16 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
have suffered as yet from the continuous rains. Last year the Grapes in this 
house were plump and good till the 25tli of April, and they promise to keep as 
late this year. In my opinion the Black Monukka is a very interesting Grape on 
account of its peculiarly rich sweet flavour, and small, heart -shaped, seedless 
berries. One plant is enough in a collection, for the berries are very small, and 
only adapted for using in jellies. The bunches are very long, and furnish a 
number of small shoulders for cutting for jellies, and the berries when tasted 
are very vinous and rich ; the flesh is so crackling thar the skins and all can 
be eaten. 
There has been rather a failure this year amongst fruit trees in pots, for in 
some large unheated orchard-houses the severe frosts in April and May injured 
the blossoms. In lean-to narrow structures, or glass-covered walls, the trees 
have escaped better, as the heat radiated from the back walls raised the tem¬ 
perature high enough to keep the frost out. 
On the whole, the progress of horticulture and floriculture in 1866 has been 
satisfactory, and the great International Horticultural Exhibition made the 
year quite a red-letter one to every gardener who saw the wonderful collection 
of plants exhibited at South Kensington. Another feature of the year is that 
gardeners have now three reverend gentlemen devoted to their interests; one 
taking charge of the Roses and Strawberries, the other of the florists’ flowers, 
and the last of the bedding plants ; and we gardeners have to thank them for the 
example they show us, as well in the truthful value of their opinions on garden¬ 
ing matters as in the polished style and freedom from personalities exhibited 
by all the articles which they contribute. 
Welbeck. William Tilleey. 
OUR CONTEMPORARIES. 
The following plants are figured and described in the Botanical Magazine 
for December: — 
Cypella carulea .—A beautiful stove Irid, from Brazil, long known in this 
country. Its leaves are from 3 to 6 feet long, and 1 to 1|- inch broad, linear- 
lanceolate or sword-shaped, and bright green. The flowers when full-sized 
are 4 inches in diameter, blue, with yellowish claws, banded with brown and 
orange. 
Heliconia humilis .—“ Few plants,” says Dr. Hooker, “ arc so well worthy 
of cultivation, for those who can afford space for the purpose, as the species 
of Heliconia; they are easily managed, their beautiful foliage is evergreen, 
their brilliant flowering-bracts keep their colour for many weeks, and they 
may be rapidly increased by division of the rhizome.” Heliconia humilis is a 
native of Guiana, where it abounds in marshy places, and was figured by 
Jacquin so long ago as 1797. The leaves have slender petioles 2 or 3 feet 
in length, and the blades are 1 to 2 feet long and of a pale green. The spathes, 
of which there are generally four to each scape, are about 9 inches long, 
scarlet, with green points, and very showy. 
Cypripedium Schlimii .—A pretty New Grenada species, named after M. 
Schlim, one of M. Linden’s collectors, who found it in moist places in the 
neighbourhood of Ocana, at an elevation of 4,000 feet above the sea; and it 
was subsequently met with by Purdie on, it is stated, dry banks near La Cruz. 
The sepals and petals are about an inch long, white, and the latter are marked 
with streaks or spots of crimson on the inner side, and a faint dash of crimson 
behind; the lip, or slipper, has a large blotch of deep rich crimson in front. 
Heliotropium convolvidaceum. —This, the Euplocci convolvidacea of De Can¬ 
dolle’s “ Prodromus,” is an annual, growing from 9 inches to 2 feet high, a native 
