THE GARDENING WORLD. 
283 
December 29, 1900 
TRANSATLANTIC “ LINERS.” 
Foliage effects are being aimed at this season in 
several of the Chicago parks. In Lincoln Park 
groups have been set out of Birch, Golden Ash, 
Mountain Ash, and Maples, while vistas are being 
opened up among older, denser trees and shrubs. 
A large bed has been arranged in a colour scheme of 
dwarf foliage shrubs, which promises to be very 
telling soon. By-the-bye, one of the most effective 
schemes I remember was Clematis grown as 
pyramids on lawns. The effect was exceedingly 
good. 
The “ lady landscape gardener ” at Lincoln Park 
has been let out, she says, owing to politics. The 
newspapers say she is independent of the " paltry ” 
salary of ioo dollars a month, and I have no doubt 
that plenty male artists are not so lofty in their ideas 
as to profess devotion to art as their sole reason for 
holding down a fairly good job. I suppose she drew 
the "contemptible" sum regularly just the same. 
A curious advertisement from Kentucky offers for 
sale, of all things in the world, the " bowels of the 
earth, containing ccal, iron, copper, and fine building 
stone.” Peaches were a very fine crop, and extra fine 
specimens sold for a dollar a bushel, as fine as you 
could wish to see, freestones. A man the other day 
had to cut down his entire orchard on account of 
“ yellows " appearing on his trees. There are great 
vicissitudes in the Peach grower’s life. He is most 
of his time, like Mahomet's coffin, between heaven 
and earth, and mostly lands down with a dull thud.— 
C Macquarie, Chicago. 
PLANTS RECE NTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The awards hereunder mentioned were made by 
the Royal Horticultural Society on the i8th inst. :— 
Orchid Committee. 
Laelia Mrs. M. Gratrix grandis. —This striking 
hybrid was obtained from L. cinnabarina crossed 
with the pollen of L. digbyana. The sepals and 
petals are lanceolate, acuminate, 2j in. long, and 
light orange in colour. The three-lobed lip is erect, 
with triangular side lobes, and a subcordate terminal 
lobe, all being soft yellow and the three lobes deeply 
friDged. The lip has been largely influenced by the 
male parent. (First-class Certificate.) Messrs. J. 
Veitch <£ Sons, Ltd , Chelsea. 
Laeliocattleya Cassiope major —The deriva¬ 
tion of this was Laelia pumila x Laeliocattleya 
exociensis (male). The sepals and broad, roundly- 
ovate petals are soft lilac. The lip has a lilac tube 
and rich purple lamina, while the throat is lined with 
crimson and orange. (Award of Merit.) Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Cattleya dowiana Rosita. —The sepals of this 
bold and handsome variety are creamy, mottled and 
shaded pink. The petals, on the contrary, are rich 
purple, fading to cream in the centre and base. The 
lip is of huge size, crimson and lined with gold on 
the lower half. (First-class Certificate.) M. Charles 
MaroD, Brunoy, France. 
Laeliocattleya lucasiana. —The parents of this 
bigeneric hybrid were Cattleya labiata flammea x 
Laelia grandis tenebrosa (male). The sepals are 
purple, and the petals of a much deeper hue ; while 
the lip is dark purple, overlaid with crimson. (Award 
of Merit.) J. Hubert Grogan, Esq., Worthing. 
Neobenthamia gracilis.— The long spikes of this 
species bear numerous small white flowers, with an 
orange blotch spotted purple on the lip, and aggre¬ 
gated in a dense raceme at the apex. 
Floral Committee. 
Coleus thyrsoideus. —The leaves of this species 
are broadly ovate or subcordate; while the bright 
blue flowers are borne in verticels at the top forming 
a narrowly pyramidal thyrse. At a short distance 
away the plant resembles a blue Salvia It makes a 
showy subject for winter-flowering in a warm con¬ 
servatory and will be valued for its bright blue 
flowers. (Award of Merit.) Messrs. F. Sander & 
Co., St. Albans ; and Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Ltd. 
Chrysanthemum Jessica. —This Japanese variety 
comes from America and will be prized as a decora¬ 
tive variety for winter flowering. The flowers are 
of the purest white and very handsome when grown 
in bush form for decorative work. The outer florets 
are spreading, and have a long tube with a short 
lamina. All the inner florets have a looger lamina, 
incurved at the tips. (Award of Merit.) Lord 
Aldenbam (gardener, Mr. E. Beckett), Aldenham 
House, Elstree. 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 
Potato Dumfries Model. —The tubers of this 
variety are variable in form, but the best shape is 
roundish, and considerably flattened. The skin is 
white and slightly rough. (Award of Merit. 
Messrs. Kerr Brothers, Dumfries. 
Celery Ivery’s Pink and Veitch's Rose come 
into the group of red varieties, the colour in this case 
being pale when well blanched. The sticks are 
solid and of good quality. These, like the others 
mentioned below, have been tried at Chiswick and 
considered worthy of an Award of Merit by the 
committee. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd. 
Celery Standard Bearer (large, solid, red, 
good for exhibition), Covent Garden Red and 
Bibby’s Defiance, were also singled out for an 
Award of Merit. Messrs. Watkins & Simpson, Exeter 
Street, Strand, London. 
Celery Champion Solid White produces solid 
sticks of clean and good appearance. (Award of 
Merit.) Messrs. Barr & Sons, King Street, Covent 
Garden, London. 
«» «- 
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS AT CHELSEA. 
During a succession of years it has been our privi¬ 
lege to pay a pre-Christmas call at Messrs. J. Veitch 
& Sons’ Royal Exotic Nursery, off the King’s Road, 
Chelsea. This nursery of six acres, the greater part 
of which is covered with span-roofed pits and houses, 
has been the habitation of floral and plant novelties 
from times now long past, and to-day every up-to- 
date gardener turns to Chelsea as one of the most 
fertile centres of plant evolution—if I may put it 
thus. 
It is here that the Messrs. Veitch’s foremen have 
carried through some of those most wonderful pro¬ 
cesses of selection, hybridising and seed raising with 
Orchids, Phyllocacti, Rhododendrons, Nepenthes, 
Begonias, Ferns and many others of the choicest 
exotic plants. It is satisfactory to know that the 
labours of the practial experimentalists and cultiva¬ 
tors have not been unappreciated nor unhonoured. 
Cleanliness is one of the living watchwords in the 
cultural routine at Chelsea, and after a short 
acquaintance one understands how methodically 
strict each several duty is enforced. This is vital, 
where perfection is aimed at. 
Many of the stages at the present time are filled 
with potfuls of flower and vegetable seeds that are 
being grown for test purposes. The date on 
which the seeds were sown, and the number of 
seeds sown in each pot is written on the 
labels. When the seeds have germinated, the seed¬ 
lings are counted, and thus a percentage is struck, 
and full particulars are entered into books kept for 
the purpose. 
Orchids. 
This is not the season to expect luxuriance in what 
one may term the classical houses of a nursery or 
garden, viz., the Orchid ranges. And, truth to tell, 
the darkness of these abrupt December afterncons 
covered in on us before we bad penetrated through 
one long range of the charge directed by Mr. Harris, 
who succeeds so well with the Chelsea Orchids. 
There was time to see and admire some very hand¬ 
some Cypripediums in flower, namely, C. Prospero, 
with its bold flowers, having a broad erect standard, 
much enlivened with white and chastened with that 
uncommon vaseline and syrup colour. C. Actaeus 
superbum is a compeer to the foregoing, as is the 
better known C. Euryades. The plants bearing the 
blooms were in 4-in. pots, though the bulk of the 
stock has yet to flower. Other admirable Cypripe¬ 
diums to be seen were C. Leonidas, C. Morganiae, 
C. oenanthum, C. arthurianum pulchellum, C. leea- 
num superbum, C. Niobae, C. langleyense and many 
others. Laelia lindleyana furnished a few good 
flowers, and Laeliocattleya Cassiope major was also 
very strong. The numerous forms and varieties of 
Odontoglossum crispum were resplendent in one of 
the cool houses. But to do the Orchids justice a 
visit will have to be made at another time when the 
days are getting longer and the flowers can be better 
seen in their wealth of colour. 
Other Flowers. 
Few of the forced bulbs are as yet forward, save 
Roman Hyacinths and some Narcissi. The new 
Coleus thyrsoides, with long blue racemes, was 
represented by a number of fine plants. The leaves 
are very much like those of the Stinging Nettle, 
though paler. Begonia Gloire de Lorraine was 
evident, of course ; and B. haageana furnished some 
large specimen plants, with long and strong inflores¬ 
cences very suitable for cutting. Amasonia punicea 
was in bloom with its numerous floriferous shoots, 
bearing the vermilion-scarlet flowers somewhat 
resembling those of the Honeysuckle. This is a 
splendid winter-flowering, warm-house plant. Tor- 
renias were also in bloom. Daedalacantbus (Eran- 
themum) nervosus, another plant with sky-blue 
flowers, is among the better known members of the 
stove. Clerodendron fragrans fl. pi., with its soft 
blush-coloured flower heads, was\ another of the 
stove occupants deserving attention. Tillandsias in 
various stages of growth were evident, while some 
were in flower. 
The Rhododendron house with its race of Javan- 
ico-jasminiflorum hybrids, can furnish flowers from 
one year’s end to the other. Rhododendrons cannot 
be pinched and pruned as caprice inclines one, but 
for all that they are indispensable for warm green¬ 
house decoration. It is about forty years ago since 
operations with R. jasminiflornm and an allied 
species were begun. R. jasminiflorum itself is white 
and the other species used for the first cross was 
orange. The result of the fertilisation came forth as 
a beautiful pmk seedling, showing most clearly the 
effect of the white and the yellow confluence. 
Other crosses gave further distinct colours till there 
were the varieties R.lutea, R.roseum, R.luteo-roseum, 
and others whose names denote their hues. The list 
of improved sorts is being yearly augmented, but to 
appreciate their full charms and value the grower 
would require to see them in growth. A new 
departure has been made and now there are the 
double flowered varieties—the balsaminaeflorum 
strains, so that progress is being maintained. 
Among greenhouse plants in flower were Erica 
hyemalis, E. h. alba, E. gracilis autumnalis. 
The Indian Azaleas suitable for early flowering are 
grown in quantity, most of them being in 6-in. pots. 
The three earliest varieties in flower were the old 
Deutsche Perle, Mdme. van den Cruyssen, and 
Sigismund Rucker. These represent three of the 
best for early work. The sweetly fragrant Daphne 
indica alba in pots, was also in season. Richardia 
aethopica was in flower, and the last of the Chrys¬ 
anthemums—W. H. Lincoln, L Canning, Mrs. 
Barkley, &c.—furnished useful bush plants. L. 
Canning is a dwarf, pure white variety having a 
neat and bushy habit. Marguerities from summer 
cuttings had developed to nice bushy plants ; while 
Cyclamen and Bouvardias each were shown in large 
and excellent batches. The blooms of the Cyclamen 
were especially large and handsome. The Bouvar¬ 
dias were extremely well flowered, and absolutely 
free from pests. Reinwardtia trigyna, one of the 
best dwarf yellow flowering plants to be had at this 
time, bore flowers of a rich orange-gold colour; but 
Reinwardtia tetragyna, whictr closely resembles it, 
does not succeed so well at Chelsea. The flowers of 
the latter are much paler in colour than are those 
of the foregoing, and the plant in general is more 
shrubby. 
Then there is the new winter flowering race of 
Begonias which have lately attracted the attention 
that is their due. They cannot help becoming general 
favourites foi they have all the qualities that the 
growers want. They are bushy and dwarf, exceed¬ 
ingly free flowering, brightly coloured and seem to 
be able to stand a good deal of knocking about. 
Some of the plants that have been shown at the 
Drill Hall on rhe last three occasions have under¬ 
gone the railway journey from Feltham each time, 
distant about sixteen miles ; and they seem little the 
worse. As the hybrids are the result of crossing the 
late tuberous varieties with B. socotrana they com¬ 
bine the taller and more graceful habit and character¬ 
istics of the latter with the size and showiness of 
the tuberous Begonias. B. Mrs. Heal was the first 
of the hybrids to appear, and later there are B. 
Ensign, John Heal, Adonis, Winter Cheer, Venus, 
and others. All are distinct when compared, and 
though Mrs. Heal, Winter Cheer, and Venus are the 
best so far, yet one could not do wrong to select any 
of the varieties. 
Decorative Plants. 
The collection of Anthuriums contains some good 
seedlings judging from a stray spathe or two already 
open ; Alocasias, Dieffanbachias, Dracaena sander - 
iana, D. goldiana, D. godseffiana, and others of this 
