June 20, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
669 
Fern Pilferers.—The wholesale removal of Ferns 
from Cornish woods and hedges that has been carried 
on of late years threatens seriously to make our 
native ferns great rarities. Huge baskets of roots are 
annually taken up by collectors, sent to various 
markets and sold. This matter should receive the 
careful attention of all who are interested in our 
native plants, and decided steps should be taken 
without delay to protect our beautiful wildings from 
extinction at the hands of such depredators. 
Messrs Dobbie & Company, seed growers and 
florists by Royal warrant to the Queen, Rothesay, 
obtained Her Majesty’s permission to send to her at 
Balmoral specimens of the Dahlias and Violas which 
were so much admired by the Royal party at the 
recent Temple Show of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. The flowers were duly sent, and the 
following acknowledgment has been received :— 
"Balmoral Castle, June nth, 1896.—Messrs. Dobbie 
& Company.—I am commanded to thank you for the 
beautiful blooms of Dahlia and Viola which you 
have been good enough to send to the Queen. They 
arrived here in excellent condition, and were much 
admired by Her Majesty.”—Yours faithfully, 
Arthur Bigge. 
Royal Botanic Society.—The opening of the 
society’s gardens to the public on certain days by 
payment has now been practised for a little over a year. 
Numbers of visitors have been admitted, especially 
on Bank Holidays, and the experiment has been a 
complete success, all the more so from the fact that 
no damage to the gardens in general or to any 
plants in particular has been reported. The appre¬ 
hensions of some that the innovation would prevent 
Fellows from joining has been proved to have no 
foundation, for during 1895 three times more Fellows 
were elected than in 1894. 
Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show.—In the 
spacious tent.set apart for horticultural exhibits at 
this great show much that is worthy of mention was 
to be seen. Messrs. Robert Veitch & Sons, of 
Exeter, occupied a large portion of the space with 
Orchids, Bamboos, hardy ornamental trees and 
shrubs, and Alpines. The last-named were arranged 
upon a piece of rockwork in miniature, and looked 
both bright and eflective. Cannas were also shown 
in grand order by the same firm, and included 
superb examples of such notable varieties as L. E. 
Bally, Phoebus, and Professor J. G. Baker. 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ Annual Excursion —The 
well-known firm of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, seeds¬ 
men, of Reading, on Monday entertained their 
employes to the usual excursion which they have so 
generously provided for a great number of years. It 
is a pleasing feature that the partners and also their 
wives, take part in these trips, and Monday last was 
no exception to the rule, Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. 
Sutton, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Sutton, Mr. and Mrs. 
Arthur W. Sutton, and Mr. Leonard G. Sutton 
accompanying the train on both the out and in 
journeys, and doing everything they could, by their 
genial courtesy, to make those participating in the 
day’s pleasure as happy as possible. A long special 
left Reading (G.W.R.) punctually at 7 a.m , and, 
running smoothly and quickly over the S.W.R. 
from Basingstoke, reached Portsmouth Harbour at 
9.20, where the party, numbering 600 in all, aligbted ( 
and the majority at once proceeded to a special 
steamer which conveyed them direct to Ryde. As 
usual, the train and steamboat were provided by the 
firm, and also each employe was presented with an 
ample sum of money to meet the expenses of the 
day in the matter of refreshments, &c„ while each 
married man received an invitation for his wife. 
Thoughtful thoroughness in making the arrange¬ 
ments was also shown in the fact that by payment 
of a small charge those wishing to do so could return 
any day during the week, and also in securing rail¬ 
way concessions on the Isle of Wight Railway (the 
ordinary rates on which are so exceptionally dear), 
and cheap steambgat trips to Sandown, Shanklin, 
and Ventnor, and further obtained special per¬ 
mission from the Admiralty for the excursionists to 
visit H.M.S. " Inflexible,” then lying in Portsmouth 
Harbour. With all these and other attractions, 
some still preferred to take the popular 11 trip round 
the Island ” by the s.s. " Heather Bell,” which on 
Monday began its daily sailing for the season. By 
all, and perhaps particularly by those taking part in 
the last-named mode of spending a happy day, the 
excursion was most thoroughly enjoyed, for the day 
proved brilliantly fine from start to finish, and the 
arrangements were in every way admirable. The 
return train left Portsmouth Harbour at 7.30 p.m., 
and reached Reading with its happy and contented 
freight at 9.50. 
Orchids at Highbury, Birmingham.—An apprecia¬ 
tive article, with illustrations, of the Right Hon. Sir 
Joseph Chamberlain’s Orchids, is given in the issue 
of Knowledge for June 1st. The illustrations include 
photographs of Miltonia vexillaria, Oncidium 
Papilio, Cattleya Mossiae Wageneri, Cypripedium 
bellatulum, Dendrobium formosum giganteum, and 
Cattleya Mendelii. These are accompanied by 
descriptive text which gives the leading facts of 
interest concerning them, their native habitats, and 
the temperature necessary for their successful culti¬ 
vation. The illustrations of the last four species 
above-named show the whole plant and pots, so 
that the flowers are considerably reduced in size. 
They occupy two pages of the magazine above 
named, and consequently serve to give the lay 
reader a very good idea of the general features of 
the plants in question. 
Pansies from Forest Hill.—Messrs. J. Laing & 
Sons, Stanstead Park, Forest Hill, sent us a box of 
Pansy blooms such as are raised from seeds and used 
for general garden decoration. They belong, to a 
considerable extent, to the strain of which Peacock 
is a well-known representative. Continental firms 
usually send them out under the name of Viola 
tricolor quadricolor. They are of various shades of 
blue, purple, and other dark shades usually possessed 
of a rich velvety gloss. The violet-purple shades, 
with blotches of a lively blue in the centre of the 
petals, are very handsome, and come nearest to the 
old-named variety Peacock. A pretty one was that 
with three blackish-violet blotches on the lower 
petals, and a broad soft lilac band across the top 
petals. Others again had blackish-violet blotches 
and a broad dark purple margin to all of the petals. 
Some had lighter purple margins. A white one 
showed off its violet blotches to the best advantage. 
Several had flowers of a rich blackish-violet. The 
yellow ground varieties were very varied and 
generally conspicuous. Very showy were some large 
flowers with light purple petals and a broad white 
margin. The Viola tricolor quadricolor strain is 
characterised by a very narrow margin to the 
flowers, consisting of rose and white, encircling 
bands that are very fascinating. There were also 
some striped flowers. For garden decoration a 
packet of these seeds would furnish a gay border all 
through the season. 
Arddarroch Sale of Orchids. —R. Brooman White, 
Esq., of Arddarroch, N.B., has given up the cultiva¬ 
tion of hothouse Orchids, and with this object in 
view he had a sale on the 9th and 10th inst. The 
sale was conducted by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, 
Cheapside ; and as the attendance was very poor on 
both days the outlook was poor, but as the results 
showed those few visitors had gone there with the 
object of buying, so that the sale amounted to £1,500, 
being far above what was expected. Specially fine 
things, particularly amongst Cattleyas, fetched hand¬ 
some prices, as may be gleaned from the few under¬ 
mentioned details. Cattleya Mendelii Empress of 
India realised 60 gs.; C. M. Whitei, 30 gs.; C. 
hardyana, 55 gs.; C. Mendelii Mrs. Brooman White, 
40 gs.; C. M. Sea Gull, 30 gs.; C. Trianaei albida, 
an immense piece consisting of 200 pseudo-bulbs, 
65 gs.; C. Mendelii Bluntii, 21 gs.; C. Lawre- 
Mossaie, n gs. ; C. Mendelii Argus, 16 gs. ; another 
piece of C. Mendelii Mrs. Brooman White, 17 gs.; 
C. gigas purpurea, 14 gs.; and C. Trianaei lilacina, 
from the Downside collection, 7J gs. This was on 
the first day of the sale, and during the same time, 
Odontoglossum elegans was knocked down for 13 gs.; 
O. Pescatorei Thomsoni for 22 gs.; O. crispum album 
magnificum for 11 gs.; O. excellens, for 25 gs.; and 
Laelia grandis tenebrosa, with 14 pseudo-bulbs, 11 gs. 
Five to seven guineas were common prices for the 
finer varieties of Cattleya and Vanda Sanderiana, 
even when the plants were of moderate size. Some 
good prices were also realised during the second day of 
the sale, including n gs. for Cattleya Trianaei albida, 
C. Mendelii Cock of the North, 8 gs. ; C. Mendelii 
Bluntii, 27 gs.; C. Rex, 6 gs. ; C. Mendelii Mrs. 
Brooman White, 50 gs.; C. Mendelii Rajah, 7 gs. ; 
C. Mossiae Wageneri and C. Mendelii Sea Gull, 
8 gs. each; and Laelia purpurata hardyana, 8 gs. 
Three plants of Odontoglossum Alexandrae fetched 
10 gs., 21 gs., and 19 gs. respectively. On the whole 
it was a good scale, and the principal buyers came 
from London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bradford. 
Preventing the Mayfly.—First gardener : “ I have 
discovered how to prevent the Mayfly from eating 
my Turnips.” Second gardener : " How do you 
manage that?” First gardener: "By sowing in 
June.” 
Wye Gardeners Society.—At the monthly meeting 
held on Wednesday, June 10th, Mr. W. Epps took 
the first, and Mr. J. Tippen the second prize for 
a dish of new Potatos. Cut flowers in quantity 
were also contributed by various exhibtors. 
An alderman and his fruit trees.—A budding 
alderman of Kendal, with a love for gardening, has 
recently been experimenting with a decoction of 
quassia-chips on the caterpillars infesting his fruit 
trees. He boiled the chips in water, and by spraying 
his trees with it, describes the remedy as a good one. 
William Lerro’s name will long live in the memory 
of those who identify the individual and his work, 
and which is perpetuated in the firm which has con¬ 
tinued that work since he retired from business in 
1892. Mr. Lerro only enjoyed his retirement for about 
four years, having recently passed away, active to 
the very last, at the age of seventy-one. Mr. Lerro 
contrived a shred to train vines and creepers against 
the wall, something to replace the old slips of wool 
or cloth, which harboured insects in such dangerous 
proximity to the plant, something that would repel 
instead of encouraging those little pests. The 
Medicated Garden Shreds, or "Dean’s Shreds” as 
known to many, proved their value in this respect, 
and Mr. Lerro was flattered by their use in royal 
demesnes. 
- «a~- - 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
Orchidsfrom Sligachan—Mr. John W. Potter, 
Sligachan, Park Hill Road, Croydon, sends us some 
beautiful flowers from his collection. True to 
character was a bloom of the deservedly popular 
Cattleya Wageneri, the orange blotch in the tbroat 
of the lip being the only contrast to all other parts 
of the flower. In this case the blotch was of a pale 
orange and extended to the very base of the tube. 
Accompanying it were flowers of two beautiful 
varieties of Odontoglossum crispum. The prettiest 
and most distinct was that named O. c. Shena, cut 
from a spike bearing eight flowers. The white ground 
colour of the sepals and petals was overlaid with a soft 
rose, and a large reddish brown blotch or a cluster of 
them occupied the centre of each sepal. The petals 
seem to vary in having one central blotch or none at all. 
The lip is white, with a large, lobed blotch in front 
of the crest and yellow basal area. Another unnamed 
variety had nearly white flowers, with a cluster of 
brownish-purple blotches on the centre of each sepal. 
There was also a blotch on the lip. The flowers in 
this case had been cut from a small plant, recently 
imported and flowering for the first time. All were 
shapely flowers and Mr. Potter evidently knows fine 
varieties when he sees them. 
Cypripedium insigne Luciani, Nov. var .—There 
seems no end to the beautiful varieties which may 
turn up in importations of this popular species. The 
variety under notice has been dedicated to the 
Director of the Horticulture Internationale, M. 
Lucien Linden, Parc Leopold, Brussels. It turned 
up in an importation of the montanum type of C. 
insigne, and is characterised by the entire absence 
of spots from the flowers. The upper sepal is of 
beautiful form, and of a soft pale green shading to 
yellow at the very base, while all the apical area and 
the broad margin are pure white. The petals and 
lip are clear bright yellow. The variety is admir¬ 
ably portrayed in the Lindenia pi. 505. It received a 
First-class Diploma of Honour at a meeting of the 
Orchideenne held at the Horticulture Internationale 
last November. 
Cattleya maxima floribunda, Nov. var —The 
varietal name in this case would indicate that it is 
many-flowered, or produces flowers in abundance, 
but while this is the case, it is also the darkest- 
coloured form of the species we have seen. The 
sepals and petals are of a dark rose, but the lamina 
of the lip is of a rich purple, heavily lined with 
