152 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 5, 1887. 
and destroyed the stems and foliage as to render 
them useless for ornamental purposes ; but the tubers 
will not be hurt in any way. Choose a dry day for the 
operation, and after cutting down the stems to within 
6 ins. or 8 ins. of the ground, carefully lift the tubers 
so as to preserve them intact, as they will keep all the 
better if not broken or bruised in any way.— F. 
-- 
HARDY FLOWERS FROM 
IRELAND. 
WlTS a fine boxful of perennial herbaceous Asters 
before us, it is difficult to conceive the prejudice that 
many entertain against them ; for although the genus 
numbers amongst its members a great quantity of a 
Weedy nature with inconspicuous flowers, it does not 
follow that all of them should be condemned with a 
sweeping hand. Mr. T. Smith, Daisy Hill Nursery, 
Newry, Ireland, says he does not harbour within his 
collection a bad variety, and judging from the lot he 
has sent us, we can readily imagine the gay appearance 
produced by them at this waning period of the year. 
He complained of the weather being bitterly cold at 
the time of the consignment; but the gay appearance 
of the Michaelmas Daisies, as they have reached us, 
has in no way been marred ; and they look as fresh as 
if their flowering season was at midsummer, with 
abundance of sunshine and genial moist weather, 
instead of the boisterous late autumn weather as 
happens to be the case. 
Not only may these Michaelmas Daisies be utilised 
with fine effect for the decoration of beds and her¬ 
baceous borders, but when cut they are invaluable for 
indoor purposes, where they will last a long time in 
excellent condition, and prove exceedingly handsome 
associated with the brilliant colour of the decaying 
foliage of many shrubs and trees, or with the fruit of 
such things as Boses, Yiburnum opulus, Euonymus, 
Pernettyas, and a host of other things that might 
readily suggest themselves. 
Amongst the Asters sent we were particularly struck 
with the deep blue form named A. Archer Hind, which 
has medium-sized flowers produced in great profusion 
in an elongate panicle. It is evidently a form of A. 
Novi-Belgi, according to the recently revised nomen¬ 
clature of the genus by the celebrated North American 
botanist, Asa Gray. Straffan White is evidently another 
form of the same species, and generally known in 
gardens as A. versicolor maximus. The flowers are 
equally profuse as in the last case, and expand of a 
pure white with a golden yellow disk ; but the rays 
ultimately change completely to a decided pink or 
lilac colour, and as the expansion of the flowers proceed 
from the apex of the stem downwards, and from the 
apex of each lateral branch downwards, we have, in a 
short time, a pleasing mixture of pure white and lively 
pink flowers, which constitute a pleasingand harmonious 
feature. When mingled with the blue kinds in vases 
indoors, the association is particularly charming. A 
variety named J. Chamberlain, with deep blue flowers, 
is also allied to A. Novi-Belgi, or, in other words, has 
the same parentage. It has long been known by the 
name of A. laevis, in which many in England will 
doubtless recognise an old and much-valued friend, for 
it is one of the dwarfest and most beautiful. A. laevis 
is now named A. Novi-Belgi densus. A grand Aster 
is William Bowman, a variety of A. Novae Anglise. 
The stems are tall and the flower-heads late in ex¬ 
panding ; but are violet-purple, of handsome size, and 
produced in terminal trusses of prepossessing appearance, 
being very valuable for cutting purposes. The flower- 
heads of A. Novi-Belgi formosissimus are about the 
same size as those of J. Chamberlain, and of the same 
deep blue, but tinted with purple. They are also pro¬ 
duced in an oblong panicle, whereas those of the former 
are more umbeEate, or borne in a flat-topped panicle. 
The flowers of A. undulatus are small and rosy purple, 
but most profusely produced in an oblong panicle of 
great length, amply compensating for their small size 
by their extraordinary numbers. 
Accompanying the Asters was a magnificent lot of 
different varieties of Pernettyas, so heavily laden with 
fruit in some instances as to conceal the foliage. We 
can fully endorse what Mr. Smith says, that they have 
in no way suffered from the tropical heat and drought of 
last summer ; and no one can imagine their exceeding 
fruitfulness except he has actually witnessed it. The 
various kinds differ in the size and colour of the fruit, 
the berries being pink, rose, red, crimson, and in some 
cases almost black. The berries, too, in some cases 
are of enormous size, and we should imagine that most 
of them are larger than in the original and unimproved 
state of the species. They are globose, and depressed 
at each end, and measure from J in. to \ in. in diameter. 
Scarcely less interesting are the miniature scarlet hips 
of Eosa polyantha, very freely produced in panicles, as 
are the lilliputian Eoses in summer. They are about the 
size of very small Peas, and certainly not more than 
half the size of the berries of the Mountain Ash, globose, 
elliptical, or unshaped, terminated by a five-angled 
disk from which the sepals have fallen. For mixing 
amongst cut flowers they are certainly very attractive. 
--> 2 <—- 
NURSERYMEN v. THE POOR 
RATE. 
The committee appointed at the meeting held at the 
Horticultural Club in June last met, under the presi¬ 
dency of Mr. H. J. Yeitch, at the offices of the Nursery 
and Seed Trade Association, Limited, on Monday last, 
to consider the advisability of taking up a test case in 
lieu of appointing a deputation to the President of the 
Local Government Board, as suggested at the meeting 
in question. 
The secretary of the association reported that since 
the last meeting he had placed himself in communi¬ 
cation with nurserymen and market gardeners in various 
parts of the country, with a view to ascertain their 
opinions, and it was found that there was an almost 
universal feeling on their part that if the matter were 
left to a deputation much valuable time would be lost, 
as Parliament would not meet till, probably, February 
next. On the other hand, if a test case were taken up, 
much might be done by that time towards obtaining 
an authoritative decision on the subject. It had been 
rumoured that it was in contemplation to introduce an 
Act of Parliament next session dealing with the subject 
of assessments to the poor, and a member of the com¬ 
mittee suggested whether, under the circumstances, it 
would not be the wisest course to await the result ; but 
it was pointed out that if that course were adopted, 
nurserymen and others would probably be passed over 
and their interests not considered ; whereas, if the 
agitation were continued, they would probably be con¬ 
sulted in the framing of the bill so to be introduced. 
Ultimately it was unanimously decided that a test case 
should be taken up and fought out. 
Several additions have been made to the guarantee 
fund ; but in order that the expense may be distributed 
amongst as great a number as possible, the secretary 
stated that he would be glad to receive the names of 
any nurserymen or market gardeners who were willing 
to contribute to the fund. 
Mr. Butcher, the solicitor to the association, stated 
that the proper course would be to appeal against an 
assessment to Quarter Sessions, and thence to the 
Queen’s Bench ; and the secretary having invited par¬ 
ticulars of assessment to be sent in to him, in order 
that the most flagrant case might be selected, the 
meeting concluded. 
-- 
OEROLE DES ORCHIDOPHILES 
BELGES. 
In the first week of October, five or six enthusiastic 
amateur Orchid cultivators assembled in one of the 
rooms of the Eoyal Hotel, Place d’Armes, Ghent, and 
agreed to found a “Cercle des Orchidophiles Beiges.” 
At a second meeting they decided to invite all Orchid 
amateurs, Orchid growers or connoisseurs in Belgium 
to join them, and, in so doing, to help in establishing 
the society. With much reason, the promoters thought 
that one of their principal objects should be to 
arrange for the exhibition of as many Orchids as 
can be got together two or three times every month, 
so that the members of the Society can see as many 
plants in flower as possible, and thereby become the 
better able to distinguish the finest and more attractive 
'species and varieties from those of an ordinary character. 
Thanks to the youthful energy of Mr. A. de 
Meulenaer, jun., some thirty invitations were promptly 
sent all over Belgium, and twenty replies of a sym¬ 
pathetic nature having been received, yesterday (30th 
October) the first exhibition took place ; and let me 
say at once that it was a decided success, notwith¬ 
standing the regrettable fact that a terrible gale was 
blowing from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., by which great damage 
was done in gardens, and which prevented some of the 
intending contributors from bringing their plants to 
town ; but all is well that ends well, and notwith¬ 
standing these adverse circumstances, some seventy 
plants were exhibited by nine different amateurs and 
nurserymen. All had a healthy and fresh appearance, 
and the contributors were heartily complimented. 
Among the plants which received special recognition, 
either for their good culture, fine quality or rarity, the 
following may be mentioned as the best :—From 
Mr. Cannaert d’Hamale, Marines, near Antwerp, came 
an extra fine and large variety of Cypripedium Stonei ; 
from Mr. Jules Hye a fine plant of Masdevallia Yeitchii 
with fifteen flowers, and the rare Cypripedium Arthur - 
ianum with eight growths and one large, fine, distinct 
flower ; from Mr. de Meulenaer an extra fine variety of 
Cattleya maxima Backhousiana, and a fine Houlettia 
Broeklehurstiana; from Mr. Louis Yan Houtte an extra 
fine variety of Lrelia Pinelli or Dayana. We cannot very 
well tell here what the difference is between the two ; 
let me say that the flowers were as large as those of an 
ordinary Cattleya Percivaliana, with the colour and 
shape of what is also called C. marginata. From 
Mr. Desmet-Duvivier an extraordinary showy plant of 
Oncidium varicosum Eogersii, having one spike with 
ten branches and over sixty large blooms. Mr. Pynaert- 
van Geert brought a small plant in flower of a Lselia or 
Cattleya supposed to be new. It is very fine in colour, 
and resembles Ltelia Dormanii, except in the rip, which 
is quite different from that species, being more in the 
way of that of L. praestans, but darker in colour. The 
same exhibitor also showed a fine variety of Cypri¬ 
pedium purpuratum, and likewise one of C. Sedeni. 
Messrs. Yervaet & Co. contributed a dozen plants, 
among them being a fine Ltelia elegans, a Cypripedium 
vexillarium, an Odontoglossum crispum sulphureum, 
and a fine Pacho form of 0. crispum. Messrs. Desbois 
& Co. had a fine dark-coloured Cypripedium calurum, 
and a good C. Spicerianum. 
Other fine plants could be mentioned, such as a good 
specimen of Cypripedium nitens, with ten flowers ; 
and C. selligerum majus, with eight large blooms, 
shown by Mr. Hye. Then from Messrs. Yan Houtte, 
Pynsert, Yervaet & Co. and L. Desmet-Duvivier 
came collections of the showy Odontoglossum grande, 
Lsslia Pinelli, Cymbidium Mastersi, Oncidium crispum, 
O. Forbesi, Dendrobium albo sanguineum, Cattleya 
gigas and several others, but to enumerate all would take 
up too much of your space. The plants were exhibited 
in a suitable room, adjoining the grand dining saloon 
at the Eoyal Hotel, and they were nicely arranged with 
young Palms and Ferns, which contributed much to 
heightening the general effect. The founders have 
great hopes for the future prosperity of their “ Cercle,” 
this first meeting having proved much more successful 
than they could have anticipated ; and Messrs. J. Hye, 
J. Bray, Yan Imschoot, De Meulenaer, sen., Leonard, 
Vandendriessche, and De Meulenaer, jun., may certainly 
be congratulated upon the success which has attended 
their efforts. They have made a move in a direction 
which is certain to afford them in the future a large 
amount of pleasurable and profitable instruction.— 
Laurent Maser eel, Ghent, October 31s<. 
-- 
DIPLADENIA , BOLIVIANA, 
Amongst the most useful of white flowering stove 
plants, that yield a continuous supply of flowers which 
are serviceable at any season of the year, this Dip- 
ladenia may be classed as one of the best and most 
prolific of the species introduced into our stoves up to 
the present time. When planted out on a border in 
the stove, and allowed free scope for root action and 
top growth, it will amply repay the cultivator for any 
extra care he may bestow upon it. Its growth is not 
so rampant as the other forms of Dipladenia, being 
more woody in its habit, therefore it does not occupy 
quite so much space on the roof as they do. 
It scarcely ever requires pruning, except it be to cut 
away a shoot that has become exhausted. It delights 
in an abundance of heat and moisture, the soil most 
suited to its requirements being rough peat, with a 
slight addition of good silky loam, charcoal and sharp 
sand being added to keep the soil porous. 
It never requires the drying-off system applied to it, 
the same as other Dipladenias ; but needs to be kept at 
one uniform grade of heat and moisture about the 
roots, which will render it thrifty both winter and 
summer alike, when it will scarcely ever be without 
flowers—that is, after the plant has attained a good 
hold of its position in the stove.— JV. G. 
-- 
A THREE-POUCHED CYPRI- 
PEDIUM. 
A Cypripedium with two pouched lips we have 
several times seen previously, but this is the most 
remarkable iustance apparently coming under our 
notice. Other cases of erratic Cypripediums are 
mentioned and described at pp. 748 and 828 of Vol. 
