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242 THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. [February 20, 1892.

native of the mountains of Java, at an elevation of
from 8,000 to 9,000 feet, and may be serviceable for
hybridising purposes.

Hydnophytum Forbesi, t. 7218, is one of those
curious plants whose tuberous root-stocks afford a
home for ants. The plant does not seem to be
injured by the ants, which repay their obligations by
keeping off undesirable visitors. The plant in question
is cultivated in the Royal Gardens, Kew, where
it flowered in 1889 and again in 1891.

Begonia glaucophylla, t. 7219.—A plant of unknown
origin—possibly a garden hybrid. In any
case, a very beautiful form, with spotted stem,
oblong-lanceolate leaves, and pendulous short-jointed
clusters of pink flowers. Grown as a basket
plant it is very handsome. Kew.

Vicia narbonensis, tab. 7220.—The chief interest
attaching to this species is that it has been supposed
to be the origin of the common field Bean (Vicia
Faba). Judging from the figure here given, those
who indulged in that supposition must have had an
extraordinarily vivid imagination, for it is scarcely
possible to have imagined two plants of the same
genus more different in appearance.

Neo-Benthamia gracilis, t. 7221.—A coloured
figure of the very singular terrestrial Orchid, described
and figured by Mr. Rolfe in our columns in
1891, vol. x., p. 272. It is a native of Zanzibar.

FORESTRY LECTURES: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH.
—The Council of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural
Society announce to the members and
others interested, that the course of lectures on
"Forestry" is about to be resumed in the University
by COLONEL BAILEY, R.E., a distinguished forest
officer. The Council urge landowners, foresters, and
all interested in forest education to take advantage
of these lectures, which began on the 10th inst.
Landowners would do well to send one or more
foresters to attend the course, and they would thus
derive immediate benefit by the employment of men
instructed both in the art and science of forestry.
The Council point out the excellent opportunity
which these lectures provide to intelligent youths
for acquiring a thorough scientific knowledge of
their profession. To enable them to take advantage
of the lectures, the Council have arranged that
young men who desire employment while attending
the course can obtain it in the nurseries, or elsewhere,
near Edinburgh, on applying by letter to
W. J. MOFFAT, Esq., Secretary and Treasurer,
5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh.

GHENT HORTICULTURAL MEETING.—Certificates
of merit were awarded at the last meeting for
the following plants:—1st, Odontoglossum pulcherrinum
×, a new hybrid of the Alexandræ
type, shown
for the first time; the form is beautifully rounded, the
colour white, the edges slightly yellowish, and the
entire flower evenly spotted with brown. 2nd, Odontoglossum
Holfordianum leopterum, a rare variety
with large flowers, the ground golden yellow with
large brown spots. 3rd, Masdevallia ignea perfecta,
an entirely new variety, imported from Columbia
and flowering for the first time; it has never before
been shown. The flower is exceedingly beautiful
and very large, in colour purplish flushed with dark
blue; this is one of the most beautiful forms of
ignea. 4th, Masdevallia ignea aurora, another
novelty from Columbia, and flowering for the first
time; the habit is very distinctive, the colour flame-orange.
5th, Amaryllis flammea ×, a new hybrid
remarkable in habit and form, deep red with very
fine wavy lines of white. These five fine novelties
were from M. CH. VUYLSTEKE, of Loochristy.
6th, a species of Odontoglossum from M. JULES
HYE; a magnificent flower, the ground pink, the
sepals and petals fringed, bordered with white, the
mid-rib whitish, each sepal and petal having a large
brownish-red spot surrounded and underlined with
smaller spots of the same shade; the lip has a
golden-yellow ground, with tiny spots, the edge
white, very finely fringed—the flower is robust.
7th, Odontoglossum Pescatorei album, from the
same Orchicist, the flowers very fine, pure white,
numerous and very fresh. 8th, Odontoglossum sulphureum,

also from M. J. HYE, flowers sulphur-yellow
and very distinctive, the several parts of the
flower have a small circular spot of brownish-red,
which is repeated on the lip. 9th, Pteris Wallichianum,
from MM. DURIEZ FRÈRES, of Wondelghem,
a plant interesting among the many novelties recently
introduced. Certificates of Merit were awarded
for:—1st, Adiantum venustum, to M. SPAE, Vandermeulen,
a very pretty species in vigorous health;
2nd, Nephthytis picturata, from the Congo, to M.
L. DESMET DUVIVIER, a dwarf plant, with fine leaves
of unusual size; 3rd, to MM. E. VERVAET ET CIE,
for Cattleya Masereelii, a white-flowered variety.
Honorable mention was awarded for:—1st, Cattleya
Trianæ, to MM. VERVAET ET CIE., the lip
very dark in colour; 2nd, Cattleya Trianæ, to
the same exhibitors, the lip fringed—very pretty;
3rd, Miltonia vexillaria, to M. ALF. VAN IMSHOOT,
flowers large and dark; 4th, Microlepia hirta cristata,
to MM. DURIEZ FRÈRES; 5th, Cœlogyne
Lemoniana ? delicata, to M. J. HYE.

ACREAGE OF FRUIT IN GREAT BRITAIN.—
Prominent attention has lately been called to the
extending cultivation of fruit in different forms in
Great Britain. A relatively large advance is now
reported in the Agricultural Returns of Great Britain
for 1891. The area under small fruits now exceeds
that used for Hops, 58,700 acres being returned,
compared with 46,200 acres in 1890, and 36,700
acres in 1888, the last year when this form of cultivation
was first separately recorded. By the introduction
of a newly-arranged table this particular
area has been more closely analysed than has
hither been possible, and it will be seen that on
23,416 acres small fruit is grown in plots already
returned as orchards—that is doubtless under the
larger fruit trees; while 22,510 acres in market
gardens, and 12,778 acres of ordinary farm land are
now returned as carrying Gooseberries, Strawberries,
Currants, and other small fruit. The small fruit
area has increased in every county of England and
Wales, and in some counties by a remarkable percentage,
although nearly a third of the English small
fruit area is still to be found in Kent. The changes
are not so uniform in Scotland, although there also
a larger fruit acreage is reported. The ordinary
orchard surface in Great Britain in likewise greater,
covering, in round numbers, 210,000 acres. The
area, ten years back, was given as under 185,000
aceres. A still larger advance appears in the returns
of land used by market gardners for the growth of
vegetables, and other garden produce. These were
reported as covering 46,604 acres in 1881, while
the figures for 1891 make the market garden area
81,368 acres.

TOOPE'S FOG-ELIMINATING PLANT-HOUSE.—
As suggested in our issue for November 28, p. 650,
when making mention and giving a small illustration
of Mr. Toope's invention for mitigating, if not altogether
eliminating, the injurious effects of London
fog on plants, we have made two visits, and on both
occasions have had our previously-formed favourable
opinion verified. Situated in the corner of his
factory-yard, in one of the foggiest districts in
London, viz., Stepney Green, Mr. Toope has erected
his experimental house in two divisions. Heated
on his own plan, fitted with his chemically-charged
air-filters, his charcoal-filters for the water used, and
a new and perfect plan of ventilation, it must be
said that the plants in the houses, which, it will
readily be supposed, could not exist under ordinary
circumstances, are in the best health, and progressing
well, although the experimenter has fairly
enough only begun with small, and in many cases,
weak specimens, Orchids being the plants chiefly
grown. The evidence of the production and duration
of the flowers is a great point; and both in November
and December a good show for so small a collection
was found. Last week we found some Cattleya
Trianæ in bloom, C. citrina, showing flower strongly;
several Dendrobium Wardianum, a fine D. crassinode,
Cœlogyne flaccida, Zygopetalum Mackayii,
Odontoglossum Rossi majus, with seven blooms; a
fine O. maculatum, which to our certain knowledge,

has been in bloom since the middle of December,
and in one corner was a small case in which were
plants of Anæctochilus petola and Goodyera discolor,
besides others. If regarded only as a system
of perfect ventilation, the invention is a good one,
and deserves a trial by those who try to grow plants
in large cities and smoky manufacturing districts.

SHREWSBURY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—
At the annual meeting on the 11th inst., the Mayor
presiding, a balance-sheet was produced, showing
the income of the society for the past year to have
been £3334 10s., as compared with £2963 in 1890—
the highest amount ever reached by the Society in
one year. The subscriptions for the year amounted
to £428 7s., and the receipts at the exhibition in
August last were £2796. The amount of prize-money
was £428 7s. 6d.; amusements and fireworks
cost £421; bands, £253; and the profits on the
year's exhibition was £970. A sum of £500 has
been added to the invested capital, which now
amounts to £3500. Since the Society started, the
annual balances have been expended in the improvement
of the public grounds in the Quarry, the Free
Library, and some money has been given to the
charitable institutions of the town, last year £753
being so expended. The balance in the banker's
hands amounts to £747.

BIRMINGHAM GARDENERS' ASSOCIATION.—At
the last meeting, and admirable paper on "The
Gloxinia, 1739 to 1892", was read by Mr. J. MARTIN
(Messrs. SUTTON & SONS), in which the history of
its introduction and improvements were sketched,
and instructions given as to culture. Anyone who
has visited Messrs. SUTTON & SONS' nurseries when
the Gloxinias are in flower, will know full well that
Mr. MARTIN is an excellent cultivator and crossbreeder
of them. On the following evening, the
second annual social meeting of members and their
wives took place at one of the largest hotels, and
about 140 persons were present, Mr. W.B. LATHAM,
of the Botanical Gardens, presiding.

THE WEATHER IN THE MIDLANDS.—Mr.
J. W. WOODFORD, Atherstone, says that "On
February 15, it was snowing hard all day, with gale
from north-east, thermometer 26[degrees]; altogether, the
most winterly day we have had."

A VENERABLE CAMELLIA.—Probably there is
no exotic tree or shrub in West Cornwall with a
more interesting pedigree than the Camellia at
Penalvern, Penzance, writes the Western Morning
News; and, like so many other things with a glorious
past, its future is an unknown quantity, except in
the rapidity of its decay. It is but a wreck of its
former self, and the merest imitation of the blizzard
of last March will completely settle it. Half-a-century
ago there were scarcely any Camellia trees
in West Cornwall, and for a very long period, up to
last year, the one in question maintained its reputation
as being the largest in the county. When in
full bloom, its magnificence could not have been
excelled by any single specimen in its native country,
Japan. It reached an altitude of nearly 20 feet, and
possessed a circumference of nearly three times its
height. It was, at its prime, so densely covered
with flowers that to photograph it was impossible.
The young tree was brought about half-a-century ago
by the late Mr. T. S. Bolitho from the gardens of
his father-in-law, in North Cornwall, and the vigour
with which it grew and thrived in the genial locality
of Penzance was little short of marvellous.

"NATURAL SCIENCE."—Messrs. MACMILLAN
& Co. announce the publication of a new monthly
scientific review—Natural Science—devoted more
especially to the interests of biology and geology.
The first part of Natural Science will be published
on March 1, 1892.

BRUSSELS BOTANIC GARDEN.—A member of
the Belgian Parliament has denounced as excessive
the sum expended on the Botanic Garden, which
sum we believe is ridiculously small. He pro-