THE ORCHID REVIEW. 363 
CATTLEYA xX HARDYANA. 
(SEE FRONTISPIECE.) 
THE frontispiece to the present volume represents the remarkable example 
of the original Cattleya x Hardyana, from the collection of T. Statter, Esq., 
Stand Hall, Whitefield, Manchester, which received both a First-class 
Certificate and a Cultural Certificate from the Manchester and North of 
England Orchid Society on October 21st last. The photograph, kindly 
sent by Mr. Statter, is accompanied by the following note :— 
‘This plant is part of the original Cattleya x Hardyana, which flowered 
with the late George Hardy, Esq., and received a First-class Certificate 
from the Royal Horticultural Society on August 11th, 1885. This plant 
looked like being dead for some one or two years, but was hung on a wire 
from the top of the house instead of being burned, because it was the 
original plant. One spring it commenced to grow, and went ahead, and 
Mr. Hardy sold several pieces at one hundred guineas each—two of them 
to his friend, Mr. Lee, of Audenshaw, near Manchester. One of these I 
purchased at Mr. Lee’s sale, and it is now flowering with me. The sheath 
is eight inches long, and large in proportion, and bears three flowers. The 
roots are legion, and hang quite a yard from the basket. There are people, 
who contend that Cattleyas of the aurea section cannot be kept vigorous for 
long, but this is a most interesting example to the contrary. The root 
action is beyond belief, and I attribute it very much to the shape of the 
basket it is grown in. Few people can grow Cattleya Dowiana aurea, 
because they will use the water at the wrong time. One gentleman told 
me it would make his hair grow grey to see how hard our aureas were dried. 
I shall never believe in draught for Orchids of this kind. Our Dendrobium 
Phalznopsis are grown with very little air, and I never saw finer.” 
This specimen is certainly an object lesson in the culture of this group, 
and recalls the Cattleya x Lord Rothschild from the same collection, 
which was figured at page 337 of our last volume. That also showed 
marvellous root development, which speaks volumes for the treatment given 
by Mr. Johnson. Particulars of this were given on the page just mentioned, 
and further details of the structure of the house, which possesses some 
peculiarities, may be found at page 291 of our second volume. Vigorous 
root action is a sure sign that a plant is under happy conditions, and in the 
Case of Orchids whose roots are outside the compost, one can see precisely 
What is going on. Such plants must derive their food largely from the 
atmosphere, hence the importance of keeping this in a suitable condition. 
€ photograph is, of course, greatly reduced, but even now we have 
had to omit part of the roots from our figure. To have included all it 
Would have been necessary to make the block 1} inches longer, or else to 
