June 11, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
645 
LINDESFAIRN, BOURNE¬ 
MOUTH. 
Being recently in Bournemouth for a few days I 
paid visits to several private gardens in the neigh¬ 
bourhood, and among them Lindesfairn, a place 
which was built a few years ago by the late Earl 
Cairns. I found gardening very well done there, 
hence these few notes. The “ glass ’’ consists of six 
houses and a few pits, and the houses are by no 
means large ones, but contain a great deal. They 
are built in pairs, and in one pair I noticed a fine lot 
of various stove and greenhouse plants for furnishing, 
and a number of Orchids making their new growths. 
Among the latter were some large plants of Dendro- 
bium nobile in the best possible health. I noticed 
no old growths among them, and learnt from Mr. 
Spong, the excellent gardener in charge, that it was 
his practice to cut out the old bulbs as soon as they 
had done blooming, and he found the plan to answer 
admirably. 
In the next house we went into were some good 
plants of Gardenias plan¬ 
ted out on one side, clean, 
healthy, and full of bloom. 
On the opposite side were 
Cucumbers—a capital lot 
in full bearing ; and on a 
shelf near the glass was a 
good crop of Tomatos, just 
ripe, on plants grown on 
from cuttings put in in the 
autumn. These are span- 
roofed structures with 
paths down the centre. 
Near by is another pair, 
running north and south, 
which are devoted to 
decorative plants. In 
one was a good strain 
of Amaryllis, Primula 
obconica in quantity, 
Azaleas, and quite a num¬ 
ber of Orchids for so small 
a place. The other house 
also contained a number of 
Orchids all doing grandly, 
and on one plant in a 5-in. 
pot of Dendrobium thyrsi- 
florum I counted thirteen 
good strong spikes just 
about to open. 
The fruit houses consist 
of two Vineries, which, no 
doubt, were originally 
intended for growing 
Vines and fruit trees in 
pots, as in them are a set 
of rails and platforms of 
the pattern introduced by 
the late Rev. John Foun- 
taine. They have not 
been used as originally 
intended for several years, 
having doubtless proved a 
failure here as they have 
done in so many other 
places. At the time of my 
visit the travelling platform was fixed inside and used 
forstanding plants upon, under the Vines, which were 
showing fine crops. The latest house contains 
Lady Downe's Seedling, Black Alicante, Muscats, 
Gros Maroc, and Gros Colmar, etc., almost in bloom. 
In the earliest house the Grapes were close upon the 
colouring period, and I noticed very good bunches 
of Foster’s Seedling, Frontignan’s, and Black Ham¬ 
burgh. 
On the back wall is a large Brown Turkey i' ig in 
splendid condition. Mr. Spong told me that he had 
begun togather ripe fruit on May 20th. The tree was 
carrying a grand crop nearly ripe, and showing well 
for a second crop. These houses also contained a 
great number of plants of various kinds—Orchids, 
Azaleas, Camellias, greenhouse Rhododendrons, 
Stephanotis, etc. In the late division were some 
good standard Figs in 12-in. pots, and a fine batch of 
Lilium Harrisi in 32’s and nearly in bloom. I was 
assured that these houses were full of plants all the 
year round, and in addition there were hanging 
shelves for Straw’berries. 
At the rear of the Vineries are some sheds and a 
Mushroom house, and looking into the latter I saw 
a most abundant crop, the beds being almost white 
with the toothsome " buttons ” and “grillers.” In 
the fruit room were some forty or fifty fine bunches 
of Grapes still hanging in bottles, and some of the 
Alicantes would not have disgraced any exhibition, 
being almost as bright and as fresh as when first cut. 
There will be old Grapes here I doubt not until 
the new ones come in, and that only from the crops 
of two houses. 
In the kitchen garden I observed a grand quarter 
of Veitch’s Model Broccoli, and some capital 
Asparagus. I had not time enough to allow of my 
going all round, but I saw enough to prove that Mr. 
Spong most decidedly makes the best of his opportuni¬ 
ties.— Con. 
--5-- 
CATTLEYASAT CLAPTON. 
A grand display of Caltleya Mossiae may be seen 
at present in the nursery of Messrs. Hugh Low & 
Co., Clapton. There are several species with their 
allies in bloom, but the display is entirely produced 
by C. Mossias, and a magnificent spectacle it is, con¬ 
Iris tingitana. 
sisting of a large importation flowering for the first 
time. There were between 4,000 and 5,000 sheaths 
all showing at one time, and when we saw them the 
other day there were over 1,000 flowers in full bloom 
in a cool house near the principal entrance. The 
variety of colour is very great, yet very few have 
received special names. A variety named Cynthia 
is unique as far as we know. The sepals and petals 
are blush coloured; but the special feature is the 
tube of the lip, which is white internally, and the 
side lobes are nearly white ; the lamina is richly 
netted with purple on a pale ground and the finely 
crisped margin is nearly white. Close by is C. M. 
magnifica with rosy sepals and petals and an intensely 
purple lamina with a lilac edge, but without any of 
the usual reticulation which is so characteristic of 
C. Mossiae. 
To have singled out any more for varietal names 
would have been an endless task where so many fine 
things exist. A few were sent to Enfield to be 
flowered there, and the effect has been marvellous. 
The flowers are altogether larger with widely spread¬ 
ing petals of great breadth and substance. Amongst 
the collection are many with rich rose petals and 
sepals. Very pleasing is a variety with a nearly 
white lip suffused with delicate pink. Another has 
a rich purple almost orbicular lamina. Contrasted 
with this is another with a huge lip variegated with 
dark and also delicate colours. One variety has a 
purple blotch at the apex of the petals, as in C 
Trianae Backhouseana. Contrasting with this is 
another with a white lip excepting a small purple 
blotch at its apex Several pieces of C. M. 
Reineckeana have turned up in the importation, 
some of which are superior to the type, inasmuch as 
not only the sepals and petals are white, but likewise 
the lip, excepting a small purple blotch at the apex 
of the lamina. Several pieces of C. Mendelii may 
also be seen in this house, but we particularly noted 
one with stout fluted pseudo-bulbs, and a strikingly 
distinct lip. The lamina is purple, the side lobes 
white, and the orange blotch has entirely dis¬ 
appeared. The powerful but agreeable fragrance 
that meets the visitor on entering the house is not 
the least attraction of a house full of C. Mossiae. 
The remainder of this importation is distributed 
through three or four 
other houses, where the 
same agreeable perfume 
meets the visitor on 
entering. Some pieces 
growing on wood as im¬ 
ported from their native 
wilds should serve to give 
some idea how Cattleyas 
can live, thrive, and flower 
in a state of nature clinging 
to a bare branch without 
any means of nourishment 
apparently than that 
brought to them by rain ; 
for other matter,if brought 
there, must soon be 
washed away by the first 
heavy shower. One of the 
pieces in question shows 
great delicacy of colour, 
and being in full bloom 
arrests the attention more 
than those in pots. 
Another large quantity 
of C. Mossiae may be seen 
in a long,low-roofed house. 
Some of them here may 
be singled out as particu¬ 
larly noteworthy, particu¬ 
larly one with warm rose 
sepals and petals, and a 
rich purple lamina edged 
with lilac, and having a 
prominent orange blotch 
in the throat. Here again 
we noted C. M. Reinecke¬ 
ana, almost entirely white. 
Those who wish to realise 
the effect of a houseful of 
this grand old Cattleya 
should not miss the 
sight while the plants 
are in bloom and their 
respective merits can be 
determined. They are 
certainly a grand lot. 
IRIS TINGITANA. 
Of all the species of Iris belonging to the section 
Xiphion, and generally known as bulbous Irises, that 
under notice, and of which we give an illustration, is 
one of the least known. It would be unfortunate 
were it to remain so considering the beauty, hardi¬ 
ness, and great variety in its nearest allies, the 
Spanish Iris (I. xiphion) and the English Iris (I. 
xiphioides). It has the habit and vigorous growth 
of the latter with the flowers of the former. The 
lamina of the falls is orbicular, and lilac-purple with 
a central yellow^ spot on a white blotch, and the claw 
is fiddle-shaped. The erect standards are much 
narrower and as well as the stigmas lilac-purple. 
The species was originally introduced about 20 years 
ago from a district about ten miles south of Algiers. 
The bulbs are inclined to start into grow th and to 
flower at an unfavourable time for our climate, but 
if they could be urged on so as to flower early in 
autumn, or delayed till they could flower with safety 
in spring, the season of Iris bloom would be pro¬ 
longed thereby. A race of varieties might also be 
raised similar to that of its allies. 
