THE ORCHID REVIEW. 35 



The author concludes: — " One question that seems to disturb those new 

 to this method of culture is, how to give water. We cannot enlighten those 

 unfamiliar with this method without entering into long details. Suffice it to 

 say that the amount of water is regulated according to the genus of Orchid, 

 its seasons of vegetation and growth, as well as the condition of each plant. 

 The subject is an important one, and an inexperienced hand may do much 

 mischief. If watering is judiciously managed, the leaf-mould isnaturallvmore 

 apt to dry too quickly than to retain the moisture long enough to do harm." 



One exception the author makes with respect to Vandas, and similar 

 things provided with an extraordinary root system, having strong powers of 

 absorption. These may be grown in pure sphagnum, and if carefully 

 treated during the period of growth, the necessary matters can be supplied 

 by watering, though there is always some difficulty in this way of growing 

 them. It is highly interesting to have such details from the originator of 

 the system, and an examination of the collection where the system has been 

 carried on for twelve years would be very instructive. My impression is 

 that it has come to stay. 



Two notes on the same page of the Gardener's Chronicle for January nth 

 last (p. 18) open up a very interesting point in nomenclature. Mr. J. O'Brien 

 describes a new hybrid Cattleya as follows : — " Cattleya X Cybele 

 (Gaskelliana X Lueddemanniana). The union of two rather widely 

 separated forms of Cattleya labiata has, in this showy hybrid, brought about 

 pleasing results, even although the new arrival still remains a form of 

 C. labiata." Mr. Hurst also describes a Cattleya X Rothwellia, or 

 rather so re-names a hybrid between C. Bowringiana and C Eldorado, 

 which Mr. Oakes Ames has described as Cattleya Portia var. Rothwellia. 

 Mr. Hurst remarks that the argument seems to be that as C. Eldorado has 

 been considered a variety of C. labiata, and as the hybrid between the latter 

 and C. Bowringiana is known as C. X Portia, the corresponding hybrid with 

 C. labiata var. Eldorado is necessarily another variety of C. X Portia. But 

 he also very well points out that "this rather complicates matters, because, 

 according to the same system, C. Warscewiczii would also be considered a 

 variety of C. labiata, anda hybrid between C. Bowringiana and C.Warscewiczii, 

 named C X Wendlandiana, was described in 1894 {Orch. Rev., 1894, p. 144), 

 while C. X Portia was first published in 1897 {Orch. Rev., 1897, p. 375)." 



And this line of argument might be carried further. For C. X Portia 

 would then become a variety of C. X Wendlandiana, so would also C. X 

 Mantinii, C. X Ariel, C. X Warnero-Bowringiana, and (as C. X Hardyana 

 is only a variety of C. labiata, like its two parents) C. X Mrs. J. W- 



