February 35, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
385 
Seakalefrom Seed.—I notice that, in A. P.'s note in 
the Amateur's Page of last week’s issue of The 
Gardening World, he speaks of obtaining Seakale 
crowns of a size large enough to produce shoots fit 
for forcing in the same year as that in which the seed 
was sown. As far as my experience goes this is 
rather sharp work, as I have never succeeded in 
obtaining good crowns in less that the second season 
from the date of sowing. I should be pleased to see 
in print the experiences of other growers with regard 
to this.— IV. Frv. 
[Doubtless some of our numerous readers will 
oblige.— Ed] . 
ARISTOLOCHIA GIGAS STURTEVANTI. 
The plant from which the accompanying illustration 
is admirably reproduced from a photograph was 
procured from Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans, 
during the summer of 1894. The plant, being a small 
making the total length of the flower 3 ft. 6 in. The 
flowers were a great attraction to visitors, the 
unusual size and yet withal attractive colouring 
drawing immediate attention to them. There 
is, however, a serious drawback to its ever becoming 
popular, and that is its perfume is too strong. The 
blowflies, evidently used to strong smells, were led 
astray with it, and several found their way into the 
inflated tube, which being contracted in the middle 
held them prisoners. The plant is kept rather dry 
during the winter months, and water gradually given 
as the growth advances.— Alex. Wright, The Gardens, 
Falkland Park, South Norwood. 
-. 1 - — - 
VICTORIA AND PARADISE 
NURSERIES. 
Whatever his taste or inclination may be, the 
visitor will always find something to his fancy in the 
Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, of Messrs. B. S. 
open at present. Near by is the beautiful C. Osbornei, 
with its large white dorsal sepal suffused with rose 
and purple, and handsome petals of a golden-brown 
on the lower half, and old gold upwards. It is the 
progeny of C. harrisianum superbum and C. spiceri- 
anum, the former being itself a richly-coloured and 
choice hybrid. The upper sepal of C. discolor is 
remarkable for its peculiar arrangement of contrasting 
colours. It is purple and green with a white patch at 
the apex and a dark claret, oblong blotch towards the 
base. The petals of C. rubrum are red on the upper, 
and yellow on the lower half, spotted with dark 
markings. The beautiful and well-known C. lee- 
anum is grown in quantity and some of the plants 
are still flowering, but we were hardly prepared for the 
display of C. Sallieri which is the ruling feature of 
one of the houses at present. The rich brownish- 
purple blotches of the dorsal sepal and the quantity 
of bloom are worth a journey to see. Closely akin to 
this is C. S. aureum, more decidedly of a golden 
piece, was grown on in our propagating house for the 
remainder of the season, where it made good head¬ 
way. In the spring of 1895 it was shifted into a 
12-in. pot, using a mixture of peat, loam, and leaf 
soil in equal proportions, to which was added some 
artificial manure. It was then placed in the large 
plant stove and trained up a rafter, the young shoots 
being kept to separate pieces of twine to allow all 
the light possible to get at the young growths to 
mature the wood. To wards the end of the summer 
the plant showed flower buds freely, and at the time 
the photograph was taken there would be about a 
dozen and a half flower buds on it. Evidently, 
however, the strain on the plant was more than it 
could sustain and several buds dropped off. 
The flower on the left of your illustration measured 
12 in. across and 18 in. in length, and the tail 2 ft., 
Williams & Son, at Upper Holloway. The winter 
being far spent, the growth of many plants is just 
recommencing, while others are just in season, and 
the Orchids never entirely leave off blooming. We 
paid a visit of inspection last week and found much 
in the houses to linger over amongst the many and 
varied forms of plant life, with regard to their utility_ 
beauty, cultivation, and the lessons they afford from 
various points of view. This applies equally to the 
student and the practical gardener. 
The Orchids. 
Where a good collection of Cypripediums is culti. 
vated there is no lack of bloom at any period of the 
year. The blackish-crimson blotches on the petals 
are the feature of C. Io. superbum. Very choice is 
C. pitcherianum, Williams' variety, which we have 
often described, but some particularly fine blooms are 
sheen, as well as C. nitens, and the beautiful C. 
insigne Fostermanii, all contributing to the display, 
and remarkable alike for the conspicuous character of 
the numerous large batches. All are as easy of culti. 
vation as C. insigne and as floriferous. 
The various species and hybrids of this genus are 
distributed through several houses in greater or less 
quantity. Some bold and handsome hybrids included 
C. lathamianum, C. Williamsii, C. vexillarium super¬ 
bum, which always carries its own certificate of 
recommendation, and the beautiful C. huybrechtia- 
num, a hybrid beteween C. hirsutissimum and C. 
spicerianum. Specially noticeable are C. Boxallii 
marginatum with its snow-white margin and C. B. 
nigrum with its brownish-black dorsal sepal. C. 
measuresianum, C. politum, a handsome form of C, 
villosum, C. winnianum and many others may be 
