July  25,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
77 
seemed  good,  forthwith  cleared  a  strip  15  inches  wide,  dug  it  up, 
edged  it  next  the  gravel  with  thin  deal  battens,  and  planted  the 
narrow  enclosures  with  Violas.  It  will  be  seen,  then,  that  the  beds 
on  the  lawn  are  occupied  by  these  flowers,  plus  a  margin  on  each 
side  filched  from  the  walk,  still  leaving  it  wide  enough  for  its 
purpose.  There  is  no  glass  in  the  garden,  save  one  or  two  frames 
for  storing  Carnations,  yet  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  a 
garden  containing  a  greater  profusion  of  flowers,  greater  variety 
in  colour,  and  more  refreshing  fragrance  than  this.  It  was  Violas 
from  beginning  to  end,  with  Carnations  rising  above  them — a 
pleasing  combination,  and  all  in  the  best  imaginable  condition, 
free  from  speck,  spot,  or  mildew,  while  the  flowers  of  both  kinds 
easily  won  premier  honours  against  all  comers  ai  the  Woodford 
show. 
As  to  varieties,  many  are  grown  for  a  short  time  only,  to  be 
discarded  to  make  room  for  others.  In  no  other  way  could  Mr. 
Rowberry  become  acquainted  with  so  many.  Yet  he  retains  a  few 
favourites  for  growing  in  lines  or  masses  to  make  his  garden  gay. 
Among  these  one  of  the  best  for  the  purpose,  or  perhaps  the  very 
best  bedding  Viola  of  its  colour,  is  Blue  Gown — a  charming  mass 
of  soft  colour  rising  from  a  close  carpet  of  green  foliage  resting 
on  the  soil.  As  a  white  Countess  of  Hopetoan  cannot  yet  be 
dispensed  with  ;  but  the  band  of  Christiana  round  the  central  bed, 
though  not  a  pure  white,  is  not  less,  but  even  more,  effective. 
This  variety  is  extremely  floriferous,  and  may  be  described  as 
creamy  white  with  an  orange  centre,  which  gives  a  glow  to  the 
mass  like  a  pleam  of  sunshine. 
Other  favourites  in  soft  colours  are  Border  Witch  and  Rosea 
pallida.  The  first  named  is  a  charming  combination  of  white  and 
lilac,  the  centre  of  the  flowers  white  feathering  into  the  lilac  which 
prevails  over  the  body  of  the  petals  ;  the  other.  Rosea  pallida, 
may  be  described  as  silvery  peach,  both  varieties  being  dwarf,  free, 
floriferous.  and  sweet.  In  contrast,  and  one  of  the  most  effective 
of  the  Countess  of  Kintoro  type,  we  have  Iona  with  its  very  dark 
bars  as  if  forming  a  cross  in  the  centre  of  the  flower,  on  a  lighter 
ground  paling  to  the  margin.  For  its  distinct  colour,  bright  chest¬ 
nut,  Amazon  Queen  is  grown,  but  its  large  square  yellow  centre 
gives  it  a  garish  appearance,  and  links  it  with  the  Pansies,  still 
it  has  its  admirers,  but  not  so  many  as  have  Archie  Grant  with  its 
intensely  rich  bloom. 
As  a  margined  variety  Duchess  of  Fife  seemed  indispensable. 
As  a  primrose  coloured  Viola,  soft  and  clean,  George  Lord  may  be 
said  to  lord  it  over  the  whole  collection,  while  as  a  yellow  the  new 
A.  J.  Rowberry  is  unique.  It  differs  from  all  other  yellows  in  its 
distinct  ochreous  hue,  and  is  smooth  and  clean,  without  the 
suspicion  of  a  streak,  and  of  extra  substance,  in  leafage  also 
very  robust  and  dissimilar  from  others.  It  is  a  local  variety, 
“  everybody  wants  it,”  and  it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that 
cuttings  will  be  inserted  as  fast  as  they  are  produced.  Violettas 
are  also  grown,  and  two-year-old  plants  were  covered  with  dainty 
flowers. 
As  showing  how  easily  Violas  may  be  raised  and  grown  Mr. 
Rowberry  never  protects  them  with  glass.  Cuttings  are  rooted  in 
the  border  on  the  shaded  side  of  the  enclosure — the  narrow  border 
facing  north,  and  propagation  will  soon  begin.  Early  in  October 
the  young  plants  are  transferred  to  a  nursery  bed  on  the  opposite 
side,  where  they  pass  the  winter.  By  March  they  are  sturdy  and 
strong,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  month  or  early  in  April  are 
planted  in  the  beds,  which  have  been  roughed  up,  so  that  the  soil 
may  be  frozen  through  in  the  winter.  They  get  a  firm,  deep  root- 
hold  before  dry  weather  sets  in,  and  by  a  couple  of  heavy  waterings 
twice  a  week,  if  needed,  and  stirring  the  soil  afterwards,  also 
picking  off  fading  flowers  to  prevent  seed  formation,  they  flower 
continuously  throughout  the  season.  Certainly  in  mid- J uly  the 
plants  were  as  fresh  as  plants  could  be  ;  but,  then,  was  not  just  a 
little  of  something  else  done  ?  We  know  what  kind-hearted 
florists  are  when  they  invite  friends  on  flower-show  day.  They 
will  have  something  to  show  them,  even  if  they  pick  off  the  flowers 
awhile  before  to  rest  the  plants  a  wee  preparatory  to  a  flush  into 
beauty.  Perhaps  our  host  did  this,  and  perhaps  not  ;  but  whether 
he  did  or  whether  he  didn’t,  he  succeeded  in  having,  what  we  should 
not  know  where  else  to  go  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  of  London 
to  see  equalled  on  the  hottest  day  of  the  driest  season  on  record — a 
garden  with  beds  full,  absolutely  full,  of  hardy  flowers  fresh  and 
fair  and  fragrant — something  of  which  the  owner  had  right  to  be 
proud,  and  which  his  visitors  greatly  admired. 
A  glance  through  the  show  in  the  extensive  grounds  of  Mr. 
Hills,  the  renowned  vegetarian  and  philanthropist,  where  plaiits, 
flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables  were  admirably -displayed,  and  which 
Mr.  William  Paul  so  well  enriched  from  Waltham  Cross  ;  a  drive 
through  the  skirts  of  Epping  Forest,  all  too  limited  ;  drawing-room 
music,  all  too  brief,  we  arrived  in  London  all  too  late  after  our 
feast  of  Violas. — A  City  Man. 
Cattleya  Gaskelliana. 
Introduced  about  twelve  years  ago,  this  fine  Cattleya  has  now 
found  its  way  into  nearly  every  colleciion,  its  full  and  richly 
marked  flowers  making  it  a  favourite  wherever  grown.  In  habit 
it  comes  very  near  to  C.  Warneri,  though  like  all  the  labiata  group 
it  varies  in  the  shape  and  size  of  its  pseudo-bulbs.  A  good  form 
will  measure  from  6  to  7  inches  across  the  petals,  which  with  the 
sepals  are  pale  purplish  rose,  the  lips  similar  in  colour  on  the  upper 
portion,  the  front  having  a  deep  yellow  blotch  in  the  throat,  the 
spreading  part  purple  in  the  centre,  with  a  white  mark  on  either 
side.  C.  Gaskelliana  flowers  on  the  current  year’s  growth,  and 
should  on  this  account  be  kept  as  dormant  as  possible  after 
flowering  in  order  that  the  growth  may  be  seasonable. 
It  is  a  free  rooting  and  growing  species  which  never  fails  to 
flower  under  careful  culture,  and  takes  rank  with  the  best  in  this 
section,  its  flowering  season  being  between  the  Mossise  and  labiata 
autumnalis  varieties.  The  best  season  to  repot  is  just  as  growth  is 
commencing  in  spring,  proceeding  as  frequently  advised  in  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  with  regard  to  compost  and  manner  of 
repotting.  There  are,  it  is  true,  some  very  wild  forms  of  this 
species,  but  there  are  also  some  remarkably  good  ones.  The  species 
was  named  in  compliment  to  a  Liverpool  orchidist — H.  Gaskell, 
Esq.,  and  is  a  native  of  Venezuela.  The  varieties  include  C.  G. 
picta,  a  beautifully  marked  form  with  striped  sepals  and  petals  ; 
Fia.  11.  — PHAL^NOPSIS  LUDDE-VIOLACEA.  (See  page  S7.) 
alba,  a  chaste  and  rare  variety  introduced  by  Messrs.  B.  S.  Williams 
and  Son  of  Holloway  ;  carnea,  grandiflora,  rosea,  superba,  and 
several  others,  all  possessing  some  distinguishing  quality  of  size  or 
colour. 
Saccolabiums. 
Apparently  the  distichous-leaved  Old  World  Orchids  such  as 
Saccolabiums  and  Vandas  are  again  gaining  ground  with  orchidists. 
In  conversation  with  a  well-known  nurseryman  recently  the 
subjects  of  this  note  cropped  up,  and  I  was  surprised  yet  pleased 
to  hear  that  the  demand  for  them  was  steadily  increasing,  not  only 
for  the  newer,  more  rare  species,  but  also  the  old  well-tried  kinds. 
These  have  much  to  recommend  them,  and  it  Is  remarkable  that 
such  beautiful  plants  have  been  so  long  in  the  background. 
Though  the  blossoms  are  not  individually  large,  yet  the  number  on 
the  racemes  and  their  elegant  appearance  as  a  whole  cannot  fail  to 
please  if  given  a  fair  trial.  Most  of  the  Saccolabiums  are  natives 
of  the  hottest  parts  of  the  tropics,  growing  abundantly  on  the 
branches  of  trees  in  India  and  about  the  islands  around  the  Malay 
peninsula.  They  obviously  require  a  great  amount  of  heat  while 
making  their  growth,  and  are  best  accommodated  in  the  lightest 
and  warmest  part  of  the  East  Indian  house.  Small  plants  are 
easily  reared  in  baskets  suspended  from  the  roof,  while  larger, 
more  bulky  specimens  may  have  a  place  on  the  central  stage,  either 
in  baskets  or  pots  as  preferred.  These,  too,  must  not  be  kept  far 
