SEEDLING ORCHIDS. 29 



was written, the cultivation of this beautiful winter flowericg 

 plant has largely increased, and the varieties have become 

 very numerous. 



It is not, however, wholly on account of its disposition to 

 reward us by an endless variety of colour, and perhaps form, 

 that we wish to draw attention to Lycaste Skinneri, but 

 because of all tropical Orchids it is one of the hardiest in 

 constitution and most easy to cultivate. This has been very 

 decisively shown by some experiments of the late Mr. Skinner, 

 to whose untiring energy we English owe this and many other 

 treasures. In a note received from him, he writes as 

 follows : — 



'' On the 2nd February, 1861, I received from Mr. Veitch 

 a fine specimen with seven flower spikes all out, and took it to 

 Hillingdon Cottage, placed it on the drawing-room table in an 

 ornamental pot, and gave it every three days or so about four 

 tablespoonfuls of water, occasionally wiping the leaves with a 

 wet sponge when the dust got on them. There this plant stood 

 throughout the severe weather we had — a fire in the room only 

 during the afternoons and evenings, and on some days none at 

 all. It never showed the least decay until the 16th of May, 

 when it was for some purpose or other put into the greenhouse, 

 and our gardener sprinkled water over it along with the other 

 plants. Next morning I was shocked to see the flowers all 

 with brown spots and withering. On the 18th May I took it 

 back to Mr. Veitch, still in full bloom (seven spikes), to bear 

 testimony to its condition, and it lasted, though then much 

 injured, a week on the stand by the seed-room in their place. 

 This experiment induced me to try again. On the 18th De- 

 cember, 1861, I brought down to this place two fine plants of 

 the Ly caste, and two plants of Barkeria Skinneri, both in full 

 bloom. Having been absent (with the exception of three days 

 in January) since, I have had no control over them, but my 



