138 
T|HE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 31,^1896." § 
are thriving vigorously under bell glasses and bearing 
numerous large pitchers. 
Tbe Milioma vexillaria house contains 300 plants 
of this species now making fine growth. The 
Hawthorn-scented Oncidium cheirophorum will 
presently be covered with numerous trusses of 
blossom. Here there are numerous very fine 
varieties of Cypripedium insigne, one of which has 
larger blotches than C. i. Chantini. The beautiful 
C. i. Ernesti is not overlooked, and close by is a 
form entirely devoid of blotches on the upper sepal. 
C. i. Cambridge Lodge var. on the contrary is 
remarkable for the size of the blotches on the upper 
sepal. Very finely coloured is the well-known C. 
arthurianum. C. Charlesworthi is very variable, 
and when grown under cool conditions the flowers 
are much darker, though smaller than those in a 
higher temperature. A large piece of Cymbidium 
traceyanum is throwing up its flower spikes, and 
alongside of it is the pretty C. cyperifolium differing 
chiefly by its smaller but similarly coloured flowers. 
The warm Cypripedium house includes a great 
variety of species and hybrids in bloom. C. Mrs. 
Canham carries fifteen huge flowers, aad C. Chas. 
Canham, now over, was equally good. The small 
flowers of C. Schomburgkii are exceedingly pretty. 
C. lndra has yellow petals, and is a hybrid, C. 
Ashburtoni calospilum is a great curiosity at present 
owing to one side of the scape and the correspond¬ 
ing half of tbe flower being yellow, while the rest is 
some shade of brown. C. Chapmani is a hybrid of 
which we shall hear more of anon. The same may 
be said in a smaller way of C. Henry Graves. C. 
spicerianum is grown in quaniity. 
The Cymbidium house is full of promise, contain¬ 
ing as it does numerous large and vigorous plants 
grown in a very low temperature in order to keep 
them back till all danger of winter fog is gone. 
Another advantage is that they are not troubled with 
insects under cool treatment. The remarkably 
distinct Masdevallia Lowi is flowering finely. The 
sepals are divided almost to the base, spread in 
triangular fashion, and are drawn out into tails which 
make the segments 2 in. long. They are densely 
spotted with purple and have white tips. The 
flower scapes grow downwards amongst the sphag¬ 
num till they reach the light, and then grow straight 
upwards, to a height of 12 in. to 18 in. 
For many years the Vanda house has been filled 
with a valuable collection of many species and 
choice varieties. They occupy the central stages of 
the two divisions of the house and many of them 
reach a great height, being of exceptional vigour, 
and well furnished with dark green leaves. Some or 
other of them are always in flower, especially V. 
tricolor, V. suavis and their varieties, which are in 
that condition now. V. Batemanni has been in 
bloom since last June, but is just now going out of 
season. The rare V. Parishi and V P. marriottiana 
may be seen here. 
The Odontoglossums in the cool house are doing 
remarkably well, the leaves being clean, stiff and 
leathery. Many of the plants of Odontoglossum 
crispum have commenced to throw up their flower 
spikes. Oncidium macranthum is in bloom, and O. 
superbiens has a scape about 10 ft. to 12 ft. long, 
and will be more interesting several weeks hence. 
Maxillaria Lehmanni and Odontoglossum Edwardi 
are also located in this cool, airy structure. Close 
by the Odontoglossum house is a lean-to structure 
entirely devoted to Masdevallias in a clean, healthy 
and vigorous condition. Indeed, the collection of 
this class of Orchids is very extensive at Cambridge 
Lodge, the exact number being entirely unknown. 
The collection is about as complete as any in the 
country. 
Mr. Measures has a very extensive series of 
beautiful paintings of Orchids which have flowered 
in his collection and elsewhere. They are con¬ 
stantly being added to as anything new turns up. 
Mr. Henry Chapman, his gardener, is responsible 
for the cultural treatment of this valuable and 
extensive collection, and it must be said that the 
health and condition of the plants everywhere 
reflect credit upon his watchful care and cultural 
skill. 
--i-- 
Flax and Hemp Culture.—Several Nottinghamshire 
farmers are preparing their land for crops of this 
nature,and the experiment is being watched with con¬ 
siderable interest. The Duke of Portland and Earl 
Manvers are said to be amongst the experimenters. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
The Chrysanthemum season opens with great 
promise, whatever we may be obliged, utimately, to 
chronicle concerning it. Tbe blooms are by no 
means expanded yet, except in the case of the earlier 
varieties. The season may therefore be a long one, 
and we trust that many promises of fine flowers 
from vigorous plants will be realised. According to 
the calendar, however, the season is upon us, and we 
enter upon it with keen expectation of witnessing 
some lively competition for the prizes offered, and 
of seeing some fine blooms as the result of the labour 
of cultivation during the past twelvemonth. 
RYECROFT NURSERY. 
Mr, H. J. Jones, Ryecroft Nursery, Hither Green, 
Lewisham, has got together a display of 7,000 
flowering plants independently of stock in small 
pots, or cuttings of new and rare kinds in process of 
rapid multiplication, for he practically carries on 
the work of propagation all the year round. He has 
a collection of new varieties numbering 307 from all 
sources, and which will entail a vast amount of sift¬ 
ing before the good varities are separated from the 
worthless. Of the vast assemblage here, we noted 
only a few of the best already in bloom. 
The first house we entered was entirely occupied 
with plants struck during March, April, and May 
last. Naturally, all of them are very dwarf, but the 
vigour of a large number of them, as well as the size 
of the single bloom that each bears, are remarkable, 
in so far as they are expanded. Most of these are 
taken on what is known as the natural crown bud. 
Lady Byron, having large white blooms has turned 
out better than most people anticipated. It comes 
best from the early crown bud, and though the stems 
are weak, the growth is healthy; hence the surprise 
that the blooms should be so large and handsome. 
Louise, with compactly incurved and interlaced 
florets, is a marvel of durability. Many plants of 
Boule d’Or (Calvat) are grown, and the blooms are 
large and attractive. The crown bud of M. Chenon 
de Leche is rather pale in colour, but the terminals 
are of a much darker and characteristic hue. The 
white Madame Gustave Henry is very dwarf, and tbe 
white blooms have already shown the beauty of this 
new variety. All of the above are Japanese varieties, 
which are by far the most popular here. A number 
of decorative sorts are on trial, and amongst them is 
a buff-salmon variety, named M. Backmann, and re¬ 
calling Triomphe du Nord in hue. 
The most forward plants are arranged on the 
central stage of a long, span-roofed house, in such a 
way that a fine view of the whole may be obtained by 
looking down one side of the house. Besides the 
usual piping at the sides, a flow and a return 3-in. 
pipe under the staging keeps the atmosphere of the 
house dry and bracing. The florets of M. A. 
Parent are tubular and rosy, except at the tips which 
are expanded, showing a crimson-red inner face. 
Eschenauer is a neat and compact bloom of a creamy- 
white. Mrs. Harry Chiesman is a bold, incurved 
Japanese flower, with long, and wide, tubular, pure 
white florets. A huge flower also is Herbert J, 
Cutbush of a bronzy-gold hue on the reverse and 
crimson internally, more or less striped with yellow, 
with broad florets finally recurved. Marjory Kinder 
is a golden-yellow Japanese variety coming best from 
the crown bud. A beautiful and attractive flower is 
Pride of Exmouth, of great size and white, with pink 
edges to the florets. Amongst light coloured 
varieties, the soft pink Mrs. W. Carpenter is very 
choice. The incurved Japanese sort named Delicate 
is even more attractive on account of its delicate yet 
lively pink hue. The outer petals fall down giving 
the flower great depth. 
White varieties are now both numerous and fine, 
including Madame Ad. Moullin, having broad, 
spreading and drooping white florets. The crown 
buds give the best flowers. The natural bud gives 
the best result with Master H. Tucker, having 
crimson florets with an old gold reverse, much 
shown owing to the incurving of the florets. The 
broad silvery-pink florets of Australia look very 
massive, their width and the huge size of the heads 
contributing to this result. It is in fact an incurved 
Japanese sort of the first magnitude, with compactly 
interlacing florets. Many plants all and severally 
have given every satisfaction. A very bold flower 
likewise is Ethel Addison, with broad amaranth 
florets that are pink on the reverse. Australian 
Gold, is a large pale yellow variety of beautiful 
contour, but not very appropriately named. Close 
by it we noted a seedling raised by Mr. Jones, and 
having long, slender, creamy-white florets. It looks 
promising by the time it is fully developed. 
Mrs. Weeks is another beautiful white, but 
becomes tinted with pink later on. Madame 
Gustave Henry has done admirably on the early 
propagated plants. Golden yellow sorts are also well 
represented by Pallanza, Lago Maggiore, Miss Muriel 
Goschen, with huge heads of curling and interlacing 
decurved florets, and by Amiral Avellan, with 
broad florets, solidly built up in a deep bloom. 
Modesto is another incurved Japanese sort of a 
glossy golden yellow. M. Gerard is also incurved 
in a similar way but pinkish-purple. Mrs. G. Gover 
is a crimson-red variety, with an old gold reverse, 
and is one of Mr. Jones’ seedlings. It is well suited 
for exhibition purposes. A strange and striking 
variety is Nyanza with florets of a brilliant crimson, 
but appearing striped on account of the peculiar 
way in which the florets are involute at the edges, 
showing the buff-yellow reverse. The incurved C. 
H. Curtis is in flue form ; and a new incurved Jap , 
named M. Desblanc is of great promise. 
The big span-roofed house originally built for 
housing the Chrysanthemums is now occupied with 
2,000 plants arranged in undulating banks on either 
side of the winding central pathway. The plants 
here are mostly late, so that the display will last 
over a long period. Some magnificent blooms of 
Mutual Friend may be seen, and Emily Silsbury is 
also good. Ethel Tabor is dwarf, but has developed 
fine blooms from the natural buds. We shall no 
doubt see some fine groups made up from this rich 
and extensive collection, during the next month. 
ROYAL EXOTIC NURSERY. 
The Chelsea firm has established such a world-wide 
reputation for completeness and thoroughness of 
organisation, that it goes without saying that Chry¬ 
santhemums are by no means neglected amongst the 
host of other subjects which the Messrs. Veitch 
supply. Over a thousand plants are grown for 
flowering, the majority of them consisting of plants 
which are destined to produce blooms of show 
standard. The collection is kept well up to date, all 
the best varieties of proved merit, as well as the 
cream of the new sorts, which, year by year, are 
placed upon the market by indefatigable cultivators 
in this country, France and the United States being 
included. 
Chelsea is, by no means, an ideal place for Chry¬ 
santhemum cultivation. The growing period is all 
right, but the fogs of Octoer and November play sad 
havoc with the blooms, as they are in a most critical 
stage, and late flowers are practically of no use 
whatever, as they have scarcely a chance to open. 
Mr. Weeks, who has charge of the Chrysanthemums, 
amongst the other numerous subjects over the 
welfare of which he so assiduously watches, is very 
emphatic upon this point. To use his own words “ we 
want our blooms at Chelsea as soon as we can get 
them." " Look at Louise,’’ continued he, pointing 
to a shapely little plant of that variety, bearing three 
half-opened flowers, “ it is not nearly so good as it 
was last year. It I had known what sort of Septem¬ 
ber we were going to have, I’d have taken that bud 
sooner, and then I should have had better results." 
Evidently a Chrysanthemum grower in London must 
be a bit of a weather prophet as well, if he is to be 
uniformly successful with the same variety each year, 
The Chelsea plants are conspicuous for the 
strength and substance of the foliage, and the firm¬ 
ness of the wood, but hardened aborted buds have 
been unpleasantly numerous this year. The sudden 
and continuous deluge of rain that visited us after the 
tropical summer had disastrous effects. The plants 
received a check, and seemed almost to stand still 
for some time. Nathless all this there are some 
rattling good blooms to be seen, colour, size, and 
form being first-class. 
To take the novelties first of all, so dear to the 
heart of the " mummist " who is ever on the lookout 
for something new, C. B. Haywood is a superb 
white Jap. that gave an excellent account of itself 
last year, and one that we shall expect to see in form 
this. Dorothy Seward is a large full flower of great 
depth. It exhibits a bright shade of terra-cotta red, 
and retains its colour well. It does best on the 
crown bud. Emily Silsbury can scarcely be over¬ 
praised as a grand ivory white Jap. with long, narrow, 
drooping, and intermingling florets. It is a true 
October flowering variety, and comes best on the 
second crown bud. John Seward is a large, but by 
