18 
THE FLORIST AND FOMOLOGIST. 
[ JANUARY, 
volume. Our present subject is one raised some year or two earlier at the Eoyal 
Exotic Nui’sery, Chelsea, and which is thus described by Messrs. Veitch and Sons :— 
“ This is a very distinct seedling, raised at our Chelsea Nursery, and the first 
hybrid which has been offered to the public. It is a cross between D. magnifica 
and D. albicans. The plant is of medium growth, with leaves averaging from 
10 in. to 12 in. in length, by 3 in. in breadth. They are of a deep-green colour, 
which, as the plant attains age, become entirely suffused with deep rose and 
creamy-white, the older leaves being margined with bright rose. The variegation 
shows itself while the plant is quite young, and from its graceful habit and 
beautiful colouring it cannot fail to be exceedingly useful for all decorative pur¬ 
poses. It has been frequently exhibited, and received certificates of merit both 
in London and at Birmingham during the last year.” 
The beautiful admixture of rose and white with which the foliage of this 
plant is adorned, producing a freely distributed creamy-pink variegation, certainly 
gives this Dracaena a position amongst the best of those which are as yet in 
commerce. It also appears to be quite distinct from any of the numerous varieties 
now known.—T. Moore. 
NOTES ON TULIP-CULTUKE. 
month of January invariably brings with it the commencement of that 
series of activities on the part of the Tulip cultivator that bear such an 
important influence on the well-being of this gorgeous flower. And here 
let me parenthetically remark that it is matter for considerable regret 
that the Southern Tulip cultivators have almost died out amongst us. The 
honoured names of Sanders, Hunt, Williams, Lawrence, Betteridge, Headly, and 
others. And no successors ; and were it not for what is done at Slough, Tulip 
flowers would scarcely be seen round London at the present time. In the North 
the ranks of the growers are still full, and the old enthusiasm yet lives, and 
manifests itself at the meetings of the National Tulip Society. Let us hope that 
the time is not far distant when another generation of florists will take up 
the culture of this splendid flower in the South, with something of the old ardour 
and success. 
A mild autumn and winter up to the second week in January will frequently 
do much towards bringing the Tulips on into growth, and under such circum¬ 
stances the leaves will sometimes appear above the ground by the middle of 
January. This necessitates the adoption of some method of winter protection to 
the bed ; and the usual plan is to provide light iron hoops, the rods about a 
quarter of an inch in diameter, and which, when inserted on either side of the 
bed, should be from eight inches to a foot above its surface in the middle. 
There is one advantage in using hoops of this character—viz., that they are 
durable, and when not required for the Tulip bed, can be employed for other pur¬ 
poses ; and secondly, if it is requisite to retain them on the bed during the early 
spring, the hoops can be raised as the Tulips make growth. These hoops should 
