January 20, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



63 



Cattle i a Lancastriense. 



This eattleya cross was made between C. Labiata and 

 ('. velutina, and with the following L. C. Erotion is 

 believed to be here published for the first time, both 

 being raised from seed and flowers here. In the raising 

 of orchids, as with other plants, from seeds, if the 

 operator onl) knew what to avoid, many years of watch- 

 ful care and labor might be saved and posterity be ben- 

 efited, and while C. Lancastriense is no1 one of the 

 best ever, it is certainly worth growing, because there is 

 ureal variation in individuals, one other from this pod 

 of >< : n\ being of exc ling beauty, the one here illus- 

 trated, however, being the first to bloom a year ago, 

 and hence the type plaid. 



Thi' color in the sepals and petals is a pei uliar fawn 

 color, a mixture of yellow and pink that varies with the 

 maturity of the flower, hut the prettily veined lip is 

 derived from ('. Labiata parent, and is at once its -al- 

 vation. Cattleya velutina is very fragrant and this is 

 as a rule transmitted to its offspring. 



Laelio— Cattlei a Erotion. 



A very pretty bigeneric hvbrid, the parents of which 

 are the dwarf growing Cattleya Walkeriana crossed with 

 Lselia glauca, the latter parent up to recently being 

 known as Brassavola glauca — and tins gives the beauti- 

 ful lartre lip seen in the plant here illustrated, which, 

 by the way. was the only one raised from the pod of 

 seed saved and sown. 



The color is a beautiful shade of rose uniform' 

 throughout the flower, the veining of the lip being 

 especially pleasing. The scape bore but one flower, ami 

 it is probable that it will rarely if ever produce more 

 than thi>. owing to its parentage. The flower has the 

 additional merit of fragrance and lasts a long time in 

 perfection. The seed was sown in 1898. 



Masdevallias 



The culture of these brilliant and curious orchids is 

 interesting and should commend itself to all plant 

 lovers. In no other genus do we find such brilliant 

 colors, and in few such quaint forms. The genus 

 Masdevallia is somewhat polymorphic and many of the 

 species are more curious than beautiful. The bright 

 colored species eoccinea and its many varieties, many 

 of which are known as varieties of FEarryana, Veit- 

 chiana. ignea, rosea and others in the same section and 

 the pure white tovarensis are worthy of more extensive 

 cultivation. Their culture is not so difficult as is gen- 

 erally supposed. The high temperature in summer is 

 somewhat distressing to them, especially if. as is gen- 

 erally the case, they are just pushing up new growths 

 when hot weather comes. This young, tender shorn m 

 leaf cannot live through the hot. humid July days, and 

 generally dies back to the poor little immature bud at 

 n- base ami at the apex of the rhizome, which bud can- 

 not he so strong or able to produce so good a growth 

 as it would if its predecessor had matured. 



The object of the cultivator, then, should be to have 

 the growths fairly well established before hot weather 

 commences. By giving the plants more sunlighl and 

 warmer treatment in winter the second leaf of the sea- 

 son will be fairly well developed before midsummer. 



This llie writer ha- found to be beneficial and effectual 

 except in the ca-e of a few plants which were perhaps 

 kept a little too dry in winter, thus retarding the first 

 growth. 



The English method of keeping tin' plants coo! and 

 dry in winter, perhaps necessary in the dull days of 

 winter in England, is quite unnecessary and harmful 

 here. A fairly light house, full sunshine in midwinter, 

 a moist atmosphere, consistent with proper ventilation 

 and a minimum temperature id' 50 degrees P. are ideal 

 w i iii er condil ems. 



In summer the cool odontoglossum house is the place 

 for them, but anything approaching a close atmosphere 

 should he avoided. Some growers advocate closing the 

 cool orchid house entirely during the wannest hours 

 id' the day in summer, ventilating during the night, 

 thus keeping out the heat. The atmosphere in the 

 bouse at this time is too inactive and cellarlike. A free 

 circulation of air around the plains i- of more im- 

 portance than a few degrees of temperature. 



