THE ORCHID REVIEW. , 95 



generally be rectified if records of the original crosses are carefully kept, as 

 they always should be, and I hope that M. Vuylsteke will not always have 

 to say, as at page 170, " It is not possible to state exactly the parentage," 

 and " I cannot guess its origin." It ought to be possible in the majority 

 of cases, but, whether that applies to the present one or not, I cannot 

 imagine any Orchid Committee disqualifying such a beautiful plant as the 

 one exhibited by M. Vuylsteke as O. X ardentissimum, parentage or no 

 parentage. I hope we shall have this matter cleared up, for the records at 

 present are unsatisfactory in the extreme. 



We have further evidence of the progress being made in raising seedling 

 Odontoglossums, in the presence of a beautiful hybrid, called O. X Queen 

 Alexandra, in the collection of J. Rutherford, Esq. And in this case, 

 fortunately, we are not left in doubt about the parentage, for we are told 

 that it was raised from O. Harryanum crossed with O. X excellens. I 

 believe this plant was raised in the collection, and that there are one 

 or two more seedlings from the same capsule which have not yet 

 flowered. Perhaps one of these days we shall find out how to grow 

 seedling Odontoglossums as easily as some other genera, and then we 

 shall see what we shall see. 



Speaking of progress in hybridisation reminds me of M. Maron's beautiful 

 hybrid Brassolselia X Helen, which appeared in Messrs. Charlesworth's 

 group at the Temple Show, and which is so well figured at page 169. 

 I noticed that the flower had more colour than the majority of 

 Brassavola Digbyana hybrids, and this might be expected in a seedling 

 from Laelia tenebrosa. The hybrids from B. Digbyana are rapidly 

 becoming an extensive group, and I believe that there are in existence 

 a large number of unflowered seedlings. 



The discussion respecting the use of leaf-mould seems to have taken a 

 new turn, judging by the notes at p. 165. It is now a question of feeding, 

 or manure, whichever way one cares to put the question, but it is 

 rather curious to find that while the use of mineral fertilisers 

 should be so strongly recommended in America — it seems to 

 have almost become an institution there — yet we find one American 

 grower remarking: — "I have never found any benefit from it." All, 

 however, seem to deprecate the use of leaf-mould as a potting material 

 under the climatic conditions which obtain in America. We scarcely 

 know where we are, but is it after all chiefly a question of food supply, 

 as stated with such confidence ? 



Argus. 



