812 



Gardening for Amateurs 



are 0. kramerianum, which has narrow 

 reddish-brown sepals and petals, and a 

 broad lip of bright canary-yellow bordered 

 with red-brown spots ; 0. Papilio, which 

 is similar, and 0. lanceanum, with large 

 fragrant flowers, yellow sepals and petals 

 spotted with chocolate-brown, and rose- 

 purple lip. They bloom during the summer 

 months. 



Among those needing an intermediate 

 temperature are O. crispum, rich chestnut- 

 brown ; O. Gardneri, chestnut-brown barred 

 and marked with yellow, the lip being bright 

 yellow with a band of red-brown and yellow 

 at the margin ; 0. marshallianum, yellow ; 

 and 0. sarcodes, which has chest nut -brown 

 sepals and petals bordered with yellow, 

 while the bright yellow lip is spotted with 

 chestnut. All are summer flowering. 



Oncidiums for the cool house comprise 

 the canary-yellow 0. concolor, with drooping 

 stems ; 0. macranthum, which has trailing 

 spikes of yellow and olive-brown flowers ; and 

 the large yellow O. varicosum. The flowering 

 period is from early spring until autumn. 

 The cultural details are the same as for 

 Odontoglossum ; after growth is completed 

 water should only be given in very small 

 quantities. 



Phalaenopsis. In some gardens a sep- 

 arate glass house is set apart for these charm- 

 ing " moth orchids," but it is not necesary 

 if a shady, moist corner can be provided in 

 the warm house, where they may be sus- 

 pended or placed near the glass. Teak wood 

 baskets, or flower-pans, prove ideal recep- 

 tacles, which ought to be filled one-third of 

 their depth with drainage, and the compost 

 should consist of peat or osmunda fibre and 

 fresh sphagnum moss in equal parts. Re- 

 potting is done in April or May, though it 

 is only necessary at intervals of three or 

 four years, providing the plants are annually 

 top-dressed with living sphagnum moss and 

 peat. A few of the best kinds are the pure 

 white P. rimestadiana, the rose-pink P. 

 sanderiana, P. stuartiana, a lovely plant 

 with beautifully mottled foliage and whitish 

 flowers thickly spotted with red purple. 

 Most of them produce their graceful arching 

 flower stems in winter, but P. rimestadiana 

 often blooms in summer. P. schilleriana, 

 which blossoms in spring, has light rose- 



purple flowers, and deep green leaves 

 marbled and blotched with grey. The small- 

 flowered kinds include the dark rose P. 

 Esmeralda and P. .ueddemanniana, both 

 being easily grown among the Cattleyas. 



Renanthera. The only species suitable 

 for small greenhouses is the spring-flowering 

 R. imschootiana, which has been largely 

 imported during the last decade. It is a 

 compact plant with bright vermilion blooms. 

 The lower part of the stem becomes leafless, 

 but this defect can be remedied by cutting 

 off the bottom portion, and repotting the top 

 piece. The plant should be severed imme- 

 diately below some live roots, a work that 

 is best accomplished soon after the flower- 

 stems are removed. Give the same treat- 

 ment as for Vanda. 



Sophronitis. The only kind of any decor- 

 ative value is S. grandiflora, a dwarf plant 

 with brilliant scarlet flowers, produced in 

 autumn and winter. It should be cultivated 

 in pans, and suspended from the roof in the 

 cool or intermediate house. S. grandiflora 

 has been crossed with Cattleya and Laelia. and 

 the offspring are known as Sophro-Cattleya 

 and Sophro-Laelia. The hybrids should also 

 be grown in pans, and kept near the roof 

 glass at the coolest part of the intermediate 

 division. 



Thunia. Tall-growing plants that need 

 a warm house while growing freely, and a 

 cool dry atmosphere when the erect stems 

 have shed their leaves. The following 

 bloom during the summer months : T. alba, 

 white ; T. Bensonae, amethyst-purple ; and 

 T. marshalliana, white, marked with orange- 

 yellow. The hybrid T. veitchiana (marshal- 

 liana X Bensonae) should also be included. 

 Repot in similar compost to that advised for 

 Cymbidium. 



Trichopilia. Intermediate house Orchids 

 which should be potted in the same kind of 

 soil as Cattleya. The best is the spring- 

 flowering T. suavis, which has large funnel- 

 shaped flowers, creamy- white, spotted with 

 rose. Two. other useful kinds are the white 

 T. backhousiana, and the sweet-scented 

 T. fragrans, which is also white, tinged with 

 green, with a pale yellow spot on the lip. 

 Both are autumn flowering. 



Vanda. A large and most interesting 

 group of Orchids for the warm house. The 



