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October 8, 1881.] THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 465

the common Sugar Pine of California, but the cones
are not half so long; and, even when young, the
scales are strongly reflected, suggesting the Doctor's
new name for the species—"Pinus reflexa." It is
frequently met with in the deer park referred to, also
on a similar plateau on Mount Graham, and is
reported also from several other ranges." American
Gardeners' Monthly.

NOTES ON VEGETABLES.

PEAS.—The season has been very favourable for
these—that is, so far as regards their productiveness
and the gathering of them green for cooking; but I
fear seed will be scarce and dear, as the weather at
the time of ripening set in wet, and prevented crops
being harvested in anything like the condition they
ought to be. Among the tall kinds the best with us has
been Telephone, which is a grand Pea, bearing pods
from 5 to 6 inches in length, and these not wind-bags,
like those of Superlative, which created such a stir
some years back, but every one as full as they can be
packed; and the Peas being large, when shelling
takes place they soon fill up a dish. It was stated
that Telegraph and Telephone are identical; but that
is not the case, as they are not only distinct in color,
but the last named is much the best Pea of the two,
as, eaten either raw or in the cooked state, it is more
sweet and tender. Being a strong grower, Telephone
should be sown thin, and it is a good plan to have
the rows at wide distances, as then they get plenty of
air and light on both sides, and crop nearly down to
the ground. We grow ours 10 feet apart, and plant a
row of Celery between, which enjoys the shade till
late in the summer, when it gets full exposure by the
Peas being cleared, and there is then plenty of soil
for earthing it up, and to get a row of Lettuce or
Cabbage between. As yet I have not tried Telephone
late, my favourite sorts for this work being British
Queen and Ne Plus Ultra, both of which we are now
picking, and as they are still full of bloom and vigour
they will yield a supply for some time to come.
In growing Peas, we always mulch heavily, as it
saves labour in watering and keeps the earth cool.
J. S.

FRENCH BEANS.—For yielding a suply during
the summer and autumn there are none equal to
Canadian Wonder, which is a strong grower and a
very heavy cropper, bearing pods 8 to 10 inches long,
of great width, and these when cooked are remarkably
delicate and tender. Unlike most French Beans,
that bear only for a short time, Canadian Wonder may
be said to be perpetual, as so long as the pods are
kept picked off when ready the plants continue to
blossom and yield in succession. To afford proper
room the rows should be a yard apart, and the Beans
10 inches, and when growing it is a good plan to
stick a few brushy twigs by the sides to assist in
holding them up, as without support wind and wet
often knocks them about. Not only is Canadian
Wonder the best late outdoor Bean, but it is a
valuable one to grow in pits or frames, planted on a
little bottom-heat in March, as towards the end of
May the lights may be removed, and the crop the
plants yield under such treatment is immense. For
pots they are rather too tall and strong, but growth
may be restricted by stopping the tops and pinching
off some of the leaves—a practice I generally adopt
with all winter Beans. F. S.

MARKET POTATOS.—We think that three varieties
of Potatos well deserve, after the experience of
them this season, where grown in large quantities, to
be termed "market Potatos." One of these is
Covent Garden Perfection, a second early, of remarkably
good quality, and a heavy cropper. In the
Northampton district we saw this Potato being dug,
and clean, medium-sized tubers in good quantity following
a quick growth, dwarf top, and early ripening,
was the prevailing characteristic. It is a sort that
finds a ready sale in market when dug. It is understood
to have come out of the same batch of seedlings
as Magnum Bonum. Burbank's Seedling, a
white kidney variety, is a sort that finds great favour
with the Northamptonshire people. It is an American
variety, now rarely found in catalogues. It has
a short top, makes a good second early, the produce
is good, and the flesh eats dry and well. Our third
variety is Vicar of Laleham, a comparatively new
sort, that has come out grandly during the summer.
It is a variety with a purple skin, and the snowwhite
flesh peculiar to this class of Potatos—a heavy
cropper, and but little diseased generally. It is in
the fullest sense of the word a main crop variety,
and, being a good keeper, should be kept till March
and April. It is a remarkably fine Potato for
mashing. Looker Round.

Orchid Notes.

SPIRANTHES ROMANZOVIANA.—This is not an
Orchid which is likely to find favour with lovers
of Orchids for their decorative value only; nevertheless,
its white and deliciously fragrant flowers
render it attractive even from this point of
view. The main interest attaching to it consists
of its singular geographical distribution. So
far as is yet known it is found wild in Europe only in
a wet meadow, near Bantry Bay, Co. Cork. But in
North America it extends from the Atlantic to the
Pacific coast. Did it migrate from America, or was the
current in the opposite direction? Did it ever occupy
other European territory? These and many such questions
this plant suggests for the philosophers to solve
if they can. It is a near ally of the Lady's Tresses
(Spiranthes autumnalis), now to be found in bloom on
our Kentish downs, and elsewhere. Our figure (fig. 86)

[black and white illustration]
FIG. 86.—SPIRANTHES ROMANZOVIANA AND FLORAL DETAILS:
NAT. SIZE. POLLEN MASSES MAGN. FOUR TIMES.

was kindly furnished by Mr. Burbidge, under whose care
the plant has been successfully cultivated for the last
two years in the Botanic Garden of Trinity College,
Dublin, the plant having originally been collected by
the Professor of Botany, Dr. Percival Wright.

DENDROBIUM CHRYSANTHUM.

I can fully agree with all that Mr. Swan says, respecting
the glorious spectacle of such a plant as he brought
under notice in your last issue, p. 434. We have here—
in the gardens of John Riley, Esq.—at the present time
in flower, a specimen of the above with twenty-four
flowering growths, several of which are 6 feet long.
On one bulb I counted upwards of eighty blooms.
The plant is suspended from the roof with Ferns
underneath, and I need scarcely add that is a goodly
sight to look on. Another Orchid, which is seen to
advantage suspended from the roof in close proximity
to Ferns, is the chaste Maxillaria venusta, which. in
addition to blooming at this time of the year, lasts
for several weeks in beauty. Jas. Almond, Hapton
House Gardens, Burnley.

PLANT PORTRAITS

ABUTILON REINE D'OR, Floral Mag. t. 458.—
Flowers of a rich golden-yellow; valuable as a winter-flowering
plant in a warm greenhouse.

ARDISIA METALLICA, N. E. Brown, Illust. Horticole,
t. 421.—A stove shrub of dwarf habit, with
oblanceolate bullate purplish or metallic-green shortly
stalked leaves. Native of Sumatra. Hort. Linden.

ASTILBE THUNBERGII, Floral Mag. t. 457.—A
very elegant Japanese Spiraea, with the habit of A.
japonica, but with the flowers in long slender compound
spikes.

AURICULA DOUBLE PURPLE, Floral Mag. t. 460.
—A beautiful novelty, grown by Mr. R. Dean.

BERTOLONIA LEGRELLEANA, Hort., Flore des
Serres, t. 2407.—Leaves cordate, broadly ovate-acute,
velvety green, hispid, marked with white veins.

BOLBOPHYLLUM BECCARII, Rchb. f., Bot. Mag.
t. 6567.—This is the gigantic Bornean Orchid
described in our columns, 1879, i., p. 41; 1880, ii.,
p. 326, 525. The flowers are in dense pendulous
ovoid racemes, the individual flowers being 1/3 inch in
diameter, ochreous-yellow, with red reticulations, and
a most abominable fetor. Messrs. E. G. Henderson
were the first to flower it in Europe.

CHOISYA TERNATA, Monatsschrift des Vereines zur
Beförderung des Gartenbaues, t. 4.

CRINUM BALFOURII, Baker, in Bot. Mag., t.
6570.—A well marked new species, discovered in
Socotra by Dr. Bayley Balfour. The bulbs and leaves
are much smaller than in most of the cultivated kinds.
The umbels bear ten to twelve very fragrant flowers,
with a long slender tube (2 inches long) and linear-oblong
white segments.

DENDROBIUM BRYMERIANUM, Floral Mag., t.
459.—Flowers racemose, each 3 inches across, orange-yellow;
the heart-shaped lip with an orange spot on
each side at the base, and with the edge deeply
fringed.

DENDROBIUM DALHOUSIANUM, Paxton, Illust.
Horticole, t. 423.—Flowers almost 4 inches across,
fawn coloured, flushed with red; the roundish lip is
of the same colour, with two large purple spots on
each side at the base. Birmah.

EPIDENDRUM VITELLINUM MAJUS, Williams'
Orchid Album, t. 4.—A fine variety, with orange-scarlet
flowers 2 inches across.

GEUM ELATUM, Wallich, Bot. Mag., t. 6568—A
Himalayan species with oblong unequally and interruptedly
pinnatisect leaves and yellow flowers.
Kew.

HOMALOMENA WALLISII, Regel, Bot. Mag., t.
6571.—The plant figured and described in Gard.
Chron. 1877, p. 108, fig. 16, as Curmeria Wallissii.
It may be remarked that the names is "Homalomena,"
not "Homalonema," as commonly written.

KNIPHOFIA COMOSA, Hochstetter, Bot. Mag.
t. 6569.—A dwarf species, with a dense oblong obtuse
head of flowers of a yellow colour, with very long
protruding stamens. Mr. Elwes.

MUTISIA DECURRENS, Cav., Flore des Serres, t.
2408.—A climbing Composite with sessile decurrent
lanceolate leaves, ending in a long tendril; flowerheads
4 inches across, bright orange.

PINANGA VEITCHII, Wendl., Flore des Serres, t.
2405-6.—A highly ornamental Palm, with oblong
leaves tapering at the base, truncate, and deeply two-lobed
at the apex, mottled green above, with reddish
nerves, rich claret coloured beneath. Borneo. Messrs.
Veitch.

PLUM, REINE CLAUDE DE RAZIMBAUD, Revue
Horticole, July.—Fruit medium sized, globose, with
a well marked suture, golden-yellow blotched and
spotted red on the sunny side; flesh yellowish, melting,
separating readily from the stone, of good
flavour. Stone small, oval, rugose.

RHODODENDRON MADAME L. VAN HOUTTE,
Flore des Serres, t. 2409-10.—Flowers pale shaded
rose, spotted with brown, and with a white centre.
The habit is said to be good.

ROSE GLOIRE DE DUCHER, Journal des Roses,
July, 1881.—Shoots reddish, robust; prickles red.
Leaves deep green; flowers large, solitary, crimson,
slaty at the edges.

SALVIA M. ISSANCHON, Revue de l'Horticulture
Belge, July, 1881.—Supposed to be a form of S.
splendens. The calyx is white or yellow, striped with
red; the corollas red at the base, whitish above.

SOLANUM PYRACANTHUM, Dun Flore des Serres,
t. 2411.—Stove shrub, with oblong pinnately-lobed
leaves, studded with stout orange-coloured prickles;
flowers violet. Madagascar.