April 4, 1889. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
281 
conspicuous feature. A fairly large house is devoted to them, and the 
noble trusses of bloom, borne well above the large, substantial, healthy 
foliage, speak eloquently of good culture. A few of the best varieties, 
all decided improvements on the old miniatum, are the following :— 
“General Gordon, Martha Reimers, Ambroise Verscliaffelt, aurantiaca, 
Meteor, Van Houttei, and Baron Schroder. It will be understood that 
in these there is no radical variation from the type, all possess more or 
less of the old orange shade, but it varies in depth, and in one or two 
instances is pleasingly allied with white. I do not think gardeners in 
general will be inclined to disagree with me in classing Imantophyllums 
as amongst the most useful of greenhouse plants, as if not variedly 
beautiful they are handsome and effective. As to culture, there are 
probably few readers of the Journal who do not know at least as much 
about it as I do, and many—whom it is my pleasure to learn from, 
rather than attempt to teach—a great deal more. But amateurs may 
be interested to learn that Imantophyllums need be no strangers to their 
greenhouses, a compost of sandy loam, with plenty of water when in 
growth, less while at rest, being their chief requirements. 
ORCHIDS. 
Orchids are in one sense the flowers of to-day. They enjoy a measure 
of popularity unknown at any previous epoch. Mr. Williams’s record 
as an Orchid exhibitor comprised an almost unbroken series of successes, 
extending over a very long period. He does not show now, but the light 
of other days has not departed ; indeed, it would be safe to say that 
these plants are grown more largely in his nursery now than at any 
previous period. The head of the establishment is above all a business 
man, and the signs of the times are not lost upon him. The occupants 
of his many Orchid houses are now in great vigour and beauty. A few 
of them will be referred to, not classified, but just as they were noted 
in passing round the structures, Cypripediums being, however, reserved 
for a separate paragraph. 
One of the first noticed was Cymbidium eburneum, with its ivory- 
white flowers, the lemon lip dotted with rose. Calanthes were nume¬ 
rous and beautiful, one of the most attractive being the pure white 
nivalis. The buff-coloured spikes of Dendrochilum glumaceum are not 
showy, but their fragrance, something like that of Heliotrope, is 
■delicious. Cymbidium Lowianum was represented by a splendid piece, 
but unfortunately I was a little too early to see it in bloom. There 
were six long spikes, with an average of more than thirty buds on each, 
so that when out, as it perhaps will be by the time these lines appear in 
print, it alone would be worth the journey to see. Oncidiums macran- 
thum and sarcodes were noticeable. One of the brightest of Cattleyas 
' is Lawrenceana. The sepals and petals are warm rosy mauve, the lip 
bright carmine. The delicately pretty Laelia albida is well known, less 
so is the charming hybrid bella. L. cinnabarina was not out, but will 
be shortly ; the colour closely resembles that of Ada aurantiaca. Phaius 
Wallichi was represented by a well-bloomed piece 3 feet high. 
Vandas I was unfortunately too early for. What they will be like 
when in full bloom can be imagined when it is stated that there is a 
large house nearly full of splendid specimens. The nursery is famous 
for these fine Orchids, and they can hardly have been seen in better 
condition than this year. One excellent variety was out—namely, the 
Glen variety of tricolor; the white flowers are densely spotted with 
brown and edged with rose. Angraecum descendens, pure white, was 
beautiful, and Calanthe veratrifolia will be so shortly ; a fine batch was 
just coming into bloom. 
Cool house Orchids afforded their quota of interest. Odontoglossums 
atropurpureum superbum, brown sepals, blotched and tipped with 
yellow ; baphicanthum, cream, brown blotches ; and the well-known free- 
flowering cirrhosum, one of the best of amateurs’ Orchids, were amongst 
them. Dendrobium Ainsworthi, surely one of the most beautiful of 
Dendrobes, was in splendid condition. Olontoglossums Harryanum and 
Andersonianum (crispum x glo.riosum) were attractive. The latter is 
white with brown spots. 
CYPRIPEDIUMS. 
Not chastely beautiful, but curiously, interestingly fantastic, are the 
Lady’s Slipper Orchids. Their popularity at the present period is 
unbounded, and as their commercial value is correspondingly affected 
they are important plants in the nurserymen’s eyes. A good deal was 
said about Cypripediums in the Journal a few weeks ago. Mr. Williams 
has a large collection of these plants, and many interesting varieties are 
now blooming. C. hirsutissimum (illustrated in the Journal April 14th, 
1887) is one of them ; it is a very large and handsome species, the petals 
green dotted with purple, the lip edged with purplish rose, the back of 
the flowers thickly clothed with hairs. C. Haynaldianum and the scarcer 
Druryi are also in bloom. The latter is a distinct and pleasing form, 
the sepals and dorsal sepal greenish yellow, with a central stripe of 
brown, the lip pale yellow dotted with brown. C. ciliolare, C. grande 
(illustrated in the Journal May 8th, 1884), C. superbiens, and C. 
vexillarium are well known, and all are now in bloom. C. cenanthum 
superbum, one of Mr. Seden’s hybrids, is also flowering, and is excep¬ 
tionally fine. The dorsal sepal and petals are purplish red, with lines of 
dark spots, and margined with white ; it was illustrated in the Journal 
of January 28th, 1886. 
VARIOUS PLANTS. 
A very elaborate sifting process has to be accomplished in order to 
compress into a few paragraphs mention of the plants other than 
Orchids which are of interest in the Victoria Nurseries just now, for 
they are many and various. 
A New Azalea. —A new Azalea named Princess of Wales was shown 
to me. The flowers are pure white, larger and fuller than Deutsche 
Perle, and more crimped or fimbriated. The latter, I know, is not con¬ 
sidered by everybody to be a good point in an Azalea, but others like it. 
The plant is of good habit, and very free flowering. 
A New Adiantum. —This is called versaillense, and is just being, or 
just going to be, sent out. It is a graceful little Fern, and resembles 
Luddemannianum. 
Boronia megastigma. —This is rarely seen so vigorous and healthy 
as it is at Upper Holloway. Often, but not too often, have its merits 
been enlarged upon in the Journal. For decorative effect it cannot 
compare with its bright congener heterophylla, but its fragrance is 
delightful, and every greenhouse should have a plant or two. 
Primula floribunda. —A batch of this pretty plant in the corner of a 
large house afford quite a display in themselves. The flowers are light 
yellow, and are produced in the greatest profusion. Visitors have, Mr. 
Williams’s foreman informed me, been much attracted by it. 
Ochna multiflora. —An engraving of this 
plant was given in the Journal in 1882, when 
it was being sent out by Mr. Williams. The 
flowers resemble Buttercups. The petals are 
of short duration, and when they have fallen 
the calyx commences enlarging and gradually 
assumes a crimson colour. The receptacle— 
i.e., the apex of the flower stalk upon which 
the pistil rests, also increases in size, becom¬ 
ing globular in form, about the size of a 
Strawberry, but less conical, and similar in 
colour. Upon these are set black seed-like 
bodies about the size of peas, which are 
really the carpels, and these present a 
striking contrast with the bright crimson 
receptacle and calyx (see the figure). A 
handsome specimen of this plant is now fruit¬ 
ing freely, and is an interesting object. I have not seen it elsewhere ; 
it is not much grown.—W. P. W. 
FlG. 48.—OCHNA MULTIFLOKA. 
NOTES ON POTATOES. 
INTERNATIONAL. 
I am glad to find that there is life in the old dog yet, the said dog 
being my old friend Mr. Robert Fenn, who, in his retirement at Sulhamp- 
stead, can only be induced by sharp pricking to indulge in a growl. It 
is to be deplored that he does not growl a little oftener, as the note so 
far from being discordant is decidedly more pleasant than otherwise. His 
reference to International Kidney Potato—perhaps the finest, hand¬ 
somest, and most popular exhibition Potato ever raised—necessitates 
also a note from me, inasmuch as Mr. Fenn has said the responsibility 
of putting it into commerce rested with me. International and the 
Woodstock Kidney were from the same parentage, but whilst the former 
had the beauty, size, and croppingquality,the other had the table quality. 
Now I believed that with such relationship International must in time 
develope good table quality also, but my hopes have not been realised. 
Still further, I believed that the variety would make a grand breeder. 
That result also has not been realised, as I have never succeeded with it 
by intercrossing, neither do I think anyone else has. It is very odd as 
showing the peculiar diversity which exists in Potato brethren, that 
whilst International rarely fully opens a bloom and never sets one, Wood- 
stock Kidney is one of the most prolific bearers of flowers and seedpods of 
any Potato in cultivation. I have never yet seen any kidney which gave 
at once such fine handsome tubers in such quantity and so even in size 
as International produces, and if these features could have been grafted 
upon some variety of high class quality then a perfect kidney Potato 
would have been produced. Even now International is a very profitable 
variety for early market work, as the early tubers being large and hand¬ 
some find as good sale for a short time as do the best of the Ashleafs. 
POTATOES SPORTING. 
“T. W.” inquires as to the manner in which Potatoes sport. _ Sports 
in the Potato are very rare, and invariably consist of some diversion 
in the colour of the tuber. Diversions in foliage are far more rare. In 
one case a variety produced some creamy blotched leafage, but the 
general character of the leafage all the same was about that of the 
original variety. This variegation was rather a product of physical weak¬ 
ness than of genuine sportive faculty. The varieties mentioned in the 
advertisement columns as sports, both White Beauty of Hebron and 
Improved White Elephant, are simply white-skinned forms of pink¬ 
skinned Potatoes, and both almost alike. Indeed it is very difficult to tell 
of Beauty of Hebron and White Elephant which is which, but one is 
presumably later and a stronger grower than the other. The naming of 
the latter kind White Elephant naturally led to the conclusion that 
the tubers bore white skins, but really they are pink coloured. There 
was just a doubt also whether the variety might prove to be a veritable 
white elephant to the grower, but that illusion has been effectually dis¬ 
pelled. Certainly the white-skinned Potatoes should be in greatet request 
for market work, but it is hard to satisfy purchasers that they are really 
what they are described to be, because the skins are white and not pink. 
Mr. Robert Fenn once had a purple striped sport from his old white 
round Rector of Woodstock. I do not think I have met with others of 
