264 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



alike of a deep purple-red ; a plant of unknown origin, like a large form of 

 P. X Ashburtonse, Phragmipedilum X Sedeni candidulum, Cattleya 

 Gaskelliana, and Epiphronitis X Veitchii. Respecting the latter it is 

 interesting to note that Captain Hurst has obtained two capsules, as a 

 result of crossing it with Laelia purpurata, though when they ripened and 

 burst open at four months old they contained nothing but chaff. A third 

 flower went off, as did three others pollinated with Cattleya Mossia; and 

 three with C. Mendelii. Thirty self-fertilised flowers yielded a like 

 result, and all similar attempts in previous years have proved equally futile. 



Other plants noted in the collection were, Angraecum sesquipedale, 

 several pans of Sophronitis grandiflora, a few Ccelogyne cristata and its 

 varieties, and a plant of Oncidium Kramerianum, which, it is curious to 

 note, continued to produce flowers at intervals on the same scape for no 

 less a period than two years and eleven months. These appeared at 

 somewhat irregular intervals, and numbered between twenty and thirty. 

 There is also a small house of Caitleyas and Laslias, and a number of 

 Odontoglossums, at present in the frame outside. Most of the latter 

 ■came as an importation of O. crispum direct from Bogota, but proved to 

 contain also a few examples of O. X Andersonianum, O. X Denison*, 

 O. X Coradinei, O. Lindleyanum, O. gloriosum, and O. luteopurpureum. 



A curious experiment in hybridisation made here may be noted. A 

 flower of Cattleya citrina was fertilized with mixed pollen of C. 

 Lawrenceana and C. Lueddemanniana, and produced a fine pod, which on 

 •opening contained plenty of good seeds, though some that were sown 

 failed to germinate. The rest were given to a friend to grow, and the 

 result is not yet known. We have previously heard of the use of mixed 

 pollen, and it would be interestingto know if any results have been obtained. 



We shall watch the results of Captain Hurst's experiments with 

 interest, and we hope that he will be able to throw further light on some 

 of the vexed problems of heredity, which have recently engaged so much 

 attention. It may be added that he does not confine his attention to 

 Orchids, for he has also undertaken a series of experiments with Garden 

 Peas, Sweet Peas, Poppies, Chinese Primulas, Berberis, and Fancy 

 Poultry, all of them in connection with Mendel's principles and methods. 

 He has found Poultry particularly well adapted to such experiments, on 

 account of the rapidity, ease, and certainty of the results. 



One useful hint to Orchid hybridists may be given, which came out 

 in conversation with Captain Hurst. From his experience with and 

 knowledge of other subjects, he is of opinion that better results may be 

 obtained by self-fertilising hybrids of mixed ancestry than by further 

 cross-fertilisation, besides giving Mendelian results which may be of great 

 scientific value, and furnishing useful guidance to breeders in the future. 



