
doubt become a great favourite. 
Amaryllis Mrs. Garfield (Williams).—This was stated to be a cross 
between Defiance and reticulata, and it evidently partook of the 
latter characters strongly. The flowers were not large but of mode¬ 
rately good form, very regularly streaked and netted with clear 
delicate rose upon a white ground. The softness of the tint and the 
evenness of the marking rendered the variety very pretty. 
Ccelogyne Massangeana (Williams).—An attractive Orchid, the speci¬ 
men shown having two long pendulous racemes of buff-coloured 
flowers. 
Adiantum Lathomi (The General Horticultural Company).—This 
beautiful Fern, which is doubtless destined to take a high position in 
the favour of Fern-lovers, is another of Mr. Bause’s raising, having 
been selected from a batch of Adiantum scutum which had been 
raised from spores. A. Lathomi closely resembles the above-named 
species in the form and size of the pinnules, but the habit is more 
compact, and the fronds, too, have their divisions more closely set, so 
that a fine head is formed, eminently suiting the plant for exhibition. 
The specimen shown was a handsome one in every way, several feet 
in diameter, and as healthy and fresh as could be desired. 
Dioon edule lanata (Bull).—A neat and pretty variety, differing 
chiefly from the species in the slight woolly surface of the rigid 
fronds. 
Odontoglossum vexillarium rubellum (Bull).—Many varieties of this 
fine Odontoglossum are now known ; and though the one named 
above has not such large flowers as some others, it appears to possess 
other characters of considerable value. It was shown as an autumn¬ 
flowering variety, and is described as continuing in flower until the 
end of the year. Another distinctive mark is that the flowers on all 
the plants are exactly alike in shade—namely, a deep rose tint evenly 
spread over the flower. 
Coleus Ada Sentance. —Another of the numerous handsome Coleuses 
that have been raised by Mr. King, gardener to G. Simpson, Esq., 
Wray Park, Reigate. The leaves are heart-shape, very neat in out¬ 
line, rich rosy crimson in the centre, around which is a band of 
irregular maroon blotches, and a clearly defined margin of green and 
yellow. It is a very brightly coloured variety, and is quite equal 
to some other productions of this raiser. One shown on the same 
occasion, Mrs. Yogan, was, in the opinion of many, equally deserving 
of a certificate; the leaves were small, dark crimson, with a green 
margin, and being of excellent compact habit it would be especially 
useful for decorative purposes. 
Coleus Dolly Varden. —Exhibited by Mr. R. Lloyd of Brookwood. 
It is a peculiar variety, the leaves being streaked with green, crimson, 
and maroon, the latter predominating. 
Dahlia Beauty (Turner).—A Show variety, with large substan¬ 
tial flowers, bright clear yellow, the florets being tipped with pale 
pink. 
THE GLADIOLUS. 
There are many interesting points in your correspondent’s 
letter (R. P. Brotherston) which I may like to say something on 
a little later on ; but there is one point at which I am very 
much surprised, where he says that “ I have never made much 
of these small corms,” alluding to the small bulbs which cluster 
round the large one. I may say that I have now a goodly num¬ 
ber of flowering corms raised in this way, that my friend Mr. 
Banks raises a large number every year, and I have at this 
moment a row of eighteen Horace Vernet flowering which I 
obtained two years as spawn on a large corm. If we want to 
keep up our collections we must depend on these, and therefore I 
would advise all Gladiolus growers when they are lifting their 
bulbs now to keep every one of them.—D., Deal. 
A WEEK IN LONDON. 
BATTERSEA PARK. 
This, without doubt, is the most attractive park in London. The 
formation is so varied that it shows to greater advantage the diffe¬ 
rent styles of bedding employed than the others can, as they are 
mostly flat and have not suitable surroundings for subtropical bed¬ 
ding to produce the same imposing effect as at Battersea. The 
grounds have been admirably laid out, and are, independent of the 
bedding, a great attraction in themselves. In following one of the 
many winding walks we come to several nooks in which some style 
of bedding is displayed to the best advantage. No matter which 
w r ay you turn there is some pleasing view—either the peculiar¬ 
shaped lake with its beautiful Water Lilies, or portions of the arti¬ 
ficial rockwork overhung with Cotoneaster, Vitises, and other suit¬ 
able plants. 
In the borders numbers of herbaceous plants are employed, and 
thousands of Anemone japonica alba and Anemone japonica were 
flowering at the time of my visit. What an imposing appearance 
the former presents when grown in quantity near dark-leaved 
shrubs! In one nook there was quite a plantation of a very fine 
white Phlox named “The Queen,” among stately plants of Ricinus 
communis; this arrangement was very imposing. Pentstemons, 
too, were freely employed. In addition to these I noticed beds of 
Roses, Liliums, Delphiniums, Gladioli, and many other beds of' 
similar plants which were past their best, hut must have been con¬ 
spicuous in their season. Distinct from these were raised mounds 
and slopes covered with Sedum, Saxifrages, Cerastium, and many 
other plants. One plant employed in some of the subtropical beds 
was Amaranthus caudatus, and never have I seen it employed with 
so much taste. It was effectively employed in a circular bed, form¬ 
ing the groundwork for some large plants of Dracaena lineata. 
Funkias are largely planted in the borders and on the grass. Suc¬ 
culent beds also abound, and some of the occupants are very curious 
and command much attention from visitors. In addition to beds 
entirely composed of succulents, many are used in the carpet and 
other beds, as well as being planted on the grass. Palms and 
Dracaenas are freely employed, some being very large and state! y. 
In some appropriate nooks wer« fine groups of Eucalyptus globu¬ 
lus, other groups being principally composed of Brugmansias, pro¬ 
bably B. Knightii, producing their trumpet-shaped flowers freely; 
others of Ricinus sanguineus and Solanum macrophyllum with fine 
hold leaves. These more or less were mixed with Lantanas, Ver¬ 
bena venosa, variegated Veronicas, and other plants, being edged 
with Salvia argentea and Chammpeuce diacantha. Gazanias and 
Zonal Pelargoniums contrasted well with the surrounding beds. 
Another handsome subtropical plant, Polymnia grandis, was most 
conspicuous with its large deeply cut leaves. It was very imposing, 
and scarcely surpassed by any other large-foliaged plant. Very 
graceful in some of the beds were the Aralias, Acacia lophantha, 
Dracaena gracilis, and Grevilleas. Erythrina Crista-galli, which 
was flowering profusely, was freely used in one of the borders with 
good effect. Acer Negundo variegata and the Golden Elder are also 
planted in some portions of the park, and contrast well with the 
green foliage surrounding them. One of the most natural pieces of 
grouping in the park was that portion devoted to the Ferns. They 
were grouped in a sheltered position under the shade of trees, and 
were growing and making new fronds freely’’, especially theCyatheas 
and Dicksonias. The portion of ground in which they were 
arranged sloped somewhat on each side, and presented quite the 
appearance of a natural dell. 
The carpet beds were not so numerous as in some of the other 
parks, but they were in excellent order, the designs neat and ele¬ 
gant, and the colours admirably blended. The soft silvery Sedum 
