490 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 14, 1888. 
cvGry month tins its special attractions where the collections of plants 
arc so extensive and varied. 
ORCHIDS. 
Commencing' at Chelsea the Orchids finst demand a few observations 
f >r there is now an unusual display of flowers in all the houses, which 
means that some thousands of plants are contributing to the production 
of a brilliant effect. The great span roofed Cattleya house contains an 
assemblage of handsome healthy plants, affording abundant flowers of 
Cattleyas and Laelias in innumerable fine varieties. Cattleyas Mossiae, 
Mcndeli, Warneri, and Skinneri, with Lxlia purparata, constitute the 
major portion of the flowering plants, and some of these are very 
beautiful, with twelve to twenty large flowers each, or in the case of 
C. Skinneri the latter number is far exceeded. The varieties of 
C. Mossim and C. Mendeli are most numerous, including some of the 
best in form, size, and colour of the flowers, but they are rarely con¬ 
sidered distinct enough for varietal names, their relative merits being 
in licated by crosses on the labels. This is a simple and effectual method, 
preferable to bestowing names upon every trifling variation that may 
appear in a collection. The C. Mossim forms in particular are wonder¬ 
fully good, the lips superbly marked, the sepals and petals broad and 
highly coloured, fine bold well developed flowers. The C. Mendeli 
group comprises similarly charming varieties, the colours rich and 
clearly defined. C. Warneri presents an excellent contrast with the 
lighter forms of the prece:ling, the sepals and petals being of a deep 
purple tint, the lip white and gplden in the centre, the upper half rich 
crimson. The profuse 0. Skinneri is gay with its bright hue! flowers, 
and the noble Lmlia purpurata is conspicuous everywhere. That graml 
variety of the last named— i.e., L. purpurata Russelliana, is in admirable 
condition, one plant having four racemes of four or five large flowers 
each, the sepals and petals pure white, the lip broad, white in the centre, 
and charmingly veined with purple in the upper half. This magnificent 
house has been extended" to meet the long range of Phalaenopsis, Lycaste. 
Angrascum, and Odontuglossum houses, so that the whole series of 
Orchid houses can be inspected without passing out of doors—a decided 
i nprovement. 
The Cypripelium house adjoining the fernery contains a large 
number of flowering plants, C. selligerum majus being in strong force, 
some of the plants having twin-flowers. A contrast of majus with the 
typical selligerum, also in flower, proves at a glance how greatly superior 
the former is to the latter. The beautiful C. Veitchi, or superbiens, is 
flowering freely, with C. superciliare, C. barbatum, C. Parishi, and C. 
Druryi, with yellow flowers, and a reddish central vein in the petals and 
dorsal sepal. The new C. bcllatulum, the magnified C. G-odefroyfe, 
with intensely deep bold spots, is a valuable addition to the group of 
allied Cypripediums. 0. grande is handsome, and some of the young 
flowers have petals 13.i inches long, so that they will probably exceed 
this when they are mature, and nearly approach C. caudatum, which 
h.as petals 2i to 30 inches long. Though not in the same house, a hybrid 
Cypripedium, named C. Tautzianum, is flowering in one of the private 
departments that merits a special word or two of description. It resulted 
from a cross between C. niveum and C. barbatum, presenting a most 
interesting and beautiful combin.ation of the characters of these species. 
The whole flower is 3.^ inches from tip to tip of the petals, the latter 
being three-quarters of an inch in diameter, tinted, and veined with 
crimson, purple, or white, but the dorsal sepal is particularly handsome, 
ne.arly 2 inches across, white, charmingly veined with a fine crimson- 
purple tint, and having a few greenish veins at the base. The lip is 
like a large C. niveum, neatly formed, white on the under surface, and 
tinged with rosy crimson above. A plant of this hybrid was shown 
before the Royal Horticultural Society’s Floral Committee, January 
10th this year, when a first-class certificate was awarded, and though 
necessarily scarce at (resent it will become a great favourite owing to 
the distinctness and pleasing brightness of its colours. 
Dendrobiums include scores of plants of thyrsiflorum, Deari, suavissi- 
mum, chrysotoxum, Jamesianum, Dalhouseianum tortile, Cambridgeanum, 
Parishi, and Bensonise, which fill one house of the range. The last two 
named are very handsome, a plant of D. Bensonise having three pseudo¬ 
bulbs crowded with white flowers tinged with yellow and having dark 
spots in the lips. D. Parishi is similarly distinct, the flowers deep 
purplish crimson, and two dark blotches in the lip. An interesting 
hybrid Dendrobium is noteworthy—namely, D. porphyrogastrum, which 
wa? recently shown at Westminster. It was obtained from a cross 
bet'.veen D. Huttoni and D. Dalhousieanum, tvo very dissimilar species 
both in habit and flowers, the former having thin straw-like stems and 
small flowers, the latter a giant both in growth and flowers. The 
hybrid partakes curiously of both parents’ characters, and is really a 
great improved D. Huttoni. The miscellaneous warm-house Orchids in 
flower are too numerous to name individually, but Aerides, Saccolabiums, 
Dcndrochilum latifolium, Thunias, Oncidiums, Sobralias, Anguloas, 
Angrmeums, and Calanthes. The cool house is remarkably gay with 
O.lontoglossums, numberless fine varieties of crispum, Pescatorei, cirrho- 
sura, vexillarium, maculatum, cordatum, and Cervantesi being repre¬ 
sented, and contrasting with Masdevallia Harryana and Veitchiana, Epi- 
dendrum vitellinum, Oncidium nigratum, 0. hastatum, 0. leucochilum, 
and others. 
GLOXINIAS. 
For many years Me.ssrs. Veitch &; Sons have given special attention 
to the improvement of Gloxinias, and they have not only succeeded in 
securing varieties of marked excellence that have been deemed worthy 
of names, but they have formed a mixed strain of considerable merit; 
the result, in fact, of intercrossing all their best varieties in the different 
colours. The disphay provided at the present time of these plants testi¬ 
fies in a very satisfactory manner to the care which has been exercised 
in the selection or cros.sing, and in the cultivation of the plants. A 
span-roof house in two divisions 120 feet long is exclusively devoted to 
Gloxinias, and they afford an extremely rich effect, the bright and soft 
colours being well proportioned and the arrangement tasteful. Only a 
few of the named varieties can be mentioned, as all are good, and each 
one has some special character to recommend it. A trio of brilliant 
scarlet varieties are Comet, Flambeau, and Irma, the flowers well 
formed, the colour pure and bright, and the habit good ; the first, 
having a white tube, shows up admirably. In contrast to these is the 
pure white Virginale and the deep rich purple. The Moor, which arrests 
attention everywhere, and is most conspicuous amongst the lighter 
varieties. Other good forms are Celia, edged purple ; Cygnet, pure 
white ground and throat, margined with delicate pale purple, very 
pretty; Sunbeam, scarlet, light centre; Jubilee, spotted purple, hand¬ 
some ; Cordelia and Jeanne Muret are two other beautiful spotted 
varieties ; Argus, large, handsome flower, spotted with red; Estella, 
delicately spotted and veined with purple, capital shape ; Delicata, 
margin white, rosy red zone and veins ; and Orestes, dark scarlet, a 
massive, finely proportioned flower. Well-grown Gloxinias are most 
valuable at this time of year, and some delightful groups can be formed 
of them arranged with Adiantums. 
GREENHOUSE RHODODENDRONS. 
Few weeks pass in the year without finding some of the greenhouse 
Rhododendrons in flower, for which the Chelsea Nursery is so famed. 
Not only is the stock of proved varieties or hybrids an extensive one, but 
such numbers of seedlin-s have been raised that novelties are constantly 
flowering that possess some distinctive merits. Several of these are now 
flowering for the first time, and are interesting in several respects. The 
well-known white long-tubed R. jasminiflorum, E. javanicum, R. Teys- 
manni, and the varieties Princess Royal and Princess Frederica have 
been employed with R. multicolor Curtisi, an introduced variety with 
narrow leaves and small deep red short-tubed flowers, almost suggestive 
of some of the small Azaleas. One of the plants from Princess Royal 
and multicolor Curtisi has rosy crimson flowers, the colour of Curtisi 
and the shape predominating. A second from jasminiflorum and Curtisi 
has bright red flowers with tubes longer than the latter parent, and it 
might almost be termed a small red jasminiflorum. From javanicum 
and Curtisi a plant has been obtained with the foliage of the former 
and the flowers of the latter, both in shape and colour. A fourth cross 
is particularly interesting ; it is from Princess Royal crossed with Teys- 
manni, having large orange buff flowers, the latter parent predominating 
in foliage and flowers, while in the first cross mentioned from Princess 
Royal and Curtisi the latter predominated in a similar mann-r, though 
the seed '^vas obtained from the same plant in both cases. Another of 
the Teysmanni type was raised from seed borne by Princess Frederica, 
the flowers large, pale creamy buff, delicate and handsome. An older 
form. Star of India, is also flowering, having a large compact head of 
brilliant orange flowers, the petals round and broad. Three double 
varieties of the javanicum group of Rhododendrons have now been 
secured, one of the finest of which is R. balsamimeflorum album, double 
white, very pure, and of good shape (fig. 65, kindly lent by Messrs.Veitch 
and Sons). R. balsaminmflorum aureuni is a golden form of the same 
type, and carneum has handsome rose-tinted flowers of excellent shape. 
These are all valuable additions to the greenhouse Rhododendrons, as 
the flowers last capitally when cut, and look well in bouquets or button¬ 
holes. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
In one of the new plant houses is a new Fern that is likely to be 
both useful and ornamental. It is named Gymnogramma Pearcei 
robu,=ta, and is a strong “ sporeling ” from the much more delicate and 
less satisfactory species. The fronds are of moderate good shape, and 
finely divided into linear segments. It is free growing, and quite small 
plants are well furnished with graceful lace-like fronds. The Anthu- 
riums are bearing numbers of their bright spathes, but especially 
A. Schertzerianum varieties like Wardi. A. Rothschildianum is also in 
good condition, now showing many forms varying in the size or shape 
of the spathes and the mottling. In some there is a clear white ground 
on which the scarlet dots or marbling show up very distinctly, and in 
others the markings are more confluent with less white. All are striking, 
but the former are preferable, and some are beautifully marked. It 
may be remembered that Anthurium Rothschildianum was the result of 
a cross between A. Schertzerianum and A. Schertzerianum album, which 
was obtained by Messrs. Veitch & Sons and M. Bergman, Ferrieres 
Gardens, about the same time, but the French plants flowered first, and 
it was then named. Of- the first batch of Chelsea seedlings, one-half 
came spotted or intermediate between the parents, but from a sub¬ 
sequent batch only one in twenty came spotted, all the others being the 
ordinary red varieties of A. Schertzerianum. 
With the flower house, which is bright with Pelargoniums, Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, Roses, Spiraeas, Azaleas, Ericas, and Hydrangeas, and fragrant 
with Mignonette and Heliotrope, we must quit the Chelsea Nursery and 
hurry to Coombe Wood for a few notes on the 
HARDY RHODODENDRONS AND AZALEAS. 
A visitor at Chelsea can proceed to Coombe Wood without much 
difficulty, as there are frequent trains to Clapham Junction and thence 
to Norbiton on the Kingston line, which is twenty minutes’ or half an 
hour’s walk from the nursery. This is situated partly in a valley and 
partly on the hill sloping to the south from the Kingston Road, conse- 
