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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  14,  1898. 
from  a  cross  between  C.  bellatulum  and  C.  ciliolare  (first  -  class  certi¬ 
ficate). 
Dracsena  aurea  striata  (H.  Low  &  Co.). — A  broad-leaved  handsome 
form,  of  which  the  name  tells  the  colour.  It  has  the  appearance  of  being 
a  vigorous  grower  (award  of  merit). 
Epidendrum  elegantulum  leucochilimi  (J.  Veitch  &  Sons). — A  lovely 
Orchid,  of  which  the  sepals  and  petals  are  yellow,  and  the  lip  pure  white 
(award  of  merit). 
Eulophiella  Peetersiana  (W.  H.  White). — This  is  a  superb  Orchid.  The 
f)revailing  colour  is  deep  rose,  with  a  suffusion  of  purple.  The  tubular 
ip  has  the  normal  colour  on  the  front  lobe,  and  a  white  throat  with  rose 
veins,  and  a  flush  of  yellow  (first-class  certificate). 
Narcissus  Oriflamme  (G.  II.  Engleheart). — A  lovely  variety,  of  which 
the  segments  are  cream,  and  the  crown  very  bright  orange  (award  of 
merit). 
Narcissus  Homer  (G.  H.  Engleheart). — Probably  the  finest  poeticus  that 
has  been  shown.  The  colour  is  pure  white,  and  the  crown  glowing 
crimson  (first-class  certificate). 
Narcissus  Lucifer  (G.  H.  Engleheart). — A  good  incomparabilis.  The 
segments  are  cream,  and  the  crown  orange  yellow  (award  of  merit). 
Narcissus  White  Queen  (G.  H.  Engleheart). — A  pale  Sir  Watkin.  The 
segments  are  glistening  cream,  and  the  trumpet  pale  yellow  (first-class 
certificate). 
Narcissus  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen  (G.  H.  Engleheart). — A  handsome 
variety.  The  segments  are  white,  and  the  cup  pure  yellow  (first-class 
certificate). 
Narcissus  Apricot  (Barr  &  Sons). — The  trumpet  of  this  variety  is  pale 
yellow,  and  the  segments  creamy  white  (award  of  merit). 
Narcissus  Lady  Helen  Vincent  (Barr  &  Sons). — A  grand  variety.  The 
immense  trumpet  is  pure  yellow,  and  the  broad  segments  pale  canary 
yellow  (award  of  merit). 
Odontoglossum  Wilckeanum  Pitt's  variety  (H.  T.  Pitt). — A  superb  form 
of  the  type.  The  chocolate  patches  and  spots  are  superb  (first-class 
certificate). 
Odontoglossum  crispum  Lindeni  (A.  Warburton). — A  small-flowered 
variety.  The  large  blotches  on  sepals,  petals  and  lip  are  chocolate 
brown  (award  of  merit). 
Phalcenopsis  Schroderx  (H.  Low  &  Co). —  A  hybrid  resulting  from  a 
cross  between  P.  leucorrhoda  and  P.  Portei.  The  petals  and  sepals  are 
white,  very  delicately  flushed,  and  with  a  few  brownish  spots  on  the 
lower  sepals.  The  lip  is  white,  with  rose  and  yellow  markings  (award  of 
merit). 
Phalxnopsis  Stuartiano-Manni  (J  .  Veitch  &  Sons). — The  above  name 
tells  the  parentage  of  this  hybrid,  of  which  the  flowers  are  intermediate 
in  size  between  the  parents.  The  ground  colour  is  buff  yellow,  and  the 
numerous  spots  dull  crimson  (award  of  merit). 
Medals. — The  following  medals  were  awarded  : — Floral  Committee  : 
Silver-gilt  Banksian  to  Mr.  H.  B.  May  ;  silver  Flora  to  Messrs.  W.  Paul 
and  Son,  W.  Rumsey,  and  Paul  &;  Son  ;  silver  Banksian  to  Mr.  J.  Walker  ; 
and  bronze  Banksian  to  Messrs.  W.  Kemp  and  H.  Walters  ;  and  bronze 
Flora  to  R.  Wallace  &  Co.  and  .1.  Carter  &  Co.  Narcissus  Committee  : 
Silver  Flora  to  Messrs.  Barr  &  Son,  and  a  silver  Banksian  to  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons.  Ltd.  Orchid  Committee  :  Silver  Banksian  to  Messrs. 
F.  J.  Thorne,  J.  Bradshaw,  J.  Colman,  and  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd. 
CHIONODOXA  LUCILI^  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 
I  CANNOT  but  take  somewhat  of  a  paternal  interest  in  this  beautiful 
bulb.  It  is  now  about  seventeen  years  since  Mr.  George  Maw  brought  it 
under  the  notice  of  English  gardeners,  having  found  it  in  Asia  Minor  ; 
and  a  figure  of  it  appeared  in  the  “  Garden.”  A  copy  of  this  I  sent  to 
Mr.  Edward  Whittall,  asking  him  if  he  knew  it,  and  whether  it  were 
procurable.  He  said,  “  Yes,  in  any  quantity.”  Most  of  the  leading 
nurserymen  to  whom  I  communicated  this  intelligence  wished  me  to 
order  them  a  quantity,  and  some  60,000  bulbs  were  sent  over,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  my  consternation  when,  on  opening  the  first  consignment  of 
some  10,000  bulbs,  I  found  them  all  rotten,  owing  to  their  having  been 
packed  in  some  material  which  fermented.  However,  the  losses  were 
soon  repaired,  and  the  bulbs  were  distributed. 
Some  experts  said  that  they  believed,  when  they  received  their  bulbs, 
that  most  of  them  were  Scilla  bifolia,  and  when  in  the  spring  a  few  of 
the  more  forward  ones  flowered,  and  one  or  two  appeared  first  as  Scilla 
bifolia,  I  began  to  l>e  afraid  that  the  venture  was  an  unsuccessful  one. 
But  I  had  confidence  in  Mr.  Whittall’s  botanical  knowledge,  and  I  was 
not  surprised  to  find  that  these  were  only  exceptions,  and  that  the  vast 
majority  were  really  Chionodoxas.  Some  German  travellers  were  soon 
on  the  track,  and  sent  over  a  large  number  of  bulbs,  which  brought  down 
the  price,  and  it  has  since  been  cultivated  in  every  part  of  the  kingdom, 
and  has  proved  to  he  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  easily  grown  of  the 
spring  bulbs. 
I  planted  bulbs  in  a  border  about  40  feet  in  length,  and  a  few  years 
afterwards  sowed  a  number  of  seeds  in  the  opposite  border,  and  these 
have  flowered  every  year.  The  border  was  originally  about  1  foot  wide, 
but  so  rapidly  have  the  plants  increased  and  spread  that  it  is  now  double 
that  width,  and  is  rapidly  filling  up  the  whole  of  the  space.  The  time  of 
their  flowering  is  one  to  me  of  great  pleasure.  They  came  in  full  flower 
just  prior  to  the  recent  terrible  storm  of  wind  and  snow,  and  when  they 
were  bending  beneath  4  inches  of  snow  I  thought  their  glory  was  departed 
for  this  season.  But,  no  !  The  snow  melted,  and  I  was  surprised  to  find 
that,  fragile  as  they  seem  to  be,  they  were  none  the  worse  for  the 
experience.  So  well  do  they  deserve  the  name  of  “  The  Glory  of  the 
Snow.” 
I  have  been  somewhat  surprised  that  although  millions  of  the 
Chionodoxa  must  now  be  grown,  that  there  is  such  little  variation  in 
them,  and  that  they  have  not  been  made  the  subjects  of  cross-hybridisation, 
or  at  least,  if  so,  they  have  given  no  great  results.  White  ones  have 
appeared,  but  personally  I  consider  the  peculiar  charm  of  the  Chionodoxa 
is  the  lovel}'  coerulean  blue,  and  therefore,  when  that  is  absent,  the  plant 
is  not  nearly  so  interesting.  Asl  have  already  intimated,  it  produces  its  seed 
freely,  and  if  this  is  gathered  when  ripe,  or  nearly  so,  and  sown  at  once  in 
the  open,  every  one  of  them  will  germinate.  I  do  not  think  sardensis  is 
nearly  so  beautiful ;  it  is  a  deeper  blue,  and  lacks  the  white  which 
so  effectually  tends  to  show  off  the  beauty  of  Lucilite.  Neither  do  I 
think  that  there  is  any  great  charm  in  the  varieties  C.  Alleni  and 
C.  gigantea.  The  latter  has  certainly  larger  flowers,  but  they  are  more 
sparsely  produced,  while  C.  Alleni  has  broader  and  more  massive  foliage, 
and  the  colour  of  the  flower  is  a  shade  lighter. 
I  have  never  known  them  in  my  garden  to  afford  a  pasturage  for 
slugs,  while  the  closely  allied  Scilla  sibirica  has  its  blooms  constantly 
destroyed  by  these  depredators  ;  but  a  friend  of  mine,  who  is  a  successful 
cultivator  of  herbaceous  flowers  and  bulbs,  says  he  can  never  keep  them 
in  his  garden  owing  to  their  attacks,  while  I  can  say  the  same  about 
Puschkinia  scilloides.  In  fact  the  peculiar  tastes  of  slugs  are  very 
amusing.  If  one  grows  a  number  of  Delphiniums,  and  has  among  them 
D.  belladonna,  the  slugs  will  travel  some  distance  to  get  to  it,  and  leave  the 
others  untouched.  Why  In  one  garden  they  should  devour  the  Chiono¬ 
doxa,  and  in  another  leave  it  alone,  I  cannot  understand.  Scilla  bifolia 
is  another  charming  bulb,  of  which  the  flowers  are  of  a  light  delicate 
blue,  small,  but  freely  produced.  They  are  earlier  than  the  other  bulbs 
named,  and  seem  able  to  stand  any  weather.  There  are  some  which  seem 
to  flower  earlier  than  the  others,  but  whenever  they  do  bloom  they  are 
acceptable.  They  succeed  admirably  in  pots,  and  are  a  very  valuable 
addition  to  the  greenhouse  in  the  early  part  of  the  year. 
With  the  departure  of  the  charming  bulbs  of  this  family  we  may  say 
that  the  first  flush  of  spring  is  over.  It  is  true  that  the  glory  of  the 
Daffodil  has  begun,  and  will  continue  to  brighten  our  gardens,  and  those 
which  have  been  a  mass  of  blue  will  now  be  full  of  golden  light ;  but 
beautiful  as  they  are,  there  is  not  the  same  sentiment  about  them  that 
there  is  about  the  Snowdrop,  Crocus,  Primrose,  Cyclamen,  and  Scillas  ; 
and  though  there  can  be  for  me  but  a  few  opportunities  for  again  seeing 
them,  we  must  be  thankful  in  having  them  to  gladden  our  path. — D.,  Deal. 
AMARYLLIS  AT  CHELSEA. 
The  season  of  Easter  may  in  the  horticultural  world  be  taken  as 
representing  about  the  time  when  the  Chelsonian  Amaryllis  will  be  in 
flower.  It  does  not  indicate  the  zenith  of  their  beauty  to  the  very  day,  or 
even  week  ;  but  it  is  suflBciently  near  to  serve  as  a  general  guide.  Easter 
does  not  come  at  precisely  the  same  time  every  year,  but  it  is  an  ever 
welcomed  festival.  The  Amaryllis  are  not  at  their  best  at  the  same  time 
every  year,  but  they  come  as  an  ever  appreciated  spectacle.  In  fact,  the 
display  has  become  one  of  the  sights  of  London  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  and  it  is  one  of  the  best  worth  the  seeing.  For  many  years  in 
succession  we  have  visited  Chelsea  to  see  the  Amaryllis,  and  we  have 
always  been  interested,  and  never  failed  to  admire  the  ornately  beautiful 
flowers. 
It  is  not  possible  now,  as  it  was  some  few  years  ago,  to  see  wonderful 
advances  each  succeeding  season.  The  standard  of  excellence  that  has 
been  attained  to  does  not  permit  of  this.  But  one  can  see  a  change,  and 
it  is  not  in  size,  substance,  and  form  of  flower  so  much  as  in  the  increased 
number  of  colours.  Dark  self-colours  have  long  been  abundant,  and  now 
Mr.  J.  Heal,  the  celebrated  Chelsea  grower,  strives  for  lighter  colours 
with  as  much  success  as  could  be  expected,  considering  the  limited  material 
with  which  he  is  forced  to  work.  He  has  succeeded  in  getting  a  trace  of 
yellow  in  one  variety,  and  he  hopes  to  increase  its  depth  and  tone.  Now, 
it  is  scarcely  more  than  a  suffusion  in  the  greenish  white  basal  colour  of 
the  segments,  and  if  it  can  be  so  developed  as  to  produce  a  pure  yellow, 
then  will  the  grower  have  reached  almost  to  the  summit  of  his  ambition. 
A  yellow  Amaryllis  or  Hippeastrum  is  somewhat  like  a  blue  Chrys¬ 
anthemum-much  sought  for,  but  not  yet  likely  to  be  found. 
The  splendour  of  Veitch’s  Amaryllis  house  is  such  as  one  can  seldom 
see,  and  it  is  a  matter  for  surprise  that  more  of  these  stately  plants  are 
not  grown  when  their  beauty  is  borne  in  mind.  That  they  are  becoming 
more  popular  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  but  they  are  not  grown  in  sufficient 
quantities  in  the  majority  of  gardens  to  permit  of  their  full  merits  being 
recognised.  An  isolated  plant  or  two  amidst  others  of  a  different  nature 
cannot  convey  an  idea  of  the  beauty  of  a  collection  of  several  dozens  in 
one  bold  mass.  They  are  certainly  handsomer  than  many  plants  more 
extensively  cultivated,  and  it  cannot  be  said  that  their  culture  involves  a 
great  amount  of  trouble.  The  details  given  in  the  article  by  Mr.  Ireland 
on  page  300  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  are  admirable,  and  if  adopted 
will  undoubtedly  be  followed  by  success.  Let  us  hope  they  will  b^  more 
and  more  grown  in  the  future,  for  they  are  well  worthy  of  careful 
attention. 
It  has  been  said  that  the  number  of  new  varieties  of  greater  merit 
than  those  existing,  is  smaller  year  by  year  than  it  was,  say,  a  decade  ago, 
but  there  are  several  of  which  record  ought  to  be  made.  Some  have,  of 
course,  been  shown  at  the  Drill  Hall,  but  others  have  not  been  at  their 
best  on  a  show  day,  and  could  not  be  exhibited  though  quite  as  good 
as  those  that  have  received  the  award  of  merit  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
