534 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 24, 1897. 
ground shading into red. The combina'ion is 
quaint, and the variety one of the best belonging to 
the section. 
Auricula Duke of York. —Very handsome is 
this alpine variety, which has a golden-yellow eye, a 
blackish-maroon ground, and a crimson edge. 
Auricula Greenfinch —Here we have a green- 
edged, show Auricula, with a white paste, a black 
ground and a green edge. The whole flower is very 
flat. 
- —*■- 
THE BEST TWELVE ORCHIDS FOR 
BEGINNERS. 
Having dealt with the genera, Aerides, Calanthe, 
Cattleya, Coelogyne, Cymbidium and Cypripedium, 
the subject brings us to that of Dendrobium of 
which there is a great number of species, all of 
more or less beauty, so that it makes the selection 
somewhat difficult. But without further ado, I shall 
advocate the claims of that grand old species, D. 
nobile, as being one of the best for all purposes in 
cultivation. 
If any evidence of its popularity were wanting you 
only have to visit one of those mammoth sales 
organised by the “ Orchid King 11 at the auction 
rooms, situated close to Bennett’s clock in Cheapside, 
young growths are liable to damp off. When the 
young growths are well up and rooting freely they 
must receive copious supplies. This treatment must 
be followed until it is seen that the pseudobulbs are 
nearly made up, when the watering should be done 
less frequently and the atmosphere kept drier. This 
will prevent them starting again into growth, which 
is undesirable. A little later they should be trans¬ 
ferred to a cool greenhouse, which is I think about 
the best place in which to rest them. Here they 
should be kept close and shaded until the plants 
become accustomed to the altered conditions, or they 
would suffer. Whilst resting they will require but 
very little water, just sufficient only to prevent their 
shrivelling. 
Old established plants may be treated in precisely 
the same manner. With a dozen plants it is possible to 
have them in bloom six months out of twelve if treated 
successionally.— C. 
--- 
BULBS IN THE LONDON PARKS. 
The spring has been a cold one, and vegetation has 
progressed but slowly since the cold spell set in. 
As far as spring-flowering bulbs in the open are 
concerned, we consider that the cold weather has 
colours in marked contrast to the more glaring hues 
of summer flower bedding. The wedge-shaped end 
beds are elevated in three series of slight mounds, 
which vary the monotony of what would otherwise 
be a flat surface of various colours. In one we have 
a mixture of Hyacinths consisting of Charles 
Dickens, deep blue, Czar Peter, light blue, Gigantea, 
flesh, and the nearly white Grandeur a Merveille. 
In the other bed we get Robert Steiger, red, 
Gertrude, pink, Grandeur a Merveille, and a few 
plants of Charles Dickens. The massiveness of 
these beds should help to give an idea of a Dutch 
bulb farm when the Hyacinths are in flower. 
Between the two large beds is a circular one planted 
with Hyacinth Czar Peter and the deep blue form 
of Charles Dickens. A long narrow bed is 
brightened with Grandeur a Merveille and Ger¬ 
trude. 
The Tulip beds gave good promise on the occasion 
of our visit, and Keizer Kroon, being amongst the 
most forward, is now in its glory. There is a huge 
bed of it besides smaller ones. Two circular beds 
of Daffodil Sir Watkin and Horsfieldi are very 
effective, but the golden yellow of Sir Watkin tells 
at the greatest distance. 
Hyde Park. 
There are plantations of bulbs in various parts of 
Beds of Hyacinths in Hyde Park. 
where Messrs Protheroe & Morris astonish the 
uninitiated by the enormous quantity they dispose 
of in lots to suit all buyers of this variety. 
It is not everyone that would have pluck enough 
to send a collector out for it. But that the enter¬ 
prise was justified is amply proved by the splendid 
average prices they realise under the hammer, 
Probably they have found a new district, for amongst 
those that have already flowered some very choice 
varieties have turned up. 
Their culture is simplicity itself, always of course 
provided you can give them the requisite amount of 
heat when they are making their growth. Without 
this essential it is impossible to grow them to perfec¬ 
tion. Assuming the reader has been a purchaser of 
a bundle or two of the newly imported plants, we 
would recommend their being potted up without 
delay, using pots just [large enough to admit of a 
small quantity of peat and sphagnum moss being 
pressed in around them. The drainage must be 
ample, as having very few, if any roots, the compost 
would, if not used sparingly, become sour before the 
new roots would have time to get hold of it. 
When potted place in a temperature of about 65° 
at night with a rise of :o° by day, or more with sun- 
heat. Keep the syringe freely going between the 
pots, but do not keep the compost too wet or the 
been advantageous rather than otherwise by retard¬ 
ing vegetation and prolonging the flowering season. 
The rain that has fallen has also been advantageous, 
particularly to the Daffodils, which require a consider¬ 
able amount of moisture when in bloom to bring the 
flowers to their wonted perfection and make them 
durable either on the plants or in the cut state. 
Hyacinths also rejoice in an abundance of moisture, 
which we may take it for granted is usually abun¬ 
dant under natural conditions in the flowering 
season. A fortnight ago we passed through Regent’s 
Park and Hyde Park when Daffodils and Hyacinths 
were in perfection,and they have lost but little of their 
beauty except in the case of the earliest varieties. 
Regent’s Park. 
Not far from the main highway running through 
this park is a huge triangular bed of Wallflower 
alternating with Emperor Daffodil, which is very 
effective in its massiveness. A huge oblong bed of 
Hyacinth Czar Peter (light blue), intermixed with 
the massive and often-fasciated flesh-coloured 
Gigantea presents a beautiful harmony and contrast 
of colour. Grandeur a Merveille (nearly white) and 
the red Robert Steiger have also given a good 
account of themselves. 
The massive beds about the middle of the western 
half of the park present a pleasing expanse of mixed 
this Royal park, but the finest display is massed in 
the beds along the side of Park Lane. Proceeding 
eastwards from the Marble Arch we come upon a 
whole garden of large oblong beds in pairs between 
two paths. Some of the finest of these we note 
seriatim. The first pair of beds are filled with the 
white Hyacinth La Grandesse. Hyacinth General 
Havelock, intense violet, planted in diagonal lines 
alternating with Daffodil Horsfieldi, forms a striking 
contrast. A peculiarity of the rosy-red Hyacinth 
Queen Victoria Alexandrina is that each bulb throws 
two to four spikes in succession. The large pure 
white bells of Hyacinth Madame van der Hoop are 
produced on very dwarf scapes. The wide porcelain 
blue spikes of Hyacinth Lord Derby, in diagonal 
lines alternating with Narcissus maximus, produces 
a most pleasing effect; in fact, we look upon the 
two beds of these as amongst the finest in the park. 
Very pleasing are the large rosy flowers of Hyacinth 
Lord Macaulay. Hyacinth Alba maxima is after 
the style of Gigantea, but pure white. Two other 
of the finest beds we noted are filled with Hyacinth 
Sir H. Barkley, of a dark but bright blue, alternating 
with Narcissus rugilobus, sulphur with yellow 
trumpet. 
Very singular are the large flowers of Hyacinth 
Lord Wellington, which are flesh-coloured with pink 
