412 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 25 , 1888. 
melted and disappeared. Last year in the month of 
March 1 find by my notes that I recorded on the 13 th 
20° of frost, whilst on the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 
and 19th of that month 16°, 16°, 15°, 14°, 9°, and 13° 
of frost were registered. It is well some amount of 
cold has come to put a little check to vegetation, for 
already Roses were bursting well into leaf, and many 
other things were showing signs of an early movement. 
"With cold nights we are, however, having brighter 
days, and to the many who have early Peaches just 
about flowering, this bright cheering sunshine will 
give every hope of a good set and a satisfactory crop. 
How desirable it is, therefore, that all pertaining to 
early forcing should be pushed on during the com¬ 
paratively slack months of December and January, so 
that when bright cheery sunshine blesses us—as it is 
just now doing—the trees, plants, &e., should be in 
their positions, and prepared to respond to the utmost 
of their capacity to the life-giving influences that are so 
freely and lavishly imparted by the glorious sun. How 
often the hiding of its rays for a few days, just when 
the flowers have burst, has, in a large measure, con¬ 
tributed to the failure of a crop of Peaches ! Still, it 
does not always follow that a good crop will necessarily 
be the result of a clear turn of sunshine, for some 
houses and trees seemed destined to act upon the rule 
of contrary, and a good batch of fruit will sometimes 
reward the grower when the early seasons have appeared 
the least propitious. Exceptions, however, seemingly 
prove the rule. Let all, therefore, who have forcing of 
any sort now on hand make an effort to have everything 
pertaining to the plants, trees, &e., carefully carried 
out, so that the genial atmospheric influences we are 
now almost sure to experience may be welcomed, and 
allowed to carry on their beneficial though quiet labour, 
and so working with the ground, may result in full 
crops of finely-flavoured fruit, gladdening and pleasing 
all who are interested in them.— TV. Swan, Preston. 
Miconia Hookeriana. 
Closely allied to this and better known in gardens is 
Miconia magnifica, generally grown, however, under the 
name of Cyanophyllum magnificum. Like most of the 
family to which this belongs, the venation is very 
conspicuous, and highly characteristic. The bluish 
tint of M. magnifica gives place to a more metallic tint 
in M. Hookeriana, and of the five veins traversing the 
leaf longitudinally, the three principal ones are broad 
and of a clear silvery hue, which contrasts finely with 
the metallic tint of the rest of the leaves. The surface 
is rugose or finely wrinkled ; the outline is elliptic, and 
generally measures about 6 ins. in length and 3 ins. in 
width. These dimensions, it will be seen, are much 
smaller than those of M. magnifica ; hut the deficit in 
size is more than made up by the great beauty and 
attractive nature of the foliage. We noticed a fine 
stock the other day in Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons’ 
establishment at Chelsea. 
Plumbago capensis. 
Being an old established favourite this is now familiar 
to everyone engaged in horticulture, and is admirably 
adapted for training to pillars or trellises in the con¬ 
servatory. Where circumstances will permit, it ought 
to be planted out in a border where it will grow 
luxuriantly, and flower profusely if trained in such a 
manner as to have advantage of all the light possible. 
The flowers, which are of pleasing hue, are produced in 
large trusses or panicles on the new growths that are 
pushed from the firmly matured wood. It will make 
vigorous growth in a shaded situation, but it is not 
advisable to plant in such positions, as the influence of 
the sun and air is essential to the ripening of the wood, 
and unless the wood be thoroughly matured it will not 
flower satisfactorily. But as the construction of some 
houses will not allow of planting out, recourse must 
therefore be had to pot culture. The pot can he stood 
on the stage, and the plant trained to pillars or trellises, 
and if properly managed will produce flowers in abun¬ 
dance. Well-filled baskets of Leadwort, suspended 
from the roof of the conservatory, are certainly not 
common, but could easily be made so if desired, as the 
growths are of a flexible nature, and may he twisted 
into almost any desired form. As a specimen plant the 
Plumbago constitutes an important feature, and never 
fails to attract the attention and elicit the approbation 
of all who pass through the exhibition marquee where 
it, in common with Stephanotis and Bougainvillea, 
invariably figures conspicuously in the group of speci¬ 
men flowering plants, the beautiful lavender-blue 
trusses contrasting very favourably with the flower 
masses of the above-named subjects. An admixture of 
good turfy loam and sand will suit this subject admir¬ 
ably. If a quantity of peat be incorporated it will be 
found a valuable addition, but not an absolute necessity 
to the successful cultivation of the Plumbago. When 
the plants have done flowering in autumn they should 
be stood outdoors in full exposure to the sun, so as to 
have the wood thoroughly matured, and afterwards be 
removed to an open shed or similar structure on the 
approach of heavy rains, not omitting to take them out 
when the storm is over. The roots should be kept 
rather dry throughout the winter ; under this treatment 
Plumbagos invariably lose all their largest leaves, but 
when -watered again in spring they start into growth 
very freely. All necessary pruning, training, and 
potting ought to be done before the plants are too 
advanced in growth. Plumbago capensis alba, intro¬ 
duced by Mr. Williams some three years ago, is still but 
little known, and as a consequence is of limited distribu¬ 
tion, but when better known is certain to be considered 
a desirable acquisition. If it will not thrive satis¬ 
factorily under the treatment given to P. capensis, the 
horticultural press will soon give publicity to its re¬ 
quirements.—J". Peebles. 
The White Winter-flowering Heath. 
We judge of the utility and economy of a garden plant 
for general decorative purposes by the facility with 
which it can be propagated and grown by the majority 
of cultivators. The hybrid Erica hyemalis has proved 
a popular garden plant of rare merit, and few gardeners 
are without a stock of it where decorative subjects of 
this class are grown. The white variety, E. h. alba, 
is equally floriferous and beautiful as the older form, 
and as easily grown. As it becomes plentiful it will, 
no doubt, find its way into every collection where the 
other is grown, by way of contrast. With the exception 
of the dark-coloured stamens, it is entirely white—not 
so pure, perhaps, as E. decolorans when the latter first 
expands, but the tube is longer, wider, and the plant is 
more easily grown. We noticed it the other day in the 
nurseries of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Fertilising Moss. 
I think of trying to grow a few greenhouse plants and 
Ferns this spring in fertilising moss. Would some of 
your readers who have used it kindly advise me which 
plants would be most likely to flower well, and also 
what foliage plants I should be likely to succeed with. 
My greenhouse is light, and well heated .—Crows Nest. 
-->3r<—- 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
DENDROBIUM NOBILE COOKSONI. 
I AM much surprised to see the name of D. nobile 
Cooksoni among the list of Orchids certificated at South 
Kensington last Tuesday week, as I well remember the 
original plant being shown some two or three years ago 
by Mr. Cookson himself, and I thought certificated. 
If it was not, why not ? For it was as worthy of a 
certificate then as now. Perhaps, however, it is 
necessary for plants to become the property of the 
president or some member of the council before the 
Floral Committee can recognise their merits. If this 
is so, the fact might as well be stated in the rules of 
the Royal Horticultural Society .—An Outsider, Feb. 
20 th. [It had not been certificated before.— Ed.] 
Epidendrum Endresii. 
We usually find that Epidendrums, when small, are 
generally green, inconspicuous, and insignificant; but 
this is certainly not the case with E. Endresii, which 
may be described as a gem in miniature. In habit, the 
erect and leafy stems are comparable to those of 
E. ellipticum ; but in stature and foliage the species 
under notice is very different. The slender stems are 
about 6 ins. in height, and closely covered with small 
evergreen leathery leaves, auriculed or clasping at the 
base, and withal so neat in form that the species might 
not inaptly be termed E. buxifolia—a name which, we 
believe, has sometimes been applied. The flowers are 
produced in a very much contracted or shortened 
terminal raceme, and are pure white with the exception 
of a violet blotch on the labellum, which serves greatly 
to give the whole flower character. We noticed 
specimens blooming the other day in Mr. William 
Bull’s nursery, at Chelsea. 
Cattleya maxima decora. 
The Orchid under notice owes its varietal name to its 
being very much paler than the typical form. Sepals 
and petals are wdiite, the latter being also very faintly 
veined and reticulated with purple. The labellum is 
also pure white, with a median yellow band and a faint 
purple reticulation. A specimen was in full flower the 
other day at Selbome Lodge, Leigham Court Road, 
Streatham, and the noteworthy peculiarity about it 
was that the plant possessed one lead only, with six 
pseudo-bulbs, four of the youngest of which had thrown 
a sheath, and were flowering simultaneously. The 
fourth pseudo-bulb must be several years old, and 
freaks of this nature we do not see very frequently. 
The treatment accorded it by Mr. C. J. Salter, the 
gardener, must have been very much to its liking. 
Harrison’s Saccolabium. 
The pure white flowers of this Orchid, Saccolabium 
violaceum Harrisonianum, are most welcome and 
charming, coming as they do in the dullest part of 
winter. The stout, pendulous, fox-brush-like spike 
sometimes attains a length of 2 ft., and there is nothing 
to mar the purity of the snow-white flowers, except 
a green blotch on the front of the column, which rather 
heightens the attractiveness of the flowers than other¬ 
wise. Their fragrance is also delicious, and adds greatly 
to their value. The plant has been flowering for some 
time in the grand collection of R. H. Measures, Esq., 
The Woodlands, Streatham, and Mr. Fraser, his 
gardener, says that it lasts altogether for about six 
weeks in perfection. 
Cattleya Trian/e Osmanni. 
Considerable interest attaches to this variety, inas¬ 
much as it was one of the first to create a sensation 
amongst Orchid growers in general, by reason of the 
high price it commanded, and its fine appearance. 
The sepals and petals are large, and pale rose, while 
the magnificence of the whole flower centres in the 
labellum, the upper lobe of which measures from 2 ins. 
to 2J ins. wide, beautifully crisped at the margin, wide 
at the mouth, and of a rich deep purple, this colouring 
being well carried back into the tube. A fine specimen 
is flowering in the collection of R. H. Measures, Esq., 
The Woodlands, Streatham. 
Phaius tuberculosus. 
It is much to be regretted that this magnificent Orchid 
is so difficult to flower, and is so seldom seen in gardens, 
for undoubtedly no other species of Phaius surpasses it 
in richness of colouring. The flowers on two spikes 
bearing five and four respectively were fully expanded 
the other day when we examined them in the collection 
of J. Southgate, Esq., Selborne Lodge, Leigham Court 
Road, Streatham. Sepals and petals are white, while 
the labellum seems a curious interblending or mixture 
of orange or brown. The reflexed lateral [lobes, the 
three ridged medium crest, and the large cushion of 
coarse hairs near the base of the tube are all curious, 
and very characteristic of this species ; to this must be 
added the rose and white terminal lobe of the lip, which 
adds greatly to the striking appearance of the flowers. 
Notwithstanding the deficiency of sunlight and the 
unsettled character of the weather the foliage was very 
healthy. 
L/ELIA ELEGANS. 
A magnificent form of this is now flowering grandly 
in the collection of R. H. Measures, Esq., The Wood¬ 
lands, Streatham. Of three grand pieces imported 
about three or four months ago, one now carries two 
spikes of six flowers each, and the two spikes being of 
different ages, a good succession will be kept up. The 
German collector who sent it home described it as 
“ the king of the woods,” a title it well deserves, both 
for the noble proportions of the plant, the depth of 
colouring of the flowers, and their delicious fragrance. 
The latter reminds us of Heliotrope intensified, and 
pervades the whole house, so as to give unmistakeable 
evidence of the presence of the plant. The paler- 
coloured flowers amongst Orchids are usually the most 
powerfully fragrant, and we should hardly have ex¬ 
pected so dark a variety to be so sweetly perfumed as it 
is. The sepals are pale rose, the petals dark rosy 
purple, and the bifid and terminal lobe of the labellum 
rich purple and curiously ridged and warted. The tube 
externally is white or tinted with pink. The whole 
flower measures 7 ins. across the petals, and every part 
is of great substance. The stems or pseudo-bulbs range 
from 18 ins. to 1 yd. in length, and carry at their 
extremity two large leathery leaves. 
Cattleya exoniensis. 
This beautiful hybrid seems to flower at different times 
throughout the early autumn and winter. When 
flowering in bright weather the colours are very rich, 
but those produced in winter approach in appearance 
more nearly to Lfelia crispa, which, with Cattleya 
Mossiie, was its parent. A specimen flowering in the 
Orchid houses of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons at Forest Hill 
has now nearly white sepals and petals, and white lip 
with orange throat, the purple colour of the front portion 
