184 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 19, 1887. 
the soil in those places will necessarily he in a loose 
condition, and more liable to sink afterwards, producing 
unsightly depressions in the lavrn that are to he 
rigorously avoided if possible. When the whole has 
been thoroughly dug and levelled, proceed to tread it 
firmly and evenly, afterwards giving it a finishing 
touch with the rake. Before lifting another section of 
the turf, relay closely and evenly that which has 
already been taken up, afterwards beating it down with 
a tool for the purpose. The rest of the lawn may be 
dealt within sections till the whole is finished.— F. 
-- 
WESTMOUNT, KELVINSIDE, 
GLASGOW. 
The gardens at this place have no claim to antiquity, 
having been made within the last four years, and, like 
many others in the suburbs of large cities and towns, 
are rather circumscribed in area ; but, on the contrary, 
it has all the advantages of modern style, arrangements, 
and appliances. Situated on a steep slope overlooking 
a broad sheet of water, they are for convenience laid 
out in three terraces, the upper one being occupied by 
the mansion itself, and a few glass houses, while the 
main range of glasshouses is built on various levels, 
and connected by flights of stone or iron stairs. They 
belong to, and were built by Messrs. Stevens Bros., 
engineers, and no pains or expense have been spared to 
make them efficient, durable, and ornamental. The 
framework, staging, and brackets on which to stand 
Orchid pots are of iron, as well as a turntable on which 
plants in season may be grouped, and turned round to 
show them to best advantage. A considerable amount 
of stained glass adds greatly to the effect of the houses. 
The lower and broad terrace is laid down in grass 
with a few beds, and surrounded with a shrubbery 
margined with flowers. Everything in this part was 
wearing a gay aspect at the time of our visit, and 
showed little or no signs of the severe drought which had 
happily terminated a short time previously. This is 
the more surprising considering the steep nature of the 
ground where many of the Rhododendrons and other 
shrubs were planted. Pansies were gay, and included 
amongst others Countess of Kintore, Countess of 
Hopetoun, a pure white and useful free-flowering 
variety ; Pilrig Park, a white, with three large blue 
blotches; and Sovereign, yellow, with brown blotches. 
Orchids were almost out of season, yet there w T as, 
nevertheless, a good sprinkling of bloom. In the cool 
house the varieties of Odontoglossum crispum were 
notable for the large size of the flowers, and the great 
breadth of the petals. Oncidium cucullatum nubi- 
genum, better known as 0. Phalaanopsis, was gay with 
its beautifull} 7 marked flowers. A variety of colours was 
also introduced by Cypripedium barbatum, Masdevallia 
Lindeni, and Epidendrum vitellinum majus. The 
bright scarlet berries of Nertera depressa also testified 
how much more suitable a plant it is for a cool than a 
high temperature. 
Two houses at a high temperature were occupied with 
Asiatic, East Indian and other Orchids. The Dendro- 
biums had just finished their growth, and were 
entering on a period of rest. Ansellia Africana had 
made some excellent fleshy pseudo-bulbs or stems 
about a yard in length and proportionately stout. 
That grand autumn and winter-flowering Cattleya, 
Dowiana was flowering in fine condition, and no Orchid 
lover can fail to admire the rich colour of the labellum 
with its closely arranged orange and crimson lines, 
contrasting so conspicuously with the nankeen-yellow 
of the sepals and petals. There were also some well- 
flowered specimens of Saccolabium Blumei majus, one 
of which was a particularly fine variety with dark 
markings and a pendent spike of flowers about 18 ins. 
in length. One of the most ornamental of the large 
genus Epidendrum, namely, E. prismatocarpum, was 
also gay with its beautifully and curiously ,marked 
flowers. 
A striking feature in the conservatory was a large 
plant of Cobaea scandens variegata in the finest possible 
condition as to foliage, draping the roof just under the 
highest ridge, where the ample ventilation given just 
meets its requirements admirably. The plant, like 
many other tall climbers, is never seen to advantage 
till it attains some size. The fine growth of Acacia 
dealbata trained up under the roof, gave good promise 
of a profusion of bloom later on. Calathea vittata rosea 
picta, known here as C. Lindeni, is a bright plant at any 
season of the year, and by no means difficult to accom¬ 
modate as to space. Conspicuous by its brilliant colour 
was Croton Baron Rothschild, which is the only 
one that keeps its colour here because considerably 
shaded by the surroundings. A variety of some loca]^ 
repute, and something in the way of the last, is 
named C. Thynei, and was named in compliment 
to Mr. Thyne, a nurseryman, by the raiser, Mr. 
Russell, at Redlands House. Amongst flowering plants 
in this house, Crinum Moorei held, its own, as it 
does everywhere when accorded suitable treatment. 
The bright scarlet flowers of Clerodendron fallax, an 
old-fashioned plant, still merit the attention they 
receive, and make the house gay in summer and 
autumn. As basket plants or for covering the back 
walls of stoves the species of zEschynanthus are found 
both useful and ornamental ; but z£. speciosus differs 
from most others in being more erect in habit, and 
amenable, with a little staking, to pot culture. The 
large, rich orange and scarlet flowers are very hand¬ 
some. zE. pulchellus was also flowering freely. 
All the three leading sections of [Grapes—that is, 
Sweetwater, Muscat and Vinous—are represented ; but 
the Vines are necessarily young, and have not yet 
come into full bearing. Nevertheless, from their 
healthy robust and general appearance, they gave good 
promise, and spoke favourably of the treatment they 
receive at the hands of Mr. David Wilson, the gardener 
in charge. White Sweetwater includes Royal Muscadine, 
Buckland’s Sweetwater and Foster’s White Seedling. 
The bunches of the latter were large and well shaped, 
while the individual berries were quite up to the 
standard with regard to size, and were finishing off 
beautifully. The two leading and most popular and 
universally cultivated Muscats — namely, Muscat of 
Alexandria and Madresfield Court—were in equally 
good condition, the bunches and berries of the latter 
being fine. Gros Colmar, representing the Vinous 
Grapes, was all that could be desired under the con¬ 
ditions ; but being started at the same time, and 
receiving similar treatment to the others, was not ripe 
at the time of our visit. A little-known sort, named 
Cooper’s Late, proved to be a bad setter, and the 
bunches were consequently unequal. 
-- 
BORONIA MEGASTIGMA. 
In looking over Vol. I. of The Gardening World 
I noticed at p. 410 that Mr. C. Warden says, at the 
end of a paragraph on this highly scented, Boronia “ I 
should be pleased to hear from any of your corre¬ 
spondents who have grown this plant, if they have 
succeeded in striking cuttings of it, and if so, under 
what circumstances.” So far as I can find no answer 
to this question was given. For the benefit of your 
readers in general, I may as well state that this par¬ 
ticular Boronia may be rooted from cuttings as easily 
as B. elatior, rather more care being required with the 
young plants, to protect them from damp after they 
are potted off from the cutting pot. 
To root them successfully the pots in which the 
cuttings are to be put must be well drained, and on 
the top of the drainage some rough peat or moss must 
be placed to prevent the cutting soil running amongst 
the crocks. A 6-in. pot that will take a 5-in. bell- 
glass easily within its rim, is as good a sized pot to use 
as any I can suggest. For the proper preparation of 
this kind of cutting pot, if the reader will refer to 
p. 441, Vol. III., all the necessary details are there 
given for the proper preparation of cutting pots for 
hard-wooded plants. 
To root B. megastigma successfully a certain amount 
of judgment is required in selecting the shoots that 
will root well and afterwards make good plants. I 
find the small and weak shoots that are usually to be 
found at the base of these plants root readily enough 
under proper treatment, but are not so apt to get away 
and make good plants like the tops of intermediate 
growths—that is, not the strongest nor yet the weakest 
shoots. If this kind of shoot is taken off, dressed, and 
inserted in a proper hard-wooded cutting pot with bell- 
glass over, placed in an intermediate temperature, and 
the system followed out as advised at p. 441, Vol. III., 
for this class of cutting, no difficulty will be found in 
obtaining a few additional plants of this very fine 
greenhouse plant. 
Damp is the greatest enemy this plant has to 
contend with until well established ; therefore, the 
utmost vigilance is necessary during the period of 
rooting and the season following. It may also be 
propagated by seeds, but those obtained from the con¬ 
tinental seedsmen so far, with me, have been unsuccessful 
in germinating. 
B. elatior strikes freely from cuttings, and soon 
makes nice young plants, the vigour of this species 
being greatly in favour of its redundancy in growth, 
which often requires the knife to keep it in proper 
bounds. — W. G. 
THE DELL, EGHAM. 
Amongst the numerous gems which find a home in 
Baron Schroder’s collection of Orchids, in flower just 
now are Cattleya Bowringiana, C. Dominiana (a grand 
specimen, with many spikes of fine flowers), C. Dowiana, 
C. Harrisoniae, C. H. alba, C. labiata, C. Gaskelliana, 
Lslia pumila, L. Dayana, L. margiuata, varieties of L. 
elegans (fine forms), and L. Perrinii. Of Cypripediums, 
Spicerianum, cenanthum, vexillarium, Arthurianum, 
Godefroyii, superbum, niveum, calurum, and Sedeni 
are only a few of those in flower. A perfect beauty is 
Dendrobium phalaenopsis. There are three plants in 
flower, one of them perfectly distinct, measuring over 
3 ins. in diameter, and much darker than the other 
two. This is a grand variety, and is undoubtedly the 
finest of this now numerous family. It appears to me 
to be allied to D. bigibbum, but is very much superior 
in both size and colour, the latter being a very deep 
warm magenta-purple in the petals, the lip a dense 
rosy purple, and the throat a rich maroon-crimson. It 
is a flower of great substance, and most conspicuous. 
I believe it was originally introduced from North 
Australia. 
Many Masdevallias and Odontoglossoms are also in 
flower; likewise a few Oncidiums, including O. 
varicosum, &c. The old Maxillaria picta is represented 
by a fine specimen in full beauty, and amongst the 
Vandas a grand variety of V. coerulea is very attractive. 
The many spikes on the Laelias and Odontoglossums, 
the numerous sheaths on the Cattleyas, and the 
dozens of spikes the Calanthes are showing speak well 
for a grand display shortly. 
The Nepenthes house is fine just now, the rare and 
beautiful varieties having many fine pitchers, all the 
best varieties being well represented. The stove 
plants are just as vigorous and healthy as usual, and 
the house erected last year for Chrysanthemums is full 
of well-grown plants of all the leading sorts of incurved, 
Japanese, reflexed, Anemones, and Pompons worthy of 
cultivation. Many extraordinary flowers are open, and 
the display worthy of a long journey to see ; in fact, a 
visit to The Dell at any time of the year well repays one 
for the journey. Another grand feature at The Dell 
just now is the extensive collection of Nerine Fothergillii 
major. This is one of the most beautiful flowering 
plants at this season of the year that it is possible to 
behold, and for conservatory decoration it is invaluable, 
its intense bright trusses of orange-scarlet flowers 
rendering it most attractive. A few days ago I saw 
some 500 spikes of flowers in one house, and a great 
many of them had as many as sixteen flowers on a 
spike, and I noticed one plant with nineteen spikes. 
For grouping it is most useful, the colour standing out 
very conspicuous. Mr. Ballantine grows his plants in 
a cool temperature, and the grand condition they are 
in shows it is just what they require.— A. 0. 
-- 
LA.PAGERIA ROSEA. 
There are many varieties or forms of Lapageria in 
cultivation, differing chiefly in size, and the depth of 
colouration. Some of the paler forms may certainly be 
described as rose, and when this occurs the pale or 
white spots are brought out with great prominence ; 
but, on the other hand, when the colouration becomes 
intensified, it becomes inclined to crimson or rosy 
crimson. The Nash Court variety, of which we give 
an illustration, is externally of an intense unspotted 
rosy crimson, with a rich shining lustre, while internally 
it is closely and conspicuously marked with white, on a 
slightly paler ground. We must also speak in eulogistic 
terms of the great size of the flowers of this variety, as 
they measure from 3f ins. to 4 ins. in length, and ap¬ 
pear magnificent as they hang in closely contiguous pairs. 
The weight also is something extraordinary, which speaks 
for itself of the great substance of the floral segments 
popularly termed petals. The firmness and rigidity of 
the same correspond with their thickness or substance. 
A number of leaves, and shoots bearing leaves which 
accompanied some flowers kindly sent us by Mr. 
Humphrey, gardener at Nash Court, were equally, if 
not more remarkable for their noble dimensions. 
Without the accompaniment of flowers, we should 
certainly have said the leaves were those of L. rosea 
alba enormously enlarged, as the leaves of the latter 
variety are naturally broader than those of the type. 
The leaves of the Nash Court variety of L. rosea are 
heart-shaped, elongated, instead of lanceolate, and 
measure from 4 ins. to 7 ins. in length, by 3 ins. to 
4J ins. in width ; and are of a firm and leathery texture, 
deep green, and shining. We have also been favoured 
with flowers from Messrs. John Laing & Sons, Forest 
Hill, who have acquired the stock, and who will put 
this grand variety into commerce. 
