April 21, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
539 
pale yellowish green or grey midribs, as well as the 
principal lateral veins. The under-surface of the 
foliage is of a dark metallic-purple. 
Azaleas at Tower House. 
The new conservatory at Tower House, Chiswick, is 
now extremely gay with various spring-flowering plants 
including Hyacinths, Tulips and Azaleas. The latter 
are decidedly the most conspicuous feature of the 
house, owing to their number, the size of the bushes, 
and their floriferousness. A large plant of a white 
variety is particularly noticeable by the mass of flowers 
it bears. A delicately-coloured variety named Belle 
Gantoise affords a harmonising contrast by its pink, 
white-margined flowers spotted with purple on the 
upper segments. Jean Vervaene is somewhat similar, 
but the ground colour is of a beautiful pinkish red, 
fading towards the white margin, and a striking feature 
of the variety is its habit of producing on the same 
plant large numbers of red self-coloured flowers. 
Empereur de Brasil is a double pink variety with a 
white margin. In bold contrast to all the rest is that 
named Roi de Holland, which is of a brilliant crimson- 
red, spotted on the upper segments with a darker 
colour. These include only some of th e larger specimens, 
which together with other things do much to brighten 
up a new and highly-finished conservatory. 
Adiantum macrophyllum. 
The adult form of this Fern is sufficiently ornamental 
to deserve cultivation amongst a collection, and never 
looks more handsome than when the young fronds are 
about fully developed. One of the chief drawbacks, 
however, to its cultivation is that the fronds, according 
to the experience of many growers, are liable to turn 
brown at a comparatively early age, especially in 
houses where a low temperature is maintained. Young 
or seedling plants are undoubtedly handsome, and we 
were reminded of the fact upon seeing a large quantity 
of plants in small pots being grown at Chiswick in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, for dis¬ 
tribution amongst the Fellows. The young fronds are 
of a beautiful deep bronzy red, giving them a metallic 
but pleasing lustre. The breadth of the pinnae gives 
character to this species, and in the adult state, 
although they are oblong or the lower ones divided 
into pinnules, those of the young plant are broadly 
triangular, and very striking. 
ragged white petals are brought into prominence. The 
presence or absence of anthers determines the colour of 
Mignonette flowers to a great extent. 
Hutchinsia alpina. 
A great number of the Cruciferae are admirably adapted 
for creating a display peculiarly their own during the 
spring and early summer months. This applies more 
especially to the perennial and biennial species, which 
seem ready to take advantage of the first period of 
■warm weather to expand their blooms and ripen seed. 
This seems to be peculiar to the great majority of the 
family, including those of economic interest and of 
decorative value. None are more floriferous than the 
subject of this note, and the purity of its flowers makes 
it specially valuable in the alpine garden, where a 
large patch of it becomes a telling object, even at some 
considerable distance ; and no flowers create a finer 
impression just as the light fades to twilight in late 
spring and early summer. More highly-coloured 
flowers disappear in the fading light, while the white 
ones are brought into prominence, especially if grown 
in broad patches. This species is now flowering freely 
in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, at 
Chiswick. —»— 
Puschkinia scilloides. 
Early-flowering spring bulbs always excite a great 
amount of interest, no doubt from the conspicuous way 
in which they are contrasted with the other and 
comparatively quiescent forms of vegetation around. 
That under notice forms attractive tufts of bright green 
leaves, surmounted with flower-bearing scapes about 
6 ins. in height. The flowers are white, with a sky- 
blue stripe down the middle of each, giving rise to the 
title of Striped Squill. It is known under various names 
in gardens, one of the most common synonyms being 
P. libanotica, because it is a native of Mount Lebanon, 
The species, however, is also widely distributed through 
various parts of Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. There 
is a more compact and more floriferous variety in 
gardens under the name of P. s. compacta. Either of 
them are useful subjects in the spring border, and being 
perfectly hardy occasion no trouble in their cultivation. 
Those having herbaceous borders would do well to 
plant it between the plants in the front row, so that 
when it dies down the ground will not look bare. It 
is flowering finely in a border at Chiswick, in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
Narcissus rupicola. 
Of all the forms of Narcissi, none are more interesting 
or pretty than the miniature species that come to us 
so plentifully from Spain. Bulbs of N. rupicola were 
collected some years ago by Mr. Elwes, at Escurial, 
Spain, some of which were sent by him to the gardens 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick, where 
they have flowered annually ever since, showing that 
these Spanish bulbs can be cultivated and wintered in 
our country without any protection. The great secret 
seems to lie in the fact that they should be planted 
and left undisturbed. This species is closely allied to 
N. juncifolius, which greatly resembles a miniature 
Jonquil in its dark green rush-like leaves and small 
flowers ; but N. rupicola, although even more pigmy 
in habit, may readily be distinguished by its larger 
flowers, more distinctly six-lobed corona, and by its 
dwarfer but distinctly glaucous leaves, from amongst 
which the flower-scapes arise, bearing a solitary but 
exceedingly pretty flower. It should be in every col¬ 
lection where Narcissi are prized. The segments of 
the perianth are yellow, while the corona is golden 
yellow. 
Out-leaved Mignonette. 
Amongst a batch of the common Mignonette, at Tower 
House, Chiswick, a form has appeared resembling to 
a considerable degree what we see in Reseda luteola or 
other species of wild Mignonette. The cultivated and 
sweet-scented species (Reseda odorata) occasionally 
exhibits bluntly and shallowly three-lobed leaves on 
the lower part of the stem, but towards the top the 
lobing again disappears. In the form under notice 
nearly all the leaves are deeply three-lobed, while the 
lateral lobes are often again divided. The first sug¬ 
gestion would be that the plant in question is a hybrid 
between R. odorata and some other species ; but a more 
correct hypothesis is, no doubt, that it is merely a case 
of reversion to some more ancestral condition. The 
flowers exhibit evidences of cultural improvement and 
selection, and appear whitish, owing to the absence or 
abortion of a great number of the anthers, whereby the 
To Prevent Wood from Hotting. 
In order to prevent wooden posts and piles from rotting 
while in the ground, the following recipe seems to have 
been used with much success, and may be of utility to 
some of your readers :—Take three hundred parts of 
fine hard sand, forty parts of powdered chalk, fifty 
parts of resin, and four parts of linseed oil. Heat these 
ingredients together in a boiler, then add one part of 
red lead, one part of sulphuric acid, and mix well together, 
using the composition while hot. If found too thick, 
it is readily made thinner by adding more linseed oil. 
This, when cold and dry, attains the consistency of 
varnish, and becomes as hard as steel.— J. S. T. 
Protection of Seeds. 
M. Delalande, in the Revue de VHorticulture Beige, 
in order to protect seeds against birds, insects, and 
rodents, recommends that they should be soaked in 
water containing 20 to 25 per cent, of mineral oil. 
Vegetable seeds, such as Peas and Haricot Beans, 
should be soaked for twelve hours, and the pips of 
Apples and Pears for twenty-four hours. For soaking 
the finer seeds, bitter liquids, such as that of Quassia 
and Gentian, should be used. 
--— 
Vanda suavis, Chatsworth variety. 
The Orchid Album for March contains a figure of this 
magnificent form of the species. The flowers are 
upwards of 3 ins. in diameter, and like those of the 
specific form itself, the flowers are deliciously scented. 
The sepals and petals are profusely spotted, as well as 
striped towards the base with deep rich purple on a 
porcelain-white ground. "When the flowers are fully 
expanded the petals of this species have the peculiarity 
of twisting with their face downwards, so that the 
porcelain-white under-surface is brought into view. 
The lip is of a rich violet-purple, with white auricles at 
the base, and fades at the apex into a rosy purple, 
spotted with a darker tint. 
Large-flowered Dendrobium Devonianum. 
The flowers of this extremely pretty species seldom 
exhibit any particular variation, either as to colour or 
size, but a specimen that has been flowering for some 
time at Devonhurst, Chiswick, bears flowers measuring 
2J ins. across the petals. The labellum itself is of 
great size, being about 1£ ins. in diameter, while the 
fringes, one of the most interesting and attractive 
features of this species, are also of uncommon length. 
No unwonted vigour is exhibited by the pseudo-bulbs, 
otherwise we might attribute the size of the flowers to 
good cultivation. At all events, if the great size of the 
flowers remains permanent, Mr. Wright may be proud 
of the acquisition. 
Cattleya Bowringiana. 
The special feature of this comparatively recent species 
is that it flowers in autumn, when Cattleyas are by no 
means over plentiful. In general aspect it resembles 
C. Skinneri, but is quite distinct from that old species. 
The sepals and petals are of a warm rose colour, while 
the terminal lobe of the labellum is of a rich maroon- 
purple with a white throat, as in C. Skinneri oculata. 
The lateral lobes are rolled over the column so as to 
form a tube, and are rosy purple striated with darker 
lines. The plant was introduced from British Honduras, 
in Central America, by Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of 
Chelsea, in 1884, so that it may be said to be the most 
recently-introduced species of the genus. A fine figure 
of it is given in the March number of the Orchid 
Album. 
Cattleya Lawrenciana. 
Amongst Cattleyas with medium-sized flowers, this 
must rank as one of the most useful and beautiful. 
From now onwards for some time we may expect to see 
it in beauty in the various establishments into which 
it has now found its way. The sepals and petals are 
warm rose, the latter having also darker veins, which 
are notable on account of their size, and in being 
beautifully undulated at the margin when compared 
with the small flat petals of C. Skinneri, to which it 
may be compared at first sight, though abundantly 
distinct. The long curved tube and the rich crimson- 
purple of the labellum are also good marks of this 
species. We observed it in Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons’ 
nursery, at Chelsea. 
Vanda cristata. 
A grand form of this species comes to us from W. D. 
Marks, Esq., 17, Hamilton Terrace, N.W., the flower 
of which is about twice the size we usually see it, 
while the colours are altogether better and more definite 
than in the typical form. There is almost a total 
absence of the green that usually suffuses the sepals 
and petals, and they become of a clear pale yellow 
throughout, the only evidence of the former colour 
being a faint tint on the lower surface of the lateral 
sepals. The ground-colour of the lip is pale creamy 
yellow, while that of the basal part is almost white. 
The brown colour of this basal saccate part is intensified 
almost to a jet-black, while the blood-purple lines are 
continued along the limb between the slightly-corru¬ 
gated ridges almost to the base of the terminal forked 
lobes, w r hich have given rise to the specific name. 
V. cristata is a pretty, neatly-habited, erect-growing 
species, and being of dwarf stature compared with such 
magnificent but rankly-growing species as V. tricolor 
and V. suavis, can be grown in collections where space 
is limited. 
Pleurothallus ornatus. 
Amongst the members of this large genus we get a 
great range of variation, but the flowers are usually too 
small to admit of their being cultivated, except those 
who make collections of such things a hobby. The 
species under notice has much to recommend it to the 
attention of connoisseurs, from the extremely curious 
fringing to the edges of the sepals. The specific name 
is very applicable, as the flower is really adorned or 
ornamented. The dull yellow sepals are densely 
spotted with brownish black dots, and all round their 
margin is a fringe of white, club-shaped hairs, so 
lightly attached that they swing and dance with the 
slightest breath of air. We noticed it the other day in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Calanthe vestita rubro-oculata gigantea. 
Whatever may be the opinion of gardeners and 
amateurs with regard to the extraordinary length of 
the name of this Orchid, there can be no question 
about its being a fine acquisition to the list of popular, 
easily-grown, and valuable decorative kinds. A 
specimen we observed the other day in the nursery of 
Mr. William Bull, at King’s Road, Chelsea, had a spike 
about 3 ft. in length ; but the distinctive and sub¬ 
varietal name applies to the great size of the flowers, 
