Dec. 13th, 1884. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
231 
THE CLAPTON NURSERY. 
Of the 7 acres devoted to Messrs. Hugh Low & Co.’s 
immense trade establishment at Clapton, something 
like 5£ acres are covered with glass, and large as these 
figures represent the undertaking to be, the surprise at 
the magnitude of the nurseries and of the business 
transacted must be greatly increased by the knowledge 
of the fact that the old Clapton Nursery at present 
under notice, while still being the head-quarters of the 
firm, is far surpassed in size by their new nurseries at 
Enfield, where about 16 acres are devoted to plant 
culture. 
Orchids! Orchids! Orchids! was the reiterated 
exclamation on the occasion of our visit, as house 
after house of these plants were inspected, not houses 
filled with a few of this and a few of that, but whole 
houses devoted in many cases to one, two, or three 
kinds only, and those kinds often rare in collections. 
For example—Dendrobium Brymerianum, D. Lowii, 
Lselia grandis, L. zanthina, Aerides Lawrenei®, and 
many other new or rare plants are to be found in 
large quantities at Clapton. 
The Cattleyas anb Lselias. 
The Cattleyas are represented by immense quantities 
of all the favourite kinds, many houses being devoted to 
C. Mossi®, C. Warnerii, C. Eldorado, C. gigas varieties 
and C. amethystoglossa (these two occupying a large 
house between them), C. Walkeriana, C. Schilleriana, 
C. Triani®, C. Dowiana, C. Mendelii, &c., all in the 
most robust health, and by the great variety exhibited 
in theh bulbs and leaves offering a rare chance for 
connoiseurs to make a speculative selection from—- 
some of the C. amethystoglossa, with large club-like 
growths, and the many strange-looking purple-leaved 
C. Mendelii being particularly inviting. Of the last- 
named the greater part of a large span-roofed house 
is filled with sturdy plants, just such as are best suited 
for the amateur to display his skill on. 
The great batch of Ltelia elegans are a surprising 
lot; they seem to run much on the Turneri strain, 
and as some fine varieties of that kind have already 
flowered out of this importation, it is no doubt plenti¬ 
fully sprinkled throughout the bull:, and as the plant 
may be selected by one who knows it with tolerable 
certainty, it is worth the venture, particularly as it 
can be made with the comforting assurance that if 
the object be missed some other good or perhaps new 
thing will be obtained well worth the money. Lrelia 
pumila in endless variety, L. anceps, L. autumnalis, 
L. harpophylla, L. grandis, and most of the other good 
Laelias are to be found in fine stock, L. purpurata 
alone occupying one large house. 
Odontoglossums and Phal.enopsids. 
The Odontoglossums also fill many houses at present, 
but few are in flower, but some grand varieties have 
been lately bloomed out of them. Whilst we were on 
our visit of inspection a bloom of a splendid thing, 
second perhaps only to the phenomenal Veitchianum, 
arrived from one of Messrs. Low’s clients, and strangely 
enough we were able to identify it with its close ally, 
0. crispum guttatum fastuosum, which Mr. Jacomb 
had submitted to us, and which he purchased at 
Clapton some time before. It is a priceless beauty. 
0. vexillarium and 0. Boezlii are also very good, and 
0. Pescatorei by the 20,000. 
The Phalsenopsis fill several houses, the main one 
which has its praises sung annually at this season, 
presents a forest of flower-spikes borne by the 
plants on the elevated staging which seems to be so 
conducive to their health, and also to the effective 
display of their flowers—thousands of P. Schilleriana 
and P. amabilis, and hundreds of P. Stuartiana, P. 
Sanderiana and all the other beauties are there, while 
the stock of P. grandiflora is so large that it has a 
house to itself. The plan pursued here of having the 
beds in the Phal®nopsis-houses planted with ferns 
and mosses, and the open wood-work staging on which 
the plants are placed, arranged ■well above the beds, 
seems to be perfection so far as the health of the 
plants and their free-blooming is concerned. 
Cypripediums. 
The Clapton Nursery is noted for its Cypripediums, 
and its prestige is not likely to be lowered if the 
evidence of the grand stock on hand may be taken 
as a guarantee. There is a good show of flowers 
on the large batches of C. Spicerianum, C. Lawren- 
cianum, C. ciliolare, C. niveum, C. Lowii, C. Stonei, 
C. villosum, C. Boxallii and C. Haynaldianum. Of 
this last a grand form is in bloom unlike any yet 
seen of it. There is also a new Cypripedium very 
distinct in leaf, which many are looking forward to 
flowering with interest, as it certainly appears to be 
good and distinct. 
Vandas and Aerides, &c. 
Vandas and Aerides are grown cooler than usual 
here, and now that they have shaken off their evil 
character of wanting great heat they are becoming 
greater favourites every year. The great stock of V. 
tricolor varieties, V. insignis (true), V. ccerulea, V.Cath- 
cartii, and many others, are really only treated as warm 
greenhouse plants at Clapton, and nothing could be 
more vigorous than their condition. Fine batches of 
V. ccerulescens, V. Denisoniana, V. lamellata Boxallii, 
and other Vandas are here, in company with grand 
lots of Aerides maculosum, A. quinquevulnerum, A. 
affine, A. crispum, A. Lawrenei®, A. suavissimum 
Saecolabium guttatum, S. Blumei majus (best dark 
Java variety), S. curvifolium, and S. giganteum, &c. 
Prominent by their great quantity and fine health 
also are Lycaste Skinneri, Pleione maculata, a 
houseful of Masdevallia Tovarensis, Angr®cum 
citratum, Dendrobium macrophyllum (Veitchianum), 
D. Wardianum, D. erassinode, D. Bensoni®, D. 
Brymerianum, D. thyrsiflorum, D. formosum gigan¬ 
teum, and D. Lowii. Of the last named there is 
a fine batch, and Mr. Low states that it grows best 
in pots, unlike most of the other nigro-kirsute 
Dendrobes, which are only safe on blocks or in baskets. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. 
But although Orchids are the special feature at 
Clapton, general plant stock is not neglected, and 
everything that can be grown into pretty plants, and 
particularly for winter flowering, are grown by the 
thousand, foremost among them at the present time 
being Carnations, which fill two large houses with 
compact plants in 48’s, well set with buds and blooms. 
These plants are worked to a nicety at Clapton, and on 
such a plan that failure seems to be impossible, for 
every December finds the largest house in the same 
good trim. The true winter-blooming varieties are 
the kinds grown, and lovely their flowers are, some 
of the best and most distinct being Andalusia, lemon- 
yellow ; Oscar, yellow and crimson ; Jean Sisley, 
yellow and scarlet, flaked and edged; A. Alegatiere, 
vivid scarlet ; Vulcan, scarlet ; Miss Joliffe, pink ; 
Pagnet, blush, fringed ; Hermine, white ; Juna, 
bright rose; Magnifica, rose; and several very fine 
new flakes and seifs. 
The Bouvardias are equal in quality and showiness 
to the Carnations, and also fill several houses. The 
plants are all bushy, compact, well grown, and well 
set with buds, the most attractive appearing to be 
Dazzler, scarlet; Vreelandii, white ; Elegans, crimson; 
Queen of Boses, rose ; Albert Neuner, double white ; 
President Garfield, double pink; Priory Beauty, flesh 
colour ; Bride, blush ; Candidissima, white ; Roseo- 
oculata, pale pink; and Jasminoides, white. 
The Erica hyemalis, E. gracilis, and all the other 
winter heaths for which this firm is noted are in 
finer condition than ever this year, many thou¬ 
sands of them being in bloom, and by the array in 
the packing-yard about to make a return for the long 
sendee and attention rendered them in order to bring 
them to the perfection in which they now are. The 
large batches of Genetyllis, Correas, Boroneas, Pimelias, 
and general hard-wooded stock are in fine order. 
Jasminum gracillimum is grown in great quantity for 
a winter -flowering plant on account its of great beauty 
and fragrance, and it proves so amenable to treatment 
that although the plant was well recommended when 
first sent out, the culture of it here shows that it was 
not over-rated or even praised up to its due. J. hirsutum 
is also grown in quantity in the same way, and the 
beautiful white sweet J. grandiflorum, which will do 
in a much lower temperature than the other two, is 
equally well grown. 
Ferns, Palms, India-rubber Plants, Drae®nas, and 
other ornamental plants appear in seemingly countless 
numbers, Adiantum cuneatum alone occupying several 
houses; and all the other kinds, such as Lastrea 
aristata variegata, Pteris tremula, P. serrulata, 
P. cretica, Ac., being in proportionate quantity. The 
hardy culture of the Palms, especially of Latania 
borbonica andPtychospermaAlexandr®,whereby broad 
plants, beautiful and lasting, and very different from 
the drawn-up specimens usually seen, are secured, 
must cause them to push their way in the trade in 
preference to the fragile and often dearer specimens 
forced up on bottom heat. 
Camellias and Azaleas. 
These are represented by thousands of bushy plants, 
well set with buds, and of fine kinds only; and Sola- 
nums in berry, Cyperus, Grevillea robusta, Gardenias, 
Greenhouse Ehododendrons (a great speciality), and 
many other good things are to be found at Clapton—in 
fact, the large premises there seems to be converted 
into a nursery where all the best things may be grown 
so well and in such quantity that their beauty and 
usefulness may be exhibited at their best. 
—g ■ — 
ARDISIA CRENULATA. 
The crenulate-leaved Ardisia, Ardisia crenulata, 
is a very handsome evergreen stove or warm green¬ 
house plant, growing from 2 ft. to 6 ft. in height, and 
belonging to the natural order Myrsinaeese. It is a 
native of the West Indies, from whence it was 
introduced as early as 1809. It is a plant much 
esteemed for the beauty of its dark green lanceolate 
ovate crenate leaves and pale pinkish white coloured 
star-like flowers, which are freely produced in terminal 
panicles early in the spring, and which are succeeded 
by small coral-like, round, vermilion-red berries, 
that remain on the plant for a long time ; indeed, if 
the plant is properly cared for, they will remain on 
the plant until others are produced the following 
year, thus rendering it a very desirable and useful 
ornamental plant, suitable alike for the decoration of 
the greenhouse or window garden. The Ardisia is 
a plant easily cultivated, doing best in a compost of 
two-thirds well-rotted turf, one-third well-decayed 
manure, with the addition of a little sharp sand; 
mix thoroughly, and use the compost rough. In 
potting, use porous or soft-baked pots, and let them 
be proportionate to the size of the plants. Be careful 
to drain them well, and give an average winter tem¬ 
perature of 55 degs. and a light, sunny situation. 
They should be given liquid manure-water once 
a week, and sponge the leaves occasionally, to 
remove dust, dirt, &e., as well as to guard against 
insect pests. They do best when planted out during 
the summer season in a deep, well-enriched border, 
in a partially-shaded situation, care being taken to 
keep them well supplied with water. They should be 
carefully taken up and potted early in September. 
The plants are occasionally troubled by the scale 
and mealy bug. So, to guard against these pests, 
it is advisable to thoroughly sponge the leaves and 
stems several times during the year with clean water, 
in which a little whale-oil soap has been dissolved. 
Propagation is effected by seeds, which should be 
sown as soon as possible after being gathered; but, 
as they have a hard covering, it often takes them 
a considerable time to vegetate; then, again, they 
generally germinate unevenly, but if the soil is kept 
moist and a little care exercised, all will germinate 
after awhile. Sow the seed thinly in a well-drained 
pot or pan of light, loamy soil, and place it in a warm, 
moist situation, giving, if possible, a bottom-heat, 
and as soon as all the young plants are well up and 
strong enough to handle, pot off into 3-in. pots. 
Keep them in as warm and moist a situation as 
possible, re-pot as often as necessary, and use every 
means to induce as rapid a growth as possible, until 
they attain the desired size. The plants, if well cared 
for, will fruit when a year old .—Charles E. Parnell, 
in American Gardeners' Monthly. 
At a recent quarterly meeting of Lancashire Bota¬ 
nists, held at Dukinfield, Mr. James Parkinson, of 
Oldham, in the chair, a paper was read by Mr. 
Thomas Schofield, entitled “ Keminiseenees of a 
Lancashire Botanist.” Mr. Schofield gave his personal 
experiences of Richard Buxton, Jethro Tinker, Thomas 
Gibson, Crowther, Horsefield, Newton, Clough, and 
many others. He stated that he began the study fifty 
years ago ; had studied it in many parts of Europe; 
and had gathered plants of a most interesting kind 
on the wild steppes of Russia. 
