September 27, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
291 
or curled at the edges; lip violet-coloured; flowers much larger 
than those of S. crispa. Flower stems 8 or 9 feet long. 
Culture.— While these plants are young, newly imported, 
or in a sickly state, they should be grown on blocks of wood ; but 
when they produce plenty of roots in the air, and have made 
middling-sized pseudo-bulbs, they should be potted. The best 
plants we ever saw were grown in broken crocks. The pots were 
wider than usual at the top, and the plants were set as it were in 
the midst of the crocks, care being taken that the buds at the base 
of the pseudo-bulbs were left uncovered. The roots were running 
about on the surface and amongst the crocks quite freely and 
healthily, and the pseudo-bulbs appeared to grow stronger and 
stronger each successive season, the plants had flowered and ap¬ 
peared to be quite happy and at home. We are trying this some¬ 
what novel compost, and our plants are evidently improving. Yet we 
do not entirely depend upon this method, for we remember a friend 
tried growing Orchids of all kinds in crocks and found it did not 
answer. Therefore we grow part of our stock in a compost of 
very fibrous peat, half-decayed leaves, chopped sphagnum, broken 
pots and charcoal, all mixed together, draining extra well, and 
raising the plants up on a hillock in the centre of the pots on the 
compost, securing them well till they get established with stoutish 
sticks. These precautions are taken to prevent the roots from 
rotting at the ends, which they are very apt to do if cultivated in 
a careless or common way. They will grow on blocks best, but 
in that way do not obtain sufficient nutriment to produce large 
pseudo-bulbs, without which they will not produce flowers. As 
they are natives of warm climates they require great heat when 
growing, even as high as 80° to 85° by day and 75° by night; but 
when at rest 10° or 15° lower will be sufficient. —Orchid Grower. 
THE PERSHORE PLUM. 
On page 24G mention is made of our old and valuable friend the 
Pershore Plum, and it is stated that Gisborne’s is more prolific than the 
Pershore. This we Pershore people deny in toto. We can point to a 
plantation of say 20 acres of Pershores ; and we will venture to assert 
that our 20 acres will produce mure fruit than 30 acres of Gisborne’s. 
One friend of mine in this district has sent nearly 2000 pots of Per¬ 
shores away this year at 5s. per pot of 72 lbs. net, and we have been 
known to send from our small station 100 tons of fruit in one day. We 
do not say ours is good for dessert, but we do say it is one of the very 
best grown for preserving (I have sent you a few to test them). The 
trees throw up suckers very freely. They are dug up, planted out about 
5 yards apart, and they begin to bear directly (no grafting required). 
But there is one thing we are certain of, and that is that they do not thrive 
and bear so well out of this district, taking an area of say seven or eight 
miles. We send hundreds away every year in the shape of stocks to all 
parts, but they do best by far in this locality. We find Rivers’ Early 
Prolific, the Pershore, and the Victoria the most profitable sorts. Four 
growers in this immediate neighbourhood this year (and it is only a 
partial crop) will send away from four to four and a half thousand pots 
of Pershores.—J. W., Pershore. 
[The Plums received are much larger than any sample of Gisborne’s 
we have seen this year.] 
POTATOES. 
In reply to a recent query about Potatoes, the earlier sorts were much 
smaller than usual,, but quality good. Snowdrop has been admitted as 
a standard variety. Not quite so early as Myatt's, it is a better cropper, 
and the quality is quite as good. Early Puritan promises well, and 
Sutton’s Early Market as a good round will be again tried. The only 
sorts left in the ground were two new late varieties on trial and White 
Don for everyday use. These latter are badly smitten with disease. I 
hear the disease has attacked second early sorts all round. In fields 
the haulm of ripening Potatoes is very badly blackened. This, of 
course, is mainly on light soils, where growth was made early in the 
season. On heavy soils the Regents i have grown very badly on account 
of the wet condition of the land. Good weather for the past week 
will make up for late kinds, which are sure to be a fair crop. As a 
grower said to me the other day, there will be no Potatoes at 10s. per 
ton this season. The crop all over will be fairly good, but not so 
overwhelmingly plentiful as last year, and the disease will help to 
keep prices up.—B. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
September 25th. 
Dahlias were excellently represented at last Tuesday’s meeting in 
the Westminster Drill Hall, numerous large collections of blooms being 
staged both by nurserymen and amateurs. Show, Fancy Pompon, single 
and Cactus varieties were included, the selections in most cases also 
comprising promising novelties. It would scarcely have been thought 
possible that as many as sixteen could be found worthy of certificates, 
but this was the number the Floral Committee awarded, and it may be 
presumed that the members were in a particularly happy and generous 
frame of mind, for they are seldom so liberal. As a show of cut£ilowers 
it was admirable, but the weather was very unfavourable, and the attend¬ 
ance of visitors consequently small. 
Fruit Committee.— Present: John Lee, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. J. Smith, G. W. Cummins, J. Cheal, T. J. Saltmarsh, R. D. 
Blackmore, W. Marshall, S. Ford, Harrison Weir, P. Crowley, P. Barr, 
and T. B. Haywood. 
Mr. G. H. Richards, Somerley Gardens, Ringwood, Hants, exhibited 
an unusually fine fruit of a Queen Pine, massive, deep, well-proportioned, 
and weighing 7 lbs. 6J ozs. A cultural commendation was awarded. 
Mr. P. W. Fairgrieve, Dunkeld Gardens, N.B., sent a collection of 
Peaches and Nectarines, Hale’s Early and Early York being the best of 
the former, with Cox’s Emperor, Lawson’s Golden Gage, Pond’s 
Seedling, and Imperial Gage amongst the Plums. Messrs. Hurst and 
Son, 152, Houndsditch, sent a “ hybrid Cucumber,” said to be the result 
of a cross between Telegraph and Blue Gown, the fruits large, smooth, 
and dark green. Mr. W. Roupell sent fruits of Criterion Tomatoes, 
Mr. R. Dean sent a dessert Apple with a Russian-like title, and Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, had an interesting collection of Apples, Pears, 
and Plums (silver Banksian medal). 
A first-class certificate was awarded for Melon Glenhurst Perfection 
(C. J. Waite), a green flesh variety of excellent flavour, neat globular 
shape, moderate size, and well netted. 
Floral Committee.— Present: G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the 
chair, and Messrs. W. Bates, H. Herbst, W. Wilks, T. Baines, R. Dean, 
B. Wynne, J. Dominy, H. M. Pollett, J. O’Brien, W. Holmes, E. Hill, G, 
Duffield, W. Goldring, J. Walker, W. H. Lowe, and J. Fraser. 
Apart from the Dahlias the most interesting exhibit was a grand 
group of Nerine Fothergilli major from Baron Schroder, Tbe Dell, 
Egham (gardener, Mr. Ballantine). The plants were of various sizes, 
from small bulbs in 48-size pots to veteran clumps of numerous large 
bulbs, and they bore a total of about 250 trusses containing ten to 
thirteen flowers each. The variety is one of the finest grown, both in 
the size of the flowers and truss, breadth of the petals, and brightness of 
colour, though the latter character was not seen to good advantage at 
Westminster owing to an unsuitable background in a leaden-tinted 
wall. Adiantums were, however, employed as a margin, and imparted 
a fresh pleasing finish to what was undoubtedly the finest group of 
Nerines exhibited in London, amply meriting the silver Banksian medal 
awarded by the Committee. At The Dell these plants are grown 
throughout the season in a lean-to frame facing the south, being only 
removed when they are flowering to be arranged in the houses. They 
receive a good roasting and thorough resting, are frequently supplied 
with liquid manure where growing and flowering, but they are only re¬ 
potted every three or four years, and very little manure is used in the 
sandy loam employed as soil. The illustration (fig. 32) on the next page 
well represents the characters of this Nerine. 
F. G. Tautz, Esq., Studley House, Hammersmith (gardener, Mr. J. C. 
Cowley), exhibited a plant of Cycnoches chlorochilum, with large 
peculiarly formed greenish flowers (cultural commendation). G. F. 
Wilson, Esq., brought some flowers of Lilium auratum and lancifolium, 
cut from the open ground at Oakwood Grange, Weybridge. W. Keith, 
Esq., Cornwalls, Brentwood (gardener, Mr. J. T. West), contributed a 
handsome collection of Dahlias, representing all the types, for which 
a bronze Banksian medal was awarded, an inadequate recognition of so 
fine an amateur exhibit. Mr. G. Ford, Leonardslee Gardens, Horsham, 
showed some remarkably beautiful Celosias, fine plume-like trusses of 
most varied tints, gold, red and crimson predominating. The strain was 
highly commended. 
The nurserymen’s exhibits occupied the greater portion of the space, 
several contributions of an important character being staged. Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, had eight boxes of H.P. and Tea Roses, all 
fresh, bright, and extremely good for such a late period. Freely flowered 
wreath-like stems of Lapagerias rosea and alba also came from the same 
firm (bronze Banksian medal). Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, had his 
customary charming collection of hardy flowers, comprising Shirley 
Poppies, Gaillardias, Lilies, Geums, Asters, and several novelties, besides 
Dahlias (silver Banksian medal). Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, Chelsea, 
sent a group of plants, including a neat little shrub. Berberis Thunbergi, 
having abundant bright red berries, fine trusses of Hydrangea paniculata 
grandiflora, specimens of Crataegus pyracantha Lalindei, with trusses of 
the numerous varied greenhouse Rhododendrons (silver Banksian medal). 
A wonderfully fine group of Nepenthes from Mr. B. S. Williams, 
Upper Holloway, gained the exhibitor a silver-gilt Banksian medal, and 
very rarely is such a choice collection of these interesting plants exhi¬ 
bited. Most of the distinct species, varieties, and hybrids were shown, 
the plants fine healthy specimens bearing numerous well-developed 
pitchers. 
The Dahlias were extremely fine, and so many varieties were shown 
that we have not space this week for even a selection, but nearly all 
sections were shown well, quite rivalling the National Dahlia Exhibi¬ 
tion in quality of blooms of tie Show, Fancy, Pompon, and “Cactus” 
types especially, the singles being in the manority. The exhibitors of 
Dahlias were Mr. C. Turner, Slough, Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, 
who also had a group of hardy flowers (silver Banksian medal), Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams & Co., Salisbury (silver Banksian medal), and Mr. 
G.’Humphries, Chippenham (bronze Banksian medal). Messrs. H. 
Cannell & Sons, Swanley, had an attractive group of Cannas, Begonias, 
and Dahlias (silver Banksian medal). From Chiswick came a group 
of Liliput Asters, very neat and pretty ; Mr. W. Baylor Hartland, 
Cork, sent flowers of Helianthus multiflorus plenus ; Mr. R. Dean some 
fine Pentstemons (vote of thanks) ; and Mr. G. Stevens, Putney, fine 
blooms of Chrysanthemums Mr. Wellams and C. Wagstaff. 
