August 26, 1893. 
TI-IE GARDENING WORLD 
825 
first, Mr. J. Stredwick, who was awarded the same 
honour for Pompons and followed in each class by 
Mr. J. Budgeon. For a collection of cut flowers, 
Messrs. J. Snow and Morris shared the prizes. 
There were a large number of minor prizes, no less 
than 133 classes being fairly well contested through¬ 
out the show. 
--*►- 
THE BEECHHILL NURSERY, 
EDINBURGH. 
We observe that the firm of Mr. John Downie, 
Edinburgh, has recently been developing their 
business in new and important directions. The firm 
has long been known to the horticultural world as 
being well to the front in the cultivation of 
herbaceous plants and florists’ flowers. This was 
their specialty. Now, however, they are 
“ lengthening their cords and strengthening their 
stakes,” evidently determined to make a fresh and 
vigorous start on more modern lines. At the late 
Royal Caledonian Show they caused considerable 
remark by the quality and variety of their exhibits, 
A tidy and cosy place is Beechhill, situate about a 
mile and a half to the west of Edinburgh, in a pretty 
and well selected spot, among fine old Beech trees, 
from which it derives its name ; and a more healthy, 
compact, and representative collection of general 
decorative plants, native and exotic, it will be 
difficult to find north of the Tweed. Antirrhinums, 
Phloxes, Pentstemons, Dahlias, and kindred subjects 
are much in evidence, as are also tuberous-rooted 
Begonias, of which there are several thousands, all 
generously responding to the kindly treatment they 
receive. Of these the Begonias take the lead, the 
excellence of the strain, together with the compact 
habit of the plants making them a special attraction. 
Every shade of colour at present observed in 
Begonias is well represented, and embrace double as 
well as single-flowering specimens. 
We believe that for the Begonia there is a good 
time coming. The ease with which it may be grown, 
as well as the great variety of colour, together with 
the size and beauty of the bloom, and the reasonable 
prices at which it may be purchased Will make this 
prolific bloomer a general favourite. Some of the 
doubles are so fine that they appear to combine the 
beauties of the Carnation, the Camelia, and the 
Rose. They are bound to become more widely 
known. 
In the glass house department, house after house 
is filled with choice and select subjects, all good, 
clean, and healthy saleable stuff. Crotons are 
remarkable for their high colour. No stove can be 
considered complete without having a few of these 
interspersed among the more sombre green, which 
they touch off by their light, graceful, and “ taking ” 
appearance. Dracaenas, notably Lindeni, Norwood- 
ensis, Louisa, and Superba, are well grown ; White 
Stephanotis, Alamandas, Caladiums, Pandanas, 
Hibiscus, Aralias, etc., also find an honoured place. 
The Fern and Palm houses, too, are replete with the 
leading varieties. The nurseries are easily accessible 
either by bus or on foot, and a visit will amply repay 
the time and trouble.— G. S. W. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
Miltonia Roezlii alba Falkland Park var. 
The typical form of this Miltonia is characterised 
by white flowers with a purple blotch at the base 
of each petal, and a pale yellow disc or blotch at 
the base of the lip. The white variety lacks the 
blotches on the petals, and the disc of the lip is a 
paler yellow. The sub-variety under notice differs 
from the latter by the disc being intensified, of a 
much deeper yellow and divided into two wedge- 
shaped blotches, separated by the dark lines running 
along the shallow ridges of the crest. There are 
also some orange-brown spots isolated and disposed 
near the margins of the basal portion of the lip. It 
has just flowered in an imported lpt in the collection 
of John McMeekin, Esq., Falkland Park, South 
Norwood Hill. 
Rodriguezia pubescens. 
Few of the species of this genus are cultivated to 
any great extent, but it is surprising that R. 
pubescens should have been so long neglected, for 
a pot or well-flowered basket of it is a conspicuous 
object in the Orchid house at this season of the year 
when flowering Orchids are by no means over-plenti¬ 
ful. A large potful of it suspended from the roof of 
the Orchid house is now flowering handsomely in 
the collection of John McMeekin, Esq., Falkland 
Park, South Norwood Hill, under the charge of Mr. 
Wright. There are ten racemes of blooms, bearing 
in the aggregate 130 flowers. They are relatively of 
large size for this genus, and pure white with excep¬ 
tion of the yellow, two-ridged crest. They are very 
fragrant in the morning, but become more faintly so 
later in the day when the atmosphere gets warm. 
There are several plants in the pot, and the racemes 
show different habits of growth, some having the 
flowers closely aggregated together, and others have 
them placed more distantly apart. Whether this 
characteristic will be permanent, remains to be seen 
in after years when the plants get more firmly 
established and in seasons that are different from 
the present. 
Oncidium Jonesianum Maida Vale van. 
This beautiful variety flowered recently with Mr. P. 
McArthur, London Nurseries, Maida Vale. The 
sepals are elliptic, heavily and distinctly blotched 
with brown on a greenish-yellow ground. The 
petals are similarly blotched on a ground that is 
nearly white. The large lip is white with some red 
spots on the base of the claw; the lateral lobes are 
yellow, and the prominent five-lobed crest is spotted 
with tawny-orange. Some pieces of this Oncidium 
growing on blocks are just now flowering in the 
Orchid houses at Falkland Park, South Norwood 
Hill, and show some variation in colour, and some 
of them are very fine. Sometimes the lateral lobes 
of the lip are of considerable size, and the base of 
the middle lobe has a greater or less number of 
crimson-red spots. 
Cattleya Gaskelliana 
We have seen some very fine varieties of this 
Cattleya at different times this season, and which 
show a considerable improvement upon the originally 
imported pieces, especially with regard to size. A 
plant has been flowering for some time past at 
Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill, under the care 
of Mr. Wright, and the flowers measure 8 in. across 
the petals. The lip is also darker than usual, the 
lamina being dark purple with a heavily crisped, 
lilac margin and a deep golden yellow throat. 
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN. 
Bananas. —The present is a suitable time for 
removing suckers from fruiting Bananas, when it is 
intended to make up a fresh bed. Pot them up in 
rich turfy loam mixed with a quantity of sheep or 
deer droppings, and plunge the pots in a bottom 
heat of 95 0 with a top heat of 90° allowing it to rise 
io° by sun heat when closing, at which time they 
should be heavily syringed. In the meantime the 
bed should be cleared out and filled with the richest 
loam procurable and mixed with the dung above 
mentioned if possible. Maintain a mean temperature 
of 85 q after planting, which should be done when 
the roots begin to ramify freely in the pots. Close 
the house early, allowing the heat to run up to 1008 
giving plenty of moisture, both at the roots and in 
the atmosphere. 
Gladioli. —Notwithstanding the long continued 
drought, these plants have flowered magnificently. 
If cross-breeding and seed saving is intended, the 
finer varieties should be selected, avoiding violent 
contrast of colour in the sorts used. The stigmas 
are ready for fertilisation about two days after the 
flowers open. The stamens should be removed from 
the intended seed parents before the anthers open. 
Stake all the flower spikes before there is any chance 
of their getting broken down. 
Hollyhocks. —Continue to propagate from the 
eyes of young side shoots until sufficient stock has 
been secured. Plants so obtained are of more 
vigorous and healthy constitution than those struck 
in heat during the spring months. The,great heat 
and drought must encourage the development of red 
spider to an alarming extent on flowering plants. To 
palliate the evil to some extent, mulch the ground 
for some distance round the roots and give copious 
supplies of water afterwards. 
Pinks. —No time should now be lost in having 
the rooted cuttings planted out in their permanent 
positions. The ground should be well prepared, 
trodden, and planted ; then a mulch of short manure 
should be given, and the ground watered to settle it 
about the roots. The plants soon become drawn 
and weakly if they are left too long in the cutting 
beds. 
Carnations and Picotees. —Water the layered 
plants in the open ground pretty frequently to 
encourage the development of roots during the 
prevalence of dry weather. Pot plants that have 
been layered should be placed in the open air on a 
cool bed of ashes, and looked after in the matter of 
watering. The method of dealing with pot plants is 
to remove the top layer of soil, and put in some 
light sandy material, then to layer the shoots in 
this. 
Auriculas. —Those who have not yet repotted 
their established plants, should lose no time in doing 
so. A moderate amount of water only is necessary 
after this time, but they must not be allowed to get 
dry. Be careful to remove decaying foliage from 
plants or offsets that were potted off some time ago. 
Peaches. —September and October are the resting 
months for the earliest fruited trees. All doors and 
ventilators should be kept wide open to maintain a 
cool atmosphere conducive to rest. Indeed, if the 
sashes or some of them are removable this can be 
done to the advantage of the trees. The roots must 
not, however, be suffered to get dry under the im¬ 
pression that this will assist the trees in ripening. 
Orange Trees. —Scale and mealybug increase 
rapidly at this season of the year and soon cause the 
leaves to become black with a fungus that grows 
upon their excrement. Syringing will not clean 
them, although this serviceable work must be con¬ 
tinued for the health of the trees. Soft soap dissolved 
in warm water and applied with a sponge will how¬ 
ever clean the leaves. 
Orchard House— Pot plants that require a 
shift should have this accomplished as soon as the 
fruits are gathered or soon after, using good fibrous 
loam. See that they do not suffer from over dryness 
at the roots, and syringe twice daily to keep the 
foliage clean. Any repairing, cleaning and painting 
that may be required should be done while the 
weather remains fine. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The fine weather should 
be causing the plumping up of the crowns of plants 
in pots. If large fruits are desired, all axillary or 
side shoots should be removed as soon as they can be 
detected, leaving only the strong, central one to bear 
fruit. As the flowers expand after being forced, 
remove the smaller and malformed flowers, retaining 
the best and most vigorous, for from these the best 
fruits will be obtained. 
Scarlet Runners. —The dry weather is telling 
very much upon the setting of the flowers of this 
vegetable, whose usefulness is being felt more and 
more every day as Peas give in owing to the 
drought. The Runners would derive great 
advantage by being mulched around the roots with 
manure and then receiving copious supplies of 
water. 
Vegetable quarters. —The continued dry 
weather is most favourable to the extirpation of all 
weeds, so that the ground should easily be kept clean 
next year. Keep the hoe at work amongst all 
recently planted crops, not only to keep down weeds, 
but to loosen the surface of the soil, thus preventing 
evaporation to a considerable extent. 
Herbs. —The ground being dry it may be necessary 
to defer the making of fresh plantations for a time, 
that is, by the division of the plants ; but seedlings of 
slow growing subjects such as Sage, Thyme, 
Marjoram, and Savory, and which were sown in 
boxes may now be planted out to let them get 
established so long as the weather remains good. 
-- 4 -- 
©trituarp. 
On the 15th ult., died at Slough, at the age of 75, 
William Whittaker, for many years the foreman 
of the plant houses at the Royal Nursery, Slough. 
Going to the nursery as a boy sixty years, ago, he 
may be said to have grown with the growth of the 
establishment during the time it was in the occupa¬ 
tion of the brothers Brown; their successor, Mr. 
Cutter, and finally in the occupation of Mr. C. 
Turner. He was a most skilful soft-wooded pro¬ 
pagator, and in his day, many millions of cuttings 
must have passed through his hands. Increasing 
infirmities caused his retirement from the Royal 
Nursery in 1891, and he died at Slough, where he 
had spent the whole of his life. 
