December 24, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
561 
- In his article on Bouvardias on page S37 last week Mr. A. 
Pettigrew meant to say that some of the plants produced corymbs almost 
as large as “ Lilacs,” not as “ Lilies.” 
-The Cbystal Palace Horticultural Shows to be held in 
1886 are fixed for the following dates :—Spring Exhibition of Plants and 
Flowers. March 26th and 27th ; Great Summer Exhibition, May 21st and 
22nd ; Grand Exhibition of Roses, July 3rd ; Fruit Exhibition and 
National Dahlia Show, September 3rd and 4th ; Great Autumn Fruit 
Show and Grand Chrysanthemum Exhibition, November 6th and 6tb. 
Schedules will be ready early in January on application. The date of the 
Potato Show is not yet fixed. 
- Messrs. Thos. Christy & Co. request us to mention that the 
fire on the premises they occupy at No. 6, George Yard, Aldgate, on the 
night of the 12tb, has not caused any interruption to their business, as 
all orders are being supplied from their warehouse at No. 2, George 
Yard. 
- Messrs. J. Laing & Co., Forest Hill, send us a coloured plate 
of “ Royal Tuberous Begonias,” which represent some of the latest 
improvements amongst these useful plants. All the flowers are of great 
size, the centre one (Queen Victoria) being 7y inches by 6£ inches. They 
are also distinguished by the broad rounded petals and their brilliant 
colours. The varieties pourtrayed are as follows :—Queen Victoria, Tich 
scarlet ; Prince of Wales, dark scarlet ; Princess Victoria, white edged 
wiih deep rose, very pretty ; Prince Albert Victor, orange scarlet with a 
white centre ; Duke of Edinburgh, maroon striped, one of the darkest yet 
obtained ; Princess Louise, pure white ; and Duchess of Edinburgh, 
orange tinged with red on the edge. 
- In Mr. Major’s collection of curios at Cromwell House, Croydon, 
Stapelia GIGANTEA has been flowering during the last fortnight. The 
flowers are of great size, measuring 5 inches across from the points of the 
segments. These, however, recurve much the same as in Lilium lanci- 
folium. The flowers-of the Stapelia are deep purplish brown, are covered 
with silvery hairs half an inch long. The appearance is very remark¬ 
able, and this species is so rarely seen as to render it noteworthy. 
- We have received a letter addressed to Mr. F. C. Barker, who 
contributed a note on Chrysanthemums a fortnight ago. This letter shall 
be forwarded if our correspondent sends us his full postal address. 
- We are informed that Mr. R. P. Percival of Southport 
died on the 14th inst. of congestion of the lungs at fifty years of age. Mr. 
Percival has become well known in the horticultural world as an experi¬ 
enced amateur cultivator of Orchids, and at his residence, The Clevelands, 
Birkdale, Southport, he had one of the best collections in the north of 
England. Cattleyas form an especial feature, and when describing the 
garden on page 62 of our issue for July 17th, 1884, we gave an illustra¬ 
tion of a handsome specimen of C. Sanderiana, which had eighteen flowers, 
each 9 inches in diameter. Mr. Percival’s name is commemorated in 
Cattleya Percivaliana, now included in most large collections of Orchids. 
- Particulars of a Sale of Valuable Orchids in New 
York are given by the December number of “ Vick’s Monthly Magazine ” 
as follows :—The Orchids were the property of the late Mrs. M. J. Morgan, 
Madison Square, and the collection originally cost about £40,000. In addi¬ 
tion to the American nurserymen present there were agents representing the 
principal English firms, the following being the largest prices realised. 
A plant of Vanda Sanderiana was bought for £180, one of Cypripedium 
Morganise for £150; C. Stonei platytaenium brought £90, and other 
Cypripediums realised various sums from £20 upwards. A specimen of 
Vanda Lowi was sold for £80, and V. Batemani for £20. Cattleya ex- 
oniensis told for £50, £48, and £26, C. labiata for £20, and C. Skinneri 
for £40. This is one of the most important sales that has been held in 
America. 
- A dinner to commemorate the first Portsmouth Chrysan¬ 
themum Show was held last week in the Royal Albany Hotel, Ports¬ 
mouth. The chair was occupied by Mr. F. Power, T.C, the popular 
Secretary, the vice-chair by Mr. G. Ellis ; and amongst those present 
were the Mayor (A. S. Blake, Esq.), Alderman W. D. King, J.P., J. 
Moody, Esq. (ex-Mayor), including most of the Town Council of the 
Borough and principal tradesmen of Portsmouth and Southsea. The 
usual loyal toasts were proposed, and in the course of several speeches 
which followed, Mr. F. Power stated that it was intended to offer a 
Challenge Cup value £25 next year for thirty-five cut bloom*. Mr. E. 
Molyneux, in proposing “ The Exhibitors,” remarked that he would like 
to see amateurs and cottagers compete more freely than at present, and 
he thought with suitable encouragement they would do so. 
- We have received the following hooks, which we shall notice in 
due course :—“Animal Life on the Farm,” by Professor Brown ; “The 
Golden Gate and Silver Steps,” by Shirley Hibberd ; “ The Praise of 
Gardens,” by Albert F. Sieveking ; “ The Practical Poultry Keeper,” by 
L. Wright. 
- Gardening Appointments. —The following have been made 
through Messrs. John Laing & Co., Forest Hill Nurseries, S.E.:—Mr. John 
Lawrie, as head gardener to Colonel Haworth Booth, J.P., D.L , Hull Bank 
House, near Hull; and Mr. A. McLeod, as head gardener to C. Stead) 
Esq., Nottingham Hall, Kent. 
- We have received from the “South” Publishing Company 
Fleet Street, specimens of Oranges grown in Florida, which have just 
been received from Jacksonville via New York. The great impetus that 
has of late years been given to the cultivation of the Orange in Florida 
makes this importation specially interesting, as showing what we may 
expect from this new field. It is not that the cultivation of the Orange in 
Florida is at all new that the interest attaches to it, hut that the develop¬ 
ment of it has of late years been taken up with so much energy, and as 
an investment of capital it has proved highly remunerative. The con¬ 
dition of the fruit showed that it had been gathered before it was ripe, 
and that the circuitous route by New York did not add to the ripening of 
it. If, however, the fruit was allowed to ripen in the same degree as that 
grown in St. Michael’s or Valencia, and shipped direct from Jacksonville 
or some other port in the South, so that it would arrive in the same 
condition as fruit from these parts, there can be ro doubt that a large 
trade might be done. 
- Mr. W. Bardney observes, “ The bright scarlet Zonal Pelar¬ 
gonium John Gibbons is superior to any we have for flowering during 
the winter in a temperature of 50°. We grow about 1000 plants for 
winter flowering, and this is without doubt the most showy and profuse 
of all. It makes trusses of a large size, which for brilliancy of colour 
are unsurpassed ; and all who do not grow this variety should obtain it. 
For a long time we thought Vesuvius superior to any other as a profuse and 
continuous-flowering variety in the temperature named, but even this 
valuable variety is insignificant by the side of John Gibbons. It may be 
stated that cut-back plants, or those two or more years old, flower more 
profusely than young plants raised from cuttings in spring. Young 
plants might, if the season was not good, prove disappointing. I have 
grown all the new white-flowered varieties that have been sent out since 
White Vesuvius, hut none of them can be compared with that variety for 
profuse flowering. The flowers are neither so well shaped nor pure in 
colour as Eureka and others, hut it produces a mass of flowers in the 
temperature named, which the others will not do, in fact we are discarding 
all other white varieties for winter flowering.” 
- The Liverpool Horticultural Association this year offered their 
certificate and first prize for an essay on the Cultivation of the 
Chrysanthemum, the conditions being, that all competitors must be 
under-gardeners and members of the Society, and that the essay should 
take about twenty minutes to read. The winner of this prize is 
Mr. John Breen, Spital Hall Gardens, Cheshire, who on Saturday evening 
last, at the Association’s usual meeting place, Free Library, William 
Brown Street, Liverpool, read before a large attendance of members his 
paper, which was a clear, intelligent, and detailed account of how to 
proceed with the culture) the wants, the enemies, of “ Liverpool’s favourite 
flower.” The essayist briefly described its management from the cutting, 
the various potting operations, and the suitable times and composts for 
each, staking, feeding, housing, and other important items for the pro¬ 
duction of exhibition blooms and plants. An animated discussion followed, 
in which Messrs. T. White, A. R. Cox, W. Tunningfon, R. G. Waterman, 
and others took part. The various opinions given by noted prizewinners 
as to temperature for striking, suitable soils and manures, and selecting 
the buds, proved that the Chrysanthemum can he grown under circum¬ 
stances and modes of treatment differing to a great extent, but yet with 
satisfactory results. The arrangement of exhibition cut blooms, and the 
judging of the same, were also criticised in a friendly spirit, and added to 
the instruction of those present. Mr. A. R. Cox exhibited a box of cut 
blooms, which were exceedingly good for so late in the season. The 
varieties were—Boule d’Or, very fine ; Meg Merrilees, F. A. Davis, 
Fabian de Mediana, Mabel Waid, and Princess Trek. 
