HISTORY OF ORCHID HYBRIDISATION 



of a batch of five seedlings flowered, and was nam^d O. X Leroj'anum, 

 though it was immediately afterwards referred to O. X Wilckeanum, a 

 natural hybrid with the same parentage. 



The first hybrid Phaius of pure parentage also flowered during i8go, 

 though the genus had previously been crossed with Calanthe. Phaius X 

 Cooksoni was raised in the collection of Norman C. Cookson, Esq., Oak- 

 wood, Wylam-on-Tyne, where it was raised from P. Wallichii, crossed with 

 the pollen of P. simulans (formerly confused with P. tuberculosus). The 

 seed was sown in December, 1887, and a plant flowered in March, 1890, 

 when only two years and a quarter old. 



The first hybrid Stanhopea was raised in Germany, in the collection of 

 Herr Spindler, of Spindlersfeld, from S. oculata crossed with the pollen of 

 S. tigrina. It flowered in the summer of i8go, and was described and 

 figured as S. X Spindlerianum. 



Disa X Veitchii, the first hybrid in the genus, was raised by Messrs. 

 James Veitch and Sons, from D. racemosa crossed with the pollen of D. 

 grandiflora, and flowered when only a year and nine months old, thus 

 creating a record for quickness of flowering. It received a First-class 

 Certificate and a Silver-gilt Flora Medal from the Royal Horticultural 

 Society on June 9th, 1891. 



The second artificially-raised Odontoglossnm flowered in 1891, and is 

 interesting because the plant was raised to prove the parentage of a wild 

 hybrid. Odontoglossum X excellens had been described b}- Reichenbach, 

 in i88r, as a natural hybrid between O. Pescatorei and O. tripudians, but 

 it was soon suggested that the second parent must have been O. 

 triumphans. Mr. Seden accordingly crossed O. Pescatorei with the pollen 

 of O. triumphans, and when the resulting seedling flowered it proved to be 

 identical with the wild plant. 



In 1892 a hybrid having three genera in its composition flowered. It 

 was raised by Messrs. James Veitch & Sons from Sophronitis grandiflora 5 

 and Laeliocattleya X Schilleriana (? , and received the name of Sophro- 

 cattleya X Veitchiana. The plant is now known as Sophrocatlaelia X 

 Veitchiana, which indicates its parentage more correctly. 



The first hybrid Vanda was described in 1893, under the name of Vanda 

 X Miss Joaquim. It was raised at Singapore, by the lady whose name it 

 bears, from V. Kookeriana and V. teres, which species are said to be 

 cultivated in every garden in Singapore. It is a very handsome hj^brid. 



In 1894 a hybrid Sobralia appeared, namely, S. X Veitchii, raised by 



Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, from S. macrantha crossed with the pollen 



of S. xantholeuca. It received a First-class Certificate from the R. H. S. 



in July, 1894. 'ivnii:m»/ 



In 1894 Sophrolaslia was also added to the list. Messrs. Veitch 



