ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 237 



Burbidge says of it — " This is one of the finest of all 

 the snowdrops, a flower from Mr Smith, Newry, sent 

 to me in February of this year, having sepals one inch 

 and a half long, and very broad with a fluted surface." 

 This bulb was a seedling raised by me at Faldonside 

 from the ordinary form of G. Imperati. It is a free growei-, 

 and is much larger than its parent. Mr James Allen 

 of Shepton Mallet is a very keen propagator, and has 

 raised some very fine seedlings from lynperati also, one 

 of his very finest, named "Charmer," being a lovely flower; 

 but in my soil it is of feeble growth. "Galatea" is another. 

 This I find a hardier variety, but rather low growing. 

 Mr Allen says that he has never been able to decide 

 whether this or "Charmer " is the more perfect flower. I 

 have another of Mr Allen's seedlings called " Magnet," 

 which I like very much, as it is a free grower. It is a 

 tall growing variety, and frequently produces two flowers 

 from one stalk, the pedicels being unusually long, which 

 gives to it the appearance of a much more drooping 

 habit. G. Melvillei major was raised by Mr Melville, 

 Dunrobin Castle, and is also a fine flower of the same 

 type. This was a favourite seed-bearing plant with Mr 

 Allen, and from it some of his finest seedlings were 

 raised, "Magnet" being among the number. These I have 

 mentioned are, I believe, some of the finest flowers that 

 have been raised from G. Imipevati. 



There is another section of G. nivalis, which goes 



under the name of autumn-flowering snow- 

 Autumn- drops. The earliest of these to flower is 

 flowering G. Octoberensis, and all of this section have 

 Snowdrops, been found wild in Albania, Corfu, or on 



some of the mountains of Greece. They 

 are, as a rule, delicate plants, and require a great deal 

 of care and attention to keep them in good health. The 

 first of these was G. Octoberensis, which was found by 

 Lord Walsingham when travelling in Albania. He had 

 collected some bulbs on one of the mountains, and sent 



