20 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Jan.-FEB., 1919. 
These considerations may help in the culture of certain difficult subjects, 
for the roots are the organs by which the plants take up their food supply, 
and their relation to the compost and its mechanical and nutrient qualities 
are of the highest importance in successful Orchid culture. They explain 
to some extent why certain Orchids can be successfully grown in apparently — 
quite different composts, which may none the less agree in having correct 
mechanical and nutrient qualities. For the same reason it explains another 
remark which has. often been made, that the matter of compost is less 
important in Orchid culture than is the provision of a suitable climate and 
suitable atmospheric conditions. 
» (e 
Ore GRAPHIC HISTORIES,—2. legge | 
S an example of a subject where the historical side of the question has ~ 
been largely lost sight of in practice, the hybrid between Odonto- 
glossum nobile (afterwards called O. Pescatorei) and O. crispum is suitable 
for the second of our Graphic Histories. Others. of a more general 
character have been suggested, in which the materials are abundant but 
more difficult to arrange, and these will not be lost sight of. At present, 
however, we will take Odontoglossum armainvillierense. 
1898.—Odontoglossum armainwillierense appeared in the collection of 
Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Armainvilliers, as a new hybrid, it having 
been raised by M. Jacob by crossing O. Pescatorei with a blotched form of 
O. crispum. It was exhibited at a meeting of the Société Nationale 
d’Horticulture de France on November 22nd, 1898, and received a First- 
class Certificate, with felicitations. It was described as a superb plant, 
with flowers of perfect shape, and very dark blotches.—Journ. Soc. Nat. 
Hort. Fr., 1898, p. 1240. 
1902.—Four Odontoglossums exhibited by M. Ch. Vuylsteke at the 
Temple Show in May, 1902, without record of origin, under the names ot 
O. ardentissimum, O. concinnum, O. dulce, and O. venificum. The first 
gained a First-class Certificate, the three others Awards of Merit, the 
names, however, being changed to O. crispum ardentissimum, O. c. con- 
cinnum, O. c. dulce, and O. c. venificum.—G.C., 1902, May 31, Suppl. p. 2. 
We examined the four seedlings at the Show, and found unmistakable 
evidence of their origin, and we remarked : ‘‘ The parentage of these four 
hybrids was not recorded, but they seemed to combine the characters of O. 
Pescatorei and heavily spotted forms of O. crispum.”—O.R., x, p. 175. 
A letter to this effect to M. Vuylsteke (whom we missed after examining 
the plants) elicited the reply: ‘‘O. ardentissimum is a hybrid between an, | 
extra-fine, heavily reddish spotted O: crispum and an extra-fine O. Pescatorei | 
