202 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



It was a rather poor plant when potted in Belgian leaf-soil, this being; 

 in May, 1901, and you will see the improvement in the bulb made since. 

 It flowered in May, 1902, bearing a branched spike three feet four inches 

 long, with twenty-five flowers. The bulb shows a little sign of shrivelling, 

 but after the spike had been removed a fortnight it became quite plump 

 again, and now looks none the worse for carrying such a spike. I might 

 add that I use a little peat, chopped up and mixed with the leaf- soil , 

 to keep it open and prevent it from becoming sodden. The photograph is 

 by Mr. Lamb, of Tetbury." We think the photograph speaks for itself, 

 and if Odontoglossums can be grown thus in leaf-mould we have little 

 doubt that it will be more largely used in future. We cannot, of course, 

 say how much of Mr. Alexander's success is, in this case, due to the 

 compost used, and how much to the general treatment, and we would 

 suggest that two dozen plants should be selected, as nearly equal in size 

 and vigour as possible, and that half should be potted in the ordinary 

 way and the other half in leaf-mould. They should then be carefully marked, 

 and afterwards grown under precisely similar treatment, and the results 

 noted. And should the difference between the two lots be very marked it 

 would be interesting to have them photographed together. 



We have heard of those who, having tried the new system, have 

 expressed their satisfaction with the results, and of those who are not, but 

 we do not know of anyone who has yet tried the two systems side by side, 

 under otherwise identical conditions — water, of course, being applied in 

 accordance with the state of the compost ; not indiscriminately. This 

 should certainly be tried, and we cannot suggest any better method of 

 deciding the merits of the two rival systems. 



SCUTICARIA DODGSONI. 

 Does anyone know the above plant ? A very pretty Scuticaria has 

 flowered in the collection of C. H. Feiling, Esq., Southgate House, 

 Southgate, which may possibly agree with it. Of the latter, Mr. Feiling's 

 gardener, Mr. Chas. Stocking, remarks : — "The plant is erect growing, with 

 foliage in the style of Oncidium Jonesianum. I have asked several Orchid 

 growers, but none appear to know what it is." 



^ Reichenbach wrote in 1881 :— " Scuticaria Dodgsoni, Hort— I must 

 -'-- vledge at this place that I am ignorant as to what Scuticaria 

 The name is used in England just as if the plant were an 

 established species. Perhaps it is, but no one of my numerous and well- 

 instructed correspondents could help me. Mr. P. C. M. Veitch looked in 

 vain over some English periodicals which I have not at hand. Mr. B. S. 

 Williams was not very clear in his memory, though he quotes the plant in 

 his Manual ; it also occurred in the catalogue of Messrs. Rollisson, late of 

 Tooting, and in Mr. Stevens' catalogue. The plant is a myth for me. If 

 some of our readers could give us some information, perhaps even an 



