May 7, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
573 
weather shortly ; remove old Broccoli stools as soon as 
the heads are cut, give a good dressing of farmyard 
manure, and dig the squares ready for next crop as may 
have been determined. — Walter Child, Croome Court. 
-- 
GARDEN PLANTS ILLUSTRATED. 
OSTCIDIUM JONESIANUM. 
This handsome Orchid has rather a singular history, 
and was actually in our midst before anyone recognised 
or would notice it ; it comes from Paraguay. The 
sepals and petals are whitish, more or less pure in good 
varieties, and handsomely spotted with brownish 
purple. The labellum, however, constitutes the most 
attractive feature of the flower, both from its size and 
the distinctness of its colours. The small lateral lobes 
are yellow, while the terminal one is pure white with 
few or numerous purple spots. In the variety 0. J. 
phceanthum, the sepals and petals are brown, while the 
labellum is altogether unspotted. This form is now in 
the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence.— Reichenbachia , 
t. 21. 
Saqcolabium gtganteum. 
The general appearance of this Orchid at once dis¬ 
tinguishes it amongst its congeners as a truly noble 
species, which, it is hoped, will become common. The 
leathery evergreen leaves form an effective background 
to the massive pendent spikes of bloom that are desir¬ 
able, not only on account of their beauty but their 
delicious odour. The sepals and petals are white 
spotted with amethyst ; while the labellum forms a 
notable feature of the whole flower from the large apical 
amethyst blotch. It is a native of Burmah, Siam, and 
Cochin-China, and requires warm moist treatment, such 
as is given to Vandas in the East Indian house.—- 
Reichenbachia, t. 22. 
Masdevallia Backhousiana. 
The general appearance of this species recalls that of 
M. chimtera : but the flowers are evidently smaller in 
all their parts, and the flower-stalks mostly pendent. 
The sepals are broadly ovate-triangular, whitish or 
yellowish white, and beautifully spotted with purple. 
The interior and margins are curiously furnished with 
thready filaments. The deep dull purple tails are 
shorter than in M. cliimsra ; but a very characteristic 
feature of the species resides in the oblong labellum 
with numerous blunt teeth along the margin. It was 
discovered by Messrs. Backhouse’s collector near 
Frontino, in Flew Grenada.— Reichenbachia, t. 19. 
-- 
FLORICULTURE. 
Auriculas. —The exhibition over, and the plants 
again arranged on the stages, the cultivator has leisure 
to examine and enjoy his flowers. Had the show been 
a week later, I would have staged a very interesting 
collection of doubles, but my plants always bloom late. 
The work now to be done is to shade the plants from 
hot sun, keep any decaying foliage picked, the surface- 
soil clean and sweet, and never allowed to want for 
water. If small plants are allowed to flower, they 
should not be peimitted to bear seed, as it weakens 
them so much. As much air as possible should be 
given, but any plants that have been fertilised for seed 
purposes should be kept away from insects. I am 
already re-potting young stock. I put them into small 
pots after shaking them clear of soil, and then I re-pot 
in fresh. It is a great mistake to over-pot Auriculas, 
and especially young plants ; it is easy to give them 
another shift at the end of the summer. From seed I 
have had a few very handsome doubles that have 
bloomed for the first time this season. I have now 
about two dozen varieties, all of a very interesting 
character.— R. D. 
Fixe Named Auriculas that are Procurable. 
—This last word is full of meaning ; because anyone 
who visited the Auricula show at South Kensington on 
the 26th ult., might possibly have taken a list of 
names of Auriculas that were shown in the belief 
that they were as easily procurable from a nursery as 
some Carnations and Show Pelargoniums. The fact is, 
a considerable number of the finest flowers are not 
procurable at all—many of them were seedlings ; the 
whole stock consisting of the one plant shown ; and 
when they may be sent out in the usual way, it is quite 
difficult to determine. 
But there are certain fine varieties that can be had 
by anyone willing to'pay the prices demanded for them. 
Among the green-edged flowers, are Colonel Taylor 
(Leigh), Freedom (Booth), Prince of Greens (Trail), 
Anna (Trail), Talisman (Simonite), The Rev. F. D. 
Horner (Simonite) and J. Crossley (Pohlman). All 
these are high-priced flowers, averaging from 7s. 6 d. to 
15s. each, according to the strength of the plant. 
Among the more numerous class of grey edges there 
are several very fine sorts, such as George Lightbody 
(Headly), Alexander Meiklejohn (Ray), Lancashire 
Hero (Lancashire), William Brockbank (Mellor), Frank 
Simonite (Simonite), Mrs. Moore (Douglas) and Rev. 
Horner (Pohlman). Of white-edged flowers there are 
Pleaps’ Smiling Beauty, John Simonite (Walker), Acme 
(Read), Reliance (Mellor), Conservative (Douglas), Silvia 
(Douglas) and Dr. Kidd (Douglas). A new variety 
now in course of distribution is Mrs. Dodwell (Wood- 
head), and this is a fine promising variety. Of seifs, 
the following fine varieties are readily obtainable ; 
Helen Lancaster (Pohlman), Garibaldi (Pohlman), 
Pizarro (Campbell), Mr. Douglas (Simonite) and 
Sapphire (Horner). Other fine new seifs in course of 
distribution are ; Black Bess (Woodhead), Blue Peter 
(Royds), Brunette (Pohlman), Brilliant (Pohlman), Nell 
Gwyne (Pohlman) and Miss Pohlman (Pohlman). 
The rapidity with which new Auriculas increase just 
now is something astonishing. One effect will be to 
considerably reduce the prices of new varieties. If ten 
or a dozen are let out in one season at a guinea, it is 
obvious that growers will have to make a selection, 
waiting until reduced prices enable them to add the 
remainder to their collections.— R. D. 
-->x<“- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Scottish Auricula and Pansy.— May 4th .— 
This newly-formed society held its first aunual show 
in the Carlton Convening Rooms, Waterloo Place, 
Edinburgh, on Wednesday ; and the promoters are 
more than satisfied with the success of the movement, 
the number of exhibits—about 300—being beyond their 
expectations. Plants were sent from places as far 
distant as Forfarshire and Slough, and show varieties 
made a large and interesting class. A very interesting 
collection of Primulas was exhibited from the Royal 
Botanic Garden, in which were included plants from the 
Himalayas, grown 12,000 ft. above the sea level. 
Another plant on the stand which might be said to 
be conspicuous by its tiny proportions, was a species 
from Caithness, the only place in the world where it is 
known to exist. There were also Primulas from Siberia, 
China and Japan. Fir. Alexander Calder, sculptor, 
Bellevue, Edinburgh, exhibited a collection of seedling 
Primulas ; and there were also exhibits from Mr. W. 
B. Boyd, Faldonside, Melrose ; Mr. R. Catlieart, 
Pitcairlie, Fifeshire, and others. Mr. Mackinnon, 
Melville Castle, showed a collection of forty-six different 
varieties of Narcissus ; and Messrs. Dickson & Sons 
and Dickson & Co,, nurserymen, exhibited stove and 
greenhouse plants, which served as decoration for the 
room. 
--- 
FLOWER SHOWS, 1887. 
May 9.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 21.—Crystal Palace 
,, 24.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 27.—Grand National Horticultural Exhibition at 
Manchester opens 
June 13.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 15, 16, 17.—Grand Floral Fete at York 
,, 17.—Scottish Pansy Society, Edinburgh 
,, 21, 22.—Leeds Horticultural Society 
,, 28.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 29.—Richmond (Surrey) Horticultural Society 
,, 29.—Croydon Horticultural Society 
July 5, 6, 7.—Flower Show in Victoria Park, Ports¬ 
mouth 
,, 5.—National Rose Show at South Kensington 
,, 6.—Wimbledon Horticultural Society 
,, 7.—Rose Shows at Bath, Farnham, Farningham, 
Hitchin, Ipswich, and Romford 
,, 12.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 12.—Oxford Rose Show 
,, 13.—Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society 
,, 13.—National Rose Show, Edinburgh 
,, 13.—Bedford Horticultural Society 
,, 14.—Flower Show at Chiswick 
,, 20, 21.—Lewisham and District Horticultural 
Society 
,, 21.—Southwell Horticultural Society 
,, 22.—North Lonsdale Rose Show 
,, 22.—Crystal Palace Rose Show 
July 26.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 26.—National Carnation and Picotee Society 
Aug. 9.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 10.—Luton Horticultural Society 
,, 11.—Taunton Deane Horticultural Society 
,, 11.—South Hayling Horticultural Society 
,, 16.—Clay Cross Floral and Horticultural Society 
,, 17, 18.—Shropshire Horticultural Society, 
Shrewsbury 
,, 22.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 22.—National Co-operation Flower Show at South 
Kensington 
,, 25.—Wiltshire Horticultural Society, Salisbury 
,, 25.—Ludlow Plorticultural Society 
Sept. 7, 8.—-Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, 
Edinburgh 
,, 13.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
„ 14, 15.—National Chrysanthemum" Society at 
Royal Aquarium 
,, 26.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
Oct. 10.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 12.—National Chrysanthemum Society, Floral 
Committee 
,, 25.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
,, 26.—National Chrysanthemum Society, Floral 
Committee 
Nov. 8.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington 
Dec. 13.—Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken¬ 
sington. 
Chrysanthemum Shows. 
Nov. 1, 2.—Southampton 
,, 2, 3.—Richmond (Surrey) 
,, 3, 4.—Havant and Henfield 
,, 4, 5.—Crystal Palace, and Leicester 
,, 7, 8.—Surrey, at Peckham 
,, 8, 9.—Highgate, Brighton, Kingston-on-Thames, 
Southend-on-Sea 
,, 8.—Royal Horticultural 
,, 8, 9, 10.—Lambeth and Southwark 
,, 9. — Croydon 
,, 9, 10.—National, Ascot, Bath, Cornwall, South- 
gate 
,, 10.—Walton-on-Thames, Dawlish 
,, 10, 11.—Portsmouth, Ipswich, Weald of Kent 
,, 11.—Hitchin 
,, 11, 12.—Canterbury, Lewisham, Street 
,, 14, 15. —Sheffield and Hallamshire 
,, 15.—Reading, Putney 
,, 15, 16.—Watford, Winchester, Lincoln 
,, 16.—Ealing, Chelmsford 
,, 16, 17.—Birmingham, Hull, Dartford 
,, 17.—Taunton 
,, 17, 18.—Bury St. Edmunds 
,, 18, 19.—Sheffield and West Riding 
,, 22, 23.—Liverpool 
,, 23.—National : Floral Committee 
,, 23. 24.—Bristol 
,, 25, 26. — Pontefract 
,, 29, 30.—Edinburgh 
Dec. 5.—National: Floral Committee. 
"We shall be greatly obliged to Secretaries of Societies 
for corrections and additions. 
-—>X-o- 
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS. 
Sporting Pelargoniums .—Heath End: The trusses you send 
exhibit proliferation of the flower-stalk and branching of the 
primary pedicels. The cause is probably due to liberal feeding 
and good cultivation, but some varieties are more prone to this 
than others. We do not consider it “ sporting," as that term is 
Usually considered to mean that some of the flowers come of a 
different colour from that usually produced on the plant, or 
the leaves on certain shoots come different from the rest. 
Later on, the flower trusses may develop properly. We consider 
also that it would depend mainly on the private opinion of 
individual judges whether branching of the kind you send would 
be considered a defect in an exhibition plant. Owing to the 
branches of such trusses being of unequal length, their even and 
regular outline is somewhat marred ; and it would be desirable 
to avoid varieties that are prone to this habit rather than run 
the risk of being disqualified. 
Calochortus a. Cyclobothra.— G. TV.: The former is now 
the adopted name for all the species, which have been variously 
reckoned from 21 to 32, according to different authors. The 
genus was formerly divided into two by Don and Lindley, 
with the distinctions that Calochortus had its three outer 
segments of the perianth small and beardless, while the three 
inner ones were much broader, highly coloured, and bearded 
within. Cyclobothra was distinguished by all the segments 
being bearded and furnished with a depression or nectariferous 
cavity about the middle of each segment. There are various 
intermediate gradations, however, and all the species are con¬ 
veniently grouped under the name of Calochortus. 
Deutzias.— R. A. Wallace: Although these arc hardy in the 
true sense of the word, it would scarcely be proper to place them 
oiit of doors yet in full exposure. We presume you mean D. 
gracilis, which is the earliest flowering one, and that universally 
