January  25,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GAEDEXER, 
slime  on  ail  stock  out  of  doors,  and  a  sediment  on  the  leaves  of  plants 
under  glass.  These  substances,  of  whatever  their  nature,  exercise 
an  undoubtedly  deieterious  effect  as  well  on  persons  as  on  plants, 
and  the  London  gardener  of  to-day  sighs  for  the  sweet  pure  air  of  the 
country,  where  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  plants  would  be  materially 
prolonged.  _ 
In  no  phase  of  gardening  are  the  prejudicial  effects  of  fogs  more 
pronounced  than  in  that  of  Orchid  growing,  and  the  spirits  of  many 
growers  must  often  be  damped  when  hundreds  of  dowers  are  spoiled, 
and  the  foliage  of  plants  is  seriously  injured.  These  troubles  have 
come  to  more  than  one  grower  during  the  past  autumn  and  winter, 
and  possibly  none  have  suffered  more  than  Mr.  11.  II.  Measures  of 
The  Woodlands,  Streatham,  whose  collection  of  Cypripedium  insigne 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  inspecting  a  week  or  two  before  Christmas. 
There  was  no  difficulty  in  finding  abundant  evidence  of  the  damage 
that  had  been  done  to  the  plants,  as  the  leaves  presented  an  appearance 
which  until  now  has  been  quite  foreig  i  to  them.  Flowers  have  come, 
and  ere  yet  they  have  shown  their  beauties  have  been  destroyed  by 
fogs.  If  these  effects  follow  with  flowers  of  such  substance  as 
Cypripediums  one  can  imagine  the  disasters  among  the  Cattleyas,  of 
which  we  learnt  from  Mr.  J.  J.  Coles,  the  gardener,  hundreds  quite 
failed  to  develop  from  this  cause  alone. 
Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  magnificent  collection  of  Cypripedium 
insigne  was  worth  going  many  a  mile  to  see,  and  we  would  not  envy 
anyone  the  task  of  finding  its  superior.  The  number  of  plants  closely 
approaches  to  five  thousand,  and  if  we  take  the  very  moderate  average 
of  six  blooms  to  a  plant  we  have  the  extraordinary  total  of  nearly 
30,000  flowers.  This,  we  are  convinced,  is  decidedly  below  the  actual 
number,  and  fortunately  they  are  not  all  expanded  at  one  moment, 
but  come  in  constant  succession  over  a  long  series  of  weeks.  The 
length  of  time  during  which  they  last  is,  as  has  already  been  suggested, 
materially  affected  by  the  external  climatic  conditions,  and  it  is  much 
Just  one  other  p  >int  and  the  pen  must 
cease  its  working.  This  is  in  relation  to 
the  practice  that  prevails  of  naming  every 
flower  that  opens,  be  it  good,  bad,  or 
indifferent.  On  this  Mr.  Crawshay  holds 
very  strong  opinion-!,  and  holds  that  none 
should  be  given  a  specific  name  that  is 
not  in  some  decided  respect  a  step  in 
advance  —  more  particularly  when  the 
plant  is  to  be  publicly  shown.  This  is 
the  principle  on  which  this  grower  works, 
and  though  he  may  and  does  give  some 
forms  fancy  names  it  is  because  they 
have  decorative  value  for  home  use,  and 
are  never  shown  as  varieties  of  super¬ 
excellence.  Would  that  others  followed 
this  excellent  example.  Though  Mr. 
Crawshay  has  such  a  familiarity  with 
the  wants  of  his  plants,  and  does  much 
practical  work  amongst  them,  he  will  not 
grudge  a  word  of  congratulation  to  his 
gardener,  Mr.  Cook,  who  must  be  given 
a  place  in  the  foremo  t  rank  of  Odonto- 
glossum  crispum  growers  in  the  country. 
Cypripedium  insigne  at  The  Wood¬ 
lands. 
As  years  succeed  years  the  gardener, 
be  he  amateur  or  professional,  who  carries 
on  his  avocation  within  the  area  of 
London  smoke,  has  greater  and  greater 
difficulties  to  overcome.  Moreover,  every 
season  finds  the  radius  of  the  smoky  log 
fiend  extending,  until  places  which  a 
decade  ago  were  quite  clear,  now  have 
visitations  at  all  too  frequent  intervals.  Thus  it  is  that  the^proba- 
bilities  of  success  in  the  cultivation  of  any  kind  of  plants  become 
yearly  less,  and  the  labour  involved  in  insuring  even  moderately 
satisfactory  results  grows  proportionately.  Few  indeed  are  the  “plants 
that  will  withstand  the  baneful  influences  of  London  fogs,  which 
enwrap  every  thing  as  in  a  mantle,  and  leave  in  their  wake  a  filthy 
to  be  hoped  that  the  autumn  of  1900  will  be  more  in  favour  of 
longevity  than  was  that  of  1899.  Happily,  neither  Mr.  Measures  nor 
his”lieuteaant  is  likely  to  be  disheartened,  or  we  should  have  them 
packing  their  Lares  and  P enates  and  passing  into  districts  more  con¬ 
genial  'to  the  plants,  but  less  accessible  to  the  interested  visitor. 
“This  has  been,”  said  Mr.  Coles,  “the  worst  season  within  my 
them  to  the  fostering  care  of  Mr.  Crawshay  and  turn  our  attention  to 
the  stock  of  Laelia  anceps. 
/■"  It  is  more  than  probable  that  many  people  have  not  yet  realised 
the  glorious  beauty  produced  by  a  number  of  these  plants  when  they 
are  in  flower,  particularly  of  course  when  exceptionally  choice  forms 
are  to  the  fore.  Personally  I  can  say  that,  though  always  an  admirer 
of  Lselia  anceps,  I  was  more  than  surprised  with  the  plants  at  Rose- 
field.  It  is  not  one  or  two  spikes  that  are  to  be  found,  but  hundreds 
rising  from  the  healthy  plants,  some  having  passed  their  best  stages  of 
beauty,  with  others  just  at  perfection,  and  more  still  to’come.  And 
so  it  will  go  for  many  weeks  to  come.  In  the  different  types  of 
growth  alone  there  are  several  object  lessons,  and  needless  to  state 
]\Ir.  Crawshay  has  taken  advantage  of  them.  He  now  speculates  on 
the  results  that  are  likely  to  come  with  flowers  of  this  or  that  plant, 
and  not  seldom  his  suppositions  are  fully  realised.  There  are  small 
plants  and  large  ones  ;  imported  stocks  that  have  not  yet  proved  their 
right  to  hold  a  permanent  position  at  Rosefield,  with  many  that  are 
prime  favourites  which  are  never  likely  to  lose  their  places  even 
though  superior  varieties  may  and  probably  will  come  to  the  fore. 
With  a  laudable  view  to  artistic  effect  Mr.  Crawshay  has  had  the 
choicest  of  those  flowering  at  the  moment  placed  together  at  one  end 
of  the  central  stage  in  a  span-roofed  structure.  The  little  group 
makes  a  most  gorgeous  display,  and  yet  one  which,  with  all  its  bril¬ 
liance,  is  essentially  refined,  for  in  the  beauty  of  colour  and  form  of 
Lselia  anceps,  there  can  be  found  nothing  coarse.  Superb  in  every 
respect  are  Mrs.  Crawshay  and  Crawshayana  (fig.  14),  as  might  natu¬ 
rally  be  expected  with  such  varietal  names  as  these.  Then  the  flowers 
of  Chamberlainiana  and  Amesiana  must  have  a  word  of  appreciation 
for  the  size  and  colouration  in  the  first  place,  and  for  the  exquisite 
huesAn  the  second.  The  spikes  of  white  rising  amidst  the  lively 
colours  ot  those  named  not  only  show  off  its  own  beauty,  but 
emphasise  the  glory  of  its  companions.  Others -named  and  unnamed 
are  in  flower  or  bud,  and  one  or  two  may 
find  their  way  to  the  Drill  Hall  in  the 
days  to  come,  in  which  case  we  may  rest 
assured  that  they  will  be  decidedly  above 
the  average  standard  of  merit,  as  Mr. 
Crawshay  is  no  believer  in  the  exhibiting 
ot  Diants  or  flowers  that  will  not  add 
credit  to  his  name. 
