236 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[August, 



and tipped both in lip and petals with pale pink 

 or light rose; occasionally individual (lt)\vcrs are 

 tliree inches across. They will last in the draw- 

 ing-room four weeks or more, and as cut Howcrs 

 will remain fresh a very long time. The latter, 

 with clusters of from two to five, rosy or pule 

 lilac flowers, with deep purple or crimson lip, 

 individual flowers three to four inches across, 

 lasting three to five weeks in beauty. There are 

 several rare and costly varieties of this species 

 among them that are nearly white, called Daw- 

 sonii, the value of which collectors write " every 

 Indian in the country knows, and they bleach 

 out the flowers of the ordinary variety with 

 sulphur in order to deceive in disposing of them." 

 Block culture suits them best, as it does the 

 three following. 



Next in value conies L. autumnalis, with its 

 beautiful purple and white flowers, often six on 

 a scape. One variety, verj' dark, has been called 

 Atroroubens. None of the wretched wood-cuts I 

 have seen give any idea of the exquisite beauty 

 of these flowers. These three varieties bloom 

 in December and January, occasionally in No- 

 vember, and no collection of orchids is complete 

 without them. Ltelia peduncularis (very similar 

 to L. acuminata,, white, called by the Guatema- 

 lese, on account of its beauty, the " Flor de 

 Jesu '') is a dwarf, and very lovely free-flowering 

 species, but does not expand its delicately tinted 

 and shaded rose petals as fully after the morning 

 sunlight has past as the preceding, but, notwith- 

 standing, is none the less beautiful, with a rich 

 deep purple blotch in the centre of the lip. 



The fifth species, called by the Mexican Span- 

 iards "Flor de Majo," or May-flower, from its 

 season of flowering, is Laelia Majalis. This was 

 figured by Hernandez as Flos pulcherrimus, a 

 rude wood- cut merely in 1615, and he gives its 

 native name as '' Chichilitic Tepetlavhxochitl !'' 

 It was introduced from Mexico in 1S38. It is a 

 very beautiful species, the prevailing color soft 

 rose or silvery lilac, -with white, lilac and purple 

 lip. Its scape bears but a solitary flower. 

 Though easy to grow it is rather difficult to 

 flower well, probably owing to an error amateurs 

 make in keeping in too much heat during win- 

 ter. Coming from the highest orchid limit in 

 Mexico, where collectors tell us snow and ice 

 are often found upon its leaves, it is too much 

 to expect it to thrive in the roasting heat of 80° 

 during the winter season. The foolish blunder- 

 ing that has subjected these plants to such ex- 

 tremes seems now to be receiving its merited 



condemnation at the hands of the advanced 

 ideas of modern gardeners and amateurs. 



There are other species that might be named, 

 I but these will suffice, only mentioning a few 

 from Brazil, the largest of which do best in pot- 

 culture. Lselia perspurata, and its varieties, with 

 large, pure white and purple flowers; L. elegans, 

 from white to crimson and carmine; L. Cinna- 

 barina, reddish orange; L. Perrini, purple and 

 crimson, and many others, liesides the two 

 alluded to at the beginning of this article. All 

 will do well in pot-culture, but from my experi- 

 ence do not grow as freely as the Mexican varie- 

 ties under greenhouse treatment. They bloom 

 at diff"erent times of the year, and all are very 

 beautiful. Is it any wonder that with such a 

 list as this the lover of orchids includes the 

 Lfelias among his richest treasures? 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Improvements in Floral Designs. — The im- 

 provement referred to recently by a Boston cor- 

 respondent seems to be this — that florists can 

 buy letters in immortelles or other small designs, 

 already made for working in with larger work, 

 without having to make these letters and de- 

 signs every time. The ornaments and letters 

 are made of purple immortelles, whijh are 

 woven with fine wire, each ornament and letter 

 in one piece, which can be placed on the design 

 by stemming to a toothpick. The ornaments and 

 letters are mounted on cardboard. 



Solomon's Seal for Decorating.— We were 

 shown recently " something new" among decora- 

 tive plants, nothing but a " racemed Lily of the 

 Valley." The novelty was in the name, for the 

 plant was the well known " Solomon's Seal," or 

 Polygonatum. But it is new to find it used' by 

 florists for decorative purposes, and we com- 

 mend the good taste which first thought to make 

 use of it. 



Richardia ./Ethiopica. — This, the common 

 " Calla Lily,'' we have a flower of from C. & B., 

 Erie, Pa., with no letter to explain why it was 

 sent. 



Moss Culture. — The use of moss impregnated 

 with bone dust, or other fertilizing material, for 

 plant growing, which was introduced to our 

 readers a couple of years ago by Mr. Peter Hen- 

 derson, has proved a great success. Efforts are 

 being made in some quarters to turn the idea 



