70 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
January  23,  1806, 
Galanthus  Elsse  opened  fully  in  the  end  of  December,  and  as  it 
has  improved  considerably  by  being  established  for  a  few  years, 
one  is  better  able  to  appraise  its  merits.  It  was  found  among 
some  roots  collected  on  Mount  Athos  in  Greece  by  Professor 
Mahaffy,  and  flowered  first  in  this  country  in  December,  1889 
Mr.  James  Allen  of  Shepton  Mallet,  in  his  paper  on  “Snowdrops,” 
read  before  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  10th  March,  1891, 
spoke  of  it  as  a  “  dwarf  variety  with  small  flowers  of  good  form,” 
adding  “  but  I  fear  it  is  not  very  robust  or  hardy,  as  the  frosts  of 
last  season  inj  ired  the  leaves,  and  it  has  not  flowered  this  spring.” 
In  several  communications  I  have  since  had  from  Mr.  Allen  he 
speaks  in  similar  terms  of  this  Snowdrop,  which  does  not  appear  to 
succeed  everywhere.  In  my  garden  it  is  doing  very  well,  and 
increasing  in  vigour  and  beauty  every  year.  Mr.  W.  B.  Boyd  of 
Faldonside,  Melrose,  who  shares  with  Mr.  Allen  the  honour  of 
being  among  the  best  informed  of  our  amateur  Snowdrop  growers, 
also  speaks  unfavourably  of  the  difficulty  of  growing  this  and 
other  precocious  Snowdrops,  recommending  lifting  and  drying  off 
annually.  The  unfavourable  opinion  formed  by  my  able  corre¬ 
spondents  must  be  due  either  to  the  soil  or  climate  of  their  gardens 
being  unsuitable  to  these  Galanthi,  as  nearly  all  of  them  succeed 
with  me  in  the  sandy  peat  of  my  garden. 
I  find  G.  Elsae  no  dwarfer  than  the  ordinary  February-flowering 
G.  nivalis,  and  with  flowers  of  equal  size  and  of  much  better  form 
than  the  type  as  generally  seen.  A  very  remarkable  feature  in 
G.  Elsae  is  the  absence  of  the  white  line  down  the  centre  of  the 
leaf  whtch  generally  marks  the  early-flowering  varieties.  I  attribute 
some  of  my  success  to  deep  planting — a  system  which  appears  to 
suit  nearly  all  Snowdrops.  In  planting  I  generally  leave  a  small 
hollow  for  the  first  year,  so  that  the  plants  will  not  be  too  deep  at 
first,  and  fill  this  hollow  up  gradually  (in  two  years  or  so)  until 
level  with  the  surrounding  surface.  They  might  succeed  if  deeply 
planted  at  first,  but  the  first  season  they  seem  to  have  a  difficulty 
in  accommodating  themselves  to  the  change,  and  are  frequently 
unable  to  throw  up  their  leaves  so  that  they  may  attain  their 
ordinary  length.  Deep  planting  appears  more  beneficial,  however, 
in  light  soil  than  in  a  heavier  one,  and  will  be  found  to  add  to  the 
vigour  of  the  plant  and  the  size  of  the  flowers. 
The  want  of  sun  has  been  unfavourable  to  the  winter-flowering 
Crocuses,  and  hardly  any  have  opened,  although  in  bud  for  some 
time.  C.  hyemalis  and  C.  Imperati  seem  wearying  to  open  their 
pretty  flowers,  while  the  bright  little  C.  ancyrensis,  although 
also  unable  to  open,  yet  brightens  up  its  allotted  corner  with  its 
bright  orange  flowers,  which  are  uncoloured  by  brown  on  the 
outside.  They  are  small,  but  very  bright  in  colour,  which  it 
is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  is  welcome  at  this  season.  In 
Mr.  Maw’s  monograph  it  is  included  in  the  Division  Nudiflori,  or 
species  without  a  basal  spathe,  and  in  Section  I.  Reticulati,  which 
includes  those  which  have  a  corm  tunic  of  distinctly  reticulated 
fibres.  Mr.  J.  G.  Baker  has  arranged  the  genus  in  a  different  way, 
and  includes  C.  ancyrensis  in  the  Section  Holostigma,  having  the 
style  branches  entire.  It  received  its  name  of  ancyrensis  from 
Dean  Herbert,  who  only  included  it,  however,  as  a  variety  of 
C.  reticulatus.  In  his  first  monograph  of  the  genus,  which  appeared 
in  a  contemporary,  Mr.  Maw  mentions  that  Mr.  Baker  named  it 
C.  susianus  var.  ancyrensis  ;  but  in  Mr.  Baker’s  “  Handbook  of  the 
Irideae,”  published  in  1892,  this  has  been  departed  from,  and  this 
Crocus  appears  as  a  distinct  species,  and  Mr.  Maw  remarks  that  it 
occupies  a  distinct  region  to  that  of  C.  susianus.  Herbert  obtained 
corms  from  Angora,  but  it  is  abundant  in  many  parts  of  the  centre 
of  Asia  Minor.  In  his  “  Notes  on  the  Life  History  of  a  Crocus,  &c.,” 
contributed  as  a  preliminary  to  his  monograph  to  the  Linnean 
Society  in  1882,  Mr.  Maw  says  that  he  had  detected  in  C.  ancyrensis 
the  piesence  of  a  spiral  coil  or  double  loop,  described  by  Mohl. 
followed  by  Edgworth,  as  present  in  C.  aureus  and  its  allies,  and 
which  Mr.  Carruthers  ascertained  is  due  to  the  thinning  or 
channelling  of  the  outer  coat  of  the  grain.  This  may  be  of  interest 
to  those  who  delight  in  microscopy.  I  find  no  difficulty  in  growing 
C.  ancyrensis  in  the  border,  but  it  does  not  increase  very  rapidly, 
which  is  unfortunate,  as  a  mass  of  its  bright  flowers  would  be  very 
pleasing.  The  early  Irises,  such  as  I.  histrio  and  I.  reticulata 
histrioides,  are  making  slow  progress  despite  the  mildness  of  the 
weather,  and  to  all  appearance  we  shall  have  some  time  to  wait 
before  they  open  to  delight  us  with  their  charming  forms  and 
colours. 
Some  seasons  with  a  little  protection  the  Poppy  Anemones  are 
exceedingly  attractive  in  midwinter.  This  is  one  of  these  seasons, 
and  I  am  regretting  that  I  am  not  provided  with  a  few  more  of 
the  small  glass  hand-lights,  which  are  so  useful  for  winter  flowers, 
in  order  that  a  few  more  clumps  of  Anemone  coronaria  might  be 
covered.  Very  beautiful  under  glass  are  these  Poppy  Anemones, 
and  valuable  for  cutting  now  that  Chrysanthemums  are  nearly  over. 
For  an  alpine  house  with  a  very  little  heat  these  Anemones  would 
be  charming  things. 
The  early  Saxifrages  and  other  flowers,  which  in  sunny 
winters  are  in  bloom  before  this,  still  linger  as  if  loth  to  expose 
their  charms  to  the  fogs  which  shroud  the  garden  so  often  from 
view  ;  but  on  one  of  the  rockeries  a  plant  or  two  of  a  variety  of 
Cyclamen  Coum  from  the  Bithynian  Olympus,  with  zoned  leaves, 
is  very  pleasing  with  its  little  crimson  blooms.  This  little  “  Bleeding 
Nun”  is,  it  is  almost  needless  to  say,  often  looked  at  and  admired 
when  passing  by. 
There  are  here  and  there  some  flowers  out  of  their  due  season 
which  we  look  at  with  pleased  but  pitying  thoughts.  There  are 
Primroses  which  seem  in  truth  those  of  which  Shakespeare  spoke 
when  he  said  : — 
“  Pale  Primroses 
That  die  unmarried,  ere  they  can  behold 
Bright  Phoebus  in  his  strength.” 
Lithospermum  prostratum,  Ionopsidium  acaule,  Mule  Pink  Miss 
Patterson,  a  solitary  flower  of  the  Barbary  Ragwort,  Othonnopsis 
cheirifolia,  a  stray  Auricula  or  two,  and  some  other  belated  or 
precocious  flowers  which  ere  long  will  repent  the  temerity  which 
induced  them  to  flower  so  untimeously.  Still,  they  help  to  carry 
us  over  until  brighter  days  yield  us  the  early  flowers  of  spring 
which,  as  the  late  George  Augustus  Sala  said,  “  always  bring  with 
them  the  greatest  degree  of  pleasure,”  and  their  beauty,  dimmed 
though  it  is  by  sunless  days,  helps  to  cheer  us  when  the  gloom  of 
the  weather  enters  our  hearts. — S.  Arnott. 
Lycaste  Skinneri. 
All  the  members  of  the  genus  to  which  this  well-known  plant 
belongs  are  essentially  Orchids  for  beginners,  being  very  free 
blooming,  varied  and  beautiful  in  colour,  easily  procurable,  and  of 
the  simplest  culture.  The  present  species  would  probably  rank 
among  the  half  dozen  most  useful  kinds  in  existence  were  these 
named.  L.  Skinneri  may  be  grown  in  the  cool  house  with 
Odontoglots  and  similar  Orchids,  this  being,  in  fact,  the  most 
suitable  place  for  it,  but  it  is  by  no  means  hard  to  please  in  respect 
of  temperature.  It  may  be  accommodated  in  a  shady  frame 
during  the  summer  months,  removing  it  in  the  winter  to  a  cool  house, 
and  if  the  temperature  does  not  go  below  40°  it  is  quite  safe, 
though  probably  the  flowers  will  be  rather  later  ;  or,  if  care  be 
taken  to  keep  it  free  of  insects,  it  may  be  grown  in  an  intermediate 
or  Cattleya  house,  though  cooler  treatment  is  preferable. 
In  any  case,  a  shady  moist  position  must  be  found  for  it,  the 
somewhat  thin  and  tender  foliage  being  easily  injured  by  bright 
sunlight,  and  also  falling  a  prey  to  red  spider  if  the  atmosphere  is 
kept  too  dry  about  it.  The  cleaning  of  the  foliage  is  an  important 
item  in  the  culture  of  this  Orchid,  for  on  the  health  of  this  depends 
to  a  great  extent  that  of  the  plant.  If  scale  or  red  spider  are  seen 
to  be  getting  a  foothold  no  time  must  be  lost  in  setting  about 
it.  Tepid  soapy  water,  in  which  a  little  strong  shag  tobacco 
has  been  steeped,  or  to  which  a  little  tobacco  water  has  been 
added,  should  be  used,  mixing  enough  to  fill  a  vessel  in  which  the 
plant  may  be  entirely  immersed.  Dip  each  one  separately  and  lay 
them  on  their  sides,  so  that  the  liquid  does  not  run  down  into  the 
compost,  and  before  it  has  time  to  dry  each  one  must  be  carefully 
and  thoroughly  sponged  leaf  by  leaf  Afterwards  a  good  syringing 
with  clear  water  will  complete  the  business  and  wash  off  any  chance 
insect  that  may  remain. 
The  roots  of  L.  Skinneri  are  capable  of  pushing  into  a  more 
substantial  compost  than  many  of  the  pseudo-bulbous  kinds,  but 
they  must  not  have  so  heavy  a  medium  as  the  truly  terrestrial 
species.  About  equal  parts  of  peat  fibre,  chopped  sphagnum,  and 
mellow  loam  will  answer  well  as  the  basis  of  the  compost,  but 
a  few  pieces  of  charcoal,  crocks,  or  both,  must  be  mixed  with  it  to 
lighten  the  bulk  and  to  insure  a  supply  of  air  to  the  roots,  without 
which  no  Orchid  will  be  satisfactory.  Large  plants  will  not  need 
to  be  repotted  very  often,  so  when  this  is  done  it  is  well  to  give 
thorough  drainage  and  protect  it,  so  that  the  peat  does  not 
ailt  downwards.  The  plants  being  shaken  out  of  the  old  soil, 
reserving  all  the  roots  that  are  healthy  and  cutting  out  all  the 
decayed  parts,  they  must  be  placed  in  position  with  the  base  of 
the  pseudo-bulbs  just  below  the  level  of  the  rim  of  the  pot.  Spread 
the  roots  out  thinly,  and  fill  up  to  the  bulbs  with  the  compost, 
adding  more  potsherds  if  it  is  seen  that  the  peat  and  other  materials 
are  likely  to  run  too  closely  together  Frequent  sprinklings 
