98 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 11. 
radiata, P. macrocarpa, 60 ft. high ; P. Benthamiana 
(a young plant, quite safe); Pioea Nordmaniana (not 
touched in the least); P. frandis, and P. amabilis. 
Leaves browned: Firms Devoniana, P. Russelliana, 
and P. Lindlcyii ; P. Hartwegii, killed down to the 
ground, but is already springing up again at the base; 
Fitzroya patagonvca killed. 
On the conservative-walls the casualties are few, 
though most of the shrubs show more or less the effects 
of a hard winter. Here I noticed the rare Glycine 
sinensis alba in flower. The blossoms are of the purest 
white, and are freely produced- Everybody having 
sjiace on a wall ought to have this beautiful climber. 
In the above report it will be seen that the spring- 
made shoots of the Deodar have suffered from the frost 
of the 24th ; but let not that deteriorate its value. I 
noted the Lebanon Cedar’s shoots had suffered also. In 
truth, many of the young shoots of the common 
Spruce Firs are turned quite white and dead, as also the 
young shoots of common and Portugal Laurels; Aucuba 
Japonica , the young leaves of which were quite black; 
the hardy Deutzia sodbra every shoot and blossom 
killed; aud also the shoots on the Walnuts—so that we 
shall have no Walnuts for pickling this year. 
This is a doleful account of the mischief done by 
frost; and I hear, further north its ill effects are still 
more disastrous. To turn from this melancholy picture, 
let us glance at the houses. The first I entered is one 
without any artificial heat. By an inscription over the 
entrance we learn that it is a model greenhouse, pre¬ 
sented to the Society by the Messrs. Hartley, the great 
glass-manufacturers at Sunderland, and a nice-looking 
square-ridge-aud-furrow house it is. The borders in¬ 
side are planted with some of the best kinds of Roses, 
also presented to the Society, by Messrs. Paul, Mr. 
Rivers, Messrs. Lane, and others. I noted the following 
in flower:— Abbe Mieland, Tea (deep rose), Count 
Bobrinslci (deep crimson), Madame Guerin (blush, flesh 
centre), Madame WUlermorz (flesh), Niphetos (fine blush, 
yellow centre, a delightful Rose for a conservatory), 
Mirabile, Caroline (blush centre shading to white), 
Josephine Malton (beautiful delicate blush), Moire (large 
buds), George G(trier (deep rose, very double), and many 
others. This house is a desirable one to a lover of the 
Roses, on nccount of its protecting the more tender Tea- 
scented varieties, and requiring no farther expense 
than the first cost—no fires, smoke, or dust to annoy 
the owner. 
Near to it is the Glass Wall! I noticed the Peaches 
and Nectarines under its protecting influence are safe ; 
but the Vines are frost-bitten, as also the Figs. The 
new Viburnum suspension uninjured, and also the 
Mctrosideros laucifolia, the young shoots of which line 
shrub are perfectly healthy. The young tops of the 
Fuchsias are all cut down by the frost of the 24th, aud 
the Camellias have shared the same fate. 
In a part of the garden adjoining to the Glass Wall 
there are a range or two of glass-covered, span-roofed 
pits. In these are planted the Chinese Tree Fannies 
sent home by Mr. Fortune. Though these are cold pits, 
and have had no covering, the foliage is uninjured; 
indeed, in the open ground they have not suffered much, 
proving they are more hardy than was expected. Many 
of them were in bloom, and are fine varieties. It is a 
pity they are not easy to propagate. 
Just behind these pits there are a stove, a greenhouse, 
and the Orchid-house. The stove was gay with flowers ; 
the most conspicuous I noted lndiyofera decora (this 
fine plant forces well), the Balsamina latifolia, and its 
white variety Amaryllis; several fine hybrids, the little 
neat Manettia nitida, covered with bloom; Adamia 
versicolor, Begonias, many species ; Francisceas, Hen- 
freyea scandens, Turner a elegans, Euphorbia speciosa, 
Alloplectus speciosus, a large plant of Callostylus species, 
with many heads of yellow flowers, and the now scarce 
Gesnera Pouglassii. The roof was covered with a 
variety of the Passijdora alata (Mr. Gordon said it was 
Middietoniana), with hundreds of flowers open, yielding 
a strong perfume. 
The Greenhouse, also, was rich in plants in flower, 
Azaleas, Chorozemas, Eriostemons, Ericas, Calceolarias, 
Schizanthus, &c., &c. On the roof was a splendid 
specimen of the Tropceolum Triomphe de Gaud, covered 
with thousands of its fine scarlet blossoms. 
The Orchid House. —Here I found my old acquain¬ 
tance, the Phalcenopsis amabilis, with many spikes of 
bloom. This species is invaluable, for it is always in 
bloom when sufficiently strong and established. I met 
with a stranger in bloom, named Epidendrum randee- 
folium, foliage broad on stems, two feet high. The spike 
is produced near the top of the stem, and hung down a 
j foot in length. Each flower is large, sepals and petals 
whitish-green ; lip divided in three broad lobes. Though 
not brilliant in colour, its large flowers render it a 
desirable species. Cattleya Skinnerii well bloomed, aud 
a curious variety, with flowers highly-coloured, and in¬ 
clining to be double, the sepals and petals being more 
than the usual number. 
Oncidiums were blooming profusely, especially the 
1 best variety of O. ampliation and O. Wentworthianurn. 
The large and famous plant of Balia superbiens is 
| making a greater number of shoots than ever. Mr. 
■ Gordon told me it had bloomed finely during the 
winter. In a small span-roofed stove, used as a nursery, 
I saw a new and beautiful plant in bloom—it is called 
Seiadecalya Warseu'icksii. The blooms are produced in 
fours, on stems (clothed with foliage) not more than a 
foot high* It is evidently a Gesneraceous plant. The 
flowers are tubular, about an inch-and-a-half long, the 
border is turned back, and this part is bright yellow, 
spotted with crimson; the calyx is broad, live parted, 
and spreading. This is an acquisition to our stove 
early-flowering plants. 
In the large Conservatory I noted several large plants, 
profusely bloomed, of Salvia gesneraflora, oue of the 
best of the tribe for decorative purposes. Also a fine 
plant of Candollea tetrandra covered with its pretty 
yellow blossoms, and Lasiopetalum solanaceuin, a large 
bush with innumerable spikes of white flowers spotted 
with black. As a conservatory plant this old species is 
very suitable. Large specimens of Polygala yrandijtora, 
and Dabnaisiana were blooming profusely ; also the 
Brugmansias Knightii, sanguinea, and Jiava. Generally 
speaking, the plants in this house are very healthy and 
flourishing. 
I had nearly forgotten to mention the Rose Fortune- 
ana, the true species. It was in flower; the blooms are 
sparingly produced, are of a medium size, very double, 
and pure white. In leaves and wood this Rose bears a 
considerable affinity to It. Banksia, only the flowers are 
not in bunches. 
In a retired part of the ground where the American 
plants are grown, the soil lias been excavated, thrown 
up in mounds, aud rockwork formed with what are called 
burrs; these are lumps of bricks that have run together 
in the kiln. By a little ingenuity in putting them toge¬ 
ther in large masses with Roman cement, so as to imi¬ 
tate the layers of natural rocks, and then coating them 
over with thin cement, a very natural looking rock has 
been effected. This rockwork was quite lively with 
early flowering Alpines and rock plants, especially Alys- 
sum saxatile, bright yellow; Iberis Gibraltica, clear 
white; Aubrietia deltoidea, blue; and Phlox setaeea, 
pink. By planting and arranging these colours in large 
masses a good show is made at this early season. 
In cold-pits there are large stores of new things, such 
as the Koordistan Oaks, Viburnums, Spiroeas. One, 
named Blumei, has proved quite hardy; and various 
