592 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 28, 1882. 
becoming popular. It requires less beat than Gardenias, grows 
freely, and produces trusses of beautiful pure white and highly 
scented flowers at the points of the gracefully drooping branches, 
and each vigorous branch will produce more bloom at nearly 
every leaf-axil. I find cuttings strike slowly but surely in an 
ordinary moderately heated close propagating frame, and the 
6tock will be increased as rapidly as possible.” 
- Me. F. W. Buebidge writes—“I am glad you propose an 
ELECTION OF Cheysanthemums, in which 1 shall be pleased to 
join. The truth is, as in Roses, we have far too many kinds too 
nearly alike. Will anyone say why we so seldom see old Crimson 
Velvet now-a-days, or if the new King of Crimsons is its new 
form 1 Sceur Melanie I call a small Elaine ; its white is pure. 
White Trevenna is not so white, shows a yellow eye, and is other* 
wise inferior. I had this year a seedling perfectly single, like 
a single Pyrethrum, and am very proud of it, Some day a single- 
flowered race will be valued. Of all reflexed vars. Progne is 
here the favourite, rich violet-purple, scented like Violets and 
Mignonette mixed. Ethel is fine now after Elaine, but its white 
is not so pure. In reflexed flowers the bright face of the florets is 
shown, and so they will always lead in colour. Incurved flowers 
show the backs of the florets only, and so are paler.” 
- The following notes upon the London Nueseeies at 
Cheistmas briefly indicate the chief features at the dullest 
season of the year, and prove the value of Orchids for winter 
decoration, as in most of them these are by far the most notable 
amongst flowering plants. The great demands upon our space 
this week will not admit more than the briefest reference to 
them, and we must reserve detailed reports until another issue. 
—— In Mr. B. S. Williams’ rich collection of Oechids at 
Uppee Holloway, notwithstanding the recent fogs which prove 
so injurious to the plants, there is now a display of great interest 
and beauty for December, and the condition of the plants with 
the buds showing gives abundant promise of a still finer effect in 
a few weeks’ time. Odontoglossums as usual at this time of year 
are well to the fore, some superb varieties of 0. Alexandras being 
very notable ; some are pure white, and others heavily spotted and 
blotched, while all the best flowers are distinguished by their good 
form. 0. Pescatorei and 0. gloriosum are also good ; 0. Halli, 
0. hebraicum, and many others showing numbers of spikes. 
Cypripediums are attractive ; the useful C. insigne being repre¬ 
sented by several magnificent specimens. The varieties Maulei, 
Chantinii, and punctatum violaceum are flowering well, and a good 
opportunity is afforded for comparing them with each other. The 
two latter are precisely alike, and distinguished from Maulei by 
their darker lips and petals, and their much broader leaves—two 
well-marked characters. The lovely crimson-hued Cypripedium 
Warneri is in good condition and deserves a place amongst 
the best of the genus. C. Roezli, C. Roezli alba, C. Harrisianum, 
0. villosum, C. Boxalli, C. Sedeni, and many other well-known 
favourites contribute considerably to the boauty of the collection. 
Lffllia anceps with its beautiful variety Dawsoni, Lycaste Skinneri, 
and Maxillaria grandiflora are flowering well, and the grand 
Cattleyas are showing abundance of sheaths. 
- One other Orchid in the same nursery is particularly note¬ 
worthy—namely, Ccelogyne baebata, as it has been considered 
by some difficult to flower, though this does not appear to be the 
case at Holloway. Several plants there have three to five spikes 
of flowers each, and if the brownish lip is a disadvantage the 
plant is far from being unattractive when in such good condition. 
It is found that it succeeds best under cool treatment until the 
flowers are showing, when it should be removed to a warmer 
house to induce them to open, as otherwise they are liable to 
damp off. 
- The value of cool-house Oechids is admirably shown 
in Mr. W. Bull’s nursery at Chelsea, and in one house alone there 
is now a display of Odontoglossums such as can scarcely be 
rivalled at this time of year. There are upwards of 140 spikes, 
the flowers on a large proportion of which are expanded, and the 
varieties are extraordinarily fine. Odontoglossum crispum is 
magnificently represented, and one of the varieties is the most 
handsome we have seen, although good varieties of this useful 
Orchid are now so plentiful. This has flowers of exquisite form 
44 inches in diameter, the petals and sepals broad and beautifully 
fringed, white most delicately suffused with rich rose. Another 
handsome variety, named roseum, has smaller flowers, but is perfect 
in form and of a warm rose tint. 0. Pescatorei is equally good, 
and one of the varieties deserves special notice, though all are 
fine. In this the flowers are rounded, pure white, with two dark 
purple spots at the base of the lip, which render the variety one 
of the most striking and handsome in cultivation. 0. odoratum, 
0. Rossi, 0. baphicanthum, 0. Cervantesi, and many others are 
similarly fine. 
—— In other houses are multitudes of vigorous Orchids, 
Cattleyas by thousands as healthy and promising as it is possible 
for them to be, Oncidiums, Lselias, Cypripediums, and scores of 
others; but perhaps there is nothing more remarkable than a grand 
lot of Odontoglossum vexillaeium— not in flower, of course, 
but in splendid condition, growing literally like weeds, and 
giving promise of a superb display next year. 
- Messes. J. Veitch Sc Sons have two great features in 
their Chelsea nursery—namely, Oechids and Nepenthes, and 
at all seasons something of interest will be found if only those 
two of the multitudinous departments be visited. The Orchids 
claim first attention, and as usual the display well maintains the 
credit of the firm, The vast stock of Odontoglossums include all 
the best varieties obtainable, such as 0. Alexandras, 0. Anderson- 
ianum, 0. blandum, O. Wilckeanum, 0. tripudians, 0. Rossi, 0. 
nasvium, 0. maculatum, and 0. deltoglossum, being in strong 
force and bearing abundance of flowers. Cypripediums are 
admirably represented, not the least noteworthy being the 
favourite C. Sedeni, while C. euryandrum and C. calurum deserve 
prominent notice. A very handsome Cattleya—viz., C. Dodgsoni, 
is also in flower, the blooms being of great size; the sepals and 
petals large, blush white, and the lip tipped with rich rosy 
crimson in fact it is one of the best of a handsome genus, 
Maxillaria nigrescens is a curiosity, and beautiful in contrast 
with the lighter-coloured forms, such as M. grandiflora. The 
sepals and petals are narrow and of an extremely dark rich 
reddish brown hue. Phajus irroratus purpuratus is a distinct 
variety with a rosy purple lip and white sepals and petals—a 
pretty contrast. The yellow Oncidium cheirophorum is in fine 
condition. Laslia anceps and acuminata, with Angraacum sesqui- 
pedale and A. Chailluanum, also attracting notice, the former by 
their rich crimson flowers, and thelatter by their white wax-like 
blooms. 
- In the Nepenthes house there is quite a forest of 
pitchers, probably some thousands of the most varied dimensions, 
some of sufficient capacity to hold a pint of water. The highly 
coloured N. madagascariensis and N. Mastersiana, with N. Raffies- 
iana, N. Hookeriana, the very distinct N. Veitchii, and the large 
N. bicalcarata and innumerable others, are in the best possible 
condition, and well indicate the value of such plants in a decora¬ 
tive point of view when judiciously treated. 
- A geand variety of Anthueium AndeeAnum is observ¬ 
able in one of the houses at the above nursery, the brilliant scarlet 
spathes being nearly 7 inches long by about 5 inches in breadth, 
and produced very freely. The superb A. Wallichii and A. Veitchii 
