638 THE GARDENING WORLD. Junes, less. 
pretty white flowers, having an amethyst-purple lip. 
A handsome variety is Cattleya Mossiae Mrs. R. H. 
Measures, with its pale flesh or blush sepals and 
petals. The lip is also of a light hue, with a large 
crimson-purple blotch upon the lamina. Laelia 
purpurata in a variety of colour is flowering grandly. 
One variety has pale sepals and petals with an 
intense purple lamina to the lip, and a yellow interior 
to the tube lined with purple. Another was similarly 
fine, but had a straw-coloured tube, shaded with 
purple. A very charming bigeneric hybrid is Laelio- 
cattleya C. G. Roebelin, with soft purple sepals and 
petals, and a large intense purple blotch on the lip. 
Cattleya Mossiae albanense has sepals of a faint 
blush, slightly darker petals, and a white lip with a 
small purple blotch upon it, making a very choice 
variety. Oncidium pulchellum is a charming little 
thing which ought to be in every collection. 
We next examined a cool house in which Odonto- 
glossum crispum is flowering in some variety, while 
numerous strong spikes give a forecast of what is 
coming. Several other subjects are also grown here, 
but passing into the next house we noted well- 
flowered specimens of Odontoglossum vexillarium in 
various sizes. O cirrhosum is also in finecondition. 
Some specimens of Oncidium varicosum Rogersii in 
bloom form part of what we believe to be the finest 
importation of it ever made. The size of the flowers 
is something remarkable. We say so not merely 
from the plants still here, but from plants of the 
same importation we have seen in other collections. 
Not far from this is another house containing a large 
quantity of Odontoglossum vexillarium in all shades 
of colour, from dark purple to pink, with a white lip. 
Cymbidium lowianum is grown in quantity, but the 
plants are now very quiet for the season, merely 
making their growth. Another house close by 
contains another great batch of Dendrobiums sus¬ 
pended in pans overhead, and on inquiry as to the 
method of watering them we were told that it was all 
done by the syringe, otherwise the herculean task 
could never be accomplished. A huge piece of 
Epidendrum rhizophorum planted out on a rockery is 
thriving well and flowering freely. 
A large importation of Cypripedium mastersianum 
is just starting into growth, while another batch is in 
full vigour. House follows house in close proximity, 
and the next the visitor comes to on this round is 
mostly occupied with Odontoglossums, including O. 
harryanum, O. Hallii, O. luteo-purpureum, and O. 
cordatum. The large flowers of Oncidium crispum 
still single out this as a fine species. Thunia 
marshalliana has been in perfection for some time 
past, and the plants here are extremely variable in 
colour. A variety with a very bristly, cr fringed, and 
dark orange lip is particularly handsome. The dark 
bronzy-brown flowers of Laelia grandis tenebrosa 
are now in season. Some of them seem almost black 
when opening. A batch of Cypripedium Schlimii 
has made excellent growth. A beautifully-spotted 
form of the Foxbrush Orchid (Saccolabium Blumei) 
bears seven fine spikes of bloom. An uncommon 
species is Oncidium dichromum, with its yellow lip. 
In Cattleya Holfordi we have a pretty species with 
pale yellow flowers. Delightfully scented is Coelogyne 
ochracea. Odontoglossum citrosmum in pots and 
pans again becomes conspicuous. Along with it are 
importations of Cattleya labiata and C. Trianaei 
in any quantity. Very handsome are the bright 
yellow flowers of Spathoglottis kimballiana. 
Numerous varieties of Thunia marshalliana again 
turn up, along with Cattleya schilleriana, the rare 
Dendrobium Parishi, and D. tortile. Epidendrum 
parkinsonianum, with its deeply three-lobed lip, is 
a very peculiar species. Cypripediums are again re- 
persented by C.chamberlainianum, C.lawrenceanum, 
and C. Curtisii. A fine hybrid is Phaius owenianus, 
with its brownish-orange sepals and petals and 
orange lip. Aerides savageanum is a sweetly-scented 
species; and A. ballantineanum is also pretty, with 
its purple tipped sepals and petals and amber lip. 
Other Flowering Plants. 
Our readers are most familiar with Messrs. Sander’s 
nursery as an Orchid growing establishment, but 
large quantities of other plants are also cared for 
there. Asparagus Sanderi, imported from South 
Africa by the firm, has very light and graceful twiggy 
shoots that never become flattened like A. plumosus 
Eucharis Stevensi is a beautiful, free-flowering 
species, with flowers somewhat smaller than those of 
E grandiflora, and dark green ribbed leaves in the 
way of E. Sanderi. A free-flowering, shrubby 
Begonia is B. albanensis, with rosy-pink flowers. 
Dipladenia atropurpurea is grown in pots in some 
quantity. Varieties of Streptocarpus with flowers of 
great size, and in several shade of blue, lavender, 
and mauve, form a conspicuous feature in some of 
the houses. Very handsome is Begonia corallina, 
especially where trained up to the rafters so that the 
stems could attain their natural dimensions. The 
large clusters of rosy-pink and coral-red flowers 
are there very handsome indeed. Lapageria 
rosea and L. r. alba trained over the root are 
features of some of the houses. In other cases 
various seedling hybrids of Anthurium andreanum 
are planted in pockets constructed of cement, for the 
purpose of concealing the formality of the staging, 
and being now in bloom they are very interesting. 
These are particularly numerous in the house known 
as the aquarium. 
Foliage Plants. 
The house last named, owing to its construction, is 
peculiarly adapted for the growth of fine foliage and 
other stove plants. Nepenthes, or Pitcher Plants, 
grown in baskets are suspended from the roof 
in enormous numbers. The Lattice Leaf Plant 
(Ouvrirandra fenestralis) is quite happy submerged 
in a pool of clear water. Palms, Alocasias, 
Anthuriums, and similar subjects are all very happy 
here. In another house are some splendid samples 
ofNephenthes hookerianus, with pitchers io in. to 
12 in. long. The leaves of Dracaena godseffiana are 
closely and beautifully spotted with creamy-yellow 
after the style of an Aucuba. It soon forms a hand¬ 
some bush on account of the numerous suckers it 
throws up from the base. Nowhere is D. sanderiana 
better done than here. Independently of the small 
stock plants, a huge and brightly-coloured specimen 
consisting of some fifty stems, and excellent for 
exhibition purposes, may be seen here. It is admir¬ 
ably clean and healthy. A frame in another house 
is full of the pretty and most interesting Australian 
Pitcher Plant (Cephalotus folicularis). 
A very pretty effect is produced in one of the cool 
Orchid houses by the formation of ledges of tufa on 
which a variety of plants is grown to hide the space 
beneath and in front of the staging. Here the 
varieties of Begonia Rex, Sibthorpia europaea varie- 
gata, and other shade-loving plants, thrive admirably. 
Hypericum mosserianum tricolor is grown in great 
quantity in the same house. Several of the smaller 
and useful decorative Caladiums may be seen here; 
C. rubescens is one of the most distinct and pretty, 
with its long, narrow, ovate-lanceolate leaves, 3 in. 
to 6 in. long, and quite unlike the usual run of 
Caladiums. They are red with green edges, and 
form a spreading tuft about 8 in. high. C. venosum 
on the other hand is deep green with radiating 
silvery veins, and stands about a foot high. Sarra- 
cenias are grown in considerable quantity and variety 
in a cool house facing the north east. For some 
years past Messrs. Sander have been crossing and 
raising new varieties of Sonerilla. The number of 
varieties is great, but the quantity even greater, 
Amongst the beautiful varieties to be noted are those 
named Mrs. Walters ; James Hamilton, olive-green, 
with small gray spots; W. P. Brown, gray marked 
with olive; and Silver Queen, a very light silvery- 
gray variety, recently certificated. 
-- 
ORCHIDS AT WOOLTON WOOD. 
Cattleyas are now a pleasing feature, the various 
varieties in bloom being brought together and staged 
at the entrance of the Cattleya house. C. Mossiae 
is represented by some choice kinds, the lip being 
large, beautifully fringed, and clearly marked. C. 
Mendelii is present in quantity with fine flowers. 
C. lawrenceana and C. Trianaei are also included. 
This bank of delicate shades is improved by a back 
ground of Dendrobium turysiflorum with about forty 
spikes, the centre plant with ten spikes being large 
and of a rich colour. This genus is also supported 
by D. suavissimum, D. chrysotoxum, D. sulcatum, 
D. japonicum (sweet scented), D. dalhouseanum (a 
charming variety), D. fimbriatum and D. 
devonianum. 
Cypripediums as usual are interesting, the varieties 
now in bloom being C. grande, C. barbatum nigrum 
(fifty-four flowers), C. Willianum, C. Curtisii, C. 
caudatum, C. insigne, C. hirsutissimum, &c. 
Vanda suavis with three spikes, and having fifteen 
flowers on one spike, is supported with V. teres 
(unique and pretty), V. teres alba, V. Batemanii 
(with a strong spike), and V. tricolor. The Masde- 
vallias are flowering freely and well worthy of a visit 
by those who admire their quaint forms and colours, 
Most of the plants are large and carrying an abun¬ 
dance of bloom. Those in flower include M. 
harryana caerulescens, M. Chelsonii, M. ignea, M. 
Lindenii, M. Shuttleworthii, M. veitchiana grandi¬ 
flora, M. Wagnerii (a very pretty curiosity), and M. 
spectrum. Amongst other kinds Oncidium mar- 
shallianum is very fine, as are Odontoglossum 
Reichenumii and the peculiar O. hottianum. Utricu- 
laria montana is pretty in baskets. Odontoglossum 
Roezlii is nearly a perpetual bloomer. Thunia mar¬ 
shalliana and T. Bensoniae have strong growths- 
Saccolabium ampullaceum is pretty with its 
miniature pink truss of flowers.— Visitor. 
--f-- 
EARLY VEGETABLES. 
As we were goiDg to press on the 27th ult., a box of 
early vegetables reached us from Mr. Arthur Pentney, 
gardener to A. J. Howard, Esq., Worton Hall, 
Isleworth. The date of the first gathering of the 
several kinds was not stated, unfortunately, as such 
information would serve as a guide to our readers, a 
large number of whom are interested, not only in the 
cultivation of vegetables, but in the means whereby 
the earliest dishes may be secured. In another 
column one of our correspondents gives May 20th, as 
the earliest date on which he has been able to gather 
Peas and dig Potatos from the open ground. 
Amongst the rest was a fruit of a Cucumber 15J in. 
in length, as straight as a gun-barrel and slightly 
tapered to the stalk but without the so-called handle 
which detracts from the value of some varieties. It 
was obtained as a cross between Lockie’s Perfection 
and Rochford's Cucumber. With the exception of a 
few scattered and very small black spines, the skin 
was smooth and deep green. It was raised by Mr. 
Pentney, we presume. 
He always makes a point of getting Peas ready for 
use as early as possible, and on this occasion he 
sends samples of two varieties in excellent condition. 
American Wonder was sown in pots on January 28th 
and planted out on a warm border on March 3rd. 
The pods were 2J in. to 3! in. long, and contained 
four to six seeds, a large proportion of them having 
the latter number. Veitch's Earliest Marrow was 
sown in boxes on the same date, but was not planted 
out until March 10th. The pods were considerably 
larger than those of American Wonder, and were of 
a rich dark green, heavily overlaid with a glaucous 
bloom. They measured 2^ in. to 3 in. in length, and 
contained five to eight Peas of excellent flavour, 
greatly superior, in fact, to those of American 
Wonder. Judging from the samples sent, this 
variety would be two to four days later than the 
last-named. It would, therefore, come in usefully as 
a succession. 
Mr. Pentney, has for some years past grown a 
Potato under the name of Giant King, which he finds 
is good for forcing purposes. According to the list 
given in the Potato number of The Gardening 
World for March 7th. the variety was grown at 
Chiswick in 1873. It is there recorded as a half 
long, white variety. The samples sent us were 
variously flattened, particularly the larger ones, and 
measured from ij in. to 2§ in. in diameter. Under 
ordinary conditions and when full grown, they would 
no doubt be very much larger. The tubers are of 
excellent quality when full grown. 
Since the above was written Mr. Pentney has 
informed us that he gathered his first dish of Peas 
from American Wonder on May 16th. The new 
Cucumber he sent was raised by him from the 
parents named above. Mr. J. Gibson, gardener to 
E. H. Watts, Esq., Devonhurst, Chiswick, also 
makes an effort to get early vegetables in the same 
way as Mr. Pentney. He sowed a batch of Sutton’s 
Forcing Pea in pots, planted them out in the last week 
of March, and gathered the first dish on May 19th. 
Considering that this is a Marrowfat Pea, the getting 
of it two days earlier than any other, is certainly a 
great consideration. Carter’s Lightning Pea, a 
round-seeded variety, was sown in the open about the 
8th February, on a sheltered border, and the first 
dish was gathered on the 26th May, that is a week 
later than those sown under glass. Mr. Gibson also 
dug tubers of Potato Sutton’s Ringleader on the 26th 
ult. For a London suburban garden with a smoky 
and often overclouded atmosphere, it is highly credit¬ 
able to the grower to be able to get Peas and new 
Potatos in May. The last-named were planted on a 
narrow border along the front of an orchard house 
and received no protection whatever beyond being 
earthed up. The spring has been excessively dry, 
yet the tubers dug up were of a very satisfactory 
size. 
