42 ORCHID-GROWER S MANUAL. 



ORCHIDS FOR ROOM DECORATION. 



LYCASTES thrive admirably in a cool-house, L. Skinneri for instance, 

 which is one of the finest, and of which many splendid varieties are 

 now cultivated. This plant is reported in the Gardeners' Chronicle to have 

 been kept in a room in flower for seven weeks. We, ourselves, have had 

 plants of this Lycaste all the winter in a cool-house, where they have 

 flowered in great abundance, as many as from thirty to flfty blossoms 

 being open at one time. Indeed, we exhibited a plant of it at one of 

 the Regent's Park spring shows with as many blossoms on it as we have 

 just mentioned, on which occasion a medal was awarded for its magnificent 

 flowers and colour. Particular care must be taken, however, to keep 

 the flowers dry when in a cool-house or room, or else they are apt to 

 become spotted. 



"In/caste Shinneri," says the Ga/rdeners' Chronicle, " seems about to 

 have as great a future as the Tulip. Already something like a dozen 

 varieties of colour are known among its exquisitely beautiful flowers, and 

 we can entertain no doubt that it will break into plenty more, especially 

 if recourse be had to hybridising. From deep rose to a tint only less 

 white than the Hawthorn we have a complete set of transitions, and this 

 is a plant conspicuous for its fine broad foliage, and glorious in its ample 

 floral garments. It is not, however, wholly on account of its disposition 

 to reward us by an endless variety of colour, and perhaps form, that we 

 wish to draw attention to Lycaste Slcinneri, but because of all tropical 

 Orchids it is one of the hardiest in constitution and most easy to cultivate. 

 This has been very decisively shown by some experiments of the late 

 Mr. Skinner, to whose untiring energy we English owe this and many 

 other treasures. In a note received from him, he writes as follows : — 



"On the 2nd February, 1861, I received from Mr. Veitch a fine 

 specimen with seven flower spikes all out, and took it to Hillingdon 

 Cottage, placed it on the drawing-room table in an ornamental pot, and 

 gave it every three days or so about four tablespoonfuls of water, 

 occasionally wiping the leaves with a wet sponge when the dust got on 

 them. ' There this plant stood throughout the severe weather we had — a 

 fire in the room only during the afternoons and evenings, and on some 

 days none at all. It never showed the least decay until the 16th May, 

 when it was for some purpose or other put into the greenhouse, and our 



