Marchl23, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
475 
somewhat akin to those of a Cypripedium in form, 
and the little trouble that its cultivation entails. 
The flowers are solitary, delicate rose and brown in 
colour, a yellow crest being a prominent feature of 
the lip. The lateral lobes cohere over the central 
one, which is generally bifid at the tip. The genus 
only contains the one species, which is common 
to the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere. 
It is thus perfectly hardy with us. Mr. T. S. Ware, 
of Tottenham, exhibited a potful of it in fine con¬ 
dition at the Crystal Palace Exhibition of Spring 
Flowers on Saturday last. 
CALATHEA ZEBRINA. 
For some time past this plant has been an especial 
favourite in very many private gardens, where, in 
most cases, the old name of Maranta zebrina still 
clings to it. Taken as a whole, gardeners are rather 
inclined to be somewhat conservative in their ideas, 
and once any given name has been associated with a 
plant for a long period that particular name, 
whether it be correct or not, is used for an exceed¬ 
ingly long time in spite of any change of title that 
may take place. Although the genus Calathea con¬ 
tains many beautiful and valuable plants, it may, 
without doing any of them an injustice, be truthfully 
said that C. zebrina is the handsomest of them all, 
as anyone would confess who had seen its velvety- 
green leaves barred with the greenish-purple mark¬ 
ings which run almost at right angles to the midrib. 
A strongly growing plant will produce leaves from 
2 ft. to 3 ft. in length, and fully 8 in. in width, and a 
good specimen of it in a healthy condition is almost 
all that a foliage plant should be. Propagation may 
be conducted by means of division of the crowns, 
spring being the best time to perform this operation. 
Good drainage, plenty of water during the summer, 
a stove heat, and a liberal use of the syringe are also 
needed. C. zebrina hails from Brazil from whence 
it was brought about the year 1815. 
ARALIA VEITCHII GRACILLIMA. 
This being the variety on which my contribution on 
p. 437 was based, I have given it now its proper 
title. With all due respect to “ W. G.,” and also the 
great length of time he has read horticultural litera¬ 
ture, I think he will admit that especially in our 
profession of horticulture one is always learning. I 
was quite aware of the prevailing idea that it is 
difficult to root the rarer kinds of Aralias, and 
hence my note. To correct “ VV. G.," allow me to 
say that I never mentioned anything about striking 
them as cuttings or in any other way, which means 
taking the portion to be rooted clean away from the 
plant. This must not be done till roots are emitted 
through the binding material. 
I never on any account write about anything I 
have not either done myself or seen done by others. 
The operation in question I have done myself, and 
I only wish “ W. G.” lived anywhere near at hand 
and could pay me a visit, for I think I could soon 
convince him that regarding Aralias he had some¬ 
thing yet to learn. As experienced men will know 
that the top portion of the plant in question must 
necessarily be the best furnished, and therefore must 
be the best for any purpose, sale or otherwise. Plenty 
of heat, moisture, and delicate handling with a knife 
like a razor, and a surgeon’s delicacy of manipula¬ 
tion, will bring about the desired results, and most 
successfully. 
I am not going to say that grafting is not the 
sharpest way of producing weak, puny specimens, 
but never in my opinion can they be got furnished at 
the bottom by this means. Many good men I know 
recognise the value of the upper portions of 
Dracaenas, Crotons, and other subjects in the 
making of perfect plants. I can hardly understand 
part of “ W. G.'s” note. Once he says that he did 
not know they were so easy to root, and then a little 
lower down he says that nearly all the species of 
Aralia will root and grow freely, but some are better 
from seeds. I could wish that he had made his 
meaning a trifle plainer. I, too.havehad considerable 
experience in propagating especially in grafting and 
know what failure means. Knowing that Aralia 
Sieboldii was a cool subject and that A. Veitchii 
gracillima required more heat, I thought the two 
would go together especially as one was stronger 
than the other, but the experiment did not answer, 
as though the graft callused the stock damped off. 
As I have said above I knew the difficulty there is 
in rooting them or I should not have written as I 
did.— J. G. Petti-gcr, Strawberry Dale Nursery, 
Harrowgiite. 
SOCIETIES. 
Crystal Palace.—The exhibition of spring-flowering 
plants which was held on Saturday, March 16th, at 
the Crystal Palace, was favoured by exceptionally 
fine weather, and was attended by a large number of 
visitors whom the bright day had doubtless tempted 
to leave their homes. The exhibits were numerous 
and comprised a large quantity of excellent material 
in the several classes for which prizes were awarded 
according to schedule. Spring-flowering plants 
were, of course, the chief feature of the show, the 
bulbous section being strongly represented, 
Hyacinths, Narcissi, Tulips, Hippeastrums, Cycla¬ 
men, etc., were shown in quantity as well as quality. 
Foliage plants and Ferns also were by no means 
lacking, and altogether the show was a most satis¬ 
factory, as well as a bright and attractive one. 
In the open classes Mr. James Douglas, gardener 
to Mrs. Whitbourn, Great Gearies, Ilford, was 
awarded the first prize for thirty-six Hyacinths in 
pots. He had such varieties as La Grandesse, Czar 
Peter, Grandeur a Merveille, Gigantea, Souvenir J. 
H. Veen, Electra, Lord Derby, and The Sultan, in 
really grand condition, the two last-mentioned sorts 
particularly being the finest examples of their kind 
that we have yet seen. Messrs. James Winter & 
Son, Bon Marche Nursery, Gipsy Road, West Nor¬ 
wood, took the second place. In a class for thirty- 
six Tulips, three bulbs in a pot, Mr. James Douglas 
was again awarded the premier position with a 
splendid collection. The plants were throughout 
dwarf in habit, the flowers very large, and the 
colours exceedingly vivid, and than the samples here 
shown of Proserpine, Ophir d’Or, White Joost Van 
Vondel, and Keizer’s Kroon, nothing finer could be 
desired. Mr. William Howe, gardener to Henry 
Tate, Esq., took the second place. 
Mr. James Douglas also had the best collection of 
Polyanthus Narcissi, three bulbs in a pot, showing 
Adonia, rich yellow with an orange centre, Mont 
Cenis, Jaune Supreme, Grand Monarque, and 
Gloriosa in praiseworthy style. The second prize 
here fell to Mr. William Howe. The latter gentle¬ 
man was also successful in obtaining the first prize 
for twenty-four pots of Narcissi of the Daffodil 
section, having fine specimens of N. bicolor 
Horsfieldii, N. Sir Watkin, and N. Telamonius 
plenus; Mr. James Gibson, gardener to E. H. 
Watts, Esq, Devonhurst, Chiswick, taking the 
second place. Mr. John G. Mowbray, gardener to 
Major the Hon. H. C. Legge, Fulmer Gardens, near 
Slough, had the best collection of thirty-six Cyclamen 
in pots with splendidly-flowered plants of good white 
and purple varieties ; second, Mr. Thomas Pestridge, 
Boston Park Road, Brentford, W. The first prize 
for twelve Amaryllis went to Mr. James Douglas 
with very good plants of Thalia, Mrs. Laing, Clio 
and Melpomene ; also the first award for the best 
twelve Cinerarias. Mr. W. Barrell, gardener to 
Mrs. Thornton, The Hoo, Sydenham Hill, showed 
nine pots of Mignonette in good order, for which a 
first award was given. 
Mr. James Gibson distanced all competitors for 
twelve Hyacinths, distinct, Koh-i-noor, Electra, 
and La Grandesse, being some of the best varieties 
shown by him. He was also successful in obtaining 
first awards for twelve pots of Tulips, three bulbs 
being grown in a pot, and for twelve pots of 
Polyanthus Narcissi. Mr, C. Lane, gardener to E. 
H. Coles, Esq., Burntwood, Upper Caterham, 
Surrey, had the finest samples of Lily of the Valley 
in pots. With the exception of one small table 
Chinese Primulas were not represented. In a class 
for twelve plants in pots Mr. James Bateman, gar¬ 
dener to Mr. King, South wood, Sydenham Hill, took 
the premier position with meritorious examples of 
red, white, and blue-flowered varieties of the single 
section. Mr. C. Lane and Mr. G. Spong, gardener 
to C. D. Lord, Esq., Dunearn, Sydenham Hill, 
took second and third places respectively. The first 
prize for twelve Cyclamens in pots fell to Mr. William 
Slogrove, Getton. 
The first award for a group of Cyclamens arranged 
with Palms, Ferns, etc., for effect, and covering a 
space of sixty feet square, went to Mr. John Mow¬ 
bray. The plants here exhibited were exceedingly 
floriferous and all that could be desired in the way 
of habit, whilst the individual flowers were of large 
size and excellent substance. Messrs. John Laing & 
Sons, Forest Hill, were granted a first award for a 
very tastefully arranged group of stove and green¬ 
house flowering plants, arranged in an oval space 
twelve feet by nine and faced all round. The quality 
of the material comprising the group was excellent. 
Crotons Thompsoni and Reidii, Caladiums and 
Palms of different kinds among the foliage and 
Ericas, Azaleas, Imantophyllums, and winter¬ 
flowering Begonias among the flowering plants being 
in meritorious condition; whilst Orchids were 
represented by some nicely flowered pieces of 
Coelogyne cristata, and its white-flowered variety, 
C. c. alba, Cymbidium Lowianum, Dendrobium 
nobile, Odontoglossum Alexandrae, etc. 
The miscellaneous exhibits contained much that 
was praiseworthy and materially assisted in adding 
to the attractiveness of the show. Mr. Thomas S. 
Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, London, 
obtained an extra prize for a collection of hardy 
herbaceous and alpine plants in flower. Narcissi of 
both the Daffodil and the incomparabilis sections 
were well represented together with the rare 
Galanthus Perryi, and the pretty little Saxifraga 
Burseriana. The rare little Orchid Calypso borealis 
was also shown as well as examples of Iris reticulata 
and its variety purpurea, Scilla Siberica, and 
Leucojum carpaticum. An extra prize was also 
awarded to Messrs. J. James & Son, Woodside, 
Farnham Royal, Slough, for a splendid display of 
Cinerarias. The plants were exceedingly dwarf and 
sturdy in habit and the flowers large, richly-coloured 
and of almost perfect form. This constituted a very 
meritorious exhibit. 
Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, Herts, 
showed a number of the China Rose, Duke of York, 
and Camellias in pots together with a quantity of 
cut blooms of the latter ia meritorious condition, 
(extra prize). Messrs. John Peed & Sons, Roupell 
Park Nurseries, Norwood, staged a quantity of stove 
foliage and greenhouse flowering plants in a tasteful 
and praiseworthy manner for which an extra prize 
was given. Some nicely flowered Ericas, Cinerarias, 
Lachenalias, Tulips, etc., were conspicuous by the 
brilliancy of their colours. A number of floral 
bouquets, buttonholes, sprays, wreaths, etc., which 
came from the same firm displayed considerable 
taste in their construction. 
A beautifully arranged group of foliage and flower¬ 
ing plants that was set up by the Crystal Palace 
authorities at the lower end of the ordinary show 
tables was especially meritorious and invited a great 
deal of deserved commendation, both from the 
excellence of the material it contained as well as 
for the praiseworthy manner in which the plants 
were arranged. 
Grassendale Spring Show, March 16 th .—The fifth 
spring show of this Society was held in the Parish 
Room and certainly charmed the visitors by its 
brightness, after the long and cheerless winter. The 
weather which is always an important factor, was 
delightful, the sun being bright and continuous. The 
entries numbered 130, or about the average number. 
The bulbs were certainly not up to the usual mark, 
either in size of spike or bell. Mr. R. Singlehurst, 
(gardener, Mr. J. Kelly), took the lead for twelve and 
six distinct varieties of Hyacinths, Mont Blanc and 
Lady Derby being the finest. With six pots, three in a 
pot, Mr. W. S. Gladstone, (gardener, Mr. J, Grant), 
secured Mrs. Rose’s special prize, having good 
spikes, nearly equal to single bulbs, with six pots 
of Narcissus. Mr. W. S. Gladstone was also well 
to the fore, and with six pots of single Tulips the 
same exhibitor secured Messrs. Dickson & Robinson’s 
(Manchester) special prize with fair flower?. Other 
spring flowering plants were well represented, and 
there was a good competition in most of the classes. 
For the most tastefully arranged basket of plants ( 
prizes offered by Messrs. R. P. Ker and Sons, there 
were seven competitors, and their exhibits were an 
improvement on last year; but still left room for 
more. Mr. A. L. Jones lead the way with a base of 
Panicum, a ground work of greenery brightened up 
with small Crotons, Lily of ihe Valley, and other 
flowering plants. Certificates of merit were awarded 
to Mr. G. W. Moss for a group of Amaryllis of some 
merit, to Messrs. R. P. Ker and Sons for a group of 
Clivas which made a feature in the show, the trusses 
being large, the flowers well defined and telling in 
colour. The arrangements were ably carried out 
and Mr. R. Fawkes gave entire satisfaction in his 
secretarial duties. 
Royal Botanical of Manchester.—The annual spring 
show of this Society was held in the Town Hall, 
Manchester, on Friday and Saturday of last week, 
and wanted only a better attendance to make it a 
great success; for it was a good show and deserved 
