April  i),  i89d. 
Journal  op  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
m 
Cypripedium  Exul,  Major  Joicey's  variety  (F.  J.  Thorne). — A 
magnificent  variety.  The  broad  dorsal  sepal  is  largely  pure  white,  but 
has  a  green  basal  patch  spotted  very  dark  brown.  The  petals  are 
greenish-yellow  with  white  tips,  spotted  at  the  base.  The  pouch  is 
yellow  tinged  with  green  and  brown.  This  is  probably  the  finest  Exul 
in  cultivation.  It  is  the  property  of  Major  Joicey,  Sunninpdale 
Park,  and  our  woodcut  (fig.  55,  page  319)  was  sketched  at  the  Drill 
Hal),  when  a  first-class  certificate  was  accorded. 
Ttendrobium  Clio  Tyntesfield  variety  (T.  Stafford). — A  very  hand¬ 
some  variety.  The  long  sepals  and  petals  are  rose,  as  is  the  lip, 
with  the  exception  of  a  rich  brownish  crimson  blotch  towards  the 
throat  (first-class  certificate). 
Epidendrum  bieornutum  (F.  J.  Thorne). — Rarely  is  such  a  good  speci¬ 
men  of  this  plant  seen.  The  colour  is  pure  white  with  the  exception  of 
the  lip.  which  is  spotted  with  violet  (first-class  certificate). 
Lcelio-Cattleya  hiqhburyensis  (Bnrberry).  —  A  bigeneric  hybrid 
between  L.  cinnabarina  and  Oattleya  Lawrenceana.  The  sepals  are 
buff,  and  the  petals  rosy  buff.  The  lip  is  rich  deep  red  (award  of 
merit). 
Narcissus  Dante  (Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart). — Very  large  indeed  is  this 
variety  of  Poeticus.  The  cup  is  large,  and  edged  rich  red  (first-class 
certificate). 
Narcissus  Petrarch  (Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart).  —  Of  the  Poeticus 
section,  this  is  very  handsome.  The  shape  is  perfect.  The  colour  is  not 
quit'3  pure  white  ;  the  cup  is  edged  orange  red  (award  of  merit). 
Odnntoglossum  spectabile  (L.  Linden).  —  Very  pale  yellow  is  the 
prevailing  colour  of  this  Orchid,  all  the  organs  being  more  or  less  patched 
with  brown  (award  of  merit). 
Polygala  chamcebuxus  purpurea  (J.  Yeitch  &  Sons). — This  is  a  pretty 
purple  hardy  flowering  miniature  shrub  of  compact  habit  (award  of 
merit). 
Rose  Clara  Watson  (Paul  &  Son). —  Salmon  pink  is  the  colour  of  this 
Tea  Rose.  In  the  bud  state  it  is  singularly  charming  (award  of  merit). 
Stanhopea  species  (E.  Hill). — This  is  very  handsome  with  its  yellow 
spotted  brown  flowers  (award  of  merit). 
Stock  Purity  (Sutton  &  Sons). — A  grand  forcing  Stock,  pure 
white  and  fragrant.  The  flowers  are  large  and  the  spikes  compact 
(award  of  merit). 
Events  for  the  Week. —  The  principal  events  for  the  ensuing 
week  are  the  Daffodil  Conference  and  Exhibition  to  be  held  in  the 
Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Regent’s  Park,  April  14th  and  15th ;  the 
Brighton  Spring  Show  on  the  same  dateB,  and  the  Newcastle-on-Tyne 
Spring  Show  on  the  15th  and  16th. 
-  Weather  in  London. — The  Easter  holidays  have  been  marked 
by  changeable  weather.  Saturday  and  Sunday  were  dull  and  overcast, 
with  occasional  heavy  showers  of  rain.  Since  then,  however,  a  most 
pleasant  change  has  taken  place,  and  at  the  time  of  going  to  press  the 
weather  is  bright,  genial,  and  springlike. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — The  fir*t  week  of  April  has  been 
throughout  dry,  with  fresh  westerly  winds,  and,  on  the  whole,  pleasantly 
seasonable.  On  the  mornings  of  the  2nd  and  3rd  there  were  3°  frost, 
since  which  there  has  been  but  little  sunshine.  Tuesday  morning 
continued  dull,  but  with  a  high  and  steady  barometer. — B.  D., 
S.  Perthshire. 
-  American  Apples. — Each  year  the  exportation  of  the  fruits 
to  Europe  increases  in  quantity,  quality,  and  value.  Good  winter 
Apples,  carefully  selected  and  properly  packed,  sell  readily  and  command 
good  prices  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the  Continent.  The  best  known 
American  Apples  in  the  European  markets  are  Baldwins,  King  of 
Tompkins  County,  Ribston  Pippins,  Northern  Spy,  and  various  Russets  ; 
but  it  is  believed  by  the  authorities  that  the  Winesop,  Jonathan, 
Greening,  Ben  Davis,  Vandever  Pippin,  and  other  well-known  varieties 
grown  in  Dnited  States  orchards  would  be  acceptable,  and  secure  for 
their  shippers  fair  prices.  Apples  are  shipped  in  barrels  holding  about 
three  bushels,  weighing  about  112  lbs.  The  freight  of  these  barrels  from 
New  York  to  European  ports  is  less  than  4s.  per  barrel,  or  Is.  4d.  per 
bushel.  Export  shipments  of  Apples  from  any  of  the  States  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  can,  it  is  stated,  be  made  remunerative,  and  the  variety 
which  has  sold  for  the  highest  price  in  British  markets  is  the  Albemarle 
Pippin,  which  is  grown  to  its  greatest  perfection  in  the  State  of 
Virginia.  This  variety  has  sometimes  netted  the  growers  9s.  41.  a 
bushel  in  the  orchards. 
-  TROPiEOLUM  speciosum. — On  the  north  front  of  the  mansion 
at  Abbots  Leigh,  Sussex,  there  is  a  plant  of  the  above  pretty  creeper, 
which  shows  the  extreme  mildness  of  the  winter.  There  has  not  been 
sufficient  frost  to  kill  the  old  stems,  and  it  has  now  young  shoots  on 
last  year’s  stems  a  foot  long,  5  or  6  feet  from  the  ground. — R.  I. 
-  Gardening  Appointments.  —  Mr.  E.  Gilman  has  been 
appointed  by  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury  to  take  charge  of  the  gardens  at 
Alton  Towers,  in  succession  to  the  late  Mr.  T.  H.  Rabone.  Mr.  David  W. 
Marr,  for  some  years  at  Tweed  Vineyard,  Clovenfords,  has  been 
appointed  head  gardener  to  Mrs.  Wallace,  Glassingall,  Dunblane, 
Perthshire. 
-  Fine  Cinerarias. — The  strains  of  Cinerarias  that  are  now  in 
commerce  are  possessed  of  numerous  desirable  attributes.  For  years 
improvements  have  been  rapidly  made  by  various  hybridisers,  until 
what  may  almost  be  termed  perfection  has  apparently  been  reached* 
One  of  the  finest  strains  that  we  have  seen  lately  is  that  of  Mr.  Wm. 
Bull,  King’s  Road,  Chelsea,  in  which  the  flowers  are  of  splendid  form  and 
colour. 
-  Mons.  G.  Schneider. — We  notice  in  the  current  number  of 
“Le  Jardin  ”  that  Mons.  George  Schneider,  the  President  of  the  French 
Horticultural  Society  of  London,  has  just  recently  been  appointed 
Chevalier  of  the  Order  of  the  Mdrite  Agricole.  Mons.  Schneider’s 
labours,  both  of  a  practical  and  literary  nature,  are  well  known  in  the 
horticultural  world,  and  the  assiduity  which  he  has  thrown  into  the 
advancement  of  friendly  relations  between  horticulturists  on  both  sides 
of  the  Channel  has  long  been  deserving  of  official  recognition.  We 
therefore  desire  to  join  in  the  congratulations  that  he  will  be  sure  to 
receive  from  his  friends  on  his  appointment. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society. — At  the  ordinary  meeting 
of  this  Society,  to  be  held  by  kind  permission  of  the  Council  of  the 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  at  Great  George  Street,  Westminster,  on 
Wednesday,  the  15th  inst.,  at  7.30  P.M.,  the  following  papers  will  be 
read  : — “  Mean  Amount  of  Cloud  on  each  day  of  the  year  at  the  Royal 
Observatory,  Greenwich,  on  the  average  of  the  fifty  years  1841  to  1890,” 
by  William  Ellis,  F.R.S. ;  “  Atmospheric  Dust  Observations  from  various 
parts  of  the  world,”  by  E.  D.  Fridlander,  B.Sc. ;  “Analysis  of  the 
Greenwich  Rainfall  Records  from  1879  to  1890,  with  special  reference  to 
the  Declination  of  the  Sun  and  Moon,”  by  Major  H.  E.  Rawson,  R.E., 
F.R.Met.Soc. — William  Marriott,  Assistant  Secretary. 
-  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. — Mr.  J. 
Tallack  gave  a  very  exhaustive  and  practical  paper  on  “  The  Amateurs’ 
Greenhouse  ”  to  the  members  of  this  Association,  at  the  meeting  held  on 
7th  inst.  at  the  Memorial  Hall,  E.C.,  and  dealt  with  the  various  phases 
of  the  culture  and  management  of  plants  likely  to  be  taken  in  hand  by 
the  amateur.  Several  new  members  were  elected,  and  the  Secretary 
announced  further  champion  trophies,  one  from  Mr.  Weguelin  of  Shaldon 
for  Carnations,  and  another  for  spring  flowering  bulbs  from  Mr.  Robert 
Sydenham  of  Birmingham.  These  two  trophies  will  be  first  competed 
for  in  1897.  Several  books  were  presented  to  the  newly  formed  Library, 
including  “The  Fruit  Growers’  Guide,”  by  Messrs.  Virtue  &  Co.,  five 
volumes  of  “  Cottage  Gardening,  ’  by  Messrs.  Cassell  &  Co.,  and  others. 
_  The  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Markets  of  London. — 
Arthur  Young,  that  steadfast  apostle  of  the  “grande  culture,”  was 
much  shocked,  on  landing  in  France,  at  the  sight  of  cultivators  carry¬ 
ing  their  own  produce  to  market.  Mr.  W.  Glenny,  however,  in  a  paper 
on  the  fruit  and  vegetable  markets  of  the  metropolis,  tells  us  that, 
although  in  the  great  markets  of  London — Covent  Garden,  the  Borough, 
and  Spitalfields— much  of  the  selling  is  carried  on  by  salesmen  who 
work  on  commission  for  the  sender,  and  who  provide  baskets  and 
sacks  according  to  arrangement,  but  a  considerable  portion  of  the  growers 
attend  regularly  at  market  from  a  distance  extending  over  twelve 
miles,  and  sell  their  own  goods  to  the  consumer  or  the  distributor.  In 
no  other  way,  he  adds,  could  Bmall  gardeners  face  the  competition  of 
to-day.  The  question  of  the  commission  itself  is  only  a  small  item,  for 
every  vendor  in  the  market  has  rent  or  tolls  to  meet ;  the  difficulty  is  to 
find  a  salesman  to  give  sufficient  attention  to  small  consignments  of 
herbs  and  sundries.  Salesmen,  he  continues,  can  dispose  of  100  or 
1000  tons  of  Potatoes  ;  but  ten  dozen  bunches  of  Parsley,  ten  dozen 
bunches  of  Sage,  ten  dozen  bunches  of  Mint,  ten  dozen  bunches  of 
Marjoram,  ten  dozen  bunches  of  Thyme  will  weary  any  salesman  or  his 
assistant  without  bringing  much  grist  to  his  mill.  Little  parcels  of 
early  Radishes,  small  lots  of  Vegetable  Marrows  or  French  Beans,  give 
labour,  but  bring  in  little  commission. 
