JUNE, 1922. | THE ORCHID REVIEW. 179 
But it is to the Odontoglossum section that we now look to so much for 
the supply of spring flowers. Hybrids there are in this group that vary 
from white to almost black, from cream yellow to deep orange, and from 
bright scarlet to dark chocolate. Blue is at present, and seems likely to 
be, the one deficient colour. Twenty-five years ago Cochlioda Neetzliana 
made a few small specks of colour, but simply nothing to the masses of 
scarlet flowers seen at the present time on hybrids derived from it. It 
seems but yesterday that the first Odontioda made its appearance, 
although the exact occasion was the Temple Show of 1904. No one 
anticipated such an extensive series of results from this comparatively 
insignificant species. 
AN AMATEUR’S EXPERIENCE. 
By JOSEPHINE WALKER. 
HE article in last month’s issue on the growing of Orchids in con- 
servatories, or any other glasshouse that happened to be available, 
provided it had some sort of heating arrangements to keep out the 
frost in winter, has brought a letter from another enthusiastic amateur, 
which, I think proves, even more than our experiences, tkat it is possible, 
Provided the enthusiasm and love of the plants is there. I should like 
to quote the greater part of the letter because it is a great acttievement, 
and shows what can be done with species, which, in this case, are 
all imported direct and have to be established, not at any time an 
€asy matter for the amateur, as a mistake in the early days is. often 
fatal, especially if the plants have travelled badly. The following 1s the 
gist of the letter :— 
“Tsée you wish to encourage amateurs to grow Orchids, and I wonder if 
I have one glasshouse on the north side of 
‘MY experience will interest you. 
, and 
my dwelling house, which gets hardly any sun in winter until I p.m. 
yet I manage to grow and flower the following varieties BE Loc coer ie 
cristata, ceerulescens and Bensonii; Cattleyas Gaskelliana and citrina ; 
Oncidiums Marshallianum, cheirophorum, Papilio, varicosum Rogersit 
and ornithorhynchum; Ccelogynes cristata and ochracea ; Dendrobiums 
Pierardii, crystallinum, fimbriatum, lituiflorum, crepidatum, mping 
densiflorum, ochreatum, infundibulum, Jamesianum, Wardianum, nobi e, 
chrysotoxum, primulinum, Falconeri and Devonianum, the latter a0 a 
hundred flowers on one plant. In addition to these there are ae te 
Vandarum, Bulbophyllum Careyanum, Thunia alba and T. sents ize, 
Epidendrum vitellinum, Pholidota imbricata and P. articulata, Gym 4 
Parishii, Lowio-eburneum, pendulum, giganteum, Hookerianum = an 
