April 18, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
529 
Birmingham Spring Flower Show.—The eighth, 
annual exhibition was held in the Town Hall, April 
8th and 9th, but with most unfavourable weather, still 
the attendance on both days was greater than last year. 
Very liberal prizes were offered for groups of Orchids 
arranged with Ferns and foliage plants only, and two 
very superior groups were set up. The first prize was 
gained by Mr. E. Burberry, Orchid grower at Highbury, 
the residence of the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, 
M.P., for a group which was universally acknowledged 
to be a grand display, somewhere about 100 Orchids 
being used in it, and all being staged upon the floor. 
Dendrobiums were conspicuous, especially D. Bensoni, 
D. IVardianum, D. Falconeri, and D. Devonianum ; 
Cattleyas, including C. Lawrenceana andC. Schroder® ; 
Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, and many others. Mr. 
Powell, gardener to G. H, [Kenrick, Esq., Edgbaston, 
was second, with a handsome group, but with less 
Orchids, his employer having objected to their fine 
Dendrobiums and other Orchids being used. A 
handsome plant of the striking Tillandsia princeps was 
used in the front of the group. Two collections of six 
Orchids of great merit were staged, Mr. Burberry again 
being first with a very fine lot, a grand mass of Den- 
drobium fimbriatum and a similar mass of D. 
Wardianum being conspicuous. Mr. J. Palmer, 
gardener to ~W. Bowse, Esq., was second with some 
fine specimens, amongst them large masses of Cypri- 
pedium Boxallii and C. villosum. The single specimen 
class was also well filled. 
Hyacinths are iu great strength here, but exhibitors 
have had so many difficulties to encounter. There 
was a large display, and a few very fine ones amongst 
them, but the greater part were not up to the usual 
standard. Two new varieties were conspicuous—■ 
Roi des Beiges, a brilliant deep red, and Cardinal 
Wiseman, pinkish blush. The display of Tulips, of 
which a great number were staged, was remarkably good, 
excellently grown, and not drawn up, as is often the 
case. The lovely white Joost Van Vondel was con¬ 
spicuous in many groups. Mr. Cooper, gardener to 
the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., staged six 
very fine Cyclamens and six pots of Lily of the Valley, 
which easily won first prizes. In one of the Highbury 
collections was a monster plant of Rhododendron 
Gibsoni, furnished all round and full of bloom. 
Some splendid Dielytras and Spirmas were shown, 
but Deutzias were not so good as we have seen here. 
Some excellent Azaleas were staged, Mr. Brasiere, 
gardener to Sir Thomas Martineau, being first for six 
admirably-flowered medium-sized plants. The second 
prize lot from Highbury were larger plants, but not 
sufficiently in flower. Mr. J. Clayton took first prize 
for three plants, which were very fine, but several of 
them were too stiffly and formally tied in. Cinerarias 
were numerous and good ; and stove and greenhouse 
plants were admirable examples of high-class culture, 
Sir Thomas Martineau’s gardener obtaining first prizes 
for six and three. Ferns, Genistas, Palms, &c., were 
exhibited, and the winning bouquets were quite first 
rate. Mr. Finch, gardener to Mr. Alderman Marriott, 
Coventry, obtained the first prizes for ball-room and 
bridal bouquets, which were of great beauty and 
excellently arranged. 
In the open class, Messrs. Pope & Sons, nurserymen, 
were first, with a magnificent bridal bouquet. Nume¬ 
rous not-for-competition groups and collections were 
staged. Prominent amongst these were forty pans and 
varieties of Primula Sieboldii, staged by Messrs. Ryder 
& Son, Sale, containing several new varieties—very 
fine display. Mr. T. S. Ware, of the Hale Farm 
Nurseries, contributed a grand display of Narcissus, 
Chionodoxa Sardensis, and other spring-blooming 
bulbs ; Messrs. Richard Smith & Co., Worcester, a 
large group of Clematis, forced, and other plants ; 
Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Highgate Nurseries, a display 
of hard wooded plants, and their fine new Mignonette, 
Snowdrift; Messrs. Pope & Sons, nurserymen, Bir¬ 
mingham, some noble specimen Clematis, a fine batch of 
the double scarlet zonal Pelargonium, La Bruant, and 
a lovely crop of Irish King Narcissi ; Messrs. Thomson, 
nurserymen and seedsmen, Birmingham, a large and 
beautiful group of plants, and a superb display of 
floral arrangements ; Messrs. Hewitt & Co., The 
Nurseries, Solihull, a very good display of Auriculas 
and spring-blooming Alpines, &e., and a nicely set up 
group of plants ; and Messrs. Vertegans & Co., nursery¬ 
men, Chad Valley, a collection of pretty Himalayan Prim¬ 
roses in flower, also fruit of the Melon Pear (referred 
to in another column). A Cultural Certificate was 
awarded to Mr. W. Jinks, gardener to J. E. Wilson. 
Esq., Edgbaston, for a fine Phalaenopsis Stuartianaj 
and a Certificate to W. Hollis, Esq., for 4 Dendrobium 
densiflorum. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
-- 
Epidendrum dellense. 
In this we have a hybrid between E. xanthinum and 
E. rhizophorum. The erect stems are furnished with 
lanceolate, leathery leaves in two ranks, of a deep 
green and tinted with bronzy red. The sepals are 
oblong-lanceolate, the smaller petals narrowed to both 
ends and both are of a bright orange. The three-lobed 
lip is golden yellow, and each of the lobes is fringed 
along the apex. A First Class Certificate was awarded 
it when shown at the Drill Hall on Tuesday last by 
Baron Schroder (gardener, Mr. H. Ballantine), The 
Dell, Egham. The name given it refers to The Dell. 
General Berkeley’s Orchid Pot. 
Mr. Conway G. Warnb, of the Royal Potteries, 
Weston-super-Mare, is introducing a new style of 
Orchid pot, designed by Major-General Emeric S. 
Berkeley, of Spetchley House, Bitterne, Southampton, 
and of which the accompanying illustrations will show 
the pattern. “ The advantages of this pattern Orchid 
pot and pan,” says Mr. Warne, “ will be obvious to all 
experienced Orchid growers. The great difficulties 
experienced in the use of the old pattern Orchid pots 
were the accumulation of water at the base of the pot, 
and the difficulty of keeping the pots clean ; the oval 
and round holes being in many cases too small to get a 
brush into, to clean out the accumulated green growth, 
which is known to be injurious to the roots, besides 
spoiling the. cleanly appearance of the pots. In this 
pot these faults are remedied, and the accumulation of 
water at the base prevented. The base of the pot being 
Major-Gen. Berkeley’s New Orchid Fot. 
concave, the portions between the slits form legs, 
which raise the main part of the pot above the stage 
and obviate all risk of stagnant water remaining at the 
base of the pot inside. The slits are V shaped, facing 
outwards throughout their whole length, thus facing 
the pot cleaner, not simple cut slits, the object of 
these being to enable the gardener to use a brush and 
clean the slits as readily as he can the outside of the 
pot Both pots and pans are provided with a rim, in 
which three holes are pierced, so that wires may be put 
in to hang them up by if desired. The pans will 
prove a special boon to Cattleya growers, as the fiee 
drainage at the base will prevent the roots getting 
rotten.” 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
So far we have had but very few really pleasant days 
during the month, and the houses in very exposed 
situations need a deal of attention t in the matter of 
ventilation just now, owing to the many sudden changes 
during the day, for the north and east winds soon 
bring down the temperatures when the sun becomes 
obscured. It is therefore best to keep the pipes warm 
in all but the cool houses, and to afford sufficient shade 
in all sections, to keep the plants from disfigurement, 
as it is very evident that they are less able to bear 
sunshine now, than they are when growths and bulbs 
are completed in the autumn. There ,is no neees>ny 
for the shade to be pulled up every time a cloud cjmes 
over the sun, but such plants as dislike shade should 
occupy the ends or fronts of houses, so that they m; y 
get more light. 
There are some species which keep slowly growing 
all the year round, while a far greater number have a 
very decided season of growth and then of rest, and the 
object of the cultivator should be to afford every facility 
for the plants to make a strong and healthy growth 
during the growing season, and then a thorough rest 
should be afforded afterwards. Generally speaking, 
plants which are just pushing new growths are at the 
right stage for re-potting, if it be thought by the cul¬ 
tivator to be necessary, and some such plants will be 
found nearly all the year round if the collection be one 
containing many different species and varieties. Still 
the greater part of the collection will probably consist 
of a number of plants of one variety, and so at certain 
seasons of the year there is a good amount of re-potting 
to do in the various sections. Thus the bulk of the 
cool Orchids are done in the autumn, while the few 
that stood over were done recently, as well as many 
other things of which large batches are not generally 
grown. Now the most important section to be attended 
to will be Cattleya Trian®, which after flowering should 
take a short rest, and then be re-potted if needed as 
soon as growth commences, so that no time may be lost, 
nor roots either, but the latter may have some new 
compost *to run into. 
L®lia elegans is one of those plants which takes but 
little rest, and consequently blooms at various times in 
the year, a good many plants flowering three times in 
two years, and thrives well with Cattleya Trian®, 
L®lia purpurata, &c. Cattleya Mendelii, and C. 
Mossiee are two other varieties generally grown in 
quantity which will want re-potting later on after their 
flowering season is over. Plants of the varieties of 
Ccelogyne cristata which have become crowded rvith 
bulbs may now be re-potted, and a few pieces taken 
right out of the centre will often give those growths 
that remain a better chance to make flowering bulbs, 
besides making nice little useful plants for hanging 
about on the roofs. 
Masdevallias which have been growing for the winter 
months in the Cattleya-house, may now be returned to 
the cool house, provided it is not allowed to fall 
below 50° at night; and the warmer Odontoglossums, 
such as Phalaenopsis, vexillarium, nsevium, &c., should 
now occupy their summer quarters also, but should not 
be kept quite so wet as the other occupants, until they 
get used to their new quarters.— W. P. 
Lycaste Mastersiana. 
The habit of this plant is that of L. aromatica, and 
like it, the flowers are yellow and the leaves deciduous. 
The flowers are also somewhat fragrant. The spreading 
sepals are ovate and greenish yellow. The petals are 
ovate, erect, recurved above the middle, bright yellow 
and faintly spotted with brown. The lip is three- 
lobed, the lateral lobes being rounded and faintly 
spotted with brown; the middip lobe is oval or 
elliptic, obtuse, revolute, pubescent and distinctly 
spotted with brown aloDg the centre. The crest is 
rather curious in being narrow and deeply grooved or 
furrowed along the centre. An Award of Merit was 
granted it when shown at the Drill Hall, on the 14th 
inst., by Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans. 
Odontoglossum hybridum dellense. 
The appearance of this Odontoglot would lead one to 
suppose it to be intermediate between 0. triumphans 
and 0. crispum or 0. luteo-purpureum. The sepals are 
oblong, obtuse, and transversely barred with brownish 
purple on a yellow ground. The petals are ovate and 
much blotched with brownish purple. The oblong- 
obovate lip is of a light yellow, shallowly fringed, 
blotched with purple in front of the crest, and having 
a golden yellow crest. It was shown by Mr. H. 
Ballantine, gardener to Baron Schroder, The Dell, 
Egham, at the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society and received a First Class Certificate. 
Dendrobium Hybridum Venus. 
The parents of this hybrid were D. Falconeri crossed 
by D. nobile, and the pseudo-bulbs exhibit the effects 
of both in being of an intermediate character, rather 
slender, slightly nodose, and about IS ins. long. The 
flowers are of large size and showy. The oblong 
sepals are pale purple throughout; the oblong-elliptic 
petals are white, with a purple tip. The lip is of large 
size, and exhibits the half flattened-out condition of 
D. Falconeri ; there is a large maroon-purple blotch at 
the base, above which and around it the colour is white 
and the apex purple. A plant of it was shown by N. 
C. Cookson, Esq., Wylam-on-Tyne, at the Drill Hal 
on the 14th inst,, when a First Class Certificate was 
awarded it. 
