March 4, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORT.D. 
428 
narrowed below this so as to form a sort of neck. 
Other flowers may be found in a collection having 
five green spots arranged in a semi-circle a short 
way below the apex of each of the three outer 
segments of the flower. This is by no means 
common, although something similar occurs in a 
variety of the common Snowdrop. Still another 
form may be noted in which the five green spots are 
united in the form of a horse-shoe shaped blotch 
exactly in the same place as the isolated and small 
spots. In all these spots and markings on the outer 
segments we see an attempt of the outer segments 
to assume the colouring of the inner ones. Hitherto 
we have not noted any attempt to assume the 
characteristic form of the inner ones. All of the 
above varieties may be noted in the hardy plant 
house at Kew. 
-- 
FINE-FOLIAGED PLANTS 
AT CLAPTON. 
Orchids are the most prominent features in the 
nursery of Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton, and 
a large proportion of the fine-foliaged plants, together 
with the Heaths, New Holland plants and flowering 
subjects generally, are grown at Bush Hill, Enfield. 
The bulk of the young plants are, however, raised at 
Clapton, chiefly because there is most convenience 
there for doing so. The area of glass, however, at 
Clapton is very great, and a considerable amount of 
it is devoted to fine-foliaged plants. There are 
thirty-six houses devoted to Palms alone, and a 
variety of other subjects is also grown in quantity. 
Flowering subjects are not numerous except in the 
young state. 
Palms. 
The most popular Palm at the present day is Iventia 
Forsteriana, because it can be used in such a variety 
of ways for decorative purposes. Alongside of it 
may be placed K. Belmoreana, because serviceable 
in a young state. As it gets larger it becomes too 
decidedly spreading in habit to be admissable in 
grouping. K. Mooreana is looked upon as the red 
petioled form of K. Forsteriana. Some interest 
attaches to a batch of young plants of Geonoma 
Seemani, the young leaves of which are red, 
gradually giving place to a bronzy tint as they get 
more nearly fully developed. The plants are in 
small pots, but already bear six to eight bifid leaves 
that give place to pinnate ones as the plants attain 
greater size. Already the more forward plants 
begin to show this character. A similar batch of 
G. Schottiana consists of plants with broader leaf 
segments that are green even in the younger stages 
of their development. Better known than either is 
G. gracilis, which is grown here by thousands. 
Some of the fan Palms are very popular, but 
perhaps none more so than Lataniaborbonica, grown 
in various stages, but most plentiful, perhaps, in 
48-size pots. The size to which they can be grown 
even in this comparatively small pot is astonishing. 
Thousands of them are distributed through the 
houses. It is the most popular size for market 
purposes, and likewise for decorative purposes 
generally, hence the great numbers of this size. 
There are a few other fan Palms in commerce, but 
none of them seem to enjoy the popularity of this 
species. Cocos Wedeliana may be compared to 
Geonoma gracilis as to form, but it is different in 
certain respects, and the Cocos always commands 
greater popularity, apparently because the fronds 
are narrower and more graceful. Many growers also 
consider that Cocos Wedeliana is more durable in 
the atmosphere of dwelling houses, where it is sub¬ 
jected not merely to the aridity of the same but to 
the deleterious influences of burning gas. The long 
pinnae of Areca sapida are conspicuous even in the 
young state. 
Other Subjects. 
The quantity of Asparagus plumosus grown at the 
present day is in itself an evidence of its utility for 
decorative purposes. The plants are grown in 48- 
size pots. A. p. nanus is here characterised by its 
dwarfer and more slender habit. Alongside of it is 
a quantity of A. tennissimus, which has longer and 
finer twiglets generally called leaves and a more 
graceful habit though less compact. The massive¬ 
leaved Dracaena Lindeni still finds favour with the 
public,and we are not surprised at it, considering the 
fine appearance and the distinctness of its variega¬ 
tion. The broad, clear yellow margins are much 
more effective than the central and smaller stripes 
characteristic of D. Massangeana. Aralia Sieboldi 
is grown in quantity, and so is its variegated form. 
The type is raised from seed in quantity, but the 
latter has to be increased by means of cuttings. 
The leathery leaves are calculated to resist the dry 
atmosphere of rooms. Another comparatively hardy 
plant is Ophiopogon Jaburan variegatus, and a 
quantity of it here is very highly coloured. 
Amongst ferns the variegated Pteris Victorias and 
P. regina cristata are coming to the front. They 
can be increased by means of spores, and are there¬ 
fore likely to become common in a few years; at 
present the plants are mostly young. 
-- 4 -- 
©trituar\>. 
The Late Mr. G. W. Phippen. — It is with 
sincere regret we mourn the loss of this very 
energetic and promising young horticulturist. 
Born in 1864, at the Oxford Road Nursery, Reading, 
he at the age of 21 succeeded to the business on the 
death of his father, and by throwing into it a large 
amount of energy and enthusiasm, he succeeded in 
developing it in a remarkable degree. A few years 
since the site of the Oxford Road Nursery being re¬ 
quired for building purposes, he established the 
Victoria Nursery nearer the town, and making forced 
spring flowers a speciality, held annually in the 
Town Hall of Reading a large exhibition of a varied 
and high class character, which attracted consider¬ 
able attention. For several years past he had, as 
his father before him did, the charge under the Cor¬ 
poration of Reading of the Forbury Gardens, do¬ 
ing the town and himself great credit by the ex¬ 
cellence of his spring and summer displays. For 
some time he had charge of the horticultural de¬ 
partment of the Reading Cemetery, and he laid out 
the new Park presented to the borough two years 
or so ago by the late Mr. W. J. Palmer. He also 
succeeded his father as the superintendent of the 
exhibition of the Reading Horticultural Society. 
Last year he was a prominent exhibitor on a large 
scale at the International Horticultural Exhibition 
at Earl’s Court, and frequently at the exhibitions 
held by the Royal Horticultural Society. A Fellow 
of the R.H.S., he was also a member of the Floral 
Committee of that body, and of the National Chry¬ 
santhemum and other societies. Locally, he was 
active in a great deal of phisanthropic work, and his 
loss will be felt by many of the poorer classes of his 
native town. The cause of Mr. Phippen’s death 
was blood poisoning. We learn with sincere regret 
that he leaves behind him a widow and three 
children. 
William Dunlop Brackenridge died suddenly at 
Govanstown, Baltimore Co., Md.,on February 3rd, 
in his eighty-third year. Mr. Brackenridge, who 
was one of our oldest nurserymen, has been identi¬ 
fied with the best work of the country for many 
years. He was born near Ayr, Scotland, June 10th, 
1810. After receiving a thorough education in the 
schools of his native town, one of his special studies 
being botany, he at the age of 18 years assumed 
charge as flower gardener of Sir John Maxwell's ex¬ 
tensive pleasure grounds at Springkell, Scotland. 
After the expiration of a year, and at the solicita¬ 
tion of William McNab, Curator of the Edinburgh 
Botanical Gardens, he was appointed gardener to 
Dr. Neill, at Edinburgh, where he remained four 
years. Subsequently he was engaged to lay out a 
large and elegant place for Count Ebors in Poland, 
after which he took charge of a department in the 
Berlin Botanical Gardens for three years under 
Professor Otto, and then sailed for America, landing 
in Philadelphia in 1837. He had not been in that 
city many days before he engaged as foreman 
with Robt. Buist. Such was his reputation, 
acquired in Europe, as an expert in botany, and so 
satisfactorily did he perform his duties while with 
Mr. Buist, that the attention of Mr. Poinsett, Secre¬ 
tary of War of the United States, was directed to 
him as a naturalist, and his services were secured for 
the exploring expedition of Lieutenant Wilkes, then 
about to start. The expedition sailed from Fortress 
Monroe in August, 1838, and was away four years, 
most of which time was spent along the west coast 
and among the Pacific Islands. The seeds, plants, 
&c., collected during the voyage finally formed what 
is now the United States Botanic Gardens. While 
exploring California, which they entered from the 
north, passing down from Mt. Shasta to the Bay of 
California, Mr. Brackenridge discovered the now 
famous Darlingtonia or California pitcher plant in 
a very singular, almost accidental, manner. 
Having wandered some distance from the camp an 
alarm of Indians caused all to break into a run. 
Mr. B., however, attracted by a strange looking 
plant, grabbed a clump and carried it with him. 
When he reached camp he found it to be this 
singular plant. To him was committed the prepara¬ 
tion of the herns of the expedition, at which he 
spent three years of hard work. The book was 
published by the government and but a sma'l 
number of copies had been finished and issued, when 
the whole of the manuscript, plates, &c., were 
destroyed by a fire. On his return from the expedi¬ 
tion he had married in 1843 Miss Isabella A. Bell, of 
Jedburgh, Scotland, by whom he had four sons 
and three daughters, the three daughters surviving 
him. He succeeded Charles Downing as Superin¬ 
tendent of public grounds in Washington, and to his 
taste and skill we are indebted for some of the finest 
landscape work in that city. On resigning this 
position he came to Baltimore County and esta¬ 
blished the florist and nursery business in 1854. 
—American Florist. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
East India House.— Phalaenopsis as they go out 
of flower will require top dressing with some live 
sphagnum Moss. In some cases it may seem waste 
of time, and a pity to remove the existing, and to all 
appearance better material than that with which it 
s to be replaced, but experience teaches us that 
although fresh ana sweet on the top, underneath it 
is gradually but surely decaying, and consequently 
becoming sour. Our plan is to remove all the old 
Moss and as many of the crocks as possible,without 
injuring the roots. The remaining crocks are washed 
as clean as possible by syringing them with tepid 
water. After they are sufficiently drained, new crocks 
are carefully placed in the basket, which is finally 
finished off with a layer of the ne w Sphagnum to 
which has been added a sprinkling of sand or small 
particles of potsherds. The plant when finished 
should be well above the Moss. Watering will have 
to be carefully done for some little time, or spotting 
of the foliage will take place. Phalaenopsis are not 
grown to such an extent as they deserve, on account, 
perhaps, of their requiring plenty of heat, or more 
than most amateurs can give them. The general re¬ 
mark is “ they are too hot for us.” Certainly, unless 
the house can be kept at a uniform temperature 
without hard firing, it is difficulty to keep them in 
good health for long. But those who possess a 
stove may grow them easily enough. Some of the 
best plants I have seen were grown at one end of a 
plant stove, in which Crotons were grown to perfec¬ 
tion. Of course, precautions were taken to shade 
them from the sun, but not to such an extent as is 
sometimes practised under these conditions. The 
leaves were shorter, but of much greater thickness, 
and able to stand a fluctuating temperature much 
better than those grown under too much shade. 
Cai.anthes— There is no better place for these most 
useful winter-flowering Orchids than the plant stove 
above mentioned, and as they will now require atten¬ 
tion as regards repotting, a few hints as to their re¬ 
quirements may not be out of place, although most 
people grow these well and in quantity, such a uni¬ 
versal favourite has it become. The compost which 
we use and which the plants delight in, is two parts 
loam, one part peat, some chopped Sphagnum Moss, 
sand, and cow dung. I may say that we always dry 
the cow manure before using it and have it rubbed 
through an inch sieve. The most convenient size 
pots are 6 in. ; fill them nearly half full of drainage 
and over this place the roughest of the compost, add 
an inch more and then ram it firmly down with a 
blunt stick. Place three or four bulbs according to 
size in the 6 in. pot, filling in between with the soil 
to within an inch of the rim. The soil should be 
pressed rather firmly about them, being careful not 
to damage the young growths if at all advanced. 
No water will be required until the growths are well 
above the soil and the roots active. _ Too much 
water and a low temperature are the chief causes of 
spot in the foliage. 
Temperatures, &c. East India house, 68° 
at night, with a rise of io° by day; Cattleya 
house, 55 0 to 58° at night, with a rise of io°. 
by day ; cool house 50° at night, 58 Q to 6o° by day. 
Roller blinds on all the houses should now be 
fixed.— C. 
