June 19, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
661 
In Aid of the Royal Gardeners' Orphan Fund—In 
connection with the Queen’s Reign, Mr. Henry 
Rumsby Cannell, M.S.A., will give a lecture, 
exhibiting original tinder box, flint and steel, 
showing the old-fashioned mode of producing fire ; 
also the old matches known as brimstone ends. He 
will explain numerous alterations and events that 
have occurred, also the rise and progress of the 
people, and of the country. He will also show the 
old pattens (which are still in use in old-fashioned 
towns), snuffers, &c., showing the ways and customs 
of 50 years ago. The proceeds will be handed over 
to the Royal Gardeners' Orphan Fund, of which 
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales is a 
patroness, His Grace the Duke of Bedford, president, 
and Mr. Henry Cannell one of the founders, and 
takes a great interest in its maintenance. Seventy 
widows are at this moment receiving 5s. per week 
from the Association. Tickets for admission are 
only 6d., 3d., and id. each. 
- — - 
THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 
A Remarkable Floral Visitor. 
DENDROBIUM VICTORIAE REGINAE. 
A distinguished and unexpected visitor, who is 
likely to create some stir in horticultural circles, has 
reached our shores at an opportune moment. 
Orchid collectors and growers, and they are daily 
becoming more and more numerous, are well aware 
that amid all the varied shades and colourings which 
adorn these lovely flowers, blue has hitherto been 
conspicuous by its absence. But the year of the 
Diamond Jubilee has brought and is bringing to us 
many wonderful persons and things so flora, not un¬ 
mindful of the event, has deemed it a fitting occasion 
to present us with a blue Orchid as our votive offer¬ 
ing for the great celebration. 
The ambassador selected by the goddess on this 
occasion is Mons. C. Roebelen, well-known as an 
intrepid and reliable collector, who in April last, in 
an almost inaccesible spot in the Phillipine high¬ 
lands, chanced upon a group of Orchids bearing rich 
blue flowers. The discoverer, rightly considering 
this unique flower worthy to commemorate “ the 
longest reign,” has christened it “ Dendrobium 
Victoriae Reginae,” and forwarded a collection to 
this country by the S S. Sidon. 
These arrived on Tuesday, and will be disposed of 
on Friday afternoon (the 18th inst ) by Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside, at which function, 
no doubt all our leading growers, both amateur and 
professional will be present or represented. 
- •*. - 
SATURDAY AFTERNOON HOLIDAYS. 
It is difficult to comprehend the reasons adduced 
which prevent under-gardeners from enjoying the 
privileges of other citizens in regard to hours of 
labour and holidays. In Scotland there is generally 
less to complain of than in England. Many northern 
nurserymen shut their seedshops, as do most of other 
tradesmen on Saturday afternoons, and in the 
nursery grounds the labour is also then suspended. 
There is, of course, the usual work of attending to 
glass and other matters which necessitates the em¬ 
ployment of some of the men, who take duty in 
turn as the case may require their services. 
In many private gardens the half-holiday for 
garden employees has been general for a number of 
years. Indeed, those who have not the half-holiday 
in this country are in a small minority. Some of the 
proprietors themselves pressed the matter, and with 
some head gardeners it was cases of nolens volens. 
Some proprietors have gone further than this, and 
established the nine hours a day system ! Many 
new lodges for housing the men have been erected in 
different parts of the country, giving each single man 
a separate apartment ; bathrooms are duly con¬ 
sidered ; homes for men with these comforts, and a 
woman to cook and clean for them are not likely to 
be under-rated. I need not add that by such human 
considerations employers reap substantial benefit, as 
well as command the esteem and confidence of their 
employees. " Unionism ” has been suggested as 
being likely to advance the interests of gardeners. 
No one has yet propounded a course which can 
safely be pursued. It has been tried in the north, 
and with all the force which intelligent men could 
bring to bear on the cause. It became a huge 
failure, many of the best of the young men had to 
find quarters in the army, gardening not being a 
necessity of the populace, all action failed ; and the 
great finale was most disastrous.— M. Temple Carvon , 
N.B. 
-•*»- 
TREATING FRUIT TREES FOR CANKER. 
On taking up The Gardening World this morning 
(June 14th) I notice a report of a demonstration I 
gave at Devoran some time ago, and in treating for 
canker I am reported to say that I advocate; 12 lbs. 
superphosphate,10 lbs. nitrate of soda, 2 lbs. sulphate 
of magnesia, 11 lbs. sulphate of iron, 8 lbs. sulphate 
of lime, then apply 4 lbs. to the square yard for 
small trees, and 8 lbs. for large. 
What I said was as follows :—** 12 lbs. superphos¬ 
phate, 10 lbs. nitrate of soda, 4 lbs. sulphate of 
magnesia, 1 lb. sulphate of iron, 8 lbs. sulphate of 
lime, mix well together, apply 4 ozs. (not lbs.) to the 
square yard for young trees, or 8 ozs. for large ones. 
-Charles Ilott, Instructor in Horticulture, Cornwall C.C., 
15, River Street, Truro. 
*—--*•— - 
SEEDLING LILIUM GIGANTEUM. 
Most cultivators of this giant Lily are perfectly 
satisfied if they succeed in flowering the bulbs, but 
Mr. M’Laren, The Gardens, Fernielee, Murtle, has 
carefully watched and nursed a batch of seedlings to 
the flowering stage. The seedlings have been increas¬ 
ing in size annually, making larger leaves and bulbs 
every year, until last season the radical leaves had 
attained striking proportions. They had, in fact, 
attained the flowering stage, as is proved by their 
sending up gigantic flower stems, at least a number 
of them. The tallest had attained a height of 5 ft. 
9 in. last week, but will yet get taller before the 
flowers expand. The stoutest stem then girthed 11 in. 
at a foot from the ground, and appears to arise from 
the strongest bulb, which was later in commencing 
to throw up its stem than the others. It is also 
throwing up several smaller stems from the base, 
which seem as if they intended to flower. It may be 
stated that the seedlings have been raised in a cold 
frame, but even then the result is more than satis¬ 
factory from such a northern latitude as Aberdeen. 
Choice hardy plants and aquatics of various kinds 
receive close attention from Mr. M'Laren. 
-f-- 
ENGLAND’S FLORAL EMBLEM FOR 
JUBILEE DAY. 
Since the receipt of the following letter from the 
Very Rev. the Dean of Rochester, Dr. Hole (copy 
herewith), sympathising.with my suggestion that the 
Rose should be worn by everyone on Jubilee Day. 
hundreds of communications have reached me to the 
same effect. This is "The month of Roses,” and 
after the refreshing rains we have recently had there 
will be an abundance of Roses for the eventful day. 
Their beauty and fragrance will be very welcome. 
In the times of the early Kings of France, " Cham¬ 
ber’s Book of Days ” inform us “ The Parliament, 
placed between Royalty and the Church, formed one 
of the great powers of the State, The Kings felt a 
real esteem and respect for the judiciary body, and 
regularly attended its sittings ; besides, it was not 
always stationary in Paris, but made an annual tour, 
when Princes and Princesses of Royal blood were 
accustomed to follow its laborious peregrinations, 
and thus add to the brilliance and pomp of its meet¬ 
ings. It was in 1227, during one of these judicial 
pilgrimages, that the custom called “ The Tribute of 
Roses ” was founded, one of the most charming of 
which the Parliamentary annals speak. The cere¬ 
mony was created by a woman and for a woman, by 
a powerful and illustrious Queen for the wise and 
lovely daughter of the first President of the first 
Parliament of Paris, and possesses at the same time 
the majesty of all that comes from a throne and the 
grace of all that comes from a woman.” 
It would be most appropriate that in all future 
years,a day in J une should be set apart in this country 
as a national holiday and "commemoration day ” of 
our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, when " The Tribute 
of Roses ” might form one of the leading features of 
the occasion and be popularly known as the " Royal 
Rose Day.”- Ellis Lever, ColwynBay, June 15th, 1897. 
Mr. Ellis Lever’s happy suggestion that the Rose 
should be worn on Jubilee Day, has elicited the 
following communication from the Very Reverend 
the Dean of Rochester :— 
The Deanery, Rochester, 
May 22nd, 1897. 
Dear Sir, —I thank you for reviving pleasant 
memories. Your suggestion has my heartiest sym¬ 
pathy, and 1 shall gladly adopt it on the day of 
Jubilee, and wear England’s emblem, the Rose, in 
my coat. It is right that the " Queen of Flowers” 
should be thus associated with the " Queen of 
Queens.”—BeJieve me to be, sincerely yours, 
S. Reynolds Hole. 
Ellis Lever, Esq. 
-- 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS, 
By The Editor. 
Laelia purpurata Waddon House var-., Nov. 
vav.— This very choice variety has turned up in the 
collection of Philip Crowley, Esq., F.L.S , F.R.H.S., 
Waddon House, Croydon. Those who are accus¬ 
tomed to seeing him at the fruit and vegetable com¬ 
mittee meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society 
are apt to think that his attention is entirely given 
to subjects such as are brought to that table ; but he 
has a collection of Orchids as well to which addi¬ 
tions continue to be made. The beautiful Laelia 
under notice is one of the recent additions, and since 
it came into bloom has proved to be worth many 
times the price for which it was secured. The sepals 
and petals are pure white, the latter being ovate- 
elliptic, wavy above the middle, and very broad. 
The whole flower is compact with a relatively short 
tube to the lip, this portion being creamy-white on 
both surfaces, and handsomely lined with crimson 
internally, the lines also showing to some extent on 
the outer face. The lamina of the lip is almost 
orbicular, wavy at the margins and of a rich crimson- 
purple, including the side lobes, externally and inter¬ 
nally ; there is the usual rosy-purple blotch at the 
apex. Altogether the flower is very neat, compactly 
built and handsome, so that both the owner and his 
gardener, Mr. Harris, may well feel proud of this 
fine addition to the Waddon House collection. 
Cymbidium lowianum viride.—C. lowianum is 
not subject to much variation, but two green forms 
have appeared, the first of which was a pale greenish- 
yellow or soft apple-green variety which we described 
in The Gardening World when it first appeared 
in the nursery of Messrs. Pitcher & Manda, at Hex- 
table. We refer to C. 1 . mandaianum, which was 
described later in the Orchid Review as C. 1 . concolor ; 
at least we have Dever been able to distinguish the 
difference between the two, and others concur in the 
same opinion. The subject of this note flowered in 
March 1896 in the collection of A. H. Smee, Esqr. 
The Grange, CarshaltOD, and from this a coloured 
figure was prepared and appears in the Orchid Album 
PI. 527. The flowers have sepals and petals of a 
uniform and decided green, while the usual maroon- 
crimson blotch at the apex of the lip has given place 
to golden yellow, which is very pretty. The disc of 
the lip is white. 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei limbosum.—The 
sepals and petals of this variety are white, slightly 
tinted with rose on the back. The lip which 
suggested the varietal name is the most ornamental 
part of the flower, being while, with three dark 
crimson-carmine blotches in front of the crest, 
numerous blotches at the base and over the crest, 
and a longitudinal band of the same colour towards 
the apex. This latter band is the most distinct and 
most characteristic feature of the flower. The 
variety has been flowering for some time past in the 
nursery of Mr. J. Seeger, Bandon Hill, Croydon. 
Cattleya Mossiae Mondii.—We first described 
this beautiful light coloured Cattleya in The Garden¬ 
ing World Vol. XII. p. 621, and we still think 
highly of it. The variety turned up in the collection 
of Ludwig Mond, Esqr., F.R.S., at The Poplars, 
Avenue Road, Regents’ Park, under the able manage¬ 
ment of his gardener, Mr. J. O. Clarke. A coloured 
plate of it now appears in the Orchid Album PI. 528. 
