3^0 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 17, 1894. 
rising from the front to a height of apparently fO or 50 feet at the back, 
the twenty plants being distinct varieties. These were flanked by standard 
Rhododendrons with stems of 4 feet, and heads averaging o feet in 
diameter. In front of the Palms eight standard Hydrangeas showed 
conspicuouily. The stems were about 3 feet, the heads about 5 feet in 
diameter, some of them having little short of 100 fine trusses. These 
noble plants were grown and shown in 12-inch pots. With these giants, 
and dotted here and there beneath them, were plants about 6 inches 
high, the bold contrasting effect being a good hit; each, the giants and 
the dwarfs, intensifying the characteristics of the other. These plants 
of H. Otaksa worthily won M. de Beucker an extra gold medal. 
Azaleas, Bromeliads, and Tree Ferns. 
On the opposite side of the promenade from the orchestra a circular 
group of fifty Azaleas gave all the colour that could be wished, for the 
plants were miniature mountains of flowers in all the colours in which 
Azaleas are represented—white, rose, pink, scarlet, purple, and inter¬ 
mediate hues, the plants ranging from 3 feet to 7 or 8 feet in diameter, 
the larger on stems 2 to 3 feet high. This magnificent group was 
contributed by M. Peeters of Brussels, and won for him the large gold 
medal of the City of Antwerp. Flanking the central mass of colour 
were bold groups of handsome Palms on the one hand, and Cycads on 
the other, these in turn having bright adjuncts in flowering greenhouse 
plants and standards of Azalea mollis. Then we come to another 
central group, and a beautiful one, of Indian Azaleas, the plants models 
of good culture and flonferousness. These plants ranged from 2i feet to 
3 J feet in diameter, and were mostly grown on stems from 1 to 2 feet high. 
A few varieties of remarkable excellence were Oswald de Kerchove, 
crimped rose; Eulalie Van Geert, delicate peach; Hooyboenki, bronze 
purple ; Candida maxima, white sulphur centre; Mons. Thibaut, 
crimson scarlet; and Le Paix, soft rosy purple. 
Among the isolated central plants that stood conspicuous were two 
gigantic Bromeliads, Vriesia glasiona and V. Hielegeriana, the former 
with leaves 6 inches in diameter at the base, arching, and hanging down 
60 as to quite obscure the elevated tub, or a length of 4 to 5 feet—a 
plant of much character and beauty. The other of the giants, though 
perhaps less graceful, was still more remarkable. The leaves were 
broader, thicker, and longer, rigid, not arched, their length being G to 
7 feet, while a flower spike of great strength rose to a height of 11 to 
12 feet, and pushing about twenty side branches, the first flower, of a 
buff colour, just expanding, Bromeliaceous plants appear to be more 
valued on the Continent than in England, yet when well grown, as all 
were in the exhibition, there is no mis'aking their beauty in form, 
colour, and markings, apart from the brilliancy of several of the leaves 
and flowers. For vases in rooms few plants have a more distinguished 
appearance, while they are of easy cultivation. 
Passing along the curving grass verged walk and its neat edging we 
note on the left M. De Smet’s Musas and Tree Ferns, then MM. Jacob 
Makoy & Co.’s fine collection of Araucarias. Opposite these was a 
magnificent bank of Rhododendrons from M. B. Fortie of Ghent, appa¬ 
rently about forty bashes about 5 feet across, laden with splendid trusses 
in all the colours peculiar to these shrubs. A highly meritorious exhibit 
that won a special gold medal offered by the city. A group of white 
Azaleas from M. Jean Vervaene, Ledeberg, “ in honour of the marriage 
of the Princess Josephine of Belgium and Prince Charles of Hohen- 
zollern,” margined with dark Coleuses, and backed with Palms, was much 
admired, the plants being so well flowered and fresh for the season. 
Some Effective Groups. 
An extremely bright, sparkling, and interesting group of tuberous- 
rooted plants in flower was exhibited by M. Henri Vanderlinden, and 
well merited the gold medal which was unanimously awarded. The 
group comprised Liliums, Amaryllises, Tulips, Watsonias, Scillas, Ixioli- 
rions, Tritonias, Ixias, Sparaxis, Babianas, and Alliums, a pleasing feature 
of the show. Next was a circular group on grass of luxuriant Marantas, 
then a round bed of Cinerarias, but between these beds a magnificent 
Palm, Latania—a veritable giant from the establishment of M. Pynaert 
Van Geert of Ghent, such a specimen as has never been seen at an 
English shovv. Proceeding we had on the pyramid and standard Cytisuses 
—like golden globes and pillars animated with Cycads, and arrive at 
the opposite end of the huge structure from the orchestra, and really 
■the main entrance to the show. 
This was flanked right and left with bold groups of handsome Palms 
edged with Carnations. In the front was a grassy vale and a charming 
vista. Specimen plants were stood here and there on the lawn, groups 
of flowering plants being disposed on the gently sloping banks. 
Immediately in front was a bed of herbaceous Calceolarias, the plants 
not so good as we see them at home, but Azaleas in an adjoining bed 
were a great deal better, and beyond was a bed of Roses. Looking from 
the main entrance towards the orchestra a hundred yards away we had 
before us a beautiful scene—flowers flanked with Palms and foliage 
plants, M. Peeters’ noble Azaleas telling splendidly in the distance. 
The effect was undeniably beautiful. There was room for the display, 
of everything to the best advantage, yet the vast space was amply filled 
from floor to roof. 
Proceeding up the other side of the building, we passed luxuriant 
masses of foliage plants, brightened here and there by groups of Crotons 
and Azaleas, with Pansies in pots, splendidly grown, as an edging. On 
the left were beds of Cinerarias, Pelargoniums, and Amaryllises, also 
Anthuriums and Liliums. Against the sides of the hall were bold 
semicircular groups of Cycads and ornamental foliaged plants reaching 
nearly to the roof, the spaces between these being occupied with Orchids. 
A Display of Orchids. 
These made a gorgeous display, the collections being arranged on 
tabling, with a front of balustrading, along the sides of the hall—not 
in a continuous line, but in recesses between bold Palms and other 
stately plants, while opposite the Orchids were Ferns, which brought 
out the effect of the Orchids more clearly. M. Ch. Vuylsteke, 
Loochristy, Ghent, furnished a table upwards of 50 feet long and about 
10 feet wide, with an extremely varied assortment, tastefully arranged. 
Several of the forms did not possess special value, yet many were of 
great excellence. A few of the more noteworthy were Lycaste Lauren- 
tiana, with eight of its peculiarly coloured and distinct flowers ; Odonto- 
glossum crispum Trianae, bright and beautiful; Cochlioda Noezliana, 
with arching spikes of soft scarlet flowers ; Miltoniopsis Bleuana, with 
gigantic nearly white flowers ; 0Jontoglossum vexillarium Empress 
Augusta Victoria, with fine spikes of large richly coloured flowers ; 
Cattleya Mossise maxima, bold and rich ; C. Gaskelliana alba, C. Schrb- 
deri, C. Mendeli matutina, with peculiar drooping flowers ; several fine 
examples of Cypripediums and Miltonias. 
Mr. A. A. Peeters, Saint-Gilles, Brussels, had a somewhat less 
extensive collection, but the plants were, on the whole, finer, and 
displayed superior cultivation. Splendid examples of Masdevallia 
Veitchi grandiflora stood forth conspicuously, as did several Cattleyas. 
0 Jontoglossum Ruckeri purpureum attracted attention by its chaste 
markings and purple suffusion. 0. crispum capartianum was very rich. 
Also rich, but in a different way, were 0. polyxanthum and 0. Coradinei 
superbum, while quaintness was imparted by the almost black and 
white O. Reicheimi. 
M. G. Vincke-Dujardin, Scheepsdaele, Bruges, exhibited a very 
extensive and magnificent collection. It contained a less number of 
distinct forms than were shown by M. Vuylsteke, but there was no 
mistaking the high character and high culture of the Bruges plants. 
With all so good, it is difficult to particularise. Vandas were in admir¬ 
able health and flower, and the same may be said of Cattleyas, Lrelias, 
Dendrobiums, while the group was particularly rich in Odoutoglossums, 
many, if not most, of the Alexandne varieties being of stiiking excel¬ 
lence—spikes strong, and flowers massive, bright, and clear. A fringe 
of Ferns was needed to finish with advantage this extremely rich and 
decidedly meritorious contribution of Orchids. 
MM. Jaunsens k Vincent, Merxhem, near Antwerp, had an 
excellent display of Orchids, pleasingly associated with Ferns. The 
centre of the table was occupied with a collection of Cypripediums— 
small, but well grown plants in good varieties, the ends with a mixed 
assortment, representing good varieties and culture. Odontoglossum 
vexillarium was admirably shown, as was Ansellia congoensis, with 
hundreds of richly barred and spotted flowers. Cypripedium Albert- 
ianum (C. Spicerianum X insigne Wallace!) was bearing four charming 
flowers. Also conspicuous was Cattleya Hippolyta, with five of its 
distinct cinnabar-coloured flowers. In the chief Orchid classes the 
Queen’s gold medal was adjudged to M. Vuylsteke, the City medal to 
M. Vincke-Dujardin, other special large gold medals going to M. Peeters 
and M. Van Imshoot, while M. Massange de Louvray was unanimously 
awarded a diploma of honour for an extensive, varied, and valuable 
collection of Odontoglossums. 
English Exhibits. 
At the entrance to an annexe we found a brilliant group of flowers 
from Swanley, displayed in Messrs. CannelTs best style. Double and 
single Zonals, Show Pelargoniums, Pmonies, and Begonias, with the 
brilliant Reine Charlotte Canna, and Mrs. Cannell Carnation, all as fresh 
as when cut, and for which a special gold medal was awarded. A similar 
honour was granted Messrs. Cutbush & Sons, Highgate, for a group of 
Heaths and other hardwooded plants, also cut flowers of the new 
crimson Carnation Uriah Pike. 
New Plants. 
New plants w’ere not by any means numerous. MM. Jacob Makoy 
and Co. secured the gold medal for fifteen plants introduced since 1891, 
but most of them are in the English trade. Perhaps the most distinct 
in the group was Nidularium Makoyanum, all the large leaves being 
closely and clearly margined with white. The same firm also secured 
the gold medal for six new plants, the most distinct perhaps being 
Maranta Leopold!, with narrow undulated leaves, and Heleeonia 
Lubbersi, large velvety Maranta-like leaves, with a light midrib. The 
firm also won the silver medal for three plants with Hoplophytum 
Makoyanum, with long narrow Anthericum-like leaves clearly margined 
with white; Doryopteris multijuga, with deeply cut leaves, and 
Adiantum macrophyllum variegatum; 
The medal for the best new plant in flower was unanimously 
adjudged to Mr, Charles Turner of Slough for the new Japanese Rose 
Crimson Rambler, and the plants were purchased by Mr. Knight for the 
Royal Gardens. The same plants had been exhibited at the Crystal 
Palace and other shows. No flowering plant in the show arrested half 
so much attention as did this Rose. Saintpaulia ionantha (Wendland) 
La Violette d’Usambara, a new plant exhibited by M. Benary, for some 
reason was not honoured. It is a charming Gesneriaceous plant with 
thick subcordate dark green leaves about 2 inches wide, on stalks about 
the same length, flowers of a rich purplish violet colour, deepening 
towards the centre, from which the bright stamens sparkle like gems 
of gold. The flowers are nearly an inch across, and borne on panicles 
of from two to six. This distinct plant is said to flower freely through 
the winter in an intermediate house. 
M. Jos. Vervaene secured the large silver-gilt medal for twelve new 
