THE ORCHID FAMILY. 421 



anther and the stigmatic surface (2), which latter lies imme- 

 diately under the rostellum, and terminates the bearded glan- 

 dular process which covers the lower surface of the column. 

 The rostellum, which is concave towards the stigma, effectually 

 prevents all contact between that and the anther, and it is 

 therefore necessary to remove it. This is best effected by 

 means of a pair of narrow-pointed forceps, which should be 

 carefully introduced sideways between the anther and stigma, 

 so as to seize the rostellum and tear it off in the direction of 

 the anther. The pollen-masses are then drawn out and pressed 

 down on the stigmatic surface, and the operation is completed. 

 If this is properly performed, the setting is certain. The fruit 

 takes about twelve months to mature, and when full-grown, 

 should be tied at the point with a bit of matting to prevent the 

 pods splitting and losing their grateful aroma. 



Hybrid Orchids* It is now nearly twenty years since Mr 

 Dominy, the well-known manager of the plant department of 

 Messrs Veitch & Sons' Nursery at Chelsea, turned his attention 

 to the hybridisation of Orchids, and this was not at Chelsea, as 

 many suppose, but in Messrs Veitch's establishment at Exeter. 

 Mr Dominy 's attention was drawn to this subject by Dr Harris 

 of Exeter, and the first hybrid Orchid raised was Calanthe Do- 

 minii (see ' Bot. Mag.,' t. 5042), for the production of which 

 Mr Dominy received the Medal of the Exeter and Devon Hor- 

 ticultural Society. Since then he has been most successful in 

 the production of hybrid Orchids and other rare plants ; and we 

 need only allude to Cattleya Exoniensis and Calanthe Veitchit 

 as illustrative examples, these being not only the best of hybrid 

 Orchids, but also two of the best of all Orchids at present in 

 cultivation. It must be remembered that when the fertilisation 

 of Orchids commenced at the Exeter establishment, compara- 

 tively little was known on the subject. Francis Bauer had 

 made microscopic drawings of the structure and formation of 

 many curious Orchid flowers, but these were not distributed 

 or so accessible as now. Darwin's work was not written until 

 Mr Dominy had made considerable progress with hybridising 

 Orchids, and had acquired a large amount of practical experi- 

 ence as to the best way of treating their minute sawdust-like 

 seeds in order to insure germination. It must be borne in 

 mind that Orchid seeds do not germinate so readily as those of 

 most other plants, and it is often years before the little seedlings 

 are discerned peeping out of the living sphagnum on which 



* " I would once more declare that the raising of such hybrids [Orchids], 

 whose origin is candidly and clearly stated, must by-and-by assist us very 

 much in improving our views about species." H. G. REICHENBACH. 



