March 9, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
437 
to show the difference in the flowers and the absence of 
bracts from the species. 
-»>£<-- 
HARDY WALL PLANTS. 
In my opinion no collection of outdoor wall plants is 
complete without at least one plant each of Chimo- 
nanthus fragrans, Garrya elliptica and Jasminum nudi- 
florum. Although possessed of other qualities, the 
central point of merit is the time of flowering—viz , 
January and February—a period of the year when 
outdoor flowers are by no means plentiful. The first 
mentioned, as the specific name implies, is sweetly 
scented, and cannot fail to win the encomiums of 
anyone who happens to be in its presence for the first 
time. The flowers are of a greenish yellow colour, and 
are produced on wood of the previous year’s growth. 
Immediately after flowering is the best time to prune 
it. Cut back to a short spur all shoots not required 
for extension purposes ; but 
with young plants and 
others that have not covered 
their allotted space all 
leaders may be left intact, 
nailing or tying them to 
wider trellising, as the case 
may be, leaving a space of 
about 6 ins. between each 
shoot. During the summer 
months allow the young 
growths uninterrupted free¬ 
dom, simply training the 
leaders as occasion may 
require. So treated, the 
young wood gets thoroughly 
ripened, and produces flowers 
in abundance at the proper 
time. 
Garrya elliptica may cer¬ 
tainly be said to be a singular¬ 
looking shrub when in flower 
during the months of January 
and February. The flowers 
are produced in the form 
of long drooping catkins of 
a silvery green colour, from 
6 ins. to 9 ins. long, and 
which in themselves form 
a pleasing contrast to the 
dark green ovate - shaped 
foliage. It is an evergreen 
subject, and delights in a 
calcareous soil. It should 
be grown on a south or 
west wall, and in pruning 
or training treat similarly to 
Chimonanthus. 
Jasminum nudiflorum is 
too well known to need any 
lengthy comment. It was 
introduced from China about 
1844, and for some time 
afterwards was treated in 
many localities as a cool 
greenhouse plant. Its hardy 
character, however, is now 
well known, and it is not 
too much to say that it is 
equally at home on a north 
wall as on a more favoured aspect, producing its 
beautiful yellow flowers in abundance. After flowering 
thin out the old shoots where they are overcrowded, 
and cut back others to a short spur. Beyond nailing or 
tying during the summer, nothing further will require 
to be done. 
It is a mistake to cut back in the autumn shoots of 
the current year’s growths to half their length, for 
such treatment simply amounts to destroying half the 
flowers.—If. J. 
-- 
HIGHBURY, near BIRMINGHAM. 
Highbury, the residence of the Right Hon. Joseph 
Chamberlain, M.P., has a reputation for its collection 
of Orchids, which not only comprise the very best 
species and varieties in cultivation, but they are in 
glorious health, and it is a pleasure to look through the 
extensive collection here. The large Cattleya house is 
crowded with plants in admirable health, a large 
quantity of Mossine varieties, Gaskelliana, imperials, 
Sanderiana, Triame, gigas, Mendelii, Percivaliana, 
exoniensis, and others, and Lselias also. Many of 
these, in fact the greater part, are showing for flower. 
In the same house are a fine lot of Aerides 
Fieldingii, Vanda ccerulea, V. suavis, V. tricolor, 
&c. Dendrobium Jamesianum is in fine trim, with 
growths from 2 ft. to 2 ft. 6 ins. long, and showing 
flower. A plant of D. infundibuliforme has forty 
blooms now open. Specimen Cattleyas and Loelias 
abound, and L. elegans prasiata has sturdy growths 
18 ins. long. There is a plant of Cattleya Bownngiana 
in a basket with good growths, and one leading growth 
had on it last autumn sixteen flowers. Lielia purpu- 
rata alba had six good heads showing for bloom. A large 
specimen in a basket of Coelogyne Massangeana has 
seven new leads coming away. Epidendrum bicornu- 
tum has good leads and showing flower spikes. The 
only drawback amongst this large collection of Orchids 
is the Phielenopsids, and these are certainly not in good 
healthy growth ; but these form the exception only. 
Cypripediums of course are largely represented here, 
and there is a batch of C. niveum of more than ordinary 
Papaver orientate, Blush Queen. 
interest, as there are plants of C. niveum Godefroyre 
amongst them, also the first plant of C. niveum which 
secured a First Class Certificate in England, imported 
by Mr. Christopher James, forwarded by Mr. P. Poison, 
and first exhibited by Mr. T. Barrington. 
The flowering Orchid-house is 32 ft. long by 10 ft., 
with the Orchids arranged amongst Ferns, &e. Over 
sixty plants were in bloom at the end of February, and 
consisted of Cattleya Trianae (especially a variety with 
rich rosy purple lip 4 ins. long, and sepals 7 ins. across), 
C. Harrisonice, a fine specimen ofC. Warscewiczii, Phaius 
grandiflorus, Angracum eburneum, Odontoglossum 
Alexandra, 0. Rossii, 0. Cervantesii, Oncidium 
Cavendishianum, 0. luridum, several Dendrobium 
Wardianum, D. nobile, D. n. atropurpureum (very 
rich in colour), Saecolabium illustre, the lovely little 
Angracum citratum, Lycaste Skinneri, and Sacco- 
labiums and Aerides. 
Some six or seven years ago Cattleyas especially 
suffered here from the Cattleya weevil, and Mr. 
Cooper only succeeded in exterminating this pest 
about two years since, and this was only done by 
constantly cutting away any affected young growths 
which showed even in a slight degree any work of 
the weevil. In one of the houses, which may be 
described as the hospital, are a number of newly 
imported plants, and a quantity of the Cattleyas which 
have been saved from the borer plague. The plants 
look well, however, and will go ahead. An inter¬ 
mediate house is devoted to a quantity of Odontoglossum 
vexillarium, Oncidium sarcodes, and others. 
The Odontoglossum house is about 70 ft. long, and 
contains between 3,000 and 4,000 plants, chiefly 
Alexandra, Bluntii, Andersonianum, Uro-Skinneri, 
Edwardii, polyxanthum, pulchellum, coronarium, 
Ruckeri, lrebraica, Rossii majus, Pescatorei, &c., Ada 
aurantiaca, and Oncidium macranthum. At one 
end is a case of TodiEas and Trichomanes in good health. 
Two large span-roofed houses have recently been 
erected for Roses, planted out and in pots. Plants of 
American Beauty were in flower ; a very early, and 
evidently a capital forcing variety, and fragrant. Mr. 
Cooper regards The Bride as a valuable variety, of 
Niphetos style, and a more 
erect grower. The Camellia 
house has on the side stages 
a fine collection of Iman- 
tophyllums, consisting of 
miniata splendens, robustum, 
Distinction, giganteum, 
Mdle. VanHoutte, cruentum, 
Marie Van Houtte, Marie 
Reimers, Mdlle. de Schryved, 
Lindenii, Mrs. Laing, and 
others. The Primula house 
is very gay with well-grown 
plants of leading kinds, in¬ 
cluding a new variety “ Miss 
Chamberlain,” a seedling 
from The Queen, and a fern- 
leaved variety with large 
flowers of a delicate blush- 
pink, margined with white. 
The conservatory is a 
feature here, and is now very 
gay indeed. A centre group 
of Palms, with a grand 
Chamairops Fortunei, 18 ft. 
high and well finished, is 
very striking ; the group 
close by has a magnificent 
Musa ensete, 20 ft. high, 
with stem 7 ft. high, and 
9 ft. in diameter in the head, 
with Dasylirions, variegated 
Yuccas, &c., surrounding it. 
Two windows from the 
drawing-room look into the 
conservatory, and at them 
were groups of splendid Ama¬ 
ryllis, including Tennysoni, 
one of Messrs. J. Veit eh & 
Sons’ superb new varieties, 
of the finest form, sub¬ 
stance and size ; Tynder- 
mus, another very fine va¬ 
riety and one of Mr. Cooper’s 
seedlings; and Polonius, 
very rich in colour and fine 
in form. These two groups 
were carpeted with Lily of 
the Valley, Hyacinths, and 
Isolepis. Mollis Azaleas are 
very fine here, and several plants of Mr. Carmichael’s 
hybrid Azaleas are very pretty indeed. The usual 
forced bulbs, Lilacs, winter-blooming Begonias, Azaleas, 
Acacias, &c., made up a fine display of bloom. One 
plant especially deserves notice, a very fine specimen of 
Imantophyllum miniatum, with ten large heads of 
flower, and by its side a small plant of I. perfecta, 
highly coloured, and an unquestionable beat on I. 
miniatum. 
The fernery adjoins the conservatory, a handsome 
one, and in it, growing from the stone-work, is the 
original plant of Anthurium Chamberlainii, with foliage 
3 ft. 6 ins. long, and 2 ft. 9 ins. wide at the lobes, and 
now in flower, of a rich rosy maroon colour, with the 
spathe 9 ins. long, and the spadix 7 ins. long. As 
before stated, there is a fine collection of Anthuriums 
here, amongst them one recently crossed betwixt 
Leodeenia and Chamberlainii, and producing seed. 
There is a fine lot of Eucharis, notably Amazonica, 
Sanderiana, Mastersii, and Candida ; amongst these is 
a seedling, the result of a cross between E. Sanderiana and 
E. Candida, raised and flowered here, and which proves 
to be the true E. Mastersii. Taking things all round, 
Mr. Cooper deserves every praise for having the plants 
in such a good healthy condition.— X. 
