THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, November 11, 1800, 89 
After these Gardenias, Daphne Indica hybrida, Salvias, 
Gazanias, large specimen Fuchsias, Commander-in-Chief 
and Sir Colin Campbell, with the present Baron Hug el 
Geraniums, made the most display; but, as flowers are 
here thought to be essential for “ setting off” all kinds 
of house-plants, we cannot expect to find but an equal 
share in the show-house. There are flowers in all the 
houses. 
Now for house No. 1, a splendid house just now, a 
new span-roofed house, the ridge in the direction of the 
sun at noon—the very best i'or all plant structures, be 
it a Cabbage or a Campanulatum. It is sixty feet long, 
and twenty feet wide; a door at one end only and in 
the middle; a stage all round; then a broad path, and 
the bed in the centre, a few inches lower than the path, 
to hold specimen stove-plants during the winter; the 
heat in hard frost not more than 50°, and from that 
to 60° at other times. Here are the “ fine-leaved ” and 
the best variegated plants “not in bloom” to pass the 
winter. The “ front stage ” all round, and the broad 
stages over the line of the paths, are subjects of study 
and sound judgment, as we shall see presently; but let 
us go over the large specimens first. 
Arabia maerophylla, fine indeed. Cordyline australis, 
the very best plant of all the plain green-leaved Lily- 
worts when they are not in bloom, and nearly as hardy 
as an Agapanthus, although they keep it here, being a 
favourite. Dragon-trees (Dracama), which keep out so 
well during a long winter in country places. Few people 
have seen the carcass of a dead ass ; but fewer still that 
of a Dragon-tree. I never saw either; but I lately heard 
of a most excellent gardener, who really did so manage 
as to kill several Dragon-trees outright. J never could. 
A tall standard of Xylophylla latifolia with 10,000 
flower-buds, many of them ready to open, and they will 
go on all the winter for ever so long—a noble plant. 
Dioscorea discolor, a huge stove climber, carrying all 
the beauty in its richly-coloured leaves. Dion edxde, 
from Mexico, a Palm-like plant, but as true a Cycad 
as Cycus revolution. It is so common in some parts of 
Mexico as to furnish “ victuals and drink” to the natives, 
its very large seeds being ground for Arrowroot, and is 
one of the cleanest and handsomest-looking plants of all 
the Cycads ( Cycadacece ). Dichorisandra thyrsi flora, 
which is one of the richest of all our winter flowers, 
and the surest and easiest to get in bloom of them all 
from this department; long upright spikes of the most 
rich, deep blue Violet colour, with a white eye to each 
flower. Pandanus Javanicus variegatus, as it is garden- 
ways called, is a most Gardener’s-Garter-looking leaf, and 
a fine thing, but will sulk and turn green without good 
heat. If you keep the air moist enough, and under the 
boiling point of this latitude, this Variegated Screw Pine 
will flourish. Cissus discolor ditto ; large Ixoras; a fine, 
noble-looking Fern, the Blechnum Corcovadensis, from be¬ 
yond the Corcovad mountain, near Rio. Begonia Seeman- 
niana, like Parvijlora in bloom, but tall, stout below, 
and as slender in the branches as Parvijlora itself; several 
varieties of B. xanthina, and many others. On the 
shelves over the paths are a host of smaller plants for 
cut-blooms and for early cuttings. Cinerarias to come 
in for Christmas; Heliotropes to cut from all winter; 
lots of Variegated Geraniums, Pelissier and others, to 
form specimens, and to cut from; Anagallis to get very 
early cuttings from, the old plants being very apt 
to go off in February—a good hint to country gar¬ 
deners; Tom Thumbs, and lots of the dwarf Begonias. 
The rafters are covered with such climbers as Ipomcca 
Ilorsfallia, now in bloom, Stephanolis, Hoy a imperialis, 
Hexacentris Mysorensis, Passiflora amabilis, a fine cross, 
apparently between Princeps and Quadrangularis, with 
flowers as good as those of Loudoni, for such large houses 
as the conservatory at Shrubland Park. On the front 
shelves along the paths a large stock of Statice ar- 
borea and maerophylla, Luculias, Ixoras, of which 
crocea was, and will bo, in bloom for a long time 
yet; a large plant of Bouvardia leiantha in fine 
bloom; and one of the largest specimens in the 
country of Cactus truncatus. coming into bloom in the 
middle bed. To prolong the season of this good old 
customer, all that is necessary is to disbud the bloom- 
buds at this stage, but not to touch the flesh of the 
parts whence they issue. By-and-by two or more flower- 
buds come for each that is now cut, and thus, by earlier 
and later disbudding of different plants of it, Truncatus 
may be had in bloom from November to March. Ron- 
deletia anomale, very curious flowers. On the farthest 
eud-shelf for head-room are large specimen Ferns of such 
rare and good old kinds as Pteris Kingianum, Cibotium 
Schiedei and Barometz, Polypodium effusum and Di- 
plazium Seramporense —all fine for making a great show. 
A huge Medinilla magnijica, also M. speciosa and Sie- 
boldtiana. Then follow a host of the small-leaved 
Chinese Azaleas, in forcing for early bloom, and large 
plants of Tom Thumb Geraniums in bedding bloom for 
the first corner, and Rigby's Queen — the best scarlet 
Geranium for cut-bloom all the winter. Overhead, at 
the north and coldest end, were sundry greenhouse- 
plants—hard-wooded, delicate kinds, “to brush them up 
a bit,” and to get soft cuttings for an easier “ strike;” 
and, last of all, a large plant of the Dumb Cane in full 
bloom, and such blooms! 
Plouse No. 2, a stove in earnest, a long, narrow lean-to, 
erected this autumn. It is principally filled with Palms 
and Orchids. A Palm with a swallow-tail-like leaf is very 
conspicuous. It is Plectocornia Assamica, and is in the 
way of Cyclanthus bipartitus —another swallow-tail Palm. 
Another Palm, called Areca lutescens, is very conspicuous 
for having the long stalks and young growth of the Golden 
Chain colour. A large batch of Impatiens Jerdonice in 
fine bloom will be so all the winter; Calanthe vestita ,two 
kinds of ground Orchids, which hloom always in winter— 
large white flowers, with a pink eye to one and a yellow 
eye to the other, most useful kinds, and easy to manage. 
Tydcea, a most egregious tom-foolery of a name for a 
lovely cross-seedling between an Achimenes and Gloxinia, 
which will be run after as soon as known. The name 
looks like one of those mince-pies in the Flore des Serres 
of Ghent, where any mortal thing will hash up for a 
new name to catch a penny — a light wax flower, with 
deeper markings. Mandirola Roegli is another of these 
fine crosses, and is more of a lilac colour. Lots of Be¬ 
gonia picta, one with the finest-marked leaves in the 
family, first introduced from India by Mr. Low ; a new 
Begonia, from Bahia, that will “take” on account 
of the leaf; and Begonia frigidum, with hoar-frost-like 
glands on the leaves when viewed in good light — 
good plants of the most difficult plant in Europe to 
grow well, and one of the best of the very old kinds. 
The Jatropha panduraflolia, Amphicoma Emodi, a fine 
new kind, without the least resemblance to Arguta. 
Calyptraria luemantlia, “ the most glorious plant ” ever 
introduced, according to Dr. Lindley ; and I think Dr. 
Beaton once went pretty nigh the same length, when he 
told “ as how” that the other Doctor did not know it at 
a Chiswick Show, which was only a make-believe, of 
course, to save us a gold medal. All kinds of Ma- 
rantas, including the Kew or Kewensis variety of 
Lineata, which is the best of them; the new Centra- 
denia Slcinnerii, just coming into white bloom. It puts 
one in mind of Osbeckia; but the species I forget 
just now. A new Hexacentris or Thunbergia, in the 
way of T. coccinea, from Burmah ; Aneectochiluses, and 
a capital new way of having water-plants in common 
brown earthenware pans, such as they use for curing 
tongues in, or anytliing that way. All you have got 
to do is to buy lots of them at a crockeryware shop, 
set them down where you want them to be seen, fill 
