THE GARDENING WORLD. 
317 
January 16, 1897, 
Hardening §(iscellany. 
KALANCHOE GRANDIFLORA. 
For winter blooming this is a pretty and useful sub¬ 
ject, and certainly very much the best of the 
Kalanchoes. The flowers are produced in terminal 
cymes, and last over a considerable period of time. 
A plant that we came across when visiting Messrs. 
John Laing & Sons, at Forest Hill, at the beginning 
of the month, had been blooming continuously since 
September, and had then two or three flowers open. 
The bright orange yellow of the flowers, which are 
fully in. in diameter, is most conspicuous amid 
the gloom of a mid-winter day. The slightly fimbri¬ 
ated edges of the petals add still further- to the 
appearance of the flower. The stems are succulent, 
and the leaves much less succulent, glaucous, 2 to 3 
in. in length, and ovate in shape. They are, more¬ 
over, produced in pairs, and sessile. The plant, 
which was introduced from India about the year 
1865, usually runs from 18 in. to 2 ft. in height. It 
will do very well in a warm greenhouse, but during 
the winter months, the flowers open better if it is 
placed in an intermediate stove. 
FRUIT AT COVENT GARDEN. 
The imports of Apples, as was confidently prophesied 
at the beginning of the season, have been enormously 
heavy this year and consequently there is no lack of 
the popular fruit. The total yield of Apples in the 
American district falls just under 177,000,000 bush., 
as against 181,500,000 bush, in 1895, and 
171,000,000'bush. in 1894. Some time ago we were 
informed that 1,500,000 barrels of Apples were 
awaiting transport from Canada alone, and there is 
no doubt that a goodly percentage of them have 
arrived. It is not by numbers alone, however, that 
we must reckon, in comparing home-grown produce 
with foreign imports; quality has to be reckoned 
with, and in this our British Apple has no rival. 
Thus, while the foreign fruit has been fetching from 
3s. to 4s. a bushel, such popular varieties of our own 
production as Cox’s Orange Pippin, Newtown 
Pippin, and Beauty of Kent, will fetch from 8s. to 
10s. for ordinary fruit, whilst picked samples often 
run much higher, sometimes up to a price equal to 
30s., 40s., or even 50s. per bush. 
Tomatos, year by year, are growing in favour with 
the general public, and the demand is exceedingly 
brisk at this season. Home-grown ones will fetch 
rod. or is. a lb. easily enough, but the foreigners 
can be had for 2d. per lb.; indeed, this is the 
average price at which thousands of boxes change 
hands. The Canary Islands are heavy contributors, 
and it is estimated that 3,000 tons of good fruit came 
from this source last year. 
English Grapes hold their own with ease. Gros 
Colmar is, of course, the staple variety. There is 
no mistaking, its huge deeply coloured berries, and it 
is everywhere looked upon as the very best late 
market variety. The weight of it in tons that passes 
through the market must be something enormous. 
It has been selling at prices varying from is. 3d. 
to is. gd. per lb., a wondrous change from the high 
prices that used to rule only a comparatively few 
years ago. Alicante is also in fair demand, although 
very few Lady Downe’s are to be seen. 
Oranges bid fair to be more plentiful than they 
have ever been before. Jaffa, Lisbon, Valencia, and 
Malaga, ship tremendous quantities to our shores; 
indeed, it may almost be said that they have had the 
monopoly of this part of the season’s trade up to the 
present. Quite lately, however, the Australians have 
entered into the competition. A trial cargo has been 
sent over and has exceeded expectations. Some of 
the prices were as high as 25s. per box of :6o fruits. 
It is rumoured that our colonial friends are so 
pleased with the success of the venture that over 
100,000 boxes of Oranges will probably find their 
way here from them next year. It is estimated that 
no fewer than 100,000 cases of fruit were marketed 
during the week preceding Christmas. As this 
represents a total of about 40,000,000 fruits it is 
manifest that other people besides children are in 
love with the golden Apple, as it is believed that 
this is the largest quantity that has ever passed 
through the market in one week before. 
Other fruits of foreign production are to be bad 
in proportionate quantities. Pineapples from St. 
Michael, Lemons from Sicily and Spain, Pears from 
California, Pomegranates from Germany, Figs from 
Smyrna, Dates from the East Indies and Asiatic 
Turkey, as well as a miscellaneous assortment of 
nuts, dried and tinned fruits of all descriptions add 
to the stock, and promise flavour to suit each and 
every taste. 
-«*--- 
SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL.— Jan. 12 th. 
The exhibits at the Drill Hall, on Tuesday last, 
were more numerous and extensive than could have 
been expected at this time of the year. The mild 
weather no doubt favoured the bringing out of the 
flowers. Orchids were particularly prominent and 
numerous. Freesias, Chinese Primulas, and Cycla¬ 
mens, were also exhibited in quantity. 
A floriferous group of Orchids was exhibited by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea, who had 
fine pieces of the showy Laeliocattleya Pallas, L. 
Ingrami, Oncidium varicosum Rogersii, Cypripedium 
Creon, C. Oenone, C. leanum, C. insigne Chantini, 
and various other beautiful hybrids. Dendrobium 
glomeratum, with its rosy flowers and scarlet lip 
seems perpetually in flower. Allied to this is D. 
subclausum with smaller orange-scarlet flowers. 
The group was highly interesting on account of its 
great variety (Silver Flora Medal). 
Baron Schroder (gardener Mr. H. Ballantine), The 
Dell, Egham, staged a small group of choice and 
valuable Orchids, including apiece of Odontoglossum 
crispum Stevensii, bearing a magnificent raceme of 
of bloom. Cattleya Loddigesii superba exhibited 
extraordinary vigour and. bore a spike of eight 
flowers and a bud of remarkable size. Very fine 
also were the plants and flowers Of Odontoglossum 
crispum Evelina, a yellow hybrid of the same genus, 
Cypripedium insigne Sanderae, C. Madame de 
Courte and C. leeanum superbum, all well-grown. 
(Silver Flora Medal). 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, exhibited a 
group of Orchids consisting largely of Odonto- 
glossums, Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and Cypripe- 
diums. Very choice were Laeliaanceps schroderiana, 
L. A. Hillii, Odontoglossum Worscewiczii, Stenor- 
hynchus speciosa major, Cattleya chocoensis major, 
Odontoglossum naevium majus excellens, O. 
harryanum and O. Rossii majus. Exceedingly 
pretty and interesting is the rare Oncidium 
pulcbellum. Paphinia Randii is a peculiar looking 
species, with a brush of white hairs on the dark lip. 
A Silver Flora Medal was awarded to F. A. Bevan, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. H. Lees), Trent Park, 
Barnet, for a large group of Odontoglossums set up 
with Asparagus and Maidenhair Ferns. The varieties 
of Odontoglossum crispum were numerous, and both 
those and O. Pescatorei were notable for the huge 
panicles of bloom. Some forms of O. luteo-purpureum 
accompanied the rest. The huge pan of C. insigne 
was also an admirable sample of cultivation, showing 
that Mr. Lees can grow Orchids as well as Chry¬ 
santhemums. 
Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Upper Clapton, also 
staged a mixed group of Orchids, including some 
fine pieces of Angraecum sesquipedale, Odonto¬ 
glossum crispum, Cypripedium leeanum superbum, 
C. Madame Georges Truffaut and others. They also 
had a fine piece of the rare Phalaenopsis brymeriana, 
with a rich crimson lip. The whole were set up 
with Asparagus and small plants of Cocos weddeliana. 
(Silver Flora Medal). 
Cypripedium germinyanum superbum was exhi¬ 
bited by Fred. Hardy, Esq. (gardener, Mr. F. Staf¬ 
ford), Ashton-on-Mersey. He also had Cypripedium 
Sanderae, Dendrobium Schneiderianum, Laelia 
anceps Dawsoni, and various others. Sir F. Wigan 
(gardener, Mr. W. H. Young), Clare Lawn, East 
Sheen, exhibited the rare Cymbidium grandiflorum, 
bearing five of its huge flowers, also Laelia 
autumnalis var. and L. a. atrorubens. Laeliaanceps 
Mrs. de B. Crawshay was exhibited by De B. Craw- 
shay, Esq. (gardener, Mr. S. Cooke), Rosefield, 
Sevenoaks. 
Chas. L. N. Ingram, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Bond), 
Elstead House, Gtdalming, exhibited Laelia Lucy 
Ingram, L. Exquisita, L. amoena, Laeliocattleya 
Regina, Laeliocattleya Venus, all of which were 
hybrids raised at Elstead House. Some hybrid 
Cypripediums were exhibited by Edwin Stanley 
Clark, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Edwards), Oak Alyn, 
Wrexham. Phalaenopsis stuartiana Woodlands var., 
some Cypripediums, and Laelia anceps Gemma were 
exhibited by Messrs. F. Sander & Co. Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Ltd , exhibited the new hybrid 
Cattleya Miranda and Cypripedium Prospero, the 
latter being raised from C. spicerianum crossed with 
C. insigne Sanderae. A Cultural Commendation 
was accorded to Messrs. Lindeo, L’Horticulture 
Internationale, Brussels, for a piece of Mesospini- 
dium vulcanicum maximum, with a splendid raceme 
of large flowers of good substance and colour. They 
also staged M. v. grandiflorum, M. miniatum, 
Odontoglossum crispum aurosum and Cypripedium 
insigne in a great number of varieties. Some of the 
richly blotched and finer forms were C. i. maximum, 
C. i. Warburtoni, C. i. delecturo, C. i. rubiginosum, 
C. i. illustre, and C. i. aureo-spicum. 
Messrs. Wm. Cutbush & Son, Highgate, N., set 
up a group of plants including Cyclamen persicum, 
Cutbush’s strain, and Erica hyemalis superba and 
E. melanthera. The two latter subjects especially 
were in grand condition, we have seldom seen such 
well-grown and well-flowered plants. Kentias 
formed an appropriate background to the group, and 
an edging was furnished by Isolepsis gracilis in 48- 
sized pots (Silver Flora Medal). 
A basket filled with small plants of the Wych Hazel, 
Hamamelis arborea was sent by Messrs. Thos. 
Cripps & Son, The Tunbridge Wells Nurseries. 
Samples of the pretty purple single Violet Admiral 
Avellow were also submitted by the same firm. 
A splendid group of Cyclamen was contributed by 
Mr. John May, Gordon Nursery, St. Margaret’s, 
Twickenham. The plants were growing in forty- 
eight pots, and were exceedingly dwarf and sturdy 
specimens of their kind. The foliage was vigorous 
and substantial, and the mottling more than usually 
well marked. The plants were very floriferous, and 
the individual flowers were of great size and merit. 
A great variety of shades was represented, from 
purest white to bright rose and deep crimson (Silver 
Flora Medal). 
Cyclamens were also shown in quantity by Mr. 
Thorne, gardener to Major Joicey.Sunningdale Park, 
Ascott. The plants were larger than those of the 
preceding exhibitors, but although very full of flower 
they were somewhat straggling in growth as if they 
had been subjected to too much heat. Apart from 
this the plants were of great commendation (Silver 
Flora Medal). 
One of the most interesting exhibits in the hall was 
a batch of hybrid Senecios sent byMr.R.Irwin Lynch, 
the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. They were hybrids 
between the garden Cineraria and Senecio multi- 
florus, the latter being the female parent of them all 
with one exception. The whole of the forms strongly 
exemplified the prepotency of the male parent. One 
or two of the forms approached very near to C. 
cruenta in habit, and in the form of the flowers. 
A splendid group of Freesias came from Mr. Sturt, 
gardener to N. L. Cohen, Esq , Englefield Green. 
Although the plants were only in 48-sized pots, the 
vigour of habit and size and abundance of the flowers 
were remarkable. Mr. Sturt is evidently a master 
of the art of growing Freesias (Silver Flora Medal). 
Messrs Barr & Son, King Street, Covent Garden, 
had several pans of the pretty little Narcissus Corbu- 
laria monophylla, the delicate flowers of which are 
not unlike a hoop petticoat. At one side of the hall 
appeared a finely-berried pyramidally trained speci¬ 
men of Crataegus Carrieri from Messrs. Wm. Paul 
& Son, Waltham Cross, Herts. It was between 9 ft. 
and 10 ft. in height, and fully 5 ft. in diameter at its 
widest part. 
A very nice batch of Chinese Primu 1 as came from 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent. Messrs. 
Cannell’s strain of this popular flower is far-famed, 
and certainly the examples shown fully sustained 
the reputation, although the plants were young, and 
had not nearly attained their zenith of beauty. 
Such named varieties as White Swan, Her Majesty, 
Eynsford Yellow, Cannell’s White, Cannell’s Pink, 
Pink Perfection, Defiance, and Swanley Blue were 
exceedingly fine, the flowers being large and of 
excellent form (Silver Flora Medal). 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea, exhibited 
a boxful of cut blooms of the now famous hybrid Rho¬ 
dodendrons of the Javanico-jasminiflorum section. 
Amabile, Multicolor Neptune, Delicatum, Imogene, 
Princess Beatrice, Rose Perfection, Cloth of Gold, 
Luteo-roseum, Multicolor Ruby, balsminaeflorum 
