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Gardening for Amateurs 



A few of the commonest hybrids are Brasso- 

 Cattleya Veitchii (B. digbyana x C. Mossiae), 

 B. Thorntonii (B. digbyana x C. gaskelliana) 

 and Brasso-Laelia Veitchii (B. digbyana x L. 

 purpurata). They bloom at various seasons. 

 Calanthe. These warm house Orchids 

 are divided into two sections, viz., evergreen 

 and deciduous, but the latter are the best. 

 They include C. vestita, creamy white with 

 coloured centre, which varies, and is thus 

 responsible for the several named varieties, 

 such as rubro-oculata with crimson centre, 

 luteo-oculata with yellow centre, while the 

 beautiful Regnieri is white with rosy-pink 

 lip. C. rosea is rose-pink, and C. rubens is 

 dark red with ruby-red lip. Numerous 

 hybrids have been raised, the most popular 

 being C. Veitchii (rosea x vestita), which 

 is of rich rose colour. All flower during the 

 winter months. Repotting should take place 

 in spring, using a mixture of fibrous loam 

 one-half, peat one-fourth, sphagnum moss 

 one-fourth, and a fair sprinkling of silver 

 sand. Water liberally during active growth, 

 and do not shade the plants heavily. After 



the spikes are removed, keep the bulbs quite 

 dry and cool until they are ready to start 

 into growth. 



Gattleya. Cattleyas are among the most 

 varied and showy of all Orchids, especially 

 the labiata section, which embraces the late- 

 autumn-flowering C. labiata, a bright rose 

 flower with deep crimson-purple lip. It is 

 followed by C. Trianae, at its best in spring 

 and summer, which has blush sepals and 

 petals, and purple-crimson lip with yellow 

 throat. Then comes C. Schioderae, a sweet- 

 scented kind with light rose sepals and petals, 

 the lip being a deeper colour with orange 

 throat. After this are C. Mendelii, with light 

 blush sepals and petals, and rich magenta 

 lip ; C. Mossiae. a fine Cattleya, light rose 

 colour, with crimson lip streaked with golden 

 yellow, while the variety Wageneri is pure 

 white, excepting for the yellow throat. C. 

 Warscewiczii (syn. gigas), which blooms late 

 in the summer, has rose-coloured sepals and 

 petals, and crimson-purple lip with patches 

 of yellow on either side. C. gaskelliana has 

 almost white flowers with an amethvst- 



On the left is shown a group of Calanthe vestita, a charming winter Orchid. 



