10 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 4, 1883. 
being of the Vines. Attention to such details as the foregoing 
goes a long way to insure success. The difference between Vines 
treated in some such manner as I have described and others 
treated in the way I have often seen practised is so great, that 
the extra trouble incurred should never be grudged ; and all who 
wish quick returns from their vineries should follow the system 
recommended, and which experience has led me to regard as the 
method best suited for the successful growth of the Vine when 
planted.—V itis. 
NEW AND CERTIFICATED PLANTS OF 1882. 
MESSRS. J. VEITCH & SONS, CHELSEA. 
For some years past the records of the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s meetings, the exhibitions of the Royal Botanic Society, 
and the larger provincial shows have afEorded substantial and 
remarkable evidence of the efforts made by nurserymen to meet 
the ever-increasing demands for novelties. Annually large num¬ 
bers of plants are exhibited as candidates for certificates, and some 
hundreds are yearly deemed worthy of this honour. That the care 
exercised by the exhibitors in selection is considerable is mani¬ 
fested by the fact that the proportion of novelties for which recog¬ 
nition is claimed, and which fail to obtain it, is very small. As 
might be expected, however, really striking novelties are not ex¬ 
tremely abundant, and in many genera of plants the improvement 
Fig. 2.—Primula obconica. 
is very gradual; indeed, among some classes of florists’ flowers, 
such as Roses, Pelargoniums, Auriculas, Carnations, and Picotees, 
there is scarcely room for any great advance, though more or less 
meritorious and distinct varieties may be continually added to the 
lists. Newly introduced species of plants yield some remarkable 
and beautiful additions, whilst amongst Orchids improved varie¬ 
ties are being rapidly increased in numbers, and in most cases far 
surpass the original forms. 
The year 1882 has been equally as prolific of novelties as its 
predecessors, about four hundred plants having been certificated 
at metropolitan and provincial shows, by far the greater majority 
being at the former. These were staged by sixty-five exhibitors, 
and amongst them Messrs. J. Veitch Sc Sons took the leading place 
with over seventy certificates—quite an imposing array of plants, 
and comprising many of great merit. Some of the best of these 
may be briefly noted to indicate the general features of the im¬ 
provements effected. 
Rhododendrons. —These deserve prominent notice amongst 
the Chelsea novelties, for some of these may be considered as 
founding a distinct type of the greenhouse hybrid class. R. bal- 
samiflorum, R. balsamiflorum album, and R. balsamiflorum aureum 
form a trio of remarkable plants with handsome double flowers, 
pink, white, and yellow respectively. These are borne in large 
heads, and a well-grown plant is exceedingly beautiful. The 
white variety is faithfully shown in our woodcut, page 83, last 
volume, and displays the characters of this new departure in an 
already beautiful and much-appreciated race of plants. Two 
others of the single greenhouse forms also deserve notice—viz., 
R. Aurora, which has pinkish salmon-coloured flowers of great 
size and fine form, the individual blooms much surpassing the 
others in size : and R. Excelsior, having buff flowers streaked 
with red, and forming a dense head. R. Fosterianum, of the 
R. Veitchianum type, with large, wavy, pure white flowers, is also 
a handsome addition to the genus. 
Amaryllises. —Similarly to the Rhododendrons, the great 
attention paid to Amaryllises at Chelsea within recent years has 
resulted in the production of some magnificent forms, and early 
in the year a superb display of these at the nursery attracted 
scores of visitors. The size and form of the blooms having been 
wonderfully improved, considerable advances have been also 
made in increasing the richness and diversity of tints. For bril¬ 
liancy these plants are unrivalled, and it may be confidently 
expected that they will continue to grow in popular favour. Of 
the varieties certificated the finest are The Giant, blooms of great 
size, crimson ; Shakespeare, bright scarlet barred with white ; 
Indian Chief, rich crimson, also barred with white ; Charles 
Dickens, crimson-scarlet; Baron Schroder, dark crimson, large and 
of good form ; Duchess of Connaught, white ; Duke of Albany, 
very bright scarlet; and Autumn Beauty, a pretty hybrid between 
A. reticulata and one of the scarlet varieties, the leaves having 
a central band of white, the flowers pale pink, nearly white, 
veined with a darker hue. 
Orchids. —The vast stores of Orchids at Chelsea contain not 
only all the best of the varieties, species, and hybrids in general 
cultivation, but also numbers of rarities and new introductions 
which are from time to time brought before the public, to the 
great delight of all orchidists. As usual during the past year 
Messrs. J. Veitch have well maintained their credit in this depart¬ 
ment, and added to the fast-increasing numbers of Orchids. 
Half a dozen of these may be selected as uncommonly meritorious. 
First two Odontoglots—viz., 0. Leeanum and O. Pescatorei 
Veitchii, claim notice, the former having yellow flowers thickly 
spotted with rich chocolate, and the latter having flowers of con¬ 
siderable size, white, heavily spotted and barred with intense 
crimson. Both are superb Orchids, but the last is a magnificent 
variety, and surprisingly distinct from the species. Ccelogyne 
cristata Lemoniana is a charming variety of a most useful Orchid, 
the lip being pale yellow instead of orange as in the ordinary 
type. Sobralia xantholeuca is very distinct and attractive, with 
bright yellow flowers, the sepals, petals, and lip differing slightly 
in the depth of tint; it might be almost considered as a yellow 
S. macrantha. 
Phalsenopsis tetraspis is a neat dwarf species with racemes of 
small white flowers—a great contrast to the large-flowered P. gran- 
diflora, but possessing a quiet beauty of its own. Another fine 
Phalmnopsis merits a few words, not because it has been certifi¬ 
cated this year, but from its rarity, beauty, and being named 
in honour of the firm whose productions are now very noted. 
P. Veitchiana is a native of the Phillipine Islands, and bears 
flowers somewhat resembling P. Schilleriana, but with smaller 
purple flowers, the lip whitish, spotted with dark purple. The 
woodcut (fig. 3), from a drawing by Mr. Burbidge, faithfully 
depicts the characters of the species. 
Fine-foliage Plants. —Dracaenas and Crotons are now so 
numerous that really distinct and handsome new varieties are 
every year becoming more scarce. In 1882, however, two fine 
Crotons were shown by Messrs. Veitch and duly honoured—viz., 
Dayspring and Aureo-marginatus, the former with elliptical 
leaves, yellow margined with green, and the older leaves suffused 
with red in the centre ; the other has large leaves a foot long, rich 
yellow, spotted and blotched with green. Dracaena Thompsoniana 
is a noble form of bold habit, with broad tapering green leaves, 
something in the way of a Cordyline. Amongst fine-foliage 
plants, however, the most striking of the year is Leea amabilis, 
figured in this Journal, page 283, April 6tb, 1882, which will 
doubtlessly quickly become a great favourite, as it is easily grown 
and developes its characters admirably in a young state. The 
leaves are glossy green and pinnate, each leaflet being striped 
down the centre with silvery white. In habit it is compact and 
vigorous, but appears to require a brisk stove temperature to in¬ 
sure its success. 
Nepenthes at Chelsea are multitudinous, and two fine forms 
