474 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 26, 1887. 
soon as possible they are hardened off and placed in 
cold frames previously to planting them out in the 
open ground. They then have nice balls of roots, and 
being planted out somewhat thickly, space is soon 
created by pulling out all inferior forms as soon as they 
flower. Those who grow seedlings for bedding and 
general decorative purposes would do well to pot up 
singly in small pots from the seedling-pans, and so 
induce them to grow on into size quickly. It is worthy 
of remark that one-year old Dahlia seed will germinate 
quicker than that only a winter old, which is, to some 
extent, a reversal of our general experience in regard to 
this subject.— E. D. 
-- 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED 
By the Floral Committee of the R.H. S. 
March 22nd, 1887. 
Boronia heterophylla. 
Nothing could be more deserved than the award of 
a Certificate for this handsome W. Australian shrub. 
A basket of plants were exhibited not exceeding 1 ft. 
in height. These had several branches each, which 
were slender and arching upwards, bearing about two 
or three flowers in the axil of each leaf for nearly the 
whole of their length. The flowers were bell-shaped, 
pendent, of the finest deep rose, and deliciously 
fragrant. The leaves consisted mostly of three linear 
deep green leaflets. Exhibited by Messrs. James 
Yeitch & Sons. 
Zygopetalum Yeitchi. 
This showy-flowered production must rank as a 
bi-generic hybrid, being the result of Zygopetalum 
crinitum fecundated with the pollen of Colax jugosus, 
showing that there must he a considerable affinity 
between Zygopetalum and Lycaste. The flowers are 
intermediate between the parents in size, and have the 
sepals and petals beautifully marbled with deep purplish 
brown. The labellum is closely lined and marked 
with violet on a white ground, resembling Zygopetalum 
crinitum, hut finer. Exhibited by Messrs. James 
Veitch & Sons. 
Rhododendron balsaminjeflorum carneum. 
A truss of nine flowers cut from a newly grafted 
plant was shown. The flowers are of ordinary size, 
double, and flesh-coloured when they expand, fading to 
pale yellow. The leathery deep green leaves are lan¬ 
ceolate and tapering to each end, 3 ins. to 4 ins. long, 
and about 1 in. wide at the middle, being thus longer 
than those of R. balsaminseflorum generally are. The 
flower of the pollen parent exhibited a slight tendency 
to become double, by the presence of a small petal in 
the tube. Exhibited by Messrs. James Yeitch & Sons. 
Hyacinth La Belle. 
Three plants of this fine variety were conspicuous 
amongst a group of well-flowered plants. The dense 
cylindrical spike, best shown by contrast with the others, 
was of very great length and considerable diameter. 
The individual flowers were large, flesh-coloured and 
highly fragrant. The foliage was broad, deep green, 
and what appeared habitual (judging from all the 
specimens of the variety exhibited), the tips of the 
leaves were recurved. Exhibited by Messrs. James 
Yeitch & Sons. 
Odoxtoglossum triumphans—The Rosefield 
VARIETY. 
The pseudo-bulbs and the lanceolate evergreen leaves 
of this fine form are more or less stained with purple. 
The specimen exhibited bore two long arching spikes, 
with nine and twelve flowers respectively. The whole 
flower was of a dark shining lustre ; the sepals and 
petals being of an intense dark chocolate-brown, except 
the tips and a few slender transverse yellow streaks ; 
the labellum is white at the base, and deep chocolate- 
brown upwards. Exhibited by De B. Crawshay, Esq., 
Rosefield. Sevenoaks. 
By the Royal Botanic Society. 
March 23rd. 
OXCIDIUM BrUNLEESIANUM. 
The inflorescence of this pretty Orchid is panicled, 
bearing numerous flowers shaped like that of a Ccelogyne, 
but the structure shows that the plant belongs to the 
Yand» ; the sepals are straw-coloured, and the petals 
similar, but barred with pale brown ; the three-lobed 
labellum is deep yellow, with the exception of the deep 
chocolate almost black middle lobe. Botanical Certifi¬ 
cate. Exhibited by R. B. Lemon, Esq., Beckenham. 
Varieties of Amaryllis. 
Her Majesty : The flowers of this variety were 
large, nearly regular, white, and slightly suffused with 
scarlet along the middle. Hon. and Rev. J. T. Bos- 
cawen : Flowers large, nearly regular, of good sub¬ 
stance, and scarlet with a white centre. Titania : In 
this case the flowers were of great substance, and 
intense crimson with a white band along the middle of 
each segment. Floricultural Certificates. Exhibited 
by Messrs. Yeitch & Sons. 
Selaginella gracilis. 
The stems of this were about 18 ins. high, slender, 
and arching upwards. The branches and branchlets, 
as, indeed, the whole aspect of the plant, reminds one 
forcibly of a slender and graceful form of Selaginella 
AVallichi. Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by Messrs. 
J. Yeitch & Sons. 
Amaryllis Oriflamme. 
The flowers of this variety were large, intense scarlet, 
and of good substance. Floricultural Certificate. 
Exhibited by Mr. J. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. 
Cyclamen Roy'al Jubilee. 
In this fine variety the flowers were very large, of an 
intense crimson and self-coloured. Floricultural Cer¬ 
tificate. Exhibited by Mr. John Odell, nurseryman, 
Gould’s Green, Hillingdon. 
Varieties of Cineraria. 
Blue Bonnet : The flowers of this attractive variety 
were large, and dark blue with a white centre. Illu¬ 
minator : Flowers large, and of a rich or intense 
purple. Meteor : This is a fine dark blue self, of fine 
form and very rich. Stella : The flowers of this 
variety are also large and self-coloured, very dark 
maroon. All these varieties were exhibited by Mr. J. 
James, Woodside, Farnham Royal, and received Flori¬ 
cultural Certificates. 
Boroxia heterophylla. 
Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by Messrs. J. Yeitch 
& Sons. 
Rhododendron balsaminieflorum carneum. 
Botanical Certificate. Exhibited by Messrs. Yeitch 
& Sons. 
-- 
THE AUSTRIAN PINE FOR 
SHELTER. 
Although at present, perhaps, not much grown 
for the value of its timber, still the Austrian Pine for 
shelter purposes alone is an extremely valuable tree, 
and has been turned to good account in many of the 
more exposed parts of the British Isles. Being a 
Pine of fine quick growth, and, moreover, one more 
than any other that is peculiarly well adapted for 
planting in a great variety of soils and situations, the 
only wonder is that in the formation of screen planta¬ 
tions all over the country, it is not more frequently 
used. We have seen this Pine growing with unusual 
luxuriance in reclaimed bogs, where it has put on that 
healthy appearance that even calcareous loam—the 
mixture of which its native Austrian woods are com¬ 
posed—could not impart, nor even the granite rocks of 
some of the Northern Scottish counties. 
In planting tracts of country that are exposed to 
severe storms, this tree is one of the best, and can well 
stand side-by-side with the Pinaster and Aleppo Pines, 
two well-tried and valuable trees for exposed maritime 
situations. With marked success we have planted the 
Austrian, in conjunction with the Laricio and Scotch 
Firs, along the sea coast as well as on the exposed 
mountain sides up to fully 700 ft. altitude. But not 
only as a screen or shelter-giving tree is the Austrian 
Pine valuable ; for as an ornamental tree, whether 
planted singly or in groups, we prize it highly, the 
mossy dark green foliage imparting a warmth and 
character that is rarely equalled, certainly, in our idea, 
not surpassed by any other evergreen. 
The Austrian, above all other members of the family, 
is badly suited for close planting. Its real character and 
value, we have often thought, is only shown off fully 
when grown either as single specimens or in clumps 
where ample room has always been allowed for the full 
and perfect development of both root and branch. It 
is easily raised from seed, transplants well, and pro¬ 
duces a timber that is well suited for resisting the evil 
effects caused by alternate dampness and drought.— 
A. D. Webster. 
Hardening §1iscellany. 
The Severe Weather.— “J. L., Shrewsbury,” 
writes :—On Saturday last about 4 ins. of snow fell, 
and the same night we had 17° of frost, followed by 
18° on Sunday night. Snow fell nearly all day on 
Monday, and to-day (Tuesday), it is again 4 ins. deep. 
Apricots just coming into bloom ! March loth. 
“ W. G.,” writing from Burnley, North-East Lan¬ 
cashire, says :—On the 7th inst. we registered 21° of 
frost, which I thought unusually severe for March. 
Since then we have had three weeks of very fine 
weather, which was followed on Friday night last by 
6 ins. of snow ; and on Sunday morning, the 13th inst. 
the thermometer again registered 21° of frost. 
Writing again on Monday last the same correspondent 
states that the amount of frost registered on the follow¬ 
ing days was :—13th, 21°; 14th, 17°; 15th, 17°; 16th, 
12° ; 17th, 15° ; 18th, 10° ; 19th, 13° ; 20th, 12°, with 
bright hot sunshine during the day. 
On Friday, March 11th, we had a sharp rain after 
6 p.m., followed at 9 p.m. by a heavy fall of snow. 
Saturday was clear and cold, since which date we have 
had very low readings of the outside thermometer. 
Sunday, AI arch 13th, 20° of frost ; Monday, 16° of 
frost ; Tuesday, 16° of frost ; Wednesday, 15° of frost; 
Thursday, 14° of frost; Friday, 9° of frost and a heavy 
fall of snow ; Saturday, 13° of frost. We have a 
registering thermometer at 3 ft. above the ground, 
which is set every afternoon about 4 p.m.— W. Swan, 
Howick House, Preston. 
The Eucharis Mite.—“ Enquirer,” in asking if 
the “Eucharis mite deserves the blame and evil 
reputation heaped upon it,” touches upon a most im¬ 
portant question ; but whether the mite is the cause of 
the fungus, or only following up the ravages of the 
fungus, is, I think, immaterial from the grower’s point 
of view, as both seem to “multiply and flourish’’ 
exceedingly under the same conditions. My opinion is 
that the fungus follows the ravages of the mite. I have 
found the mite feeding on the bulb where I could find 
no trace of the fungus, and I have also found the fungus 
without any mites, but then they could have been 
there and gone ! I saw a collection of Eucharis about 
ten or fourteen days ago, which about two years previously 
were badly infested with the Eucharis mite, becoming 
so after being brought out from under a stage where 
they had been standing for some time in a colder 
temperature than where they had been growing. When 
I saw them they had completely grown out of the mite, 
aud the plants looked in the best of health, and were 
flowering profusely, as the treatment they had received 
was said to have completely got rid of it; indeed, the 
grower expressed his contempt very strongly for the 
pest. The plants had been plunged in a strong bottom 
heat, kept well watered, and grown in a moist humid 
atmosphere. I have also seen another case which bears 
out the above treatment; and where a strong bottom 
heat is available the plan is well worth trying before 
throwing any infested plants away. I have often 
wondered how the Eucharis mite had spread throughout 
the country so fast as it seems to have done, but last 
week, in examining some bulbs of Paneratiums in one 
of the London salerooms, I found this mite in abun¬ 
dance ; so that I would strongly caution anyone buying 
bulbs at sales, to see that they are quite clear of insect 
pests before buying. I have found the mite thrive 
abundantly on Eucharis, Paneratiums, Amaryllis and 
Vallotas, so that in adding to a collection of any of the 
above - mentioned, one should take every care in 
thoroughly examining the plants before they are put 
with the others.— A. W. D. 
Aspidium angulare proliferum. — The 
normal form of this is a beautiful and serviceable Fern, 
whether cultivated in pots or grown out of doors. By 
the former method, however, it can be grown to the 
greatest perfection and put to the greatest variety of 
purposes, being available for conservatory or greenhouse 
decoration in the dull winter season, when their value 
is most appreciated. The proliferous variety bears 
numerous buds along the midrib of the fronds, by which 
the plant may be propagated in great abundance. It 
is strictly evergreen, but retains its fronds best when 
protected from frost, as done by Mr. Addison, gardener 
at Merton Lodge, Chiswick, who pays special attention 
to Ferns in pots, both for indoor and outdoor decora¬ 
tion in summer. More attention might be given to 
