THE ORCHID REVIEW. IOI 
DIES ORCHIDIAN. 
Wiru the return of genial weather the last meeting of the Royal Horticul- 
tural Society resumed its wonted brilliancy, an excellent show of Orchids 
being brought together. Several plants of Eulophiella Elisabethe attracted 
a good deal of attention, and a group of three received a Cultural Com- 
mendation. It is very distinct and attractive, and apparently succeeds well 
under warm treatment. Dendrobriums were very well shown, especially 
the hybrids, and one remarkable novelty came in for a First-class Certificate. 
This was Mr. Cypher’s D. x Apollo grandiflorum, raised from D. nobile 
pulcherrimum ? and D. X_ splendidissimum grandiflorum 3, which was 
generally considered as being’a marked advance on its brillant parents, and 
some remarked that it was difficult to see where further improvement was 
possible. 
The Journal of Horticulture, in publishing a figure of a flower, remarked 
that ‘opinions were unanimous that this variety . . . was the finest that 
had been seen, both with regard for size and coloration. . . . The size of 
the lip was almost phenomenal, and is, perhaps, the best point about the 
hybrid.” The figure shows a flower four and a half inches across its 
widest diameter, and the lip an inch and a half broad. Now I was much 
struck with the flower in question, and had the curiosity to measure it and 
note down the dimensions. Will it be believed? I find on comparing the 
two that the artist has magnified the width of the flower by fully half an 
‘inch, and that of the lip by half this amount. Probably the majority 
of readers would assume the figure to be correct, especially after 
reading the note about it. Such exaggeration is misleading, and ought 
to be discountenanced. Some time ago I used some strong language 
respecting a caricature of Odontoglossum crispum apiatum, and since then 
three figures of a Cypripedium have appeared, all drawn from one and the 
same flower, yet so diverse that they might represent three different species. 
_ The fact is, too many figures which appear are absolute caricatures, and in 
some cases almost worthless as a means of identification, a condition of 
things which is certainty deplorable, and might so easily be avoided, at all 
events so far as exaggeration is concerned. 
The remarks made in the preceding paragraph are in no sense depre- 
ciatory of Mr. Cypher’s handsome hybrid, but only of the want of accuracy 
in the published figure. On the contrary, its occurrence points to the steady 
improvement which is going on, and which we believe is likely to continue. 
In the hands of the Hybridist the materials used seem to become plastic, 
and may be almost moulded at will—that is within certain limits, which, 
however, cannot be accurately defined beforehand. The one certain thing 
is that improvements can be effected in various directions by judicious 
combinations—improvements in habit, in size and colour of flowers, in 
floriferousness, in short in almost any particular in which improvement 
. ‘ 
