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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[November 24, 1888. 



the tree in Great Britain and Ireland looks at present 

 very encouraging, and I trust that experiments will 

 be continued; but I deprecate altogether rush- 

 ing into extensive plantings, as advocated by the 

 correspondent of the Perthshire Constitutional, until 

 time has shown that the tree really deserves to 

 supersede the species hitherto cultivated by us, and 

 of which we know what to expect. My personal 

 opinion is that the Douglas Fir will just as little 

 revolutionise our sylvicultural operations as the Wey- 

 mouth Pine has been able to do, though great things 

 were expected of it at one time. There is a great 

 difference between nursing up a single tree in a fine 

 soil and under otherwise favourable conditions, and 

 the growing of a species on a large scale for economic 

 purposes ; in the former case only exceptional 

 results present themselves to the eye, while in the 

 latter case averages must be looked for and reckoned 

 with. W. Schlich, Cooper's Hill, October, 1888. 



Orchid Notes and Gleanings. 



HYBRID ORCHIDS AT THE DELL, EGHAM. 

 It is at such a time as the present, when there is 

 a hiatus in the supply of Orchid flowers, that the 

 value of some of the hybrids of Messrs. J. Veitch 

 & Sons (so far as the showier genera are con- 

 cerned) is apparent. Viewing the collection be- 

 longing to Baron Schroder this week, the houses 

 gay with beautiful flowers, supplied for the 

 greater part by the hybrids, the thought involun- 

 tarily arose — What a difference it would make if all 

 these home-raised garden plants were non-existent. 

 The blooming period of the great section of Cattleya 

 and Loelia is over until the flowers on the specimens 

 of Cattleya Trianse expand ; the grand masses of 

 coloured and white L. anceps (among which are 

 several L. a. Dawsoni with six to seven spikes each), 

 producing their wealth of bloom, and the other 

 late winter-flowering things appear, yet here 

 was a fine display of bloom which, although 

 varied, had been running concurrently with the show 

 of imported species, and now remained to carry on 

 until others came. Viewing these hybrids iu flower, 

 one is struck with their peculiarly intense bril- 

 liancy and richness of colour, which in most cases 

 has surpassed that of the parents. The favourite 

 genus, Cypripedium, now so rich in hybrids, gives a 

 great variety of handsome things, whose individual 

 beauties increase in proportion as the plants gain in 

 strength. 



At present at The Dell a good opportunity occurs 

 to see together a good plant of the rare C. Fairrie- 

 anum which has had five flowers, and beside it a 

 large specimen of C. Arthurianum x , a variety 

 the produce of the first-named and C. insigne ; and 

 also C. vexillarium X , the result of the same crossed 

 with C. barbatum. All three have lovely flowers, 

 the hybrids having the charming curves of outline of 

 C. Fairrieanum. C. cenanthum superbumX, too, 

 stands out as a leading variety ; and C. Harrisianum 

 superbumX is the finest of the section. Many 

 hybrids of C. SedeniX are in bloom, as well as other 

 fine species and hybrids, of which C. Charles Can- 

 ham x , if not showy, is at least a massive and distinct 

 flower. 



Of hybrid Cattleyas and Lajlias, C. Victoria, which 

 is here in flower, is a fine thing, resembling C. ex- 

 oniensis X , but with a greater lip expansion ; Cattleya 

 Dominiana X , a cross between C. maxima and C. 

 intermedia, was bearing handsome flowers, resemb- 

 ling the charming C. Harrisii, a species which has 

 also bloomed at The Dell, and which has C. Mendelii 

 for one of its parents. The latter was raised by the 

 late Dr. Harris, of Lamberhurst, whose hybrids have 

 passed into the hands of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 

 and who also raised C. Lamberhurst hybrid = C. 

 citrina X C. intermedia, both of which, shown by 

 Baron Schroder, were certificated at the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society's meeting, October 23 last. Cattleya 

 Novelty x , an exquisitely coloured flower, and the 

 beautiful L. Dominiana X, C. porphyrophlebia, 



and others were just out of bloom, while well- 

 advanced in bud were large plants of L. Bella X, 

 L. Veitchiana x , L. Canhamiana X , L. lilacina X , 

 C. Mastersonioe x , C. fausta, C. Bella, and others. 

 The handsome little Sophro-Cattleya Batemanniana 

 has flowered here several times, but the still more 

 interesting Veitchian cross between Sophronites 

 grandiflora and Cattleya Trianse has unfortunately 

 dropped its buds. 



The Calanthes now make a fine show, but the 

 bright magenta C. Veitchii superba holds its 

 own among them all, and makes the best show by 

 reason of its being grown in quantity. Other 

 hybrids were remarked, the best white being 

 C. Hallii X , which, as seen here, is purer in colour 

 than either C. Cooksonii or C. Barkerii, which were 

 placed beside it. C. Alexandra X , C. lentiginosa X , 

 and C. Sandhurstiana X are finely-coloured varieties 

 and the beautiful hybrid cross between Calanthe 

 and Phaius — Phaio-Calanthe Sedeni — bore a stout 

 spike of its beautiful creamy-white and pink flowers. 



Among the hybrid Dendrobes rendered so popular 

 by the D. heterocarpum hybrids, of which D. splen- 

 didissimum grandiflorumxis the best, the perennial 

 flowering D. rhodostoma, with its rich claret-crimson- 

 tipped petals, is profusely in flower ; Dendrobium 

 Phalamopsis superba, too, is in flower, and is worth a 

 journey to see. 



In flower were Epidendrum Wallisii, a fine variety ; 

 an autumn-flowering C. labiata, which for richness 

 of colour in the labellum far excels the original 

 variety ; Cypripedium Argus nigro-maculata, the best 

 variety of that species ; and the very rare Odonto- 

 glossum Warscewiczii, a plant with eight spikes in 

 bud. Considering the varied collection, and the 

 large number of varieties difficult to grow, Mr. H. 

 Ballantiue keeps The Dell collection up to the best 

 possible mark of excellence, and its generous owner 

 gets the gratification from his plants which he so 

 well deserves. J, O'B. 



Phaics callosos. 



Besides P. grandifolius, which is one of the best 

 known Orchids, and P. Wallichii, a very meritorious 

 species, there are several other species of Phaius 

 fully deserving of attention, but which are rarely 

 met with. One of them is P. bicolor, which was 

 noted in these columns a few weeks ago, and another 

 is the subject of this note. P. callosus has long been 

 known to botanists, and reference is made to it in 

 the volume of the Gardeners' Chronicle, for 1848. A 

 plant of it which was imported from Java last year 

 is now flowering at Kew. The flowers measure 

 3 inches across, and on the plant under notice are 

 borne on a stout radical scape 18 inches high, 

 which carries eight flowers ; fully established plants, 

 however, would probably produce double or treble 

 that number. The sepals and petals are broadly 

 lanceolate, and of a dull reddish-brown, the tips 

 being whitish ; the lip is tubular, the front portion 

 not being so spreading as in P. grandifolius ; it is of 

 a yellowish-white, tinged with pink, and is slightly 

 pubescent. 



By growing the four species I have mentioned 

 above, all of which require the same general treat- 

 ment, a succession of flowers could be kept up for 

 probably ten months in the year, and this, with 

 plants of the stately and effective appearance of P. 

 grandifolius would be of no small advantage for 

 conservatory decoration. W. B. 



CoSLOGYNE OCELLATA. 



An exceedingly pretty species with flowers much 

 resembling those of C. corymbosa ; in the latter, 

 however, the flower-scapes are produced along with 

 the young growth, whereas in C. ocellata they rise 

 from the apices of the developed pseudobulbs. The 

 species is figured in the Botanical Magazine (t. 3769), 

 but the figure does not convey a just idea of its cha- 

 racteristics. The flowers are 2& inches in diameter, 

 and three or four occur on a raceme. The sepals 

 and petals are of pure white ; the lip, the side lobes 

 of which enclose the column, has also a white 

 ground, but is marked on the middle lobe with two 

 round, eye-like yellow spots ; each side lobe being 



also marked with a blotch of yellow and striped with 

 reddish-brown. It is stated in the Orchid Grower's 

 Manual to flower in February and March, but several 

 plants are now in flower at Kew. It may be grown 

 in pots of fibrous peat and sphagnum, but it succeeds 

 equally well when grown on rafts and suspended from 

 the roof, in which case peat fibre should be fastened 

 about the roots and sphagnum placed on the 

 surface. Being from Northern India it requires 

 cool, moist conditions. It was introduced in 1822. 

 W, B, 



Trichopilia tortilis. 

 Basket or pot culture suits these plants well, but 

 if well elevated above the pot's rim they perhaps 

 flower most abundantly in this manner. In potting, 

 above all, provide good drainage, and for soil use 

 good fibrous peat, through which may be worked 

 some moderately-sized nodules of charcoal, which 

 will allow the roots to penetrate it better, and at the 

 same time assist in carrying away the water more 

 quickly. The species is a free-growing plant, which 

 requires a medium supply of water to its roots during 

 the season of growth, but it enjoys an atmosphere 

 well charged with moisture ; and although the water 

 supply to the roots must be considerably reduced 

 through the winter months, it must never be entirely 

 withheld, as the slightest amount of shrivelling is 

 injurious. This plant should be grown at the cool 

 end of the Cattleya-house, well exposed to the sun 

 and light, but should have the sun screened from it 

 during the hotter part of the day, in order to pre- 

 serve the colour of its foliage, which forms such an 

 admirable background for its blossoms. It is not 

 very liable to the attacks of insects, but scale, 

 and even thrips, will sometimes affect it, more 

 especially if the plant is in a slightly bad state of 

 health ; but watchful care on the part of the culti- 

 vator will prevent these pests from gaining a lodg- 

 ment. The plants may be increased, if necessary, 

 by division; but it is far better to have one fine 

 plant than several small ones. The division should 

 be made just as the new growths appear, and several 

 old bulbs should be left at the back of the leading 

 growth. The divisions may ^be potted, and treated 

 in exactly the same manner as the established plants. 

 " Orchid Album," October. 



Cypripedium Fitchianum 

 is a distinct and pretty variety, and compact in its 

 habit. The leaves are oblong acute, from 4 — 6 

 inches in length by about 1J inch in breadth, and 

 prettily variegated ; the ground colour is greyish- 

 green, marbled and spotted with deep olive-green. 

 The scape rises well above the foliage, and bears a 

 single large and handsome flower. Dorsal petal some- 

 what ovate cuneate, white, conspicuously veined with 

 bright green, the lower sepal being similar in colour, 

 but smaller; petals long and strap-shaped, with 

 blunt ends, green towards the base, the apical por- 

 tion and the margins being suffused with deep red, 

 and bearing a few black hairy warts on the edge ; 

 lip large, dull red, veined in front with green, the 

 inner surface profusely spotted with dots and spots 

 of red. It blooms in the winter months, and con- 

 tinues in perfection for fully six weeks. " Orchid 

 Album," October. 



THE RELATION BETWEEN 

 BLOSSOMING AND THE DEVELOP- 

 MENT OF TUBERS IN THE POTATO.* 



In the climate of Germany the blooming of 

 different varieties of Potatos is very much restricted. 

 Most of the varieties do not flower, excepting here 

 and there in the course of years ; a small number 

 only flower regularly and bear fruit. It is not so in 

 Chili, the habitat of the Potato. There it flowers 

 abundantly, but the tubers remain small, while in 

 the temperate zone the formation of the tubers is 

 favoured at the expense of fertilisation. 



* By E. Wollny, Forsch. mif d. Geb. der 4<jri!wlturphysik, 

 x., pp. 211—218. 



