April 2, 1892. 
THH GARDE NING WORLD. 
480 
biums ; the coolest end of the stove or the Cattleya- 
house suits it best during the winter, as those plants 
which keep their leaves generally give the finest 
flowers. The flowers will last more than a month 
if the plant is kept in a dry atmosphere when in 
flower. Green-fly are very fond of the flowers and 
should be constantly guarded against.— J. Godfrey, 
Spetchley Gardens, Bitterne, Southampton. 
Dendrobiums from Broomfield. 
We have been favoured with some fine blooms of 
Dendrobiums from Mr. R. Hinde, gardener to W. 
Wells, Esq., Broomfield, Sale, near Manchester. 
Amongst them was a well-coloured form ofD. nobile. 
The petals were the most striking feature, owing to 
their great width, as they measured within ^thofan 
inch in diameter. D. n. Cooksoni was also in good form, 
the lower half of the petals being of the same hue as 
the blotch on the lip of D. Leachianum. It may be 
remembered by those who are acquainted with this 
variety, that it is a case of peloria where the petals 
have attempted to assume the same form and colour 
as those of the lip. The flower of D. Leachianum 
was large for that hybrid, but it lost a good deal by 
contrast with that of another hybrid named D. splen- 
didissimum granaiflorum, which looked like a highly- 
coloured and gigantic D. Leachianum. The flowers 
measured 4m. across the petals, each of the latter 
being 2 in. long and 1 in. wide, and like the sepals 
suffused with rose for the greater part of their length. 
The lamina of the lip was ijin. across, and the blotch 
was a shade or two darker than that of the last- 
named hybrid. 
Curious forms of Cattleya Trianae. 
Flowers of two forms of Cattleya Trianae have been 
sent us by Captain Twiss, Birdhill House, Birdhill, 
Limerick, Ireland. One of them had pale blush- 
lilac sepals and petals, while the lamina of the lip 
was of a bright mauve except at the base, which was 
white with a small pale yellow blotch in the throat. 
The second flower was much more abnormal and 
quite remarkable in form. The sepals were oblong- 
linear and pale lilac, while the petals were spathulate, 
pale purple, and only twice as broad, measuring under 
an inch at the widest parts. The lip was spoon¬ 
shaped with a long, lilac, open claw, not tubular 
as is usually the case. The lamina was of a 
rich purple, while the yellow blotch, usually so con¬ 
spicuous a feature of the flower, was almost 
obliterated. The column was purple in the lower 
half and white in the upper portion. This is the 
second season it has flowered with Captain Twiss, 
and it still remains true to character. It has been in 
bloom for the past six weeks. The name suggested 
by the owner as the most suitable, is C. T. platalea 
or the Spoon-bill Cattleya. 
Odontoglossum crispum. 
Grand forms of this superb Odontoglot are not by 
any means so rare as they w'ere formerly, many of 
the recent importations having been exceptionally 
rich in that respect. Mr. James Woods, Matlock 
Villa, Ryde, Isle of Wight, is the proud possessor of 
a very fine variety. The individual flowers are of 
immense size, measuring when taken horizontally 
fully four inches ; the sepals and petals are dark rose 
and as a rule have three dark spots on each sepal 
and petal; the lip is beautifully undulated, and 
heavily spotted irr similar fashion to the sepals and 
petals.— J. McNab. 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Schroderlanum var. 
The above is the name under which a dark and 
richly coloured form of the Elephant Moth Dendrobe 
was exhibited at the Drill Hall on the 22nd ult., 
by E. Miller Mundy, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Wm. 
Elphinstone), Shipley Hall, Derby, when a First- 
class Certificate was awarded it. The flowers are 
large and the rosy-purple sepals netted with darker 
purple veins. The petals are very broad, obovate- 
rhomboid, and several shades darker in colour than 
the sepals. The lip is deep purple with darker veins, 
deepening to crimson on the disc and some of the 
lines radiating from it. The pseudo-bulbs of the 
plant shown were of medium length but very stout. 
D. Phalaenopsis Schroderianum delicatum 
This variety is much paler than the last named, but 
equally pretty in its way, with white sepals and 
petals, suffused and netted with soft rosy-purple on 
the upper two-thirds of their length. The lip is rose 
with purple lines deepening to crimson in the throat, 
while the very base is creamy white ; the side lobes 
are white suffused with pale purple. The flower 
scaqe of the plant shown by E. Miller Mundy, Esp., 
on the same occasion as the above carried eight 
flowers, of which three were fully expanded. An 
Award of Merit was accorded it. 
Epidendrum Laucheanum. 
The general aspect of this Epidendrum is very 
different from that of most other species seen in 
cultivation. The flower scape is considerably 
elongated and slender, bearing a close raceme or spike 
of small, and pretty although by no means con¬ 
spicuous flowers. The sepals are lanceolate, the 
petals linear-spathulate, and all are of a coppery 
amber. The lip is a curious fleshy organ, infolded 
at the sides and of a greenish yellow. It was shown 
by Messrs. F. Sander S-'Co., St. Albans, at the Drill 
Hall on the 22nd ult., and received a Botanical 
Certificate. 
Megaclinium falcatum. 
The species of Megaclinium can only be regarded as 
curious at the best, as the flowers are small and by 
no means of bright colours. The peduncle or scape 
on which the flowers are seated, is laterally flattened 
and broad, a circumstance which has given rise to 
the generic name. In the present instance it is of a 
brownish-green hue. The flowers are small and 
arranged in two ranks along the upper edge of the 
flattened scape. The upper segments are thickened 
at the edges near the apex, and of a dark brownish- 
red, the rest of the segments being greenish-yellow. 
A spike of it was shown by Mr. F. W. Moore, of the 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, at the 
Drill Hall on the 22nd ult., when a Botanical 
Certificate was awarded it. 
Dendrobium infundibulum Cassio Bridge var. 
The sepals of this variety are lanceolate, the petals 
obovate-elliptic, and all are white. The lip is bifid, 
beautifully undulate or crisped, and crenate at the 
edges, and white with an orange yellow blotch in the 
throat. The lanceolate leaves are of a rich dark 
green. A plant of it was exhibited at the Drill Hall 
on the 22nd ult., by Edward Moon, Esq., Cassio 
Bridge, Herts, when an Award of Merit was ac¬ 
corded it. 
Disa incarnata. 
At a casual glance this more resembles some mem 
ber of the Scitaminese than an Orchid, that is, as 
far as the inflorescence and flowers are concerned. It 
comes from Tamatave in Madagascar, and one 
would on that account expect it to be different from 
the South African species. The stems are about 
18 in. high and are entirely covered with erect and 
closely adpressed leaves or bracts. The radical 
leaves are linear, five nerved, keeled on the back, 
deep green and tinted with red. The flowers are 
numerous and are borne in a short, terminal raceme. 
The upper sepal is hooded and spurred behind, and 
bright yellow with numerous orange spots all over it. 
The lateral sepals are short, oblong and scarlet. 
The petals are very short and rounded, and suffused 
with scarlet on a yellow ground, The lip is a very 
peculiar organ, narrowly linear, slender and 
apparently functionless or of little service to the 
flower. A plant of it was shown at the Drill Hall 
on the 8th ult. by Messrs. Lewis & Co., Southgate, 
when a Botanical Certificate was awarded it. 
Allamandas. —Those whose houses are low 
should grow Allamandas in pots, otherwise, if 
planted out they will grow too rampantly to flower 
freely. If however they can be trained horizontally 
to wires along the roof of the house so that the stems 
can acquire length and develop their natural vigour 
in that way, they will flower as profusely as if grown 
in a high-roofed house and trained in an upright 
direction. Therefore if the whole length of a low 
roof is at their disposal, Allamandas may profitably 
be grown in this way even if planted out. They 
should be grown on the sunny side of the house, and 
not shaded in any way if good results are to be 
expected. 
Shrubby Begonias —The houses with an inter¬ 
mediate temperature may now be kept gay with 
several species of Begonia, including B. odorata, 
B. semperflorens and its varieties, B. manicata, 
B. metallica, B. hydrocotylifolia, and the various 
forms of B. incarnata, including those with pur¬ 
ple foliage. Several of them will go on flowering 
continuously for several months, and are useful for 
cut flowers or for the ordinary decoration of the 
houses, where they may be judiciously intermixed 
with other fine-foliaged species even if not in flower 
Tuberous Begonias. —The tubers of old plants 
will now be starting into growth and should be 
repotted. Smaller pots may be used for this than 
what they were in, so that another shift may be given 
later on, when the plants have grown sufficiently to 
require it. Seedlings should also be potted off from 
the boxes into which they were transplanted, and 
those of late sown batches should be transplanted as 
soon as they are fit to handle 
Statices. — The present is a suitable time for 
inserting cuttings of this class of plants in bottom 
heat, as they have just commenced to grow again, 
and readily take root when placed under the proper 
conditions. The heel of wood to each cutting must 
necessarily be very short, so that if it possesses some 
large leaves, a small stake might be necessary to 
keep the cutting in position until roots are formed 
Agaves, Yuccas, Dracaenas. — Plants of these 
intended for use in the flower garden during summer 
will have to be seen to. More water will now be 
required than during the winter months Any that 
are too large for the pots they occupy may be re¬ 
potted at once before growth becomes active, other¬ 
wise they will be checked if the roots are much 
injured in the process. 
Peaches. —-The fruits in the earliest house may 
now receive their final thinning ; but unless the 
weather out of doors is more propitious than it has 
been for some time past, the temperatures should not 
yet be much increased. Syringing and damping 
down must be carefully attended to, particularly on 
bright days. Carry out disbudding with regularity 
in succession houses. The late houses now in bloom 
should be kept cool, airy and dry, while such 
artificial means as are used to set the blooms may 
be resorted to during the early part of the day. 
Ivy and Box edgings. —Ivy should now receive 
its annual pruning and trimming whether used as 
edgings or grown as coverings to the trunks of trees 
or on walls and buildings, as growth is now com¬ 
mencing, and delay means the retardation of the new 
covering of foliage and shoots. Box edgings should 
also be planted forthwith, and old ones cut to keep 
them within proper dimensions. This latter may be 
done by means of a scythe after having stretched a 
line tightly along the centre of the edging as a guide 
to the operator. The top may then be trimmed to 
an even height by means of the garden shears. The 
latter tool is sometimes used to accomplish the whole 
operation, but a skilful workman can do it more 
quickly by means of the scythe. 
Herbs. —Whereherbs are required in any quantity, 
fresh plantations should now be made of such things 
as Mint, Lemon Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, 'Winter 
Savory, Common Marjoram, etc., the old plants of 
which may be divided or cut up into well-rooted 
pieces and planted in properly-prepared ground. 
Carrots for exhibition —A sowing may now be 
made of Intermediate or Long Red Surrey, pre¬ 
ferably the former, if intended for exhibition. The 
soil should have been manured and trenched in the 
autumn and otherwise properly prepared. Then take 
advantage of the first fine day when the soil is in a 
dry and workable condition to get the seeds com¬ 
mitted to the ground. For ordinary' use the latter 
half of April will bs sufficiently early or even the 
beginning of May. 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Botanic, March 2 yd. —The first spring show 
of this society was held as usual in the conservatory 
and corridor at Regent's Park on the above date, 
and was in all respects similar to its predecessors 
The greenhouse Azaleas were not quite so large but 
better in form, the first prize going to Mr. H. Eason, 
gardener to B. Noakes, Esq., Hope Cottage, High- 
gate, and the second to Mr. R. Scott, gardener to 
Miss Foster, The Holme, Regent s Park. Mr. 
Henry James, Castle Nursery, West Norwood, was 
the only exhibitor in the nurserymen's class. 
Cyclamens were in fine condition, and the first prize 
in the open class was taken by Mr. D. 1 hillips, 
gardener to R. W. Mann, Esq., Langley Broom, 
Slough, who was second for Chinese Primulas, Mr. 
J. Odell, Gould’s Green, Hillingdon, being first with 
well-flowered plants. Messrs. P..ul & Son took 
the first prizes for Amaryllis and Roses in pots. Mr. 
R. Scott had the best twelve pans of Crocuses, while 
