November 3, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



505 



ripen, become active again at the roots simul- 

 taneously with the trumpet varieties in September. 

 One very good rule to go by in annual lifting 

 of Narcissi is the state the bulbs are in 

 during the month of July. If, as Mr. Bur- 

 bidge would saj, they are like cricket-balls, 

 without a vestige of foliage or roots, there is 

 danger for such a section of Narcissus if the soil 



which we take all the top layer of soil, and on this 

 account the beds are well drained ; and in the alleys 

 we grow Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Broccoli, and early 

 Potatos of dwarf growths ; and in this way the soil 

 gets manure without the latter coming into contact 

 with the bulbs ; and where the beds are this year, 

 the alleys will come at the next lifting. What I have 

 attempted to write on this subject is only for market 



FlQ. 72. — THE PEHSI5M0N (dI0>PYK0SVIBG1NIANA) AT KEW. (SEE P. 504.) 



be badly drained, and I would say, "Lift, dry, clean, 

 and do not plant until September." But in the case 

 of the poeticus and Tazetta section, and many of the 

 trumpets, strong growers like maximus, that grip the 

 soil deeply with fleshy white roots, there is less danger, 

 and these may be allowed to remain in the ground 

 for two and three years. Most certainly with me the 

 strong flowers do best, and the blooms are much 

 finer, by being left in the soil. The beds here are 

 4 feet wide, with all<-vs 18 inches wide, and from 



growers and bulb-dealers. In the case of amateurs 

 who plant Daffodils in beds and borders, they had 

 better lift all their choice bulbs annually as the 

 foliage dies off, and plant again in September— for 

 this reason : in such beds and borders bedding 

 plants may do much harm by the water needed for 

 these plants being unnecessary for the bulbs, as also 

 the manure employed, as in the case of tuberous 

 Begonias, &c. William Baylor Hart land, Temple Hill, 

 Cork. 



Orchid Notes and Gleanings. 



VANDA CCERULEA. 

 On a small plant of this handsome Orchid at 

 present flowering with me is a spike often flowers, the 

 bottom bloom of which has five sepals, three petals, 

 and two lips. Is it a common occurrence ? [Probably 

 the result of the union of two flowers. Ed.] Indi- 

 vidually the flowers are very fine, measuring 4 inches 

 across, and the one with extra sepals and petals 

 measures over 5 inches, of a lovely pale blue. We 

 have been growing the above plant with another 

 also in bloom at the coolest end of the stove, having 

 failed to flower them for three years previously in 

 the Cattleya-honse ; although the plants were treated 

 in every respect the way that is generally recom- 

 mended, viz., suspended close underneath the venti- 

 lator in the Cattleya-house, where they could get a 

 fair amount of sun, and air was also admitted by a 

 hole being cut in one of the squares, but of no use. 

 The plants left in the Cattleya-house are at present 

 showing no signs of flowering, and will in future be 

 grown in the stove. Erin. 



OSCIDIUM BIPOLICM. 



Hitherto this plant has been rarely met with in 

 gardens. It is a handsome dwarf-growing species, 

 having ovate dark green pseudobulbs and short 

 lance-shaped keeled deep green leaves, borne in 

 pairs. The slender scapes proceed from the base of 

 the bulbs, and bear beautiful pendulous racemes of 

 from six to twenty showy flowers, and the sepals 

 and petals are brown faintly marked with yellow. 

 The lip, which is extremely large, is yellow of great 

 brilliancy. Providing water is kept off the flowers, 

 they last a long time in perfection. It is of easy 

 culture, succeeding well upon a block horizontally 

 suspended, with a little sphagnum to retain mois- 

 ture (of which it enjoys a liberal supply), and hung 

 at the cool end of the Cattleya-house. A plant is 

 now flowering at the Vineyard and Nurseries, 

 Garston. F. A. [The recent importations of the 

 plant will make it a little less rare. Ed.] 



Leptotes bicoloe. 

 A large number of this species is now flowering at 

 the Vineyard, Garston. It is a decidedly pretty 

 epiphytal plant, with short rush-like leaves, and 

 bears white flowers blotched on the lip with purple. 

 It is a desirable plant, inasmuch as its flowers appear 

 in winter, and last a long time in perfection. It is 

 of easy culture, succeeding well upon blocks or in 

 pans suspended from the roof at the cool end of the 

 Cattleya-house, and enjoys when growing a liberal 

 supply of water. It is recorded that this species 

 bears fragrant fruit with the odour of the Tonquin 

 Bean (Dipterix odorata). This fruit, infused in 

 cream, gives it, when iced, a mild agreeable flavour, 

 sweeter than vanilla, but less penetrating. 



L.ELIA RcSSELLIANA. 



This is a very distinct and elegant variety of the 

 purpurata section. The flowers are large, the sepals 

 somewhat narrow, and white, suffused with lilac ; 

 the petals broader, and the lilac slightly deeper in 

 tint ; the lip is large, of rosy-lilac ; and has a band 

 of pale rose near the throat, which latter is light 

 yellow pencilled with rose. A nice plant of it is 

 now flowering in the Vineyard Nurseries, Garston. 

 F.A. 



Fruit Register. 



PEAK CLAPPS FAVOURITE. 

 This fine American Pear is not over-estimated by 

 " R. D." in his note in the Gardeners' Chronicle. It 

 is grown here on trees in pots, and on a south wall, 

 since it was first distributed ; and when grown 

 fully exposed to the sun, and well ripened, it is one 

 of the most beautiful Pears with which I am 

 acquainted, being of pleasing outline, and having a 

 yellow ground colour, suffused and streaked with 



