May 2, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
383 
Orchids at Highbury. 
When at Birmingham* about the middle of last month we 
had the pleasure of inspecting the gardens of the Right Hon. 
Joseph Chamberlain, Highbury, Moor Green, on the outskirts 
of the city. Mr. Deacon, the gardener, happened to be visiting 
the Daffodil Show, so that we were unfortunate enough to miss 
him, but the Orchid grower, Mr. John Mackay, kindly showed 
us over the place. 
The first house we entered was devoted to Orchids, and 
proved most interesting, as a considerable number of them 
were in bloom, including some rare species which we seldom 
come across, even in good collections. A very beautiful effect 
was produced by the small-leaved Ficus stipulata, which was 
trained up some of the rafters, and then horizontally along the 
roof of the house, so as to cover the heavier beams of woodwork. 
The long slender shoots, hanging down in graceful trails in 
some places, produced a very charming effect. The Orchids 
themselves were stood in a groundwork of Maidenhair Ferns. 
There is an installation of the electric light all over the place, 
including this house, so that it must be even more charming 
vhen lighted up at night. Very sweetly scented was Cattleya 
■itrina, grown upon a raft. Cattleya Schroderae highburyensis 
was notable for the large size of the flowers and the rich colour 
of the lip. Other Cattleyas flowering at the present time are 
T Mendelii, C. Skinneri, C. lawrenceana, and C. Schroderae 
ilba, with an orange blotch on the lip, the rest being white, 
in uncommon hybrid was C. claudiana (speciosissima x schil- 
eriana). The three lobes of the lip were of a rich crimson 
mrple. Peculiarly appropriate to this place is Laeliocattleya 
lighburvensis, having apricot flowers, with a crimson-purple 
ip. 
One of the rarest of the Dendrobiums was D. albo-san- 
I'uineum, having pale yellow flowers and two richly-coloured 
Notches on the lip. Equally rare in collections is D. Madonna, 
he drooping flowers of which resemble a bird on the wing, and 
ire white, with a few purple markings on the edge of the lip. 
fiber species in flower were D. devonianum, D. fimbriatum 
bculatum, D. chrysoioxumj and D. Farmeri albiflorum ; the 
fast named had a beautiful rich orange blotch on the lip, mak- 
ng a fine contrast with the rest of the flower, which was white, 
n this house, also, was a supposed natural hybrid named Epi- 
attleya guatenmlensis (Epidendrum aurantiacum x C. Skin- 
ieri). The colour of the flowers, and also their shape, would 
usrgest the above parentage. The purple lip particularly re¬ 
calls C. Skinneri in form. A rather striking Laelia, indicated 
j'j the name L. boothiana x aurea, would rather suggest L. 
i oothiana x lawrenceana, the large flowers, and more particul¬ 
arly the rich crimson-purple lip, forcibly recalling the last- 
amed species. At the end of the house was a healthy piece 
f Cymbidium lowianum, bearing four long racemes of bloom. 
The next house entered was even more interesting from 
.eitain points of view, and would be to the hybridist. It was 
Mostly devoted to seedling plants, most of which have not yet 
loomed, some of them being really in the earliest stages of 
abyhood. A few of them, however, were in bloom, including 
laeliocattleya Ida (L. harpophylla x lawrenceana). The colour 
f the flowers is exactly intermediate between those two 
arents. Lc. G. S. Ball (L. cinnabarina x C. Schroderae) was 
ist coming into bloom. 
Seeing that most of them have not yet bloomed, no names 
ace been given them beyond those indicating the parentage, 
■nt no doubt we shall hear of a good many of them later on, 
ien they show their true character, and have names given 
iem. Cattleyas were particularly plentiful, in various stages 
growth. Some of them were just commencing to become 
leen, representing the earliest stages of germination of the 
-cr s, which were sown on pieces of flannel, covering the soil 
the pots in which it was intended to grow them. These 
ots were supported on wire stands, as were, indeed, many 
nier plants of larger size in the same house, to prevent tire 
^ages of snails, which are always troublesome to seedlings 
hen unprotected. Other seeds were sown on the cross ends 
of pieces of pinewood, the latter being planted in pots to keep 
them moist. In both cases, however, everything had a scrupu¬ 
lously clean appearance, and we were assured that they suc¬ 
ceeded perfectly under those conditions. 
In this same house was a splendid piece of Cypripedium 
niveuni, carrying one flower and nineteen buds on the point of 
expansion. One scape carried twin flowers—a very unusual 
thing in this species. Several of the fraternity have been ad¬ 
miring this fine plant for some time past. Other plants in 
flowei in the seedling-house were C. Exul, Angraecum citratum, 
A. modestum, A. fastuosum, A. sesquipedale, Miltonia Roezlii 
alba, and Aerides Fieldingi. The latter had a remarkably 
strong spike, but the flowers were only in bud on the occasion 
of our visit. 
Many Cattleyas were in bloom in the Cattleya house, includ¬ 
ing a large number of hybrids. We might mention C. Mendelii, 
C. V agneri (in sheath), C. Skinneri alba, C. Harrisoniae x Mos- 
siae, C. intermedia x Harrisoniae, and C. chamberlainiana 
(C. guttata x dowiana). We noted a huge pan of C. Schroderae 
having twelve leads. We apologise to our readers for the 
difficulty of following out this nomenclature, but in the Orchid 
Odontoglossum crisp u.u Lowae. (Seep. 380.) 
houses the Highbury marriages have been very numerous, and 
until the jdants flower, and have been given names, there is 
no other w T ay of designating them. Indeed, so numerous are 
the seedlings that it will be difficult to find names for all of 
them when they come into bloom. Even some of those already 
in bloom have not yet received any special name beyond those 
indicated by the parentage. 
A very showy hybrid is Laelia Mrs. M. Gratrix. L. pur¬ 
purata russelliana x digbyana should give fine blooms. The 
Laeliocattleyas are also very numerous, including such fine 
things as Lc. Aphrodite (C. Mendelii x L. purpurata), Lc. hor- 
riana (P. purpurata x schilleriana), Lc. Eldorado x digbyana, 
and Lc. elegans x digbyana. Most of the above'are now in 
sheath, and though not all flowering for the first time, will, 
nevertheless, be interesting presently. 
Even more complicated are some of the hybrids which have 
been accomplished, and the parentages we give will enable 
readers to grasp some idea of what they are like. For in¬ 
stance, we noted Brassolaelia Rolfeae (L. crispa x Brassavola 
digbyana), Biassocattleya Mrs. Chamberlain (C. chocoensis x B 
digbyana), Brassocattleya Mariae (C. Warneri x B. digbyana), 
