December 3, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
215 
flowers very freely in many widely separated gardens. 
The flowers are of good average size, regularly and 
compactly imbricated, and of a deep rosy-purple, 
ultimately fading to a much paler shade. Under 
glass, especially when disbudded, the flowers attain 
a much larger size. The mildness of the season is 
also pretty well indicated by the fact that Boule de 
Neige is now opening its white flowers beautifully. 
It is usually considered a midwinter flowering 
variety even under glass.— Mum. 
-- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
NIDULARIUM SPLENDENS. 
The utility of the Bromeliads for general decorative 
purposes is not very widely recognised in this country. 
The rigidity of the leaves and their ability to with¬ 
stand a dry atmosphere are characteristic of the 
family. When making their growth some of them 
delight in a dry atmosphere, others prefer a moist 
one. The majority of them may be kept for some 
time in dwelling rooms even in winter, when a fire 
is kept burning at least during the day. The Nidu- 
lariums may be kept in good condition for months. 
As a rule the members of this genus are in perfection 
just when they come into bloom, while the foliage of 
several is handsome at all times. The leaves of N. 
splendens are ligulate., spiny toothed at the edges, 
deep green, spotted with olive green, and arranged 
in a neat vasiform tuft. The central ones surround¬ 
ing the flower spike are short and of a bright carmine 
red with green tips. The flowers nestle in the midst 
of these brightly coloured leaves or bracts, and the 
petals being deep blue with white edges, they show 
off boldly by contrast. There are some fine flower¬ 
ing plants of it about 6 in. or 8 in. high in the nursery 
of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. 
MARANTA ROSEO-PICTA. 
T he leaves of this species are roundish or oval, and 
stand about 6 in. high, forming a mass covering the 
pots. The blade itself is 3 in. to 5 in. long and 3 in. 
to 4 in broad, of a deep rich green with a rosy midrib 
bordered with an irregular grey band. A broader 
but similar band of irregular outline traverses the 
entire leaf on each side of the midrib but nearer the 
margin than the latter. The under surface is of a 
uniform violet purple and adds much to the hand¬ 
some appearance of the whole. The plant may be 
described as having the same habit and style of 
growth as M. Veitchii, but it is dwarfer and neater, 
and may be grown to perfection in 48 or 60-size pots, 
as may be seen in the nursery of Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. 
A SMOOTH-LEAVED PANDANUS. 
As a rule, gardeners like those plants best which 
are not spiny, particularly plants that entail fre¬ 
quent handling. Some of the species of Pandanus, 
including P. javanicus, have some of the spines 
pointing forwards, while the rest are directed back¬ 
wards. The latter prove troublesome when the 
plants are being handled in shifting them about, and 
also when being sponged. All this inconvenience is 
entirely avoided in the case of P. amaryllidifolius, 
which has ligulate, channelled, and arching, smooth 
leaves of a rich dark green. Their shape and general 
appearance are very similar to those of an Amaryllis, 
hence the name. A few small and weak serratures 
may be seen near the tips of the leaves, but that is 
all that reminds us of the usually spiny character of 
the members of this genus. The plant is far from 
common in this country, but we noted it in the rich 
collection of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper 
Holloway. 
AMARYLLIS MRS. WILLIAM LEE. 
The great bulk of the garden varieties of Hippea- 
strum, best known as Amaryllis, flower during the 
spring and summer months. A. aulica and A. 
reticulata flower during autumn and winter, and 
are therefore valuable on that account. Mrs. William 
Lee is a variety of the latter and a very pretty one 
too. The leaves are larger and have got the same 
white midrib as the type, but it is not of such a pure 
ivory white. The flowers on the contrary are larger 
and more brightly coloured. They are funnel- 
shaped, lined and netted with warm rosy veins on a 
pink ground. The ornamental value of the plant is 
greatly augmented by the fact that the leaves are 
evergreen, not deciduous as in the case of the spring 
and summer flowering kinds. The number of flowers 
on a scape is also greater than what is customary 
amongst the better known kinds, and varies from four 
to six. A good representative collection of all the 
types is grown by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
Upper Holloway, where numerous plants of Mrs. 
William Lee were flowering finely the other week. 
As the flowers are developed in succession, a display 
is kept up for some considerable time. 
BEGONIA SEMPERFLORENS ROSEA. 
The old B. semperflorens was originally introduced 
in 1829, but does not seem to have acquired great 
popularity until comparatively recently, and the 
coloured varieties more especially have taken the 
public fancy, including such fine things as B. s. car- 
minea gigantea, B. s. rubra Vernon’s var., and others. 
There was an old variety under the name of B. s. 
Frau Maria Brandt, having rose-tinted flowers and a 
dwarf habit. The plant under notice is not particu¬ 
larly dwarf, but will attain a height of 18 in. or 2 ft. 
There is a fine plant of it in the nursery of Mr. 
Robert Owen, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, where it 
originated as a chance seedling from B. s. atropur- 
purea. The branching stems bear a great quantity 
of flowers of a light rosy-pink. Under glass at least 
the leaves are of a bright, shining green. The leaves 
of this variety B. s. atropurpurea, when grown out of 
doors in the summer time, acquire a deep bronzy, 
metallic lustre. The variety rosea might behave in the 
same way if placed under the same conditions. It 
may be grown both for summer and winter deco¬ 
ration. 
RASPBERRY PLANTATIONS. 
Where not already done cut out all the old fruiting 
canes and tie new ones in, giving preference to the 
strong well-ripened canes. If wire is used tie in 4 in. 
apart, if to a stake six will be found plenty for each 
stool. Cut close to the ground the remaining growths 
to give light and strength to the fruiting canes. 
Clear off coarse weeds and give a good mulch of 
manure or any other top-dressing at hand. I ought 
to have mentioned not to cut the canes back to the 
required height until growth commences next spring. 
— W. N. 
APPLE GOLDEN RUSSET. 
The fruit of this variety is of medium size, broad at 
the base, and suddenly tapered upwards to the eye, 
which is closed or half open, and set in a shallow, 
lightly plaited basin. The skin is light yellowish- 
green in places, but the most of it is clouded all over 
with a thin russet. The sunny or exposed side often 
appear as if varnished over with a brignt shining red. 
There are also numerous small russety specks of a 
deeper shade scattered over the whole surface. The 
flesh is of a pale yellow, almost white, tender, but 
crisp, and briskly but agreeably acid or aromatic, 
and above all creating a desire for more. It is a 
first-class dessert variety, lasting in good condition 
from November to March. The tree grows well and 
fruits freely, but requires a warm situation to bring 
out the qualities of the fruit to perfection in cold or 
northern localities. At Chiswick, where it is grown 
in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
the fruit is of excellent quality. 
JACQUEMONTIA VIOLACEA. 
About three dozen species of Jacquemontia are 
known to science, but very few of them are in culti¬ 
vation. They are closely allied and similar to the 
Ipomoeas, and are likewise climbers requiring stove 
treatment. The specific name of that under notice 
is somewhat misleading, inasmuch as the flowers are 
not violet but of a clear, bright blue, not very intense. 
The flowers are produced in clusters of five in the 
axils of the leaves, and that fact recalls another 
name which has been given the species, namely, 
Convolvulus pentanthus, meaning the five-flowered 
Convolvulus or Bindweed. The leaves are heart- 
shaped. The plant keeps on flowering from mid¬ 
summer till late in the autumn, or practically till 
winter, for it is still flowering in the stove at Kew. 
CLETHRA ARBOREA VARIEGATA. 
There are two varieties of this greenhouse tree, a 
smaller form than the type and the variegated sort 
under notice. Neither of them are by any means 
common. The small or medium sized flowers are 
produced in long racemes, and have been compared 
to those of the Lily of the Valley. The variegation 
in this case consists of broad but irregular patches 
of pale yellow covering great part of the leathery, 
evergreen leaves. Greenhouse temperature is all 
that is necessary during the winter months, for the 
tree may be stood in the open air in summer. Grown 
as standards, it is very handsome when in flower, 
and may be used in the conservatory at that time, or 
in the hall of the dwelling house. The variegated 
sort we noted in the gardens at Falkland Park, 
South Norwood Hill. 
ORCHID DOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Orchids in the Black Country. 
When visiting the Dudley district recently, I de¬ 
rived considerable pleasure in looking through the 
collection of Orchids now in course of formation by 
Mr. Williams, of the Durham Ox Inn, Upper Gor- 
nal. The genial proprietor is well known throughout 
the length and breadth of the Black Country as an 
enthusiastic florist and a keen exhibitor. Formerly 
he devoted considerable attention to the culture of 
the Auricula, and I am under the impression that he 
looks back with pleasure and pride upon some of 
the battles he fought and won as an Auricula ex¬ 
hibitor. He then turned his attention to the culture 
of the Rose and to all kinds of stove and greenhouse 
plants without the slightest relaxation of his indomi¬ 
table energy. It is scarcely necessary to say that 
here again he was equally successful 
Latterly he has been devoting a good deal of his 
spare time to the cultivation of Orchids, and the 
results have been surprising. At the time of my 
visit there were some fine Cattleyas in bloom, mostly 
C. labiata autumnalis vera, C. Warocqueana, C. 
Bowringiana, and C. Harrisonse ; in addition, there 
are some grand varieties of Dendrobium Phalsenop- 
sis Schroderiana, whose semi-pendulous racemes 
were very striking and effective. Altogether the 
show was most creditable and well worth seeing.— 
J. McNab. 
Cypripcdium Leeanum superbum giganteum. 
A race of Cypripediums has been raised from C. 
insigne and C. Spicerianum, and by using fine types 
lo both as parents wonderful improvements have 
been made upon the old form known as C. Leeanum. 
C. insigne Maulei was used as the seed-parent in one 
case, and this gave rise to C. Leeanum superbum. 
which was a great acquisition in its day. Several 
large-flowered forms have since made their appear¬ 
ance, including one which we were shown last week 
by Messrs. Charlesworth, Shuttleworth & Co. It 
measures 5 in. across the petals and 2jin. across the 
dorsal fepal. This latter may be considered the 
finest feature of the flower, because the greater part 
of it is pure white spotted with purple, the small 
basal area being pale green. The greenish-yellow 
petals are spotted with brown, and like the pollen- 
parent are wavy along the upper edge. 
Cypripedium Niobe. 
Numerous as are the hybrid Cypripediums, there 
are always some that stand out pre-eminently as 
different from the others. One of these is Niobe, 
the upper sepal of which is nearly round, and white 
suffused with pale purple and having deeper veins, 
a dark mid-rib, and pale green at the base. The 
petals are wavy on both edges, yellow along the 
centre, and otherwise of a rosy hue. The lip is of a 
deep brown. It was first exhibited before the public 
on the 10th December, 1889, and ever since it has 
flowered regularly about the same time of the year, 
earlier' or later according to circumstances, but 
always lasting in good condition for a considerable 
time. A First-class Certificate was accorded it on 
the occasion mentioned. In habit it closely re¬ 
sembles C. Spicerianum, which was the seed-parent, 
while C. Fairieanum was the seed-parent. It has 
been flowering for some time past in the nursery of 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Dendrobium McCarthias. 
The large flowers of this Ceylon species are very 
showy and distinct, but they would appear much 
larger if displayed to the best advantage. This 
they are not, for the flowers hang downward, and the 
lip being almost erect under the petals and upper 
sepal, it is greatly hidden by the latter. If the 
sepals and petals were spread out, the aspect and 
bearing would be more like that of D. Phalasnopsis 
Schroderianum. They are of a soft rosy-purple. 
The .lip is large, obovate and incurved at the sides; 
