12G THE GARDENER. [March 



five flowers ; C. longifolium, a very rare species, now named C. Reichenbachii ; the 

 pure white C. niveum, a very beautiful form, discovered by the Rev. W. Ellis, 

 and not yet distributed ; C. Dayanum, C. caudatum &c. Cattleya bulbosa, a very 

 rare and beautiful species, had some handsome flowers of a peculiar mauve-violet 

 hue ; and there was a grand specimen of Oncidium sarcodes, said to be one of 

 the finest specimens in Europe, formed of eleven bulbs, the strongest 3 inches in 

 circumference and 6 inches in length. It had two spikes of partially developed 

 flowers, each 2 feet in length. 0. Krameri, with three flower - stems, began 

 to bloom in August last, and still continued to produce flowers at the termination 

 of the stem, the young bloom issuing from amid the decaying elements of the old 

 one. La?lia acuminata violacea was also very handsome, and had a stem with a 

 cluster of three violet-coloured flowers at the end of it. 



At the warm end of this house was a nice collection of Ansechtochili, among 

 which one of the most striking was A. ordianus, a new form, having bright deep 

 green leaves handsomely reticulated with bright gold. 



In one of the plant-houses Mr Bull had a very fine lot of Cyclamen Persicum, 

 some of them finely coloured. They were in 32-pots, large healthy plants and 

 fine masses of bloom. They were raised from seed sown in July 1868, and came 

 into bloom in October last. A fine compost for the Cyclamen is one formed of 

 three-fourths part of yellow loam and the other fourth leaf-mould and sand : 

 dung should not be used, as it encourages the worms to work so much in the 

 soil. 



NEW PLANTS OF THE PAST MONTH. 



Of these, Orchids naturally enough form the largest proportion at this 

 season of the year. Foremost must be placed the magnificent example 

 of Oncidium splendidum, exhibited by Lord Londesborough. The 

 sepals and petals are somewhat small, and are brown, with thin bars of 

 yellow running across them, and a very large and conspicuous bright 

 yellow lip of great beauty. It is not too much to state that it is one of 

 the finest species in the genus. It deservedly obtained a first-class cer- 

 tificate, and it was stated that it was the first time it had ever been 

 exhibited. leopardinum, from the same exhibitor, received the 

 same award. It is a pretty Peruvian species, with yellow and deep 

 chestnut-brown flowers. Messrs Veitch & Sons have produced Vanda 

 cceulescens, the flowers of which, though small — and there were only 

 two on the flower-stem — were very pretty; colour, pale-blue, with a white 

 lip. A very beautiful form of Lycaste Skinneri alba has been pro- 

 duced by the same exhibitors, and has been termed the most beautiful 

 Lycaste ever seen. In the way of varieties of Cattleya Trianae, Mr 

 Wilson, gardener to William Marshall, Esq., Enfield, received first-class 

 certificates for cut specimens of the following : Io, large deep-blush 

 flower, with purplish rose lip, paler at the edges ; Penelope, warm lilac, 

 with a broad lemon-coloured bar on the lip : Atlanta, pale rose, with 

 deep rich purple lip ; and Venus, resembling the latter in colour, but 



