March 27, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
469 
The Horse Chestnut is reputed to live for 6oo years, 
but surely exceptional trees only attain this patri¬ 
archal age. 
The White Lily has always been regarded as the 
emblem of purity. The word Lily comes from the 
Celtic li meaning whiteness. 
“Sweet Violets, a penny a bunch,” has been a 
common street cry in the leading thoroughfares of 
London for some time past, and beautiful Violets 
they are. Foreign ones from the south of France and 
the north of Italy are generally cheaper than home¬ 
grown varieties, the latter being fresher. 
A Stag amongst Daffodils —A stag being hunted by 
the West Surrey staghounds had an exciting and 
tiresome run from Epsom to Surbiton on the 13th 
inst., and finally took refuge in a nursery amongst 
Daffodil and other bulbous plants, doing them no 
little damage. The animal was in a very exhausted 
condition before it was finally secured. 
Victims of the Gale.—The recent gale has caused 
sad havoc amongst many old trees in different parts 
of the country. One of the finest Cedars in the 
kingdom was blown down at Castle Hill, the seat of 
the Earl of Fortescue. It was a giant in size, and 
was stated to be upwards of two centuries old, 
Devonport Park has likewise suffered, one of the 
monarchs of the wood having succumbed. 
Carnation and Picotee Union.—I understood that 
Mr. Medhurst has decided to give up the work of the 
Carnation and Picotee Union, and is asking the 
members to transfer their membership to the Midland 
Carnation Society, but I am not aware that it is in 
response to the wishes of the members or of the 
executive of the Union. To many who desire to co¬ 
operate in continuing the work of the society here 
the determination and explanation given appears too 
summary. I have been consulted by several 
prominent members as to the re-formation of the 
society here, and I consider that such, if properly 
constituted in a centre like Oxford would meet with 
a success fully equal to that of other large towns. 
Should sufficient support be forthcoming to warrant 
an exhibition being held a local committee (pro. tem.) 
will be at once formed. I shall be glad if those 
interested will favour me with their views on the 
above matter, and state whether they will subscribe 
to a prize fund for the current year. 
-- 
THE LATE DR. HOGG. 
When the committees of the Royal Horticultural 
Society had assembled at the tables on Tuesday last, 
the Rev. W. Wilks arose at the table of the Fiuit 
and Vegetable Committee of which the late Dr. 
Hogg was a member, and spoke as follows : — 
We have all of us, I am sure, come here to-day 
with very contradictory feelings. We one and all 
want to get up and bear testimony to the great loss 
which this Committee has sustained since last we 
met ; and yet we one and all shrink from doing so 
from a feeling (which I share with everyone of you) 
that there is not one among us capable of doing 
justice to the theme. In one sense, then, I shrink 
from the subject as from a task too hard for me to 
perform—a burden I am unequal to bear ; whilst, in 
another sense, I feel that the duty which the Chair¬ 
man has deputed to me is the greatest honour he 
could confer upon me. 
Gentlemen, we have lost one whom all who knew 
him at all intimately loved sincerely ; whom all at 
this table reverenced ; whom every English gardener 
honoured ; whom all pomologists in every country of 
the world looked up to and respected as the chief 
authority on fruit—our dear friend and coadjutor 
Dr. Hogg—the founder of this Committee—has been 
taken from us. 
But what a splendid work, and what a grand 
example he has left behind ! Seldom has it been 
given to a man to reduce to such (comparatively 
speaking) perfect order such an absolute chaos as he 
found British fruit description and nomenclature. 
The greatness of his work in this respect is not yet 
fully realised. 
A Scotchman by birth, and like so many Scotch¬ 
men, of untiring energy and dogged perseverance. A 
man of transparent honesty of purpose and of blunt 
outspoken truthfulness. He hated hypocrisy and 
sham, whilst his heart was simply overflowing with 
kindness and gentleness and sympathy. 
He was not like any other man. He had a very 
marked individuality ; a sort of solidity and terseness 
of expressiop, both in word and manner, which was 
reflected in the picturesque ruggedness of his 
outward form, reminding one not a little of the 
massive, open, wind-swept, heather-clad hills of his 
own Scots land. No one who ever saw him could 
possibly forget him, or mistake him for any other ; 
and no one who really knew him but now feels he has 
one staunch and true friend the less. 
Gentlemen, we cannot but mourn for Dr. Hogg ; 
but even whilst we mourn let us not forget to thank 
God truly for the man, and for sparing him to us for 
almost fourscore years. 
I beg to propose the following resolution :— 
“ The Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society desire to record upon their minutes the pro¬ 
found estimation in which they hold the life and 
work of the late Dr. Hogg. The committee recog¬ 
nise with gratitude that Dr. Hogg’s life was one of 
unceasing benefit to the best interests, not only of 
British pomology, but also of the pomology of the 
whole world. Wherever fruit is grown for the 
benefit of mankind, there for generations yet unborn 
will the name of Dr. Hogg be known and honoured. 
The Committee can find no words to express the 
greatness of the lots which they in common with all 
English speaking fruit growers have sustained by the 
death of one whom all who knew him held so dear ; 
they are forced io content themselves with placing 
upon record their deep sense of the inestimable 
privilege they have enjoyed in being associated on 
this Committee for so many years with so kindly and 
eminent a man.” 
The members uncovered during Mr. Wilks’ 
speech, and the resolution was accepted in mournful 
silence. 
Mr. William Marshal, the chairman, addressed 
the members of the Floral Committee at some length 
concerning the long continued services which the late 
Dr. Hogg had rendered the society, and the loss 
which it had sustained by his death. 
--4-- 
ORCBID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
Bv The Editor. 
Dendrobium aggregation majus.—There has 
been in flower at Falkland Park one of the finest 
specimens of this Dendrcba we have ever seen. 
The plant when imported had evidently been 
stripped from the trunk of a tree, judging by the 
hollow circular mass of the plant. This was tied 
firmly round with wire, and the centre then firmly 
filled in with rough peat and sphagnum, the shape 
being somewhat in tbe form of a cone when com¬ 
pleted, and about iS in. high. A wire was fixed to it 
for suspension,and it was hung up near the glass in the 
East India house. While growing the plant received 
plenty of water, and was freely syringed overhead. 
The result came somewhat as a surprise, the plant 
being covered with flowers. There were about fifty 
spikes or loose racemes of golden-yellow flowers, 
which have an orange-yellow blotch at the base of 
the pubescent lip. This species as a rule is not 
much grown, but when seen in the condition which 
this plant was, it is well woithy of a place in any 
collection. 
Cattleya Trianaei delicata ha^dyana.-—The 
plants that are placed under the variety delicata are 
very varied in colouring, and we believe some of the 
extreme forms have been named C. Trianaei alba, 
though incorrectly so. The sub-variety under notice 
is characterised by its delicacy of colouring, the 
sepals and large, finely crisped petals being white, 
faintly washed with a delicate blush tint. The tube 
of the lip is a shade darker, and the lamina is of a 
delicate, rosy-pink hue that is simply charming to 
anyone who can appreciate delicacy of colouring. 
The customary yellow blotch in the throat agrees 
with tbe rest of the flower in being of a pale lemon 
hue, and also greatly reduced in size. The original 
plant, to which the name of C. Trianaei delicata 
hardyana or Hardy’s var. was applied, is stated to 
have died. The plant from which the above descrip¬ 
tion was taken came out of a more recent importa¬ 
tion, and flowered in the collection of Mr. J. Seeger, 
Bandon Hill, Croydon. 
A MODEL AMERICAN PLANT 
EMPORIUM. 
Mr. Henry A. Dreer’s Nursery is situated at River¬ 
ton, New Jersey,a few miles out from the Quaker City, 
viz., Philadelphia, and is easily reached by rail. The 
extraordinary development of the plant trade in 
America is probably nowhere better exemplified than 
at this wonderful nursery. I had the pleasure of ac¬ 
companying Mr. Henry Dreer to this place, and was 
agreeably surprised aad astonished to find such a 
gigantic establishment, so well stocked with grand, 
saleable, clean, and healthy plants of those most often 
quired for decorative work and cut flower trade. 
Five acres of glass devoted to the culture of plants 
and flowers are a big thing. 
The last addition to this grand place is eight houses, 
each 150 ft. long, by 28 wide. Tnese are not separated, 
but arranged side by side, without dividing walls, the 
whole being enclosed on three sides by glass and 
galvanized iron, connected at one end by a corridor, 
250ft., by 28ft. This gigantic house, or block of houses, 
is devoted to Palm growing. All the cultivated and 
best varieties for decorative work, from tiny seedlings 
to gigantic specimens, 15 ft. to 20 ft. high, are grown 
here,and Kentias reign supreme. The followingquanti¬ 
ties were in stock at the time of my visit:—85,000 
Kentia belmoreana; 35,000 K. forsteriana; 70,000 
Latania borbonica ; 60,000 Areca lutescens ; 15,000 
Cocos weddeliana ; and 5,000 Livistona rotundifolia, 
besides many others such as Phoenix teauis, P. 
dactylifera, P. rupicola, and P. canariensis, of which 
there is an immense stock. I was struck with the 
robust growth, the deep green, luxuriant foliage, and 
the cleanliness of the same, for not an insect of any 
description was visible. 
Other houses were devoted to the growing of 
Begonias, Coleus, Cannas, and various Dracaenas, of 
which there an is immense stock of all the leading sorts. 
As it wassome few weeks before Easter,flowering plants 
were being prepared for that festive time, the same 
being eagerly sought after by all classes. Thousands of 
Azalea indica, also Cytisus racemosus, Hydrangeas, 
and the popular Easter Lily, viz., Lilium Harrisii, 
and other flowering plants here are being well timed 
to satisfy the demand at the proper time. I was 
astonished to find many thousands of Citrus japonica, 
well-set with fruit, exceedingly well done. They 
were dwarf, and compact, with fine foliage; and 
having from 12 to 18 fruits each they were models of 
high-class culture. 
Mr. Dreer has recently added to the many attrac¬ 
tions of out door gardening, a new Lily lake, which 
is the largest and most complete thing of its kind 
possibly, to be seen anywhere. All the well-known 
species and varieties in cultivation, and many hybrids, 
are grown here by the thousand. These Water Lilies 
do remarkably well here; in the summer they grow 
and flower in a most astonishing manner. To an 
Englishman it is a surprising novelty, and most 
attractive. 
Many thousand of bedding plants are put out also 
in his grounds. The trade in these is enormous ; 
thousands upon thousands are raised on the place, 
and easily disposed of. Mr. Dreer’s nurseries are open 
to the public daily, and are visited by crowds of 
people during the season, who are astonished at the 
display he prepares for their enjoyment and edifica¬ 
tion.— Alfred Outram, F.R.H.S. 
HARDY PLANTS IN FLOWER. 
Narcissi just now are making a wondrously fine dis¬ 
play, and long stretches of Messrs. Barr & Sons’ 
grounds at Long Ditton are sheeted o’er with gold 
and present a most imposing spectacle N. Golden 
Spur is certainly one of the very best of the large 
trumpet Daffodils, whilst the Tenby Daffodil, N. 
Princeps, and N. Henry Irving are both rendering a 
good account of themselves. N. cernuus with its 
silvery-white perianth and trumpet is a most desirable 
form. N. Colleen Bawn is of the same colour and 
build except that the perianth segments are longer 
than the corona. Of the Medio-coronati section Sir 
Watkin is the most conspicuous member at the 
present. The large rich yellow cup tinted with 
orange is the great feature, and the perianth segments 
are also large and full. 
N. capax plenus is certainly one of the hand¬ 
somest of the double varieties. The leaves are long 
and grass-like, and the flowers which are borne on 
scapes from 3 in. to 10 in. in height are pale lemon- 
yellow in colour, and the segments being revolute 
impart a particularly striking stellate appearance, 
