March 17, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
£01 
-Feuit in New South Wales. —An important conference of 
fruit growers was held last year in Sydney, the chair being occupied by 
the Hon. Sydney Smith, Minister of Mines and Agriculture in New 
South Wales. It lasted several days, and the report of the proceedings, 
which has now been issued, ought to be of great service to fruit growers 
in all parts of the colony. The President, in his concluding speech, said 
the Grovernment were both proud and anxious to assist the agriculturists 
of the country. All that was required was the co-operation and assist¬ 
ance of those engaged in the industry, in order that they might know in 
what direction this assistance would be most useful. He felt sure a 
great deal of good would come from the discussion during the con¬ 
ference, and he hoped the members would hold conferences in their 
own districts. He was most anxious to see the local agricultural 
societies holding meetings every month, where papers could be read and 
different important questions discussed, as he was certain this would do 
has been paid at Burford Lodge, and at several meetings of the 
Royal Horticultural Society collections have been shown, including 
varieties or hybrids of great beauty, for which first-class certificates 
have been awarded by the Floral Committee. Two distinct and 
handsome forms sent from this collection and certificated last year 
are A. burfordiense and A. Laingi, the former having rich crimson 
nearly circular spathes 7 inches broad, each with a long white 
spadix ; the other (A. Laingi) having still broader and larger white 
spathes, a fine contrast to A. burfordiense and similar forms. 
That of which an illustration is given in the woodcut (fig. 30)— 
namely, A. Andreanum sanguineu'm, is a more recent novelty, and 
a first-class certificate was awarded for it at the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society on March 8th. It was derived from a 
cross between A. Andreanum and another Anthurium, the name of 
which has been lost, and is remarkable chiefly for the rich colour, 
“ a deep blood crimson," quite unique amongst these Anthuriums, 
Apart from the bright tints of their spathes, these Anthuriums are 
Fig. 30.—ANTHURIUM ANDREANUM SANGUINEUM (eeduced). 
good, and he sincerely hoped his suggestion would be acted upon, as 
they might rely upon the assistance of the Department. The Govern¬ 
ment, as they knew, had already granted pound for pound to the 
agricultural societies, and they were willing to do still more. On that 
year’s estimates £5000 was set apart for national prizes throughout 
the whole colony, and he believed these prizes would be worth 
winning. 
HYBRID ANTHURIUMS. 
Upon several occasions we have referred to the handsome 
Anthuriums exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., from 
Burford Lodge, Dorking, where these plants are exceedingly well 
grown. At one time the brilliant and useful A. Schertzerianum 
was almost the only member of the genus possessing finely coloured 
spathes that was to be seen in gardens. Since the introduction, 
however, of the distinct A. Andreanum some sixteen years ago an 
important group of seedlings has been formed, comprising crosses 
between the species named and others. To these special attention 
notable for their noble habit and beautiful leaves, which render 
them at all times most conspicuous plants in groups. 
During a visit to Paris some time since it was my good fortune 
to meet with several horticulturists of an extremely genial and 
enthusiastic character, and foremost amongst those, to whom I was 
privileged to be introduced, was M. A. de la Devansaye, President 
of the Angers Horticultural Society, and a highly successful amateur 
cultivator. M. de la Devansaye has given special attention to 
Anthuriums for a number of years, and has raised some thousands 
of seedlings from crosses between all the best varieties obtainable 
of the A. Schertzerianum and allied types. From these he has 
rigorously selected only the best and most distinct, employing these 
again as parents, with the result that he has secured the most 
diversified and beautiful series of forms that I have ever seen. 
Anthurium Schertzerianum has been in cultivation for about thirty 
years, and a plant from Messrs. Veitch & Sons was first certificated 
by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1863, and I am under the 
impression that M.de la Devansaye told me he has grown these plants 
from very shortly after their introduction. Many beautiful varie¬ 
ties have been imported or raised since then, but none proved so 
