January./?, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
293 
up a display till the later kinds come on. The 
Fern-leaved Scarlet is a brilliant and handsome 
variety, but can only be described as a novelty from 
the fact that it produces seeds very sparingly and 
cannot therefore be catalogued. The packets of 
mixed seed derive advantage from lots like this, 
which are all lumped together, because there is not 
enough to put up separately. Another early variety, 
and one of the prettiest and free flowering, light kinds, 
is Rosy Queen, having rosy-pink blossoms, borne in 
large trusses well above the foliage which is entirely 
green. Dark foliage is generally considered good 
evidence of strong constitution, and nowhere is there 
darker leaves than in the Gipsy Queen, the upper 
surface being browny-green and the lower surface 
browny-red. The variety is moderately early, but 
the pure white flowers are already getting plentiful. 
It is one of the finest because one of the most distinct 
in the collection. Purity may be compared with 
Snowdrift except that the petioles are red and the 
flowers much larger and pure white with an orange 
eye. The fern-leaved Reading Blue merely differs 
from Reading Blue in the foliage. It is, however, 
dwarf and robust, with large truses just raised above 
decorative purposes, even under unfavourable con¬ 
ditions. Double Rose has rosy-pink flowers, closely 
similar to those of the Miss Jolliffe Carnation. The 
trusses are full and well borne above the foliage- 
Double White is an early variety, and so is Double 
Scarlet, a handsome variety, with red petioles. 
There is also a Double White with carnation, purple 
and pink streaks and markings, and this is also in 
full bloom. That named Double Carmine is rich in 
colour, early, and withal a handsome variety. The 
Double Red at present is very dwarf, but gets taller 
later on when it appears to great advantage. The 
plain-leaved Double Blue is in bloom, but the Fern¬ 
leaved variety of the same colour is very late, 
thereby extending the season considerably. The 
F'ern-leaved Double White produces seeds very 
readily and is a very useful kind, but the Fern¬ 
leaved Double Rose is rather shy. 
Various. 
Very interesting is a houseful of trial plants number¬ 
ing some 200 sorts from all sources, with about a 
dozen plants of a sort. Some are in flower, others 
are not, as might be expected. Another house is 
filled with crossed varieties of many kinds, the result 
DRACAENAS. 
The foliage of Dracaenas is greatly admired when 
mixed among Callas, Chrysanthemums of contrast¬ 
ing colours, Eucharis, Clivias, Odontoglossums of 
robust species, Amaryllis, and many other flowers 
of large proportions. We grow Amabilis, Baptistii, 
Bausei, and Terminalis in quantity for stripping 
to augment the variety of choice foliage which is 
used to enhance the charms of the flowers. The 
leathery nature of Dracaenas enables them to resist 
the bad effects of gas, draughts, and other untoward 
influences, to a greater extent than many other 
species used for the decoration of rooms and 
passages. 
When the plants are well stripped a notch is made 
under the crown of foliage which remains, some 
moss is tied round, and in a short time roots are 
emitted. The plants can be cut over, potted into 
rather small pots of sandy soil, and another shift 
later into sandy loam, with a small portion of peat 
in it, carries them through to the end of the season; 
they are then fine robust plants ready for whatever 
use they are grown for. The stems and roots are 
of course serviceable for increasing stock. There 
Cypripediums at Stacksteads. 
the leaves, which are not very numerous and have 
dark-red petioles. 
Giant Strain. 
The varieties of the Giant strain are very noticeable. 
for the large size of the flowers and their texture 
compared with those of the other types. The Fern¬ 
leaved Giant White is undoubtedly the finest, having 
shortly-oblong, vigorous leaves, forming compact 
rosettes, from the centre of which the trusses arise, 
bearing large flowers of great substance, pure white 
at first, but ultimately becoming blush, with a five¬ 
angled orange eye. The plain-leaved Giant White 
differs principally in the form of the leaves, and both 
are exceptionally fine types of Primula for winter 
decoration. They are mid-season varieties, because 
of the first-named only a few of the strongest plants 
are in flower. Giant Crimson forms an excellent 
companion to either of them on account of its rich, 
deep red flowers and dark red petioles. It is more¬ 
over one of the latest in the collection, coming into 
bloom in February and lasting till April. The size 
of the flowers and their substance is remarkable. 
Double Varieties. 
Technically speaking the sorts mentioned beneath 
are semi-double, because they have only a few extra 
segments in the centre, and can be raised from seeds 
with as great facility as the single ones. The 
flowers are, however, more durable than those of the 
single kinds, either in the cut state or when used for 
of last year's work. A semi-double white kind 
looked promising, and may in the next generation 
or two produce something striking. A blue variety 
crossed with a white one has given a variety with 
mauve flowers, striped towards the margin with blue. 
A houseful of moss-curled varieties is full of interest 
on account of the many variations in the, flowers 
and the foliage. The edges of all the lobes are very 
much curled, and sometimes resemble Parsley, as in 
the case of Sutton's Gem, having semi-double white 
flowers and beautifully curled but beautiful foliage. 
The other varieties of this section have in some 
cases similarly formed flowers differing in colour. 
The Double Lilac is one of the best, because in addi¬ 
tion to the doubling the ordinary segments are very 
much lobed and imbricated, making the flower appear 
quite double. There is, however, a single Lilac, a 
single Pink and a single White, all with moss- 
curled foliage. The white one is very choice, having 
fern-leaved, green leaves and yellow edges like a 
golden Scolopendrium. 
The houses are low span-roofed, well-built and 
well-lighted structures, running north and south. 
The benches on which the plants are stood are of 
corrugated iron, covered with ashes, which maintain 
sufficient moisture about the plants. Everything 
about the houses is clean, and the plants healthy. 
They are never allowed to become crowded, nor are 
they starved for want of repotting. The plants are 
also taken into a genial atmosphere before the 
weather gets too cold, hence the successful results. 
are no more telling plants than Dracaenas for table 
decoration, especially the old showy Terminalis, for 
which there is a great demand, and many nursery¬ 
men are increasing the numbers of this sort as much 
as possible, it being so much sought after. We 
know something of the demand lor striking foliage 
for decorative purposes. Vine leaves (such as Gros 
Guillaume and Gros Colmar) are in great request 
and bring good prices.— Stirling. 
-- 
A GROUP OF CYPRIPEDIUMS. 
The accompanying illustration shows how, even in 
small collections, a tasty and interesting group of 
Cypripediums may be made up with the aid of a few 
dwarf and graceful plants in front, and ferns to make 
a background. Prominent amongst the species used 
are C. superbiens, better known as C. Veitchi, also C. 
niveum, C. concolor, C. bellatulum and C. Dayanum. 
The dwarf and miniature C. niveum on the right is 
the most difficult to represent by means of photo¬ 
graphy. The whole of it is white, so that there is a 
difficulty in tracing the outlines of the different 
organs. The young amateur artist might have 
greatly improved his picture, if he had taken care to 
hide the front of the staging on which the Cattleyas 
are placed by means of trailing plants of some kind. 
The illustration in question was prepared by a son of 
Mr. David Lord, Stacksteads, near Manchester. 
