are only able to illustrate a portion of it, but this will enable our. readers to 
judge what a fine variety they have before them. 
Odontoglossum luteo-purpureum magnificum is a free evergreen plant, furnished 
with dark green leaves. It produces long spikes, the flowers varying in number 
according to the strength of the pseudobulbs, each flower being from three to four 
inches across, the sepals and petals. bright chestnut-brown, the latter barred and 
blotched with yellow, and both sepals and petals being tipped with yellow; the lip 
is pale yellow, chestnut-brown in the basal part, and the crest and throat are 
yellow, barred with chestnut colour. The plant blooms during spring and summer, 
and lasts for several weeks in beauty. The flowers are of a colour that is much 
wanted in order to contrast with O. Alexandre, O. Pescatorei and others. 
This plant requires the same treatment as O. Alexandre, etc. It is strong 
growing in habit, and consequently bears good spikes, with fine flowers. The bulbs 
require to be well matured, hence it must have plenty of water during the growing 
season and be placed in well-drained pots of good fibrous peat. These Odontoglots 
require to be kept moist at the roots during the time they are showing their flower 
spikes, and also when in bloom, as they are of such free-flowering habit that they 
produce several. spikes, and having so much strain upon them they require extra 
moisture to keep their bulbs plump. It is often a mistake with growers to allow 
these free-flowering varieties to get too dry, and they also keep their flower spikes 
on them too long. In order to invigorate the plant they should be cut off when 
they have been in bloom a reasonable time. 
There is found to be great variation among this section of Odontoglossums, 
_ owing probably to the hybridising work that is constantly going on in their native. 
country, chiefly, no doubt, through the insects, who carry the pollen of one species or 
variety so as to bring it into contact with the stigma of some different form or 
species, hence the great variations of colour and shape that are being produced and 
which come in due time to us in the different consignments made by our energetic 
collectors. These plants are often brought to the collectors by the natives who are 
sent out in search of novelties, but in procuring them it often happens that trees 
of large size have to be felled, and in these cases, most probably, the collectors 
take all they find without selection, in order to make up the larger number, since 
they are generally paid in this manner. After being gathered together they are 
packed in bags or sacks and placed on mules’ backs, and thus the natives travel 
for some time in order to bring in a sufficient number to the various collectors for 
whom they are acting, and by whom they are finally sent to this country. The 
plants have thus a great deal to go through, and consequently many thousands are 
lost, and among them, it may be, some of. the very best species and varieties. 
All these losses, of course, have to be borne by those who are at the expense of 
sending out collectors for them. Many of the natives are now gaining experience, and 
begin to know the best localities where the finest strains abound, and as they get 
2 higher rate of remuneration for these, they search for them more diligently. 
