September 13, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
27 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
CATTLEYA DOWIANA HeNRICK'S VaR —Nov. var. 
The sepals of this new variety are dark nankeen- 
yellow, almost buff-yellow, suffused or lined with 
rosy-purple towards the sides or almost over the 
whole surface in the upper portion. The petals 
are elliptic, reflexed at their sides throughout their 
length, wavy and dentate at the margin in the 
upper half, and sometimes deeply lobed ; the ground 
colour is nankeen-yellow, but all the spaces between 
the numerous veins are rosy purple, except at the very 
base, which is bright yellow, thus presenting the 
appearance of being rosy purple, and copiously reti¬ 
culated with nankeen-yellow. The lip is of a dark 
velvety crimson, and rather more uniformly dark 
than in the type, owing to the golden lines on the 
lamina being less distinct. The column is of a soft 
pale yellow. 
The specimen from which the above description was 
taken was sent the other day by Mr. W. A. Powell, 
gardener to G. H. Henrick, Esq., Whetstone, Somerset 
Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, where it has just 
flowered for the first time. The plant was imported by 
the Liverpool Horticultural Co., from whom it was 
obtained under the name of C. Dowiana. As a variety 
it presents an intermediate link between C. Dowiana 
and C. Hardyana and varieties, such as C. H. Wilson’s 
var. and a Cattleya certificated the other day under 
the name of C. Massiana. C. Hardyana is a supposed 
natural hybrid between C. labiata Dowiana aurea and 
C. 1. Warscewiczii, popularly known as C. gigas. A 
prominent feature of C. Hardyana is that it has a 
large yellow blotch on each side of the entrance to the 
tube on the lip, a character which does not exist in 
C. Dowiana Henrick’s var. above described. In th* 
colouring of the sepals and petals, the latter, however, 
shows an affinity with C. Hardyana and its forms. It 
is much more distinct from the type than C. Dowiana 
aurea, and therefore a valuable acquisition.— J. Fraser. 
Epidendrum nemorale. 
The sepals and petals of this pretty Epidendrum are 
linear-lanceolate, and of a rosy lilac hue. The lip is 
obovate and blush coloured, lined with violet, and 
having a white eye-like spot at the base. The flowers 
are borne in drooping racemes or panicles, according to 
the strength of the plant. The pseudo-bulbs vary from 
3 ins. to 5 ins. in length, and bear at their apex a pair 
of linear, channelled* rigid, deep green leaves. The 
whole plant is very easily accommodated, but is rather 
more difficult to grow successfully than the other 
species in cultivation. When grown in pots very little 
soil should be used in the compost, and the plant 
should be grown in full exposure to the sun. The 
warted nature of the scape, pedicles, and ovaries of this 
species is very characteristic, and a ready means by 
which it may be recognised. This no doubt suggested 
the name E. verrucosum, given it in the Botanical 
Magazine. We noted a number of flowering specimens 
of it recently in the nursery of Messrs. Charlesworth & 
Shuttleworth, Park Road, Clapham. 
Odontoglossum polyxanthum. 
The bright yellow colour of this species has given rise 
to the specific name polyxanthum, derived from two 
Greek names— polio, much or very, and xanthos, yellow. 
This character is particularly noticeable in the sepals, 
which are also furnished with two to four large chocolate 
brown blotches, and also in the petals, which have one 
or two such blotches. The lip is curiously concave or 
spoon-shaped, and of a deep cinnamon-brown with a 
white fringed margin. When originally discovered in 
1877 in the Andes of Ecuador, it was stated by its 
discoverer, Edward Klabock, to be quite rare, which may 
account for its not being more common in collections 
than it is. We noticed it recently in the nursery of 
Messrs. Charlesworth and Shuttleworth, Park Road, 
Clapham, where it was grown in the Masdevallia house. 
L/elia elegans Turneri, Stand var. 
The sepals of this variety are greenish, tinted with 
purple ; the petals are spathulate, much broader, and 
soft rosy purple. The lip is three-lobed, with a lilac 
tube and lateral lobes, the tips of the latter being deep 
purple. The middle lobe is large, roundly wedge- 
shaped, emarginate, finely toothed at the edges, deep 
crimson-purple, and by far the most conspicuous part 
of the flower. A specimen was shown at the Drill 
Hall, Westminster, on the 9th inst., by Thomas 
Statter, Esq. (gardener, Mr. R. Johnson), Stand Hall, 
Whitefield, Manchester, when an Award of Merit was 
granted it. 
Cattleya Dowiana Statteriana. 
The sepals of this grand vaiiety are bright nankeen- 
yellow, while the petals are elliptic, strongly reflexed 
all along the sides and paler in hue. The lip is of the 
usual form and large size, deeply bifid at the apex, and 
marked all along the median portion with alternating 
lines of crimson-purple and orange, while a broad area 
along each side of this is of a bright golden yellow. 
The margin is chequered, spotted or marbled with 
purple, intersected with yellow veins. The tube is 
rather short, and the throat is lined in the same way as 
the lamina. The golden yellow is the most dominant 
colour of the lip. A plant bearing four flowers was 
exhibited at the Drill Hall on Tuesday last by Thomas 
Statter, Esq., under the name of C. aurea Statteriana, 
when a First Class Certificate was awarded it. Being a 
variety of C. Dowiana it is unnecessary to add aurea to 
the name, as that itself is only a variety. 
rARDENING MISCELLANY. 
The Mansfield Gardeners’ Holiday. 
The Mansfield Horticultural Society is one of the few 
societies which holds monthly meetings all the year 
through, and at which a few prizes are offered every 
month for such plants, fruits, or vegetables, as 
may not be in season on the occasion of the annual 
exhibition, held on the August bank holiday. After 
a very successful year’s work, the committee held an 
excursion on the 27th ult., driving by road to see The 
Gardens at Chatsworth. Passing through Chesterfield, 
a call was made at Brambling House, the residence of 
T. P. Wood, Esq., a warm patron of horticulture, 
whose garden is under the very efficient management of 
Mr. Clements. The next call was at Tapton House, 
a place celebrated as being the home, in the latter 
years of his life, of the celebrated railway engineer, 
George Stephenson, and of late years the residence 
of Mrs. Charles Markham, one of the daughters 
of the late Sir Joseph Paxton. It was at Tapton 
House where Stephenson gained very considerable 
fame as a grower of Grapes, Peaches, and Cucumbers, at 
the time when Paxton was gardener at Chatsworth. 
Some of the old Peach trees, planted by “ Geordie,” still 
continue to carry good crops, though, of course, the 
fine crops of Grapes and Peaches annually to be seen 
there, are produced by much younger trees and vines. 
The most remarkable crop in the garden appeared to be 
in the Apricot house, where the trees were literally 
laden with fruit. Chatsworth was reached in due 
time, and a very pleasant time was spent in inspecting 
this princely establishment, The general verdict 
appeared to be, that the fruit department indoors had 
improved considerably under Mr. Owen Thomas’ 
management. The Grapes are splendidly coloured, 
and although so great a variety of things is grown, the 
place reflects the greatest credit on the worthy chief, 
and those who had the pleasure of seeing it were glad 
to find so fine a garden in such good hands. — JV. P. 
Single Dahlia, “Masterpiece.” 
In the gardens of the Dowager Countess of Morley, at 
Whiteway, a charming estate on the southern slope of 
Haldon Hill, in Devonshire, there is always something 
of interest to see. The natural beauty of the place is 
more than striking ; the Coniferse are numerous, and 
far from common ; the Rhododendrons—the rarer 
kinds—abound, and are apparently very happy in their 
quarters ; the glen teems with Alpines, of rare sorts 
and infinite variety ; and the rockery bristles with 
Ferns from all points of the compass. I know larger 
gardening establishments, but none more interesting. 
Mr. Nanscawen, than whom there are few more genial 
or more intelligent gardeners, does all his work con 
amore, and this, I take it, is the main reason of his 
success in many of his crossing experiments with 
Rhododendrons, Amaryllis, and many other things he 
has tried his hand upon. He has been working at 
some Single Dahlias lately, and one of his seedlings 
from Mrs. Hawkins seems to me to possess a distinct 
feature in having an exceptionally broad disc, which is 
inclined to become spherical, like a Sunflower of the 
Oscar Wilde type. The ray florets stand out straight 
horizontally from the disc, and give the flower a fine 
bold form. The colour is a brilliant deep scarlet, the 
habit of the plant is bushy and vigorous, and if it 
remains true, as I fancy it will, it will be an acquisition 
to the list of Single Dahlias. Mr. Nanscawen has 
named it Masterpiece, a very appropriate name, for so 
it is.— Devoniensis. 
Pea Sharpe’s Queen. 
I consider this to be the best of the Sleaford 
introductions in the way of Peas. It is a late green 
wrinkled marrow of exceptionally good habit, the 
haulms forming a moderately thick hedge, 2 ft. to 
3 ft. through. The pods are straight, dark green, 4 ins. 
to 5 ins. long, and when full, contain from eight to ten 
large delicious peas, giving the pods a round and solid 
appearance. It is a suitable variety also for a second 
early or mid-season sort.— B. L. 
Doyenne Boussoch Pear. 
The enclosed sample of this truly handsome Pear was 
gathered from a young and vigorous tree, trained over the 
south end of a house occupied by Mr. Frank Blanchard, 
St. Mary’s, Blandford, and covering an area of about 
eight square yards, and is now bearing over 100 pears 
similar to the enclosed sample. They are uniform in 
size and colour, and altogether are a beautiful sight. 
Success may in a great measure be due to the 
following facts, viz., that the tree is growing in a rich 
loam on a south aspect, and is no doubt greatly 
assisted by the kitchen flue passing through behind, 
causing a constant radiation of heat from the wall. It 
is a free-growing variety, succeeds well either as 
pyramids or espaliers, grafted on a Quince stock. It 
deserves more extensive cultivation.— P. R. Davidson, 
Iwerne Minster Gardens, Dorset. [The sample sent us 
was an example of its kind, and any gardener might 
be proud of a well-cropped tree or two of it in a year of 
scarcity like the present. The fruit measured 4 ins. 
long by 3] ins. broad, and was not only ripe, but 
handsomely coloured on the exposed side, beautifully 
clean-skinned, and soft.— Ed.] 
Nepenthes Northiana. 
This fine and somewhat rare Bornean species appears 
to produce pitchers very freely at Camden Wood, 
Chislehurst, and at the present time, there are several 
pitchers on plants which are over 10 inches long, and 
stout in proportion, growing along with which are also 
well-pitchered plants of N. Curtisii, N. C. superba 
and N. Dicksoniana.— TV. P. 
Dianthus Caryophyllus Margaritse. 
The name here given is applied to a strain of Carnations 
whose characteristics seem to be great variety of colour 
and fimbriated or variously and beautifully-laciniated 
petals. The flowers are often deliciously-scented, 
and the colours vary through rose, pink, scarlet, 
purple, salmon, white, striped, and other shades. 
They are also flowered from seed in one year. Plants 
and cut flowers of the above taken from the open 
ground were exhibited by Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, at the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, when an Award of Merit was granted for the 
strain. The seeds had been sown in a warm frame 
early in March of this year, and after being well 
germinated they were placed in a cold frame, and 
finally planted out early in June, with the result that 
the plants are now in full bloom, after about six 
months’ growth from the seed. 
Grass of Parnassus. 
Our native species of Parnassia, namely, P. palustris 
is quite as ornamental as any of its exotic congeners 
and as easily cultivated, provided something like 
natural conditions are imitated. Naturally they are 
bog plants, and thrive on the wet and often cold 
parts of hilly and mountainous districts. For this 
reason it is not to be found in the southern part of 
England. When planting it in gardens, a cool and 
moist situation should therefore be chosen for it, 
shaded, it may be, from the sun on the southern and 
western aspect, but not overhung by trees or vege¬ 
tation of any kind. Shading is altogether unnecessary, 
however, if the convenience of a bog bed is at the 
command of the cultivator. It should be planted, 
not in standing water, but just where plenty of 
water reaches and saturates the soil in which its roots 
are planted. In a wild state it may often be found 
embedded in masses of sphagnum, where the slender 
rootstock has to elongate considerably during the 
season in order to prevent the leaves from being 
smothered up. The pale green venation of the petals, 
and the peculiar stalked glands are more pronounced in 
the British than in any other cultivated species. 
