156 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 23,18S2. 
material, and on this was placed 3 inches depth of rough or 
common mess, and when the Lilies had grown about an inch 
above the tan the moss was removed. The temperature of the 
house ranges from 50° to 55° by day, falling a little lower at 
night, Mr. Evans told me the clumps were put into the bed 
about a month ago. The flower spikes are produced in great 
numbers. I counted between sixty and seventy spikes to the 
square foot, the bells being of extraordinary size, and averaging 
twenty bells on a spike. It seems to me a very simple method 
of obtaining a good supply of these very valuable flowers, espe¬ 
cially where there is little space and pots are few, or if wanted 
in pots the clumps can be very easily removed from their 
situation. 
In the same house were some very fine examples of Lilac 
Charles X., producing very large heads of flower ; also some 
Azalea mollis, which are very promising. A few Hyacinths and 
other bulbs were advancing, amongst which a bulb of Princess 
Clotiide had eight spikes of flower, each with twenty-five to fifty 
bells on a spike, when open will make quite a unique specimen. 
Mr. Evans says he has not seen so many flowers produced on a 
single bulb before.—P. 
ORCHIDS IN FEBRUARY. 
The Orchids in cool house are very gay at present, while the 
other divisions are promising a fine display shortly. The tem¬ 
peratures to be maintained now will be 60° in the warm house, 
55° in the intermediate house, and 50° in the cool house, with a 
rise of 5° during the day. The following are the most attractive 
species and varieties flowering during February :— 
Ccelogyne cristata is now in fine condition. As these cease 
flowering they should be removed to cooler quarters and top- 
dressed with sphagnum, peat, and potsherds, and watered very 
sparingly at first. In cases where they require a shift give them 
a good one, as it is a plant which does not like to be moved often. 
These will require more water than those top-dressed only, and 
should not be allowed to become dry. 
Cypripedium barbatum, C. b. Crossii, and C.bifiorum are showing 
their spikes, and should also be top-dressed with fresh loam, peat, 
and sphagnum. C. caudatum is pushing up its spikes, and should 
have plenty of water now. Any decayed moss around the roots 
ought to be removed. C. Harrisianum, a fine hybrid between 
C. villosum and C. barbatum, of which there are several varieties, 
the darkest being the best, is now in bloom. It is a very free 
grower. Its dark flowers resemble those of C. villosum, while the 
foliage is that of C. barbatum. 
Dendrobium chrysotoxum is producing its flower spikes, and 
will require careful watching, as it is liable to be attacked by 
green fly. It should now be removed to the lightest end of the 
intermediate house, and receive a good supply of water at the roots 
about twice a week. D. nobile is flowering profusely. In cases 
where the plants have been retarded and the buds are beginning 
to colour they should be placed in the warm division and well 
watered, so as to develope the flowers. 
Maxillaria grandiflora has ceased flowering, and should be at 
once repotted in peat and moss with good drainage, and replaced 
in the cool house. Masdevallia amabilis, M. Davisii, M. ignea, 
and M. Yeitchii are showing their flower spikes, and should be fre¬ 
quently examined in order to capture slugs, which commit great 
havoc amongst them now, as do also the green fly, which cause 
the foliage to curl. Miltonia cuneata, the white-lipped Miltonia 
with brown sepals and petals, is blooming well and lasts a long 
time in perfection. The Miltonias are best grown in the Cattleya 
house with a liberal supply of water. 
Odontoglossums.—This is a good time to repot those which 
require shifts, and top-dress others, such as 0. Alexandras, O. 
Andersonii, O. Chestertonii, and O. cirrhosum, which have ceased 
flowering. 0. Hallii, both the yellow and white-lipped varieties, 
are very attractive. Their long spikes—in many cases two from 
one pseudo-bulb—bearing from nine to twelve flowers, which are 
of a beautiful yellow colour, irregularly spotted with chocolate. 
O. luteo-purpureuro, of which there are several varieties, is also 
in perfection. 0. maculatum remains a long time in bloom. 
The sepals and petals are brownish yellow with a light yellow 
lip spotted with purple. 0. Pescatorei is promising a rich dis¬ 
play. 0. pulchellum, with its pure white Hyacinth-scented flowers 
somewhat resembling a spray of Lily of the Valley, is in full 
beauty, as is also 0. triumphans, producing a long spike bearing 
about ten beautiful golden yellow flowers spotted with brown, 
and having a white lip rosy at the base. 
Oncidium concolor is showing its flower spikes, and should be 
carefully examined to protect it from insects. 0. Forbesii is 
commencing growth, and requires to be rebasketed or repotted 
and placed in the cool house. O. Marshallianum is forming its 
spikes, and should be also attended to. 
Phaltenopsis amabilis, P. giandiflora, and P. Schilleriana render 
the warm house gay. The flower spikes ought not to be allowed 
to remain too long on these plants, as they exhaust them. After 
the flowers are cut fresh compost should be added and the plants 
sparingly watered at first. 
Pleiones, if they have not been repotted, should be seen to now, 
giving them plenty of drainage with a compost of peat, loam, 
leaf soil, and sand, with a covering of moss on the top. They do 
well in shallow pans suspended near the glass, and at first sparingly 
watered until the roots become firmly attached, when a little 
liquid manure may be given. 
Saccolabium violaceum is in fine condition this month, bearing 
fine spikes of ivory-white flowers tipped with violet, and with a 
mauve-coloured lip. S. Harrisonianum, with its large pure white 
flowers of fine fragrance and distinct light green foliage, is now 
very attractive.—O rchidist. 
CUTTING DOWN CAMELLIAS. 
I saw in the Journal some time ago a writer regretting to part 
with some very favourite Camellias, but was obliged to do so as 
they had grown too tall for the house. In reference to this subject 
I will describe how I treated a plant in the spring of 1881. In 
the first week in August, 1880, I undertook the management of a 
small greenhouse and flower garden, and in the greenhouse with 
other plants were two Camellias about G or 7 feet high and 4 or 
5 feet in diameter. They were in a very unhealthy conditi n and 
infested with insects. 1 placed them out of doors intending to 
throw them away, for I thought it scarcely possible for them to 
recover; but before turning them out of the pots a gardener 
called to see me, and he said that the lady would have to supply 
others if these died, as they belonged to the landlord. Such being 
the case I determined to cure them if possible. I placed them 
on the gravel walk outside,'and gave them a good syringing every 
afternoon as soon as the sun was going down, and I washed every 
leaf with a flannel and soap twice before removing them to the 
house again in the beginning of October. They both flowered 
very well, one in particular, which seemed to have quite recovered, 
but the other soon showed symptoms of its old complaint, so as 
soon as the last bloom was open I determined either to kill or 
cure it. Every branch of the tree that had a leaf was cut off, 
and then the old stems were dressed with pure paraffin. This was 
effectual, growth became vigorous, and now the specimen is in 
admirable health. 
It is now about thirty years since I first wrote on gardening 
subjects in the Journal, and if you think my beginning again 
after a long silence, and after having had twenty more years of 
experience, would be of service to your readers, I will try and 
resume my pen.— A Little Market Gardener. 
[We shall be glad to hear from you ; your long experience 
cannot fail to enable you to write usefully.—E d.] 
THE DUNROBIN SNOWDROP. 
(GALANTHUS 'NIVALIS VAR. MELVILLEI.) 
A week or two ago I received from Mr. Melville, the esteemed 
gardener at Dunrobin Castle, a box of Snowdrops, and amongst 
them were flowering bulbs of this fine variety. I at once com¬ 
pared them with all the Snowdrops then in bloom here—G. nivalis, 
G. Elwesii, G. plicatus, G. Imperati, and one or two others ; but 
in size of flower G. Melvillei bears the palm, and may fairly be 
termed the queen of Snowdrops. Mr. Peter Barr long ago told 
me of the great size and beauty of this kind ; but although it 
was certificated by the Royal Horticultural Society at South 
Kensington in the year 1879, it does not appear to be generally 
known, and I had never seen it until Mr. Melville kindly satisfied 
my curiosity as before related. So delighted was I at the sight 
of the great pearly white flowers that I sketched them on the spur 
of the moment for the Journal, and the engraving is very exact 
as to size and form. Perhaps it is the best description one could 
give. The three inner segments are arranged in a spreading 
campanulate manner, their markings of green being like those of 
the typical G. nivalis but more decided. I am not quite sure 
of its origin, but think it is a seedling from G. nivalis raised at 
Dunrobin Castle by Mr. Melville, who will perhaps be so good as 
to enlighten us as to the history of so beautiful a variety. 
It is so common to hear even good gardeners speaking of 
“ the Snowdrop,” that doubtless many are unaware of the many 
varieties in cultivation. The following kinds are grown in our 
old garden here, but there are doubtless others which we do not 
possess. Here is our list—G. nivalis fl.-pl. var., G. n. Melvillei, 
ii 
