46 
OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 
Dendr6bium ccerulescens. Those who wish to witness the trifling disparity 
between this plant and D. nobile, may, by visiting the collections of Messrs. 
Loddiges and Rollison, see the latter species in flower with the first-named 
gentleman, and the direct subject of these comments also blossoming in the 
Tooting nursery. D. ccerulescens has stems a little weaker, and of a less deep 
verdure, while the sheath at the base of the leaves embraces a rather greater 
amount of the stem's surface than is the case with D. nobile. In the flowers, 
however, the principal distinction resides ; since the lip of D. coerulescens is less 
pubescent in the interior, and is acute and recurved at the point, while the 
colouring matter in the sepals and petals assimilates much more closely to a 
bluisk-ipvLYiple. Each of them is in the highest degree enchanting, and they are 
equally deserving of the culturist's care. 
Phaitjs grandifolius ; var. In the orchidaceous-house of Messrs. Rollison, 
Tooting, a trifling variety of this very old species is exhibiting its blossoms. 
It differs from the original, in the sepals and petals being of a yellow 
ground, almost completely covered with bright-brown blotches ; the sepals are 
broadest, with three separate yellow stripes down the centre, while the petals 
have only one perceptible streak : the lip is likewise longer, and narrow at the 
extremity. It was obtained from the E?.st Indies, and is growing under precisely 
the same treatment as the authenticated species, so that the colour is not to be 
accounted for by peculiar local conditions. 
OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 
Markedly mild, and refreshingly stimulant to vegetable action, as has been a 
considerable moiety of the present winter, it cannot be reasonably expected that 
March will pass by without some exhibition of its accustomed rigour. The 
winters of Britain are now so generally extended beyond the spring equinox, that 
one of the greatest and most dangerous impediments to the satisfactory cultivation 
of all kinds of plants, is the occurrence of frost after their leafy expansion. 
As the judicious culturist is ever on the alert to anticipate, rather than allow 
his stock to be subjected to the irregularities of seasons, particularly when 
warned by the mischief they have caused in previous years, we are not authorised 
to suppose that the promising earliness of plants' developments in the current 
period will escape the notice of our fraternity, or allay all apprehension for its 
consequences. Nevertheless, we must not refrain from cautioning the uninitiated 
class of inquisitive amateurs. 
Whether in the plant-house or the open ground, every race of vegetable 
existences should, as far as can conveniently be done, be kept in complete sub- 
ordination to the grower's wishes. This may be thought, by many, a thing 
