AND THEIR JIANAGEJ/ENT. 23 



Selecting Plants. 

 the lengthened period required for them to develop and 

 mature their seeds. Plants in an unsuitable condition 

 quickh- show signs of the strain placed upon them, by the 

 earl\- shrivelling of the pseudo-bulbs. Although the seed- 

 pod ma\- go on for the full period usually required for 

 de\-elopment, it will be found that at the time of bursting 

 very little, if any, seed will be contained in the interior, 

 and that only a fluftV substance, ver}' light in colour, 

 remains. To get satisfactory results, therefore, it is 

 adxdsable to give due consideration to the condition of 

 each plant before using it for hybridisation purposes. 



The selection of parents must also be considered. It is 

 useless to expect satisfactor)- results unless some little 

 forethought is gi\en. Superior kinds should be selected, and 

 those widely distinct from each other. It does not always 

 follow that the superior qualities of one parent will atone 

 for the shortcomings of the other with which it has been 

 crossed. As an illustration of this, attention may be 

 drawn to the fact that Cypripcdium Spiccriauuiii, one of 

 the finest species of the genus, has been used as one of 

 the parents in the production of over one hundred distinct 

 crosses, yet it would be difficult indeed to select a dozen 

 among these that are of exceptional merit. 



In the selection of parents to produce new h^'brids, we 

 would suggest that the list of hybrids contained at the 

 end of certain genera should be used as a guide to 

 that end, and also for the reproduction of those hybrids 

 which have already appeared, and which have proved of 

 sterling merit. There is a wide field of possibilities still 

 open to the hybridist in the direction of bigeneric 

 hybrids. With the exception of Cypripediums, the con- 

 struction of the flowers in almost the whole of the Orchid 

 genera is favourable to the production of seedlings by 

 cross-fertilisation. The efforts in this direction, although 

 limited up to the present, have produced satisfactory 

 results: one of the finest of these is to be found in 

 Epiplironites Veitchii. 



When to Fertilise the Flowers. 



During the bright months of the year (March to 

 September) there need be very little consideration given to 



