256 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 31,1887 
remarks apply to trenching. The good soil ought not to be buried under a 
mass of crude material, but the subsoil cannot be too deeply loosened 
and broken, no harm accruing if a little is brought to the surface ; .in 
fact, it will be more beneficial than otherwise through supplying in¬ 
organic substances, the surface being rendered deficient thereof by the 
sifting and descent consequent on tillage or removal of crops. The 
tendency of all inorganic substances is to descend. The tendency of 
trenching is to deepen the good soil, to insure the full benefit of light, 
air, and moisture, and this mechanical tillage, now woefully neglected, 
is of the first importance in all operations in connection with the soil, 
and guides all successful horticultural operations. 
We must break up the staple that decomposition, whether of the 
atmosphere, the soil constituents, plant and animal remains, may liberate 
and accumulate more abundant supplies of plant food,, applying ferti¬ 
lisers that will rectify the natural deficiencies, or those resultant of 
cropping.—G. Abbey. 
GLOXINIAS PLANTED OUT IN FRAMES. 
Taking into consideration the beauty and the many different and 
striking colours of these flowers, I think it will be generally admitted 
that there are few stove plants to surpass them. They can be had in 
flower from April till October where there is a sufficient quantity to 
stait them in succession, beginning with the first in January and the 
last the latter end of May, draughting out those which are inclined to 
-start first each time. Those started at the first mentioned time will 
need the assistance of bottom heat, otherwise they will make but slow 
progress. Those started later will come on fast enough in any properly 
heated stove or pit if carefully attended to. This is the ordinary way 
of growing Gloxinias. 
The system of planting them out in frames was advocated in the 
Journal of May 20th last year by Mr. J. Udale ; and having a batch of 
seedlings at that time I was induced to try the plan, and I need hardly 
say I was surprisingly satisfied with the result. It may be that there 
are some new readers of the Journal since that time, and I thought it 
would not be out of place to record my experience. The seed was sown 
the 19th of February. In due time the seedlings appeared and were 
pricked out in pans when large enough. They remained in the pans 
until the leaves were about 1.) inch long ; they were then planted out 
on an old Cucumber bed in a pit without much ceremony, the rubbish 
being simply cleared away, and a little peat and coarse sand and a small 
quantity of wood ashes mixed with the surface of the soil the Cucumbers 
•grew in. They were watered and shut up, air being given when the sun 
■shone on the pit, and plenty of water when dry. I n about a month they 
began to flower, and from that time till the end of October they were a 
sight not easily to be forgotten—one mass of flowers with foliage as large 
as ordinary sized Cabbage leaves. As soon as they died down the roots 
were lifted and stored in boxes in sand ; and now, after resting all the 
winter, some of them measure over 10 inches in circumference. I have 
just potted a lot of them, and they promise to make very fine plants. 
The great advantage in planting them out over growing them in pots is 
-that we have a much larger quantity of flowers from them, and they 
make much finer roots the first year. They should be planted a foot 
apart each way, rather more than less, as it is surprising how soon they 
fill up the space.—K. M. 
NEW PLANTS OF 1886. 
(Continued from page IDS.) 
Infl., Inflorescence.— L., Leaves.— Fl., Flowers.— Fr., Fruit.— H., Hardy. 
— H.H, Half hardy.—G., Greenhouse.— S., Stove.— Per., Perennial.— 
Shr., Shrub.— In., Inches.— Lin., Line = One-twelfth of an inch.— 
Ft., Foot or Feet.— Diam., Diameter.— Pet., Petals.— Sep , Sepals. 
N.B.—Unless specified, all Orchids may be considered to be stove epiphytes. 
Macrochordidm MACRANTHBM. (Gfl. 188G, p. 297, f. 34.) Bromeliace®. 
S. A fine Bromeliad, with long recurved and bent spinous-toothed 1., of a 
dark shining green above, densely white punctate-striate beneath. Peduncle 
shorter than the 1., white-woolly, with long narrow bracts, and a small 
globose head of small yellowish id., which fade to black. Brazil. 
Magnolia biflora. (B. H. 1885, p. 521.) Magnoliace®. H. tree. A 
variety of M. grandiflora, which almost always produces the flowers in 
pairs, which open in succession. Garden variety. 
Mammillaria barbata. (Gfl , t. 1208, f. a-c.) Cactace®. G. succulen*, 
with short cylindric stems densely crowded with cylindric mammill® ; outer 
spines radiate consisting of fine set® and stouter spines mixed, central 
spine longer than the otners, hooked at the apex. FI. about an inch in 
diam., pale red with violet mid stripes. Texas. 
Mammillaria echinata. (G/7., t. 1208, f. d. e.) G. succulent. A dwarf 
tufted plant, very ornamental when in fruit. The stems are globose, about 
li in. in diam., with crowded cjlindric mammilla crowned with short 
radiating spines. FI. reddish outside, white within. Fruit Pear-Bbaped, 
bright red. 
Martinezia caryotasfolia. (B. M, t. 6854.) Palmea. 8. A graceful 
Palm, with a ringed and spiny stem, a little swollen at the base. L. 4-5 ft. 
long, pinnate with a spiny rachis, leaflets 9-12 in. long, 3-4 in. broad, 
cuneate, truncately 3-lobed at apex, with smaller lobules, and denticulate. 
Spadix loosely branched ; fl scattered, small, greenish. Columbia. 
Masdevallia Harryana, var. armeniaca. (IF. O. A., pi. 224.) Orchide®. 
A handsome variety, with rich deep apricot-coloured fl., veined with flame- 
red. and having a yellow mouth to the tub?. Columbia. 
Masdevallia hieroglyphica. (G. C. xxiv., p. 584.) A chirmim* 
tpecDs much in the way of M. Arminii, but distinct in its triangular sepals, 
with longer tails. The fl. are p irplo, with darker lines and spots on the 
dorsal sep , and the lower pirt of the taTs are orange-coloured. 
Masdevallia Lindeni, var. grandiflora. (L., pi. 34.) A fine large- 
flowered form, with rich rose-purple fl. Columbia. 
Masdevallia Roezlii, var. rubra. (IF. O. A., pi. 243.) A fine var., 
with large fl. of a creamy-yellow, transversely mottled with dark chocolate- 
red inside, and with chocolate tails 3 4 in. long. Colucnb a. 
Masdevallia senilis. (G. C. xxiv., p. 489.) One of the Chimaera group, 
with comparatively small flowers of a reddish-brown colour, covered inside 
with short yellow hairs, the pet. are white, with mauve-brown spots, and 
the lip is pale purple and white. 
Masdevallia striatella. (G. C. xxvi., p. 103.) A pretty, small 
flowered species, in the way of M. chloracea, it has a closed white perianth 
striped with cinnamon, and going off into three short tails ; the pet. are 
lmoeolate with an angle on the lower side, white, with a brown mid line; 
lip lanceo'ate acute angular at the base, white with the base and apex 
yellow and having three purple nerves. The 1. is about 5 in. long, rather 
thick, cuneate-oblong, blunt. 
Maxillaria Endresii. (G. C. xxv., p. 680.) Orchide*. Something in 
the way of M. setigera, with very broad elliptical bulbs. L. cuneate-ligulate, 
blunt-acute. Peduncle rather Bhort. Sep. and pet. triangular-ligulate, 
acuminate, aristate, light ochreous. Lip ochre-coloured, with a yellow 
disk, and purpls border and veins on the side lobes; callus triangular, 
depress d. 
Maxillaria Lehmanni. (G. C. xxv., p. 648.) A fine showy species, 
with white fl., the lip has the sile .lobes light reddish-brown inside, and 
covered with fragile hairs; pale ochre outside with dark chestnut veins; 
the front lobe is triangular, wavy, and sulphur-coloured. 
Microphcenix Sahuti. (R. H. 1885, p. 513. f. 91.) Palm®. H. A 
hybrid between Microphcenix decipiens and Trachycarpus exc Isa, having 
the habit and foliage of the former, with the violet tinted petioles and fruit 
of the latter. The fruits are about J in. long, ellipsoidal, with rounded 
angles, aud of a reddish-brown colour. Garden hybrid. 
Microstylis Bella. (G. C. xxv., j). 9; III. H., pi. 581; Cat. C. C. 
d’Hnrt., p 4.) Orchidese. A very large species, nearly 2 ft. high, wiih very 
large cuneate-oblong undulate 1., and a raceme of numerous pale purple fl., 
the sep. losing t : pped with green; the lip has long sagittate ears, and nine 
small teeth at the top. Sunda Isles. 
Miltonia Peetersiana. (G. C. xxvi., p. 326.) Orchide®. A hand¬ 
some plant, with the bulb and leaf of M. Oiowesii, and fl. like that of M. 
spectabilis, var. Moreliana; but the sep. and pet. are narrower, more acute, 
and of a fine brown-purple colour; the lip is narrower at the base and 
dilated suddenly and acutely at the tip ; it is of a rich purple colour, with 
five unequal yellow keels at the base, and numerous dark purple pale- 
edged blotches occupy the base and inside line of the disk. 
Var. concolor. (G. C. xxvi., p. 360.) This is a distinct and beautiful 
variety, with paler sep. and pet., and without the dark eye-spots on the lip. 
Mimulus mohavensis. (Gfl. 1886, p. 99.) Scrophulariace®. H. A 
pretty little annual 2-3 in. high, minutely viscid-pubescent. L. oblong- 
lanceolate acute, entire, reddish. Calyx tube £ in. long. Corolla with a 
stout tnbe scarcely longer than the calyx, and a very spreading limb ^ in. 
in diam., whitish, with a dark crimson eye. California. 
Mormodes Dayanum. (G. C. xxiv., p. 652.) Orchide®. A distinct 
plant, with ochreous sep. and pet. marked inside with red lines, and a white 
lip with very revolute margins. 
Mormodes luxatum, var. purpuratum. (G. C. xxvi., p. 39.) A distinct 
variety, with light mauve-purple fl., with dark pmple lines and spots on 
the sep. and pet., and the side lobes of the lip much darker than the central 
part. 
Muscari Heldreichii. (Gfl., t. 1199, f. A.) Liliace®. H. bulb, with 
3- 4, long, broadly linear channelled obtuse green 1., and conical dense 
racemes of bright blue globose fl., with a whitish 5-toothed mouth. Greece. 
Muscari Szovitsianum. ( B. M., t. 6855.) H. bulb, intermediate between 
M. botryoides and M. racemosum. L. 6-9 in. long, linear, channelled down 
the rather glaucous face. Fl. deep bright blue, with a white mouth, 
arranged in a dense conical raceme. Perianth obovoid, one-fifth to 
one-sixth in. long, constricted at the throat. Persia, Caucasus. 
Myosotisdissitiflora, var. grsndiflora. (G/?.1886,p. 119.) Boragine®. 
H. A superior variety, having its fl. double the size of those of the ordinary 
term, and produced in great profusion in February. Garden variety. 
Myrmecodia Beccarii. (B. M., t. 6883.) Bubiace®. S. A very 
singular and interesting plant, inhabited by ants, who make their nest in 
the large irregular tuberous bole which is covered with spine-bearing 
tubercles. From the bole arise short stout spiny stems, with oblanceolate 
fleshy 1., and small white fl. seated in depressions of the stem. Tropioal 
Australia. 
N.egelia achimenoides. (Gfl. 1885, p. 243.) Gesnerace®. S. A 
pretty hybrid between N®gelia zebrina and Achimene3 g)oxini®flora, with 
the habit of N. zebrina, but the fl. hang from the axils of the 1. as in 
Achimenes. Fl. 2 in. long by 1$ in. broai, the tube is yellowish-rose out- 
Bide, and yellow inside dotted with rose, ths lobes are light rose coloured. 
Gardm hybrid. 
Napoleona cuspidata. (G. C. xxv., p. 659 aud 657, f. 147, B.) 
Myrtace®. S. An ornamental shr. of interesting character, differing from 
the better known N. imperial® in its very much larger 1., 8-10 in. long, 
4- 5 in. broad, and larger fl. which are regularly 5 angled, with straight 
sides, not 5-lobed as in N. imperial®, they are cream-coloured with a crim¬ 
son centre. 
Narcissus Barri. (G. O. xxv., p. 648.) Amaryllidace®. H. bulb. L. 
linear, twisted, glaucous, a ft. long, \ in. broad. Peduncle 1-flowersd, 
2-edg d. Fl. horizontrl or ascending ; tube 1 in. long, limb pale sulphur- 
yellow, spreading, segments U in. long, j in. broad, slightly imbricated; 
corona one-tbird in. long, lemon yellow below, orange-yellow at the throat, 
plicate and crenulate. Garden variety. 
N. Burbidgei. (G. C. xxv., p. 648.) H. bulb. L. linear, glaucous, 
twisted, a ft. long, one-third to half in. broa 1. Peduncle and fl. as in N. Barrii. 
Tube 1 in. long; limb white, spreading, segments oblanceolate-oblong; 
cuspidat; 1J in. long, £ in. broad, not imbricated ; corona one-sixth in. long, 
plicate, yellow, with a creLulate bright red edge. Garden variety. 
