February 22, 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 153 
shown by Mr. Child on several occasions at the Royal Botanic 
Society’s 8hows, Regent’s Park, and at the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s exhibitions. On some occasions I have seen it with 
two dozen flowers, or four to each of the five spikes. A high 
price has been refused for this plant. 
Nearly related to C. Stoneanum is another attractive species— 
C. laevigatum, but they are, however, readily distinguished. The 
latter has flowers similar in shape to C. Stoneanum, the dorsal sepal 
being broad and heart-shaped, white or yellowish, but it is 
regularly streaked with purple on the front surface instead of 
the back, the petals being narrow, 5 to 6 inches long, pale yellow 
with heavy marginal spots of purple, and the lip is also of a 
yellowish hue. When well grown this is scarcely less attractive 
than C. Stoneanum, and like that it requires a high temperature to 
succeed with it. Plants were first introduced by Mr. J. G. Veitch, 
who found it in the Phillipine Islands, and particularly abundant 
on the coast of one small island, where it was growing in large 
masses upon the roots of Vanda Batemanni. 
C. Lowii is one of the oldest species of the green-leaved group, 
Fig. 44.—Cypripedium Lowii. 
having made its appearance in England in 1847, when it was 
introduced from its native home, Borneo. Though less beautiful 
than the two preceding, it possesses attractions of no mean order, 
and is included in most large collections. The accompanying 
woodcut (fig. 44) shows the form of the flowers very faithfully, 
and one of the chief distinguishing characters, the spathulate form 
of the petals, will be at once noticed. These are narrow and 
greenish yellow at the base spotted with yellow, and gradually 
widen to the tip, which is suffused with a rosy tinge ; the lip is 
purplish green, the dorsal sepal being also greenish and purple at 
the base. This is a free-growing species, but it never flowers so 
abundantly as it is said to do in its native home, where plants 
have been observed bearing spikes of six and seven flowers each. 
C. villosum can only be considered to rank next to C. insigne 
as a useful garden plant that is easily grown and flowers freely. 
This fine plant is a native of India, being found in Moulmein at 
considerable elevations, usually upwards of 4000 feet above sea 
level, and has been well known in cultivation for ten years or 
more. It is of free growth, and is remarkable for the length of 
lime its flowers last in good condition either cut or on the plant. 
Fine specimens are readily obtained, and it is one of the chief 
favourites for exhibition, as it bears transit well, and a plant will 
often continue in flower throughout April and May. The blooms 
are large, 5 or 6 inches in diameter, the sepals and petals similar 
in colour, which is very peculiar—a bright yellowish brown with 
a distinct purplish tinge, the lip being also brown, and the whole 
surface of the flower has a shining appearance as if it had been 
polished. This is often seen at exhibitions, and some of the finest 
examples in cultivation are those in Mr. B. S. Williams’ nursery, 
Upper Holloway, where amongst many other useful Orchids they 
are admirably grown. 
There is one member of the genus which scarcely needs describ¬ 
ing, so widely is it known and so generally is it cultivated— 
namely, C. insigne, and where one Orchid only is grown this is 
nearly certain to be the favoured selection. Whether in Orchid 
houses proper, stoves, vineries, or even greenhouses, this plant 
seems to thrive nearly equally well if we except the last mentioned, 
though I have occasionally seen healthy plants in as low a tem¬ 
perature as that. In a vinery, however, the plant succeeds 
admirably, and this is a great advantage where there is no special 
accommodation for Orchids. However, I would recommend those 
doubtful respecting the culture of this Cypripedium to peruse the 
concise notes upon the subject by Mr. W. Bardney, page 111 of 
this Journal, February 12tb, 1880. 
Several varieties of this species have made their appearance, 
but undoubtedly the best is C. insigne Maulei, which has a more 
highly coloured flower as regards the petals and lip, the dorsal 
sepal being large, and the upper half is pure white. C. insigne 
Chantinii is very similar to the above, and indeed in many cases 
plants under the two names are identical; but I have sc en a variety, 
said to be the true one, which differs in the growth and foliage 
from Maulei. The species is one of the oldest of the exotic 
Cypripediums, exclusive of some American species which were 
introduced at the close of last century. C insigne and C. venus- 
tum are the only two Asiatic species mentioned in Sweet’s 
“ Hortus Britannicus ” (1827), the latter having been obtained in 
1816. and the other in 1819, both having been introduced through 
Dr. Wallich. The earliest figure I have seen is in the “Botanical 
Magazine ” for 1836 (fig. 3412), which represents a flower of good 
size, but with much more green in it than we ever see it now. 
In my previous notes upon the Marble-leaved Cypripediums 
the charming little species C. niveum was inadvertently omitted. 
It should have been named with C. concolor, as they are alike in 
habit and form of the flowers. The leaves are prettily spotted, 
the flowers being very neat in form, with ovate or elliptical sepals 
and petals, nearly equal in size and form, soft white, the petals 
dotted with crimson near the base, and the sepals stained with a 
similar tint on the back. The lip is egg-shaped and pure white. 
It is a native of some small islands between Singapore and Borneo, 
whence it was imported about twelve years since by Mr. W. Bull, 
and it has also been found on the coast of Siam. An excellent 
figure of the species was given in this Journal, page 339, May 11, 
1871.— L. Castle. 
(To be continued.) 
POTATOES FOR TABLE AND MARKET. 
| In the following notes the figures 1, 2, and 3 indicate first early, second early, 
and late varieties ; the months the time of planting; and the asterisks those 
varieties that are considered the best for market purposes by the respective 
cultivators. 
Bedfordshire. —1. First week in March. *Hamroersmith Kidney, 
Old Ashleaf, and Yeitch’s Improved Ashleaf. Soil.—• Heavy. 2. 
Middle or end of March. *Myatt’s Prolific, Schoolmaster, and *Sut- 
tons’ King. Soil.—Heavy. 3. April. *Scotch Champion, Magnum 
Bonum, *Dunbar Regent, and Paterson’s Victoria. Soil.—Very 
heavy. Manures and Application.—Stable manure from old hotbeds 
for early garden Potatoes. Farmyard and Odams’ manure for field 
Potatoes. Ground dug for garden planting ; ploughed for field plant¬ 
ing.— Charles Butthr6, Luton Hoo Park Gardens. 
Berkshire. —1. February and March. *Suttons’ or Rivers’ Ash¬ 
leaf (equally good), Suttons’ First and Best, Early Border, Fillbasket. 
I tried a seedling raised by Mr. Fenn, who called it Sulhampstead 
Abbots ; it will be sent out next year by Messrs. Sutton. It proved 
one of the finest earlies I ever grew. Soil.—I always select the driest 
and lightest borders, which are made lighter with the soil or manure 
added in the drills thickly. 2. March. Reading Russet, *Lady 
Truscott, *Fiftyfold, Suttons’ Early Regent. Soil.—This is made 
to a medium soil, although naturally heavy, resting on strong 
clay. All soils of a light nature are brought to the Potato quarters, 
or we could not grow Potatoes here, it being so very stiff. 3. 
March and April. *Magnum Bonum, *Reading Hero, *Seotch 
Champion (for field), Paterson’s Victoria. Soil. — The same as 
the preceding. Manures and Application.—Old Mushroom beds and 
leaf soil with soot and salt added. The manure is placed in drills 
a foot wide, both under and on the sets, and placed thickly ; for by 
giving plenty of room to the sets it is almost impossible to over¬ 
manure with the materials as stated above. Salt and soot are used 
according to the quantity of leaf soil and Mushroom-bed material. 
General Cultural Remarks.—All Potato ground where possible is dug 
