Plate 27. 



AURICULA— ALDERMAN WISBEY. 



It is a great satisfaction to those who admire florists' flowers to find that they are once 

 again assuming the position they formerly deservedly occupied — especially is this the case 

 with the Auricula. It has been exhibited this year in large numbers, and wherever exhibited 

 has attracted the attention and elicited the admiration of all who have seen the collections 

 that have been staged. 



The difficulty of raising fine varieties is so great, that the catalogues of Auriculas contain 

 but little change from year to year, and as confirmatory of this statement, we may say that 

 our esteemed friend Mr. George Lightbody, who has just passed away from amongst us, 

 although he has been a raiser of the Auricula for forty years, has not left more than half a 

 dozen varieties of his own raising which will find a permanent place in our catalogues. 

 Another raiser and grower is Mr. Eichard Headly of Stapleford ; he too has for a lifetime 

 been engaged in the same pursuit, and has raised the finest Auricula in growth (George 

 Lightbody), but has only raised a few really valuable varieties. His stock has lately 

 passed into the hands of Mr. Charles Turner, of the Royal Nursery, Slough, and by his per- 

 mission we have been enabled to figure one of his latest seedlings. It belongs to a class (the 

 green -edged section) in which we are somewhat deficient, and in nearly every point it fulfils 

 the requirements of a first-rate Auricula — the green edge is especially bright, the paste is 

 good, and the eye circular ; it has, however, one defect, a slight roughness on the edge, but it 

 is almost impossible to find an Auricula perfect in every respect. 



Plate 28. 

 MASDEVALLIA LINDENI. 



There are few varieties of Orchids which have received more important additions of late 

 years than Masdevallia ; and we have endeavoured from time to time, as they have been in- 

 troduced, to present accurate portraits of them. In our former series there appeared Mas- 

 devallia Veitchii (p. 481) and M. Harry ana, (p. 555,) named so by Professor Reichenbach in 

 honour of Mr. Harry J. Veitch ; while in our present series we have already figured Masde- 

 vallia ignea, remarkable not only for its brilliancy of colour, but its singular form. 



Masdevallia Lindeni, the subject of our present plate, is the most marvellously brilliant- 

 coloured one of any that have been yet introduced. We say "yet," because it is said that we 

 may expect many more. Nothing can exceed its lovely brilliant magenta colour, and when 

 exhibited at South Kensington it immediately attracted the attention of all present. It was 

 sent over from Brussels by M. Linden, the enthusiastic grower who has done so much to enrich 

 our gardens in every department, and especially in the family of Orchids, and who received 

 unanimously from the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society a first-class cer- 

 tificate. Like those of the family which have already been figured, it is an Orchid of com- 

 paratively easy cultivation, and is very lasting, the blooms remaining in perfection for some 

 weeks, and as they succeed one another, the plant is rarely for long out of bloom. 



