September 14, 1895 . 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
29 
aware that the Viola and the Forget-me-not were to 
be found at an altitude of over 8,ooo ft., but I found 
both yesterday at the top of the Strela Pass and 
gathered a blue Viola and seed pods of the Alpine 
Auricula side by side on the slope leading to the 
summit of the Schiahorn (8,900 ft.)— E. Ranger 
Johnson, Davos Platz, Sept. 3, ’95. 
--- 
A FINE DENDROBIUM THYRSI- 
FLORUM. 
The accompanying illustration was prepared from a 
photograph sent us by Mr. John Proctor, gardener 
to Sir William Henderson, Devanha House, Aber¬ 
deen, N.B. The group consists of Palms, Ferns, 
some fine Anthuriums, and other stove plants; but 
the real object of the photograph was to show the 
grand variety of Dendrobium thyrsiflorum occupying 
the centre. The real name of this Dendrobe is D. 
densiflorum albo-luteum, according to the botanists, 
but to gardeners it will doubtlessly be known for 
many years to come as D. thyrsiflorum. The plant 
of Eucharis grandiflora (amazonica). He also 
secured the first prize for a new or rare plant, 
exhibiting a beautiful specimen of Bougainvillea 
glabra Sanderiana; and was first for stove or 
greenhouse Ferns. His magnificent exhibit of 
Orchids secured the first award. 
--*•- 
BEGONIAS AT CHISWICK. 
On each side of the pathway leading to the big 
vinery, and in a direct line with it, in the gardens of 
the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick. 
Begonias both of the tuberous and B. semperflorens 
types are used very extensively ; and we have never 
seen them in a more floriferous and showy condition 
than they are at present. Of the tuberous kind 
there is a bed of Vilmorin’s small, double flowered 
types, and which were sent on trial some years ago. 
Some of them are extremely floriferous, with erect 
flower-stalks thrown well above the small leaves and 
dwarf plants. Of the multiflora type, Surpasse 
Davisii is deep crimson, and others are Madame 
varieties are liable to make rather gross foliage in 
the beds, and others occasionally show the same 
thing. Individual varieties of all the colours often 
stand out very prominently and conspicuously over 
their neighbours, owing to the profusion of bloom 
and erect flower-stalks, thus showing which are the 
fittest to select for bedding purposes. Double 
varieties are generally as profuse as the singles 
though the middle flower, which is double and male 
always drops in advance of the female and single 
blossom on each side of it, thus showing a large 
preponderance of single flowers. Ihis applies more 
particularly to those having very large double 
blooms. 
Of shrubby Begonias there are several, but none 
of them surpass the varieties of Begonia semper¬ 
florens for general effect and attractiveness. After¬ 
glow is a free-flowering, pink, and very dwarf type, 
after the style of Carrieri, and has been extremely 
pretty since the time it was put out till now. The 
best of all the B. semperflorens type is Crimson Gem 
with its crimson flowers and glittering, bronzy 
under notice was bought in June, last year, by Si r 
William Henderson just as imported ; in fact, it had 
not even been potted. It looked rather exhausted 
when received, but started away freely and produced 
eleven fine growths on cne old stool. During the 
month of April last it showed eleven splendid 
racemes of bloom, each averaging nearly a foot in 
length, while one of them was 14 in. long. The 
flowers were of unusual size, the sepals and petals 
overlapping each other in a handsome way. Many 
of the gardeners in the district pronounced it to be 
the finest variety they had seen. 
Besides being a successful grower of Orchids and 
stove plants, Mr. Proctor is also a successful 
exhibitor of the same, as results showed at the floral 
gala held in the Dutbie Park, at the Aberdeenshire 
capital, on the 22nd ult., but which restrictions on 
our space prevented us from recording at the time. 
In the class for tables of plants laid out for effect 
Mr. Proctor took the leading award. The medal 
for the best specimen of any flowering plant in the 
show was accorded to him for a magnificent specimen 
Group of^Plants at Devanha House. 
Louis Urban, deep carmine-rose, Madame Courtois, 
white, Gracilis, scarlet, and Rosea, rose. Lafayette 
is closely akin to this type, and a valuable sort for 
bedding purposes, seeing that its small, double, 
glowing crimson-scarlet flowers are well thrown 
above the foliage, and in great abundance. It is 
even more conspicuous in another bed where 
planted in greater quantity. 
Scarlet, crimson, rose, pink, white, yellow, bronze, 
and other seedlings of the large flowering race are 
very floriferous and conspicuous by reason of the 
size and abundance of the blossom. Owing to their 
being on trial, only one or two lines, sometimes 
less of each variety, are planted together, so that no 
general effect is produced, nor was in fact intended. 
The arrangement answers the purpose admirably 
in showing what varieties may be depended upon to 
produce a display under similar conditions and like 
treatment; for there is a remarkable difference in 
the behaviour of the several varieties, pointing, in 
fact, in many cases, to the original species to which 
they happen to be most closely related. Yellow 
metallic foliage. It varies from 6in. to 2ft. high, 
bespeaking a rich soil. The others are similarly 
strong. The flowers of Duchess of Edinburgh are 
rosy-carmine with a white centre ; and those of 
Reading Snowflake are pink in bud, but pure white 
when expanded, except at the very edges of the 
petals. Duchess of York, in the open air at least, is 
almost as dark as Crimson Gem. Amongst other 
types with small flowers the dwarf Fairy Queen, pink 
and white, the taller Bajocensis, rose and pink, and 
Hybrida alba, pink and white, are all extremely 
floriferous. 
-<4.- 
ONONIS REPENS. 
In commenting on a few of our British wild flowers 
noted during a ramble from Maidenhead to Henley, 
I ventured to make some remarks concerning the 
Rest-harrow, which we found growing by the road¬ 
side near Prospect Hill. As I wrote about it under 
the above name, you were good enough, Mr. Editor, 
to query (p. 809) the specific term, and to suggest, in 
the place thereof, O. arvensis. My authority for 
