192 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August se, uuo. 
The flowers are large, pure white, and usually borne in pairs near 
the upper portion of the branches, affording an agreeable contrast 
to the dark green pinnate leaves. The stamens are thickly clustered 
in the centre of the flowers, and that character combined with the 
form of the flowers is somewhat suggestive of the Mock Orange. 
These blooms also possess a powerful and pleasant fragrance. 
This shrub is likely to obtain a permanent place in the gardens of 
this country when its merits become more generally known. 
THE SCOTCH CHAMPION POTATO. 
Me. Luckhurst is a bold man to tell the world that he will 
discard the Potato which attained such celebrity last year, that, in 
popular parlance, everybody was “ running after ” seed of it early 
this season. Two things occurred to me in reading the observations 
on page 162. First, has your correspondent the true variety? 
secondly, if he has, has he not been rather premature in denounc- 
it? I have grown and eaten two forms of the Champion. There 
is not much difference in their appearance when growing, but 
when the tubers are cut one is “ decidedly yellow,” the other only 
suspiciously so, and when cooked the tubers of one are yellow 
and sad, those of the other being white and floury. The cooking 
of both was done in the spring, which is the season for the 
Champion ; and it is about as hasty to denounce it now as it 
would be unreasonable to complain of the quality of the Old Ash- 
leaf in March. If the Scotch Champion is “ decidedly inferior,” 
how comes it that it was awarded a first-class certificate by the 
Royal Horticultural Society for excellence of quality, after it had 
been submitted in a cooked state ? This is essentially a late 
Potato, its period of use being March to June, and August is not 
the proper month for estimating its culinary merits. 
Those are fortunate who can insure good and sound crops of 
York Regents and Victorias for late use; but thousands were 
unable to do so last year, and, in some parts of Ireland at any 
rate, they will be in much the same position this season. It is 
not with such cultivators a question of Champions v. Regents, but 
rather of Champions and Magnum Bonums or no Potatoes. 
These varieties have proved of great value in low-lying and wet 
districts ; but it is a question if they would be half so profitable 
in dry localities during a hot summer, therefore I should never 
grow them exclusively. 
“A Lincolnshire Grower” on page 158 appears to have 
found out, I was going to say a weak, but I suppose it is a strong 
point, of the two celebrities. He says they are “ terrible soil- 
exhausters.” Their luxuriant growth and couch-like roots take 
out, perhaps, twice the manurial elements from the soil that some 
other varieties do. I have just been examining a piece of Wheat 
that followed Potatoes, one half of the ground last year being 
Regents, the other half Champions. There will be a great dif¬ 
ference in the yield of Wheat from the two halves of this plot, 
the growth on the Champion half being altogether lighter and 
the heads smaller than on the other. In stating the “ Champion ” 
half as the lightest, I perceive I have committed a “bull.” It is, 
however, I presume, quite appropriate, for I am—A n Irishman. 
LEE HALL, 
The residence of J. H. Wilson, Esq., is situated at Gateacre, 
six and a half miles from Liverpool. It is easy of access, the 
main drive being in close proximity to Gateacre station. The 
gardens are reached by traversing the drive through the park, 
which is rather extensive, and contains some good forest trees, 
such as Limes, Horse Chestnuts, and Elms. The trees stand 
separately, and have developed into symmetrical specimens. The 
glass is the principal object, and includes a range of vineries 
divided into three compartments. In front of these vineries is a 
low house, which entirely covers the border in which the Vines 
are growing. Tomatoes were growing on the back portion of this 
house, while on the front stage we noticed good specimens of 
that beautiful and popular Carnation Souvenir de la Malmaison. 
Amaryllises were growing in quantity, all seedlings of continental 
origin. The best have been selected when in flower and hybridised, 
and many seedlings have been raised by Mr. Glover, the gardener. 
The stove is a good-sized house and contained a miscellaneous 
assortment of plants, including a fine Goniophlebium appendicu- 
latum, Cycas revoluta in good condition, and a handsome Sobralia 
macrantha. Stanhopeas and other suitable plants in baskets were 
suspended from the roof. The house devoted to Azaleas is 66 feet 
long and 18 wide. The centre bed was filled with large specimen 
and half-specimen plants. The back stage was filled with small 
plants of Azaleas, principally semi-doubles. The front was filled 
with Heaths, Epacrises, and other New Holland plants. Camellias 
occupied three houses. A few years ago the plants were tall and 
leggy ; they are now fine, healthy, symmetrical bushes in pots. 
The majority of them have been cut close back and allowed to 
break again. The result in this case was good, and no better 
system can be adopted when Camellias become straggling. After 
being cut down the plants were allowed to develope into bushes 
—much better than twisting and pulling them into some formal 
shape. The Camellias have heat only to keep out frost, and Mr. 
Glover contends that when plants are healthy and vigorous heat 
is not necessary to secure a good set of bloom unless early flowers 
are required. Shading is employed during the hottest part of the 
day, and the plants bloom well. On the back stage of the Camellia 
house some Chrysanthemums in 3-inch pots were in bloom the last 
week in May, and the last of a supply from November. The cut¬ 
tings were struck late in the autumn from plants growing in the 
shrubbery borders. It is evident that the flowering season of this 
most beautiful of winter plants could be extended over a much 
longer space of time during winter and spring if cuttings were 
struck late as in this case. I noticed in a lean-to house with a 
northern aspect some large Sikkim Rhododendrons and many 
plants of Cacti coming into flower. The conservatory is 50 feet 
by 28, and was gay at the time of my visit with Azaleas, Mignonette, 
Erica Cavendishiana two very good plants, Roses, Intermediate 
Stocks in pots, and the usual assortment of flowering plants. 
There is no stage in the centre, and the plants employed for the 
centre group can be conveniently arranged to produce the greatest 
and most pleasing effect. Fuchsias are trained under the roof, 
single rods, which run to the top of the house, and are at pruning 
time spurred-in like Vines. They are in tubs, which they have 
occupied for about fourteen years, although rich surface dressings 
have been applied annually. 
The great feature of Lee Hall gardens is the grand collection 
of Orchids, so well known round Liverpool. It is by far the most 
extensive and complete collection in the neighbourhood. I may 
say nearly all have been small imported pieces to start with and 
are now grand plants, and some of them have proved to be varie¬ 
ties of superior merit. The first house is 30 feet long and 13 wide, 
span-roofed, with walk up the centre. This house is kept cool, 
and the Cattleyas are placed in it while in bloom. Nine good 
plants of C. Mossiae and its varieties were in bloom, also a fine 
dark variety of C. Mendellii, C. Forbesii, and C, amethystoglossa. 
A good plant of the pretty Colax jugosus was flowering freely. 
Several good specimens of G. barbatum were well bloomed. Maxil- 
laria grandiflora had forty-five spikes of bloom. Many plants of 
D. nobile, D. pulchellum, D. Devonianum, D. chrysanthum, and 
D. crystallinum were in flower. The Anguloas were much stronger 
than any I have had the pleasure of seeing for some time past. 
Oncidiums were well represented, and amongst the best in bloom 
were 0. sarcodes with a fine branching spike of yellow and crim¬ 
son flowers ; O. stelligerum, 0. cucullatum majus, 0. macranthum, 
a grand Orchid producing a branching inflorescence several feet 
in length ; and 0. ampliatum majus, a very fine variety. The 
adjoining house was devoted to Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, 
&c., and was very bright with many varieties in flower. Most 
conspicuous were the large-flowered 0. vexillarium, 0. cirrhosum, 
O. Fescatorei, 0. Alexandras, O. gloriosum, 0. nebulosum, O. scep- 
trum, O. Hallii, O. triumphans, O. luteo-purpureum, 0. maculatum, 
O. Dawsonii, and the rare and beautiful O. cordatum were in 
grand health and blooming freely. A hybrid Odontoglossum was 
also in flower, and appeared to be a cross between O. luteo-pur¬ 
pureum and 0. Lindleyanum, possessing the lip of the former. 
Masdevallias were very robust and well bloomed, and added 
greatly to the effectiveness of the house. M. Veitchiana was very 
fine ; M. araabilis, M. ignea, and M. ignea splendens were in good 
form ; M. ignea violacea, M. Lindeni, M. Harryana and its variety 
splendens, and M. sanguinea superba were also in bloom. Epi- 
dendrum vitellinum majus, Mesospinidium sanguineum were 
bright in baskets, and Odontoglossum Cervantesii and Leptotes 
bicolor were suspended in numbers from the roof and flowering 
abundantly. The secret of Mr. Glover’s success with species re¬ 
quiring cool treatment is in maintaining a very cool airy tempe¬ 
rature and supplying abundance of water. During winter the 
frost on many occasions was only just excluded from the house, 
and the plants did not suffer in the least. Their appearance at 
the present time sufficiently indicates that the plants thrive with 
the treatment they receive from Mr. Glover. 
The Cattleva house is 66 feet long and 18 feet wide, and the 
centre stage is entirely filled with good plants of C. Dowiana, 
C. gigas, C. crispa, C. labiata, C. Mendelli, C. Skinneri, C. Warneri, 
and other leading and popular varieties. This house was rendered 
bright with quantities of Anthurium Schertzerianum in bloom 
arranged amongst the Cattleyas. In fact all through the Orchid 
houses quantities were in bloom, and nearly all seedlings that Mr. 
Glover has raised. Those in the intermediate houses were stronger 
