October 2, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
307 
Manchester variety, £17; Masdevallia Harryana conchiflora, 
£7 10s.; and Cymbidiuni Lowianum, 11 guineas. 
Ca.la.nthe vestita. —This Calanthe should be increased as 
much as possible. It is easily grown, and as it forms nearly two 
pseudo-bulbs to every one, this is not much trouble. It throws 
out a long spike of pink and white llowers, which shows to 
advantage well when mixed in a group with Maidenhair Ferns. 
They are deciduous, mostly losing their leaves whilst in flower. 
After they have flowered they should be kept quite dry in a warm 
place until it is time to start them in growth again, then place 
one or two pseudo-bulbs in a pot, varying the size according to 
the size of the pseudo-bulbs, employing a mixture of peat and 
loam, with plenty of silver sand. It is also very beneficial to 
give them a little weak guano water about once a week when 
growing. 
Calanthe Yeitchii. —Another free-growing and free- 
flowering Calanthe that is well worth growing. Its flower 
spikes are from 2 to 4 feet in length, three parts of the stem 
being covered with beautiful pink flowers, which last long in 
perfection. It comes into bloom later than C. vestita, and has 
generally lost all its foliage before the flowers expand. It requires 
the same treatment as the above—namely, plenty of water when 
growing and afterwards a period of rest. 
Calanthe veeatrifolia. —One of the evergreen Calanthes 
and is more difficult to grow than those already mentioned. It 
throws up its long spike of beautiful white flowers mostly in the 
winter, which lasts several weeks in perfection, althougli I have 
seen it in flower in August. As soon as it commences growing it 
should be potted in a. compost of loam and peat, adding a little 
decayed manure and sand. After it is potted great care should 
be exercised in watering, or the young growth wull quickly decay. 
This is an old Orchid, but is well worth growing.—A Workee. 
C.ARNATION GLOIRE DE NANCY 
As a grand white-flowered variety this should be largely grown to 
afford flowers for cutting. It migot not suit the taste and require¬ 
ments of those who grow blooms for exhibition only, for in the Carnation, 
as in the Rose, the shape and formation of the flower appears to be the 
main object to be attained, and this at the expense of the fragrant pro¬ 
perties of the flower. Some varieties are almost faultless as regards the 
symmetry of the flower, but the delightful perfume that renders the 
Carnation one of our most popular hardy plants is sadly deficient. We 
do not complain of the beautiful form of the flower, for this would cer¬ 
tainly raise the Carnation considerably in the estimation of those who 
love it for its fragrance alone. What we really do want for border Car¬ 
nations are such free-flowering varieties as Lady Manvers (or Royal 
Purple), with the strong delightful perfume of the old Crimson Clove. 
Carnation Gloire de Nancy possesses the latter quality in a marked degree, 
it is scarcely so sweet as that favourite old variety, and the flower is 
smiUer. The dry unfavourable season for Carnations outside may have 
told against it in this respect. It is a strong gi’ower and promises to 
flower very freely, and therefore a grand companion for the old Crimson 
Clove, and should find a place in all gardens where sweet Carnation 
flowers are required. The only fault this variety appears to possess is 
that of the flower stems becoming too tall. It evidently grows as freely 
as the old Clove, and there appears but little difliculty in obtaining a 
stock of strong plants, which cannot be said of many named varieties 
now in cultivation.—W. B. 
DINNER-TABLE DECORATION. 
A very useful article was published in this Journal (page 241) on 
buttonhole bouquets, which many young gardeners would peruse with 
advautage. The floral decoi’ation of the dinner table is also a most 
important subject, as the time is now approaching for our country 
dinner parties, and that means much extra work for the foreman or 
floral decorator. To aid others I will give a brief description of 
dinner-table decorating, which may be useful to young men who 
have taken their first foreman's p'ace, and perhaps have not had an 
opportunity of learning much rt specting the work. The principal 
point in arranging a dinner table is neatness, the flowers to be 
arranged symmetricall}^ and not too many colours. We will start 
with the centrepiece, supposing it to consist of flowers alone 
arranged in a vase 18 inches high, a dish 4 inches from the base, a 
smaller dish half way up, the vase to be trumpet-shaped at the top. 
The flowers should be assorted according to their size, the heaviest 
in the bottom, aud the lightest at the top. It often happens that 
shades of colour must be allowed to be of more consequence than size 
of flower. Small flowers of dark colour at the bottom of a vase 
contrast well with larger flowers of a paler shade higher up. The 
base looks well furnished with Maidenhair Fern and trailing pieces 
of Cissus discolor and Selaginella ; amongst these Kalosanthes 
coccinea, Eucharis, Allamonda Hendersonii, and Bougainvillea glabra, 
the middle dish to contain trailing pieces of Selaginella and Adiantum 
gracillimum. Amongst these place Pancratium fragraus, Oncidium 
flexuosum. Euphorbia jacquiniseflora, and Plumbago capensis. The 
trumpet should contain a few spikes of Calanthes if in flower, or 
some other light graceful flower. Bouvardias red and white, Rhj’n- 
cospermtim jasminoides, and a few fronds of Lygodium scandens, 
Selaginellas, Adiantum gracillimum, and Grasses, with a few Tro- 
pteolum blooms. Above all avoid overcrowding. In general few 
]ilants are wanted at the dinner table ; at that I am describing, which is 
for four persons, I should put two Crotons, Chelsoni or iuterruptus 
aureus, one on each side of the centrepiece, or two Asparagus 
pluraosus nanus, and two Riviiia lisevis, one at each end to correspond. 
Their red fruits show up well, but do not let them stop in more than 
one night, or their berries may fall. The plants near the centrepiece 
should be 6 inches lower than the centrepiece, the end plants to be 
half the height of the centrepiece. As many small glasses as there 
are guests should be arranged, each with a buttonhole. 
I will now describe a plan of table decoration which I think is 
most suitable for the plants and flowers named. Before, however, 
having plants or flowers on a table, place a layer of white paper 
where required, and then lay some fresh green moss the necessary 
width. Cut the paper ■where the moss does not cover it, and all that 
is then required is to get the flowers and arrange them. Around the 
centrepiece on the table mentioned above was placed a ring of 
Eucharis amazonica and Adiantum gracillimum, around this a wreath 
of Poinsettia bracts, with their points outwards, the stalk of the 
bracts inserted in the moss. Projecting from the Crotons were four 
angles of purple Primulas, edged with Laurustinus in flower and 
a few of its own leaves. Suirounding the Rivinas were single blooms 
of white Primulas, and a margin of Poinsettia bracts, while surround¬ 
ing all was an angular band 4 inches wide of Chrysanthemum 
Lady Talfourd, in the centre white Primulas and Vesuvius Pelar¬ 
goniums. The Primulas and Pelargoniums form alternate lines on 
the inner or outer side of the band, which has the points of the outer 
angles alternating with the plates. A few Ivy leaves were a’so 
employed, and the whole effect was very satisfactory. I should like 
to read some other youag scribe’s idea on this subject.—W. R., 
Waterloo, Liverpool. 
MILLA BIFLORA. 
This Mexican bulb is a pretty and useful plant. Its growth and 
flower stems are very slender, the former being rush-like in appearance 
and about 18 inches in length, while the flower stems here have attained 
a height of 2 feet 6 inches. The flowers are produced in pairs, as its 
name implies, but sometimes as many as four are produced on one stem. 
The blooms are of the purest waxy white, with more substance than 
Eucharis amazonica, and are about 2^ inches in diameter. In appearance 
the flowers are star-like, much resembling a gigantic form of Ornitho- 
galum umbellatum, and are deliciously fragrant, three or four of them 
being sufficient to perfume a room. The flowers last several days when 
cut, and it will, without doubt, when it becomes cheap and well known, 
be very largely grown for bouquets. 
I do not think it will be much employed for producing an effective 
display out of doors, as the flowers open successionally, and therefore, 
though planted largely, w.mld prove disappointing. It would be useless 
to have a few bulbs dotted about, for a dozen or a score should be planted 
together in a clump to ensure any degree of satisfaction. I have bad no 
opportunity of testing the hardiness of the bulbs, for I only purchased 
them last autumn, and was advised to keep them dry and cool during 
the winter. They were planted out towards the end of March or the 
beginning of the following month in sandy peat in a sunny position, and 
they have done well considering the season. I was also advised to give 
them abundance of water during dry weather, but this I omitted, and 
whether a bountiful supply of moisture at the roots is an essential in its 
cultivation I have not yet discovered. Judging from the slender habit of 
its growth, I do not think it a suitable bulb for cultivation in pots under 
glass, but it is valuable for its lovely flowers, which are produced in 
su cession over a period of about two months.—W m. Bardney. 
SINGLE DAHLIAS; THEIR COMPARATIVE MERITS 
AND FUTURE PROSPECTS. 
“ Single Dahlias have been partial failures with us this year, and 
fewer will he grown in future.” Thus writes your correspondent 
who supplies with more than ordinary ability the customary “Work 
for the Week " in your last issue. 1 am very reluctant to say trny- 
thing in depreciation of a class of flowers that has risen so rapidly 
in popularity as these. At the same time I have heard so many 
opinions like that quoted, that a discussion on their merits can do no 
harm. By comparison with the doubles there are at least three 
sources of dissatisfaction:—!. They are trani-itory, ami it exposed 
to strong sunshine last little longer than the Tigridi is, Hemerocallises 
or Day Lilies. Very few have the substance of flower to be observed 
