448 
■JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
November  23,  1899. 
of  river  saud  round  the  rhizomes  tends  to  keep  them  dry  in  winter — 
an  important  point  in  the  cultivation — and  also  assists  in  effecting 
perfect  drainage  at  all  times. 
About  two  years  ago  we  planted  a  few  rhizomes,  a  situation  being 
prepared  in  the  front  of  an  herbaceous  border.  Part  of  the  natural  soil 
was  removed  and  replaced  by  a  mixture  of  light  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  a 
little  sand.  The  rhizomes  were  laid  on  the  soil  and  covered  about  an 
inch  deep.  The  first  seasou  they  grew  well,  making  healthy  foliage 
about  a  foot  to  18  inches  high.  Only  one  bloom  was  produced.  It  is 
a  very  distinct  and  pretty  flower,  although  not  quite  so  showy  as 
some  of  its  companions,  and  quite  different  from  any  other  Iris  that  I 
have  seen. 
The  plants  were  allowed  to  remain  in  this  position  without  any 
protection,  and  the  consequence  was  they  started  into  growth  pre¬ 
maturely,  making  about  6  inches  of  foliage  in  the  autumn.  This  was 
greatly  injured  by  the  severe  weather  we  experienced  during  the 
month  of  Maich  last.  Very  little,  if  any,  growth  was  made  during 
the  remainder  of  the  season.  At  the  end  of  the  summer  the  rhizomes 
were  taken  up  and  found  to  be  firm  and  clean,  but  smaller  than  when 
first  planted.  They  should  have  been  lilted  earlier,  as  new  roots  were 
already  made. 
I  intend  preparing  a  place  and  replanting  them  on  the  same 
warm  border  with  I.  Kaempferi  already  mentioned.  The  soil  will  be 
taken  out  about  2  feet  deep,  6  inches  of  stones  or  other  material  put  in 
t  lie  bottom  for  drainage,  and  then  filled  up  with  prepared  soil.  The 
surface  will  be  slightly  below  that  of  the  border  for  the  purpose  of 
affording  water  more  easily  during  the  growing  season.  The  rhizomes, 
which  will  be  thinly  disposed,  will  be  covered  with  2  inches  of  soil. 
This  Iris,  not  being  quite  hardy,  will  be  protected  during  the  winter. 
If  this  mode  of  culture  proves  successful  I  may  perhaps  have  more  to 
say  at  some  future  time. — J.  S.  ITpex. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY, 
DRILL  HALL. — November  21st. 
It  was  a  pleasure  indeed  on  Tuesday  morning  to  see  the  bright  dis¬ 
play  of  flowers  and  fruits  in  the  Drill  Hall.  Out  of  doors  it  was  raw, 
f°gg}',  and  unpleasant,  while  within  the  building,  though  the  fog  could 
not  be  excluded,  the  brilliance  of  exhibits  did  much  to  dispel  the  gloom, 
there  were  magnificent  displays  of  Begonias,  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  with  a  most  interesting  collection  of  Orchids,  amongst  which 
Cattleya  labiata  in  variety  was  conspicuous.  Cyclamens,  too,  are  appre¬ 
ciated  at  this  time  ol  the  year.  Apples  were  grandly  exhibited  from  the 
county  cf  Monmouth,  per  Mr.  John  Basham  of  Bassaleg,  who  is  well 
known  as  a  hardy  fruit  grower  of  repute. 
Fruit  Committee. — Present :  Philip  Crowley,  Esq.  (in  the  chair)  5 
the  Rev.  W.  Wilks  and  Messrs.  J.  Basham,  W.  Poupart,  J.  Cheal,  M. 
Gleeson,  A  F.  Barron,  A.  H.  Pearson,  A.  Dean,  S.  Mortimer,  J.  W. 
Bates,  U.  Herrin,  G.  Wythes,  G.  Reynolds,  F.  Q.  Lane,  Jas  Smith,  R. 
Fife,  G.  B  unyard,  and  Jas.  Yeitch. 
Messrs.  Harrison  &  Son,  Leicester,  were  represented  by  a  small  collec¬ 
tion  of  vegetables  in  which  Onions  formed  the  most  conspicuous  feature, 
ihese  comprised  the  handsome  Leicester  Globe,  Up- to- Date,  Excelsior, 
Banbury  Cross,  and  Rousham  Park  Hero.  Potatoes  included  Windsor 
Castle,  Motor  and  Up-to-Date.  Of  Leeks  there  were  Lyon,  Conqueror 
and  Leicester  Hero,  a  comparatively  new  variety  of  an  excellent  type. 
Carrots,  Stump  Rooted,  St.  Valery  and  Early  Market  were  included,  with 
Parsnip  Magnum  Bonum,  and  Beets  Egyptian  and  Dobbie’s. 
Monmouthshire  was  represented  by  a  most  excellent  collection  of 
Apples,  comprising  about  200  dishes.  These  were  staged  by  Mr.  John 
Basham,  Bassaleg,  and  many  of  the  varieties  were  utilised  to  illustrate 
his  afternoon  lecture.  The  major  portion  of  the  collection  was  contributed 
by  Mr.  Basham,  but  others  came  from  different  soils  in  various  parts  of 
the  county,  and  if  the  exhibits  may  be  regarded  as  truly  typical,  then 
must  Monmouth  be  accorded  a  very  high  position  as  an  excellent  Apple 
producing  county.  Many  of  the  fruits  were  from  orchard  standards, 
and  if  in  some  cases  rather  small,  they  were  generally  well  shaped,  and  of 
rich  colour.  Amongst  the  assistants  to  this  display  may  be  enumerated 
Mr.  W.  Moxham,  Mitcheltroy,  Mon,  who  sent  several  dishes,  including 
Newton  A  onder,  in  absolutely  perfect  condition,  Bismarck,  Alfriston,  and 
others  ;  Mr.  T.  Coomber,  gardener  to  Lord  Llangattock,  The  Hendre, 
Monmouth,  whose  dishes  of  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert, 
Newton  Yonder,  Bismarck,  The  Queen,  and  Belle  du  Pontoise  were 
splendid  ;  Mr.  W.  Lloyd,  Maindee.  Newport,  whose  bush  trees  are  on  red 
soil  over  sandstone,  and,  like  Mr.  Coomber’s,  have  had  no  manure  since 
planting,  staged  King  of  the  Pippins,  American  Mother,  Newton  Wonder, 
Royal  Jubilee,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  Lord  Derby,  and  Cox’s  Orange 
Pippin  in  good  form  ;  and  Mr.  J.  Bone,  gardener  to  Lord  Tredegar, 
Tredegar  Park,  who  sent  Cox’s  Orange  Pipp'm,  Warner’s  King,  Sand¬ 
ringham,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  Bramley’s  Seedling,  Bismarck,  and  Bess 
Pool.  These  last  named  were  grown  on  a  shallow  loam  over  a  sour 
gravel. 
One  hundred  dishes  were  contributed  by  Mr.  Basham,  and  these 
included  some  excellent  fruits  of  such  varieties  as  Cissy,  a  local  at  least 
one  hundred  years  old  ;  Old  English  Pearmain,  of  which  the  history  can 
be  traced  back  for  quite  seven  centuries  ;  Blenheim  Pippin,  superb  ^ia 
colour  and  size  ;  Emperor  Alexander,  fine  ;  Court  Pendu  Plat,  Lane’s 
Prince  Albert,  fine  ;  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  splendid  ;  the  Melon  Apple, 
Ten  Commandments,  Alfriston,  Newton  Wonder,  of  beautiful  colour  ; 
Lord  Derby,  grand  ;  King  of  the  Pippins,  perfect  ;  Yorkshire  Beautj’, 
beautiful  ;  M6re  de  (Menage,  Belle  Dubois,  American  Mother,  wonder¬ 
fully  coloured  ;  Manks  Codlin.  Tyler’s  Kernel,  Graham’s  Jubilee,  Frog- 
more  Prolific,  Annie  Elizabeth,  very  fine  ;  Wellington,  Catshead, 
Warner’s  King,  Sandringham,  Galloway  Pippin.  Reinette  du  Canada, 
fine  ;  Hoary  Morning,  superb  colour  ;  Ivingsacre  Pippin,  Norfolk  Beefing, 
and  Ecklinville  Seedling. 
Messrs  J  Laing  &  Sons,  Forest  Hill,  staged  a  capital  display)  of 
Apples.  The  dishes  were  large  and  well  coloured,  and  ^included  good 
examples  of  Mere  de  Mdnage,  Tyler’s  Kernel,  Royal  Russet,  Tom  Putt, 
Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  Gascoyne’s  Scarlet,  Blenheim  Pippin,  Bramley’s 
Seedling,  l’easgood's  Nonesuch,  and  Lady  Henniker. 
Floral  Committee.— -Present :  W.  Marshall,  Esq.  (in  the  chair)  ; 
and  Messrs.  C.  E.  Shea,  C.  T.  Druery,  H.  B.  May,  Jas.  Hudson, 
J.  Jennings,  J.  F.  McLeod,  Thos.  Peed,  C.  R.  Fielder,  J.  Fraser,  J.  D. 
Pawle,  C.  E.  Pearson,  E.  II.  Jenkins,  D.  B.  Crane,  H.  Turner,  Ed.Mawley, 
E.  T.  Cook  and  C.  Jeffries. 
Mr.  W.  J.  Godfrey  contributed  a  fine  table  of  specimen  blooms,  also  a 
few  decorative  vaiieties.  The  large  flowers  included  well  coloured 
flowers  of  Marie  Calvat,  Mrs.  Barkley,  Mrs.  Mease,  Leonidas,  Wattle- 
blossom,  grand  blooms  of  Chatsworth,  and  Francois  Pilau.  A  grand  group 
of  vases  and  baskets  was  staged  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Lees,  gardener  to  F.  A. 
Bevan,  Esq.,  Trent  Park,  arranged  with  suitable  autumnal  foliage.  The 
flowers  were  magnificent,  and  included  specimen  blooms  of  Mrs  Coombs, 
Emily  Towers,  Dorothy  Seward,  Mrs.  Mease,  G.  J.  Warren,  Nellie  Pockett, 
Annie  Prevost,  E.  Molyneux,  Phoebus,  Mons.  Chenon  de  Lechd,  H.  J. 
Jones,  R.  Hooper  PearsoD,  Edith  Dashwood,  Mutual  Friend,  Lady 
Hanham,  Ja9.  Bidencope,  and  Ma  Perfection.  The  exhibit  was  a  remark¬ 
ably  fine  one.  A  beautiful  group  of  Chrysanthemums  was  staged  by 
Messrs.  J.  Peed  &  Son,  Norwood.  The  blooms  were  bright  and  w’tll 
developed,  and  the  display  clearly  demonstrated  that  good  plants  can  be 
grown  in  small  pots  for  decorative  purposes. 
The  value  of  Pompons  for  decorative  purposes  was  clearly  demon¬ 
strated  by  Mr.  E.  Beckett,  gardener  to  Lord  Aldenham,  Elstree,  who  had 
a  fine  display  arranged  in  vases.  There  were  about  thirty-six  varieties 
staged.  The  most  conspicuous  were  Emily  Rowbottom,  Helene,  Mi-s 
Nightingale,  Mr.  Astie,  Wm.  Westlake,  Regulu9,  Montel,  Scipiu, 
Eleonore,  Marabout,  and  Golden  Madame  Marthe.  A  table  of  cut 
Chrysanthemum  blooms  was  shown  by  Mr.  Neville,  gardener  to  F.  H, 
Flight,  Esq.,  Cornstiles,  Twyford,  Winchester,  which  comprised  three 
boxes  of  Japanese  varieties,  and  four  boxes  of  incurved.  In  the  former 
section  the  best  blooms  were  Mrs.  W.  Mease,  Madame  Carnot,  Hon. 
W.  D.  Smith,  G.  Warren,  Viviand  Morel,  General  Roberts,  Matthew 
Hodgson,  Julia  Scaramanga,  and  Henry  Weeks.  The  incurved  were  not 
over-large,  but  beautifully  neat  and  well  finished.  The  best  flowers  were 
Mrs.  Jas.  Eadie,  C.  S.  Bates,  Ma  Perfection,  George  Haigh,  Bonnie 
Dundee,  and  Mrs.  R.  C.  Kingston.  Mr.  J.  H.  Witty,  Nunhead  Cemetery, 
arranged  a  group  of  the  remarkable  Chrysanthemum  distributed  last 
season,  “  What  Ho  !  ”  which  is  decidedly  more  interesting  than  beautiful. 
A  group  of  specimen  Ferns  was  arranged  by  Messrs.  J.  Hill  &  Son, 
Lower  Edmonton,  arranged  with  baskets  of  small  Ferns  and  Lycopodiums. 
The  specimens  included  Lygodium  scandens,  Gymnogrammas  in  variety', 
Polypodium  sporodocarpum,  and  Nephrolepis  in  variety.  A  pleasing 
feature  was  the  tinted  and  variegated  Ferns,  such  as  Adiantum  scutum, 
Brainea  insignis,  and  Doodia  aspera  multifida.  Messrs.  T.  Cripps  and 
Sou,  Tunbridge  Wells,  exhibited  a  group  of  Poinsettia  pulcherrima  in 
5-inch  pots.  The  bracts  were  large  and  fully  developed,  giving  a  touch 
of  bright  red  that  was  much  needed  on  the  dull  day.  A  glorious  group 
of  Zonal  Pelargoniums  in  pots  was  arranged  by  Mr.  A.  Chapman, 
gardener  to  Captain  Holford,  Tetbury.  The  plants  were  well  grown  and 
a  mass  of  flower.  The  best  varieties  were  Ian  McLaren,  Conde,  Agnes, 
Chaucer,  Dryden,  Duchess  of  Fife,  Crabbe,  Mrs.  Simpson,  Lady  Newton, 
Southey,  and  Athlete. 
Perhaps  the  chief  feature  in  the  Hall  was  a  huge  bank  of  winter¬ 
flowering  Begonias  from  Messrs.  Jas.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea,  which 
presented  a  grand  appearance  for  the  dull  month  of  November.  The 
varieties  were  Myra,  a  single  rose  variety,  very  free-  flowering  ;  Ensign,  a 
semi-double  similar  in  colour,  with  a  grand  form,  a  cross  between 
B.  socotrana  and  B.  tuberous  varieties,  a  good  addition  to  this  class  ; 
Winter  Cheer,  a  brightir  variety  ;  John  Heal,  a  variety  resembling  the 
popular  Gloire  de  Lorraine,  but  with  deeper  coloured  flowers  ;  Mrs.  Heal, 
a  single,  with  larger  flowers  a  bright  rose  colour,  and  Begonia  Sylvia,  a 
semi-double.  Messrs.  F.  Sander  &  Co.,  St.  Albans,  contributed  a  few 
choice  plants  such  as  Dracaena  Sanderiana,  Kentia  Sanderiana,  Lino- 
spadix  Petrickiana,  a  new  Palm  of  great  promise  ;  the  young  leaves  are  a 
bright  broi  zy  red  ;  and  Licuala  Jeanenceyi,  a  Palm  of  considerable  merit 
for  decorative  purposes.  Messrs.  Hugh  Low  &  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park, 
Enfield,  staged  a  table  of  Cyclamens  which  were  chiefly  noteworthy  for 
the  variety  of  colours  ;  needless  to  say  the  plants  were  well  grown. 
Orchid  Committee. — Present :  Harry  J.  Veitch,  Esq.  (in  the 
chair)  ;  and  Messrs.  Jas.  O’Brien,  J.  G.  Fowler,  J.  Douglas,  C.  Winn, 
J.  Jaques,  E.  Hill,  J.  Colman,  F.  J.  Thorne,  W.  H.  Young,  H.  J.  Chapman, 
H,  Little,  F.  Saunders,  De  B.  Crawshay,  T.  W.  Bond,  E.  Ashworth, 
A.  H.  Smee,  and  T.  B.  Haywood. 
Numerically  Orchids  were  not  conspicuous,  but  they  were  of  the 
greatest  interest  and  well  diversified.  Messrs.  Paul  &  Son,  Old  Nurseries, 
Cneshunt,  were  represented  by  five  round  baskets  and  two  pans  of  Cypri- 
pediums  with  two  rounds  of  the  chastely  beautiful  Masdevallia  tovarensis. 
