440 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  24,  1900. 
Orchids  at  Hollycombe. 
Some  of  the  most  profusely  flowered  specimens  of  Dendrobium 
nobile  and  its  variety  Wallichianum  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
are  in  the  possession  of  J.  C.  Hawkshaw,  Esq.,  Hollycombe,  Liphook. 
The  entire  collection  is  not  extensive,  the  majority  of  the  plants  being 
accommodated  ill  one  house,  erected  especially  for  them  a  few  years 
ago  ;  but  the  rude  state  of  health  and  the  luxuriant  growth  of  several 
of  the  different  species  contained  therein,  amply  demonstrated  the 
pleasure  which  can  be  obtained  in  a  mixed  collection  cultivated  in  one 
structure. 
The  Dendrobiums  were,  however,  at  the  time  of  my  visit  arranged 
in  the  f  rm  of  a  bank  in  the  spacious  conservatory  adjoining  the 
mansion.  There  was  a  Palm  in  the  background  set  in  a  groundwork 
of  Adiantum  cuneatum,  while  here  and  there  small  plants  of  Cocos 
Weddelliana  were  judiciously  interspersed,  and  added  greatly  to  the 
effect.  One  specimen  was  superb,  and  a  credit  to  Mr.  Silcock 
the  courteous  gardener  and  grower  of  these  Dendrobiums  ;  it  measured 
4  feet  in  diameter,  while  closely  studded  on  the  several  dozen  well- 
matured  pseudo-hulbs  were  upwards  of  1100  blooms.  In  close 
proximity  was  another  exa  nple  with  fully  1000  flowers;  the  latter 
was  growing  in  a  10-inch  pot ;  several  others  were  carrying  hundreds 
of  fully  expanded  blossoms. 
These  specimens  I  learnt  were  young  offsets  made  up  in  their 
present  flowering  receptacles  three  seasons  ago.  These,  in  the  opinion 
of  Mr.  Silcock,  considerably  outdistance  plants  made  up  and  repotted 
in  the  usual  way.  It  is  essential  to  exercise  great  care  in  watering 
until  the  offsets  are  e  tablished ;  afterwards  they  are  kept  at  the 
warmer  end  of  the  house  and  are  accorded  tropical  treatment  in  the 
form  of  copious  supplies  of  water  both  at  the  root  and  in  the 
atmosphere.  Occasionally  during  the  season  they  are  given  a  little 
weak  liquid  manure,  made  from  fowl  manure,  alternated  with  soot 
water,  iu  order  to  stimulate  the  growth.  As  the  growths  mature 
the  plants  are  removed  to  cooler  quarters,  every  care  being  taken  to 
insure  the  thorough  ripening  of  the  pseudo-bulbs,  as  on  this  depends 
satisfactory  flowering.  By  attending  to  a  rotation  of  plants,  Mr.  Silcock 
experiences  no  difficulty  in  maintaining  a  succession  of  well  bloomed 
plants  from  January  until  June,  those  for  the  former  period  being 
afforded  a  very  slight  rest  prior  to  restarting,  while  others  are  retarded 
and  brought  forward  as  required. 
In  the  same  house  were  well-grown  specimens  of  Oncidium 
sphacelatum  grandiflorum,  with  some  two  dozen  lengthy  spikes  of 
pretty  chocolate  and  yellow  blossoms  ;  a  well-flowered  plant  in  a 
basket  of  Odontoglossum  citrosmum  ;  the  somewhat  rare  Cattieya 
dolosa,  Cypripedium  villosum,  C.  Sedeni,  and  C.  Lawrenceanum. 
Laelia  superbiens,  which  is  rather  difficult  with  some  growers  to  grow 
into  fine  plants,  was  in  good  condition  at  Hollycombe,  having  carried 
a  dozen  spikes  5  leet  in  length  with  from  twelve  to  twenty  blossoms 
on  the  summit  of  each.  Dendrobiums  densiflorum,  thyrsiflorum, 
Pierardi,  chrysanthum,  and  moschatum  were  luxuriating,  while  the 
common  Epidendrum  evectuin  also  occupied  a  place.  These  are  a  few 
of  the  Orchils  that  were  piarticularly  noted  on  the  occasion  of  my 
visit,  though  several  other  species  find  a  congenial  home  in  this 
structure. 
Of  the  numerous  other  glass  houses  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  speak 
at  this  moment ;  suffice  it  to  say  the  occupants  of  each  fully  justified, 
the  care  and  skill  bestowed  on  them.  Mention  must,  however,  be 
made  of  the  flue  specimen  of  Camellia  alba-plena,  planted  out  in 
a  cool  house.  Though  of  a  great  age — i.e.,  one  hundred  years — it 
was  moved  from  the  conservatory  some  eight  years  by  Mr,  Silcock, 
and  replanted  in  its  present  quarters;  it  annually  produces  some 
thousands  ot  its  chaste  blossoms  from  November  to  April.  Equally 
at  home  is  another  tree  of  the  same  variety,  planted  out  of  doors  in  a 
southerly  position.  The  choice  specimens  of  Coniferse,  flowering 
shrubs,  Rhododendrons,  Azaleas  ponticum  and  mollis  I  must  pass  with 
a  word,  much  as  they  deserve  extended  mention. — Geo.  Hagon. 
At  Chelsea, 
One  of  the  facts  in  connection  with  the  Temple  Show  that  is 
regretted  yearly  is  that  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  do  not  exhibit 
from  their  unrivalled  collections  of  Orchids  at  Chelsea,  Langley,  and 
Feltham.  But  so  it  is.  Their  exhibit  is  made  up  at  the  Royal 
Exotic  Nursery  at  Chelsea,  and  what  the  visitor  to  the  Temple  Show 
loses  the  visitor  lo  the  Kin/s  Road  esiablisnmeut  gains.  Everyone 
who  goes  to  Chelsea  at  any  time  expects  to  find  at  least  a  few  Orchids 
in  flower,  and  no  one  need  fear  disa  ipointment ;  it  is,  however,  just  at 
ihstime  that  each  house  becomes  more  than  ordinarily  beautiful, 
lor  on  each  hand  there  are  flowers  of  every  conceivable  size,  form, 
and  colour.  Let  those,  therefore,  who  can  find  the  time  make  tracks 
I  r  Chelsea  to  see  Oichids  in  a  dozen  houses,  and  find  how  well  these 
I  iants  maybe  made  to  thrive  even  in  this  unfavoura' le  part  of  our  smoky 
iiie'ropoiis.  All  those  in  flower  are  not  grown  there  of  course,  but  the 
majority  are,  and  that  is  sufficient  to  show  the  capabilities  of  the 
grower,  Mr.  Harris,  the  plants  and  the  climate. 
For  very  many  years  the  first  Orchid  house  running  at  right 
angles  to  the  long  walk  has  been  filled  with  Odontoglossums, 
particularly  crispums ;  but  here,  as  elsewhere,  “the  old  order 
changeth,”  and  the  principal  portion  of  the  collection  is  now  con¬ 
spicuous  by  its  absence.  The  plants  have  been  transferred  to 
Feltham,  hence  the  firm  has  now  Orchids  there,  as  well  as  at  Chelsea 
and  Lang'ey.  In  place  of  the  Odontoglossums  we  find  Cattleyas  and 
Lselio-Cattleyas  in  excellent  variety  and  abundant  quantity.  There 
are  large  numbers  of  Orttleya  Schroderm  just  passing  their  best,  but 
still  remaining  su'ficiently  fresh  to  prove  the  presence  of  more  than  a 
few  varieties  of  exceptional  quality.  C.  Philo  is  a  hybrid  from 
C.  Mossiae,  and  C.  tricolor  and  varies  in  colour  from  soft  blu.sh  to  deep 
rose-purple.  Lselia  latona  is  really  superb  in  its  brilliant  colours,  as 
indeed  are  the  bright  yellow  Laelio-Cattleya  Zephyra,  with  its 
crimson  lip;  L -C.  Wellsiana  albida;  L.-C.  Hyeana,  particularly 
r  ch  ;  and  L.-C.  Daphne,  which  was  obtained  from  Cattlej  a  Mossiae 
and  Laelia  elegans. 
In  the  structure  running  parallel  with  the  ma  n  walk  are  some 
splendid  plants  of  Oncidium  concolor,  which  have  made  a  wonder¬ 
fully  attractive  display  during  the  past  few  weeks.  This  is  indeed  a 
charming  Orchid  when  seen  in  such  numbers.  0.  Marsballianum, 
too,  with  its  great  spikes,  is  in  fine  form,  and  lends  good  aid  in 
adorning  the  house.  Of  Odontoglossums  noted  one  form  of  trium- 
phans  is  particularly  good,  while  several  other  varieties  a-e  little 
inferior.  0.  Halli  is  admirably  represented,  as  also  is  0.  vexillarium, 
with  the  pleasing  0.  cirrhosum.  These,  with  many  others,  make  this 
house  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  whole  series. 
Continuing  our  tour,  we  quickly  find  ourselves  amongst  the 
Dindrobiums  in  baskets  hanging  from  the  roof,  with  Cypripediums  on 
the  side  stages,  while  still  further  along  are  numbers  of  Phalmnopsis, 
many  of  which  are  in  flower.  The  Dendrobiums  are  not  confined  to 
one  house,  but  are  comparatively  numerous  in  several.  Amongst  the 
most  conspicuous  are  the  chastely  beautiful  Bensoniae,  Alcippe,  and 
Euterpe,  with  the  much  showier  though  not  more  beautiful  thyrsi¬ 
florum  and  chrysotoxum  in  the  Orchid  rockery.  Burlingtonia 
pubescens,  with  its  paper  white,  sweetly  perfumed  flowers,  is  worthy 
of  all  the  admiration  that  it  receives  from  the  many  visitors.  Several 
of  the  Phatenopsis  are  j>eculiarly  pretty,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
names  of  John  Seden  and  Hermione  (a  hybrid  from  P.  Stuartiana  and 
P.  Luddemanniana),  as  well  as  P.  Manni  and  P.  Luddemanniana, 
which  in  col  uring  are  perhaps  more  quaint  than  beautiful.  Spitho- 
glottis  aureo-Veillardi  and  Zygocolax  Vtitchi  are  pictures  that  always 
attract  as  well  for  their  distinctive  form  as  for  their  beauty. 
The  most  striking  Cypripedium  is  Lawrenceanum,  whose  handsome 
flowers  stand  boldly  above  the  equally  handsome  leaves.  Of  chaster 
beauty  is  C.  niveum,  with  its  milk  white  delicate  looking  flowers.  Of 
the  others  observed  the  best  were  Fraseri,  Euryal  ,  Mastersianum, 
Joseph  Chamberlain,  callosum,  ciliolare,  and  j^Eson,  Eetiirning  to  the 
Orchid  rockery  we  find  Bifrenaria  Harnsonse,  Epidendrum 
langleyense,  whose  yellow  flowers  last  in  good  con  lition  for  quite  two 
mouths,  Cymbidiums  Lowianum  and  eburneum,  wnth  Cypripedium 
Rothschildianum,  and  Oncidiums  pulchellum,  sarcodes,  ampliatum, 
pulvinatum,  and  divaricatum.  The  two  latter  are  very  similar  in 
the  form  of  the  branching  spikes,  but  the  first  named  produces  its 
paler  coloured  flowers  somewhat  later  than  0.  divaricatum. 
It  would  be  no  easy  task  to  say  how  many  persons  have  seen  and 
admired  the  great  Ca  tleya  house,  which  is  usually  at  the  present 
period  of  the  year  the  home  of  hundre'^s  of  flowers.  This  season, 
however,  has  been  very  unfavourable  to  the  development  of  the  blooms, 
and  as  a  consequence  the  most  beautiful  moment  of  the  display  will  be 
some  two  or  three  weeks  later  than  the  average.  There  are  the  grand 
plants  with  considerable  numbers  of  flowers,  every  one  of  which  is 
worthy  of  close  examination.  The  lime  and  opportunity  for  particular- 
isation  are,  however,  not  now,  and  we  must  content  ourselves  with 
the  bare  announcement  that  Cattleyas  Mendeli,  Lawrenci  ana,  citrina 
are  splendid,  and  that  C.  Mossiae  is  somewffiat  later.  Laelia  purpurata, 
which  is  generally  superb,  is  represented  by  a  few  excellent  flowers, 
both  light  and  dark  in  hue,  and  hundreds  of  sheaths  which  will 
probably  produce  many  flowers  worth  the  seeing.  These  are  not  all 
the  Orchids  in  flower  at  Chelsea  that  are  deserving  of  mention,  but 
they  must  suffice  to  indicate  to  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horti¬ 
culture  how  diversified  and  interesting  is  the  entire  display. — Obachb, 
