66 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 24, 1903. 
Plants Recently Certificated 
By the Royal Horticultural Society. 
ORCHID COMMITTEE. 
Cypripedium hindeanum .—The parentage of this beautiful 
hybrid Orchid was C. Godefroyae x msigne. The former parent 
it appears to resemble considerably ; the whole flower is notable 
for the firm texture of the various parts. The dorsal sepal is 
nearly orbicular, white, and richly blotched with purple, the 
petals are waved at the edge, of wonderful texture, and cre-amy- 
white in tint, overlaid with purple. The lip is somewhat keeled 
in front, and shaded with purple over a creamy ground. (First- 
class certificate.) The exhibitors were Messrs. F. Sanaer and 
Sons, St. Albans. 
Cypripedium Empress Alexandra. —In this instance the 
parentage was C. Godefroyae niteiis. The large dorsal sepal 
is heavily blotched with deep purple on a creamy-yellow ground. 
The petals are spotted with crimson on a pale purple ground ; 
while the lip is of a deep purple hue. (Award of merit.) Messrs. 
F. Sander and Sons. 
Odontoglossum lucasianumWalkeri -This beautiful variety is 
supposed to be a natural hybrid between O. Tlallii and - 
polyxanthum. The sepals are lanceolate, recurved at the tip, an J. 
of a deep chocolate colour with a yellow tip. The petals are 
similar, but sometimes spotted with yellow over the centre, i ne 
lip is obovate, deeplv fringed, and blotched all over with 
chestnut-red. (Award of merit.) Messrs. Hugh Low and Lo., 
Bush Hill Park, Enfield. 
Cypripedium S.Gratrix Minnie. —In this beautiful hybrid we 
have a flower of large size, and very handsomely marked 1 his 
indeed might be inferred from the parentage, which was 
C. leeanum superbum x n-itens superbum. The dorsal .sepal is 
roundly ovate, and white spotted with purple. The base is a 
greenish yellow and spotted with purple. The petals are of a 
shining brown colour overlying yellow and spotted with crimson. 
The edge of the lip shows the yellow colour more clearly. (Award 
of merit.)—Francis Wellesley, Esq. (gardener, Mr. J. Gilbert), 
Westfield Common, near Woking. 
Odontoglossum waltonieuse. 
The seed parent of the above hybrid was O. crispum and the 
p 0 l]en parent 0. polyxanthum. The sepals and slightly jagged 
petals are broad, overlapping, and closely resembling the seed 
parent except in colour, the sepals being deep yellow and the 
petals much paler. The fringed lip is nearly white, with a liorse- 
shoe-shaped blotch in front of the crest. Beyond the colour there 
is little to show the influence 0. polyxanthum. On the whole this 
hybrid is of a high standard of merit. (First-class certificate.; 
W. Thompson, Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. Stevens), Walton Grange, 
Stone, StaSs. 
FLORAL COMMITTEE. 
Coleus thyrsoideus. —This has again proved itself to be a most 
useful winter flowering plant when grown under proper condi¬ 
tions. The leaves are altogether green, but the beauty of the 
plant is found in the rich blue colour of its flowers. The plant 
has very much the habit of a Salvia, forming a branching, bus y 
specimen, each branch being surrounded by a narrowly pyramidal 
thyrse of blossom. Some time ago this was accorded an award of 
merit, but on this occasion it was accorded a first-class certificate. 
Messrs. J. Veitoh and Sons, Limited, Chelsea 
Chrysanthemum Harry Whateley. The above variety is a sport, 
from Niveus, diflering chiefly in the form of the flowers and the 
florets Both axe useful late flowering varieties, suitable ior cut 
flowers, during December and January, and possibly even later. 
The florets of the sport are pure white, very narrow, slender and 
numerous and in these respects they differ from Niveus, which 
has broad florets often tinted with pink when they get past then 
best The stems are sturdy, short, and hold the flowers mu( ,i 
more erect than the white flowered varieties as a rule do the 
foliage also is a rich dark green hue. (Award of merit,) Mi. 
H. Whateley, Kenilworth. 
Chrysanthemum Ruby Martin.— The blooms of this late 
flowering decorative variety are orange-red m colour, more or less 
striped and suffused. The florets are very narrow numerous and 
form a dense reflexed mass. (Award of merit,) Mr, J. Martin, 
Lin.slade Nursery, Leighton Buzzard. 
Chrysanthemum Miss Edith Davey.-This may be described as 
a rich, rosy salmon sport from Fram'field Park. The florets 
are fairly broad, reflexed, and form a compact and neat bloom. 
It will be valued as a decorative and late variety of a rather novel 
colour, somewhat resembling Lady Hanham, but much darker. 
(Award of merit.) Mr. Milton Hutchings, Field Heath Nurseries, 
Hillingdon, Uxbridge. 
Carnations. 
Winter flowering Carnations will now be going out of flower, 
and cuttings should be inserted for flowering next, winter. Mix 
some nice light loam with equal parts of leaf mould and plenty 
of sand. Insert cuttings, and place them in a steady tempera¬ 
ture ranging from 50 deg. to 55 deg. They will not strike very 
fast, but when they do nice stocky plants will be the result. 
Should a good supply of blooms be wanted in summer, a good 
plan will be to top-dress the old plants, which have gone out of 
flower with some approved fertiliser, mixed with loam and road 
grit. Place them in a Peach house just started, and grow them 
on until you can safely stand them out of doors, and you will 
find these will give you abundance of flowers through the summer 
months. Carnation Mrs. Leopold de Rothschild is a splendid 
variety for this purpose, being free flowering and not inclined 
to split in the calyx. H. G. W. 
Watering and Cleaning Plants. 
It need hardly be stated that watering is one of the most im¬ 
portant aids to the robust and healthy development of green¬ 
house plants. In no case should the operator neglect this duty 
so far as to consider it a mere daily routine. On the contrary, 
he should look upon it as a science, calling for and requiring 
all the attention and care that lie possibly can to his help. He 
must not only be careful to learn when to water and when not 
to water, but "to make it his first duty how to do- the operation 
when needful. The nursery style, as it is called, should never 
be used in any go-ocl garden, but rather the more scientific one 
of giving water -only to the plants that really need it. The 
nursery style, by the way, is to water everything, whether 
needful or not; this, of course, is chiefly to save time. In moist 
and dull weather evaporation does not take place so rapidly, 
and -consequently plants require less water. 
The water used should always be as near the same tempera¬ 
ture as that of the house as possible, and if rain water cannot 
be had, the water should be allowed to lie exposed to the atmo¬ 
sphere for at least twelve hours before using. When syringing 
is out of the question, much benefit will be derived from moisten¬ 
ing the passages, especially in hot weather. One of the best 
guides to watering is the good old rule of tapping the pot with 
the knu-ckle ; if the sound is dull the plant is not requiring 
water, and if the- sound is hollow it wants it. 
Hard-wooded plants, which require much firmer potting than 
ordinary plants, are more in danger of suffering from the evils 
of careless watering. When they happen to get dry they must 
be at once sunk into a pail or the water tank, and left there 
till every trace -of air is dispelled. On the other hand, when one 
of these gets saturated, or wliat is called waterlogged, a very good 
plan is to water it two or three times in succession with water 
about blood heat. This dissolves and carries the acids formed 
in the soil right through. The plant will recover if it has not 
already suffered too long from the effects of the acids. 
Washing and Sponging. — Cleanliness is an extremely im- 
’ portant thing to be observed in the proper -culture of greenhouse 
plants. Not only must the stages and pots be kept scrupulously 
clean, but also ihc fcliaie ml-stuns must be occarionally sponge! 
with some or other of the many insecticides at -disposal. This 
assures a healthy growth in the plant, as much as it does in the 
animal, and should never be neglected. There is nothing more 
repugnant to the taste of the good gardener, his employer, or his 
visitors, than a fine display of flowers marred by the unsightly 
appearance of green moss-covered stages, and pots or plants 
almost in the first stages of locomotion with colonies of insects. 
When possible the syringe should be kept-going to counteract 
the increase of insects, and, when necessary, an occasional fumi¬ 
gation will be very beneficial. Andbew Scott. 
11, Daker’s Place, Hawick, Roxburghshire. 
