March 15, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
197 
they knew better than that, but up, up, ever up, greedily absorbing 
their annual meal of leaves. 
To say that I have only commenced on this subject will, I fear, 
be no excuse for me with the Editor, for I hear his pruning 
scissors already snapping ominously amongst my evergreens ; for 
that reason I must still keep in many thoughts that I should be 
happy to relieve myself of, or he might too, in his wrath, snip up 
“the Shamrock” that is to follow.—E. K., Dublin. 
DeNDROBIDM NOBILE. 
When paying a visit the other day to Mr. H, Bromet, an 
amateur gardener in Tadcaster, I saw an exceedingly well-flowered 
plant of the above. It had about eight pseudo-bulbs, 12 to 
14 inches in length, carrying sixty flowers ; very creditable to 
the amateur grower—J. S., Grimston. 
Cypripedium Ashworths. 
The Cypripedium depicted in the accompanying illustration 
(fig. 33) is a distinct hybrid, and when a plant of it was exhibited 
by E. Ashworth, Esq., at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society in November last an award of merit was adjudged. It is 
said to be the result of a cross between C. Leeanum superbum and 
C. selligerum majus, and the flower is of an attractive appearance. 
The dorsal sepal is very fine, chiefly white with a green base spotted 
purple. The sepals and lip are of a rich bronzy purple shade. 
Pachystoma speciosum. 
This interesting Orchid is now in flower at Kew, P. speciosum 
was introduced from Ceylon, and is also known under the name 
of Ipsea speciosa. The flower is comparatively large, solitary as 
a rule, and supported on a slender purplish-coloured scape about 
1 foot high. The sepals are nearly 2 inches in length, and, like 
the petals, of a rich yellow colour, the lip of the same shade, but 
enriched with a few brownish stripes. It is an Orchid for 
choice collections and blooms without the leaves. 
Denhrobium barbatulem. 
The growth of this beautiful Dendrobium, which is now 
in bloom at Kew, reaches a height of about 1 foot, and the 
flowers, borne in dense racemes about 6 inches in length, 
are white, touched with pink. They are of neat shape, the 
sepals and petals narrow, and of about equal width. Some¬ 
times the flowers are described as pure white, but those of the 
type at least are tinged with pink. It succeeds best on a block of 
wood, and in its native country is found most frequently on small 
trees in full exposure to the sun, being comparatively rare in the 
shade. The plant requires an abundance of heat, and, in particular, 
moisture during the summer months when growth is being made. 
Orchids at Liverpool. 
To many readers, who will not have an opportunity of seeing 
some of the old favourites, a few words as to the condition they 
are in may not be out of place. At Cleveley, Mr. Cromwell’s 
Ccelogyne cristata, numbering over one dozen pans, are still very 
gorgeous, and covered with flowers. The variety Lemoniana is a 
distinct gain, and finds many admirers. A bank of Lgelia anceps 
and the white variety, containing over 500 flowers, is past its best ; 
but it has been a great attraction, and shows how effective this free- 
flowering Orchid is in masses. Some of the finest Cymbidium 
eburneum I have seen were also in flower. 
At Allerton Beeches there is always a treat at any season of 
the year, and nowhere in the district are Orchids better cultivated. 
Here the white Laelia anceps is also grown to perfection. At the 
time of my visit there were sixty splendid spikes open, averaging 
four flowers on a spike. A beautiful variety of Odontoglossnm 
Alexandrse, carrying seventeen gigantic flowers ; Cymbidium 
eburneum ; Cypripediums Boxalli, atratum, and villosum, carry¬ 
ing some fifty flowers each ; and Rothschildianum, vigorous plants 
with fine spikes ; and the not-often-met-with Cattleya Walkeriana 
were amongst the best of the plants in flower. The seedling 
Cypripediums were marked by some promising flowers just 
expanding. 
At Wool ton Wood Mr. Todd had a fine display of Ccelogyne 
c; i>!:ata, consisting of twelve pans, some of which contained over 
500 flowers. Cypripediums Hartwegi, grande, selligerum, villosum, 
and seedlings were also good, as were Dendrobium fimbriatum and 
Oncidium Cavendishianum. The Masdevallia house promises to 
be a fine sight in the course of a few weeks.—R. P. R. 
Orchids in Northumberland. 
Gardening has always had prominence in this county, and it 
is pleasing to record that the taste for Orchids is daily increasing. 
Mr. E. Hopper, Riverside, Morpeth, devotes over a quarter of an 
acre of glass structures to the cultivation of Orchids. On the 
occasion of a recent visit, one of the most striking features was 
the cultural skill that was everywhere displayed, which reflected 
the highest credit on the head gardener, Mr. Wood. A grand 
example of Lycaste Skinneri, in 6-inch pot, with five spikes, was 
prominent in the first house we entered. Cypripedium insigne 
was well represented by a number of pots, the plants in which 
contained some large flowers. 
The Cypripedium house contained Cypripediums Boxalli and 
Lowi in bloom, also Dendrobium Ainsworthi, Ccelogyne flaccida, 
FIG. 33.—cypripedium ASHWORTHS. 
Saccolabium gigantea, Ccelogyne cristata (Chafsworth), also 
Cypripediums insigne, marginatum, ani callosum. In leaving here, 
the next structure we entered was a conservatory or show house. 
Double Cinerarias were very fine, Arum Lilies were splendidly 
grown, as many as 100 flowers on twenty pots. It is a special 
variety, as they are in bloom before Christmas. The Cattleya 
house contained a magnificent specimen of Oncidium splendens, 
ten blooms ; Dendrobium Wardianum, Laelia superba, and the 
curious Angraecum sesquipedale, carrying six flowers. Vanda 
gigantea, forty flowers, and Cattleya Percivalliana, Angraecum 
eburneum, and the new hybrid Dendrobium leucochilum, which 
is a very interesting plant. Laelia glauca and Cymbidium eburneum 
were also in bloom. 
The most interesting plant in the collection, however, was Catt¬ 
leya Trianae alba, which the owners value very highly. The sepals 
are pure silvery white, and the labellum tinged with magenta, 
the plant having pseudo-bulbs with leaves on. Phalasnopsis 
Schilleriana was throwing up spikes of bloom. A new ccol house 
facing the north for Odontoglossums and Masdevallias is in course 
of construction. No visitor to the north on a garden ramble should 
