March 19, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
227 
They are now, as then, principally valued for their early flowering. 
Even in cold regions they begin to open their snowy flowers with the new 
year, continuing for about two months or so, making our woodland walks 
both beautiful and interesting. Nothing, it is said, reminded our soldiers 
so much of home as to see this welcome visitor around their camps in the 
Crimea. 
“ L ke pendant flakes of vegetating snow, 
The early heralds of the infant year, 
Ere yet the adventurous Crocus dares to blow. 
Beneath the orchard boughs thy buds appear.” 
Although not strictly true this is very appropriate even yet. The 
poet was probably not aware of the later introductions of Crocuses, some 
til V 1 !, . oom f rom early December almost without intermission until 
the following autumn. An old garden is rarely if ever explored without 
the visitor s attention being drawn to the fme old well-established lows of 
Snowdrops, generally on each side of the carriage drive, or edging clumps 
and borders in the vicinity of the mansion that have been left undisturbed 
time out of ken In a few cases they have escaped to the neighbouring 
plantations, where whole sheets of pure ivory white flowers may be seen 
even yet. 
The common Snowdrop is generally quoted as a native of Britain. 
It is by some, however, considered an escape to be accounted for in some 
such way as that above stated. Where plenty of space can be afforded 
massing or grouping are by far the most effective ways of planting these 
bulbs, G. nivalis, the most common spec : es, being the best for such pur¬ 
poses. It has given rise to numerous varieties or forms, such as Melvillei, 
major, Redoutei, caspius, Imperati, praecox, latifolius, reflexus, serotinus 
fl.-pl,, and many others. A few of the above are as large, if not more so, 
than the newer G, Elwesii, a very distinct plant, and they are in every 
way superior for planting in quantity. The process of raising them from 
seed, as shown by Mr. Melville of Dunrobin Castle (who made rapid 
strides in the development of the old G. nivalis, and to whom we are 
indebted for many seedlings) is very interesting, owing to the wide varia¬ 
tions of the seedlings, and as the chances are all in favour of usef. l 
varieties being raised, one that ought to be persevered in, with proper 
attention to selection from the largest and best developed only. 
The mode of planting these, as almost all bulbs, depends entirely 
upon the nature of the soil. Where that is good it is only needful to 
carefully dibble them in. Where the soil is heavy or retentive, however, 
a larger hole must be made, and a little rich soil placed in with the bulb.’ 
Deep planting is often practised with the Snowdrop, and the ground 
above them is utilised for Squills, Hyacinths, Tulips, and other bulbous 
plants that begin to flower as the Snowdrops fade. Besides affording a 
succession of flowers, which is always a consideration, they will while 
there have the benefit of a beautiful light green carpet of foliage, which 
will show them off to the best advantage. It is perhaps not generally 
known that considerably more than half the Snowdrop bulbs sold by the 
trade in this country are home-grown, the small farmers and cottagers of 
Lincolnshire supplying them. 
The following are brief descriptions of the principal forms G. nivalis 
might almost go without description, as there is hardly a garden of any 
pretension that does not have patches of these spring favourites. Ihe 
varieties, however, may be mentioned, as they are not so plentiful as the 
type. G. nivalis Melvillei is one of the most handsome. Its large well- 
formed flowers never fail to attract attention. G. aestivalis, a free-flower¬ 
ing well-formed variety, about the earliest. G. reflexus is curious, but 
the flowers are small. G. latifolius is very distinct, having large broad 
strap-shaped leaves, very free flowering. G. Sharlocki, in which the spathe 
is divided into two separate segments, is very distinct in appearance. It 
is frequently two instead of one-flowered. G. Imperati is also worth 
mentioning, as well as many of the curious double forms. G. plicatus 
(the Crimean Snowdrop) is very early, a much stronger growing species 
than the last, and from which it widely differs in its plaited leaves, 
which are twice folded like the plaits of a fan ; the flowers are large, and 
have more green in the petals than nivalis. 
Galanthus Elwesii is a distinct species (fig. 41), readily recognised by 
its green-based inner segments, which show prettily between the outer 
ones, and also by its very glaucous leaves a good species for pot culture, 
and also for dry positions in light rich soil. Concerning this species a 
correspondent wrote some time ago as follows “ Of all Snowdrops thig 
is cne of the most distinct and effective. The flowers are larger than 
those of G. plicatus, and are readily distinguished from all other species 
or forms by the dense green basal blotches of the three inner segments. 
It is named in compliment to Mr. Elwes, and was first found by M. 
Balausa in 1854, on the Gamauladagh Mountains ti the north of the Gulf 
of Smyrna. It appears to have been introduced to English gardens by 
Mr. Elwes, who collected it on the mountains near Smyrna in 1874. The 
plant is now tolerably abundant in all good gardens, where, with the s ill 
larger G. Imperati, it well deserves a place.”—M. S. 
THE CULTURE OF THE ORANGE. 
The cultivation of the Orange in the open air has not, I 
believe, been attempted of late years in England, except in rare 
instances m some of the southern counties, and yet it is a half- 
hardy plant which will bear much cold. When it was first 
introduced into this country it was planted out of d jors, but the 
attempt was unsuccessful, probably because the situation may 
not have been well choseu, or the seasons may have been ex¬ 
ceptionally severe Lady Brassey tells us in her interesting 
book that she has seen it flourishing in Japan surrounded by 
icicles, and everyone who has passed a winter in Italy, especially 
at Nice or on the Riviera, must have seen trees loaded with fruit 
in times of severe frost, whilst snow occasionally lodged on their 
branches. At Mr. Luscombe’s, near Kingsbridge in Devonshire, 
and at Lord Morley’s at Salcombe in that county, 1 have been 
told that Oranges are grown against the garden walls, and a 
Lemon tree is said to bear fruit out of doors at Dunster Castle 
in Somersetshire, but what amount of protection is given them 
in winter 1 do not know. The Lemon is much less hardy than the 
Orange. 
Having myself observed at Nice, Florence, and elsewhere in 
Italy, that Orange trees were but little injured by severe frost, 
and considering that the climate of the Isle of Purbeck is 
milder than in many other places, I was induced, about thirteen 
years ago, to plant a, small Orange tree between the Peaches 
against a south wall of the kitchen garden here. In the first two 
or three years it made but little progress, but since then it has 
steadily increased in size, and it now covers a space of wall 
8 feet 6 inches high by 7 feet wide. It would have extended 
much farther if it had not been intentionally kept within those 
limits in order not to encroach on the neighbouring Peach trees. 
At this moment it is looking as healthy and flourishing as any 
tree in the north of Italy, quite concealing the wall by its dense 
dark green foliage from the ground to its summit. It has at 
present upwards of four do;en golden Oranges, besides smaller 
green ones from last summer’s flowers, which will not ripen till 
next spring. The crop being rather heavy, the fruit at present 
is not large, but in some former seasons 1 have gathered Oranges 
measuring 11} and 10} inches in circumference Unfortunately 
the sort is not a good one for the table, but it makes excellent 
marma'ade, and for the last two years a sufficient quantity has 
been gathered to supp'y my wants. 
1 have spoken of the Orange as a half-hardy plant, and I 
have treated it as such. During the winter a couple of Melon 
lights are placed in front of the tree in a sloping position, the 
top resting against the wall and the lower ends being supported 
by a temporary dwarf wall of loose bricks, which is easily re¬ 
moveable if necessary. The sides are always left open, except in 
