THE ORCHID REVIEW. 259 
The appearance of Mr. Cookson’s beautiful Phaius x oakwoodiensis 
again calls attention to the progress which is being made in the improve- 
ment of our garden Orchids. I was much struck with the plant when I saw 
it at the Drill Hall, and it shows that the raiser is following up the idea 
which led him to make the initial cross which gave us the handsome P. X 
Cooksoni. It has often been remarked that it takes several qualities to 
make a good garden plant, and hybridisation furnishes an opportunity to 
combine these qualities in one and the same individual. Some of our 
showiest imported species are lacking in constitution, while others, which 
can be grown like weeds, are not attractive enough in their flowers, but a 
judicious combination of the two may combine the good qualities of both, 
as was certainly the case with P. xX Cooksoni. And even many good 
garden plants have characters which are capable of improvement, or defects 
which it is desirable to eliminate. Or it may be desirable to extend the 
flowering season, or to obtain a more compact habit, all of which are 
possible to the hybridist. In short, hybridisation furnishes the opportunity 
for selection, and gives rise to improved races of garden plants. The first 
steps of this improvement are already visible in certain groups of Orchids, 
and will become more apparent year by year. 
It is fortunate that records are now for the most part carefully kept, for it 
will be interesting some day to trace the history of some of these races. And 
I am also glad to see that some of the failures are also being recorded, as in 
the case mentioned at page 202. Anything about hybridisation must 
necessarily be interesting, and such apparent anomalies as the failure of 
Epidendrum radicans as a seed parent, and of Sophronitis grandiflora as a 
pollen parent, while the reverse crosses are successful, seem to provoke 
further experiments and an inquiry into the cause, while to those who are 
only interested in the practical side of the question they have a utilitarian 
value. It would be useful if amateurs and others would record more of 
their experience in hybridising, for there is still so much to be learnt about 
it, and it is interesting to compare notes of what is being done in different 
collections. 
The record of Mr. Moore’s seedling Odontoglossums at page 240 is par- 
ticularly interesting, because these plants are usually considered so difficult 
to raise. It seems likely that perseverance will ultimately overcome this 
difficulty, for we have heard more about them of late years, and it is evident 
that seedlings grow freely enough in a wild state. I hope that we shall 
hear of these plants again in due time, and of many others, too. 
In my last notes I alluded to the Royal Horticultural Society’s collection 
