Pelrviary 9, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
103 
to A. Wilson, Esq., of Westbrook, Sheffield, and both are very 
beautiful, but distinct from each other. The finer of the two is a 
noble specimen about 30 inches across and has produced five flower 
•spikes, one carrying five flowers and the remainder four each. The 
individual flowers measure 5 inches in diameter, are very stout in 
texture, the petals inch broad, and the colour of both petals and 
sepals of the purest waxy white. The lip is of large size, the 
colour a white ground pencilled with crimson in the throat ; the 
column a pale primrose yellow, and a small blotch of magenta at 
the tip. 
The other variety is also very fine, but not quite equal to the 
foregoing. Flowers from this plant were a year ago sent to 
Reichenbach, and were described by him as an extra good variety of 
E. anceps Sanderiana. 
In the same collection as the foregoing are many other good 
Orchids now flowering, amongst them being a very fine plant of 
■Cattleya Triaiiis alba, with extra large flowers beautifully fringed 
and of the purest white throughout, except a faint tinge of yellow 
in the throat. The following were also in flower :—Cypripedium 
cenanthum superbum, most richly coloured and having two flowers 
on one stem ; C. Boxalli, a large plant with nine flowers ; C. Law- 
rencianum, C. Haynaldianum, and a unique variety of C. villosum ; 
Ada aurantiaca, with six flower spikes ; Oncidium cheirophorum, 
■very pretty and sweet scented. Odontoglossums were numerous, 
including some fine varieties of 0. crispum, 0. Pescatorei, 0. Insleayi 
leopardinnm, O. Halli, and others. A plant of the latter was carrying 
eighteen flowers on one very long spike. Other Orchids were Masde- 
vallia Lindeni superba, Vandas tricolor and suavis, Cymbidium 
•giganteum, Dendrobiums Wardianum and nobile, the latter densely 
bloomed large specimens 3 feet in diameter, and a number of plants 
of the pretty orange coloured Laelia harpophylla.—W. K. W. 
ORCHID FLOWERS. 
From The Grange Gardens, Carshalton, we have received a few 
flowers of the following useful winter-flowering Orchids ;— 
Coelogyne cristata maxima, large, pure white, with a golden 
•centred lip ; C. Lemoniana, with a spike of seven flowers, pure 
white, with a lemon centred lip ; La 2 lia anceps in three varieties, all 
very good, but one especially rich both in the sepals, petals, and 
lip ; Dendrobium Wardianum is represented by several varieties, 
differing considerably in the size and colours of the flowers ; Phalae- 
aiopsis amabilis Dayana has the two lateral lobes of the lip heavily 
:streaked with crimson at the base and a few similar dots in the two 
lower sepals ; Odontoglossums are represented by 0. Rossi majus, 
very strong and of dark colour, four flowers to a spike ; O. 
odoratum, large and well coloured ; 0. Sanderianum, lighter in 
colour, with a white lip, but equally as fragrant as O. odoratum ; 
the pretty 0. Oerstedti majus, one very fine single flower, and two 
flowers on one stem ; and 0. madrense, which has been in flower 
for three months. There were also flowers of the interesting 
Helcia sanguinolenta, with narrow brownish mottled sepals and 
petals, and a crisped lip streaked with purplish crimson on white ; 
£vnd the neat but not showy Lycaste Smeeana. 
FREESIAS GROWN FROM SEED. 
At'Ti'.R reading your notice in the Journal of Horticulture, 
January 20th, your readers may be interested to know how easy 
it is to gi’ow the Froesias from seed and to flower them within the 
year. On receiving the seed it was sown late in January, and the 
pan placed in heat. When the seedlings appeared they were pricked 
into pans and grown near the glass in an intermediate house. 
When large enough the little bulbs were placed in 5-inch pots, the 
compost being loam, leaf mould, and silver sand. Plenty of sun 
and air were admitted, and the plants were in flower before Christ¬ 
mas, but have bloomed more freely since, and are still beautiful. 
Bulbs potted in January, 188(5, flowered a week later, but were 
stronger. The flowers of the seedlings were not pure white, but all 
fleliciously scented.— Edwix Price, Gardener, Loivcr Sougnton. 
SIX GOOD ONIONS. 
The friend who suggested to me that “ six good Peas ” would 
be an interesting subject to readers of ihe Journal of Horticulture 
has caused me to think that a selection of six of the best vegetables 
in general classes would help to reduce the hosts of varieties to a 
serviceable limit, and Onions are my second topic. I know thirty 
varieties of Onions, or perhaps I had better say Onions under thirty 
names, and the best of them-miy be included in six good varieties. 
Cultivators, almost without exception, have a hankering after large 
Onions. I daresay if anyone advertised an Onion that would 
attain a weight of 6 lbs. or 8 lbs. the stock would be exhausted 8y 
return of post ; but although very largo Onions are attractive for 
exhibition, medium sized bulbs are the best for keeping and the 
most acceptable in the kitchen. Indeed for profit and satisfaction 
I would rather have a crop of bulbs averaging in weight from 
(5 ozs. to 8 ozs. than others weighing from 14 ozs. to 20 ozs. 
W ebb’s B.vnbury. —I have grown varieties annually under the 
name “ Banbury” ever since I was responsible for the production of 
a supply of Onions. Some I have found globular, others conical, 
straw coloured, red, and white. The true Banbury is rather flat with 
a good round shoulder, a very small neck, and of a clear straw colour. 
They grow very uniform in size, yield a great weight to a given 
space, and are in season from July to March. The selection 
offered as Webb’s Banbury, which I have had from Wordsley, 
Stourbridge, for the last ten years, is the finest and most profit¬ 
able type I have ever been able to procure, and as a main crop 
Onion 1 know none to surpass it. Yeai’s ago I asked a friend of 
mine, previous to an important exhibition, “Would a dish of 
sprmg-sown Onions count as much in a collection as a dish of 
autumn sown ?” The reply was “ Yes, if they are good.” I then 
staged a dish of typical Banburys, was successful, and since then 
the same thing has been repeated, as quality often counts more 
than mere size. But at the same time the attention given to some 
sorts to bring them up to 1 lb. or 20 ozs. would bring Webb’s 
Banbury uncommonly near these marks. 
Treboxs. —This is a good type of Onion. It is quite different 
from the preceding. It is very conical in form, and tapers sharply 
from the root to the widest part and again to the stem. When true 
it is a pretty Onion and bears heavily. In an ordinary way the 
bulbs will average S ozs. or 0 ozs., and by a little extra attention 
they will weigh 12 ozs. and 14 ozs. It may be sown in either 
autumn or spring, and in both cises it is sure to give satisfaction. 
I have sometimes seen it much mixed, many bulbs being white and 
others red or purple, but the true colour is a clear straw, and those 
who keep it perfectly true would find their labours much appre¬ 
ciated. 
Ja.'IEs’ Loxg Keeimxc.—I freely include this variety, because 
it is the best keeper of all Onions. You may do as you like with 
some sorts and find it impossible to keep them sound until April, 
but in the c.ase of Janies’ it is the easiest of matters to keep them 
sound and good as late as May, and they fill the gap in the supply 
which is apt to occur from the time ordinary sorts are finished until 
the autumn-sown ones are ready. It is not a show Onion, neither 
would I grow it for autumn and early winter use, but for spring 
and what might be termed early summer it is excellent, and in 
keeping qualities it may be said to be unique. 
New Queex.—I name this for two reasons. It is the quickest 
in growth of all varieties, and in cases where Onions are scarce in 
spring it may,be sown and grown to come in before all others. It 
is very useful in June and July, or from the ti iie the last of the 
spring Onions are finished until the new crops come in. Its other 
good point is that it may be used for pickling, and on this account 
it may very well be included in all collections. 
Veitch’s M.vix Cror. —This is the newest Onion I have named 
and it has proved so good as to merit being named an I recommended 
here. It is very globular, and appeal’s to be a cross between a flat 
variety and one conical in form. It grows freely, bulbs well, is ex¬ 
ceedingly true in form and c dour, and is a very heavy cropper. 
Grown with about twelve others it was distinct from them all, and 
the quality was so good as to attract general attention. 
Giaxt Rocc'.a. —This is undoubtedly the best variety for sowing 
in the autumn for the main crop of this class. It is well known 
and need not be described at any length ; but although many have 
been recommended as being superior for autumn sowing I have 
not found them so, and for table use or exhibition the Giant Rocca 
still stands at the top of the list.— J. Muir, Margam, South 
Wales. 
THE NEWCASTLE AUTUMN SHOW. 
With somewhat questionable taste Jlr. Goodacre. in the Journ.al for 
last week (see page 8’i), attacks some of the fruits exhibited in the 
collection of fruit that won the Jubilee prize for fifty dishes at the 
Newcastle Show last August, an I holds up to derision “ W.arner’s Fling ” 
Apples and “ Green Citrons.” Being present at the Show 1 took 
particular interest in these huge collections, especially in the first jnize 
lot. but failed to see either Warner’s King Apples or Green Citrons. 
Is Mr. Goodacre not mi.stakcn in this matter.’ Bcurrb Diel there 
certainly was in iMr. Huntcr’.s collection, and such Beurre Diels too as 
one rarely meets with, weighing some 18 to 20 ozs. each. These I have 
seen growing at T.ambtou in an early Peach house, therefore were not 
the despisable things Mr. Goodacre makes them out to be. We do not 
always see ourselves as othcre see us. and upon looking over Mr. Good- 
acre’s collection that was awarded the third prize 1 w.as much struck 
with what a])pcared to me to be three dishes of I.ouise Bonne of Jei'sey 
under as many different names No. 1 was the genuine. Louise, as 
one would expect to fiml it at th.c end of August when gi’own out 
