The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids 



"We come to the white varieties, which some 

 think the grandest and most saintly of all flowers 

 that blow. The commonest variety — still, alas ! far 

 too rare for humble amateurs — is Stella, absolutely 

 snow-white, unless occasionally rose markings show 

 upon the lip ; but the throat is yellow, with purple 

 lines. More treasured by the lordly is Dmvsoniana. 

 A single plant was sent home twenty years ago by 

 a gentleman travelling in Mexico to Messrs. Low, 

 of Clapton ; not one has been found since, and from 

 this all plants in cultivation are descended. It has 

 white sepals and petals, and a dark lip. Sanderiana 

 is like to it, but the petals are longer and narrower, 

 and the lip is margined with white. No less than 

 three examples of Virginalis have turned up, snow- 

 white, saving a lemon-yellow throat with maroon 

 stripes. Most glorious of all is L. a. iSchrodcriana, 

 six inches in diameter, with a broad, square lip, 

 striped cliocolate-red and lined with gold. Several 

 appeared in one of Messrs. Sander's importations 

 ten years ago. The collector was chevied by tele- 

 grams for months, but he could never find more. 

 There are perhaps a dozen in cultivation now. 



"It would not become a Christian man to finish 

 without telling his fellow-mortals where they may 

 behold beauty which he really holds to be the 

 supremest effort of beneficence. Go to Lord 



64 



