362 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Octobsr 21, 1889. 
■on July 22nd and 23rd, that there would be an Exhibition of Ferns and 
■Carnations, and arrangements had been made for a trial of border 
Carnations on a large scale. It was therefore suggested the Exhibition 
of the Carnation Society should be held in connection with this meeting ; 
it was thereupon resolved that the Auricula Show should be held in con¬ 
nection with the R.H. S.’s meeting on April 22nd, that Mr. William Holmes 
be thanked for his offer on behalf of the Royal Aquarium Company, 
that the Carnation Show take place at Chiswick on July 22nd, the 
Committee of the Society to co-operate with the Council of the R.H.S. 
in carrying out a Carnation Conference, and it was suggested that 
Mr. Martin Rowan should read a paper on the “ Culture of Carnations 
in Towns,” and Mr. Richard Dean one on “ Border Carnations.” The 
Treasurer, Mr. T. E. Henwood, then submitted a financial statement, 
showing there was a balance in hand in favour of the Auricula 
Society of £7 18s. 9d., and of the Carnation Society of £4 7s. 5d., 
the sum of £25 having been invested at the commencement of the year. 
Mr. J. Douglas submitted a report dealing with the Exhibitions of 
the past year, and bearing testimony to the prosperous condition 
of both Societies. Mr. Shirley Hibberd was re-elected President 
of the Auricula Society; Dr. Hogg, Dr. Masters, Messrs. J. T. D. 
Llewelyn, H. S. Leonard, and H. J. Veitch Vice-Presidents ; Messrs. 
J. F. Kew and J. Lakin were added to the Committee ; Dr. Hogg 
and Mr. H. J. Veitch re-elected Auditors ; Mr. T. E. Henwood re¬ 
elected Hon. Treasurer; and Mr. J. Douglas Hon. Secretary. Mr. 
J. D. T. Llewelyn was re-elected President of the National Carnation 
Society ; the names of Lady Wolverton, Lady West, and Miss Tufnell 
were added to the Patrons ; Messrs. H. S. Leonard and H. J. Pearson 
were added to the Vice-Presidents ; the Committee were re-elected ; 
and also Mr. T. E. Henwood to the office of Hon. Treasurer ; and Mr. J. 
Douglas to that of Hon. Secretary. 
The schedules of prizes of last year were adopted for the coming 
season, and it was arranged the Judges should be appointed at a meet¬ 
ing of the Committee on March 11th. The rules which applied to both 
Societies being found somewhat inelastic, they were duly revised and 
brought into harmony with the practice of the Society. The meeting 
■closed with votes of thanks to the Treasurer and Secretary, and to Mr. 
Shirley Hibberd for presiding. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Manual of Orchidaceous Plants. Part V. Masdevallia, Pleurothallis, 
Cryptophoranthus, Restrepia, Arpophyllum and Platyclinis. James 
Veitch & Sons. Royal Exotic Nursery, 544, King’s Road, Chelsea. 
1889. 
The character of this excellent work on Orchids is being thoroughly 
■well maintained, each successive part issued giving abundant proof of 
the care exercised in its production, and that the effort to render it a 
reliable work of reference is successful. In the part under notice which 
has just been published, the sub-tribe Pleurothallias of the Tribe Epi- 
dendrese is that dealt with, including the genera named above, but the 
chief space is necessarily devoted to Masdevallias. The part is indeed 
really a monograph of this genus, and as such it possesses special value, 
for something of the kind has long been needed. An elaborate mono¬ 
graph, with coloured plates of all the species, has been promised and 
talked about for a considerable time, but we have not yet seen it or 
heard that it has been published. Such a book would be a valuable 
production, but the cost would place it out of the reach of many Orchid 
amateurs. That from Messrs. Veitch, however, now to hand, supplies 
all that is required of descriptive, cultural, and historical information 
at a moderate expense to the purchaser. It is, therefore, an especially 
welcome addition to Orchid literature, and one that will prove useful 
to amateurs and gardeners alike, as several important cultural details 
are included. Briefly noting the genera described, the first is 
PLEUROTHALLIS. 
Although 350 species are known of this genus, very few are in culti¬ 
vation, and Messrs. Veitch only include six species as worthy of par¬ 
ticular mention— i.e., P. Barberiana, P. insignis, P. leucopyramis, P. 
picta, P. punctulata, and P. Roezli. The others were mostly small 
plants with insignificant flowers, though some of these are interesting 
structurally. P. Barberiana is a curious little Orchid, also known as 
Masdevallia Culex, which is given as a synonym in the body of the work, 
but at the end of the Masdevallia portion, under the head “ Excluded 
Species,” M. Culex is said to be now referred to Pleurothallis macro- 
blepharis. P. insignis is one of the largest flowered species, P. Leuco¬ 
pyramis has numerous small white flowers, P. picta has bright yellow 
and red flowers, P. punctulata has yellow flowers spotted with red and 
purple, and P. Roezli has the most richly coloured flowers of any Pleuro¬ 
thallis yet discovered, “ deep sanguineous purple.” 
CRYPTOPHORANTHUS. 
This genus has been founded upon the peculiar Masdevallia fenes- 
trata of the “ Botanical Magazine ” (t. 4164), which had been pre¬ 
viously described as Specklinia atropurpurea, so that under its new 
generic title (founded by Rodriguez in 1881), M. fenestrata becomes 
Cryptophoranthus atropurpureum. This is a very interesting plant with 
regard to its form and fertilisation, the three sepals being united at their 
tips, only leaving two small openings at which insects can enter. Mr. 
Darwin called attention to this peculiarity, and in his work on the 
fertilisation of Orchids he furnished a full description of the structure. 
C. Dayanum has larger flowers of similar shape, but yellow spotted 
with deep reddish purple. 
RESTREPIA. 
The charming little R. antennifera is the best known of this genus, 
its delicately marked flowers being regarded by all Orchid admirers as 
amongst the most exquisite of the family. R. elegans is another at¬ 
tractive species ; R. pandurata is said to be equally pretty, and R. xan- 
thophthalma is also recommended for a place with the others. 
MASDEVALLIA. 
Sixty-two pages are devoted to the Masdevallias. Sventy-six species 
and hybrids are described, and illustrations are furnished of the most 
distinct or important. Full descriptions of the essential characters of 
the genus are supplied, followed by an analysis of the botanical groups 
under which the species are classed. The geographical distribution is 
treated upon at some length, and “ a cultural note,” occupying a couple 
of pages, embodies all that is necessary to be studied. We cannot refer 
to all the Masdevallias described, but it may be worth mentioning that 
the now well-known M. Shuttleworthi is placed as a variety under 
M. caudata, together with M. xanthocorys, M. Wallisi, M. Winniana, 
M. Roezli, M. Gorgona, and M. Backhouseana are all in a similar way 
placed under M. Chimsera as varieties. The familiar M. Lindeni is 
discarded and assumes the original title M. coccinea, under which are 
ranked the varieties conchiflora and the useful handsome Harrvana, with 
numerous sub-varieties. An interesting matter is recorded with regard 
to M. tovarensis, and though it is known to many cultivators, beginners 
in Orchid culture are apt to overlook it. We therefore reproduce the 
passage, premising that it assumes more importance now the species 
named is so much grown for its flowers. 
“ A morphological peculiarity in Masdevallia tovarensis, and also in 
the allied species M. Ephippium, M. infracta, and M. maculata, that 
was omitted when drawing up the sub-sectional characters of the 
Polyanthie Masdevallias, may properly be noticed here. The so-called 
peduncles or scapes of all these species are sharply three-angled, and 
the flowers are produced from their apex, the pedicels issuing from 
a membraneous persistent sheath that is single in M. Ephippium and 
M. infracta, but double in M. maculata and M. tovarensis. When 
the flowers fade the pedicels and'ovaries wither and drop with them 
if infertilised, which is usually the case, but the long trigonal part 
does not wither and drop like the flower scapes of most Masdevallias ; 
it continues green and fresh, and if not removed from the plant more 
flowers are produced from the apex in the following year precisely 
in the same way as on the first occasion. The same occurrence has 
been observed in the third season, so that it may be assumed, in default 
of direct observation, that so long as the leaf, from the base of which 
the so-called scape springs, is in a condition to perform its functions, 
so long will the flowers be produced from the apex of these trigonal 
scarpes on the return of the flowering season. This circumstance 
shows that there is a material difference between the slender terete 
scapes of those Masdevallias that perish when the flowers drop, and 
the more robust three-angled ones of the species in question that persist 
and produce flowers from their apex two, three, or more seasons in 
succession. The latter are, in fact, bi-, tri-, and even perennial leafless 
stems, and not scapes in the strict botanical meaning of the term, 
such as is implied in the foregoing descriptions. It is highly probable, 
too. that this peculiarity is not confined to the species named above, 
but in the absence of direct observation we are unable to specify any 
others by name.” 
The hybrid Masdevallias include M. splendida and its variety 
Pariatoreana, regarded as a natural cross between M. Veitchianae and 
M. Barlmana, M. caudata-Estradse, M. Chelsoni (amabilis x Veitehiana), 
the first hybrid raised in Europe ; M. Courtauldiana, M. Ellisiana, M. 
Fraseri, M. Gairiana, M. Geleniana, M. glaphyrantha, and M. Hincksiana. 
The remaining genera, Arpophyllum and Platyclinis, better known in 
gardens as Dendrochilum, have several pages devoted to them, and 
conclude one of the most interesting parts yet issued. 
WORK. F0 ^ THE WEEK.. 
Wl'lll I 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. —Late Varieties .—For long and good keeping, without any 
deterioration of quality, Lady Downe’s is without a rival, the fruit keep¬ 
ing fresh and plump until May. It is also a certain cropper, and though 
not so imposing in appearance as some it forms compact bunches, which 
finish in less time and invariably better than the large-berried 
varieties. Mrs. Pince is an excellent keeper when well finished, but 
when not thoroughly ripened it is from shrivelling the most unsatis¬ 
factory of the thick-skinned Grapes. Grown well it has the advantage 
of flavour over any thick-skinned variety, but it requires more time and 
heat to finish it satisfactorily than Lady Downe’s. We have it in three 
