326 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 26, 1894, 
Exochorda Alberti (Paul & Son).—A charming flowering shrub with 
small white blooms borne in racemes (award of merit). 
Lcelia cinnabarina (W. M. Appleton).—This has a bright orange 
scarlet flower of medium size. The plant exhibited bore two spikes 
■carrying a number of blooms (first-class certificate). 
Miltonia stellata (B. S, Williams & Sons).—The sepals and petals 
cf this are sulphur yellow, the lip being of a cream shade, spotted pale 
brown (award of merit). 
Odontoglossum crispuvi Florie (De B. Crawshay).—A very fine 
form, the flowers being large and densely spotted. The spike exhibited 
bore eleven flowers (award of merit). 
Odontoglossum crispum Lowianum (Hugh Low & Co ).—A pretty and 
•distinct form with medium-sized flowers, the rounded and crimped edges 
of the petals and sepals being a special feature (award of merit). 
Phlox canadense (Paul & Son).—A dwarf growing alpine-like Phlox 
with bright blue flowers. The plant exhibited was growing in a pan 
(first-class certificate). 
Phaius OvoenicB (Sander & Co.).—This is a new species, and although 
the flowers are smaller than others in cultivation they are attractive. 
The sepals and petals are reddish brown, the lip yellow at the base, with 
a purplish crimson lobe (award of merit), 
Phalanopsis tetraspis (Royal Gardens, Kew).—A chaste species with 
moderately large flowers, the sepals and petals are white, as is the lip, a 
blotch of yellow in the throat (award of merit). 
Primrose Evelyn's Beacon (J. H. Arkwright).—A very fine form of 
the common Primrose, flowers large and richly coloured (award of 
merit). 
BJiododendron Rosy Bell (Royal Gardens, Kew).—This is a hybrid. 
The flowers and trusses are small, the former being of a rosy colour 
(award of merit). 
Rhododendron rhombicum (Royal Gardens, Kew).—The flowers of 
this species are small, of a rosy lilac shade (award of merit). 
Thunbergia Harrisi (Lady Theodora Guest).—The flowers of this 
species are large, of a rich blue shade (first-class certificate). 
In addition to the foregoing we learn from the official list that the 
following awards were also made, but for reasons already stated we are 
unable to publish descriptions of the plants :—First-class certificates 
Rhododendron Princess, and R. William of Wurtenburgh (Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons) ; Cypripedium Annie Measures (R. J. Measures, Esq.) ; 
Awards of merit:—Amaryllis Gem and Phyllocactus Romeo (Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons) ; and Oncidium sessile (Messrs. W. Lewis & Co.). 
Lecture ok Botakical Exploration in Borneo. 
At the afternoon meeting at the Drill Hall, on Tuesday last, Mr. 
F. W. Burbidge delivered an admirable lecture on this subject. The 
chair was occupied by J. T. Bennett-Poe, Esq. 
Mr. Burbidge, in the course of his lecture on “ Botanical Explora- 
tion in Borneo,” pointed out the fact that the original English explorers 
of Borneo, from a botanical and social s'andpoint, were Sir James 
Brooke, better known, perhaps, as Rajah Brooke of Sarawak ; Mr,, now 
Sir Hugh Low, late of Perak ; and Mr., now Sir Spencer St. John ; and 
he mentioned that to them undoubtedly belongs the credit of making 
Borneo as interesting and as commercially important as it is to-day. To 
Sir Hugh Low especially belongs the credit of exploring the gigantic 
mountain lying inland from the north-western coast—viz.. Kina Balu— 
for the first time ; and it was hereon that he discovered the gigantic and 
curious species of Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes), that have been the 
admiration of botanists and horticulturists alike, since they were figured 
and described by Dr. J. D. Hooker in the Transactions of the Linnaean 
Society of London some years ago. The lecturer then stated that his 
own inclination for travel in the tropics had been fostered by his having 
seen and read numerous classical works. Having decided to visit Borneo 
in 1877, he saw Sir Spencer St. John, the late Miss Marianne North, 
who had then recently returned from Sarawak. Dr. A. R. Wallace, and 
others who had been there, and then proceeded on his voyage, the 
record of which was published in 1880 under the title of “ The Gardens 
of the Sun.” 
The Palm-thatched houses of Borneo are all built on piles, and no 
doubt closely resemble the Swiss Lake dwellings of Europe centuries 
upon centuries ago. Mr. Burbidge reached Borneo via Johore and 
Singapore, and after visiting the Lawas and Limbang and Pandarowan 
Rivers he made two journeys to Kina Balu, and a voyage to the Sulu 
Archipelago, which lays about midway between N, Borneo and Mindanao, 
the most southern point of the Philippine group. After describing the 
peculiar climate of Kina Balu and the vegetation found thereon, special 
mention was made of Nepenthes villosa, N. Lowi, N. Edwardsiana, 
N^ Harryana, N. Burbidgese, and N. Rajah, the last-named, together 
with the two-spurred N. bicalcarata, having been introduced alive to 
English gardens. The Ferns of Borneo were described as being most 
luxuriant and often of a noble character, and Mr. J. G. Baker has pub¬ 
lished a list of more than fifty species which Mr. Burbidge collected in 
that island for the first time. Graphic descriptions were given of tropical 
vegetation—Palms and Cycads, Bamboos and Musas, or Plantains, Tree 
Ferns and Orchids, all free and beautiful in the open air in a land of 
eternal summer near the Equator, where winter is unknown. The 
lecturer also described the beautiful mystery of a tropical forest with 
its blue-green undergrowth, and the Orchids, the birds and monkeys, all 
up in the tree top at 100 feet to 200 feet overhead. The best collecting 
grounds were said to be the banks of the rivers, or margins of islets, and 
along the creeks or high up the mountains. 
A short list of plants introduced alive by Mr. Burbidge includes 
Nepenthes Rajah, N. bicalcarata, Jasminum gracillimum, Cypripedium 
Lawrencianum, Pothos celatocaulis, Pinanga Veitchi, Aerides Burbidgei, 
Cryptocoryne caudata, Piptospatha insignis and other Arads, Phaljenopsis 
Mariae, and Burbidgea nitida, a new genus named in compliment to Mr. 
Burbidge by Sir J. D. Hooker of Kew. In conclusion, the lecturer 
mentioned how largely our enterprising nurserymen had contributed to 
the introduction of new and rare garden vegetation, and expressed a 
hope that government facilities might be more generally accorded to 
duly accredited collectors, and he also expressed a hope that no great 
scientific expedition would in future be allowed to leave our shores 
without having a practical and eflflcient plant collector on board. 
A vote of thanks to Mr. Burbidge for his interesting lecture closed 
the meeting. 
THE WARMINSTER POTATO EXPERIMENTS. 
An article appeared on page 285 of your issue of April 12th entitled, 
“The Warminster Garden Experiments,” and which purports to he a 
review, signed Alex. Dean, of the report recently issued by the Wilts 
Technical Education Committee on “ Experiments with Potatoes and 
Onions in Warminster and District,” and published by Messrs. Eyre and 
Spottiswoode. 
As jointly responsible with Mr. E. H. Smith, the technical instructor 
of this district, for the subject matter of this report, I must ask to be 
allowed to call attention to the mode adopted by the reviewer. There 
appears in this article five apparent quotations from the report, each 
between inverted commas. Such of your readers as have not seen the 
original will be surprised to learn that not one of these quotations is 
correctly given. The distortions are not of themselves very material, 
except as showing the culpable carelessness of the reviewer. In addi¬ 
tion to this he has, however, thought it worth while to invent a 
ridiculous sentence, to foist it upon the writers of the report with the 
words, “ ‘ If,’ says the reporter,” and to follow up his invention with a 
criticism of his own production. His own criticism upon his own in¬ 
vention is such a literary gem that I cannot refrain from reproducing it. 
It runs thus : “ What virtue there is in an ‘ if,’ but why should anyone 
have thought the ‘ if’ had any virtue ? ” With these specimens of good 
taste and fairness I might leave this gentleman to the j udgment of your 
readers, but there is worse to follow. 
In the paragraph following the one above referred to the conclusions 
arrived at in the report with regard to deep cultivation are ridiculed on 
the ground that no mention is made of the fact that the effect of such 
cultivation probably lasts more than one year. It will scarcely be 
believed that this fact is expressly stated in the very next sentence in 
the report to that from which the reviewer has quoted. But not content 
with these feats of criticism, your readers are informed that the facts as 
stated in the report with regard to the weight of the produce on certain 
plots are “ very hard to believe.” 
This suggestion of bad faith on the part of those responsible for these 
experiments, taken along with the instances given above, and with the 
fact that the whole article is in the nature of a cai icature, removes it 
from the category of criticisms directed, as all criticisms should be, 
towards the elucidation of the points at issue. Whilst one would gladly 
welcome such helpful criticism there is only one course to adopt towards 
critics like the present, and that is to repudiate their insinuations, and 
leave them alone. But before doing so I cannot help asking with what 
object such an article could have been written ? Certainly not in the 
interests of technical education in horticulture. I am informed, I hope 
incorrectly, that Mr. Dean is an instructor in gardening employed by the 
Surrey County Council, and that he has himself been carrying out some 
experiments in Potato culture, some account of which recently appeared 
in the papers. 
With reference to the work in this district which has been done for 
technical education in horticulture of a practical and demonstrative 
sort (and no other sort of work is worth calling technical) let me ask 
your readers to refer for themselves to the report, the publication of 
which has led to this somewhat undue encroachment on your valuable 
space.—E. S. Beaven. 
[It is right to say that Mr. Dean is not in the least responsible for 
the Potato experiments which he has ably assisted in carrying out.] 
DULWICH PARK. 
At no season of the year are the parks of London more highly 
appreciated than during the spring and early summer months, when the 
trees are bursting into leaf and the grass wears that fresh green hue 
which cannot be seen in the later months. Then, too, at this season 
many flowering trees and shrubs are in the height of their beauty ; and 
the rockeries, with which most, if not all the parks, are provided and 
covered with such profusions of flowers, affording a diversity of colour¬ 
ation which calls forth admiration from all visitors whether they be 
amateurs or professionals. A recent visit to Dulwich Park, one of the 
most beautiful of the Metropolitan “ lungs,” was rewarded with a view of 
an exceptional display of rock plants and hardy flowerine shrubs, which 
led one to imagine that London had been left behind for many miles, and 
that a delightful spot in the country had been reached. No signs of 
the bad effects of sulphurous and smoky air are here to be seen, the 
trees, the grass, and the plants wearing the glow of health and the signs 
of skilful care. 
This park is only a small one, but many delightful views are afforded, 
and none is more rich in beauty than the entrance known locally as 
Snake’s Lane. Whence arose this name I cannot say, and if, as is 
