100 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Fcljruary 1, 1872. 



means of bliujs. The accompanying figure is a section of the 

 house here devoted entirely to theh' cultiyatiou. It is about 

 GO feet long, 12 feet wide, and 7 feet G inches high in the 

 centre. Only one flow and return pipe is used, that being 

 sutficient to keep up the requii-ed temperature, which, to take 

 that of winter, is a minimum of 40° and a maximum of 50°, 

 or a mean winter temperature of 45°. During the summer no 

 ai'tificial heat is used, and air is admitted freely not only by 

 day but at night. This, doubtless, is a much cooler tempera- 

 tm'e than that adopted by many ; but as regards its being 

 ample for practical purposes, I will allow your readers to 

 judge for themselves by the following results. v 



In the first place must rank that magnificent Odontoglossum 

 Bluntii ; one of the stages is entnely tilled with this, contain- 

 ing upwards of a hundred healthy and vigorous plants. Many 

 of the bulbs measure 5 and 6 inches in circumference, while 

 some are nearly as long. To see thirty or more spikes of this 

 open at one time is a glorious sight, and such was the number 

 produced by these plants during the past summer. As a proof 

 of their free-flowering, I have taken from my note-book the 

 following table of spikes that opened each month during the 

 past yeai', which will confirm the statement made by Mr. 



Douglas at page 31, where he says, 

 flower every month in the year." 



' They may be had ill 



January 4 i 



February 5 



Miirch 3 



April 1 



May 1(! 



June ay 



July 12 



August 3 spikes. 



September .... 7 ,, 



October 5 ,, 



November .'5 ,, 



December 3 ,, 



Total.. 103 



At the present time about thirty spikes are in an advancing 

 state. These would average twelve flowers on a spike, many 

 of the individual blooms measuring 4J inches in diameter. 

 The largest number of flowers on one spike was eighteen, al- 

 though in three distinct cases single bulbs produced respec- 

 tively twenty-two, twenty-four, and twenty-eight flowers, 

 formed on two spikes. One particular plant of this lovely 

 species has six leading growths ; in 1S70 the plant had but 

 four bulbs, from which it last year produced six, and is now 

 sending out six more, thus making twelve bulbs in two years. 

 Such plants as these would soon foim fine specimens. 



In, equal health are several plants of its relative, O. Pesca- 

 torei, of which an excellent variety has now twenty-fiva 



Ground i 



Cool Orchid HoUBe at Ferniehtust. 



flowers on the spike; also 0. cordatum, of which about thirty 

 spikes are now ni bloom, with from seven to nine flowers on a 

 spiite; as well as the splendid 0. Ha]lii, of which we have 

 tnree plants. One has produced peven spikes, the largest 

 eeing nearly 4 feet long, bearing twenty-six flowers ; total 

 number on the whole, one hundred. 



I may here remark that this plant has for some months 

 Been grown m a house a few degrees warmer, but, being the 

 largest, of course it may reasonably be expected to produce 

 more spikes. The strength, however, will be seen to be in 

 lavour of the coolhouse, for the next plant produced four spikes, 

 tne^ longest being 4 feet in length (from a bulb 6 inches long 

 ana as much round), bearing thirty flowers, while the whole 

 number is eighty-eight. The othei- plant bids fair to foDow 

 closely although it has not so many spikes. 



in adchtion to the species I have mentioned there are several 

 plants of Odontoglossum nebulosum with six and seven flowers 

 on a .spike, and many others, which would occupy too much 

 space to particularise. I may remark that they are in equal 



nf rf" '"'^°"'' ■"''''^ *'^'' preceding. 



Of Oncidmms, first stands that glorious 0. macranthum, 

 wim Dulbs 7 and 8 inches long, and nearly as much in circum- 

 lerence, surmounted by pairs of fresh green leaves from 15 to 

 l« inches long. One of these plants in the spring of 1871 

 produced a spike 12 feet long, bearing forty-four flowers, and 

 ai present it is throwing out a verv promising spike. At one 

 Wme last summer five plants produced one hundred flowers, 

 wnicli formed a splendid mass. No collection of cool-house 

 Urcliids should be without this, the most lovely of its class, 

 ec uafh IH^' ^""^^ ^^ '^' ""'^^^'''"'^ '^'^'^ nubigenum are in 



Of MasdcvaUias, there is a good specimen of M. Veitchii, 

 TJZ A t{'^-'^^'^^ *™™ '' *° 9 mehes long, and about an inch 

 croaa. iius plant during the past few months has produced 



fifteen of its rich flowers ; at one I'me it had six, when it pre- 

 sented a most magnificent appearance, while a plant of M. te- 

 varensis has formed one of the most novel and interesting 

 objects that has ever come under my notice. In IS'iO it 

 flowered with two spikes, one of which bore three flcwers- 

 Now, in general, as soon as the flowers have faded the scipe is 

 removed; in this case, however, the scapes were allowed to 

 remain, and they did not, as one would imagine, die away, but 

 this winter produced the one forr flowers, and the other 

 showed six, but only two of these were perfected. In addition 

 the plant produced two more spikes : one in the usual miiruer 

 bore two, the other three flowers, so that when fully devekpsd 

 it bore eleven flowers on four spikes. We see the Oncidiv.m 

 Papilio produce for years a succession of blooms in this man- 

 ner, and Phala'nopses will often form a lateral spike .after 

 the main stem has lost its beauty, but I never knew of Mas- 

 devallias doing so. Certainly it is no improvement to allow 

 the plants to do so, for it must naturally impoverish them to 

 a great extent. As well as the above, there is a healthy little 

 piece of M. coccinea, with leaves more than twice as large as 

 in those imported. 



What a pity these mountain gems are so difiicult to import 

 from their cool homes on the New Grenadan and Peruvian 

 Andes, where they grow at 10,000 or more feet above the level 

 of the sea. We have forty or fifty species in books and herb- 

 aria, but how few comparatively have as yet found their way 

 into our gardens ! 



In stating these results I must not forget the Disa grandi- 

 flora, which thrives admir.ably in this house, growing hke a 

 weed, and flowering mth great freedom ; last summer sis 

 small pans produced thirty-two spikes, making a grand tlisplay. 

 I believe most of the inmates of this house have been grown 

 there ever since they were imported, anel consequently have 

 never been subjected to a high temperature. We know that 



