January 10, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
301 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SOCIETY. 
Mid-winter Exhibition. 
The recent severe weather which wo have experienced 
for more than a month past has evidently played sad 
havoc with Chrysanthemums, which were not nearly in 
so strong force on Wednesday, as in previous years. 
Miscellaneous groups were also few, and the prizes 
offered for Cyclamens, Primulas, &c., failed to bring 
out many competitors. The first prize for a collection 
of cut Chrysanthemums was awarded to Mr. W. G. 
Gilbert, gardener to B. C. Neue Foster, Esq., Sennowe 
Hall, Guist, Norfolk, whose flowers were mostly 
small, but done up in small bunches, so as to 
fill the stands. Boule d’Or, Gloriosum, and Mrs. 
Beale were the best, but the greater number 
were not in characteristic form. An extra prize 
was awarded in this class to Mr. E. Vince, gardener to 
the London Cemetery Company, .Highgate Cemetery, N. 
His blooms were very small. The first prize for twenty- 
four bunches of Chrysanthemums was awarded to Miss 
R, Debenham, St. Peter’s, St. Albans. Her flowers, 
although small, were fresh and clean. The second 
prize went to Mr. Sullivan, gardener to D. B. Chapman, 
Esq., Downshire House, Roehampton, who also gained 
a third prize for twelve blooms. The first prize for 
twelve blooms was taken by Mr. W. G. Gilbert, Boule 
d’Or, Gloriosum, and George Maclure being his best 
blooms. The second prize went to Mr. J. Btowd, 
gardener to Mrs. Waterlow, Great Doods, Reigate, who 
had the best twelve bunches of Japanese blooms, in 
which he showed more variety. The second prize 
here went to R. Falconer Jameson, Esq., Hessle, 
Hull. The first prize for six bunches of Japanese 
blooms went to Mr. John Snow, gardener to 
A. C. de Murrieta, Esq., Wadhurst Park, Sussex. 
The only competitor for Cyclamens, in the open class, 
was Mr. J. May, Gordon House, St. Margaret’s, Twick¬ 
enham, who received the first prize for his exhibit; 
his plants were arranged in groups of a colour. Mr. 
David White, Redlees Gardens, Twickenham Road, 
Isleworth, was the only competitor in the class from 
which nurserymen were excluded. The first prize for 
twelve Chinese Primulas, in the gardeners’ class, went 
to Mr. A. Carter, gardener to Alderman Evans, Ewell 
Grove, Ewell, who also had the first prize for double 
varieties. 
In the miscellaneous class a group of Palms, 
Draeienas and Conifers was exhibited by the trustees of 
the late Mr. William Holmes, Frampton Park 
Nurseries, Hackney. A large group of Chinese 
Primulas was shown by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, 
Swanley, Kent, for which a Silver-gilt Medal was 
awarded. They exhibited some with crisped leaves 
and large flowers. A Silver-gilt Medal was awarded to 
Mr. R. OweD, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, for four stands 
of Chrysanthemum blooms, some in bunches and others 
singly. He had fine blooms of Beauty of Castle Hill, 
Mrs. E. W. Clarke, Kioto, and some others. 
-- 
BALL DECORATIONS. 
On the occasion of a ball recently given in the club 
house at Tuxedo Park, the decoration of the ball-room 
was entrusted to an expert, who, nevertheless, was not a 
florist, and the result proved that something might be 
done in the way of floral decoration which would 
lack the conventionality that so often marks such 
arrangements without falling into the heterogeneousness 
of amateur attempts. The room is very large and 
circular in shape, with fourteen windows alternating 
with fourteen columns which sustain the cornice. On 
one side is a stage where the musicians were to sit. 
This was decorated in harmony with the pretty wood¬ 
land scene which formed the back ground, high Palms 
flanking the sides, while a row of lower Palms, mingled 
with Chrysanthemums, bordered the stage, and trailing 
Ivy fell over the front. Chrysanthemums were 
also intermixed with the taller Palms, in three shades 
of pink, making a charming effect as the electric 
light shone up over them from the footlights. This 
scheme was continued around the room by banking the 
window-recesses with Hemlock boughs and great sprays 
of white Chrysanthemums, the dark green foliage being 
carried up into the coves of the domed ceiling. The 
columns were covered with autumn foliage, Oak-leaves 
of a dark reddish bronze colour forming the base, and 
being shaded gradually up into terra-cotta tones and 
finally into the yellow of Maple foliage. On this back¬ 
ground Chrysanthemums were arranged, likewise in 
graded colours, beginning below with dark red blossoms 
and shading up to the capitals, which were encircled 
by masses of the golden Grandiflorum. To obviate, 
however, an undue contrast between these red and 
yellow pillars and the pink and green of the stage, the 
two columns adjoining these were differently treated, 
being wound with Hemlock foliage interspersed with 
white Chrysanthemums—the same scheme of colour 
chosen for the window recesses. The total effect of the 
beautiful room thus adorned was at once dignified and 
festal, and—an essential consideration in such cases—it 
made an excellent background for the gay dresses 
which filled it .—Garden and Forest. 
-•»*«- 
FLORAL FASHIONS. 
Violets of every shade, real and artificial, as button¬ 
holes and round ballroom bodices are being worn on all 
occasions. It is said that the Violet was once a lovely 
maiden, Ianthe, one of the nymphs of Artemis. Apollo 
fell in love with her, and the goddess, to save her from 
his pursuit, dyed her blue. Ianthe, however, grieved 
so at the loss of her beauty (poor thing) that Artemis, 
to console her, changed her into a Violet. Again, the 
Violet is said to have been the only sweet-smelling 
flower in Eden, and in ancient days garlands of Violets 
placed on the brow were considered a cure for headache 
and dizziness. Ion , the Greek name for Violet, is 
reputed to have been bestowed on it because, when 
Jupiter had metamorphosed Io into a white heifer, he 
caused sweet Violets to spring from the earth in order 
to present her with herbage worthy of her. In one of 
his poems of his Hesperides, however, Herrick gives a 
different version of the origin of Violets. According 
to the wayward fancy of this old poet, Violets are the 
descendants of some unfortunate girls, who, having 
defeated Venus in a dispute she had with Cupid on the 
delicate point as to whether she or they surpassed in 
sweetness, were beaten blue by the goddess in her 
jealous rage, which was wonderfully like human 
nature, especially when it is in the form of a handsome 
and vain woman. Not that all handsome women are 
vain, or vice versa. 
Shakespeare has some pretty lines on this favourite 
flower in the Winter’s Tale :— 
“ Violets dim, 
But sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes, 
Or Cytherea’s breath.” 
It was formerly commonly believed in England that 
when Violets and Roses flourished in autumn, there 
would be some epidemic in the ensuing year. In 
"Worcestershire the safety of the farmers’ young brood 
of chickens and ducks is thought to be sadly endangered 
by anyone taking less than a handful of Violets or 
Primroses into his house. 
Shortly after the death of the Prince Imperial, Queen 
Victoria sent his unhappy mother, ex-Empress Eugenie, 
a miniature of her dead son in a frame of amethyst 
Violets embedded in emerald leaves. At a dinner 
recently given by the Emperor of Austria, Archduchess 
Maria-Theresa wore a most gorgeous and tasteful 
toilette. It was composed of cloth of silver, showered 
with purple Violets, over a petticoat of matchless 
Venetian point lace. A heavy girdle of Hungarian 
workmanship, sparkling with precious stones, caught 
the drapery of Venetian point a little below the waist. 
The bodice was cut V-shaped in front, but had a high 
Medici collar lined with purple feathers. The arms 
were bare ; on the shoulders tufts of fresh double 
Violets were fastened with diamond clasps. 
--we<-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
-- 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
It is fortunate that we do not have any serious 
amount of re-potting to do in this department for 
several weeks to come, for the severity of the weather 
and the density of the fog compel us to resort to the 
use of so much artificial heat that the plants have quite 
enough to contend with without being disturbed at the 
roots, and it is a good thing that the new year is about 
the middle of the period of rest for a great many of the 
plants, and the time when the lowest temperature 
prevails. To make things clear to new readers of The 
Gardening World, I had better state that the 
temperatures advised for December, which are still in 
force, are as follows:—East Indian House, 65° day, 60° 
night ; Cattleya, or intermediate house, 60° day, 55° 
night; Odontoglossum, or cool house, 50° day, 45° 
night. Most of our houses have one end warmer than 
the other, the warmer end being 4° or 5° higher than 
the other, and we find this an advantage in houses 
where many different kinds have to be grown together, 
as those plants which require most heat in each section 
can be placed at the warmest end. As an instance of 
this we grow such Cattleyas as C. Dowiana at the 
warmest end, and a batch of Miltonia vexillaria at the 
cold end of the Cattleya house, while amongst the Odon- 
toglossums we put Oncidium macranthum and its allies 
at the cooler end, and Odontoglossum cirrhosum, O. 
elegans, and any other such in the warmest positions ; 
Masdevallias, of Harryana section, being in similar 
condition, while the Chimiera section of Masdevallias 
and M. tovarensis must be kept in a house where the 
temperature does not go below 5C°, or they will quickly 
be destitute of leaves. 
Having in view the return of more genial weather 
and lengthened days, with a consequent starting into 
active growth of many of the plants, no time is so 
opportune as the present for preparing material of all 
the kinds needed in the re-potting of plants presently ; 
and the work will be greatly helped forward by having 
everything in quantity ready for use at the time potting 
commences. Good brown fibrous peat, clean crocks, 
and sphagnum moss are the three principal items, in 
addition to which hard wood charcoal is sometimes 
needed, and also yellow fibrous loam. Owing to the 
severe weather there is sure to be some difficulty in 
procuring mos3 at this season, uuless large stocks are 
in reserve, in which case it should be picked over to 
get out any rubbish, and then thoroughly washed in 
warm water and wrung dry, to free it, as far as possible, 
from little slugs. All crocks used for drainage should 
be scalded if they have been employed previously, and 
put in two or three sizes for convenience in potting ; 
flat, thick, heavy pieces should be discarded in favour 
of those which are hollow, and consequently lighter. 
Where any varieties are coming into flower during 
the time of dense fog it will be more satisfactory to 
grower and owner alike if the flower be enveloped in 
a sheet of thin tissue paper till the foe has taken its 
departure. This is especially necessary in the case of 
flowers lacking in substance, and the white forms of 
Laslia anceps.— W. P. 
Orchids from Arddarroch. 
When all is fog and gloom in the great metropolis, a 
boxful of flowers, but more especially of Orchids, such 
as those sent from Mr. J. Brown, gardener to 
R. B. White, Esq., of Arddarroch, Gareloch Head, 
N.B., is a welcome present at this season of the year. 
Some were fragrant, and all were without spot or 
blemish, betraying no evidence of fog, smoke or 
frost, notwithstanding the wide range of severe weather 
over the greater part of the northern hemisphere at 
present and for some time past. A raceme of the 
beautifully deceptive Odontoglossum Londesboroughi- 
anum was very fine—we say beautifully deceptive, 
because so much like an Oncidium. The shape of the 
lip (reniform) is strangely characteristic of an Oncidium, 
but the elongated column is that of an Odontoglossum ; 
the slightly cup-shaped, triangular lip also offers some 
redeeming features. The bright yellow lip and the 
yellow sepals and petals are closely banded transversely 
with brown, giving the flower a bright and attractive 
appearance. Leelia anceps Hillii was notable for the size 
of its flowers, although the petals were not so broad as 
in L. a. Dawsoni. All were white, with the exception 
of the lip, which was a beautiful pink, striated with red 
internally on the side lobes, and the yellow, three- 
ridged disc was striated with red. Accompanying the 
others was a flower of the fragrant Laelia albida, a pure 
white form, with the exception of some red markings 
near the base of the lip and on the face of the column. 
A long scape of Cymbidium sinense bore a large 
number of flowers, which, although rather dingy in 
colour, were notable for their strong and agreeable 
fragrance. 
Calanthes. 
There is no time during the whole season when 
flowers are more in request or more appreciated than 
towards the close of the fleeting year ; all being cold 
and cheerless outside, more flowers are needed for 
indoor decoration, and nothing can be more useful 
than a batch of well-grown Calanthes. Coming in as 
they do just as the Chrysanthemums are on the wane, 
they fill up what would otherwise be a great gap. 
Everyone who has a stove at command should grow a 
batch. The most useful sorts are the well-known 
Calanthe Veitchii, C. vestita, C. lutea, C. ignea, C. 
rubra, and for a spring-flowering one, C. Regnieri. 
When at Mr. W. L. Barclay’s, the Briars, Reigate, 
recently, I was greatly struck with his batch of 
Calanthes ; so fine were many of the bulbs that they 
could scarcely be put into a quart pot, and carrying 
spikes with fifty expanded blooms of an exceedingly 
