August  2,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
113 
Orchid  Committee. 
Present :  H.  J.  Veitoh,  Esq.  (in  the  chair)  ;  with  Messrs.  J.  O’Brien, 
de  Barri  Crawshay,  H.  M.  Pollett,  J.  T.  Gabriel,  F.  J.  Thorne,  W.  H. 
Young,  H.  A.  Tracy,  H.  J.  Chapman,  E.  Hill,  T.  Eochford,  T.  W. 
Bond,  W.  Cobb,  C.  Winn,  J.  Colman,  and  J.  G.  Fowler. 
Messrs.  T.  Cripps  &  Son,  Tunbridge  Wells,  sent  about  a  score  of 
plants  of  Disa  grandiflora,  each  carrying  flowers  of  great  size  and 
excellent  colour.  Messrs.  B.  S.  Williams  &  Son,  Upper  Holloway, 
arranged  a  small  group  of  Orchids  comprising  Laelio-Cattleya  Henry 
Greenwood,  Cattleya  guttata  Leopoldi,  C.  pigas  imperialis,  Platyclinis 
filiformis,  and  Cypripediums  macropterum,  lo  superbiens,  Harrisianum 
superbum,  and  selligerum  majus.  There  were  several  contributors  of 
one  or  two  plants  of  Orchids,  and  amongst  them  were  Mr.  J.  T.  Gabriel, 
Streatham,  who  sent  Phaius  bicolor;  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  who 
sent  Laelio-Cattleya  Eemula,;  Mr.  A.  H.  Smee,  who  sent  Bulbophyllum 
Sanderianum  ;  and  Mr.  H.  T.  Pitt,  who  sent  Laelio-Cattleya  broomfield- 
iensis  Eosslynanum,  Cattleya  Gaskelliana  Lemoineiana,  and  C.  Hardyana 
Eosslyn  variety. 
Mr.  W.  H.  Young,  gardener  to  Sir  Frederic  Wigan,  Bart.,  Clare 
Lawn,  East  Sheen,  sent  a  small  collection  of  Orchids  arranged  in  the 
form  of  an  attractive  group.  Though  there  was  nob  a  great  number 
of  plants  those  shown  were  of  exceptionally  good  quality,  especially 
Cattleya  Warscewiczi,  Whitei,  F.  W.  Wigan,  Hardyana,  atalanta,  and 
one  or  two  Laelio-Cattleyas  (silver-gilt  Flora  medal). 
Certificates  and  Awards  of  Merit, 
Begonia  S.  T.  Wright  (T.  S.  Ware). — A  splendid  double  variety  of 
rich  apricot  shade  (award  of  merit). 
Begonia  Mrs.  Andrew  Tweedie  (T.  S.  Ware). — A  handsome  double 
flower,  with  pure  white  petals  touched  with  cream  at  the  base  (award 
of  merit). 
Cattleya  F.  W.  Wigan  (W.  H.  Young). — This  splendid  hybrid 
resulted  from  a  cross  between  C.  Schilleriana  and  C.  aureum.  The 
sepals  are  rose  with  deeper  venations,  the  petals  also  being  rose  but  of 
a  brighter  shade.  The  broad  flat  lip  with  its  white  flmbriated  margin 
is  crimson  with  lighter  markings  and  yellow  at  the  base  (first-class 
certificate). 
Cattleya  porphyrophlehia  (W.  H.  Young). — A  hybrid  that  resulted 
from  a  cross  between  C.  superba  and  C.  intermedia.  The  colour  is 
purple  rose  in  the  sepals  and  petals,  and  rose  with  deeper  veins  in  the 
lip  (award  of  merit). 
Hedychium  var.  (F.  W.  Moore). — This  is  from  a  cross  between 
H.  coccinea  and  H.  coronaria.  The  flowers  are  very  attractive  and  of 
yellowish  fawn,  deepening  to  red  towards  the  base  of  the  segments 
(first-class  certificate). 
Lcelio-Cattleya  Remula  (J.  Veitch  &  Sons). — The  parents  of  this 
were  Ltelia  tenebrosa  and  Cattleya  Acklandise.  The  sepals  and  petals 
are  varnished  brown,  and  the  lip  is  dull  crimson  purple  (award  of 
merit).  ^ 
Nymphcea  sanguinea  (J.  Hudson). — A  particularly  deep  blood  red 
variety,  with  flowers  of  medium  size  (award  of  merit). 
Nymphaea  Marliacea  xubro-punctata  (J.  Hudson).— A  superb  variety, 
of  which  the  colour  is  described  by  the  varietal  name  (first-class 
certificate). 
Pentstemon  Strain  (Dobbie  &  Co.). — This  is  a  magnificent  strain, 
the  flowers  being  very  varied  in  colour  and  of  the  best  form  (award  of 
merit) . 
CI|erries  and  Plums  in  Pots. 
The  attendance  at  the  afternoon  meeting  in  the  Drill  Hall  on 
Tuesday  was  very  sparse,  which,  considering  the  importance  of  the 
subject,  must  be  a  matter  for  surprise.  It  would  not  be  possible  to 
find  a  person  better  qualified  to  treat  of  such  a  theme  as  this  than 
Mr.  H.  Somers  Eivers,  for  in  addition  to  his  own  personal  observations 
and  experiences  he  had  the  splendid  records  of  his  father,  the  late 
Mr.  T.  Francis  Eivers,  as  well  as  the  late  Mr.  Thomas  Eivers,  who  was 
the  pioneer  of  orchard  house  fruit  culture.  With  such  an  inexhaustible 
fund  of  information  to  draw  upon,  which  gives  Mr.  Eivers  the  power  to 
speak  as  a  master,  we  should  have  thought  far  more  people  would  be 
present  to  listen,  to  be  interested,  and  to  be  instructed. 
The  essayist  referred  first  to  the  remarkable  degree  to  which  the 
taste  of  birds  had  been  educated  up  to  the  standard  of  selecting  the 
finest  fruits,  and  asserted  that  it  was  only  within  comparatively  recent 
years  that  Cherries  had  been  attacked  by  starlings  to  any  serious 
degree.  However,  they  were  anxious  to  make  amends,  and  at  the 
present  what  with  these  and  other  feathered  marauders,  it  was  well  nigh 
impossible  to  get  a  crop  of  Cherries  at  Sawbridgeworth  except  in  orchard 
houses;  even  these  had  to  be  fitted  with  nets  over  the  ventilafors  and 
double  doors,  the  inner  one  being  also  of  netting.  Dimensions  were  given 
as  having  been  found  from  long  experience  to  be  the  most  suitable, 
together  with  particulars  of  the  position  of  all  the  ventilators,  but  the 
hubbub  in  the  hall  was  so  great  that  we  found  it  absolutely  impossible 
to  get  the  correct  figures.  We  can  therefore  only  say  that  two  sizes 
were  recommended,  the  one  being  large  and  the  other  small.  Probably 
many  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  have  seen  the  houses  at 
Sawbridgeworth  in  which  have  been  grown  some  of  the  finest  fruits  that 
have  ever  been  produced. 
Mr.  Eivers  then  dealt  concisely  with  the  culture  of  those  delicioua 
fruits  from  the  time  they  are  removed  from  the  house  to  be  plunged 
outside  after  fruiting  until  the  same  stage  was  reached  in  the  following 
season.  Instructions  were  given  on  practically  every  detail  that  could 
possibly  conduce  towards  success,  and  the  complete  paper  (which  waa 
all  too  short  for  the  interested  audience),  will  form  a  valuable  addition 
to  the  Journal  of  the  Eoyal  Horticnlt'iral  Society,  in  whose  pages  it 
will  appear.  Selections  of  the  most  suitable  varieties  of  both  Cherriea 
and  Plums  under  orchard  house  culture  were  given,  but  again  the  noise 
in  the  hall  prevented  a  list  being  secured. 
Messrs.  G.  B unyard  and  W.  Eoupell  made  a  few  remarks,  mainly  in, 
corroboration  of  the  views  of  the  essayist,  and  then  with  a  cordial  vo'.  e^ 
of  thanks  the  meeting  was  brought  to  a  close. 
• - - 
Slirewsbnry  Great  Sl(ow. 
August  22nd  and  23rd. 
It  would  do  every  gardener,  especially  every  fruit-loving  gardener,, 
good  to  study  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  pages  of  the  schedule  of 
the  great  show,  to  be  held  in  the  beautiful  Quarry  Grounds,  Shrewsbury, 
on  the  22nd  and  23rd  of  August  next  by  the  Shropshire  Horticultural 
Society;  and  it  would  be  an  object  lesson  of  the  highest  value  to  every 
gardener  in  the  kingdom  if  he  could  be  present  to  see  what  will  be  a 
veritable  battle  of  the  giants  of  the  fruit-growing  world.  There  is  no 
question  but  that  the  best  fruit  in  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland  will 
be  set  up  there.  Let  ns  look  at  the  schedule,  which  starts  on  page  16' 
with  a  very  significant  note — a  note  which  suggests  that  the  committee 
of  the  society  have  a  very  high  ideal  of  what  is  due  from  them  to  the 
horticultural  world,  as  well  as  to  their  patrons.  “  Special  notice  :  ” 
“  The  judges  will  be  instructed  to  regard  quality  before  size  in  all  fruit 
classes.”  Class  72  is  the  champion  fruit  class,  of  twenty-four  dishes  of 
British-grown  fruit,  to  occupy  a  space  of  10  feet  by  4  feet  6  inches,  and 
there  are  four  prizes — £25,  £20,  £15,  £10.  The  fruit  can  be  selected 
from  the  following  kinds  : — Grapes,  Melons,  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Pears,. 
Apples,  Pigs,  Apricots,  Plums,  Cherries  ;  and  each  dish  will  be  judged 
by  points,  as  duly  set  forth.  Pines,  not  being  generally  grown,  are 
excluded.  One  variety  of  fruit  only  can  be  shown  on  a  dish,  but  more 
than  one  dish  may  be  shown  of  the  same  variety,  the  object  being  that 
the  fruit  so  exhibited  shall  be  of  the  highest  cultural  merit,  and  each 
dish  will  be  judged  by  this  standard. 
Then  again  each  collection  must  be  decorated  to  give  relief  to  the 
eye  and  enhance  the  attractiveness  of  each  exhibit.  Here  again  the 
committee  of  this  society  show  their  devotion  to  what  always  has  been 
the  dominant  idea  of  the  society,  the  cultivator  of  taste,  or  the  principle 
of  the  beautiful  in  all  things.  Non-flowering  plants  (not  exceeding 
5-inch  pots)  loose  foliage,  and  cut  flowers  are  allowed  at  each 
exhibitor’s  discretion,  and  to  emphasise  the  committee’s  idea,  special 
prizes  of  £3,  £2,  and  £1  will  be  given  for  these  decorative  arrangements 
irrespective  of  fruit,  for  the  prizes  offered  for  fruit  will  be  awarded 
strictly  for  fruit  only.  Class  74  is  a  lesser  class  for  the  smaller 
growers  with  much  the  same  conditions,  only  twelve  dishes  of  fruit, 
and  three  prizes  of  £10,  £7  10s.,  and  £5,  with  £2,  £1  lOs.,  and  £1  for 
decorations. 
Class  73,  however,  is  a  magnificent  class.  Dessert  tables  decorated 
with  plants  (in  pots  not  exceeding  5  inches),  cut  flowers  (Orchids 
excluded),  and  foliage.  Table  10  feet  by  4  feet  6  inches.  Not  more 
than  fifteen  dishes  of  fruit  of  something  like  class  72.  Each  table  will 
be  covered  with  a  white  cloth.  Silver,  electro  plate,  wineglasses  and 
decanters  excluded.  Any  epergnes  or  vases  for  out  flowers,  plates,, 
dessert  dishes,  or  other  receptacles  for  fruits  must  be  provided  by  the 
exhibitor.  All  the  fruit  will  be  judged  by  points,  but  in  addition  there 
will  be  what  we  may  call  aesthetic  points  for  decoration,^  which 
accentuate  the  idea  of  the  beautiful,  as  follows  : — 
Beauty  of  flower  and  foliage .  8  points- 
Harmonious  blending  of  colours  .  10  „ 
General  arrangement  for  effect  ...  ...  ...  10  „ 
All  this  goes  to  show  what  a  high  ideal  is  insisted  upon  by  the  society,, 
and  how  generously  the  committee  meet  it,  the  prizes  being  £15,  £12, 
£8,  £5. 
We  do  not  enter  into  the  floral  or  any  other  department  in  these 
notes,  those  departments  take  care  of  themselves.  Here  is  enough  to 
show,  out  of  pages  9  to  2^  of  the  schedule,  that  the  coming  show  at 
Shrewsbury  this  year  will  not  be  one  whit  behind,  but  will  be  in 
advance  of  any  of  its  twenty-four  predecessors.  May  we  all  be  there  ta 
see,  or  at  least  as  many  of  us  as  can  get. — N.  H.  P. 
■  - <»♦» - 
Electricity  and  Vegetable  Crops. — Eecent  experiments,  especi¬ 
ally  in  Eussia,  by  Messieurs  Tyurin,  Spyeshneff,  and  Kravkoff.  show 
that  size  and  weight  of  vegetables  can  be  greatly  increased  by  electricity. 
In  the  case  of  tubers  and  roots  the  simplest  means  is  placing  in  the 
ground  vertical  plates  of  copper  and  of  zinc  connected  by  wire. 
