December 3, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
213 
leopardinum, together with four or five more good 
plants in bloom, among which was an extra fine and 
showy 0. sceptrum. From Mr. Jules de Cock, among 
half a dozen good plants with fresh flowers, came a 
strong specimen of Cypripedium oenanthum, which is 
fine and attractive in its colours ; and also a good 
Oncidium tigrinum. Mr. Desmet-Duvivier exhibited 
fine plants of Cattleya velutina, Zygopetalum inter¬ 
media, Cattleya pumila priestans, Calanthe veratrifolia, 
C. vestita, and Cypripedium Chantini, all being showy 
Orchids. 
Messrs. Vervaet & Co. showed two very distinct 
varieties of Cattleya Dowiana aurea, one being in all 
its divisions high-coloured orange, with dark purple 
in the lip, and the other just the opposite ; all the 
parts were very pale but bright yellow and purple. 
The more one sees of these the better one begins to 
distinguish them from the old C. Dowiana from Costa 
Rica, which is never so bright or attractive, and is also 
of quite a different habit of growth and way of flower¬ 
ing. From this nursery there came a dozen plants, 
among which were noteworthy two extra healthy- 
looking plants of Odontoglossum crispum, with fine 
spikes and large blooms, also Cypripedium cardinalis 
and C. Sanderiana, with two blooms ; the latter was 
shown here for the first time. 
Mr. J. Hye also brought half a dozen more fine plants, 
amongst which was an extra good and curiously- 
spotted Cypripedium insigne, very much like, if not 
the same, as the one called C. insigne "Wallacei. 
Cypripedium Arthurianum was there once more, to 
show that its colours were now much brighter than 
when the flower had only been open eight or ten days ; 
also an extra fine variety of Oncidium Forbesii. Mr. de 
Meulenaer had also a fine Dendrobium Paxtoni, two 
good Oncidium Jonesianum, and the rarely seen 
Epidendrum Parkinsonianum.— L. Masereel, Ghent, 
November 28th. 
-- 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED 
By the Floral Committee of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society.— November 23rd. 
Chrysanthemums. 
Agnes Flight. —New Japanese varieties continue 
to pour in, and in this we have a pure white of rare 
merit. The flower-heads are broad and spreading, with 
long twisted florets, the outer ones especially exhibiting 
this peculiarity, and being revolute at the margins as 
well as twisted, give the variety a very distinct and 
pretty appearance. Its distinctness, as well as the 
large size of the flower-heads and their purity, will 
constitute this a fine exhibition variety. 
Alba fimbriata. —"Without professing to know the 
parentage of this new Japanese variety, we should 
compare it to a fimbriated form of Elaine. The flower- 
heads are comparatively long and semi-globular, with 
densely-arranged, broad, flat florets, deeply cut or 
fimbriated at the apex, and pointed to all directions of 
the hemispherical mass. Their florets also become 
tinted with blush as they become old. Both this and 
the above-mentioned are seedlings of Messrs. J. Laing 
& Sons, Forest Hill. Exhibited by Mr. T. W. Flight, 
Twyford. 
Charles Gibson. — Being a sport from Mrs. Norman 
Davis, this is necessarily an incurved and new coloured 
variety, the parent itself being a sport from Princess 
Teck. The flower heads are larger than those of Mrs. 
Norman Davis, with broader, closely incurved florets, 
that are somewhat bristly at the apex on the exterior 
surface. They are heavily suffused with buff-red or 
fawn on a yellow ground, which is most conspicuous 
at the apex of the florets, especially while they are 
expanding. It will be amenable for exhibition pur¬ 
poses, and is named in compliment to Mr. Gibson, of 
Morden Park. Exhibited by Mr. Edward Mizen, 
Mitcham. 
Miss Annie Lowe. —In this we have another sport, 
a fine coloured variety, from Lady Margaret, and which, 
therefore, belongs to the large Anemone section. Lady 
Margaret is pure white, and one of the finest of its 
kind ; while its sport has the numerous florets of the 
ray or guard of a soft canary yellow. The disk florets 
are of a deep bright yellow, making a fine contrast to 
those of the rays, to which they seem to lend an 
additional glow. The central florets are also deeply 
toothed at the apex as in the parent. Exhibited by 
Mr. Joseph Lowe, Uxbridge. 
Miss Maggie Mitchell. —The blooms shown of 
this variety were taken from a plant about 2 ft. 6 ins. 
high. It is a Japanese variety with large heads of an 
irregularly semi-globose shape, but somewhat flattened 
at the top. The florets themselves are also con¬ 
spicuously of irregular lengths, and flat, but of medium 
width, and more or less distinctly or heavily striped 
and suffused with lilac. Exhibited by Messrs. W. & 
J. Drover, Fareham. 
Primula sinensis, Emperor. 
The leaves of this variety are triangular cordate, 
deeply lobed, and therefore similar to those of the 
ordinary type, but being large and robust, indicate 
that the variety is of good constitution. The flowers 
are large and flat, but with strongly imbricated seg¬ 
ments, and in the dull light of the London atmosphere 
appeared of a rich crimson-red colour, suffused with 
violet around the regularly five-lobed, deep golden 
yellow eye. Exhibited by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, 
Swanley, Kent. 
-->££<*- 
ERIOSTEMON BUXIFOLIUS. 
"Where a love still exists for the old-fashioned New 
Holland plants, a few of the species of Eriostemon 
still find favour on account of their floriferous character 
and the purity of their flowers, which resemble Orange 
blossom. They are, moreover, related to the Orange, 
and are furnished with glands in the tissues of 
the leaves or towards their surface, giving them a 
characteristic odour. The fragrance of the flowers 
when a species possesses it is different from that of the 
leaves, and altogether more pleasant. All are slow 
growing freely-branching plants of neat habit, and the 
leaves of E. buxifolius are small and densely arranged. 
It requires a greenhouse temperature in winter, but in 
order to flower it freely, a somewhat higher temperature 
will be necessary than that merely to preserve it ; and 
the atmosphere must be kept rather dry to prevent the 
flowers becoming spotted. 
-- 
A FEW HINTS ON ROSE 
GROWING. 
( Concluded from p . 198.,) 
Tea Roses are all the fashion now, so, perhaps, I may 
be in order if I give a few hints as to their culture. 
There are two classes of Teas. One class, like Gloire de 
Dijon, rampant, climbing, large - growing varieties, 
which bear their blooms on the wood made and ripened 
the preceding year. The other class, smaller growers 
like Niphetos, Catherine Mermet and others, which, 
like the H.P.’s, make wood and flowers in one and the 
same season. It is not difficult to cultivate the small 
growers ; and this being so, I do not see why we should 
grieve because the large growers are less accommodating. 
In the open air the only way the large growers can be 
cultivated is by having them as climbers on walls or 
houses, or by matting them up very carefully in the 
winter. The difficulty is that Tea Roses grow always, 
and it is impossible to get the wood ripe enough to 
stand the frost; but with the dwarf-growing kinds we 
can manage better. If we wish to grow these we should 
construct raised beds on the level ground, having about 
2 ft. of light sandy soil, and we may add leaf-mould, 
peat, old manure, sand, lime, or anything similar. 
Here our plants should be planted out in spring, about 
May, and by the following autumn they would be well 
established. To withstand the winter they should be 
earthed up like Potatos, and hay or dried Ferns tied 
loosely round them. In this way they will rarely 
suffer any injury, and in the following spring they 
should be cut in close to the ground, when they will 
begin at once to grow and give us all the season a 
quantity of beautiful flowers. The difficulty all 
through is to get the wood to ripen, or to stop the 
growth ; in other words, if we were to grow our plants 
in pots, and about the end of August take them up and 
put them under a wall or lay the pots on their sides 
the shoots would soon ripen and plants quickly stop 
their growth. But when all is said and done, the only 
way to see the Tea Rose in its full luxuriance and 
beauty is to see it in a Rose house, where it climbs and 
rambles over the roof and rafters, secure from the 
attacks of the winter frost and cold. 
A word on watering. Many people imagine that if 
in dry weather they keep constantly pouring cold water 
on the surface of the ground they are doing good. Let 
me tell them they are doing quite the opposite—they 
are doing a deal of harm. Much more good would be 
effected by hoeing the surface of the soil, and keeping 
a fine tilth. It is a vexed question whether watering 
Roses in the open ground does them any good at all. 
There is no question about the harm it does when done 
at the wrong time, or too often. If the leaves of your 
Rose tree are shrivelling, then you must give water to 
save the plant’s life ; but so long as the plant looks 
healthy, and has good green leaves on it, it is just as 
well left alone. But where we want extra fine flowers 
we may give our plants stimulating fluids, liquid 
manures ; but we should give these when the sun has 
set, or before he has risen, so as not to chill the ground 
and the plant. 
Now I will conclude with a few remarks on manures. 
Lime I look upon as the best of all manures. If there 
is no lime in a soil, manure will not be much good. 
We should make haste to add it, for the following 
reasons :—Because lime supplies that which all plants 
require as part of their food ; because it combines with 
the acids in the soil, and so makes it sweet and fit 
for cultivation ; and because it turns the manures, 
vegetable and mineral matters in the soil into plant 
food. We must add lime at intervals, as it sinks down 
beyond the reach of the spade, the plants absorbing it, 
and the rains wash it away. It is useless to keep on 
adding manure to our soil, except we keep it in good 
heart. 
“Lime and lime without manure 
Will make both farm and farmer poor.” 
The cheapest form of manure is that which we generally 
in this country throw away. The erection of an earth 
closet on the premises will put each of us in possession 
of one of the most valuable stimulating agents possible. 
Good farm-yard manure is hard to beat for general 
work, and it should be the mainstay of the Rose 
grower. The best way to treat farm-yard manure is to 
put it into the land at once. If this is not convenient, 
then let it be made into a ridge-shaped heap, so that 
the water will run off without washing through the 
interior, and by this means conveying away and 
■wasting the best part of it. Bones and the preparations 
of them are among the most valuable manures we 
possess. A handful of bone dust or dissolved bones 
thrown round about the roots of a Rose tree will do 
wonders. Probably one of the best preparations of 
bone is in the form of Beeson’s Manure. I have used 
it with very good effect, and where it has failed to 
answer it is generally owing to the fault of those using, 
or, rather, abusing it. Remember it is powerful, and 
should be added, like all other soluble manures, not 
when the plant is at rest, but in the spring-time, when 
the sap is flowing and the leaves are on the trees. It 
is one of the most powerful stimulants I am acquainted 
with. I spoke just now of liquid manure. This is 
best made by putting fresh horse-droppings into a tub 
of water, and when diluted to the colour of pale ale it 
may be safely poured over the roots of Roses in the 
open ground. Never pour such strong liquid as this 
on dry ground, but first thoroughly moisten the roots 
with plain clear water, and then add the stimulants. 
Do not water when the sun is shining on the plants, 
but choose the evening or early morning for the work. 
In conclusion, let me say that he who wishes to grow 
the finest Roses must not mind a little trouble. They 
do not require much attention, but a little care they must 
have. There is no flower like the Rose, and there is 
none that so richly repays the pains we bestow upon it. 
