December  3,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
513 
themselves,  the  best  being  Guy  Hamilton.  J.  R.  Upton,  Madame 
R.  Cadbury  (carrying  huge,  ivory-white  flowers),  M.  Chenou  de 
Leche,  H.  J.  Jones,  Mrs.  Barkley,  Mrs.  H.  Weeks,  Countess  of 
Harrowby  (a  lovely  shade  of  pink),  Mr.  T.  Carrington,  Mrs. 
George  Mileham,  and  Mrs.  Greenfield. 
The  oldest  decorative  varieties,  Tokio  and  Source  d’Or,  are 
as  great  favourites  at  Kew  as  elsewhere,  and  very  effective  are 
the  small  plants  in  Sin  and  Gin  pots,  dotted  amongst  the  usual 
groups  on  the  side  stages,  one  variety  being  usually  restricted  to 
one  group,  and  these  include  Snowdrop,  Phoebus,  Crimson  Gem, 
Source  d’Or,  with  others. 
The  majority  of  the  plants  in  the  Temperate  House  are 
arranged  in  the  two  octagons,  and  are  chiefly  of  the  Japanese  and 
Japanese-incurved  types.  The  plants  on  the  Avhole  are  larger 
than  in  No.  4,  and  more  disbudding  has  been  done,  while  several 
are  carrying  very  large  flowers.  Among  them,  may  be  noted 
Nellie  Pockett,  jumbo,  Cecil  Wray,  Henry  Barnes,  and  Miss 
Alice  Byron. 
A  Liverpool  Collection. 
The  collection  in  the  Liverpool  Botanic  Garden  amounts  to 
1,400  plants,  and  these  are  grouped  for  effect.  Eight  hundred 
of  these  consist  of  large  Japanese  and  incurved,  Avhich  are  quite 
up  to  the  exhibition  standard  in  quality,  and  represent  all  the 
leading  varieties.  What  strikes  us  most  on  entering  the  house 
is  the  manner  in  which  they  are  arranged,  and  here  Mr.  Guttridge 
(the  curator)  has  struck  out  of  the  orthodox  style,  and  has 
created  a  far  more  pleasing  effect  by  introducing  dot  plants 
throughout  the  centre  bed,  thereby  avoiding  what  Avould  other¬ 
wise  become  monotonous.  On  the  side  stages'  of  the  same  house 
is  a  fine  display  of  single  Amrieties.  These  prove  attractive  Avhen 
the  large  blooms  are  on  the  Avane.  In  the  “  large  greenhouse  ” 
is  to  be  seen  a  representative  collection  of  pompons  and 
decorative  sorts,  Avhich  are  a  magnificent  shoAV  in  themseh^es. — S. 
English  Flowers  in  America. 
A  year  ago  Mr.  W.  Wells,  of  Wells  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  EarlsAvood, 
.Redhil]_,  Surrey,  sent  three  dozen  specimen  floAvers  for  non- 
comjAetitive  exhibition  at  the  show  of  N.C.S.  of  America,  held  at 
NeAV  York.  The  blooms  had  been  packed  Avith  great  care,  and 
the  exhibit,  AA'hen  staged,  Avas  pronounced  to  be  remarkably 
successful,  and  Avas  greatly  admired.  From  a  commercial  point 
of  view,  Mr.  Wells  did  one  of  the  finest  strokes  of  business  he 
is  ever  likely  to  do,  and  more  than  a  dozen  of  his  novelties  are 
in  tbe  front  rank  as  exhibition  varieties  in  the  United  States  of 
America. 
Mr.  Wells  has  received  a  letter  from  a  correspondent  resident 
in  NeAV  Jersey,  and  this  letter  is  as  folloAvs:  “I  beg  to  congratu¬ 
late  you  upon  the  excellence  of  the  blooms  you  exhibited  at  NeAV 
York  Show  [in  November,  this  year. — En.].  All  of  them  Avere 
very  fine,  and  in  some  cases  there  AAas  not  a  petal  bruised,  Avhich 
goes  to  shoAv  the  excellence  of  the  keeping  qualities  and  the 
careful  packing,  as  the  floAvers  must  have  been  packed  at  least 
eleven  days.  You  Avere  aAvarded  a  diploma,  AA’hich  Avas  Avell 
merited.  In  the  Society  or  sAveepstake  prize,  some  Avonderful 
flowers  Avere  shown,  and  out  of  t-Aventy  fine  varieties  no  less  than 
eleven  AA’ere  novelties  sent  out  by  you.  Mention  might  be  made 
of  Leilia  Filkins,  Donald  McLeod,  F.  A.  Cobbold,  Win.  Duckham, 
Gen.  Hutton,  Maynell,  S.  T.  Wright,  Ben  Wells,  W.  R.  Church, 
IMary  Inglis,  and  Cheltoni.” 
Another  letter  from  a  correspondent  mentions  the  fact  that 
the  variety  W.  Duckham  won  the  American  National  Chrysan¬ 
themum  Society’s  silver  cup.  The  exhibitor  had  ten  blooms  of 
this  variety,  and  speaks  of  them  as  being  “Simply  marvellous; 
everybody  Avas  staggered.  My  flo Avers  Avere  pronounced  by 
everyone  to  be  the  finest  ever  seen  here.” 
Novelties  and  Rarieties. 
Gesnera  exoniensls. 
This  forms  a  handsome  foliage  plant,  and  at  the  same  time  is 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  all  fl.oAvering  subjects.  It  is  most 
excellent  for  furnishing  the  intermediate,  or  stoA^e  houses,  during 
the  next  foAV  months,  and  although  it  requires  no  special  atten¬ 
tion  to  secure  good  specimens,  it  is  seldom  .seen  at  perfection. 
For  floAvering  during  the  Avinter  good-sized  corms  should  be 
inserted  singly  in  AAell-drained  4in  pots  in  a  compost  consisting 
of  tAvo  parts  rich  fibrous  loam,  and  one  each  of  peat  and  sand, 
about  the  first  Aveek  in  July,  having  the  top  of  the  corm  just 
under  the  .soil.  These  should  be  placed  near  the  glass  in  a  heated 
pit,  or  similar  stiuicture,  in  a  temperature  of  about  GOdeg  Fahr. 
by  night,  alloAving  it  to  rise  to  70deg  Fahr.  during  the  day  by  the 
aid  of  .sun  heat.  If  the  soil  is  in  a  fairly  moist  condition  at  the 
time  of  potting,  water  will  not  be  needed  for  a  day  or  so,  and 
until  the  corms  commence  to  root  and  groAv  freely  Avater  should  be 
given  sparingly.  Encourage  them  fts  much  as  possible  Avhen  Avell 
started  by  keeping  a  nice,  moist,  groAving  atmosphere,  and  also 
shade  during  the  day  from  bright  sunshine. 
When  in  a  fit  .state  for  potting  they  should  be  transferred  to 
Gin  or  Tin  pots  according  to  size,  using  a  similar  compost  to  the 
one  advised  before,  but  rather  coarser  and  not  quite  so  sandy  ; 
but  before  doing  .so  they  Avill  each  need  to  bo  tied  to  a  Avell- 
pointed  short  stick  to  prevent  their  snapping  off  just  on  a  level 
Avith  the  soil,  Avhich  they  are  very  apt  to  do  from  the  Aveight  of 
their  leaves.  After  potting,  the  plants  should  be  returned  to 
their  former  position,  and  kept  rather  closer  for  a  feAV  days,  and 
AA’atered  carefully  until  they  root  into  the  fresh  soil,  after  Avhich 
they  can  be  treated  as  before  stated.  When,  later  on,  they 
shoAv  signs  of  floAvering,  they  can  be  fed  a  little  if  the  pots  are 
Avell  filled  Avith  roots,  on  Aveak  liquid  coAvdung  manure;  but  this 
■should  be  given  sparingly. 
At  the  close  of  Avinter,  Avhen  they  begin  to  die  OA'er,  water 
should  be  gradually  AA’ithhekl  and  the  plants  removed  to  a  cooler 
and  drier  atmosphere,  and  Avhen  properly  dried  off  .stored  aAvay 
in  a  dry  place  until  started  again.  G.  zebrina  is  another  equally 
handsome  but  rather  Aveaker-groAving  species,  Avliich  ansAvers  to 
the  same  culture.  Its  orange-.scarlet  flowers  and  mottled  foliage 
form  a  striking  contrast  Avhen  groAvn  Avith  G.  exonionsis.— E.  B., 
South  Berks. 
Crowea  saligna  major. 
The  CroAveas  are  le.ss  groAvn  noAvadays  than  formerly.  They 
are  allied  to  Boronia,  and  require  much  the  .same  treatment. 
The  one  here  figured  Avas  seen  in  Me.s.srs.  Veitcli’s  nursery  at 
Chelsea  a  Aveek  ago,  Avhen  the  pretty  purplish-ro.se  floAvers 
attracted  much  admiration.  We  may  remark  that  M'e.ssrs.  Veitcli 
also  possess  a  splendid  .stock  of  Gesnera  exoniensis,  Avhich  they 
liaA'e  recently  been  exhibiting  a  good  deal. 
