April 10, 1897. 
the gardening world 
503 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned subjects received Floricultural 
Certificates of Merit at the Spring Show of the Royal 
Botanic Society at Regent’s Park on the 31st ult. 
Amaryllis Xantho. —A deep crimson form with 
a short tube very open, and large flower, and seg¬ 
ments of great width an 1 substance. Messrs. 
James Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea. 
Amaryllis Hidalgo. — This flower is several 
shades lighter, being of a richer scarlet hue than 
Hidalgo, but it is much larger, measuring nearly 
8 in. in diameter. Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, 
Ltd. 
Amaryllis Francisca. —This is bright scarlet, 
with a central green star. The tubs is very short, 
and the flower is fully 8 iD. in diameter; although one 
of the largest forms this is by no means coarse, 
whilst the form is very good. Messrs. J. Veitch & 
Sons, Ltd. 
Narcissus Santa Maria — This variety has a 
long rich orange-yellow corona with fimbriated 
margins, and slightly spreading. The segments of 
the perianth are lanceolate, and of the same colour 
and length as the corona. Messrs. Barr & Sons, 
Covent Garden. 
Narcissus Victoria. —In build of flower, size, and 
colour of the trumpet, and colour of the perianth 
segments this is very close to the well-known Wear- 
dale Perfection. The perianth segments (white in 
both cases) in the latter variety are, however, 
larger, and of stouter texture. Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
Narcissus Samson is a huge flower fully 3 in. in 
length. The rich yellow trumpet is tubular, and 
spreads but little, although it is deeply notched at 
the margio, where it is about in. in diameter. 
The ovate segments are not quite so long as the 
trumpet, and exhibit a two shades lighter yellow. 
Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
Narcissus Snowflake.— A medium-sized pure 
white form. The segments are much twisted, and 
nearly as long as the corona, which has deeply 
notched and much frilled edges. There is a yellow 
blotch at the bases of the segments externally. 
Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
Narcissus odorus Heminalis.— This is the 
latest addition to this section. The scapes are two 
flowered. The segments are elliptic in shape, 
longer than the corona, and light orange-yellow in 
hue. The corona is short, spreading, and rich 
orange-yellow. The flowers possess the additional 
quality of being deliciously sweet scented. Messrs. 
Barr & Sons. 
Narcissus incomparabihs Beauty. —The seg¬ 
ments here are twice as long as the corona, lanceo¬ 
late in shaped, and bright yellow in colour. The 
corona is short cup-shaped, and deeply stained with 
orange, after the fashion of Cynosure. Messrs. Barr 
& Sons. 
Erythronium Johnsonii. —This has bright rose 
flowers of medium size borne singly on scapes from 
4 in. to 5 in. in in length. The leaves are ovate in 
shape, and prettily mottled after the style of E. 
Hartwegi. Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
Muscari conicus. — A very fine form of this 
species was shown with very long and dense racemes 
of bright violet-blue flowers. Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
Cyclamen grandiflorum album. —This is a very 
fine strain sent by the St. George's Nursery Co , 
Hanwell. The plants are very vigorous, the foliage 
of large size and handsomely marbled. The 
flowers are of giant proportions, and pure white, the 
segments being broadly obovate in shape. 
Rose Antoine Rivoire. —For the description of 
this fine new Hybrid Tea see the list of plants 
certificated by the R.H.S. at the last meeting. 
Messrs. Wm. Paul & Sons, Waltham Cross. 
Camellia Duchess of York. —This is a rosy- 
pink flower of good form and medium size. Messrs. 
Wm. Paul & Sons. 
Clivia Queen Victoria. — This is a very 
vigorous grower, and throws an enormous truss of 
large bright orange-scarlet flowers of excellent form. 
Each flowerh as a whitish-yellow band at the throat, 
and this passes to deeper yellow at the base. 
Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Victoria and Para¬ 
dise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, N. 
Amaryllis Lord Brassey is a fine flower from 
five to six inches in diameter, the form being 
excellent. In colour it is rich crimson-scarlet with 
a green base, the ray of the star shading to greenish- 
white. Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son. 
Richardia Pentlandi maculata.— This appears 
to be an intermediate form between the well-known 
R. elliottianaand R. Pentlandi. It has the large and 
prettily maculated foliage of the former, but the 
flower is certainly that of R. Pentlandi, having the 
characteristic black ring round the spadix at the 
base of the spathe internally. Messrs. John Laing 
& Sons, Forest Hill, S.E. 
Mignonette, Morle's Improved Machet.— 
There was an extensive exhibit made of this strain, 
which gave an ample opportunity of noting the 
strength and vigour of the plants, which were grown 
singly in 48-size pots without support of any kind ; 
and the uniformly large size of the flower spikes. 
Messrs. Morle & Co., Finchley Road, N.W. 
Botanical Certificates of Merit were awarded to 
the undermentioned :— 
Streptocarpus parviflorus.— Although very 
pretty, this species is not often met with. The 
leaves are large oblong in shape, dark green, and 
much crenulated. The scapes are many-flowered, 
and from 5 in. to 6 in. in height. The flowers are 
light blue, passing to white at the base of the tube, 
and a little over J in. in diameter. The tube is 
short, and the limb of the corolla very spreading. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Epidendrum elegantulum.— In this case the 
sepals and petals are orange-yellow, thickly barred 
and blotched with deep chestnut. The lip is orbicu¬ 
lar in shape with a fringed margin, white, striated 
slightly with pink, and with a small yellow spot in 
the centre near the throat. The flowers are about 
an inch in diameter. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Odontoglossum cirrhosum aureo-marginatum. 
—The sepals, petals, and lip have all developed at 
their apices long caudal processes which impart a 
peculiar and striking look to the flower. The colour 
is white with a flush of yellow, and the mottlings of 
deep chocolate-brown are rather heavy. The yellow 
margin to the lip is very conspicuous. Messrs. B. 
S. Williams & Son. 
* 
All old stems of Sprouting Broccoli, Brussels 
Sprouts, Cabbages, and other Brassicas, retained for 
the sake of a few greens, and which are now rapidly 
getting into the flowering stage, should be cleared cfl 
the ground without delay, as no crops are more 
exhausting to the land ; and where clubbing has been 
prevalent it is advisable to burn the lot. Before this 
general clearance takes place it is always satisfactory 
to see the earliest Cabbages in a forward condition, 
to prevent any break in the supply, and so unite the 
latest and earliest crops. The young Cabbages 
should be hoed frequently, and a little fresh soil 
drawn up to the stems will be an incentive to more 
vigorous root action and earlier development. 
Celery.— The main crop should be sown at once. 
It is better to prepare a slight hotbed, laying a few 
inches of prepared soil over the bed, and covering 
with hand glasses. Press the seeds into the soil and 
cover very lightly. Plants raised in this way are 
not so liable to suffer from drought and fluctuations 
of any sort as when raised in shallow boxes in a 
warm house. The earliest sown plants should be 
pricked out in a warm frame as soon as they are 
strong enough to handle. 
Seakale. —Where the cuttings of these were 
placed in a little warmth a month ago, they will be 
found to have formed buds at the top, and should be 
planted out on the first favourable opportunity. 
Good land is essential to produce fine strong roots, 
and early maturity. A plantation of a few dozen 
roots on a north border, will be found useful in 
giving a late supply. In such a position the plants 
are late in going to rest, and slow to move in spring. 
Peas. —These, in various stages of growth, will 
require constant attention. Staking early and pro¬ 
tecting the rows with a few Fir boughs or anything 
that will help to ward off cold winds, will greatly 
assist in producing quick and healthy growth. 
Should the weather prove dry, and watering be 
necessary for the earliest crop, a dressing of blood 
manure will be found an excellent stimulant, 
producing fine pods covered with bloom. A regular 
succession should be sown every fortnight for some 
time to come to keep up a constant supply. 
Vegetable Marrows, —Where these are appre¬ 
ciated, the piincipal crop should be sown in a brisk 
heat. Keep the seedlings close to the glass. Pot 
them singly as soon as fit to handle; and when 
established, gradually harden them to stand frame 
treatment, preparatory for outside planting next 
month.— J. R. 
- .« »- 
TIE ORCHID MOUSES. 
Cattleya House.— The beautiful Cattleya aurea I 
notice has, after a good long season of rest, 
commenced to push forth large healthy roots and 
correspondingly strong growths. Any plants that 
were not repotted in August, as advised in these 
notes, should be seen to without delay. We grow 
ours in pans which are suspended from the roof; in 
this position they get all the light and air possible 
which suits them admirably ; for quite small pieces 
will flower most readily. In the early stages of 
growth the watering must be done very carefully, for 
although not quite so susceptible to the spot as is C. 
dowiana, with which it is closely allied, the plants, 
nevertheless, do sometimes show it. 
As most things show great activity in all divisions, 
the grower must take the hint from nature and pro¬ 
vide them with increased moisture at the roots and 
in the air by damping down more frequently. Our 
summers are all too short, so that it behoves us to 
make as much use of the few bright and warm 
months as is possible. At this season there are 
always changes in the outside temperature, so that it 
is as well to have the heating appartus well in hand 
in case of sudden falls, caused by slight snowstorms, 
such as passed over this district last week. 
Seedling Orchids.— We have a quantity of 
Laelia and Cattleya seedlings growing in this division, 
and as they, like their parents, require some fresh 
material they will receive attention forthwith. The 
very tiny ones which are only just large enough to 
handle, we prick off into either specially prepared 
pots, or round the edge of a newly potted plant where 
the peat is good and the moss in a growing condition. 
This latter plan I think is the best, for the roots from 
the plant take up the moisture afforded and keep 
the compost from becoming sour. There they are 
allowed to remain for a season, guarding them care¬ 
fully from thrips and woodlice, by setting traps for 
the one, and by using XL All Vaporiser for the other. 
The larger and older plants that already occupy 
small pots on their own account will also require a 
shift, and must have it or you will never succeed. 
Do the potting carefully and well, but do not be 
afraid to touch them. 
Compost. —What suits the parents generally suits 
them. Select some good peat and the live points of 
the sphagnum moss ; thoroughly mix together and 
then chop the whole up together. This, with some 
very finely broken up bits of potsherds I find to be 
excellent for them. 
Position.— When potted, we put a wire round the 
pot and suspend them as recommended for C. aurea. 
Here they are carefully attended to as regards water 
and shade, and I am bound to say the treatment is 
what they require judging by the yearly increase in 
the size of leaf and pseudobulbs. 
Cool House. —Here too we have some seedling 
Odontoglossums which we are treating in the same 
way with marked success. The only difficulty with 
Odontoglossums is that they do not germinate so 
readily as do Cattleyas, &c.; but once get them up 
and it is all plain sailing, and, what is more, 
most interesting work. — C. 
--j-—-- 
An acquired taste.—Shopkeeper : "Was that 
beetle-poison any good I sold you the other day ? " 
Customer: "Good? I should think it was good, 
they won't eat anything else now." 
Weeds are a blessing !—This will doubtless seem a 
strange statement to make to the farmer and the 
gardener who are struggling to keep down the weeds. 
And yet, after all, weeds are but the couriers sent 
by Mother Earth to remind us of our negligence. 
The act of exterminating them becomes a necessity, 
and the turning over that the soil gets thus prevents 
it from coming hard and baked. In dry summers it 
minimises the effects of drought, and in wet ones 
secures the better aeration of the soil. 
