December 20,1894 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
557 
u 
of flowers as any part of the previous management. Where the Tulip 
bed has not been already hooped over it should be done without loss of 
time, and the simplest plan is to get some round iron rods, 12 feet long 
by half an inch in diameter, and have them 
bent in the annexed form (fig. 90). They 
should be painted, and as soon as dry placed 
over the bed 3 feet apart, pressing them down 
equally, having a hoop at each end of the 
bed. When this is done pantile laths should 
be tied inside the hoops the whole length of 
the bed at the ridge and the two shoulders. 
It is also desirable, if there is any chance of 
being annoyed by cats, to have a net fastened 
round the sides of the bed, which can be tied 
to the pantile laths at the shoulders. The 
next thing is to get the mats or cloths ready 
for covering the beds with in bad weather. 
.... The hoops and coverings being ready, 
the next thing is to keep a good watch on 
the weather, as it requires the greatest care to protect the bed from 
frost and hailstones ; indeed it is desirable to keep the rain even from 
the bed whenever there is the least chance of frost at night, as half the 
injury Tulips receive arises from water lodging in the cups formed by 
the leaves during their early growth, which, becoming frozen, expands, 
as well as the frozen earth around their stems, and the consequence is 
that the pressure ruptures the vessels of the leaves, and mortification 
takes place frequently to an extent suflScient to destroy the plant.” 
‘ 4 . 6 ' 
FIG. 90.—PROTECTtON 
A TULIP BED. 
FOB 
It can, I think, be readily understood from the above what an 
immense amount of watchful labour must have been necessary to 
ensure a fine bed of bloom when such protective means were 
employed. The grower must have been a slave to his Tulips. 
What covering and uncovering when at home ! and what anxiety 
when away as to hailstorms, rains, and frosts ! Well might the 
number of cultivators diminish as the present era of amusement 
and superficial smartness dawned. And yet with every care and 
attention Tulips grown with this method of protec'ion were often 
in sorry plight, as witness a wail from another fine old-time grower 
—Mr. J. Hunt of High Wycombe—in the April number of the 
same volume of the ” Florist.” 
“ Tulips.—The present wet season is very unfavourable to a fine 
bloom. The great influx of rain, with the almost constant covering of 
the bed to prevent their being saturated with water, is very prejudicial, 
a constant supply of pure fresh air being a si7ie qua non to a healthful 
state of both the bulb and foliage and to a perfect development of the 
bloom. The beds in this neighbourhood present a very different appear¬ 
ance from what they have done in past seasons ; the foliage is of a sickly 
pale green, the stems weak and drawn by the frequent covering and the 
absence of the rays of the sun. The most skilful judgment and unre¬ 
mitting attention have been required from the enthusiastic cultivator ; 
and after all the pains taken we fear the present adverse season will 
prevent him witnessing the consummation so ardently desired—a fine 
bloom.” 
Some Tulips are still grown and protected in similar fashion 
now, and probably there is here and there an old fashioned grower 
who would maintain strongly that no other way would do at all. 
Still, I think that I may fairly lay claim to having established my 
point that excessive wet is most injurious to the Tulip, and 
that the means of protection formerly employed were clumsy, 
troublesome, and defective. 
The best manner of protecting Tulips is, in my opinion, one 
which is described by Mr. J. Douglas in his work “ Hardy Florist 
Flower*,” and it ii the plan that, with some modifications, I adopt. 
I have two beds, each 50 feet long, placed parallel to each other, 
with a walk 3 feet wide between them. On each side of the walk 
posts, close to the edging board of the bed, are driven into the 
ground until they stand about 4| feet above it ; along the outer 
sides of the beds similar posts are also placed about 3| feet high. 
Along the tops of each line of posts stout rails are nailed, and a 
kind of framework is produced upon which glass lights, about 5 feet 
long by 3 feet 6 inches wide, are placed. 
(To be continued.) 
Cypbipedium X William Lloyd. 
This very distinct hybrid Cypripedium is the result of a cross 
between C. belatulum and C. Swanianum. The flower is large, 
that shown in the illustration (fig. 91) being slightly reduced, and 
of an unusually rich colour. A purplish rose shade characterises the 
upper sepal, which is also marked with darker veins, and has a 
white tip. The petals are of a similar colour spotted with dark 
purple, the lip being a deep purplish red. This fine Cypripedium 
was exhibited by Mr. P. Weathers, Silverhall Nursery, Isleworth, 
at the Drill Hall, Westminster, on the 11th inst., when the Orchid 
Committee of the Boyal Horticultural Society adjudged it an 
award of merit. 
Dendrobium Parishi. 
The flowers of this species somewhat resemble those of 
D. nobile, but are usually deeper in colour. In habit it is quite 
distinct from any other Dendrobium ; the blunt pseudo-bulbs have 
a peculiar, rather clumpy, appearance, and grow over the side of 
the pot or basket with the points downwards. The plant is 
deciduous, and the pseudo-bulbs, when well ripened, are covered 
with very white sheaths. The blossoms appear in small panicles 
from the nodes early in spring, and are usually fully developed in- 
May, After these fade the new growth appears, when the plants 
must be placed in a brisk moist heat in a light sunny position. A 
FIG. 91.—CYPRIPEDIUM X WILLIAM LLOYD. 
thorough rest must be given after the leaves have fallen, no water 
being required until the plants are seen to be on the move in 
spring. D. Parishi was introduced from Moulmem about 1860, and 
is named after its discoverer, the Rev. C. Parish, a distinguished 
and successful collector of Orchids.—H. R. R, 
Orchids at The Firs, Warwick. 
Anyone visiting this place cannot help being astonished at its 
magnificent collection of Orchids. Major Mason, who is a keen 
enthusiast, has taken a great interest in them for a number of 
years, adding by degrees many of the choice varieties now in 
cultivation. The collection now exceeds 9000 plants, which 
includes some fine rare specimens, and even at this dull season of 
the year abundance of bloom can be seen in every house. In the 
Cattleya house there are something like 2000 plants, which Mr , 
Beale told me had been a splendid sight, amongst others being 
C. labiata and C. aurea. At the north end of the same house, 
and hanging from the roof, is a most meritorious collection of 
Vandas, which, in my opinion, would be hard to surpass, for they 
are in excellent health. 
Amongst the Orchids in flower I noticed the yellow Cypri¬ 
pedium Sanderse, Cymbidium Winnianum, Vanda Hookeri, and 
some Odontoglossums. Other plants worthy of note are Laslias of 
