804 



Gardening for Amateurs 



roots must be made firm in the soil b^y a few 

 wire pegs being placed over the rhizomes. 

 When growth is completed the plants ought 

 to be kept moderately dry, and directly the 



Flower of Cymbidium lowianum. 



young shoots appear more water may be 

 given, but none must accumulate in the 

 centre, or the flower stems will prematurely 

 decay. 



Gymbidium. These are among the oldest 

 of cultivated Orchids ; they are large plants, 

 and will thrive in an intermediate house, 

 where they remain in full beauty for several 

 weeks. The winter-flowering 

 species are C. giganteum, which 

 has yellowish -green sepals and 

 petals and yellow lip marked 

 with red ; C. lowianum, very 

 similar, but the lip is cream- 

 coloured with large crimson 

 blotch ; C. eburneum, a fra- 

 grant Orchid, with creamy- 

 white flowers marked with 

 yellow, while the summer-flow- 

 ering C. traceyanum has yel- 

 lowish-green sepals and petals 

 lined with crimson. The beau- 

 tiful C. insigne is white tinged 

 with rose, and the whitish lip 

 is spotted with deep rose- 

 purple. Hybrid Cymbidiums are 

 becoming numerous, and the 

 best known is C. eburneo -low- 

 ianum. Among the recent ac- 

 quisitions are C. Alexander! 



(insigne X eburneo-lowianum), C. gottia- 

 num (insigne X eburneum), and C. Doris 

 (insigne X traceyanum), all of which are 

 fairly intermediate between the parents. 



Cymbidiums for the most part are strong- 

 rooting Orchids, and in consequence require 

 large pots, and a compost of fibrous loam, 

 rough peat, or osmunda fibre, with a sprink- 

 ling of silver sand added. Plenty of water 

 is necessary throughout the growing period, 

 and even in winter they must be kept 

 just moist at the root. Specimens that are 

 well rooted are benefited by an occasional 

 watering with weak liquid manure. 



Gypripedium. Most of theCypripediums, 

 or Lady's Slippers, are easily grown, and 

 should be well represented in every collec- 

 tion. The different varieties of C. insigne 

 are highly prized, and may be grown in the 

 cool house, but the others named require an 

 intermediate temperature. In Cypripedium 

 the dorsal sepal is the most conspicuous 

 feature, while the lip is not unlike a slipper, 

 hence the popular name of " Slipper Orchid." 

 It is as winter-flowering Orchids that Cypri- 

 pediums are most valued, especially the 

 varieties of C. insigne, such as Harefield Hall, 

 with its large dorsal sepal spotted with 

 chocolate colour, and broadly margined with 

 pure white, while the slipper is yellowish 

 green suffused with rich brown. Of the 



Cattleya Mossiae 



