July  ?,  1£02. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  ^GARDENER. 
3 
Odontoglossum  crispum  var.  Lady  Jane. 
At  the  exhibition  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  in  the 
Inner  Temple  Gardens,  on  May  28,  this  handsome  and  distinc¬ 
tive  variety  received  a  First  Class  Certificate.  It  was  shown 
by  J.  Wilson-Potter,  Esq.,  Elmwood,  Croydon.  The  flowers  are 
large  and  of  good  substance,  the  petals  being  marked  with  lines 
of  rich  chestnut  that  run  almost  horizontally  to  the  apex ;  the 
lip,  too,  is  distinctive.  The  sepals  are  flushed  with  mauve-pink 
over  white.  It  is  a  very  sweet  Odontoglot. 
The  Week’s  Cultural  Notes. 
Cattleya  superba  is  one  of  the  very  finest  in  this  genus,  and, 
unlike  the  majority  of  species,  it  is  found  to  be  difficult  of 
culture.  Newly  imported  specimens  move  off  well  for  a  few 
years,  but  there  soon  comes  a  time  when  a  falling  off  in  the  size 
of  the  growths  and  flower  is  discernible,  and  it  is  then  only  a 
question  of  time  before  the  plant  ceases  to'  be  of  value.  Without 
a  doubt  it  is  in  the  atmospheric  treatment  we  are  wrong  with 
this  superb  Orchid.  The  plants  are  easy  enough  to  establish,  and 
attain  a  good  hold  upon  the  home  of  their  adoption,  but  they 
don’t  “  hold  on,”  to  use  a  customary  phrase. 
Odontoglossum  crispum  Lady  Jane. 
Heat  they  must  have,  and  light  and  moisture  in  plenty,  and 
this  we  can  give.  What  'we  cannot  arrange  is  the  constantly 
changing  yet  ever  correct  atmosphere  that  obtains  in  their 
native  habitat.  Beds  of  fermenting  leaves  in  the  house  have  been 
tried,  and  also  chemicals  of  various  kinds  in  the  hot  water 
troughs,  but  these  are  only  very  paltry  attempts  to  imitate 
Nature,  and  in  the  matter  of  keeping  “  miffy  ”  species  in  health 
we  are  as  far  off  now  as  ever.  I  have  been  most  successful  with 
C.  superba  in  pots  filled  nearly  to  the  rim  with  crocks  and  char¬ 
coal,  the  little  compost  given  consisting  of  three  parts  of 
sphagnum  to  one  of  peat. 
The  plants  were  grown  on  an  elevated  stage  in  a  span-roofed 
house,  their  companions  being  Dendrobiums  and  that  other 
peculiar  species  Epidendrum  bicornutum.  When  the  flower 
buds  showed  in  the  point  of  the  sheath  the  Cattleyas  were 
removed  to  the  Cattleya  house,  and  as  the  blossoms  opened  to 
a  still  drier  and  cooler  structure,  to  conserve  them.  A  few 
weeks  of  this  treatment  so  hardened  and  ripened  the  bulbs  that 
when  again  returned  to  the  growing  quarters  in  autumn  they 
seldom  started  out  of  season  in  the  declining  temperature. 
For  several  years — as  long  in  fact  as  they  were  under  my 
charge — these  plants  continued  satisfactory,  and  flowered  very 
freely  every  year.  Some  growers  pin  their  faith  to  blocks,  for 
C.  superba,  but  when  a  plant  is  sufficiently  vigorous  to  attach 
itself  freely  to  pots  and  baskets  of  compost,  why  confine  it  to  the 
very  poor  nutriment  obtainable  from  wood  blocks?  Cork  blocks 
lined  with  moss  are  better,  as  the  roughness  of  this  material  is 
liked  by  the  roots,  and  so  are  many  of  the  devices  made  with 
cork,  but  I  have  always  found  the  usual  pot  or  basket  preferable 
to  either. — H.  R.  R. 
Coronation  Rose  Show  and  Conference. 
( Concluded  from  page  554,  last  vol.) 
In  connection  with  our  report  of  the  exhibits  and  the  papers 
read  at  the  conference  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  at  Earl  Ilchester’s  seat  in  Kensington  last 
week,  we  furnish  a  number  of  characteristic  views  of  the  beautiful 
home  just  referred  to.  For  a  full  description  of  the  garden  and 
a  brief  history  of  Holland  House  the  reader  is  directed  to  our 
issue  for  March  14,  1901. 
The  proceedings  at  the  exhibition  last  week  were  as  satis¬ 
factory  as  could  have  been  hoped  for,  after  the  consequential 
news  which  oppressed  us  all  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  the  24th  ult. 
The  gate  takings  on  the  first  day  were  over  £200,  wo  believe,  and 
the  show  received  distinguished  patronage,  the  Duchess  of  Con¬ 
naught,  the  Sultan  of  Perak,  and  others  of  distinction  being 
present.  On  neither  day  was  there  any  music  to  enliven  the 
interest  in  tilings,  but  the  superb  collections  within  the  tents, 
and  the  delightfully  sunny  weather  and  breeze  outside,  were 
sufficient  to  prevent  strangers  from  being  dissatisfied.  The 
officials  of  the  Society  each  and  all  deserve1  recognition  for  their 
part  in  the  conference  arrangements. 
Mr.  R.  C.  Notcutt,  Broughton  Nursery,  Ipswich,  staged 
Arctotis  grandis,  a  new  half-hardy  annual,  with  silvery  ray 
petals  and  dark  disc ;  he  also  had  a  collection  of  hardy  flowers. 
Messrs.  Jones  and  Sons,  from  Shrewsbury,  brought  Sweet 
Peas,  and  tastefully  arranged  them  in  vases.  Here  our  selection 
was  Black  Knight,  Mrs.  Eckford,  Gorgeous  Lovely,  Hon.  Mrs. 
Kenyon,  Emily  Henderson,  Splendens,  and  Her  Majesty. 
Messrs.  Wallace  and  Co.,  Kilnfield  Gardens,  Colchester, 
showed  a  gorgeous  group  of  hardy  flowers  on  the  grass.  Each 
variety  was  set  up  in  great  armfuls,  and  thus  their  true  character 
was  brought  strikingly  forward. 
Messrs.  Wm.  Cutbush  and  Son,  Highgate,  London,  N.,  set  up 
a  huge  exhibit  of  the  new  Marguerite  named  Coronation,  which 
received  an  award  of  merit  on  June  10.  We  cannot  too  highly 
commend  this  plant  to  those  who  have  much  cutting  to  do. 
Their  new  scarlet  flowering  Pelargonium,  Caroline  Schmidt, 
contrasted  well  with  the  Marguerite. 
Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Rothesay,  had  intended  to  show 
Sweet  Peas,  but  these  were  unadvanced,  and  the  Aquilegias 
which  took  their  place  were  a  charming  substitute.  These  were 
arranged  in  glasses,  and  each  variety  shown  distinctively.  A 
large  number  of  them  are  now  possessed  of  sweet  and  bright 
colours,  giving  them  additional  merit.  Their  Giant  Mimuli 
were  indeed  large  and  finely  formed,  as  well  as  richly  coloured. 
Show  Pansies  and  Violas  in  bunches  occupied  about  half  of  the 
exhibit,  the  choice  varieties  of  the  former  being  Lord  Roberts, 
Duke  of  Argyle,  Miss  Neil,  Colonel  Buchanan,  K.  Stirling,  Jas. 
Dodds,  Kate  Dow,  and  W.  B.  Child.  Their  Violas  included 
Nellie  Currie,  Tessy,  General  Baden-Powell,  Bronze  Kintore, 
Lark,  and  Princess  Ida. 
Messrs.  Blackmore  and  Langdon,  Twerton  Hill  Nursery, 
Bath,  though  almost  strangers  to  London,  came  with  magnificent 
double-flowered  tuberous  Begonias,  whose  quality  in  all  respects 
must  be  recorded  as  second  to  none  we  have  seen. 
The  new  Rose,  Dorothy  Perkins,  whose  merits  we  have 
already  described  on  more  than  one  occasion,  was  staged  in  fine 
style  by  Messrs.  Cutbush  and  Son,  of  Highgate. 
Mr.  A.  W.  Wade,  Riverside  Nurseries,  Colchester,  was 
strong  in  Ixias,  Irises,  and  other  hardy  flowers. 
Mr.  M.  Pritchard,  nurseryman,  Christchurch,  Hants,  had  in 
his  collection  the  very  beautiful  Iris  Pseudo-Acorus  foliis 
variegata,  Pyrethrum  florentina,  pale  pink,  Iris  spuria,  and  a 
handsome  assortment  of  single  and  double  Pseonies.  Every¬ 
thing  was  in  excellent  condition. 
Messrs.  Paul  and  Son,  The  Old  Nurseries,  Cheshunt,  N., 
contributed,  among  other  things,  Verbascum  olympicum  (the 
whole  plant  cut  and  staged);  also  the  trailing  Tropseolum  poly- 
phyllum.  Centaurea  montana  rubra,  Campanula  mirabilis, 
Thalictrum  rubrum,  Gunnera  scabra  (so  suitable  for  the  water’s 
edge  as  a  foliage  plant),  together  with  Heuchera  sanguinea 
splendens,  Hesperis  matronalis  plena,  Lupinus  arboreus,  and 
other  hardy  flow  els.  Aquilegias  and  Pseonies  were  strongly  in 
evidence.  A  good  collection. 
Messrs.  Hugh  Low  and  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  Enfield,  were 
represented  by  a  group  of  select  greenhouse  flowering  plants, 
including  Me'trosideros  floribunda,  Erica  Cavendishi,  Boronia 
elatior,  Erica  tricolor,  Hydrangeas,  Carnations,  and  Anthuriums, 
all  in  grouplets,  and  each  fine. 
The  Alderborough  strain  of  St.  Brigid  Anemones  were  staged 
in  better  style  than  hitherto,  even  although  they  have  been 
seen  in  such  great  excellence  at  earlier  London  shows.  They 
are  indeed  magnificent.  . 
'  Mr.  Ed.  S.  To  well,  Hampton  Hill,  Middlesex,  sent  a  design 
of  the  Royal  crown  made  of  the  scarlet  flowers  of  the  Zonal 
Pelargonium  Fire  Dragon. 
