98 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 2,1894. 
the leaves the water spurts out, though the experiment is usually 
conducted by piercing through the thickness of the stalk itself. 
A giant Bamboo, Dendrocalamus giganteus, should be remarked at 
the base of one of the spiral stairways. 
Acanthophoenix crinita, a very graceful pinnate-leaved Palm, 
will not escape notice, bristling as it does with long spines 
proceeding from the back of the petiole. But for prickly offen¬ 
siveness commend us to the two species of Calamus, climbing 
members of the Palm family. It is not sufficient for the stem to 
be armed in this manner, but thin whip-like processes proceed 
from it reaching 20 and 30 feet, furnished at short intervals with 
sheafs of recurved spines, and further the petiole is produced for 
.7 or 8 feet beyond the foliaceous parts and similarly armed. 
Among other plants worthy of notice are Crinum asiaticum v. 
variegatum, and other species of the genus ; Pancratium speciosum, 
the red-stemmed Fan Palm Latania Commersoni, named after one 
of the earliest explorers ; Hyophorbe amaricaulis, with its swollen 
base; and Arenga saccharifera, the Gomuti Palm. 
Of the economic plants there are the graceful Sago Palm, 
Matroxylon amicarum, the Areca catechu, source of the Areca nut, 
the Oil Palm of West Africa, Elseas guineansis, to which our soap 
makers are so indebted for the searching oil, the Cocos nucifera, 
the Bread Fruit tree, Arctocarpus incisa, and that evil-omened 
toxic plant the Upas tree, Antiaris toxicaria. There are many 
species of Bncephalartos, Caffre bread, the striking blue-tinted 
E. Lehmanni, E.horridus, armed against all comers; indeed the 
'Cycadaceous plants are a very striking feature of the southern end. 
A fine plant of Cycas revoluta showing the female cone is exactly 
opposite the door, supported on all sides by members of the same 
•family, including Dioons and Macrozamias of many species, flanked 
by the great swollen cylindrical Cereus giganteus, which weighs 
upwards of 18 cwt., and is straining at the band which girths its 
enormous waist—a good sign of life. Cereus peruviana, a Cactus 
-of another type, comes into the picture on the other side ; behind 
all the Carapa guianiensis throws up its distinctive young red foliage. 
Some seedling Musas are among the triumphs of the Palm house 
-cultivators, grown from seed produced in the house from plants 
'Which through long ages have been reputed seedless.—J. A. 
THE STRAWBERRY CROP OF 1894. 
It ia unfortunate that we are so dependent on the vagaries of 
•our British climate for abundant crops of hardy fruits, but we are 
annually having sharp lessons taught us in this respect. Everything 
may be done which human energy and skill can do to secure success, 
"but when those fatal frosts occur at blossoming time, disappoint¬ 
ment and disaster invariably follow in their wake. There is, 
however, one point in connection with this subject which affords 
ground for hope, even at times when the outlook appears to be the 
darkest. This lies in the fact that owing to the great disparity of 
the time of flowering of various kinds of fruits, it is seldom, if 
indeed, ever, that spring frosts extend, without intermission, over 
a period sufficiently long to affect seriously fruits of all kinds. 
During one season Pears and Plums escape injury, while the Apples 
and Strawberries, which blossom later, are seriously affected ; at 
other times the case is vice versa. This year the Strawberry seems 
to have been more severely injured than any other crop of hardy 
fruit. Acres of plantations have only yielded pounds where 
hundredweights would, in average seasons, have been obtained. 
This state of affairs appears to be general throughout the country, 
but exceptions are to be met with here and there where cultivators 
have been fortunate in securing a good average crop, which has been 
disposed of at remunerative prices. 
It seems to me that these examples of success which stand out 
so clearly among surrounding failures are worth inquiring into, 
with the object of, if possible, discovering some potent cause 
which contributed to their success. I think we may take it for 
granted that in very few, if any instances, did the sheltered 
positions in which plants were growing contribute greatly to their 
immunity from injury, for the obvious reason that the frosts ex¬ 
perienced at flowering time were so severe that any flowers exposed 
above the foliage—in positions however sheltered—were inevitably 
ruined. In warm localities some of the earliest fruits were 
sufficiently advanced to escape serious injury, though they received 
a considerable check which prevented them swelling freely. This 
was especially noticeable with Noble, and I think accounts for the 
very small crop this variety has produced. President, Garibaldi, 
and La Grosse Sucree have also proved failures wherever I have 
seen them this year. On the other hand Sir Joseph Paxton has in 
several instances that have come under my notice in this neighbour¬ 
hood, borne really good crops. 
When judging at a cottagers’ show near by I recently paid a 
visit to Mr. Crump, who was at one time a successful exhibitor of 
both fruit and plants around Basingstoke, but now an extensive 
grower of Strawberries for market at Whitnasb, near Leamington. 
Here I saw a good crop of splendid fruits of Sir Joseph Paxton. 
The plantation was on somewhat high ground in a thoroughly 
exposed position, and Mr. Crump informed me that the earlj 
flowers which were just peeping above the foliage were completely 
ruined. The plants had, however, grown so strongly that the 
leaves completely covered the large numbers of flowers which 
usually cluster around the stronger central one. This saved them, 
and coupled with the fact that most of the “ crown ” flowers had 
been ruined enabled the later ones to develop into fine fruits. 
Some idea of the vigour of the plants may be formed when I state 
that although the rows were planted 3 feet apart the thick 
foliage almost met between them. The soil is a rather stiff one, 
and evidently well suited to Strawberry culture. After a trial of 
many varieties Mr. Crump prefers Sir Joseph Paxton for a heavy 
soil. 
Another market grower in the neighbourhood who has ako 
secured a fairly good crop of the same variety is Mr. J. Marsh of 
the Priory Nursery, Warwick. His plants are growing in a more 
sheltered position, but they are given ample room, and have 
grown strongly. Although the soil in this case is not so heavy as at 
Whitnash, it is far more retentive than that usually met with in 
the immediate vicinity of Warwick. Here also the early flowers 
were destroyed, but the later ones being protected by plenty of 
foliage escaped. Another case which seems to bear out the 
same line of argument. I noticed at Barford Hill Gardens, 
where Mr. Jones grows many varieties, but the only one which 
has borne a really good crop this season is Sir Joseph Paxton. 
I have a large breadth of the same variety, but as they were 
only planted last spring very little could be expected of them 
this season. 
It will, I think, be a matter of great interest if readers through¬ 
out the country will report in the Journal of Horticulture the 
varieties which have borne the best crops in their own neighbour¬ 
hood, at the same time giving a few particulars as to soil and 
situation. Royal Sovereign seems to have been well spoken of 
recently, and judging from its parentage and general description 
it should prove one of the best varieties of recent introduction. 
We have already elections of Chrysanthemums, Roses, and Dahlias, 
ought we not also to Lave a Strawberry election, perhaps not 
annually, but biennially?—H. D., Wanmch. 
A PLANT of this beautiful hybrid was exhibited at the Drill 
Hall, Westminster, on the 24th ult. by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, and to whom a first-class certificate 
was awarded for it by the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society. Sobralia Veitchi is the result of a cross between 
S. macrantha and S. xantholeuca, the latter being the pollen parent. 
The flower is large, as shown in the illustration (fig. 15), and the 
colour is delicate. The sepals and petals are white, and so is the 
lip, the latter being also tinted lilac, a suffusion of lemon yellow 
characterising the throat. The plant shown was about 18 inches 
in height, and bore ample foliage. 
Paphinias. 
Although this genus has been nominally merged into Lycaste, 
the flowers are so distinct in appearance from the majority of the 
latter genus that they will probably always be better known by the 
old name. All the species are of small growth, the pseudo-bulbs 
clustered and seldom more than 1|^ inch in height. The foliage is 
lanceolate and very thin in texture. The flower spikes are freely 
produced from the base of the pseudo-bulbs. Some of these are 
pendent and others horizontal. Each spike bears from two to four 
