218 MTLTONIA RUSSELLIANA. 
The flowers of this interesting species first made their appearance in England 
at the gardens of His Grace the late Duke of Bedford, Woburn Abbey, whither 
it was sent by the Hon. Capt. J. Roos, R. N., in 1835 ; having been obtained 
from the collection of Mrs. Moke, at Tejuca, near Hio Janeiro. Messrs. Loddiges 
likewise imported specimens several years ago, and some of these have bloomed in 
their establishment for the last two or three seasons successively. The plant of 
which our drawing is a representation blossomed with the latter gentlemen in 
December 1838, and other specimens are now preparing to develop their flowers. 
It is no less observable than encouraging to the superior culturist, that Miltonia 
Russelliana is a species which will abundantly repay him for proper attention, as 
there are not many Orchidacese on which the effects of good treatment are more 
apparent. Plants in the collection of His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, at 
Chiswick, have been generally acknowledged to have developed themselves to 
greater perfection than has been elsewhere attained. Notwithstanding this, the 
commonest system of management has been adopted. They are potted every 
spring in shallow pots half filled with a smaller inverted pot and drainage, and the 
rest made up with small pieces of fibrous heath-soil, blended with potsherds. 
Their growing season is from the end of the Spring to the beginning of Autumn, 
at which period they are freely watered at the roots and syringed over the leaves, 
and a moderately high temperature is sustained. 
At the completion of their growth, the heat of the house is reduced and the 
amount of water lessened, when they w^ill commence protruding their flower-spikes, 
which are, it will be seen by the drawing, borne from the base of the newly- 
perfected pseudo-bulb. This last must be fully ripened ere it will produce flowers, 
and hence the value of withholding moisture after the accretions are all made. 
Propagation is performed by removing one of the foremost pseudo-bulbs in the 
usual way. 
Dr. Lindley named this species in compliment to the late Duke of Bedford, 
than whom a more enlightened and zealous patron of horticulture has seldom 
existed. 
