December i8, 1889.] 



Garden and Forest. 



609 



Orchid Notes. 



Cypripedium Spicerianiivi. — This lovely species may be 

 looked upon as a harbinger ot autumn, forasthe monthsof Oc- 

 tober and November approacli the Howersof Cypripedium Spi- 

 ceriamim appear, and last until the beginning of the New Year. 

 Native of India and Assam, it was first introduced to cultiva- 

 tion in 1878 by Mr. Herbert Spicer, of the Woodlands, Godal- 

 ming, England, among a mixed collection of Orchids. Since 

 that timeit has gradually gained on the popular favor, and is 

 now to be found in almost every collection, so much admired 

 are its flowers, which present a unique appearance. The 

 upper sepal is very large and slightly arching forward, of the 

 purest waxy white, with a broad, deep crimson-purple band 

 running from apex to base, the latter portion being stained 

 with green and covered with minute reddish spots. The lower 

 sepal is much smaller and greenish white, being ovate-acute 

 in shape. The ligulate petals, which are bent a little forward 

 and slightly depressed, have crinkled margins and a yellowish 

 green surface, thickly covered with small, dull red spots on 

 each side of the crimson mid-line, while the helmet-shaped lip 

 is purple brown, often suffused with crimson. The staminode 

 is very conspicuous in this species ; its margins are wavy and 

 pure white, inside of which the remaining surface is crimson- 

 purple. The leaves are oblong, six to twelve inches long, 

 dark green above and spotted with dull purple underneath, 

 toward the base ; from their centre springs the slender, dark 

 purplish hairy scapes, each of which bear, as a rule, only a 

 solitary iiower, although instances have been recorded where 

 two flowers were borne on a scape. 



C. Leeatium is now also in flower. It is a most popular 

 hybrid, being the result of crossing C. insigne and C. Spicer- 

 ianum, between which it is intermediate, although the 

 characteristics of the latter species are more predominating. 

 The upper sepal is very large, pure white, with a bright grass- 

 green blotch at the base, which is traversed by lines of dark pur- 

 ple-brown, while on the white portion are a few mauve-purple 

 spotted lines, on each side of the broader median line which 

 runs to the apex. The lower sepal is pale green, and the 

 petals, which resemble those of C. Spicerianutn, have an un- 

 dulated upper margin and a yellowish green surface, with a 

 dull purple mid-line running from base to tip and traversed by 

 spotted veins of purple-brown. The lip is pale green behind, 

 and glossy purple-brown, of a more or less intense hue, in 

 front, while the staminode partakes of the shape of that of C. 

 Spiceriamim, but is devoid of its rich color, excepjt for a very dull 

 tinge of mauve, which encircles the green and yellow tooth so 

 conspicuous in C. insigne. The variety known as Superbum 

 is recognized by its larger upper sepal having brighter purple 

 spots. 



C. Leeafium was raised in the collection of Sir Trevor Law- 

 rence, Burford Lodge, Dorking, and the variety Superbum in 

 Messrs. Veitches' establishment, about the year 1885. 



Both of these Lady's Slippers grow freely, and may be 

 treated in the same way. C. Spiceria7iJim has been found in 

 its native hal.)itat growing on steep and perpendicular rocks in 

 rich loam and in moist places. Theformerfact is well authen- 

 ticated, for when imported plants arrive they are often 

 smeared with mud. Under culture they may be grown in a 

 compost of loam and peat, and as the roots grow quickly and 

 vigorously, pots large enough to enable them to develop 

 should be chosen, and these should l)e well drained for about 

 two-thirds of their depth with clean crocks. The plants may 

 also be grown with equal success in fibrous peat and sphag- 

 num. A warm, moist atmosphere is l)est, and care should be 

 taken never to let the roots become dry; but the amount of 

 water to be given must be regulated according to the growth 

 of the plants and the time of year, and during the hot summer 

 days it will also be found best to shade them. 



St. Albans, England. John Weathers. 



Cattleya Percivaliana. — Large quantities of this beautiful 

 Orchid are now in full beauty with us. The many hundred 

 flowers, as well as an immense number of Lalia anceps, now 

 also in full bloom, will furnish a perfect blaze of bloom until 

 the coming of larger flowers of C. Triatia. C. Percivaliana, 

 though possessing the smallest flowers of the Labiata group, 

 is a very valuable species, both forcutting and decorative pur- 

 poses, as its season of flower is fiflly a month earlier than 

 the winter kinds and it Alls the gap between these and the 

 autumn blooming kinds. In addition to this, it proves to be 

 one of the easiest of this extensive genus to cultivate and 

 flower. It was introduced about six years ago from the Cor- 

 dillera of Venezuela, at an elevation of about 4,000 feet, where 



it is said to grow on rocks in very wet places and where there 

 is a full exposure to the sun. That this does not apply to all is 

 shown by the great disparity in the size and shape of the 

 imported bulbs and leaves. Some of these are of immense 

 size, the bulbs ten inches in length and proportionately thick, 

 and would easily pass for C. gigas. In the other extreme the 

 bulbs are only three inches long and almost globiflar in the 

 centre, denoting a slow, cool growth witliout much water or 

 with considerable exposure. Between these two extremes 

 almost any variety of growth may be seen. The coloring of the 

 growths also varies from a deep green to a reddish brown. 

 Almost as much variety may be seen in the coloring and size 

 of the flowers. In the type these are four to Ave inches across, 

 with deep r.ose sepals and petals. The lip is convolute and of 

 the same color externally. The front lobe is of a deep crimson 

 purple, with a pale lilac-frilled margin, the throat being of a 

 rich, tawny yellow. Some of the larger varieties measure 

 seven to eight inches across, and cannot be distinguished from 

 the old C. Mossia;, of which this may only be a geographical 

 form. As with almost every Orchid there is an albino form, 

 which is called Alba, but this is at present very rare. One 

 great drawback to C. Percivaliana is a somewhat disagreeable 

 odor, similar to that of Lcelia aiihcmnalis , but, happily, this de- 

 fect is not constant in the species, but is noticed more espe- 

 cially in the small flowered type. To grow this species suc- 

 cessfully, it should be given plenty of heat and water 

 during growth. Use fibrous peat and moss, well drained pots, 

 and let these be as small as possible. As soon as the flowers 

 are over the plants should be rested by withholding water, 

 except sufficient to keep the bulbs plump. 



Kenwood, N. Y. F. Goldrmg. 



Heating Green-houses. 



'X'HIS is a subject to which much study and experiment has 

 -•• been devoted, and yet reliable data for general practice 

 are very hard to find, and this is mainly because in each in- 

 stance special conditions of latitude, exposure and so on must 

 be taken into account. Attention, however, is not now invited 

 to any particular method of heating, but a few suggestions are 

 proposed which refer to the heating of houses in a general 

 way. In the case of brick-set boilers, an examination should 

 be made at proper intervals to ascertain the condition of the 

 flues, that they may he kept thoroughly clean and free from 

 cracks, as a small accident may do much damage by permit- 

 ting the escape of gases injurious to plant life. With all such 

 boilers any portions of the flue that are near the fire or exposed 

 to strong heat should be thoroughly lined with good fire-brick, a 

 precaution sometimes omitted through a mistaken idea of 

 economy. Another point in the construction of smoke flues 

 is to have soot doors and dampers as well, conveniently 

 arranged. Fuel can always be economized by the convenient 

 arrangement of the regulating apparatus. In plant-houses one 

 of the most important points to be observed is regularity in 

 temperature; the careless method of permitting a high tem- 

 perature one night and a low one the next is too often respon- 

 sible for the sickly appearance of plants which may have 

 been properly treated in other respects. In extremely cold 

 weather it is better to allow the temperature of a plant-house 

 to fall a few degrees below the usual standard. This will 

 be less enervating than a forcing temperature, with its rapid 

 evaporation. For instance, a Palm-house that is usually kept 

 between sixty and sixty-five degrees at night, may be allowed 

 to fall to fifty-six or fifty-eight degrees without any appreciable 

 injury, and a Rose-house that is generally run at a night tem- 

 perature of fifty-six degrees, may drop to fifty degrees in very 

 severe weather without materially affecting the Roses. During 

 sharp weather, when hard firing is necessary, it will be bene- 

 ficial to damp down warm houses by sprinkling the walks, and 

 the surface under the benclies, especially in the morning and 

 evening; but this operation is not so often required in houses 

 in which there are vapor pans of some description placed on 

 the pipes. 



In regard to fuel, the location of the green-house has much to 

 do with it, though it is probably hard to find a better material 

 for this purpose than good anthracite coal. In some localities 

 coke is used profitably, but, naturally, does not last so long, 

 without attention, as a good solid fire of coal, though the coke 

 produces a very strong heat for a short time. As to the proper 

 size of coal, much depends on the style of boiler. A stronger 

 draught and a shallower grate is necessary to burn small sized 

 coal to advantage, and, though cheaper, it requires more atten- 

 tion in using. For a lasting fire, in a majority of boilers, coal 

 of egg-size, or the next larger size, known as " broken," 

 usually gives entire satisfaction. IV. H. Taplin. 



Holmesburg, Pa. 



