January 11, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Of cour.se there is a bouse clevotetl to Odontoglossum Alex- 

 andra; and the allied species, Masdevallias, and others of the 

 icool section. This is a span-roofed pit, and the plants are 

 placed very near to the glass. There are some grand speci- 

 "mens of 0. Alexandrje, of which no two plants are exactly 

 alike. Everybody who has the means should grow this by the 

 dozen or hundred if they can, as it thrives in even a cooler 

 treatment than the MasdevaUias, 40° to 45° being sufficient to 

 winter them in, and if the temperature fall to 35° even, no 

 harm will ensue ; besides, they may be had in flower every 

 month in the year. 



Oncidiums were represented by the rare 0. Eogersii, and the ^/ 

 singular and beautiful 0. PapiUo, of which there were many ^i^J 

 magnificent forms, whose flowers resemble a butterfly on the 

 ■wing. 



In a small house were a number of plants in good health of 

 Epidendrum erubescens. It is a very difiicult plant to manage, 

 and is generally grown in a cool house fixed on blocks of 

 wood. Mr. Anderson had planted it out on a level surface in 

 -■a medium of sphagnum moss. 



The cool and tropical show houses at the time of my visit 

 ■were very gay ; no doubt they are kept so "all the year round." 

 In the cool compartment Odontoglossum grande in many 

 varieties were triily grand, rivalled only by the magnificent 

 Vandas in the East India division. Zygopetalum maxillare 

 wa? producing freely its pendant spikes of distinct flowers. 

 Epidendrum viteUiuum was rather past, but it was yet con- 

 spicuous ■with its very distinct orange-scarlet flowers. 



Passing to the tropical show house, the distinct and recently- 

 introduced Cattleya Dowiana was not yet over, nor C. Aclandise, 

 which was also in flower. Of Aerides sua^vissimum, two 

 liaudsome varieties were in flower. Magnificent specimens of 

 Vanda tricolor and varieties were ranged do^wn the centre 

 Btage ; also Vanda cffirulea, of small size, but producing nice 

 spikes of its large pale blue flowers. 



