SEPTEMBER, 1923.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 269 
| ORCHIDS AT SLOUGH. 
OME forty years have passed since Messrs. Veitch augmented their 
S Chelsea establishment by constructing at Slough a range of glass- 
houses entirely for the raising and cultivating of hybrid Orchids. The 
specialist put in charge was Seden, and it was he who raised in these: 
houses some of the earliest of the Brassavola crosses, as well as the batch 
of Leliocattleya exoniensis that proved the parentage of this first of Lzlio- 
cattleyas, the Diamond Jubilee of which takes places this month and is 
described in another page of this issue. The present occasion is therefore: 
a fitting one for describing a few features of this establishment, which, since 
October, 1913, when the firm of Messrs. Veitch was discontinued, has been 
carried on by Messrs. Flory & Black. 
These houses are filled with an immense stock of hybrids, many of them 
descendants of the fine strains produced in former years by Dominy and 
Seden for Messrs. Veitch, while other plants are the result of crossing the 
best varieties of later-day successes. Consequently this establishment is 
regarded as a place where some of the most renowned Cattleyas have 
originated, and where at the present time the finest are being produced. 
Although a general glance round the houses proves with what care the 
plants have been raised, there is one particular point worthy of note, for 
scale insects are entirely absent. From the very earliest days of the 
seedlings’ existence great care is taken that they never come in contact with 
plants acquired from other'sources. The result of this treatment is shown 
by plants of flowering size still having the whitish skin-like covering on all 
their bulbs, for there has never been any need to remove it. This means 
that no time is wasted in cleansing the plants by frequent washing, and the 
bulbs are less liable to be affected by chill when protected by their natural 
skin. Another feature of this freedom from scale is the fact that all the 
“eves” or buds at the base of the bulbs remain perfectly healthy, so that 
when back-bulbs of about seven years of age are severed every piece quickly 
commences new growth.’ A large number of fine varieties of hybrids are by 
this means being propagated, and it is interesting to note that in many 
instances some of these back pieces are producing two and three new 
‘growths simultaneously, while in others that have lost their leaves an 
almost similar state of vigour is visible. Of course, in an establishment of 
this size, there are always plants that have been acquired from outside 
sources, but Messrs. Flory & Black take every precaution to ensure that 
they are never mixed or even placed alongside seedlings of their own 
raising. 
In another spacious house there is an excellent batch of Cattleya 
Hardyana alba, a descriptive term that here implies pure white sepals and 
