March 31, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
489 
on the line of teaching the pupils had received from 
their instructors, the County Council lecturers, and 
we may fairly assume that these gentlemen dealt 
exhaustively on the value of gas lime. It would be 
interesting to know for what purposes, and on what 
grounds, the said teachers recommended it ? At the 
end of a lecture recently given by Professor Bates, 
to the members of the Preston and Fulwood Horti¬ 
cultural Society, he was asked about the value of 
gas lime for gardening purposes, and he declared 
that it was not worth the carting, and, moreover, 
was positively dangerous. Another professor has 
said that it should be carted into some barren spot 
and buried fathoms deep. I am aware that gas lime 
can be rendered perfectly harmless to plant life, and 
consequently to insect life, yet for the destruction of 
the latter it is frequently recommended by writers 
in the gardening journals.—IF. P. R., Preston. 
PRIMULA WILLIAMS’ SUPERB WHITE, 
The named varieties of Chinese Primula are now so 
superb in character that it is worse than waste of 
time to grow the small-flowered and old-fashioned 
types that are yearly being very much neglected. 
One important feature about these Primulas is that 
all or any of the varieties that have been properly 
fixed can be raised from seed, perfectly true to name 
and character. This obviates the troublesome 
necessity of having to propagate them from cuttings, 
as all the truly double kinds have to be. Stronger, 
healthier plants with finer foliage can be secured in 
this way than from cuttings. A box of blooms of 
the variety above named has been handed in to our 
office by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper 
Holloway. The flowers were all nearly of uniform size, 
and measured somewhat over 2 in. across, making an 
ordinary English lever watch look small by compari¬ 
son. They were pure white with a very distinct 
greenish orange eye. The segments were so broad 
and so much imbricated and fimbriated that the two 
uppermost ones almost covered the surface of the 
flower. The result was that the flowers seemed to 
consist of several layers of petals. 
ROELLIA CILIATA. 
This is an old favourite evergreen greenhouse shrub 
of much interest ard considerable beauty, but in 
common with many other things it seems to be 
getting lost sight of. When well grown it is highly 
ornamental for the greenhouse, blooming from 
September till January. The large, campanula-like 
flowers, which are white and purple, literally cover 
the plant, and forming a striking contrast to the 
minute heath-like foliage produce a pretty effect. It 
is best grown in a mixture of two parts of fibrous 
peat and one of turfy loam not sifted, with enough 
coarse silver sand to keep it open. Give plenty of 
drainage; the roots being very minute, it is most 
essential to place the plants so that when watered 
the water shall drain away quickly, as if the soil 
becomes in the least soddened the root fibres soon 
perish, and the plant quickly sickens and dies. . 
Mildew is sometimes troublesome, but a dust over 
with flour of sulphur will soon rid the plants of 
this pest. To keep the plant bushy pinch out the 
ends of the young shoots as required, but do not 
continue this too near the flowering period.— 
IF. B. G. 
AMARYLLIS AND OLIVIAS AT AIGBURTH. 
Lovers of these genera who reside in the north, 
have now, by the kindness of Messrs, R. P. Ker & 
Sons, Liverpool, an opportunity of viewing a charm¬ 
ing display of the choicest and rarest varieties. 
Although only about four years have elapsed since 
Messrs. Ker decided to add these to their specialities, 
the number and quality must have answered their 
most sanguine expectations. The Clivias take up the 
full length of the south stage in one of the large 
show houses, which appears to answer their require¬ 
ments admirably, the plants being in pots ranging 
from 6 to 8 ins. carrying thick leathery dark 
foliage, whilst the number of flowers on each 
spike run from fourteen to twenty-four. The 
colours run through shades of orange-red 
to bright scarlet. The cream appears to be 
Grandiflorum, the largest flower, fine in shape with 
a light throat. Princeps, long well-formed flower, 
the darkest variety; magnificent, extremely bright. 
Other grand varieties include Leon Mathew 
Lindenii, Marie Van Houtte, and maxima. 
Special advantages in this class of plants are ease 
of culture, freedom from insect pests, and hardiness, 
this collection having been wintered in frames. 
The special house built for Amaryllis is now found 
to be barely sufficient to hold the flowering bulbs. 
The structure is about 20 ft. by 40 ft., with centre 
and side stages, with ashes for the pots to stand upon ; 
the sash bars are wide, to admit the maximum of 
light, the plants being kept well up to the glass. 
The flowers show a decided advance in substance 
and colour, the petals generally being wider, which 
forms flowers more nearly approaching a circle. A 
selection might be made as follows:—The lightest 
colours: Midas, Virgin Queen, Fairy Queen, Albes¬ 
cens. White and red : Daphne, Melpomene, Eury- 
dice, Saturn, Aspasia. Reds: Mercury, Lothair, 
Hercules, Scarlet King, Scarlet Gem, President, 
Cynthia, Crimson and maroon : Black Prince, 
Imperial, The Chancellor, Crimson King, Terentian, 
and Ruby King. In the succession house the centre 
bed contains a batch full of promise, strong dark 
foliage, and like the collection throughout without a 
sign of mealy bug. Other special features in this 
well-ordered nursery are Azaleas Indica and Mollis, 
bulbs and Marguerites by the thousand, of a dwarf 
compact strain. A visit during the next few weeks 
will well repay the visitor.— IF, 
PRIMULA OBCONICA. 
Notwithstanding the outcry that has been raised 
in some quarters about the poisonous properties of 
this Primula, it still continues to gain in favour, and 
is being more and more extensively grown every 
year. This is natural, for it is a most floriferous 
plant and easily cultivated, while it seems to be 
almost of perennial duration. Flowers are most 
abundantly produced in spring, but so long as the 
plant continues to grow it throws up fresh flower 
stalks. No rapid improvement has yet been effected 
in the size or colour of the flowers, although a 
certain amount of variation can always be detected, 
as amongst the plants in one of the conservatories 
at Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill. 
ERIOSTEMON BUXIFOLIUS. 
The species of this genus are now coming into 
bloom and will continue to flower till midsummer. 
Thirty of them are known to science, all natives 
of extra-tropical Australia with one exception, so 
that they are well suited for greenhouse culture. 
They belong to the Orange family, and, in certain 
cases, are not unlike some of the Boronias, which 
belong to the same family. E. buxifolius is one of 
the neatest in cultivation, forming a branching bush 
about 2ft. high, and producing its flowers singly in 
the axils of the leaves all along the shoots of the 
previous year. The flowers are pink in bud and 
fade to blush or very pale pink externally, while 
internally they are pure white or nearly so. The 
leaves are obovate and similar in shape to those of 
the Box, but smaller, ev«rgreen,and densely arranged 
upon the shoots and twigs, The specie's usually 
commences to flower in April, but would seem to 
be earlier this year, for many of the flowers are 
fully expanded. The bush grows very slowly, so 
that there is little necessity for cutting it back so 
long as it maintains its proper form. Small plants 
can always be obtained by propagation from cuttings 
in the spring. The cuttings should be inserted in 
sandy and peaty soil, and covered with a bell glass 
after they have been placed where they will get a 
little bottom heat. 
HEERIA ROSEA FLORE ALBO. 
The typical form of this Melastomad was introduced 
from Xalapa in Mexico some years ago, and is a 
handsome plant when well grown, on account of the 
profusion of rosy flowers which it produces in 
branching cymes at the tips of the branches and 
short shoots. Like many other plants, it has been 
greatly neglected in recent years, and was never, 
perhaps, particularly common. The white variety 
under notice has been brought to the front again in 
a rather conspicuous manner by a Continental 
nurserymen or florist, who has been using the flowers 
largely for the purpose of bouquet making. It forms 
a bush 18 in. to 2 ft. high, with square stems and 
branches, and flowers during autumn and early 
winter. The florist just mentioned propagated it in 
great quantity and put it upon the market under the 
name of Stereocentrum multiflorum, probably a slip 
of the memory for Heterocentron mexicanum, 
under which it is figured in the Botanical Magazine, 
5,166. The plant is of the easiest culture in mellow, 
fibrous loam, sand, and some old hot-bed manure. The 
white variety under notice is honoured with a 
coloured illustration in the Revue d'Horticulture Beige 
for March. Just before expansion the buds are 
tipped with pink, but the fully opened flowers are 
pure white. Individual blooms are not of great 
duration, but a long succession is maintained. 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural, March aylA,—The tables were 
well occupied again on Tuesday last with various 
subjects in season as well as forced plants. Orchids 
were well represented, and there were also good 
exhibits of Clivias, Cyclamens, Amaryllis, Daffodils, 
and hardy flowering trees and shrubs. A Silver 
Banksian Medal was awarded to Messrs. B. S. 
Williams and Son, Upper Holloway, for a large 
group of Orchids, including Vanda tricolor superba, 
V. suavis, Coelogne cristata alba in great quantity 
and finfely flowered, Angraecum modestum and 
many Odontoglossums. Several Sarracenias in 
flower were included in the group. A Silver Flora 
Medal was accorded to Messrs. F. Sander & Co., 
St. Albans, for a large group of Orchids, including 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Schroderianum in con¬ 
siderable quantity and variety, Coelogyne Dayana, 
Phaius Sanderianus, Odontoglossum Edwardi, 
Cypripedium Elliotianum, Spathoglottis aurea, 
Lycaste Skinneri in variety, and Masdevallia ignea 
were prominent and noticeable features of the group. 
Sanders var. of Odontoglossum elegans was notable 
for the rich markings of its flowers. A cultural 
commendation was awarded to Norman C. Cookson 
Esq., Oakwood, V/ylam-on-Tyne, for a well flowered 
piece of Dendrobium Venus. Dendrobium Rolfiae, a 
hybrid, and Odontoglossum Jenningsianum were 
shown by Thomas Statter, Esq. (gardener, Mr. R. 
Johnson), Stand Hall, Manchester. A fine variety 
of Odontoglossum crispum Ruckeri was exhibited by 
Messrs. E. D. Shuttleworth & Co., Ltd., Albert 
Nurseries, Peckham Rye. A Silver Flora Medal was 
awarded to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (grower, 
Mr. W. H. White), Burford Lodge, Dorking, for a 
very interesting group of Orchids, including three 
fine pieces of D. Findleyanum, D. anosmura 
Dayanum, D. superbum Huttoni, D. s. Burkei, 
Odontoglossum coronarium miniatum, and a curious 
small flowered but pretty Dendrobium Tattonianum. 
E. Ashworth, Esq. (gard.,Mr. H. Holbrook), Harefield 
Hall, Cheshire, showed a piece of Dendrobium 
Findleyanum, Ashworth’s var. A fine piece 
of Dendrobium Wardianum was shown by Mrs. 
Haselfoot (gardener, Mr. G. Blandford), Moor Hill, 
Southampton. Dendrobium Rolfiae and another 
hybrid were exhibited by E. S. V/rigley, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. G. Tibbies), Victoria House, 
Dunkinfield. The beautiful white Phalaenopsis 
Schilleriana vestalis was exhibited by F. Wigan, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. H. Young), Clare Lawn, East 
Sheen. A collection of cut flowers of Vanda tricolor 
and V. suavis, in many very beautiful named 
varieties, was exhibited by R. I. Measures, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. H. Chapman), Cambridge Lodge, 
Camberwell. V. tricolor formosa, V. t. Dodgsoni, 
V. t. insignis, and V. t. Cambridge Lodge var., were 
very handsomely marked. Odontoglossum Roezlii, 
O. R. alba, and fine forms of O. crispum were shown 
by Messrs. H. Low & Co,, Clapton. A Cultural 
Commendation was accorded to Sir John Edwards 
Moss, Bart, (gardener, Mr. Hatch), Thamesfield, 
Henley-on-Thames, for a large and well-flowered 
piece of Cypripedium candatum. A Bronze Banksian 
Medal was awarded to Messrs. W. L. Lewis & Co., 
Southgate, for an interesting collection of Orchids, 
including Odontoglossum Hallii, Oncidium super- 
biens, Vanda tricolor, Lewis var., Dendrobium 
Wardianum, and various others. A small group of 
Orchids, including Odontoglossum luteo-purpureum, 
in a great variety of named forms, O. crispum, and 
Dendrobium Wardianum, was exhibited by W. 
Thompson, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Stevens), Walton 
Grange, Stone. A large piece of Chysis bractescens 
was shown by W. C. Walker, Esq. (gardener, Mr. 
Cragg), Percy Lodge, Winchmore Hill. Several 
hybrid Orchids of considerable interest, including 
Dendrobium Euryalus, Phalaenopsis F. L. Ames, 
and Cymbidium eburneo-Lowianum, were shown by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. They also had several 
very fine varieties of Anthurium. Cattleya guttata 
Prinzii was shown by the Rt. Hon. Lord Rothschild 
(gardener, Mr. Hill), Tring Park, Tring. A Silver 
Flora Medal was awarded to Baron Schroder 
(gardener, Mr. H. Ballantine), I'he Dell, Egham, 
for Odontoglossum crispum Schroderianum, O. 
Pescatora Schroderianum, and several other magnifi¬ 
cent varieties of Odontoglossum. 
A Silver Banksian Medal was accorded to Messrs. 
J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, for a showy group of 
