March ii, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



117 



then known as the " Red Flower." Mr. Skinner adds, that in 

 1840 he found the plant growing in immense quantities about 

 twenty leagues north of the city of Guatemala ; that there was 

 hoar-frost upon the ground at the time of his visit to its native 

 locality; and that " St. Joseph's Wand " was the name given 

 to it by the Spanish-speaking people who dwelt there. There 

 are now few collections of Orchids in which it does not hold a 

 prominent place. The plant which dowered with Mrs. Wray, 

 of Cheltenham, in 1844, was probably the first to bloom in 

 England. L. superbiens is a strong-growing plant, and, under 

 favorable conditions, soon forms a large specimen. The 

 creeping rhizome is about half an inch in diameter, and pro- 

 duces pseudo-bulbs at intervals of two or three inches. The 

 pseudo-bulbs are oblong, from nine to twelve inches in length, 

 nearly round, tapering toward both ends, ribbed, and, when 

 young, covered with a whitish sheathing. At the top they 

 support one or two oblong, acuminate leaves, about their 

 own length, very thick, and of a dark green color. The pe- 

 duncles proceed from the summit of the pseudo-bulbs, and 

 vary in height from five to nine feet. They are clothed with 

 the silvery sheathing peculiar to the pseudo-bulbs, and bear 

 from ten to twenty flowers in a globular cluster at the top. 

 The flowers are from six to seven inches across, the sepals 

 and petals spreading, lanceolate (the latter by a trifle the broad- 

 er), and both of a bright rose color. The lip is as long as the 

 sepals, three-lobed, with the lateral lobes incurved, crimson 

 and yellow, the front lobe broad, spreading, wavy, on the mar- 

 gin, and deep purple with crested lines of yellow. This Laelia 

 thrives very satisfactorily in the airiest end of an intermediate 

 house. It should be grown in a basket, with rough peat fibre, 

 charcoal, and abundant drainage for the roots. It should be 

 kept well up to the light, and should have shade only during 

 the brightest days of spring, summer and autumn. Care must 

 also be taken to restrict the supply of water after the growth 

 has been completed. 



PHALiENOPSiS Schilleriana. — Comparatively few Orchids 

 can be called attractive at all seasons of the year ; but this is 

 one of the best, and when in bloom during the winter and 

 early spring it can hardly be excelled. This plant was intro- 

 duced from the Philippine Islands in i860. The oblong leaves 

 attain a length of eighteen inches in well-grown specimens ; 

 they are dark green, with irregular bars of gray on the upper 

 side, and a pale purplish color underneath. The peduncle is 

 more or less branched, and, according to the age and vigor of 

 the plant, from one to three feet in length. The flowers are 

 about three inches across, sepals oblong, petals very bluntly 

 ovate, lip trilobed, the lateral lobes oblong and turned back- 

 ward, with a yellow callosity at the base, and the front lobe lyre- 

 shaped. Pale lilac, faintly suffused with rose, is the prevailing 

 color, and the lower sepals and lateral lobes of the lip are dis- 

 tinctly spotted with red. All the flowers expand about the 

 same time, and they last in good condition from six to eight 

 weeks. Under careful cultivation this plant is remarkably 

 floriferous. A specimen grown in England bore at one time 

 no fewer than 378 flowers. There are numerous varieties of 

 P. Schilleriana, all worthy of cultivation, and in some of them 

 the flowers are fragrant. The odor is agreeable, and it is most 

 sensible during bright weather. P. Schilleriana should be 

 planted at an elevation of three or four inches above the top of 

 a well-drained pot or basket, with clean crocks for the drainage, 

 and lumpy charcoal and fresh, clean sphagnum about the 

 roots. It requires a stove temperature, with protection from 

 sunshine, and sufficient water should be given to preserve at 

 all times the luxuriance of the Sphagnum in which the plant is 

 growing. Water should not remain about the leaves for any 

 considerable time. 



Cambridge, Mass. M. Barker. 



Cattleya speciosissima. — This has become one of the most 

 conspicuous of winter-blooming Orchids, and, although a 

 rather shy -bloomer, judicious treatment will overcome this 

 objection. For the two winters before the last we had little 

 success in flowering these plants, but this season several of 

 them have behaved to our perfect satisfaction. The size of 

 the flowers varies from six to eight inches in diameter, with a 

 lip from one and a half to two and a half inches across. Their 

 color is hard to describe, as each plant has its special shade, 

 ranging from a light, delicate, flesh-color to a decidedly rich 

 purple, with a dark mauve-purple lip. Again we have some 

 varieties with sepals and petals blotched and veined in the 

 manner of C. Mossice, var. Hardyana. We grow the plants 

 in a house with C. Triance, so as to have them in winter-flow- 

 ering quarters. They are in shallow pans and baskets sus- 

 pended from the roof, although many specimens of the variety 

 Lowii, which bloom as freely as C. Triana, are left in pots. 



My practice is to give them all the sunlight possible from 

 the beginning of October until the end of February, during 

 which time they will grow and flower freely. They must be 

 sparingly watered at all times, or they will suffer from " the 

 spot." They never should be watered until they become rather 

 dry. Nor do I give them any " rest" if at all inclined to grow. 

 Some plants that bloomed here last July and August are in 

 bloom to-day again, and probably by next July or August they 

 will flower again. The stems appear to be quite as large as 

 those made during the summer, and in my opinion it does 

 them no harm whatever to flower, if the iiowers are not allowed 

 to remain on them too long. A comparatively small amount 

 of fibre and moss, with a little charcoal, will suffice as a com- 

 post, as they do not like much around their roots, and, of 

 course, they must be kept far from snails and white scab. 



Staatsburgh-on-Hudson. F. AlkillS. 



Greenhouse Rhododendrons are proving much more valua- 

 ble every year, and Messrs. Veitch are adding new varieties 

 almost every month, many of them superior to the older 

 kinds. A collection of flowers of some of the best varieties 

 was shown at a late meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 and were generally admired. They comprised Vesta, a large- 

 trussed, large-flowered cream-yellow variety ; Nestor, rich yel- 

 low ; Scarlet Crown, a brilliant red, with large flowers ; Balsamae- 

 fiorum aureum, and about a dozen others. These plants are 

 scarcely ever flowerless. They are always in growth, and as fast 

 as a shoot casts its flowers it pushes into new growth, matures a 

 bud, and blooms again. Consequently upon the same plant 

 occur, simultaneously, young growths, flower-buds and ex- 

 panded flowers. A dozen plants will yield flowers from Janu- 

 ary to December. 



Kew. W. 



Clerodendron Thompsonae. — This fine old plant should not be 

 neglected or displaced by newer favorites. It is suitable for 

 pot culture for conservatory decoration, or it can be grown as a 

 climber, and the flowers are useful for cutting. It is of scan- 

 dent habit, with large, smooth, dark green leaves, and its large 

 panicles of bright crimson flowers, with pure white calyces, 

 invariably arrest attention. It is easily propagated by cuttings 

 taken in summer. In fall the small plants may be placed 

 under the bench in a warm greenhouse and kept dry. In Feb- 

 ruary or March they should be potted in light rich soil, with 

 plenty of pot-room, as they make roots freely. If shifted 

 whenever pot-bound, they will bloom almost all summer. Old 

 plants require the same treatment. They must be shaded 

 from the sun when growing, as the foliage is very tender. 

 When the blooming season is over they should be freely watered 

 and kept growing until it is time to ripen the wood, when they 

 may have more sun and less water. If wanted for winter-flow- 

 ering they require a short rest, after which they may be shaken 

 out, repotted and started again. Specimens too large for this 

 treatment will flower better if considerable of the old soil is 

 removed and replaced by fresh compost. If not wanted till 

 spring they can remain in a cool light place, with just enough 

 water to keep them alive through the winter. » • 



May wood, N. J. J • '*-> • T. 



Correspondence. 

 Wild Flowers in California. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — It has been an open winter in California, with nearly 

 two months of sunshine, but the wild flowers do not seem 

 more forward than usual. To-day (March 2d) I found, along a 

 warm hill-side, where the flowers bloom earliest, the Man- 

 zanita {Arctostaphylos Menziesii), which is a low shrubby tree 

 here, loaded with its Heath-like blossoms. Stray specimens 

 bloom earlier, but the mass of the bushes are now blooming. 

 My little favorite, Dodecatheon Meadia, was in great abundance 

 on some warm slopes. With its dainty Cyclamen-like flowers 

 it is one of our prettiest wild plants. On a shaded hill-side 

 there were several Cardamines blooming. This is C. pauci- 

 secta; our best, C. angiclata, is also in flower in the cultivated 

 fields. The yellow Buttercup {Ranunculus macranthus) and 

 Fritillaria lanceolata I found well-budded. They are late this 

 season. Certain warm slopes were yellow with the blossoms 

 of a low-growing composite plant, and Castilleia parviflora, 

 one of the Painted Cups, is also in bloom. The introduced 

 plant, Erodium cicutarum, which we Californianscall Alfilleria, 

 is, as usual, among the earliest to blossom. In gardens 

 the Chinese Narcissus is well over its flowering. The 

 scarlet Japan Quince is now in bloom, as are most Narcissi. 



