January 16, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
313 
probably the cause, and the disease is variegation on 
a small and irregular scale, engendered by the weak¬ 
ness resulting from the lack of light; the reason 
why the other plants are not affected being that they 
possess greater strength of constitution. This view 
is strengthened by the fact that the disease dis¬ 
appears as the spring comes on. Meanwhile, give 
your plants as much light as you possibly can, and 
be careful not to overwater, for at this time of the 
year this has a very prejudicial effect. 
-- 
ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA. 
As will be seen from the accompanying illustrations 
the Araucaria is not always dioecious, as has been 
stated by some writers on Conifers, but frequently 
produces both male and female cones on one and 
the same specimen—sometimes on the same branch. 
The tree here illustrated is growing on the Earl of 
Derby’s property, Cudham Hall, in Kent, the photo¬ 
graphs having been taken in March, 1891, when the 
Duke of Argyll expressed doubts regarding the 
monoecious character of the Araucaria. In acknow¬ 
ledging the receipt of specimens from the above- 
mentioned tree His Grace wrote to me that he 
always understood that the male and female cones 
were produced on different trees, but the samples 
sent clearly proved otherwise. 
The Cudham tree, which is one of two growing in 
the flower garden, was planted in commemoration of 
the building of the Crystal Palace, and would there¬ 
fore be 40 to 45 years old. As far as general contour is 
concerned it is a perfect specimen, being thickly 
branched to ground level, and with the brightest and 
are often produced thickly—sometimes a dozen 
occurring on the same twig, are usually pendant, 
cylindrical in shape, and about 3 in. long by an inch 
in diameter throughout. The female or seed-bearing 
cones are likewise abundant, they being fully 6 ins. 
in diameter, spherical in shape, with thickly-arranged 
bract-like appendages, each an inch long, and stand¬ 
ing almost erect, thus imparting a curious hedgehog¬ 
like appearance to the full grown fruit. 
Generally the Araucaria has not succeeded well as 
an ornamental tree in this country, although it would 
be folly to deny that there are not numerous well- 
formed healthy specimens in many parts of the 
British Isles, particularly maritime and well- 
sheltered districts. Rough, long-blowing winds it 
cannot stand, soon becoming under such circum¬ 
stances about one of the most miserable and wretched 
of coniferous trees.— A. D. Webster. 
--v*.- 
NEPENTHES AT CHELSEA. 
The Pitcher plant house of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Ltd., Chelsea, is an interesting feature of the estab¬ 
lishment at all times of the year, more particularly 
in the depth of winter when flowers are relatively 
scarce, and have been largely cut for various decora¬ 
tive purposes at Christmas. Judging by the excel¬ 
lent results always obtained here in the culture of 
Pitcher plants, they are admirably adapted for culti¬ 
vation in smoky districts and towns, where Orchids 
for instance are liable to suffer from fog and smoke. 
The house at Chelsea is a span-roofed structure of 
no great height ; and the plants are grown in baskets, 
suspended from the roof, almost the whole of which 
is thus occupied so that the visitor walks beneath a 
Araucaria imbricata at Cudham Hall. 
freshest of foliage. Both male and female cones 
have been produced for at least eight years, many of 
the former remains being distinctly traceable on 
the branches for fully that period of growth. They 
canopy of Pitcher plants, the pitchers of which are 
thus effectively brought under the eye. This plan 
of arrangement might well be adopted in private 
establishments, so that a house practically devoid 
of flowers could be made very interesting even in 
winter, or for the matter of that, at any other time. 
The species,hybrids, and varieties at Chelsea are very 
numerous, but we noted only a few of the finer ones. 
Araucaria imbricata. 
Branch showing female (upper) and male (lower)cones. 
The pitchers of Nepenthes mixta are freely 
produced and are very effective on account of their 
size and rich colour, being heavily blotched and 
striped with crimson, and the blotches well outlined 
though irregular in form. The pitchers of the hybrid 
N. dicksoniana attain a length of 10 in. or 12 in. and 
are of a light green, splashed and spotted with light 
red. Seldom are the pitchers uniform in colour, 
except those that are green. In N. Morganiae, how¬ 
ever, we have pitchers of a uniform and rich crimson- 
red ; and they attain a much larger size here than 
those we usually see. Amongst short and wide 
pitchers, those of N. hookeriana are telling and 
effective, so that they have no difficulty in holding 
their own in a collection. They are boldly blotched 
with crimson-red on a green ground. A handsome 
companion to this and of which it was one of the 
parents, is N. Chelsoni. The pitchers are similarly 
large, sometimes even larger under good treatment, 
and much of the same shape, but blotched with 
crimson on a very pale green ground. 
Amongst the species of more recent introduction, 
N. Burkei takes a prominent place on account of its 
peculiar form, and the large annulus or collar 
surrounding the mouth of the pitcher and hanging 
over its sides. This collar is of a rich orange-brown 
and beautifully ridged transversely in close, parallel 
lines. The pitcher is constricted in the middle, 
bulging out to either end. N. B. excellens is much 
more heavily blotched with crimson than the type. 
A new and very striking species is N. Wittei, on 
account of its long and narrowly cylindrical form. 
It measures 8 in. in length from the base to the 
insertion of the operculum or lid. The ground 
colour is pale green, irregularly blotched and netted 
with crimson. The shape may yet prove variable 
under different conditions of cultivation as in the 
case of so many other species and hybrids at 
different stages of the growth of the plant. N. 
mastersiana continues to hold its own and will do for 
many years by reason of the slow growth, unusually 
dwarf habit, and the freedom with which the pitchers 
are produced. This hybrid is peculiar in lacking the 
toothed wings characteristic of most other pitchers 
and in varying from a pale red to a dark crimson-red. 
This the best form sometimes passes under the name 
of N. m. rubra, but the Messrs. Veitch grow it in 
quantity and give it no special name. 
