586 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December 29, 1881. 
instructed by Mr. Brwey, solicitor, appeared for the defendants. 
Mr. R. Gilson, A. Balfour, nurserymen of Newcastle, Mr. Crament, 
gardener to Mrs. Backhouse, Ashburne, Sunderland, and other 
witnesses spoke as to the injurious nature of the smoke coming 
from the defendants’ works; and Mr. Balfour estimated the damages 
done to the complainants’ fruit trees and other crops at £35. Mr. 
J. Thompson, nurserymen of Newcastle (principal of the firm of 
Thompson & Son, Ravenside), and Mr. P. Ferguson of Mere 
Knolls, Monk Wearmoutb, both attributed the unhealthy state of 
complainants’ fruit trees to the presence of red spider, and the 
loss of the Onions to the attacks of the Onion fly. Both witnesses 
also spoke as to the unusual severity of the late frosts, particularly 
in early June, when the destruction of early vegetables was general 
in the county of Durham. Both 'witnesses were also agreed that 
the slight damage sustained by the complainants’ trees was ascrib- 
able as much to adverse weather and the close contiguity to the 
town as to the fumes of defendants’ brickworks. In summing up 
the Judge said that there could be no doubt that wherever manu¬ 
factories of this sort went on vegetation generally was sure to 
suffer. The Jury found for complainant for £30. The case 
attracted considerable attention in the neighbourhood, there 
being many gentlemen’s gardens round the district where the 
brickworks are.” 
PEAR NOUVELLE FULVIE. 
Like the Pear we submitted last week, this variety receives 
little attention in the current literature pertaining to a fruit on 
which so much, yet not too much, is written, for the Pear is 
beyond question the most important of all hardy dessert fruits. 
Although Nouvelle Fulvie is not one of the most handsome of 
Pears, it is nevertheless one of the best of its season. The fruit is 
usually ripe in January and February, and is of delicious quality. 
Like most other late Pears the trees need the shelter of walls, and 
it is only in the southern counties that satisfactory fruit is pro¬ 
duce 1 on trees in the open garden. A Pear of such excellence is 
worthy of a place amongst late Pears, and hence we give it more 
prominence than it has hitherto received. The following is a 
description of this good Pear—Fruit medium-sized, pyriform. 
Skin green, changing to yellow, and thickly dotted all over with 
russet ; when fully exposed and in a warm climate it has a red 
crimson cheek, which is bright when the fruit is at maturity. 
Eye half open, with dry horny segments, rather deeply set. Stalk 
about three-quarters of an inch long, occasionally fleshy, and 
united to the fruit by some fleshy folds. Flesh fine-grained, 
melting, very juicy, with a rich and exquisite flavour. It was 
raised by M. Gregoire, of Jodoigne in Belgium, in 1854, and 
named by him after one of the members of his family. Our 
figure on p. 587 represents a very fine specimen of this Pear. 
CHRISTMAS AT CHELSEA. 
It matters little what month the visitor may choose for a journey 
to the world-famed nurseries of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, 
he always finds abundance to interest him. However dull or 
cold the weather be, the numerous houses are thronged with 
handsome plants, forming a series of exhibitions of the most select 
and beautiful character. Winter has no dullness there. Perhaps 
the superb collections of Orchids are not quite so strongly attrac¬ 
tive as at other seasons, when they constitute such a grand feature 
in the nursery ; but even in December they contribute in no mean 
degree to the general effect, and many other plants scarcely less 
choice or showy amply supply whatever deficiency may be observed 
in that class. Few iudeed but those who well know the resources of 
the establishment would think it possible so much of interest and 
beauty could be provided in a nursery in the third week of Decem¬ 
ber ; but winter-flowering plants have in recent years received so 
much attention, so many new introductions are annually sent into 
commerce, and such care is given to the selection of varieties in 
certain classes of plants to prolong their particular season, that 
we shall soon have at command as great a diversity of floral beauty 
at this season as at any other period of the year. Indeed, some of 
Messrs. Veitch’s most recent and most useful novelties are plants 
specially adapted for winter decoration, among which it is only 
necessary to mention Jasminum gracillimum and Begonia soca- 
trana as examples, each of which will undoubtedly take a place 
amongst the most popular plants in cultivation ; but the following 
_ 
notes, though necessarily brief, will give some idea of what were 
specially attractive in these nurseries at Christmas, and they will 
also indicate how easy it now is to render cool or warm houses 
gay in no mean degree at what is considered to be horticulturally 
one of the dullest periods of the year. 
Orchids. —Though there was not the abundance of flowers 
which will render the houses devoted to these plants so brilliant 
a month or two hence, yet, as might be expected, in such a rich, 
diversiried, and well-grown collection there was much that was 
noteworthy. Greatly improved varieties of well-known species, 
beautiful hybrids, new introductions and raritie®, provided plenty 
of interest for the increasing number of Orchid lovers and growers. 
Foremost amongst the novelties was Calanthe bella, a very beauti¬ 
ful hybrid, the result of a cross between C. vestita and C. Turner!. 
It is quite distinct from both parents, being extremely vigorous, 
producing a very long spike, frequently 3 feet in length, the flowers 
being arranged on the upper half. One very remarkable quality 
is the great size of the flowers. The sepals and petals are broad, 
white tinged with rose ; the lip is particularly large, of a similar 
hue, but having in the centre a rich crimson blotch, which imparts 
a great attraction to the flowers. The outline is very even, and 
there is a general appearance of great substance. The Floral 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society recently signified 
their appreciation of its merits by awarding it a first-class certi¬ 
ficate. Another handsome Calanthe is C. Sedeni, with pink 
flowers and a deep rose blotch in the centre, while the several 
varieties of the useful C. vestita and the valuable C. Yeitchii 
were still attractive. The last-named scarcely needs a word of 
praise ; it is now so well known and is so thoroughly appreciated 
that it has become almost indispensable wherever Orchids are 
valued. 
Cvpripediums have received much attention at Chelsea, and 
many beautiful hybrids have been obtained, which, together with 
the numerous species and their varieties now grown, constitute a 
collection of great value and interest. At this time of year the 
old but useful C. insigne is in its best condition, and when re¬ 
presented by some of the best varieties, such as C. insigne Maulei, 
which was there in excellent form, it is one of the best of the 
genus for general culture. One unnamed variety had surprisingly 
large flowers, the white margin of the dorsal sepal being broad 
and pure, and the lip was also of good colour. The very distinct 
and pretty C. Sedeni with its rose-tinted flowers was noteworthy, as 
were also the following—C. euryandrum [O.barbatum x C. Stonei], 
a handsome form with imposing flowers ; the dorsal sepal broad 
and streaked ; the petals long, slightly hairy at the margin, and 
darkly spotted. The lip is suggestive of C. barbatum, but usually 
surpasses it in size. C. selligerum [C. barbatum x C. laevigatum], 
is also a distinct form with large flowers ; the dorsal sepal broad, 
white with dark streaks ; the petals are long, moderately broad, 
faintly streaked with crimson, spotted with a darker shade, and 
slightly hairy. C. vexillarium [C. barbatum x C. Fairrieanum], 
one of Mr. Dominy’s raising, was very attractive, its fine flowers 
and dwarf habit rendering it a fine addition to the garden form. 
The dorsal sepal is purple streaked on a whitish ground, the petals 
broad, and the lip neat in outline, and resembling the pollen 
parent. C. oenanthum [C. insigne Maulei x C. Harrisiauum], 
though not bearing such large flowers as some of the others 
already mentioned, this is a very beautiful form, and when seen 
in a good light is particularly striking owing to the peculiar 
glossiness of the blooms. The dorsal sepal is about If inch in 
diameter, nearly circular in outline, the greater portion being 
thickly spotted with shining deep claret purple, running into 
streaks near the centre, a narrow but evenly defined margin of 
white relieving the darker centre. The sepals are nearly 2^ inches 
long, about half an inch broad, with a slightly undulated margin, 
the glossy purplish hue being evenly spread with the exception of 
a few spots near the base ; the lip is small but neat, and of similar 
colour to the petals though rather brighter. Several others were 
also flowering, C. pycnopterum, and C. Harrisianum being the 
most noteworthy, the former a distinct hybrid, and the latter an 
older but beautiful form of hybrid origin. 
Odontoglossums are grown in thousands, an! several of the 
advance guard were already flowering. One very fine variety of 
O. Alexandras had seventeen flowers of excellent form in a spike. 
O. Halli was represented by a superbly coloured variety. O. odo- 
ratum was flowering freely. O. tripudians, a comparatively recent 
acquisition, with neat bright brown-barred flowers, the diminutive 
but pretty O. blandum, the magnificent O. triumphans, and O. 
limbatum with others were all flowering well. Phalasnopses of 
all the best species and varieties were showing an abundance of 
flower spikes, but recent fogs have done them much mischief, 
though, doubtless, they will as usual produce a fine display later 
on. Cattleyas also give great promise, innumerable sheaths being 
