292 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 8, 1898. 
TIepenthes.— Great interest continues to 
be manifested in-this family of plants, 
both from a scientific and a horticultural 
point of view. The building of a special 
house for Nepenthes at Kew, where the 
plants can be accorded the special treatment 
necessary to their welfare, and yet be open 
to the public, is another case in point. A 
comprehensive paper on the subject was 
read by Mr. Harry James Veitch at a 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
in September last ; and this makes its 
appearance in the part of the Journal of the 
society just now issued. The article in 
question is copiously illustrated with wood- 
cuts interspersed with the text, some of 
them full-page or double-page figures. The 
author pretends to deal with the subject 
only from a horticultural point of view, but 
the information tendered, together with the 
illustrations, places a considerable amount 
of science at the disposal of students who 
care to avail themselves of it. Notwith¬ 
standing the number of species which have 
been introduced, and the many hybrids 
raised artificially, there are yet some 
remarkable forms with which the British 
public have not yet become familiar, in¬ 
cluding N. Lowii, N. edwardsiana, and N. 
Rajah. The latter, of course, is well-known 
to those who have been striving to learn 
the secret of its successful culture ; but as 
that has not yet been mastered the plant 
has not found its way into many gardens. 
Nevertheless, N. madagascariensis, though 
the first species discovered, was one of the 
latest to be introduced, and success may 
yet attend the cultivation of N. Rajah. 
The paper under notice embraces the his¬ 
tory,geography, introduction of species,arti¬ 
ficial hybridisation, and the culture of the 
subject. To gardeners desirous of mastering 
thedetails of cultivation,the same must be of 
great interest, since the progress of the 
plant is followed from the seed ts the stage 
at which fertilisation is effected. The 
illustrations of the seeds and seedlings are 
extremely interesting, as giving everybody 
concerned an opportunity of studying and 
becoming familiar with a baby Nepenthes 
from its earliest stages of growth, including 
the embryo while still in the seed. Horti¬ 
culturists rarely follow up the subject with 
the same attention to details in the early 
stages of growth. The thirty-six known 
species are confined to islands in their 
native habitats, with the exception of N. 
khasiana, and with three or four exceptions 
they are included within the equatorial 
zone. The metropolis of the family is 
Borneo, nearly half of them being confined 
to that island, while the others are scattered 
over the adjacent islands between New 
Caledonia and Madasgascar. N. Pervillei 
from the Seychelles, N. madagascariensis, 
and N. khasiana are considered outlying 
stragglers from the main body. The 
Climate of their native habitats shows that 
high temperatures and plenty of moisture 
are prevailing conditions, there being occa¬ 
sional showers even in the driest months of 
the year. 
Holly for Christmas decoratkns comes largely 
from Sussex and Beds for the London markets. 
The Gipsy Moth Is comparatively a rare insect in 
this courtry, though it is only too abundant and 
destructive on the Continent and in America. The 
Gipsy Moth Commission in America was using 
about half a ton of arsenate of soda daily in waging 
war against the pest last season. 
The cultivation of Cofba as an industry is growing 
in popularity in the Mackay district of Australia. 
Not only has the Sugar Cane been grown too 
frequently on the same land, but the industry itself 
has not been very prosperous lately. Coffee culture 
is being advocated as a substitute for the benefit of 
the farmers. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The first meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society in 1898 will be held 
as usual in the Drill Hall, James Street, Westmin¬ 
ster, on January nth, 1 to 4 p.m. 
A Curious Error.—An American firm which cata¬ 
logued Araucaria imbricata as one of the wonders of 
the vegetable kingdom lately received a letter from a 
lady asking for more information about the " vege¬ 
table," and particularly how It was to be cooked. 
An old Taxodium.—In the Cemetery of Tulle, a 
small city, situated on the road between Oaxaca and 
Guatemala, by Tehuantepec, there is a Taxodium, 
which at 5 ft. from the ground has a circumference of 
forty-four metres, including the sinuosities. Its 
greatest diameter is twelve metres and its smallest 
six metres. The height of the tree is fifty metres, 
and the spread of the branches 100 metres. The 
estimated age is 2 000 years, and Americans aver 
that it ought to hold the record as the oldest 
vegetable. 
Cypripediums and Odontoglossums.—Hybrid Cypri- 
pediums are now very numerous, yet there is a good 
demand for really fine thiDgs. At the Sale Rooms 
of Messrs. Protheroe & Morris on the 31st ult. a 
piece of C. nitens superbum, bearing only two flowers, 
was secured for 6 gs. An Award of Merit was 
accorded it a few years ago by the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society. A small piece of Odontoglossum 
crispum, consisting of a few pseudobulbs and carry¬ 
ing only four or five flowers, was secured at the same 
place as the above for 5$ gs. Needless to say it was 
a good one. 
Eastbourne Horticultural Society.—The members of 
this society sat down to their annual dinner on the 
gth ult., at the Queen's Hotel, Eastbourne. Mr. G. 
Boulton, the president, occupied the chair. After 
the viands had been properly discussed, Alderman 
Strange proposed “ The Eastbourne Horticultural 
Society,” which he congratulated on its success. 
Councillor Sharp, and Mr. Pike replied. In reply to 
the toast of " the president,” given by Mr. A. 
Standen Triggs, Mr. Bculton said that he had been 
connected with the society from its beginning. He 
had seen it down, he had seen it rising, until it had 
attained its present satisfactory condition. He hoped 
that it would still continue to prosper. Vocal music 
enlivened the proceedings. 
Torquay Gardeners’ Association.—At the meeting 
held on the 17th ult. Mr. J. Wilson, gardener at 
Belton Lodge, read an instructive paper on " Flowers 
for Decorative Purposes.” He dealt at length with 
floral combinations for the dinner table, bouquets of 
all kinds, groups, etc., and described in detail two 
elaborate dinner-table devices he had recently made. 
The paper was illustrated by a quantity of flowers, 
Mr. Wilson himself bringing sprays of Bougainvillea, 
Poinsettias, Camellias, and Tea Roses. Mr. J. 
French sent a vase of Chrysanthemums. Mr. W. B. 
Smale had a group of Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, 
and B. haageana. Mr. F. C. Smale contributed a 
centre piece for a floral dinner table. The President 
and Messrs. W. B. Smile, G. Lea, J. French, 
S. Vallance, and Love took part in a brisk discussion. 
Bute Botanical Society.—The monthly meeting of 
this society was held in the Episcopal Church Hall, 
Rothesay, on the 21st inst , Mr. Matthews in the 
chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were 
read by Mr. John Ballantyne, who is, we may 
remark, the keenest and best botanist in the county 
of Bate. A paper on "Interesting Ways of Plant 
Fertilisation " was then read by Mr. Wm. Cuthbert- 
son, who confined himself chiefly to pollination. 
The explanation of his experiments and observations 
went to prove the advantage of cross over self-fertil¬ 
isation. Insects, wind, and rain were the chief 
agencies by which this was effected naturally. By 
means of well-executed diagrams he showed many 
of Nature’s contrivances to prevent self and secure 
cross-fertilisation. Mr. S. Jones afterwards read a 
paper on the “ Gardener’s Art,” which was full of 
research, and rendered enjoyable by touches of 
quaint humour and quotations. He described the 
gardens of various peoples from a remote antiquity 
down to the present time, illustrating his remarks by 
pictorial and other figures. The papers were 
followed by a discussion, during which Mr. Matthews 
strongly urged the institution of public gardens in 
every town. 
A noble Plant —One of the grandest specimens of 
Anthurium Veitchii in existence is to be found in the 
princely establishment of Mr. F. L. Ames, North 
Easton, Mass, U.S A. It measures fully fifteen feet 
in diameter. 
Sodete Centrale d'Horticulture du Nord.— The 
double number of Nord-Hortico!e for December, and 
only just come to hand, announces that this is not a 
new society, but a new name for “ le Cercle Horti- 
cole du Nord.’’ Young and ardent professionals full 
of the future as well as distinguished amateurs will 
maintain and advance the noble reputation of horti¬ 
culture in the North of France. 
Erratum —At page 277, line 36, from the bottom 
of the third column, for ” on the contrary, the petals 
are ovate,” read, "on the contrary, the petals of 
Laelia anceps crawshayana are ovate, &c." In com¬ 
paring the two varieties L. anceps Whiffeni and L. 
a. crawshayana, it was unfortunate that the latter 
name was omitted from its proper place, as the 
description following the line in question refers to it. 
A Speckled Blackbird.—Referring to a note in The 
Gardening World of last week about a white 
Blackbird having been seen in Kensington Gardens, 
it may interest you to know that there is a speckled 
one here, which has been noticeable almost daily 
about the grounds for the last three years. When 
first seen it had only a small speck on the head, but 
it is now three parts white, the development having 
taken place gradually since first noticed. It is a 
male bird, and is very tame owing, no doubt, to the 
fact of its receiving greater attention than the others 
of the same species .—James Gibson, Dcvonhurst, Chis¬ 
wick. 
Flowers in mid-winter. —With the exception of the 
cold snap which visited parts of England just before, 
and broke up on the Sunday after, Christmas, the 
winter has so far proved a wonderfully mild one, and 
more than one Christmas dinner table was decorated 
with flowers, both in and out of season, plucked 
from the open. In addition to the Christmas Roses, 
which regularly make their appearance in the winter 
time, Violets have been blooming very freely. A 
correspondent writes from Eynsford, in Kent, saying 
that towards the end of December he picKed several 
blooms of Gentiana acaulis. At Sidmouth, in South 
Devon, the Primroses seem to have forgotten that 
according to the calendar it is yet winter, As if to 
be not outdone by Devon, the Golden Valley, Chal- 
ford, Gloucestershire, boasts of haviog gathered 
Primroses, Clematises, and Gloire de Dijon Roses on 
Christmas Day. 
Gardeners’ Riyal Benevolent Institution.—A special 
general meeting of the members of this institution 
will be held at "Simpson’s,” 101, Strand, 
London, on Thursday, January 20th, 1898, 
at 2.50 pm., for the purpose of e’ecting 
two trustees to fill the vacancies caused by 
the death of Robert Hogg, LL.D., and the resigna¬ 
tion of John Lee. The fifty-ninth annual general 
meeting of the members will also be held at the 
same place and on the same day at 3 p.m., to receive 
the report of the committee, and the accounts of the 
institution (as audited) for 1897 ; to elect officers for 
the year 1898, and other affairs; and also for the pur¬ 
pose of placing nineteen pensioners on the funds. 
We note that ten of these being in distress, and hav¬ 
ing in every way complied with the rules and regu¬ 
lations, the committee will recommend the ten 
applicants to be placed on the pension list without 
the trouble or expense of an election in accordance 
with Rule III, 5. Only nine vacancies remain, 
therefore, to be filled from amongst forty-four 
candidates, over and above the ten already 
mentioned, the moral of which is self- 
evident, namely that more help is needed. 
We are requested to state that the annual friendly 
supper of the members of this institution and their 
friends, will take place as usual, at" Simpson’s," 101, 
Strand, on Thursday, January 20th, at 6 p m., after 
the annual meeting, when Arthur W. Sutton, Esq., 
of Reading, will preside. Friends who are desirous 
of being present are asked to intimate their intention 
to George J. Ingram, Secre'ary, 50, Parliament 
Street, S.W. We also have much pleasure in 
announcing that his Grace the Duke of Portland has 
promised to preside at the 60th annual festival 
dinner of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institu¬ 
tion to be held, it is hoped, in June next, but the date 
is not yet fixed. 
