486 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 31, 1888. 
Society of Agriculture and Botany of Ghent, and that 
among the subjects set down for discussion are the 
following :—The state the horticultural trade is placed 
in by the Phylloxera Convention ; the necessity of free 
exchange in horticultural transactions ; and the for¬ 
mation of an international federation of horticulturists. 
Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society. 
■—A Rose show will be held in the new Exhibition 
Hall in the gardens of this society, at Edgbaston, 
Birmingham, on July 12th and 13th. 
Royal Horticultural Society. — A special general 
meeting of the society will be held in the Council Room, 
No. Ill, Victoria Street, SAY., on Tuesday, the 10th 
of April, to take into consideration a code of new bye¬ 
laws to be submitted by the council for the future 
management of the society. 
The Corent Garden Club was opened on Wednesday 
evening, the 21st inst., when a smoking concert took 
place at the Covent Garden Hotel (where the club is 
located), which was largely attended. The president, 
Mr. J. B. Thomas, announced that upwards of eighty 
members were already enrolled, and he anticipated 
that the number would very soon be largely increased. 
The club has been promoted chiefly for the accommo¬ 
dation of Covent Garden salesmen and growers, and 
senders of produce from the country. 
Tuberoses.—The climate and soil of the United 
States being well adapted to' the cultivation of -the 
Tuberose, hundreds of thousands of bulbs have been 
sent yearly to Europe during the past five years, the 
bulbs being larger and heavier than those grown in 
Italy. The fine pure white variety named Pearl is of 
American origin, and was first distributed about ten 
years ago. It is much dwarfer in growth than the old 
type, while the flowers are larger, and handsomely 
imbricated like those of a Camellia. 
The Entertainment to the Employes of the Royal 
Horticultural Society.—The committee who have this 
matter in hand have arranged that the employes shall 
be invited to supper at the Bolton Hotel, Bolton 
Gardens, High Road, Chiswick, on Friday evening, 
April 6 th, at 7 p.m. Mr. Harry J. Veitch has kindly 
consented to take the chair. Visitors will be gladly 
welcomed. Supper tickets 5s. each. The Bolton 
Hotel is five minutes walk from Turnham Green Station. 
Those intending to be present should give their names 
to Mr. R. Dean, Ranelagh Road, Ealing. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—We are 
pleased to hear from Mr. Cutler that the late Lord 
Northwiek has, by his will, left a legacy of £100, free 
of duty, to this institution. The secretary also informs 
us that the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., has 
appointed Wednesday, the 4th July next, for the anni¬ 
versary dinner of the institution, upon which occasion 
he will take the chair. It is unfortunate that the 
evening selected should be the same as that fixed for 
the Royal Botanic Society’s evening fete, but we 
trust there will be no falling off in the attendance on 
that account. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the usual monthly 
meeting of the executive committee, held on the 23rd 
inst., the honorary secretary reported the receipt of 
donations and subscriptions since the previous meeting 
amounting to £48 6s. 6<L, and that after discharging 
all liabilities, there was a balance at the bank of 
£545 2s. 5 d. A proposal was made that £500 should 
be invested -at once ; but it was considered advisable to 
defer the operation until the new conversion scheme of 
the Chancellor of the Exchequer has got into working 
order. Mr. Barron also made the gratifying announce¬ 
ment that of the sum of £1,500 promised in the form 
of donations and subscriptions, nearly £1,200 had 
already been received. Several forms of collecting- 
boxes were submitted for examination, and the com¬ 
mittee selected one which appeared to answer the 
general requirements, and make arrangements for having 
a number made. It was decided that the first annual 
meeting of the subscribers should be held at 2 p.m. on 
July 13th, and various sub-committees were appointed 
to make the different arrangements for conducting the 
day’s proceedings. 
The Bermuda Easter Lily.—This is L. Harrisi, and 
is a fine variety of the well-known L. longiflorum. It 
is now largely grown by the United States nurserymen 
for the European trade, and they cultivate it in 
Bermuda. It is said that the promise of the present 
crop is very good, and the growers are ready to deliver 
about August 1st, by which time the roots will be 
thoroughly ripened. That L. Harrisi produces finer 
flowers than L. longiflorum is certain, and they are 
pure white and of the most delicious fragrance. It has 
one most valuable quality—it can be grown to flower 
in the greatest profusion from the Christmas holidays 
throughout the rest of the winter until spring, according 
to the time it is planted and the temperature at which 
it is kept. Many thousands of bulbs are grown for 
supplying flowers for church decoration at Easter; 
hence its common name. 
-- 
A CRESTED CYCLAMEN. 
At the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, held on Tuesday last, 
Mr. O’Brien showed a flower in which the petals pro¬ 
duced a crest-like outgrowth from the upper surface of 
the petals, as figured in our columns, vol. i, page 
525, and here reproduced. But in this instance there 
was the additional peculiarity that the petals were not 
reflexed as usual, but formed a belt-shaped corolla. 
Dr. Masters adverted to the anatomical peculiarities of 
these flowers, which were referred to Dr. Scott for 
further examination as to their structural details. 
-- 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED 
By the Floral Committee of the R. H. S, 
March 27th. 
Spathoglottis Kimballiana. 
In this we have another grand new species allied to S. 
angustorum. It appeared in Stevens’ Rooms on the 
30th September of last year, where it -was described 
A Crested Cyclamen. 
as having brilliant yellow flowers spotted with purple 
on the lip, and produced on the flower stems from 
ft. to 2 ft. in length, and now it appears in all its 
beauty with a flower stem about 30 ins. in length, and 
fully equal to the description. The stem and flower 
buds before expansion are reddish crimson, and the 
expanded flowers of a brilliant yellow spotted with 
reddish purple on the base of the side lobes, the crest 
and along the middle of the terminal lobe ; the 
leaves are about 3 ft. in length and plicate, as in 
S. angustorum. The flowers of the latter are white 
tinged with pink. Exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P. (gardener, Mr. Bickerstaff). 
Dendrobium crassixode superbum. 
A well-flowered specimen of this was exhibited, showing 
its floriferous character and the handsome form of 
its flowers, which are much larger than the type, and 
more highly coloured. The sepals and petals are deep 
rosy purple for nearly half their length, and shining, 
while the lower half is white. The labellum has the 
characteristic large golden yellow blotch at the base, 
constituting the larger part of it ; this is surrounded 
with a narrow white band, and the apical portion is 
coloured similarly to the sepals and petals. The 
pseudo-bulbs are moderately strong. Exhibited by 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P. (gardener, Mr. 
Bickerstaff). 
Phalzenopsis, John Seden. 
Whatever may be the opinion of the public concerning 
this Sedenian hybrid, there can be no doubt as to its 
distinctness from any other hybrid which has yet 
appeared, or from any species in cultivation. The 
sepals are equally spotted all over with pale rosy violet 
spots on a pale yellow ground, with a faint tint of 
violet at the base of some of them. The petals are 
white, and pale yellow at the apex, spotted in the same 
manner as the sepals. The three-lobcd lip is a mixture 
of pale violet and yellow, and spotted with darker 
spots. There is a short fleshy ridge at the apex of the 
middle lobe which terminates in two short, erect, 
white, antennee-like processes. Exhibited by Baron 
Schroder (gardener, Mr. Ballantine), The Dell, Egham. 
Rose, Gloire de Polyantha. 
The flowers of this variety are much larger than those of 
most of the varieties of Rosa polyantha when fully 
expanded, not even excepting the white Parqueritte, 
and produced in a somewhat corymbose panicle at the 
apex of the shoots. In colour they are of a clear rose 
and spread out, not conical. The leaves are also large, 
deep green, and divided into seven or nine ovate leaflets, 
which frequently exhibit curious little appendages like 
stipellse at their bases. The whole plant would be 
about 15 ins. or more in height. Exhibited by Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt. 
Syrixga vulgaris, Marie Lemoine. 
In this we have a pure white Lilac that is admirably 
■ adapted for forcing, and will no doubt be largely used 
for this purpose when it becomes plentiful. The flowers 
are much larger than the typical form of common Lilac, 
and of good substance. The segments of the corolla 
are broad, rounded, and concave. The foliage when 
forced is half green. Exhibited by Messrs. Paul & Son, 
Cheshunt. 
-- 
ORCHIDS AT BIRDHILL, 
CLONMEL. 
The Orchid lover can at all times find much to interest 
him among the fine collection here belonging to George 
Gough, Esq., and to which he is constantly adding. 
Some of the most recent additions, coming from a well- 
known Lancashire firm, such as new Lselias, Odonto- 
glossums, Cattleyas, &c., will be objects of interest for 
some time to come. A short time since, Mr. Gough 
had a consignment of several hundreds direct from 
Assam, and though many of these were correctly named, 
there was sufficient uncertainty as to whether they 
should prove equal or superior to established varieties 
or species, as to make their flowering a point of great 
interest. A somewhat similar lottery adds zest to the 
production of florists’ flowers. Hitherto the new 
hybrid Cypripediums, Phalcenopsis, &c., requiring 
considerable moisture, were placed in the East Indian 
house, often beside Dendrobes, Oncidiums, Lselias, 
Masdevallias, &e., requiring less. To avoid building a 
special house, besides that devoted to Cattleyas, the 
structure is now divided by means of a thick linen 
house-cloth, specially suited for evaporation purposes, 
and capable of being lifted if the state of the 
atmosphere or temperature, shading or otherwise 
required. As this arrangement has many things to 
recommend it for limited private collections, I specially 
note it. 
Most of the Cattleyas now in bloom, or past, have 
been removed to the drier and warmer atmosphere of 
the conservatory during alterations, where a minimum 
temperature of 65° Fah. has been maintained. There 
are still blooming, four varieties or sub-varieties of 
Cattleya Trianaj, including C. T. delicata and C. T. 
Warneri, the lip colouring and marginal frizzing in 
both being wondrously rich and deep. A few are 
waning after being brilliant for two months ; C. Men- 
deili, C. Mossiee and superbiens are coming on rapidly 
to continue; C. Dowiana, and the still scarce C. 
labiata Percivaliana from the Organ Mountains of 
Brazil, have been added to the collection. Here 
Lfelias, Vandas, Masdevallias, and Cymbidiums seem 
to compete both as to length and fragrance o blooming. 
I should have added Angrtecum, for there are here A. 
sesquipedale and A. eburneum, the great solid ivory¬ 
like fleshy blooms of which last quite ten weeks at a 
time ; this is what makes many Orchids so welcome, 
and in staying powers peerless during the winter 
months. Very sweet, too, is Lemon’s Ccelogyne 
cristata ; the older form just finishing up. C. barbata 
and C. ocellata are well grown here also. 
There is a special house for Odontoglossums, Epiden- 
drums, Oncidiums, Masdevallias, &c., requiring cooler 
treatment. Of the former alone, though Mr. Gough 
thinks his collection limited, the number exceeds 150, 
while of Dendrobes that number is exceeded. O. 
Alexandra; and its varieties seem always in bloom, and 
at present share attention with O. Pescatorei, O. Rossii 
majus, and several O. [triumphans, more or less different. 
Among the many curious Orchids blooming here now, 
is one of the afore-mentioned Assam Dendrobes, 
evidently D. nobile, and seemingly D. n. "Wallichianum; 
although a comparatively small plant, it has ten spikes 
with from nine to twelve blooms each. D. densiflorum 
