July S, 1873. 1 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICDLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



11 



There are very many things of which we could have written 

 to be seen in this tine place, but our space is limited. We hope 

 to have future opportunities of retiu-ning to the subject, and 

 every year will add to the interest of it ; for the Marquis of 

 Bath being himself possessed of great taste, we have no doubt 

 that, under his direction and the practical experience of Mr. 

 Taylor, Longleat will become one of the most interesting as it 

 is one of the grandest places in the kingdom. 



A CENTURY OF ORCHIDS FOR AMATEUR 

 GROWERS.— No. 12. 



ONCIDirM. 



An extensive senus, the species of which, like the Odonto- 

 glossums, are found luxuriating in high mountain regions of 

 the western hemisphere, al- 

 though unhke the last-named 

 genus, they are not exclu- 

 sively mountain plants, for 

 many of them are found in 

 the islands of the West In- 

 dies, and at low elevations 

 on the mainland. The fol- 

 lowing, however, will thrive 

 well under cool treatment : — 



O. DiFOLiUM MA.ius. — This 

 beautiful plant is a wonder- 

 fully profuse bloomer. It is a 

 compact, tree-growing plant. 

 The flowers are large and 

 very bright yellow. It blooms 

 during early summer. This 

 variety succeeds best when 

 grown upon a block of wood 

 or in a basket. Native of 

 Monte Video. 



O. Fi,Excosu5:. — In the 

 days when so many new 

 kinds are being introduced, 

 many of my readers who are 

 already advanced in Orchid 

 culture may smile at seeing 

 such an ancient recom- 

 mended, nevertheless I con- 

 fidentlj- recommend it to 

 general notice. It grows 

 freely, produces its bril- 

 liant yellow flowers in great 

 abundance, and is simply in- 

 valuable for cutting for 

 dressing vases, Ac. I have 

 heard it makes a tine orna- 

 ment for embellishing a 

 lady's hair, but I do not 

 think yellow should be used 

 for such a purpose if seen 

 by daylight, wlulst by gas- 

 light yellows always appear 

 irhite. It should be grown 

 in a pot. Native of Brazil. 



O. iNccEviM. — A verj- ele- 

 gant and distinct plant, 

 added to which it blooms 

 from the month of August 



into midwinter. Pot-culture suits it best, as this species is 

 a somewhat robust grower. The flower-spikes aie much 

 branched, and about 2 feet high ; flowers very numerous ; 

 sepals and petals rosy pink, freckled towards the ends with 

 white dots ; lip white in front, rosy pink at the base ; crest 

 yellow. Native of Mexico. 



O. LEucocniLCM. — This is a very fine, robust old plant, dis- 

 carded by many cultivators, but really a beautiful subject when 

 well grown. It produces much-branched spikes some 8 or 

 10 feet long, clothed with numberless flowers ; sepals and 

 petals yellowish green, with a large pure white hp. It blooms 

 nearly all the year round. Native of Mexico. 



O. spnACEL-iTUM MAIC3. — Like the preceding, this is an old 

 Orchid, but a valuable one where cut flowers are in request. 

 It produces very long branched spikes of flowers, which are 

 bright yellow, barred with brown. It blooms at various limes, 

 but usually about the end of spring or the beginning of sum- 



mer, and the flowers last a month or five weeks in full beauty. 

 Native of Mexico. 



0. PnAL.TjNorsis. — This beautiful species is dwarf aud com- 

 pact in habit. The scape usually bears some five or six 

 flowers ; the sepals aud petals are creamy white, barred and 

 spotted with reddish violet ; lip large, of the same colour as 

 the perianth, and furnished in addition with a beautiful 

 golden yellow crest. It likes an abimdauca of water, and 

 should bo grown in a pot, but a very little peat aud sphagnum 

 must bo placed over its roots. Native of the high mountain 

 regions of Peru. 



Cattleya citrina. — This has always appeared to me a most 

 interesting plaut, and I would advise all amatem'S to add it to 

 their collections. Many Orchid-cultivators do not succeed 

 with this species, but if two rules be observed little diBiculty 

 will be found. First, the plaut must be grown upon a block 



of wood, and always hung 

 with the leaves pointing 

 downwards ; next it must be 

 grown in the cool house with 

 Odontoglossums, and should 

 never be subjected to the 

 drying system. The plaut has 

 small, oval, pseudo-bulbs, 

 which, together with the 

 leaves, are glaucous green; 

 the flowers are usually soli- 

 tary, sometimes, however, 

 they are produced in pairs ; 

 they are very large for the 

 size of the plant, thick, and 

 waxy-looking, whilst the 

 colour is rich deep yellow. 

 The blooms last about a 

 fortnight in perfection, and 

 are very sweet-scented. 

 Native of Mexico. 



Phajus gk.\ndifolics. — In 

 this plant we have a very 

 old iuhabitant of our gar- 

 dens ; it is a terrestrial plant, 

 growing about 3 feet high. 

 The leaves are broad, plicate, 

 and dark green ; tiower- 

 spike longer than the leaves, 

 erect, and many-flowered ; 

 the blooms are large, and 

 curiously mottled with red- 

 dish brown and white. They 

 are produced early iu spring, 

 and remain long iu full 

 beauty. It comes from 

 China, where it is a culti- 

 vated plant. — ExcEETo 

 Ceede. 



ODcidium mcurvTiiii {Dot. Mnp.), 



Hekefoedshiee (West of 

 England) Rose Show. — In 

 our advertising columns will 

 be found a notice of this 

 Show, which will be held iu 

 the Shire Hall, Hereford, on 

 Tuesday, July 8lh. If the 

 sample of Koses shown by 

 Mr. J. Cranston at Bath on 

 June 24th and 26th may be taken as a type of what Hereford- 

 shire can produce this year, the Show should be an exception- 

 ally good one and a treat to aU rosarians. It certainly deserves 

 all encouragement, as it is one of the few instances where a 

 district show has been carried on with merely the Rose (the 

 queen of flowers) as the object of attraction. Wo have rarely 

 hitherto seen better Roses exhibited by amateurs than those 

 which on different occasions have been shown in the Shiro 

 Hall at Hereford ; and we especially noticed at the Rose Show 

 on the third day of the Royal Horticultural Society's Exhibition 

 at Bath, that the west-ot-Eugland amateurs— Mr. Camni, Mr. 

 Baker, Mr. Scott, and others, carried all before them. We 

 prophesy, therefore, that there will bo a more than ordinarily 

 good show. 



BiniiiNonAsr Rose Snow.— I know that a great many of those 

 who have hitherto supported our Show will not do so again, 



