176 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
magnificent flower in the Blue division, and is not surpassed by any other 
variety of a similar shade of colour. 
Among Early Single Tulips I have observed nothing strictly new, but 
a few of a somewhat novel character and but seldom seen, deserve mention. 
Of these the Violet class was represented by Queen of Violets , rosy violet, a 
very fine and novel shade of colour; flowers large and bold, and of good 
form. Rose Asiatic, pale violet pink, feathered and flamed with carmine, 
very delicate colour, and good form ; and Berangaria, purplish mauve, of a 
dark shade, very slightly feathered with white, distinct and novel, the 
flowers of good size, but the petals somewhat pointed. Comte cle Vergennes 
is a novel and beautiful flower, pure white, with a blotch of rosy crimson 
on the centre of the petals, and feathered with the same. Queen Victoria , 
a white flower, pencilled and shaded with rosy carmine, has been very fine 
this season ; unfortunately a spurious variety too often gets sent out for this. 
Monument is a tall-growing bright rosy cerise flower, which sometimes 
comes slightly flaked with white. It is a bold and showy kind. Brutus 
rectified, is a “ broken ” Brutus, having a golden base to the flower, and is 
feathered ‘with gold also ; it is a very fine and showy flower. El Boraclo is 
a small but very bright yellow flower that will be sure to please. Jan 
Lucken has a ground colour of golden yellow, flaked with bright crimson; 
a medium-sized flower but very showy. Ferdinand Boll is of a pale rosy 
lilac shade, with lighter edges; a fine flower. 
Quo. 
COOL ORCHIDS—ODONTOGLOSSUMS. 
Now that plants of the more showy and free-blooming Orchids can be 
had at prices even more moderate than those of some of the better varieties 
of Pelargoniums when first sent out, they are rapidly becoming popular. 
Their popularity may date its first prominent increase from the advent of 
cool treatment, and that for several reasons. The first maybe said to be owing 
to the large lot that was sent home from the elevated regions of Central 
America by Weir and Blunt, among which, despite many losses, several 
batches reached this country in good condition. These filled the market with 
sorts which hitherto had been confined to a few growers, and prices fell to 
so reasonable a rate as to induce others to make a beginning. Secondly, ex¬ 
perienced growers had found out the impracticability of growing many such 
things as Odontoglots for instance, from alpine regions, in a temperature 
where the very essence of the pseudobulbs was washed out of them, and 
sickness and death were the consequence, involving losses which might once 
or twice be borne by an enthusiastic lover of the race, but could not be 
expected to be long endured. Benefiting by both written and oral advice, 
they found to their delight and astonishment, that not only could the in¬ 
florescence of the plants under cultural care, equal the sketches and represen¬ 
tations of collectors, pourtraying them from nature as wildings, but that in 
some instances they were vastly superior. Thirdly, orchidophilists were 
delighted to find that both they, and the ladies of their households, could 
inspect and admire the plants without feeling uncomfortably hot, and running 
the risk of catching periodical colds from being, so to speak, within the 
influence of a Turkish bath. An East Indian climate must always partake 
a little of this character; but for good and beautiful Orchids that are found 
in the Andes and Cordilleras of tropical regions, a very cool temperature 
will suffice. 
