July 22, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 71 
-“ W. B.” writes that “The Nepenthes at Hawkstone 
Gardens, Salop, are most vigorous, the foliage luxuriant and 
fine, and the numerous pitchers are of an immense size. Mr. Pratt 
is very successful in growing and propagating Nepenthes. In 
the conservatory is a fine specimen of Bougainvillea spectabilis. 
In its present position the plant flower as freely as B. glabra, 
and the colour is much darker. 
- A correspondent desires to know the weight of the 
heaviest Pine Apple that has been grown in this country, with 
the name of the grower and the variety. We remember Mr. 
Fleming of Trentham exhibiting in the Regent Street rooms 
of the Horticultural Society a fruit of Providence weighing 
14 lbs., and one of the Ripley Queen 7 lbs. 10 ozs. He afterwards 
cut a fruit of the Queen weighing 8 lbs. 11 ozs. We do not 
name them as the heaviest fruits recorded, but they are worthy 
of mentiou, and we shall be glad if any of our readers can give 
particulars of heavier fruits. As an instance of successful Pine 
culture it is recorded that a Mr. Baldwin, who was gardener to 
the Marquis of Hertford at Bagley, cut thirty-six fruits of 
Providence in 1822, which weighed 280 lbs. 4 ozs., the largest 
fruit being 11 lbs. 8 ozs. Mr. Bailey of Shardeloes has, we believe, 
also grown fruit of about the same weight. 
- At the late Wimbledon Show (a report of which, owing 
to the extreme pressure on our columns, we were unable to insert 
last week) there was, we are informed, a falling-off in the speci¬ 
men plant classes. Ferns were good, Messrs. Nunns, Bridger, 
and Bentley securing the prizes. Zonal Pelargoniums were 
numerous, those from Mr. G. Legg, Worple Nursery, being of 
marked excellence. Table plants, which the Wimbledon gar¬ 
deners grow so well, were as usual in fine condition, the prizes 
being secured by Messrs. Bridger, Bentley, Callard, and Law. 
Roses were an attractive feature, Messrs. Moorman, Gibson, Starr, 
Curtis, Dr. Booklees (who won the silver cup for amateurs), 
Coleby, Dixey, and Brown being the successful exhibitors. Lady 
Peek’s prizes for cut blooms of herbaceous plants brought out 
good competition, Messrs. Fanning, Boylett, and Bridger being 
the successful exhibitors. Vegetables were superior, and wild 
flowers from Messrs. Ogden and Appleby pretty. The Exhibition 
was held in Mr. Schlusser’s beautiful grounds at Belvidere 
House, and was well managed by Messrs. Appleby, Jordan, and 
Lyne. 
- A rare and very charming Orchid is now flowering in 
Mr. B. S. Williams’ nursery at Holloway— Angraecum Scotti- 
ANUM. This species is quite distinct from all others, the leaves 
being narrow, not greatly exceeding an eighth of an inch in 
diameter, very stout, gracefully arched and channelled. The 
flowers are white, singularly pure and glossy ; the lip being a little 
more than an inch in diameter, admirably formed and shell-like, 
the tail-like appendage being nearly 4 inches in length, slender 
and waxy. By its texture, purity, and elegance this species is a 
beautiful and noteworthy form of a diverse and remarkable genus 
of Orchids. It is a native of the Comoro Islands. 
- Amongst other Orchids flowering in the same establish¬ 
ment Cattleyas gigas, virginalis, and superba demand 
notice. C. gigas is a magnificent variety, the colours being gorgeous 
and the flowers large. C. virginalis is a chaste white flower with 
a yellow lip, and remarkable for its powerful aromatic perfume. 
C. superba, a difficult plant to grow, is in superb condition, one 
spike having five richly coloured, smoothly massive flowers that 
command the admiration of all visitors. Sobralia macrantha is 
also fine ; Masdevallia atro-purpurea, intensely rich; Oncidium 
prismatocarpum, powerfully Hawthorn-scented ; 0. dasytyle, 
curious by its creamy lip and nearly black bee-like centre ; Coelo- 
gyne Massoniana, very distinct by its pale buff sepals and chest¬ 
nut brown lip ; Thunias Dodgsonii and alba in excellent condition, 
The fine collection of plants not flowering—Vandas, Cattleyas, 
Odontoglots, and others—merit a word of recognition by their 
manifest health and cleanliness. 
- Suspended from the roof of one of the houses Nepenthes 
attract attention by their great profusion of fine pitchers. Nearly 
all the best forms are represented, including the striking new 
N. Outramii. We never saw N. Hookerii finer than it is here ; 
indeed, all the plants, which are not large, are remarkable for the 
great number, freshness, and colour of the pitchers. Fine as are 
the new Nepenthes now being distributed from the Victoria 
Nursery, there are others “ on the way ” that will prove worthy 
companions to them, and of which more will be heard in due 
time. 
- Messrs. Daniels Bros., of Norwich, have sent us flowers 
of their New Giant Virginian Stock. The variety is very 
distinct and extremely attractive, the colour being very deep 
rosy purple ; it is much the darkest variety that has come under 
our notice, and is a welcome addition to the other forms of this 
pretty annual. 
- The Irish Farmers' Gazette states that DlSA GRANDI- 
flora was one of the most noteworthy, as also one of the most 
attractive, plants at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Show 
recently held in Dublin, and exhibited by the Rev. Frederick 
Tymons. Larger and finer specimens have come under our notice, 
but we do not remember seeing at a public exhibition so well 
furnished, well flowered, and symmetrical a specimen as that now 
alluded to, which had twelve spikes with an average of four highly 
coloured blooms each. 
- On the 13th and 14th inst. Mr. J. C. Stevens sold the 
COLLECTION of Orchids that Mr. Philbrick, Q.C., Avenue Road, 
Regent’s Park, has been some years in obtaining. The following 
were the principal prices realised :—Anguloa Ruckerii sanguinea, 
14 guineas ; Odontoglossum vexillarium, 4^ guineas ; Dendrobium 
Wardianum, 9 guineas ; Masdevallia Backhouseana, £G 10s.; An- 
grsecum sesquipedale, 19 guineas and 10^-guineas ; Aerides Lobbii, 
74 guineas; Aerides Schroderi, 24guineas ; Saccolabium Holfordii, 
19 guineas; Saccolabium Blumei majus, lljj- guineas; Cattleya 
dolosa, 11 guineas; Lafiia anceps, 9 guineas; Cattleya Trianrn 
rubra, 15 guineas; Lselia anceps alba, 14 guineas ; Sophronitis 
grandiflora, 10 guineas; Cattleya labiata, 54 guineas; Laslia 
elegans Turneri, 10 guineas ; Lselia Wolstenholmse, 14 guineas ; 
Cattleya gigas, £6 10s. ; and Angraecum sesquipedale, £6 10s. 
The total amount realised by the sale was £1075 19s. 
- Mr. Fredk. Durrant succeeds Mr. Webber as gardener 
to Ambrose Isted, Esq., Ecton House, Northampton ; Mr. J. 
Wright succeeds Mr. Durrant as gardener to J. E. Cooke, Esq., 
Knowle Hill, Cobham, Surrey ; and Mr. W. Gurman, late of 
Springfield, Great Marlow, has been appointed gardener to 
R. Burrell, Esq., Faixthorne Park, Botley. 
AQUILEGIA SKINNERI. 
The Columbines are deservedly admired by all growers of 
hardy plants, and the increase in the number of distinct and 
handsome forms within recent years now permits the acquire¬ 
ment of a large and diverse collection. The admirable results that 
have attended the efforts of some hybridisers are well known, 
and the numerous intermediate forms thus produced in some 
instances excel their parents in attractiveness. This is due to 
the peculiarly variable character of the Aquilegia, considerable 
diversity of colouring being easily induced by judicious crossing, 
and doubtlessly much more will yet be done in that direction by 
observant and persevering growers. One valuable quality of the 
Columbines is the readiness with which the majority can be 
increased either by seed or division of the plants, and their hardi¬ 
ness in many districts and their elegant habit of growth recom¬ 
mend them as desirable additions to the herbaceous borders. 
