68 THE BOOK OF THE WINTER GARDEN 



the young growths appear. The crisped petals are pure 

 white, and in the normal form the lip is orange blotched, 

 in the variety Lemoniana lemon, and in alba entirely 

 white. They are all orchids of high merit which should 

 be grown in a moist atmosphere in summer and well 

 watered, and left alone for several years, merely top 

 dressing, not repotting. Two at least of the so-called 

 Indian crocuses should be grown — C. lagenaria and C 

 Wallichiana — both often met with under the name of 

 Pleione, The pseudo-bulbs should be placed thickly 

 in pans, and put into a warm house until the leaves fade, 

 when cooler and dry treatment is required. 



The Lady's Slipper {Cypripedium insigne) requires a 

 compost of peat and loam, but must not be kept dry at 

 any time. It is the best known of the warm greenhouse 

 Lady's Slipper orchids, and its greenish yellowish 

 flowers remain fresh for many weeks. The colour of 

 the normal type resembles too closely that of the frog 

 for the writer's liking. In the variety Maulei the upper 

 sepal is white, and this and a clearer colouring over the 

 rest of the flowers improve it wonderfully. The varieties 

 Sanderae, albo-marginatum and montanum are attractive. C 

 Leeanum, a hybrid between C. insigne and C Spicerianuniy 

 is useful, and likes a warmer house (stove) than C insigne. 



The very fragrant Cymbidium eburneum, like the rest 

 of its genus, has very ornamental, bright evergreen, 

 sword-shaped leaves, that set oflP the large, waxy, pure 

 white, very fragrant flowers to advantage. Usually 

 flowers in February. Grow in peat and loam in an 

 intermediate house, and never keep dry. 



Of Dendrobiums the best winter flowering species 

 is D. aureum, with very fragrant December and 

 January flowers. The petals are yellow, the lip velvety 

 brown. Z). enosmum var, delicata, Z). Cassiope, D. endo- 

 charis^ and others, are beautiful hybrids flowering early 

 in the year. They take up little room. Small plants 



