12* THE GARDENER. [March 



atmosphere became condensed on the glass and rafters forming the roof, and then 

 fell off in heavy drops, to the manifest injury of some of the plants, especially of 

 those in flower, zinc gutters have been attached to each rafter throughout the 

 house. The moisture on the glass invariably runs to one side or the other, 

 and, falling from the rafter into the gutter, is by means of pipes carried down 

 behind the side-stages into the tanks beneath the houses. Mr Bull deserves 

 much credit for the admirable manner in which all the details of this excellently- 

 constructed house have been arranged. 



At the time of our visit the first division of the house was very gay with bloom- 

 ing Orchids. It was a bitter cold day when we went to Chelsea, a biting north- 

 east wind prevailing ; and yet, owing to the precaution of this lobby, but little of 

 this found its way into the house as we entered it. Some lovely forms of Lycaste 

 Skinneri first claimed attention. These admit of great variation, and some 

 are very beautiful indeed : one named Marginata had a very rich lip, margined 

 with white. There could also be observed a tendency to flower in pairs ; in several 

 instances twin-blooms were produced on one stem. L. Barringtonia, var. grandi- 

 flora, was also very fine, and was figured by Dr Hooker in his ' Botanical Magazine ' 

 in 1867. A plant of Sophronitis grandiflora had six charming flowers finely col- 

 oured and fully expanded, with three buds yet to open. Some plants of Lselia 

 anceps were very showy, the flowers borne on long stems, having terminal groups 

 of two or three blossoms. One form had a fine dark lip, and darker sides to the 

 throat than is usually seen, and a good blotch of yellow in the lip. This is to be 

 called L. anceps flavida. Many plants of L. anceps were just coming into 

 bloom. A little later in blooming is L. furfuracea, the buds of which were just 

 on the point of opening. A somewhat rare and certainly beautiful species is L. 

 albida, one specimen in particular being of fine development. The flowers are 

 French white, marked with gold. One had larger flowers, which were tinted with 

 buff. A variety of L. albida, named grandiflora, had the lip tinted with rosy 

 lilac, which also stands out somewhat erect ; it had more white than is usually 

 seen on the sepals, which were also broader and stiffer in all their parts, and of 

 better shape. Blooming Odontoglots were in strong force: such as O.triumphans, 

 having a spike of six flowers of fine quality, and, it was said, not often seen with so 

 many flowers at one time. 0. pulchellum, var. grandiflorum, represented a fine large 

 form, very handsome. The true form of 0. hystrix was here — one having five 

 expanded flowers blotched with chocolate on a pale lemon ground, the upper part 

 broadly margined, and a pale sulphur lip much fringed. There were also several 

 handsome varieties of 0. bictonense — some pure white, others pale pink. One 

 named roseum was quite distinct, and of a pale soft rose hue, the sepals 

 broader, and the spots of brown on them denser than usual. Another named 

 grandiflorum had a pale pink lip of unusual size, quite an inch in width, sepals 

 chocolate, and bore a spike of sixteen flowers. Another variety, somewhat paler, 

 had a spike of twenty-six flowers. As an illustration of branching orchids, one 

 of the forms of 0. bictonense had a much-branched spike. 0. luteo-purpureum, 

 one of the handsomest of the family, had two fine spikes, each containing eight 

 attractive yellow flowers, barred and blotched with bronzy crimson. 0. Insleayi 

 presented several charming types differing in character ; in some the chocolate 

 marking was deeper than in others, aud there was more yellow on the lip. One 

 was named splendens : in this instance the sepals were very broad, and had pale- 

 brown spots ; the lip was of rich gold, with orange maroon spots. Another named 

 ampliatum had a great breadth of sepals, the lip pale primrose. 0. cordatum 

 was also very handsome j 0. cristatum was very pretty and distinct ; and 0. 

 maculatum wa3 just coming into bloom. 0. grande was in nice bloom, though 



