458 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  2?,  189?. 
Success  with  Orchids. 
I  enclose  you  a  few  Orchid  blooms  for  your  inspection.  The 
forms  of  Dendrobium  nobile  are  very  interesting.  You  will  observe 
that  No.  2  has  a  complete  absence  of  curl  in  the  lip,  which  makes  it 
very  distinct.  No.  3  is  also  distinct,  being  much  more  white  than 
the  original  variety  of  D.  nobile.  No.  1  approaches  the  variety  of 
nobile  nobilius.  The  Cypripedium  viilosum  is  also  of  good  colour. 
I  should  be  glad  if  you  would  give  me  the  name  of  the  Cattleya. 
Is  it  a  pale  form  of  Trianse  ?  I  should  like  to  say  that  these 
Orchids  cost  Id.  each  two  years  ago,  a  box  of  sixty  costing  5s — 
W.  J.  Grace,  Bickton  Gardens,  Fordingbridge. 
[The  Orchids  were  very  attractive.  The  results  you  have 
achieved  are  highly  creditable,  and  must  be  very  gratifying  to  you. 
Each  variety  is  good.  The  Cattleya  is  a  pale  form  of  Mossi®.  You 
have  evidently  made  the  best  of  a  good  bargain,  and  we  trust  your 
plants  will  still  continue  to  make  excellent  progress.] 
Manchester  and  North  op  England  Orchid  Society. 
In  their  circular  first  sent  out  the  suggestors  of  the  above 
Society  state  that  it  is  estimated  that  within  a  radius  of  thirty- 
miles  of  Manchester  the  Orchid  wealth  of  the  country  is  centralised, 
and  at  the  instance  of  several  gentlemen  in  the  district  it  was 
thought  advisable  to  form  a  Committee,  with  head-quarters  in  Man¬ 
chester,  composed  of  amateur  or  private  grower*  as  separate  and 
apart  from  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  R  H.S.  Subsequent 
meetings  were  held,  and  the  Society  was  formed.  The  Society  is 
founded  for  the  purpose  of  fostering  and  encouraging  the  growth 
and  cultivation  of  Orchidaceous  plants  generally  (a)  By  the 
awarding  of  F.C.C.,  A.M.,  and  cultural  certificates,  and  by  awarding 
prizes  for  Orchid*  in  money  or  such  other  form  as  the  Committee 
may  determine,  sums  being  voted  from  the  Society’s  funds.  The 
entrance  fee  is  one  guinea,  and  one  guinea  the  annual  subscription. 
The  voting  is  by  ballot.  In  rule  12  the  Committee  state  that  they 
shall  cause  a  flower  from  every  plant  receiving  a  F.C.C.  to  be 
painted  by  an  artist  to  be  appointed  by  them  at  the  expense  of  the 
person  owning  the  plant,  and  such  painting  shall  be  the  property  of 
the  Society,  and  shall  be  kept  by  the  Hon.  Sec.  in  a  suitable  and 
secure  place  for  purposes  of  reference.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Coal  Exchange  on  Thursday  last,  a  room  with  excellent 
acoustic  properties,  and  other  meetings  are  to  be  held  fortnightly, 
so  as  not  to  clash  with  those  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
Considering  that  this  was  the  first  meeting  the  exhibits  were 
more  numerous  than  one  would  have  expected,  and  the  enthusiasm 
displayed  by  many  of  the  Manchester  gentlemen  present  augured 
well  for  its  success  as  a  permanent  and  lasting  good  to  all  Orchid 
lovers  in  the  North.  Private  growers  made  an  admirable  display, 
foremost  being  Mr.  Lofthouse,  gardener  to  A.  Warburton,  Esq  , 
Vine  House,  Haslingden,  who  had  grand  and  well-flowered  forms 
of  Lae  lias  purpurata  and  purpurata  Schroder®  ;  Cattleyas  Mo*s® 
and  Mendeli,  very  fine ;  Oncidium  Marshallianum,  Brassia  maculata 
Dendrobium  Jamesianum,  and  excellent  Odontoglossum  crispum, 
amongst  which  was  a  giant  form,  quite  the  largest  we  have  seen. 
Mr.  Alexander  Hay,  gardener  to  R.  Shorland  Ball,  Esq  , 
Wilmslow,  had  a  handsome  collection  in  choice  variety,  every  plant 
being  well  grown  and  finely  flowered.  Conspicuous  were  Cypri¬ 
pedium  Schroder®  splendens,  Odontoglossum  vexillarium,  Dendro- 
biums  Jamesianum  and  Deari,  Cattleyas  Mossiae  and  Schroder®,  a 
well-cultivated  Cattleya  Skinneri,  and  Masdevallia  Yeitchi.  Mr. 
W.  Stevens,  gardener  to  W.  Thompson,  Esq.,  Walton  Grange, 
Stone,  Staffs.,  was  noted  as  usual  for  varieties  of  the  highest 
quality,  and  had  a  deserving  honour  conferred  upon  him  by  gaining 
five  certificates  out  of  six  exhibits. 
R.  Ashworth,  Esq,,  The  Ashlands,  Newchurch,  had  Cattleya 
Mossiae,  Cypripedium  Rothschildianum,  and  Cattleya  Mendeli 
vestalis.  G.  W.  Law-Schofield,  Esq.,  New  Hall,  Rawtenstall,  had 
a  fine  and  well-flowered  plant  of  Cattleya  Skinneri  superba,  also 
Lselia  purpurata  and  Cattleya  Mossiae.  Duncan  Gilmour,  Esq, 
Sandygate,  Sheffield,  had  an  attractive  collection,  comprising 
Cattleyas,  Odontoglo?jmms,  and  Dendrobiu ms— small  plants,  but 
nicely  flowered. 
Interesting,  too,  were  those  set  up  by  Mr.  Spurr,  gardener  to 
H.  Greenwood,  Esq.,  Highfield,  Haslingden,  among  which  was  a 
noticeable  plant  of  Anguloa  Clowesi  with  deep  lemon-coloured 
blooms.  Mr.  Shiner,  gardener  to  E.  J.  Sidebotham,  Esq.,  exhi¬ 
bited  Dendrobium  Jame*ianum  profusely  flowered.  Messrs.  Jno. 
Cowan  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  The  Vineyard,  Garston,  exhibited  a  large  and 
diversified  table  of  Orchids  in  bloom,  including  some  excellent 
types  of  Lselia  purpurata,  both  light  and  dark  varieties,  Cittleyas 
Mossise,  Dandrobiums  clavatum,  Dalhousianum,  Devonianum,  and 
crepidatum  roseum,  with  Lselia  flava,  altogether  a  splendid  contri¬ 
bution. 
The  Committee  sat  from  twelve  to  one,  and  in  that  time  had 
granted  the  following  awards  —  viz,,  first-clas*  certificates  to 
W.  Thompson,  Eiq.,  Stone,  for  Odontogloi*mn  crispum  Annie,  a 
magnificent  long-spiked  rose  variety,  heavily  blotched  with  crimson  ; 
Odontoglossum  excellens  Thompsonianum,  with  pale  yellow  ground, 
having  sepals  and  petals  banded  chestnut  brown  ;  Odontoglossum 
aureum  sceptrum,  a  variety  in  light  and  rich  shades  of  yellow; 
Cattleya  intermedia  alba,  perfect  and  greatly  admired  ;  and 
Cypripedium  Rothschildianum  giganteum.  R.  Shorland  Bill,  Esq  , 
for  a  handsome  Lyca»te  Skinneri  alba,  well  flowered  ;  for  the  rare 
Cypripedium  callosum  Sander®,  and  an  award  of  merit  for  Cattleya 
Skinneri  alba.  G.  W.  Law-Schofield,  Esq.,  secured  awards  of 
merit  for  Cattleyas  Skinneri  oculata,  also  for  a  fine  bloom  labelled 
C.  Gaskelliana  alba,  but  which  partook  more  of  a  Mossi®  type 
than  the  true  Gaskelliana  alba.  Of  course  there  are  a  few  matters 
that  will  be  righted  as  the  Society  progresses,  but  a  good  beginning 
has  been  made,  and  in  Mr.  Shorland  Bill,  the  Hon.  Treasurer, 
and  Mr.  Gent,  the  courteous  and  willing  lion.  Secretary,  the 
Committee  have  two  gentlemen  who  will  do  all  in  their  power  to 
keep  the  Society  up  to  a  very  high  standard. 
CERASUS  VIRGINIANA. 
Some  years  ago  there  was  a  tree  growing  in  one  of  the  belts  on  the 
south  boundary  of  the  old  Chiswick  Garden  which  attracted  the  attention 
of  lovers  of  trees  when  it  was  in  bloom,  and  which  was  erroneously 
labelled  Ceraius  capollin.  That  it  was  not  Cerasus  capopin  was  evident 
from  the  broad  ovate  lanceolate  leaves  and  the  bold  erect  leafless  racemes 
of  flowers.  It  was  a  tree  which  engaged  Loud  on’s  notice,  and  in  the 
"  Arboretum  et  Fruticetum  Britannicum  ”  he  remarks,  when  treating  of 
Cerasus  capollin,  that  the  flowers  produced  on  a  plant  bearing  this  name 
in  the  London  Horticultural  Society’s  Garden  are  not  those  of  that 
species.  “  Its  leaves  also  are  much  too  broad  and  elliptical ;  and  the 
leaves,  the  flowers,  and  the  whole  tree  bear  so  much  resemblance  to 
C.  virginiana  that  we  have  no  doubt  of  its  being  only  a  variety  of  that 
species,  but  of  larger  and  more  luxuriant  growth.” 
Of  the  tree  thus  referred  to  a  representation  is  given  ;  at  the  same 
time  we  do  not  consider  it  the  Cerasus  virginiana  of  Michaux,  neither  is 
it  the  Cerasus  Paius  of  Dacandolie  as  some  have  supposed  it  to  be. 
After  a  careful  examination  we  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is 
the  true  Prunus  virginiana  of  Linnaaus,  and  the  Prunus  Cerasus  rubra 
of  the  “  Hortus  Kewensis,”  ed.  1.  It  differs  from  Cerasus  Padus  in 
the  habit  of  the  tree,  which  is  stronger  and  more  rigid  and  luxuriant ; 
in  the  glandular  leaves,  those  of  C.  Padus  being  eglandular  ;  in  the  long, 
rigid,  erect,  leafless  racemes,  those  of  PaduB  being  drooping  and  leafy  ; 
and  by  its  later  flowering,  which  is  not  till  the  middle  of  June.  It  is  a 
tree  of  great  beauty  which  appears  to  be  very  little  known.  The  spray 
represented  was  grown  in  the  garden  of  the  late  D  .  Hogg. 
J^This  will  be  of  use  to  others  besides  “  Devooim,”  page  469.] 
WEDDING  BOUQUETS. 
Florists  of  all  descriptions  have  been  extremely  busy  this 
season,  and  seem  now  to  be  entering  upon  an  era  of  still  greater 
activity.  Having  to  be  “up  to  date”  in  all  matters  connected 
with  floral  decorations,  I  recently  took  the  opportunity  of  con¬ 
versing  at  some  length  with  one  of  the  leading  Court  florists  as 
to  the  style  of  decorations  in  vogue  for  the  present  season. 
Among  other  things  bouquets  were  touched  upon,  and  it  seems 
that  there  are  no  startling  differences  in  the  style  of  them  this 
year,  with  the  exception  of  orders  executed  for  a  few  individuals 
who  may  be  termed  faddists,  whose  ideas  do  not  take  with  the 
general  public. 
Shower  bouquets  are  as  popular  as  ever,  and  whoever  hit  upon 
this  bright  idea  seems  to  have  grasped  one  which  has  come  to  stay, 
for  when  well  made  this  style  of  bouquet  is  one  which  will  be 
very  hard  mdeed  to  surpass.  The  round  and  conical  bouquets 
are  still  much  liked,  and  a  very  noted  Com  t  florist  still  executes 
the  majority  of  his  orders  in  this  style,  varying  the  size  of  them, 
and  at  times  having  a  few  strings  of  flowers  depending  from  them. 
Favourite  flowers  for  making  bridal  bouquets  are  Lily  of  the 
Yalley,  Gardenias,  white  Orchids,  Freesias,  White  Carnations, 
