856 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 1, 1896. 
THE LONDON NURSERIES. 
Last week found us wending our way, during one of 
the wettest and most cheerless days we have had in 
town this winter, towards the London Nurseries, 4, 
Maida Vale, W., where we found Mr. P. McArthur 
cheerfully occupied superintending the unpacking of 
several large cases of newly-imported Orchids in 
splendid condition, and apparently oblivious of the 
weather. Evidently the interest in Orchids con¬ 
tinues good so long as choice kinds can be brought 
before the public. Mr. McArthur is probably best 
known to our readers as a grower and exhibitor of 
Orchids, but he also does a good business in decora¬ 
tive work of all kinds, and keeps his houses well 
filled with the various requisite subjects which we 
shall hereafter notice. 
Orchids. 
This class of plants is most numerously represented ; 
and, though the present time is by no means the best 
to see them, they are practically never out of season, 
for some or other of them are in flower at all seasons, 
Amongst the Cypripediums is a very fine variety of 
C. Sallieri with the dorsal sepal 3 in. long and 2^in. 
wide, and beautifully blotched with rich brown on a 
pale apple-green ground, except the apex and 
margins almost to the base, which are pure white. 
The petals are 3 in. long and the lip 2J in. The 
plant is one of three, all distinct. One of them has 
three of its crowns consisting of leaves variegated 
with broad bands of bright creamy-yellow. We do 
not remember seeing so distinct a variegation 
amongst Orchids. Six seedling Cypripediums of a 
cross between C. Boxallii atratum and C. harrisia- 
num are all distinct from one another. The leaves 
are shorter than those of the pollen parent, twice as 
broad and more distinctly marked. The dorsal sepal 
in some cases is almost black, and the petals are 
rich purple on the upper half. 
Dendrobiums are well represented, particularly 
the varieties of D. nobile, and we must admit that 
D. nobile backhouseanum was the prettiest, most 
distinct, and novel of all that are flowering at the 
present time. The sepals are rich purple at the 
apex, and the petals more decidedly so for half their 
length. The throat of the lip is of a rich deep crim¬ 
son. The purple hue of sepals and petals is of a 
shade difficult to describe. The plant is a portion 
of the original. The beautiful D. n. Cooksoni with 
its bold attempt at peloria of the petals is also 
flowering. Here also are D. n. wallichianum. D. 
nobile excellens, with large flowers, the segments of 
which are tipped with light rose. D. n. insigne is 
also coming into flower. A splendid plant of D. n. 
Gortoni is notable for the size of its pure white 
flowers tipped with a delicate tint of light rose and 
deep crimson in the throat. D. splendidissimum 
Quorn House var. has pure white sepals and petals, 
and a light crimson blotch on the lip. To the list 
we must add the light-coloured hybrid, D. dominia- 
num. Mr. McArthur has got the stock of the rare 
D. Coelogyne and grows the plants on rafts. 
Amongst Cattleyas is a delicately-coloured variety 
of C- Trianaei with soft lilac flowers and a rounded 
lamina to the Hp, and a pale yellow blotch in the 
throat like C. Sehroderae. Cattleya Trianaei alba 
serves to enrich the collection, as does the very rare 
C. elegans alba, and the white C. Eldorado 
Wallissii. A fine piece of C. Mossiae reineckeana, 
consisting of seventy pseudo-bulbs is also noteworthy. 
There are nine pieces (some of them very fine) of the 
new C. M. alba Berggreni, recently imported, but 
pushing fresh growth. It is different from C. M. 
Wageneri and C. M. reineckeana. Still another fine 
thing comes in the shape of C. M. alba Gortoni, with 
a pale primrose blotch in the throat, but otherwise 
pure w’hite. There is only one plant consisting of 
twenty-seven pseudo-bulbs, seventeen leaves and two 
flower sheaths. The collector marked it while iu 
bloom. The pseudo-bulbs are plump and smooth, 
not corrugated ; and the leaves are only 2J in. long, 
rigid, leathery, and very distinct in appearance. 
These importations bear witness to Mr. McAr'hur’s 
activity in furnishing novelties for British gardens. 
The pure white Lycaste Skinneri alba has been 
flowrering for some time past. On the contrary, the 
handsome and useful Coelogyne cristata maxima, C. 
c. lemoniana and C. c. alba are all pushing up their 
flower spikes rapidly. Here we noted the rare 
Laelia rubescens, known under many names, includ¬ 
ing L. acuminata. It is highly prized by the 
natives of Southern Mexico and Guatemala. The 
charming Saccolabium bellinum seems to flower the 
greater part of the year. Pretty also is the white- 
flowered Eria convallarioides, named the Lily of the 
\ alley Orchid by the inhabitants of Ceylon from its 
fancied resemblance to that plant. The white lip and 
yellow petals of Odontoglossum Rossii aspersum are 
very pretty. The typical O. Rossii in some variety is 
also flowering at this early period. 
Useful Flowering Plants. 
In a florist’s business one expects to meet with 
certain classes of plants, and we do indeed see them 
here, but many others besides. An importation of 
Callas (Richardia africana), imported directly from 
South Africa, is now developing spathes of enormous 
size and may contain something novel when they 
expand. Here also are some thirty plants of the 
yellow Calla Pride of the Congo Indian Azaleas are 
represented by many large plants of the old Fielder's 
White, so useful for cut flowers. The semi-double 
and snowy-white Deutsche Perle is flowering freely 
on dwarf, bushy specimens with rich dark green 
foliage. From the first-named as many as fifty dozen 
blooms are sometimes cut in a day. Lilium Harrisii 
may be seen in different batches for succession. In 
the same house is a large batch of the beautiful 
Acacia armata, so useful for conservatory decoration 
Bamboos of various kinds are grown in pots. In 
another cool house we noted some 2.000 plants of 
Lycoris aurea, the so-called Golden Nerice. 
Madame Crozy Cannas are grown in large quantity. 
Here also is a pink-flowered Vallota Amaryllis in 
quantity are also kept in stock. A recently-imported 
Pancratium,with fragrant white flowers, has glaucous, 
strap-shaped leaves, strongly reminding one of 
Narcissus bicolor or some variety of it. 
Palms. 
The Palm house is always well filled with plants of 
all sizes, including some large and well-furnished 
plants of Kentia belmoreana and Latania borbonica. 
A fine specimen of the latter originally belonged to 
Her Majesty the Queen. The leaves of Cocos 
plumosa are 17 ft long. The yellow or golden 
petioles and the numerous shoots or stems of Areca 
lutescens are always very distinct and graceful. A 
specimen of Geonoma is now developing four 
branching flower spikes. Large quantities of 
Kentias and Cocos weddeliana are annually raised 
here and grown on in small pots. They are well 
furnished with leaves, and if polled into 48-sized 
pots would soon make nice table plants. They are 
not forced but grown on slowly, so that they resist 
the dry air of dwelling rooms very well. 
Ferns. 
No florists' establishment can afford to be without a 
good supply of this favourite and graceful class of 
plants. Mr. McArthur gives preference to those of a 
hardy and durable character such as will stand the 
dry air and gas light in dwelling rooms. Various 
forms and varieties of Pteris are largely grown, also 
Nephrodiums, Aspidiums, Davallias, Selaginella, &c. 
Several fine Ferns, natives of the Madeira and Canary 
Islands, may be noted here, including the beautiful 
Balantium Culcita or the Dicksonia Culcita of the 
botanists. There is a large batch of it made 
conspicuous by its much and finely divided light 
green and graceful fronds. The beautifully tufted 
Aspidium falcinellum reminds one almost of a Holly 
Fern ; and the pretty Asplenium monanthemum 
looks like a highly-developed A. Trichomanes such 
as we find on walls and mountains in Wales, Devon, 
and other parts of Britain Woodwardia radicans 
also came from the Canaries. Davallia Gortoni in 
large and small plants, is very useful for room 
decoration. It came originally from Mexico on the 
roots of Cattleya citrina. The useful Microlepis 
hirta cristata. also proves popular here. The fronds 
of Nephrolepis philippinense are long and narrow’ 
with very numerous closely-arranged pinnae and the 
plant merits extensive cultivation. Amongst the 
numerous varieties of Asplenium bulbiferum, we 
noted a beautifully distinct and graceful variety with 
rich dark green fronds totally distinct from A. b. 
fabianum, by reason of the sparser arrangement of 
the segments. In nurseries it is known as A. laxum 
pumilum. 
The London Nurseries are now supplemented by 
a new branch at Willesden Lane, Willesden, where 
Mr. McArthur has taken 5J acres of ground on which 
he intends to cultivate shrubs and hardy bulbs. 
There are some glasshouses upon the grounds and 
one vinery is over 100 ft. long. 
LUCULIA PINCEANA. 
Of the two known species of this genus, L. grat s- 
simais the best known, and in most establishments 
where it is cultivated, it is grown in pots. Where 
the conservatory is large enough to permit of its 
being planted out, a magnificent effect is produced 
during the winter months by well-established plants. 
L. pinceana is less common than its more favoured 
congener ; yet we find it in grand form at Bicton, 
East Devon, the property of the Hon. Mark Rolle 
Here it is planted out in the large Orangery and has 
formed a fine bush, about 6 ft. high, and as much in 
diameter. It has been flowering freely for weeks 
past and the pink flowers are very fragrant. The 
large evergreen leaves are oblong-obovate and of a 
dark green, which would hardly be the case if such 
a large plant were grown in pots unless a great 
amount of attention were paid to it. Mr. Mayne, 
the gardener, likes this species much better than L. 
gratissima, because the latter grow’s much taller 
when planted out, and is less easily accommodated, 
besides carrying its flowers so much higher above the 
level of the e) e. 
The cultivation of either species is not very 
difficult provided they are planted in rich, light soil 
with efficient drainage to carry away the superfluous 
moisture during the summer months when growth is 
going on and much watering is necessary. Some cul¬ 
tivators use peat and loam, both in a fibrous condition, 
with plenty of sand and some nodules of charcoal to 
keep the whole in an open and porous condition. 
Propagation is somewhat difficult but may be effected 
by means of young shoots in the summer time when 
they are beginning to get firm, so as to guard against 
damping off. They should be inserted in sandy peat 
surfaced with sand and covered with a bell glass. 
-—— 
HORTICULTURE IN THE UNITED 
STATES. 
The "Progress of Horticulture in the United 
States" was the subject of a p-<per by Mr. Alfred 
Outram, F.R.HS , of Reading, read on his behalf 
by Mr. Andrew Hope, at the meeting of the Devon 
and Exeter Gardeners' Association at the Exeter 
Court House on the 15th ult. In 1876 there were 
not 1,000 nurserymen in the whole of the United 
States Since then the number has increased four¬ 
fold, and the trade with America in cut flowers and 
decorative plants is enormous. Last year there 
were 4,659 florticultural establishments in the 
States, with nearly forty millions of square feet of 
glass. The value of these establishments is above 
;£8,ooo,coo, while that of plant sales during 1S90 
amounted to £2,500,000, and that of cut flowers 
to nearly £3,000,000. New York leads in the 
number of nurseries, then follows California, 
Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Californian and 
Colorado fruit, Florida Oranges, Orchid culture in 
the States, hard-wooded plants, and plants of 
American introduction were next dealt with The 
essayist stated that in 1863 Colorado did not possess 
a single mile of railroad, and in that year William 
Lee, an Englishman from near Croydon, carted 
the first fruit trees (Apple) from Zoma City, over 
700 miles across the plains, and planted them a few 
miles west of Denver To-day Colorado has 5,000 
miles of railway and 30,000 acres planted with 
fruit. The growth and demand for fruit and 
flowers in the chief cities of the States were the 
questions next dealt with In conclusion, the 
essayist advised those desirous ot goiDg to the 
States not to do so on speculation, but, if possible, 
to get a situation before they go. The work out 
there is different to what it is here, and it is not the 
least good for anyone to go to America unless 
they make up their minds to wcrk. Mr. Hope(hon. 
secretarj), in commenting on the paper, said that as 
Mr. Outram w’as a practical gardener to begin 
with, and had for very many years travelled in the 
nursery line throughout the United Kingdom, as 
well as in the United States and Canada, his con¬ 
clusions were those of an expert, and carried pro- 
uortionate weight. It was interesting to know that, 
while horticulture in America had jumped on by 
leaps and bounds, a very large number of the leaders 
of the profession on the other side of the Atlantic 
were Englishmen, or, at least, British. The two 
great firms of Peter Henderson and Co. and Thor- 
burn and Co., known aH over the States, were 
founded by Scotsmen—emigrants. Though many 
undoubtedly good things had come from horticul- 
