824 
THE : GARDE N J N G W O R L D. . August 28, lew. 
Esmeralda, some of them being 2J ft. high. The 
blooms of Oncidium Papilio were large and hand¬ 
somely coloured." The most singular thing we 
noticed was Megaclinium triste, which would cause 
a sensation if shown in the Temple Gardens. The 
fully-opened flowers of the spike were nearly black, 
while the imbricate bracts at the apex were yellow, 
.resembling a snake's head on the move. Handsome 
was the foliage of Anoectochilus Petola and A. 
Dawsoni, with a tracery of gold and red, respectively 
upon the leaves. Oncidium krammerianum carries 
many spikes. Cypripedium Stonei platytaenium, the 
£1,000 Orchid, is still happy here. 
A cooler house next gave us refuge from the broil¬ 
ing sun; yet it contained a great variety of plants, 
including large pieces of Vanda amesianawLh larger 
leaves than we have ever seen before. Here also 
were assembled flowering plants of Cypripedium 
Godefroyae leucccbilum, C. niveum, the yellow 
Trichopilia galleotiana, the rosy-purple Epidendrum 
Ellisii, and a very dark Cattleya schilleriana. Very 
pretty at this season of the year is the pink Laelia 
amanda, rarely seen elsewhere. 
A charming sight it was to come upon the grand 
piece of Platyclinis filiformis, carrying ninety-four of 
its gracefully drooping slender spikes of bloom like 
golden filigree work, and for which a cultural com¬ 
mendation was worthily awarded at the meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society on the ioth inst. 
At one time it was kept in the East Indian house, 
but it proved utterly unsatisfactory there. Mr. 
White said he had to fall back upon common sense 
and find where it would grow, and he succeeded, thus 
furnishing others with a hint to do the same. He 
hung it up near the glass in a house with Lycaste, 
Miltonia, Trichopilia, Sobralia et hoc genus omne. 
Flowering along with it were Lycaste trifoliata, 
Miltonia peetersiana, much like the M. spectabilis 
type, Trichopilia coccinea, the hybrid Epiphronitis 
Veitchi, Epidendrum O’Brienianuffl, E. Wallisii and 
Cypripedium mastersianum. The two latter carried 
the same flowers as they did at the Temple Show, 
Magnificent pieces of Sobralia xantholeuca, and a 
richly coloured S. macrantha, in a huge tub, were 
flowering freely. Very pretty is the yellow-flowered 
Epidendrum xanthinum. Hexisia bidentata is an 
upright, branching, and beautifully neat species, with 
bright orange-scarlet flowers. It is a pet of an 
Orchid. The grower, however, was unstinted in his 
praise of Polycycnis Lehmanni, which was indeed 
charmingly pretty and strongly scented. The 
reflexed sepals and petals were thickly spotted with 
purple, and the lip white, spotted with crimson and 
furnished with a beard of long, white hairs. 
Another cool house contained many interesting 
things, including a large pan of Sophronitis grandi- 
flora, which bore sixty flowers when it last bloomed. 
It does not deteriorate. A healthy piece of Odonto- 
glossum crispum has been here since 1879. O. 
ramosissimum was pretty, as was a fine form of O. 
crispum. Oncidium dasystyle has a black crest like a 
bee or other large insect. O. longipes carried seven 
to eight blooms on a scape testifying to good culti¬ 
vation. The hybrid Disa langleyensis is always 
attractive. All of the plants in this house, particu¬ 
larly the Odontoglots, looked dark green, healthy, 
and happy. 
A surprise was in store for us in one of the large, 
span-roofed houses, namely, the flowering of the 
magnificent Grammatophyllum speciosum, as men¬ 
tioned last week. It is indeed a giant of its kind, and 
the flowers are very showy. A fine view both of 
this and Vanda hookeriana was obtainable by look¬ 
ing through the glass of the house before entering. 
The large flowers of the Vanda were white and 
handsomely spotted with purple. Most interesting 
also .was the Dove Orchid, with white flowers spotted 
with purple on the lateral lobes. Cypripedium 
Euryale, a fine hybrid between C. lawrenceana and 
C. superbiens, was also in bloom. 
An interesting feature of this establishment is the 
batches of the terrestrial Habenarias, represented in 
this country by the Butterfly Orchis and its con¬ 
geners. At Burford Lodge they include batches of 
the cinnabar-lipped Habenaria rhodochila, the 
brighter H. militaris, the delicately tinted H. carnea, 
H. c. alba, and the tall pure white H. Susannae. 
The popular Laelia anceps and its varieties, are 
already throwing up their flower scapes in prepara¬ 
tion for an autumn campaign. 
Another cool house well-filled with a variety of 
subjects, contained a respectable quota of bloom for 
this season of the year. Odontoglossum grande and 
O. schleiperianum were repaying the trouble of a 
year’s attention. The rich rose-purple of O. Uro- 
Skinneri is always desirable. O. bictonense album 
was just finishing its flowering period. The flowers 
of Trichopilia fragrans nobilis are larger than those 
of the type and as fragrant. Maxillaria Hubschi 
has smaller flowers and a wider lip than M. grandi- 
flora, but belongs to the same section. An uncom¬ 
mon species is Oncidium spilopterum, having yellow 
flowers and a purple crest. The same may be said 
of O. virgulatum. Neither of these Oncidiums excel 
the graceful beauty of O. incurvum, of which there 
is a huge piece in an Orchid pan, carrying sixteen of 
its arching panicles of white flowers, blotched with 
purple. It should be in every collection of Orchids. 
The long-spurred and white flowers of D. longicornu 
are beautifully striated with orange on the lip. 
The Masdevallia house contains a splendid 
collection of this genus together with such allies as 
Stelis and ‘ Pleurothallis, A fine piece of Steno- 
glottis fimbriata caught the eye on entering the 
house. The fringed and purple flowers spotted with 
a darker hue have kept their record unbroken since 
the Temple Show, the spikes still lengthening and 
flowering. Masdevallias in bloom were very 
numerous and included M. Heathii, M. sororula, M. 
reichenbachiana, the hybrid lilac M. Stella with 
long tails, M. ludibunda, the carmine M. barleana, 
and the sensitive-lipped M. muscosa. M. infracta 
seems to have been the first introduction of the 
genus recorded, and was made in 1835. A plant has 
been here since 1880. Richer in colour and more 
interesting is the darker purple M. i. purpurea. 
Pretty and interesting in their way are Stellis proli- 
fera, Pleurothallis Grobyi, and P. macroblepharis. 
The bluish metallic-looking leaves of Masdevallia 
deorsa hang downwards and refuse to grow up. 
In the propagating pit Cypripedium bellatulum, C. 
b. album, and C. niveum were flowering. They 
thrive well here. The rarest plant we noted was 
Dendrobium spectabile, the only plant in England, 
and which has not yet bloomed. Orchid seedlings 
of many kinds are growing in pots of various sizes 
from | in. in depth upwards. These baby Orchids 
require a deal of attention to prevent their being 
gobbled up, several at a meal, by some hungry slug. 
For instance, there are seedlings of Cattleya, Epi¬ 
dendrum, Cypripedium, and others, some of which 
may make the Orchid fanciers raise their eyes in the 
near future. 
We have not mentioned ever)thing in bloom, but 
if the above can be seen about the middle of August, 
it is a sure indication of the richness and extent of 
the collection Many of the subjects mentioned are 
rare or uncommon in collections, and of that as well 
as the treatment they receive, the worthy owner as 
well as the cultivator may well feel proud. 
- - I «- 
SOCIETIES. 
SHROPSHIRE HORTICULTURAL . — A ugust 18 th 
and iyt/i. 
The annual exhibition at Shrewsbury was again an 
unqualified success, in spite of the gale which blew 
down some of the marquees on Tuesday previous to 
the opening day and injured maDy of the specimen 
and other plants being arranged at the time. The 
takings at the gates beat all previous records. On 
Wednesday there were 30,000 people, and £752 was 
taken; while on Thursday 60,000 visited the show 
and £1,825 IS - id- was taken, making totals of 90,000 
visitors and a gate of £2,577 IS - id., or £162 7 s - 6d. 
over all previous records. With the sale of tickets, 
subscriptions, and the letting of booths, the grand 
total of over £4,500 will be reached. With excep¬ 
tion of Tuesday’s gale everything passed off most 
pleasantly. The presentation to the honorary 
secretaries (see p. 823) made a pleasant impression. 
The Royal Horticultural Society was invited to co¬ 
operate, the invitation being courteously accepted 
by the president Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., who 
said that the Council of the R.H.S. would “co¬ 
operate as far as may be desired with the committee 
of the local society to render the show the success 
which they are fully assured beforehand that it will 
be." 
We now proceed to supplement our telegram of 
-last week. Lord Harlech (gardener, Mr.-Lambert), 
Brogyntyn Park, Oswestry, showed the best 
Dracaenas, the broad-leaved varieties put up being 
clothed to the base with foliage. H. H. France- 
Hayhurst, Esq. (gardener^ Mr. Bremmell), Overley, 
Wellington, was second ; and Mr. C J. Mee, 
Nottingham, third. Mrs. R. Darby (gardener, Mr. 
R. Lawley), Adlote, had the best Caladiums. W. J. 
Scott, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Carter), Besford House, 
Shrewsbury, took the lead for Coleus with large 
pyramidal specimens, well coloured. Mr. A. Myers, 
Sutton Lane, Shrewsbury, was a close second, but 
took the lead for Fuchsias in the open class, as well 
as that open to the county. W. J. Scott, Esq., was 
second in both cases. The plants were grand. A. 
M. Barber, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Jones), Wellington, 
got first for his dwarf double tuberous Begonias; R. 
Taylor, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Clift), Abbey Forgate, 
was placed second with large plants of single 
varieties. J. Parsons-Smith, Esq., Abbotsmead, had 
the finest Gloxinias. Sir J. W. Pease, Bart, 
(gardener, Mr. J. Mclndoe), Hutton Hall, Guis- 
borough, staged the best twelve plants for table deco¬ 
ration, and was followed by Mrs. Gurney Pease 
(gardener, Mr. McIntyre), Woodside, Darlington. 
G. Burr, Esq., Oaklands, had the best six stove and 
greenhouse plants open to the county and the best 
miscellaneous collection of thirty plants. 
A very fine display was made in the fruit section, 
there being over 330 bunches of Grapes alone. In 
addition to those mentioned last week, the Rev. T. 
M. Bulkeley-Owen (gardener, Mr. Langley) Teds- 
more Hall, West Felton, took the lead for Madres- 
field Court Grapes. The Rev. F. Alderson, (gardener, 
Mr. Davis), Welsh Frankton, Oswestry, took the 
same honour for Black Alicant. The Earl of 
Harrington (gardener, Mr. J. H Goodacre), Elvaston 
Castle, Derby, was second, but came to the front for 
Gros Maroc, Lord Harlech being second. Mr. W. 
Neild (Cheshire County Council), Holmes Chapel, 
Cheshire, took first with large bunches of Muscat of 
Alexandria. The Rev. F. Alderson had the be3t 
white of any other variety, showing Buckland Sweet¬ 
water. The Rev. T. M. Bulkeley-Owen, Sir Offley 
Wakeman, Bart, and Mrs. R. Darby took leading 
prizes in the classes open to the county. G. Burr, 
Esq., and A. M. Barber, Esq., were first prize¬ 
winners amongst amateurs. R. W. D. Harley, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. Robinson) Herefordshire, had 
the best Peaches. Lady H. Somerset (gardener, Mr. 
Harris), Eastnor Castle, Ledbury took the same hon¬ 
our for Nectarines. 
In addition to the three prize winners in the class 
for nine vegetables, the prizes for which were offered 
by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, we may say that 
the Hon. W. P. Talbot, Esher, Lady Theodora 
Guest, Blandford, and J. R. Greatorex, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. Leith), Mytton Hall,Shrewsbury, took 
the remaining three prizes in this order. 
The prizes offered by Messrs. J. Carter & Co., 
High Holborn, London, were taken by Miss Talbot, 
Penrice Castle, Swansea; Col. R. T. Lloyd, Aston 
Hall; Mrs. Watkins, Shotton Hall, Shrewsbury; 
Lord Kenyon, Greaington ; Hon. Mrs. E. Kenyon, 
Maesfen, Whitchurch, and H. H. France-Hayhurst, 
Esq. in the order named. Morgan S Williams, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. C. Foster), Glyn-Neatb, Glamorgan, 
showed the best three dishes of Potatos, in clean 
samples. He was first likewise for five dishes. Mrs. 
E. Kenyon showed the first prize lot of three dishes 
of culinary Peas, the prizes being offered by Mr. H. 
Eckford, Wem. T. C. Waterhouse, Esq., Prestbury, 
Macclesfield, had the best Tomatos and Cucumbers. 
In another class for Peas, Mrs. Heywood-Lonsdale, 
Cloverley, took the leading place. - The Earl of Car¬ 
narvon, Highclere, Newbury, took the lead in a class 
for Runner Beans, and F. A.Brace,Esq. Doverage Kali, 
was first in another class. The Earl of Carnarvon, 
staged the best Cauliflowers. The Hon. W. P. 
Talbot, exhibited the best autumn Onions, and 
Morgan S. Williams, Esq. took the same position 
for spring sown A large number of classes for plants, 
flowers, fruits and vegetables, was set apart for 
cottagers in the county of Shropshire only, and these 
in most cases were well filled. 
Miscellaneous collections, and groups not for 
competition were fairly numerous, adding largely to 
the extent of the show and the interest attaching to 
the same. A splendid group was exhibited by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, consisting, largely 
of plants- of comparatively recent origin. Very 
striking were Nepenthes mixta, N. dicksoniana, 
Phrynium variegatum, and a splendid .collection of 
Caladiums, which must have been an eye-opener to 
