444 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 3, 1888. 
- Prizes for Wild Flowers. —In part 4 of the re-issue of 
Messrs. Cassell’s “ Familiar Wild Flowers,” it is announced that a series 
of fire prizes, amounting to £50, will he given for the best collections 
of wild flowers, consisting of specimens of those figured in the first 
volume (parts 1-20) of the work named. Collectors must be Iona fide 
amateurs, and the specimens must be sent in not liter than October 31st, 
1887. Further rules and a list of the plants required are given in part 4 
of the present issue of the work, which also gives coloured illustrations of 
the Scarlet Poppy (Papaver Rhacas), and the Cuckoo Pint (Arum macu- 
latum) with descriptive notes. 
- Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holbom, send us flowers of 
Border Pansies most varied in colour, very sweet, and of good size. 
They represent an excellent strain, to which the title “ International ” 
has been applied. 
- Messrs. Williams, Brothers & Co. have sent us a sample 
box of their plant and flower supports which they are advertising, 
and we have no hesitation in saying that the different kinds would be very 
serviceable in greenhouses and gardens. They are made of wire of the 
requisite strength for the purpose, and have sliding loops for securing 
plants at desired heights. These supports are neat, light, durable, and 
amateurs and others who experience difficulty in procuring neat flower 
stakes would be pleased with a supply of these cheap and handy con¬ 
trivances. 
- Mr. A. J. Ballhatchett, The Palace Gardens, Fulham. 
London, S.W., sends the following record of the cumulative 
Amount OF FROST :—“ Having just made up my meteorological 
register for the winter of 1885-6, I send you the following extract for 
publication, thinking it may be of interest to many readers of the 
Journal of Horticulture. At Fulham Palace, London, S.W., 106° of frost 
were registered here from October 6th (the first night of frost here) to 
December 31st, 1885 ; and 394° from January 1st to May 6tb, 1886 (the 
last night of frost here), making a total of 500° for the winter of 1885-6. 
The sharpest night was that of January 7th, 1886, when 18° were 
registered.” 
- Mr. F. Roemer, Quedlinburg, Germany, sends us samples of 
some fine Double Wallflowers, the blooms 2 inches in diameter, 
very full, and varying in colour from bright yellow to rich brown, 
reddish brown and crimson, the latter a peculiar tint, more like a 
Stock. 
- The schedule of the Hull Chrysanthemum Show announces 
that the third annual Exhibition will be held this year in the Artillery 
Barracks, Park Street, Hull, on Thursday and Friday, November 18th and 
19tb. The total value of the prizes this season has been increased by 
£30, one of the principal features of interest being the silver challenge 
vase (value 15 guineas) offered by G. Bohn, Esq., in the class for forty- 
eight cut blooms, which was won last year for the first time by Mr. D. 
Lindsay, gardener to Sir Thomas Edwards-Moss, Otterspool, Liverpool. 
It is offered on the same conditions as that at Kingston—namely, it must 
be won twice consecutively or three times altogether to become the 
exhibitor’s property. In addition to the vase, prizes of £10, £8, £5, and 
£2 are offered in the same class. Two other silver challenge cups, value 
10 and 8 guineas respectively, the former for a group of Chrysanthemums 
arranged for effect, and the other for the best tray (amateurs’) in classes 
22 and 23 for twelve blooms of incurved and twelve Japanese respectively. 
A piece of challenge plate is also presented by G. Bohn, Esq., in class 42, 
for a dessert table laid out for six persons, only Chrysanthemums with 
any kind of foliage to be used in its decoration. This is confined to 
ladies. In other classes there is also a good provision for competitors, 
and the prize list altogether is one of the most liberal issued. The Hon. 
Secretaries are Messrs. R. Falconer Jameson and William Hawksworth. 
A SURREY GARDEN. 
In continuance of an admirable custom, the interesting garden at The 
Grange, Wellington, has, during the present week, been thrown open to 
all visitors by the proprietor, A. H. Smee, Esq., and some idea may be 
formed of how this privilege is valued by local residents and others from 
the fact that on Sunday afternoon last over 500 persons were admitted to 
the grounds. This time of year is the best that could be chosen for an 
inspection of The Grange garden, as it possesses a freshness that is most 
charming. The shrubberies are rich in choice varieties of Rhododendrons, 
White and Scarlet Thorns, Lilac, Laburnums, the double golden Gorse, 
and numbers of others, but the Thorns are especially beautiful, and afford 
a delightful colouring in some of the picturesque vistas. At one point in 
particular, near the river Wandle, there is a plant of an exceedingly rich 
scarlet double variety which dips to the level of the water, and is 
vividly reflected. The shaded winding walks and dells, with their 
running streamlets, miniature waterfalls, and Fern-clad banks can Be 
most thoroughly enjoyed on a warm afternoon or evening, and many 
visitors must experience a feeling of regret that gardens are not more 
frequently planned on a similar informal design. 
There is a pretty display of Orchids in several houses, but the 
majority of those in flower are arranged in the Fein house, where they 
have a graceful effect. Numerous plants of Cattleya Mossiae are flower¬ 
ing now, and some very choice varieties are included in the collection, 
differing considerably in size and colour. One distinct form has the lip 
richly veined with crimson, running deeply into the throat, the gold 
marking usually present having nearly disappeared. Another variety, 
just the reverse of this, has the lip tinged with gold throughout, the 
crimson colour being chiefly confined to the sepals and petals ; a third is 
nearly white with a faint tint of colour. There are also many inter¬ 
mediate gradations of more or less beauty, such, in fact, as would at one 
time have received names, but in many establishments this custom has 
now been very properly discontinued. Cattleya Mendeli is represented 
by numerous varieties. Lmlia purpurata also adds much to the attra®- 
tions of the house, together with Cattleya gigas, of which there are 
some stray plants. Odontoglossums crispum and citrosmum are well 
represented, the former by some excellent varieties, and the latter by good 
plants bearing graceful drooping racemes or panicles of flowers. The 
useful Dendrobium thyrsiflorum is in good condition with fine racemes of 
white and gold flowers, and pleases the general public more than any 
other Orchid. Of Masdevallia Harryana there many plants and excellent 
varieties, M. Yeitchiis very bright. The Humming Bird Orchid, Masdevallia 
trochilus, and the curious M. coriacea are also flowering. The orange red 
Saccolabium curvifolium attracts attention amongst the others owing to 
its distinct colour. The purple-lipped Cirrhaaa viridis, the long-lasting 
Lycaste Skinneri and numbers of others serve to vary the display both in 
beauty and interest. Many ferneiies of this kind might be suitably turned 
into Orchid show houses, for Orchids need the graceful foliage of Ferns to- 
show them to the best advantage. 
In other cool houses the general collection of Masdevallias is grown 
and thrive well under the coolest treatment, the house being most 
liberally ventilated at this time of year, and having extremely little heat 
at any other period. A plant of M. Shuttleworthi in a small 60-size pot 
has had twenty-four flowers of an excellent variety, but it is now past it» 
best. With really useful species are included plants of such curiosities as- 
M. Simula, M. triaristella, M. Culex and others. Odontoglossums are 
looking well, making vigorous growth, are evidently quite at home and 
apparently profiting by their sojourn out of doors last year. A curious- 
fact is noticeable, however, with regard to the changeability of varieties 
under culture. A variety of Odontoglossum crispum, which flowered last 
year and was then found to be one of the best in the collection with large 
well-formed blooms, is flowering again now, but the blooms have come 
so small and imperfectly formed that if the precaution had not been 
adopted of marking the label previously, it would have been discarded as 
worthless. The plant is not a large one, and it is possible that it weakened 
itself last season by flowering freely, the result beiDg the production of 
undersized flowers this year. Whatever be the cause, it shows how 
careful growers should be in condemning apparently bad varieties upon 
one season’s trial. Two plants of O. gloriosum are bearing seed pods. One 
that has been either self-fertilised or crossed by the aid of bees has three 
long pods, the effect on the plant being seen in the shrivelling of the 
pseudo-bulbs. Another plant of the same species crossed with O. crispum 
has also a large pod and is suffering in a similar way. When experiments- 
of this kind are undertaken with small plants amateurs must lie prepared 
to lose them, and it is therefore dangerous to attempt them with valuable 
varieties, unless the experimmters are aware of the risk. In collections 
like that of Mr. Smee’s, many interesting results might he obtained in 
hybridising, and it is well that amateurs are now paying more attention 
to the subject. , , , 
The Phalienopses are steadily improving since the plants have been 
suspended from the roof of the warm house over a shelf upon which 
small Ferns and other plants are growiog, and from which a constant 
healthful moisture is arising. This practice has been adopted by several 
of the most successful cultivators. The pretty but seldom seen Dendro¬ 
bium mesocblorum is flowering freely upon its slender stems, the small 
white flowers with their purple-tipped sepals and petals being most 
graceful. An unnamed Dendrobium in the way of D. draconis (eburneum), 
is flowering, but it seems distinct from that species in the longer lip, and 
in the sepals being tinged with yellow. These are only a few of the principal 
plants in flower, but there are many more advancing, and a collection 
which comprises over 700 species and varieties can never be wanting in 
interest, and under the care of Mr. Cummins the general health of the 
plants is all that could be wished. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SEGETUM CLOTH OF GOLD. 
A HANDSOME variety of Chrysanthemum segetum, or possibly a 
hybrid between that and some other species, has been obtained by Mr. 
Robert Owen, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, and it seems likely to be such a 
useful addition to this race of plants that we give an illustration of the 
varitty. The blooma sent to us were of great size, the florets thick, and 
the colour an extremely rich golden yellow. 
