618 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 29, 1897. 
ing group consisting of finely flowered Anguloa 
Clowesii, Miltonia vexillaria, and finely flowered 
Dendrobium formosum. 
Mr. R. I. Measures sent an interesting exhibit in 
four excellent Cypripediums. C. Rhembba (barbatum 
superbum crd. with Godefroyae), in which both 
parents could be plainly distinguished. C. Chap- 
manii (bellatulum crd. with Curtisii) and C. C. 
magnificum, which gained an award of merit at the 
previous meeting at the Drill Hall was now given the 
coveted First-class Certificate. 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, S.E., con¬ 
tinued their march of improvement of the popular 
race of Tuberous Begonias. They exhibited a large 
group of single and double varieties, the latter being 
massed in the centre, and the singles towards either 
end. The plants were grown in 32 and 24-sized pots, 
but at this early period the plants were dwarf and 
fresh with a long season before them. Novelties 
amongst single varieties were fairly numerous, and 
were improvements in the colour of the flowers, or 
habit of the plant bearing them. Very choice and 
beautiful was the pure white Lady Hamilton. The 
lively pink flowers of Marchioness of Northampton 
were carried erect, and their form was all that could 
be desired. A free flowering variety was Earl 
Brownlow, which carried its flowers well above the 
foliage. The salmon-scarlet flowers of Dr. Nansen 
•Were of fine form rendering this plant well suited for 
exhibition purposes. The same may be said of 
Admiral Rawson, which had fiery-scarlet, erect 
flowers, well adapted for exhibition. The rich 
golden-bronze flowers of British Flag were orbicular 
in outline and handsome. Equally well-shaped 
were the dark crimson flowers of Earl Cowper. The 
habit of Viscountess Falmouth leaves little to be 
desired, the flowers being of a rich, dark rose. A 
grand yellow variety was Mrs. Faudel Phillips. 
All of the above are new and of a high order of 
merit. 
There was an equal if not a greater advance 
amongst the double kinds well sustaining the re¬ 
putation of the Forest Hill firm. The beautiful 
Camellia-shaped flowers of Lady Pirbright were 
salmon-pink and the petals wavy. While somewhat 
similar in shape, the flowers of the Hon. Cecil 
Rhodes are crimson, and carried well above the 
foliage. The rosy-crimson flowers of Li Hung Chang 
were very massive, and should commend themselves 
to those who like big flowers. The best golden- 
yellow variety in the collection was that named 
Diamond Jubilee, the flowers being carried clear 
above the foliage. A good thing also was Dr. Jim, 
with rich orange-scarlet flowers. The buff-apricot 
flowers of Lady Pearson were attractive, and likely 
to catch the eye of the ladies. Mrs. Montague 
Wootton tarried pale yellow Sowers having wavy or 
crisped petals. Pleasing and attractive were the 
rich rosy flowers of Lady Harris. The Camellia¬ 
shaped flowers of Lord Rosemead were of a rich 
cerise shade. All of the above are new and likely 
to find their way into collections. 
Some of the older varieties were well worthy of 
attention, including H. M. The Dowager Empress 
Frederick, the rosy-pink flowers of which in the 
earlier stages remind one of a rosebud. The clear 
yellow flowers of Lady Clifford of Chtxdleigh were 
very fine and superior in this shade of colour. 
Another variety of special charm was Laify Frederick 
Fitzroy, with yellow-apricot flowers of beautiful and 
regular outline, the plant also beiog of good habit. 
Duke of Fife is now getting well-known on account 
of its massive and most attractive rosy-salmon or 
soft orange-scarlet flowers ; it is admirably suited 
for bedding. Dwarf and compact is Countess of 
Warwick, having rich salmon-scarlet flowers. The 
scarlet blooms of C. F Langdon were of great size. 
CharmiDg also were Blush Queen, blush ; Invincible, 
brilliant crimson ; Clio, yellow, and beautifully 
crimped ; and Duchess of York, having soft orange 
flowers, shaded or tinted with peach, and most 
attractive. All the colours were so arranged as to 
show one another off to the best advantage. 
Of those whose names have come very much to 
the front in connection with the cult of the tuberous 
Begonia, Mr. John R. Box, of Croydon and West 
Wickham holds a very prominent position. From 
the nurseries at West Wickham came a magnificent 
array of the now popular flower, and it would be 
difficult to decide which was the strongest point, the 
habit of the plants, the size, substance, and form of 
the flowers, or the superb and vivid colouring that 
these selfsame flowers manifested. The exhibit was 
a large one and occupied upwards of 200 square feet 
in area. Adiantums were used to some extent for 
setting up, but the sturdy foliage threw the flowers 
into sufficient relief without extraneous aid. The 
size of the flowers throughout, both of single and 
double varieties, was immense, and their weight 
proportional to their size, but the stalks supporting 
the flowers were strong and vigorous, and thus fully 
equal to the task of lifting the flowers up to view 
without support. For beauty of form the single 
varieties reached a very high standard, many of 
them being as nearly circular in outline as a 
Begonia can well be. The following are some of the 
best new single varieties shown Lady Lennard, 
pure white ; Sensation, deep rose ; Wickham Yellow, 
a fine deep butter yellow; Modesty, blush white; 
Magnitude, large, rose pink; Captivation, a charm¬ 
ing blush, with prettily fimbriated edges; Bronze 
Queen, deep bronze, shading to chestnut in the 
centre; U topia, vermillion; and Majesty, bright 
rose. 
Beautiful as were the single varieties, even more 
interest seemed to centre round the doubles. The 
colours here also exhibited a marvellously wide 
range. Up to the present time the fine shades of 
apricot and bronze-yellow that have been forth¬ 
coming in the single forms have been lacking in the 
doubles. After a deal of trouble and not less of 
pains expended Mr. Box has succeeded in making 
good this deficiency, and some of the plants shown 
exhibited various delicate shades of the hues alluded 
to. Queen of Queens is one of the finest. It may be 
described as bronze-orange, shaded with apricot 
towards the base of the petals. Golden Sunset, of a 
fine amber hue is very effective ; also Evening Sun¬ 
set, which is bright orange. Celestial has flowers of 
a rich terra-cotta hue. Diamond Jubilee, deep 
yellow, very dwarf habit; Lady Edridge, salmon- 
pink ; Sir Frederick Edridge, deep crimson with 
fimbriated petals; Lady Headfort, bright cerise; 
Mr. H. B. Roberts, fiery scarlet; Lady Douglass, 
rose-pink; and Countess of St. Germains, soft 
apricot, were all of ttem in fine condition. They are 
all new having been sent out during the present sea¬ 
son. We must not pass that well-known variety 
Miss Griffith without due mention. The delicate 
shade of blush, the regular arrangement of the 
petals with their prettily gophered edges, and the 
handsome size of the flowers all contribute to stamp 
the variety as one of the very best in cultivation. 
Taking it altogether Mr. Box's collection of Begonias 
exhibited real and sterling merit. 
A bright patch of colour marked the spot where 
Mr. H. J. Jones, of Ryecroft Nursery, Lewisham, 
S.E., had deposited his tuberous Begonias. The 
Ryecroft collection of these showy plants is known 
far and wide as a most comprehensive one, and is 
the result of a number of years devoted to careful 
cultivation and improvement. On this occasion Mr. 
Jones gave an apt illustration of the kind of plants 
he grows at Ryecroft. From beginning to end the 
same sturdy and dwarf habit was apparent, whilst 
the foliage was of great size and substance and wore 
that dark green hue which is so closely identified 
with perfect health. The flowers themselves all 
bore the hall mark of merit, both form and size 
being up to a very high standard. The range of 
colour too was immense, particularly amongst the 
single varieties. Pure whites, deep crimsons, bright 
yellows, and dazzling shades of rose were all on 
view with innumerable intermediate tints and grada¬ 
tions of colour. Of the latter some charming 
shades of orange and apricot were very noteworthy 
and exceedingly effective. The double forms bore 
flowers of medium size but exquisite form, and it 
would be difficult to imagine greater refinement than 
that displayed by many of the partly expanded 
flowers. The Camellia shape is certainly the finest 
type of the double tuberous Begonia and this was 
much in evidence. In all cases the flowers were 
borne on stout stalks and held well above the foliage. 
When we take into consideration the fact that these 
selfsame plants have been grown close to London we 
must admit that natural disadvantages may to a very 
large extent be obviated by proper care and attention. 
In area the group occupied some 200 square feet, 
with a run of about 50 ft. in length, close upon 200 
plants being included. The arrangement itself 
merits a word of commendation, for in this point 
Mr. Jones knows well how to win points. The out¬ 
line of the group was charmingly undulated, and had 
the appearance of three low mounds. Maidenhair 
Ferns were utilised in sufficient quantities so as to 
form a setting for the Begonias, the different shades 
of green thus obtained contributing in no small 
degree to the general effect. An edging of Isolepis 
gracilis and a background of Cocos weddeliana 
added a finishing touch to a very praiseworthy 
effort. 
A very neat group of tuberous Begonias was con¬ 
tributed by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
Kent. Double varieties composed the whole of the 
exhibit, and seme charming forms were included. Of 
these Lord Sherborne, Mrs. Lewis Castle, Lady 
Gertrude, Duchess of Fife, Mrs. W. B. Miller, Nina, 
and Lady Roberts were very noticeable. The plants 
too, were of dwarf and sturdy habit, and bespoke 
cultivation of no mean order. 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Totten¬ 
ham, had a superb lot of tuberous Begonias. The 
form and size of the double varieties was remarkably 
good, and admirably illustrated the pitch of perfec¬ 
tion to which this showy and useful flower has been 
brought. Double forms predominated, and it would 
be exceedingly difficult to praise these too highly. 
The new white Jubilee Queen is the best of its kind 
we have yet seen, and the yellow Golden Queen 
possesses exactly the same characteristics as to 
shape and build. The lovely picotee forms Samuel 
Pope, Miss AnDie Fell, and Mrs. J. Portbury were 
magnificent. Other grand sorts were Maid of Kent, 
Leviathan, Princess of Wales, Mr. Robert Lawford, 
Alba Magna, Mr. John Fowler, Miss Bertha Joseph, 
and Mrs. Arthur Pitts. 
CALADIUMS. 
Messrs.J.Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea, had a magnifi¬ 
cent group of Caladiums, the finest we have ever seen 
them put up. They had huge plants of Mrs. Harry 
Veitch, Baron Adolphe de Rothschild, soft red with 
pink blotches ; George Berger, soft red and green- 
edged ; Madame John Box, soft pink, with broad 
green edges ; and Gaspard Crayer, red, with a green 
edge. Mrs. Harry Veitch had dark red leaves, more 
or less netted, and having carmine nerves, being 
unusually highly coloured. Sir Henry Irving, sub¬ 
transparent white, and green at the edges; B. S. 
Williams, marbled with red and rose and green at 
the edges ; and Candidum, white, with green veins, 
were very choice and scarcely smaller than the 
previous ones. Very dwarf and beautiful were 
Orphee, La Lorraine, deep red, with narrow green 
edges ; and Princess Royal, a basket of which bore 
small yellow leaves, with a crimson centre, being 
both very distinct and pretty. The white leaves of 
Alice Van Geert were marbled with green and 
moderate in size. Charming for decorative work was 
the dwarf and soft red F. W. Moore. Mrs. Joicey 
(new 1896) had brilliant red leaves and green edges. 
Lady Mosley, also new, and just being sent out, was 
noted for its sub-transparent, rosy leaves 
The rosy-pink leaves of Ibis Rouge, and its dwarf 
habit were recommendable features in this well- 
known variety. Very soft in colour were the creamy 
leaves of Lillie Burke, finely netted with green. 
Lady Stafford Northcote, almost of a uniform crim¬ 
son, is new and will be sent out next year. Bold and 
handsome was Marquis of Camden, having large 
bright red leaves and crimson ribs. Sir Julian 
Goldsmid (new 1896) was red, shaded with crimson, 
and bold in appearance. On the contrary Silver 
Cloud was creamy, lightly marbled with pink and 
green. It was sent out last year, and therefore new 
like the charming variety named Her Majesty, with 
sub transparent white leaves, overlaid with yellow. 
The leaves were small and very telling in appearance 
on account of their distinctness. A pair that maybe 
linked together on account of their similarity were 
Gabrielle Lemoinier and Duchesse de Mortemart, 
having white leaves, sometimes marbled with green, 
the latter being the whiter. Lord Derby was new 
last jear, and noted for its rosy-pink leaves and deep 
green veins. The same holds good for Duchess of 
Fife, having white leaves, netted with green Mr. C. 
J. Pierpont Moxgan (soft rosy-red) also came out last 
year. Prince Charles was light red with crimson ribs. 
Comte de Germiny had deep salmon leaves, blotched 
white. The well-known Reine de Danemark, Isis, 
Charlemagne, and Rose Laing are well known, and 
we have never seen them finer. 
Leonard Bause, silvery-white with a red splash, 
was sent out last year Some of this year s novelties 
were Duchess of Connaught, creamy, with pinkish 
