616 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 31, 1890. 
, ♦, 
Pink, Her Majesty. 
A quantity of cut flowers of this variety was shown 
at the Royal Aquarium, on the 21st May, by Mr. F. 
Hooper, Widcombe Hill, Bath, when a First Class 
Certificate was awarded it. The blooms are large, 
double, pure white, and crenate at the apical margins 
of the petals. 
Caladium, Vi I le de Hamburg. 
Only a small plant of this Caladium was shown at the 
Royal Aquarium on the 21st May, and the leaves then 
were of medium size, suffused with carmine-pink on a 
white ground, with the midrib and principal veins of a 
brilliant carmine. Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest 
Hill, were the exhibitors, and were awarded a First 
Class Certificate. 
Begonia, Prince Albert Victor. 
The flowers of this tuberous variety are single, of great 
size, and nearly orbicular, owing chiefly to the great 
width of the outer sepals. They are of a bright scarlet. 
The leaves are broad and of a dark velvety green. A 
First Class Certificate was awarded it when shown by 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, at the Royal Aquarium on 
the 21st May. 
Begonia, Arthur Malet. 
The leaves of this beautiful variety are broadly and 
obliquely cordate, deep purple, and covered with little 
elevations, upon which is seated a short bristly hair, 
as in the sub-shrubby B. incarnata, of which it is a 
form. It was accorded a First Class Certificate at the 
Royal Aquarium on the 21st May, when shown by 
Messrs. Laing k Sons. 
-- 
THE HORSE CHESTNUT. 
All over the country—and especially in Bushy Park— 
the Horse Chestnut trees are just now in all their 
beauty, and probably the second Sunday in the 
present month saw them in the perfection of their 
beauty. It will probably surprise some of the readers 
of The Gardening World to find that the Horse 
Chestnut and the sweet Chestnut belong to two 
distinct^genera. The former is zEsculus hippocastanum, 
and the latter Fagus castanea. I intend in this paper 
to deal only with the former. 
We who live near London have ample opportunity of 
appreciating the beauty of the Horse Chestnut as a 
decorative tree. On gravel and clay sub-soils alike it 
flourishes, growing to a great size, and in May the 
trees put forth numerous flowers, in large erect.racemes, 
white with pink and yellow dots, very ornamental. If 
the tree was introduced just now for the first time, how 
we should rave about it; but we have grown so familiar 
with its majestic presence that it is possible for a 
hundred persons to pass underneath a magnificent 
example of this tree, and scarcely one raise his eyes in 
admiration of so stupendous an example of arboreal 
beauty. It will be noticed that specimens vary at the 
time of leafage and blossom. The fact is that Horse 
Chestnut trees throughout the land are seminal varieties, 
and in common with other subjects so raised, vary con¬ 
siderably. Some are well on into leaf when others are 
just bursting the buds ; some fully in blossom when 
others are commencing to expand their flowers. 
The Horse Chestnut is a native of the northern or 
central parts of Asia, from which it is said to have 
been introduced to Europe about the middle of the 
sixteenth century. The name—zEsculus (from esca, 
food), was applied originally to a species of Oak which, 
according to Pliny, was highly prized for its acorns, 
but how it came to be translated to the Horse Chestnut 
is very uncertain; perhaps, as Loudon suggests, it was 
given ironically, because its nuts bear a great resem¬ 
blance externally to those of the sweet Chestnut, but 
are unfit for food. Hippocastanum, the specific name, 
is a translation of the modern name, which was given, 
Evelyn tells us, “from its curing horses broken-winded, 
and other cattle of coughs.” The tree is very beautiful 
in outline even when leafless, and in the arrangement 
of its branches, in the shape of its leaves, and in its 
pyramids of flowers. It grows very rapidly and to a 
great height, but the timber is soft, spongy, and not 
durable, and therefore of little value. The Turks are 
said to grind the nuts, and mix them with the food of 
their horses, which devour them with avidity. They 
are stated to be eaten whole by deer and sheep, and by 
poultry when boiled, but hogs refuse them both raw 
and prepared. 
Like many other trees, the Horse Chestnut has 
certain traditions attaching to it. One states that the 
tree sprang from a stick which a saint once thrust into 
the ground that he might roast his meat upon. The 
Venetians entertain the belief that one of the nuts carried 
in the pocket is a sure charm against hemorrhoids. It 
is said that when Napoleon I. returned to France on 
March 20th, 1814, a Horse Chestnut in the Tuileries 
Gardens was found to be in full blossom. The 
Parisians regarded this as an omen of welcome, and 
in succeeding years hailed with interest the early 
flowering of the Marronnier dn Vingt Mars. 
The Horse Chestnut is generally raised from the 
nuts. The general plan is to collect them in autumn, 
and sow them in the spring. They are freauently 
steeped in water, for the purpose of ensuring certainty 
and rapidity in germinating.— B. D. 
-- >x< -- 
ARDDARROCH. 
By invitation from R. B. White, Esq., I spent this 
week a couple of days at his unique and lovely resid¬ 
ence, Arddarroch. It is reached from Glasgow by 
taking the rail to Craigendoran, thence by steamer 
up the beautiful Gairloch to its head. Then there 
are about three miles either to walk or drive over 
a bleak and rugged hill, -when a perfect paradise is 
reached, as far as fine trees, shrubs, and lawns can 
produce one. 
Araucaria imbricata in many instances is from 40 ft. 
to 50 ft. high ; Cryptomerias are even higher, and every 
branch perfect, both in health and colour, not rusty 
brown as they are often met with ; Rhododendrons in 
immense masses, and in great vigour. Some hybrid 
R. arboreaum are more than 20 ft. high, and a blaze of 
scarlet bloom, earlier]varieties are past bloom, and acres 
of later varieties are just opening their flowers. The 
house stands close to the water-side of Loch Long, which 
is here not a mile across. On the opposite side are 
bold and curiously shaped hills ; one of very grotesque 
shape is called “The Duke of Argyle’s Bowling Green,” 
and if his Grace ever made a good score on it he must 
have been an adept at the game. Be that as it may, 
no one can deny that the hill has great picturesque 
beauty as seen from the Arddarroch side. 
The great and exceptional interest of Ardarroch is 
the splendid collection of Orchids which Mr. White 
has accumulated there, chiefly by sending out col¬ 
lectors to select them in their native habitats ; and to 
give an idea of the extent to which some favourite 
varieties are found here, I made the following extracts 
from a list kept by Mr. White, or his gardener:— 
Cattleya Mendelii, 555 plants ; C. Mossire, 365 ; C. 
gigas, 41 ; C. Dowiana, 40 ; C. Lawrenceana 13 ; 
C. Gaskelliana, 25 ; C. Trianae, 72, C. albida, 20 ; and of 
Dendrobium nobile varieties there were over 140 plants. 
Besides these every other section of Orchids is well 
represented, two houses being filled with Odonto- 
glossums, chiefly O. crispum. 
One enormous plant of Cattleya Mendelii had 
twenty-five fully expanded blooms, and more to open. 
Another grand plant and variety had twenty-four 
blooms open, the flowers being of great size and like a 
hybrid Gigas, and measuring 7 ins. across, and ins. 
from the tip of the dorsal sepal to the lip ; the throat 
was very like Gigas. Another was somewhat like a 
fringed-lipped Mossise ; a third like a gigantic C. Trianse 
Backhouseana. I never before saw such variety in C. 
Mendelii, one resembling C. Mendelii Morganse. I 
counted over eighty plants of C. Mendelii and C. 
Mossise in bloom, and such plants! Many of both 
varieties were 2 ft. across, and in perfect health and 
vigour. I observed amongst a batch of Odontoglossum 
vexillarium, a very fine variety in a 5-in. pot, with 
twenty-two blooms on it. 
I counted seventeen plants of C. Mossise in bloom, and 
seven very fine plants of Odontoglossum citrosmum, 
besides which there were fine plants of Cattleya 
Lawrenceana, with from three to four fine spikes of 
bloom on each ; a grand batch of choice varieties of 
Lcelia purpurata, one with eighteen blooms open ; fine 
plants of L. elegans, Cattleya Schroderse, and all the 
usual Orchids found in bloom in well-managed col¬ 
lections at this season of the year, and as a whole 
making such a display of Orchid bloom as I never saw 
before in one house. 
While at Arddarroch I had the pleasure of accom¬ 
panying Mr. White when he walked through the houses 
with Mr. Bull’s traveller and Mr. Grossart, gardener to 
Wm. Buchanan, Esq., Oswald Road, Edinburgh. He 
took them first into houses where there were but few 
plants in bloom, and they admired the size and health 
of the plants, yet saw little in the way of flowers to 
warrant their coming so far ; but when he opened the 
door of the show house, and they saw facing them 
enormous banks of bloom, the expression on their 
countenances completely changed to one of mingled 
astonishment and admiration, and after partaking of 
Mr. White’s hospitality I am certain they thought 
their day well spent and amply rewarded by what 
they saw—in fact, Mr. Spedborough frankly said the 
sight was well worthy a journey all the way from 
London. 
The high state of cultivation in which the late Mr. 
Fraser left Mr. White’s Orchids, is well maintained by 
Mr. Brown, his successor, who seems to have Mr. 
White’s perfect confidence. A visit to Ardarroch, with 
its beauties and hospitalities, at any season is delightful, 
but to the lover of Orchids at this season it is a perfect 
red-letter day, a thing to dream of.— Wm. Thomson, 
Clovenfords, May Uth, 1890. 
-—- 
VANDA TERES AT GUNNERS- 
BURY PARK. 
The establishments in which this Yanda is successfully 
grown and flowered are comparatively few. For some 
years past special attention has been paid to it in the 
establishment of Messrs, de Rothschild, at Gunners- 
bury Park, Acton, with the result that a large quantity 
of flowers for cutting have annually been obtained. 
We frequently see it kept in too dry a state for success 
to be achieved. Mr. Reynolds, the gardener, never 
allows the plants to become dry at any time of 
the year; in winter sufficient is given to keep 
the sphagnum moist and to prevent shrivelling, 
while a liberal supply is given during the growing 
period. 
Some plants are grown in pots against the glass end 
of a stove, where the plants face the west, and here 
they succeed remarkably well, the plants being from 
2 ft. to 4 ft. high ; but by far the greater number are 
grown in a pit, where they can receive special treat¬ 
ment. The compost consists entirely of sphagnum, 
crocks, and a few nodules of charcoal; and in this they 
are planted out. In winter they are supplied with 
moisture at the roots only ; but from spring onwards 
they are well syringed and watered. The temperature 
in winter is kept up to 68° or 70°; and in summer the 
pit is slightly ventilated during the early part of the 
day, but shut up at 1 or 2 p. m., thus causing the 
temperature to rise to a very high figure. 
The plants are never shaded. They are re-potted or 
replanted, as the case may be, in June, and cut back in 
July every year. The tops or upper portions of the 
stems are then lowered and inserted in the sphagnum 
to root them afresh, otherwise they would soon get too 
tall for the pit. The leaf and flower buds are given 
off opposite a leaf, but a little above where the latter 
starts away from the stem. Examination, however, 
shows that they really belong to the next leaf immedi¬ 
ately above them, in the axil of whose close-fitting 
sheath they arise in the normal way ; but instead of 
pushing their way up the sheath, which in this case is 
impossible, they burst through it at the base. A little 
swelling of the base of the sheath may be noticed just 
where the buds ultimately break through. After the 
old stems are cut down, the base of the sheaths near 
the bottom of the parts left are carefully and longitudi¬ 
nally slit with a knife to encourage the development of 
wood buds ; and in this Mr. Reynolds succeeds. The 
idea is prevalent that if this were done in spring, flower 
buds might be pushed out. This would doubtless be 
the case on the upper portion of the stems, for many 
flower buds are, no doubt, lost through their inability 
to burst through the thick, leathery sheaths. Some 
that appear to be flower buds do occasionally burst 
through, but cease to develop, at least, for a time. 
Roots are also developed from the nodal regions of the 
stem, bursting through the sheaths, but not necessarily 
from the same side as the flower or wood buds. 
The quantity of flowers produced by this system 
bears testimony to the efficacy of the treatment. 
From one to four spikes are produced on stems varying 
from 18 ins. to 4 ft. in height, and each peduncle bears 
from four to eight flowers of handsome proportions. 
The lateral sepals are white, but the upper one is very 
much broader, and the petals are larger still and all three 
of a beautiful rosy purple. The lateral lobes of the great 
lip are also purple, and lined with orange internally; 
the middle lobe is darker purple, bilobed and marked 
with creamy lines, alternating with orange ones on its 
lower half. The leaves are cylindrical, deep green, 
rather rigid, and resemble short lateral branches, as 
every cultivator knows. 
