- 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 13, 1858. 
sold at, three years since, it was let out by Mr. Chillingworth, 
of London. 
The Alma is a cross between the Ash-leaved and Lapslone 
Kidney , raised in this neighbourhood. It partakes of the 
earliness of the former, and productiveness of the latter. It 
is a full-sized Kidney , even eye, good flavour, and short 
haulm. I have exhibited this variety very successfully.— 
Edward Bennett. 
{To be continued.) 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Calanthe Dominii {pommy’s Calanthe). 
This hybrid was raised by Mr. Dominy, foreman to Messrs. 
Veitch and Son, at their Exeter Nursery. He is the first 
recorded raiser of hybrid Orchids. It is a cross between 
Calanthe masuca and C. fur cat a. — {Botanical Magazine , 
t. 5042.) 
Nipikea albo-lineata var. reticulata {White-lined 
Kiphoea, netted variety). 
A variety still more ornamental than the species.— {Ibid, 
t. 5043.) 
Camellia ros.eflora {Rose-flowered Camellia). 
A species with single, pink flowers, growing in the Kew 
Gardens. Its history not known.— {Ibid. t. 5044.) 
Pentstemon Taperayanus {Mr. Jaffray’s Pentstemon). 
Discovered by Mr. Jaffray, at Clear Creek, North Cali¬ 
fornia, in 1803; and introduced since by Messrs. Veitch, 
through their collector, Mr. W, Lobb. Flowers bright blue 
and red. Blooms in August.— {Ibid. t. 5045.) 
Kefeesteinia graminea {Grass-leaved Kefersteinia). 
An Orchid, native of Popayan, on the west side of the 
Andes.— {Ibid. t. 5046.) 
Begonia Wageneriana {Mr. Wagenefs Beyonia). 
A native of Venezuela, introduced by Mr. "VVagener to the 
Royal Botanic Gardens at Berlin. White flowers with yellow 
centres, but its crimson leaf-stalks are its greatest attraction. 
— {Ibid. t. 5047.) 
THE CRYSTAL PALACE GARDENING. 
A public institution would lose half its value if the public 
were not allowed every opportunity of criticising its merits 
or management. This liberty is so universally allowed, that 
I make no apology for making a few observations on Rie 
Crystal Palace flower gardening, as well as other matters 
connected with its interior arrangement. The garden and 
fountains especially, being that portion which falls under 
our own immediate notice ; and they being on that extensive 
scale not met with elsewhere; besides being, as ever}body 
knows, only the creation of the last three years, it is rea¬ 
sonable to suppose that the most recent improvements, as 
well as all that was beautiful in antiquity, might be here 
blended in accordance with the refined taste of the present 
time that was brought to act upon it. That much has been 
done that way, no one will deny; in fact, it seems the general 
opinion, that in the principal outline it could not be well 
improved ; while in some of its details there is room to find 
fault—at least there are some parties who think themselves 
entitled to do so; while, perhaps, some others may have 
taken an opposite view, which is probably the best compli¬ 
ment that can be paid to what has been done. Be this as it 
may, I think it will generally be admitted that the first ter¬ 
race, a plain gravel one, next the building, is rather narrow 
for everything else connected with it, as a good spacious area 
at the base of so lofty a structure was certainly wanted, and 
the present one is assuredly deficient that way. I give this, 
however, as my only objection to what has been done in the 
ground works : everything else seems too good to comment 
upon, in so far as regards the formation; the planting will be 
mentioned afterwards. The fountains being a very prominent 
feature in the place, and as everybody has had something 
27 * 
to say of them, and, I believe, all in praise of them, I ought 
not to say anything amiss. However, I cannot help repeating 
the same remark I made while they were building—that to 
work them well would take half the water of the Thames; 
and I think this opinion must be borne out by the fact, that 
the Company are only able to work a part of them about 
fifteen minutes every day, and that after a great expenditure 
of money and material. That they are noble specimens of 
art I will and must admit, but not better than I expected ; 
and when seen lrom the upper galleries of the building they 
do not look well; and, taken as a whole, they certainly do not 
excel those at Versailles, the sculptural embellishments of 
the latter giving them so decided an advantage. Neverthe¬ 
less, they look well; and were water more abundant,so as to 
work them more, they would be more attractive : but as it is, 
I expect the Company have a difficulty in supplying them 
with water sufficient to enable them to play so long as they 
do; and I have no doubt but the “ waterworks ” have been, and 
will continue to be, very expensive affairs. However, I hope 
a generous public will patronise the palace and garden to an 
extent that will ensure their prosperity, as so vast an un¬ 
dertaking has a claim on the nation at large : and the many 
useful ideas that may be obtained by inspecting the various 
objects of art, give it considerable value when we come to 
consider the very reasonable rate at which such insight can 
be obtained. Flower gardening, on an extensive scale, is 
there exhibited in a way we might have searched the whole 
world over for only a very few years ago. That the plan of 
the gardens or their details are anything new I think no one 
will affirm ; but the combination of forms seen at other places, 
and the whole united in so harmonious a manner, are equally 
as creditable to the designer, as if the whole thing had been 
original in all its parts. 
To the systematic florist the Crystal Palace gardens afford 
but little that is interesting. Dahlias and Carnations, sur¬ 
rounded by stakes and shading, are countenanced by so very 
few, as to be out of place there; but to the admirer of flowers j 
generally and the enthusiastic flower gardener there is much 
to learn : the former is pleased with the general display, and 1 
the latter learns a wrinkle from the plants he sees made use { 
of. I often think, that young men from distant parts of the 
kingdom might make it their business to visit this garden ! 
now and then to see what is going on; for,though there may | 
not be scores of beds of the last new Verbena, yet it is likely i 
that there are a great many of some one but little inferior to J 
it: and I must confess I have never seen any quantity of ! 
beds so well managed elsewhere. But as the details of then- 
treatment often appear in your pages, I need not repeat them j 
here, but invite all the distant members of our craft to go ! 
and see it, and judge for themselves. It certainly would be j 
better if they could do so in summer; but even in winter 
they might possibly see something equally useful: and as ! 
there are often cheap trains from the provinces to London, j 
it would be worth while to spend a week in and around 
London, not forgetting to visit Kew Gardens, and that at j 
Hampton Court; and if these were seen before the Crystal | 
Palace, the advance the latter has made would be apparent. 
On looking over the grounds at the Crystal Palace the eye 
is pleased to notice the simplicity of the forms of the beds. : 
I should think full two-thirds of them are plain circles, and 
most of the others are parallelograms, with rounded or with 
concave ends. Scrolls and fancy irregular figures are very | 
scarce, and standard Roses few and far between. The most 
ample space of green turf is left untouched, so as to obviate 
all appearance of crowding, even when the eye is but little 
elevated above the line of sight; and shrubs and ornamental 
trees are but thinly scattered about except at the boundaries, 
where irregular belts conceal the grounds from being over¬ 
looked by public roads, &c. In accomplishing this, care has 
been taken to secure important views untouched from the prin¬ 
cipal points they are seen from. The planting of such belts 
is done in the usual way, and with the usual materials, and ; 
now and then a rustic or novel object is run against in 
perambulating the boundaries ; but these objects are not so 
numerous as to be intrusive ; and care lias also been taken to 
avoid the grotesque or burlesque, so often run into by intro¬ 
ducing unmeaning objects. | 
When I visited this public garden I had no intention of 
recording what I saw, and consequently took no notes of the 
various objects of interest; but, as you kindly invite contribu- j 
