THE ORCHID REVIEW. 171 
many of what Charles Darwin used to call “fool’s experiments,” as to 
differeat materials on which to grow the seeds, and it may surprise some 
growers to hear how very regardless of precedent some of my Cattleya 
hybrids have been, since I have raised them successfully to the leaf and 
root stage not only on fibrous peat and wood and earthenware, but an 
occasional plant has grown on corduroy and Canton flannel and linen 
towelling, on bibulous paper, and even on woollen fabrics. I grew more 
than a hundred fine little plants of C. intermedia x Harrisoniana to the 
leaf stage on a small piece of woollen bed blanket, happening to get the 
conditions of moisture, &c., just right for them. On these fabrics growth 
is usually much slower than under more natural conditions, but they escape 
many enemies, both insects and moulds, that find congenial quarters in 
fibrous peat and other composts, and destroy the great majority of seeds 
while still in the thalloid stage. 
In my former notes in the February issue the sentence above the 
tabulations (at page 42) is printed so as to contradict the preceding correct 
statement, that the given average time of ripening seed is that of all my 
crosses on the given species—not the normal time for uncrossed pods, 
which statement should be cancelled. The sign “+” is equivalent to 
“and,” indicating that more than one kind of pollen was used on the same 
flower. 
THEODORE L. MEAD. 
Oviedo, Florida, U.S.A., 
May 4th, 1896. 
[The mistake alluded to in the last paragraph arose through a little 
alteration made by us in the arrangement of the tabulated part and the 
preceding explanatory paragraph. The fact is the number of months 
following the parents indicated represents the average time of ripening of 
all crosses on those species, and the table therefore represents the amount 
of variability in the periods of ripening under varying circumstances, and is 
not adduced in support of the remark that the time of ripening of any 
crossed capsule seemed to tend towards a mean between the normal 
ripening time of the two parents, as we supposed. Some experiments with 
uncrossed capsules would be very interesting, and possibly throw light on 
this question. The cases now adduced are remarkable, and we should 
particularly like to know the result of the multiple crosses mentioned when 
they flower. We shall recur to the question. Meantime, we hope others 
will send us their experiences.—Eb.] 
