193 
[ March «, 189(V 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
see. My plant seems still to have a floral career of months before it.— 
W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
- Primula verticillata. —This is a lovely member of a 
large family, and well worthy of being more extensively cultivated than 
it is at present. Treated as a hardy species its true character is not 
fully developed, for, although interesting amongst its congeners in the 
rockery, stormy weather spoils many of the more tender beauties which 
help to make it so pleasing and attractive as a pot plant. The slender, 
graceful spike coated over like the “ Dusty Miller,” rising out of its bed 
of leaves, each one covered in the same manner, always attracts atten¬ 
tion, and as whorl succeeds whorl of pale yellow flowers, the effect of 
a well bloomed plant is charming. Seed sown now and put in a warm 
place until up, then grown in a cool, airy position free from chilly 
currents of air, will make most useful sized plants by this time next 
year. They prefer a light porous soil to grow in, and ought never to be 
wateied over the foliage, as the water lodges in the axil of the leaves 
and causes the plants to damp off. Damp appears to be the only enemy 
to be guarded against, and if this can be prevented and a suitab’e 
position accorded them they are remarkably easy plants to cultivate. 
After the flowering period they ought to be gradually hardened off, and 
finally planted outside, to be lifted again in the autumn before being 
damaged by frost, and wintered on vacant Strawberry shelves or other 
suitable place until bloom appears, when they might be removed to the 
conservatory or wherever required. They can be grown for many years 
in this way, but for general purposes it is not advisable to grow them 
for more than about three years, as young plants are far more serviceable 
than old ones ; the latter can be planted in an elevated position in the 
rockery or alpine garden, where, las previously stated, they form interest¬ 
ing objects.—M. D. 
- A COMMITTEE has been formed in Paris for the purpose of 
making arrangements for the erection of a statue of the late 
M. Boussingault. His work marked an era in the history of the 
agricultural sciences, and we have no doubt there will be a prompt 
and liberal response to the Committee’s appeal for subscriptions. 
M. Pasteur is the Honorary President of the Committee. The acting 
President is M. Schlcesing, and the following are the Vice-Presidents :— 
MM. Berthelot, Duchartre, Laussedat, Peligot, Eisler, and Tisserand. 
MM. Miintz and Sagnier are the Secretaries, and M. Li^baut is 
Treasurer. 
-The Calcutta Herbarium contains a rich collection of 
Malayan Plants, and Dr. King, the Superintendent of the Calcutta 
Koyal Botanic Garden, proposes to publish from time to time a 
systematic account of as many of them as are indigenous to British 
provinces, or to provinces under British influence. In addition to the 
States on the mainland of the Malayan peninsula these provinces 
include the islands of Singapore and Penang, and the Nicobar and 
Andaman groups. The classification which Dr. King intends to follow 
is that of the late Mr. Bentham and Sir Joseph Hooker. 
—— For the purpose of growing plants under more natural 
CONDITIONS than those usually afforded by the soil and surroundings 
of ordinary botanie gardens, M. G. Bonnier, the Director of the 
Botanic Garden in Paris, has obtained from the Director for Higher 
Education in Paris the grant of a piece of land in the Forest of 
Fontainebleau, as an annexe for experimental culture. It has been 
placed under the special charge of M. Cl. Duval.— 
METHODS OF JUDGING. 
It seems my suggestion at page 118 does not meet with the appro¬ 
bation of Mr. G. A. Bishop (page 176). Perhaps I do not understand 
him in the points he puts forward, while I am also of opinion he does 
not understand me. I certainly do not agree that he has solved the 
problem to the satisfaction of everyone ; on the contrary, I suspect his 
method would increase the difficulty. I have repeatedly seen the 
verdict of judges questioned and criticised. I have accompanied judges 
often while adjudicating at horticultural shows, as well as having acted 
as j udge, and not seldom we were placed in a difficulty how to decide, 
and more than once, so near were the competitors, that I have witnessed 
the judges toss a penny to decide which was to get the first honours. 
Now, in all fairness, would it not be better to divide the prize money 
nearly equally in such cases ? Personally, when I had a difficulty to 
deal with I endeavoured to discover coarseness, and anything possessing 
it was laid aside ; still I have often witnessed some prominent defect, 
but the other properties far outweighed that, and entitled it to the first 
prize, taking everything into consideration. Whatever may be the 
opinion of others, mine is that the total amount of prize money for three 
prizes should be divided by the judges according to the merit of the 
articles competing. To withhold all first prizes above a certain number 
would be a death stroke to the advance of horticulture as well as to 
exhibitions. Does not Mr. Bishop’s last sentence stultify his first, 
and suggest that his proposed system is faulty ? because “ if the losing 
of first prizes is not sufficient to move the hinder ones they are not 
worthy of taking honours others are entitled to.” Does not that quota¬ 
tion support my argument ?— Wm. Thomson, Blantyre. 
Dendrobium Macfarlanei. 
In your notes accompanying the faithful representation of the 
above Dendrobe in your last issue, mention is made of the plant 
that flowered in Chalfont Park a few years since, some particulars 
of which may be interesting. The plant was brought over and 
given to me, with others, by a friend then connected with a steamship 
company trading between this country and Queensland, and the 
Orchids he collected from one of the islands lying in their route off 
the Australian coast. He had no knowledge of plants himself, 
and brought them as curiosities. They had only been tied up in 
canvas. He arrived in London November 4th, 1884, and the bundle 
of Orchids reached me about three weeks later. 
The plants were cleaned, some potted in crocks, and some suspended 
in an intermediate house, and thence transferred to the stove. 
About twelve months after, early in December, 1885 (not autumn, 
1886, as stated) the subject of this notice produced an erect raceme 
of five flowers, the latter keeping fresh and good over two months. 
Unfortunately it was not thoroughly established, and did not long 
survive the flowering. My friend ceased travelling that route, but 
obtained for me from an acquaintance there another importation ; 
but although I forwarded a dry pseudo-bulb of D. Macfarlanei as 
a specimen of what I wished to obtain, I only received one plant 
anything like in growth, and possibly this may prove not to be that 
variety. It is well established, and from its appearance I had hoped 
it would have flowered this spring. Of this last importation some 
have proved botanical curiosities only, but I have several well- 
established plants of a rather strong growing Dendrobe that I have 
not yet been successful in flowering, and another with a short 
pendulous pseudo-bulb, showing flowers which will open shortly.— 
C. Herein, Dropmore Gardens. 
Dendrobium nobile and Calanthes, 
The enclosed is a portion of a pseudo-bulh cut from a plant in 
an 8-inch pot, and is a fair sample of the others as regards the 
number of flowers. Fourteen dozen flowers were cut from a plant 
in a 9-inch pot on February 27th, and hy taking a few plante into 
the stove every fortnight the supply lasts for two months. Calan- 
the Veitchi and vestita are successfully grown, the former having 
pseudo-bulbs over 1 foot high. They are most useful for house 
and table decoration. Perhaps a few particulars respecting my 
system of culture for both the Dendrobium and Calanthe might be 
useful to the young readers of your widely read Journal.— 
J. C. H. 
[The pseudo-hulb sent was a strong one, with sixteen fine 
flowers, and your system of culture would be gladly recorded.] 
Cypripedium Elliottianum. 
At the end of October, 1888, Mr. GodsefE sent me a- flower of 
a new Cypripedium from the Philippine Islands, which it was 
desired should bear the above name. Unfortunately the flower 
was damaged in transit, and its true character could not be deter¬ 
mined ; however, a note written respecting it appeared in the 
Journal of Horticulture on November 1st, and this was, I believe, 
the first published reference to one of the most handsome Cypri- 
pediums yet introduced. Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans, were 
the fortunate possessors of the plant, and through them it has been 
brought into prominent notice during the past year. 
C. Elliottianum partakes of the character of C. Kothschildianum, 
and some have gone so far as to consider them identical, but the deci¬ 
sion of the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
a recent meeting gave an official endorsement to the opinion of 
Eeichenbach and other authorities as to their distinctness. From 
Mr. H. M. Pollett’s plant exhibited at the meeting named—z.e., 
on February lltb, when a first-class certificate was unanimously 
awarded for it, the woodcut (fig. 28) has been prepared, and shows 
both the floral form and the bold markings clearly and accurately. 
